c. At a Funeral Feast there is no mirth because the Master of the house is dead Ah weep over thy Father over thy Son the Master of the house is dead his precious soul is dead Thy pity can do a dead body no good but it may do a dead soul some good especially if you take in the next Duty which is 3. Pray for the dead I mean not in the Popish sense they Pray for the Dead you know pray for souls departed supposing them to be in Purgatory where the pains as they say are intollerable equal to them in Hell and the souls are deprived of the vision of God and therefore their Priests and others often pray for them and upon the Graves they inscribe Pray for the soul of such a one and on his soul Jesu have mercy But this is a wicked superstition We acknowledge no Purgatory and no need of Prayers for souls departed yet we hold Prayers requisite for one another whiles we are upon the earth And because some are dead whiles they live O pray to the Lord for them Lord Jesu have mercy upon the soul of my Husband Child Wife O convert them quicken them from the dead suffer them not their poor souls to die for ever When Steven was to die he prayed for those that were spiritually dead When Christ was dying he also prayed for them And Monica the Mother of Austin prayed for him and all of them were heard Object But I have prayed but yet no good comes of it Sol. Pray still as long as there is life and as long as there is prayer there is hope It will be an excellent comfort to thee and eternal happiness to thy friend if thou canst at length by thy prayers prevail with God to deliver that one soul from death Use the means by wâ—ich you may be quickned 4. If the Lord hath opened any of your eyes but to see what your spiritual condition is that you are yet in your graves yet dead in treâ—passes and sâ—â—s my advice unto you is this Go use the means by which your dead souls may be quickned Object Why but this is ridiculous to bid a dead man do work go stir do any thing Sol. I answer 1. There is a difference twixt a man corporally dead and a man spiritually dead The former can do no action whatsoever neither spiritual nor civil nor natural the latter though he can do nothing in spirituals yet for the other he may and can 2. You must distinguish twixt a spiritual action and an action which brings to a spiritual means He cannot convert his own heart yet he hath power to hear the Word which can 'T is true that a wicked unconverted man cannot exert any one spiritual action nevertheless he hath liberty and power to go to Church and hear a Sermon Why use this power and this liberty to come to the Pool where the Angel stirs to come to the Ordinances where God is pleased to quicken and raise the dead 3. When thou art under a spiritual Ordinance thou art under the voice of Christ himself who hath said That the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live And truly let me tell thee That the Voice of Jesus Christ in his Word hath not only a power to find a lost man but also to quicken a dead man I have finished the first Proposition out of these words viz. Luk. 15. 24. That the unconverted man is a dead man I now proceed to the second which is this That every converted man is a living man When the sinner Doct. 2. Every converted man is a living man is converted he is then made alive Conversion is a Sinners Life So the Text This my son is alive again It is reported of Similis Captain of the Guard to the Emperour Adrian that he retired from the Court into the Countrey seven years before his death and caused this to be written on his Tomb Hiâ— jacet Similis cuâ—us aet as multoruâ— annorum â—uit ipse septem duntaxat annos vixit For so many years only was he converted We count the length of our lives from the time of our birth and we must count the life of our souls from the time of our new birth said Hierom. It is frequent in Scripture to stile converted persons living persons or persons made alive Rom. 6. 13. Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead Chap. 8. v. 10. If Christ be in you the spirit is life because of righteousness Gal. 2. 20. I live saith Paul Col. 2. 13. You who were dead in your sins hath he quickned For the advantagious discussion of this Point I shall briefly open unto you 1. What Life that is which the converted sinner attains unto 2. How it may appear that he is invested with such a Life and why 3. Then the useful Application of all this unto our selves 1. What Life that is wherewith the converted man is invested What is the life of a converted sinner A four-fold life Natural Sol. I speak only of that Life incident unto man which is four-fold 1. Life natural which is a power to move and act I count not my life dear unto me said Paul Act. 20. 24. All that a man hath he will give for his life Job 1. This is the Life of Nature and every man good or bad enjoys it 2. Life connatural which is a prosperous fruition of our Lives Life connatural with peace contentment and comfortable successes in the external matters and affairs of our life This also is possibly incident to all sorts of men 3. Preternatural which is a death Preternatural rather than a life A sinfull life a life acted under the power and motion of sinfull lusts I was alive once said Paul Rom. 7. In this respect wicked and ungodly men only are alive 4. Supernatural Supernatural a divine life a new life a life in Christ and from Christ and to Christ Of which there are two parts and they are proper only to converted persons 1. There is the Life of Grace which they enjoy in this world 2. There is the Life of Glory which they enjoy in the world to come called often in Scripture eternal life The Text speaks of the first of these The The life of Grace is The life of Justification converted sinner is invested with the Life of Grace And this again is branched into the life of 1. Justification for when a sinner is justified he is then in the condition of life The unjustified man is a dead man for he lies under the sentence of death and the justified man is a living man he is passed from death to life the Lord takes off the sentence of eternal death from him He shall not die for the sins which he hath committed for I have pardoned all his sins and now he shall live and not die saith the Lord. 2. Sanctification
demand what are become of the many sick-bed resolutions of those that you made when the hand of God was upon you you vowed much unto God as he did in a storm c. but as the King said of Mordecai What hath been done to Mordecai for this so what have you done to make good your resolutions I believe your hearts are speechless your consciences do condemn you that health hath been the time of more sinning though sickness was the time of more resolving The same may be said for others whose consciences have been more actively and fiercely stirring Oh! if the Lord would abate that wrath and cool that inflamed spirit c. yet what are the fruits of many such resolutions As the Divel said of Job But now stretch forth thy hand and he will curse thee of thy face so here on the contrary as soon as the Lord takes off his hand these are as ready to continue and proceed on in their sins as the Israelites were when they were delivered out of the Land of Egypt from the fiery furnace Yea and of others is it not manifest that they are fare enough from present executions when they voluntarily defer the acting part of Repentance to old age Hereafter is time enough c. 2. Others perhaps do act and execute presently yet they are exceedingly out For 1. Though it be presently yet it is partially they act resolutions as Saul did his Sword upon the meanest and poorest not upon the greatest they do not answer their resolutions to the full Deal kindly with the young man for my sake said David So when many persons come to execute their Resolutions against sin they fail they falter they do not execute Agag some pleasant corruption which will mar all finds favour 2. Though it be presently yet it is but presently the present execution of the purpose is but a present a transient execution an hanging down the head for a day or for a week a busie and earnest reformation for a while but this Assize like ours here is but for a few dayes it breathes away the heart turns again to sin and the next convenient occasion is too prevalent it carries away the Soul 2. But to draw nearer to our selves however we have been defective Vse 2. Let us set upon a present execution to answer our manifold resolutions by present executions and practices yet now let us for the time to come as he said of words so I of purposes vertere proposita in Opera Not be like Clouds seeming to be full of Water but to pour down Let us act the parts of Penitents as the Prophet said to the hovering Israelites if God be God serve him so here if Repentance be a necessary duty to be performed let us then act it act it presently For this I will only propound two things 1. The Motives 2. The Means for a present Execution 1. The Motives 1. A present Execution is the truest part of Repentance At the Motives A present execution is the truest part of Repentance best you are but in a preparation in a meer disposition towards Repentance until you act it it is not so much what you would be as what you are what you intend as what you practise that will give the most real testimony of your Repentance 2. A present execution it is the safest part of repentance Of the two he is in the more sure condition who resolves to leave a wicked And the safest part of Repentance life and doth indeed forsake it and resolves to lead a holy life and doth indeed enterprize it than he who resolves on both but practiseth neither The doer of good is a thousand times more sure then the resolver something in some cases may be said to stay a person from his resolutions yet if nothing comes of the resolutions I assure you the scales will hang trembling but action doth more fully determine the estate and the Scripture is more clear for the spiritual estate as it lies in practise then as it lies in purpose 3. A present execution it is the comfortablest part While repentance lies only in resolution it is but as a Tree in And the comfortablest part of Repentance the Winter perhaps well rooted but it lives dry but when repentance breaks out into action it is as a Tree in the Spring well rooted well flowered and well smelling too There is more comfort to do then to intend to do indeed to cease a sinful course and indeed to walk an holy life this opens all the comforts of of the promises draws down the favour of God assures us more of interest in Christ excuseth more in the conscience reviveth more in all occurrences 4. A present execution it is the wisest part we cannot say what we shall do to morrow when we cannot assure And the wisest part our selves what and where we shall be to morrow He is wisest for Divine Glory and for his own happiness who acts an immediate duty of salvation upon present terms There are four things which declare wisdome One to sow in season Another to sail in season A third to accept and receive the Word of Grace in season A fourth to act repentance in season even now while it is called to day 2. The means If we would execute our penâ—tential resolutions then we must 1. Take heed of the impediments of this Meanes present Execution 2. Make use of the helps and furtherances of it 1. The impediments of a present execution are many Take heed of the Impediments Imbâ—cillity of Resolution 1. Imbecility of resolution Debile fundamentum fallit opus if the foundation be weak how can the building be strong the house which was built on a Rock did stand but that which was erected on the Sands fell down Where resolutions are either weakly raised on strong grounds or suddenly raised on weak and mutable occasions there is either no execution or uncertain for no effect doth exceed the virtue of his cause Thou hast almost perswaded me to be a Christian this left King Agrippa still in Heathenisme You will never go through with the work if you attain not to a thorow resolution when you have an heart that goes and comes you will have only fits of repentance which will come and go Of two things be sure if ever you would penitentially act to purpose One that you see strong and prevalent reasons to change your course of life such as may not be over topped by any arguments that sin may suggest hereafter they are the spirits in the brain which confer to motion in the Hands and Legs Another that you resolve not on deceitful and fallible grounds If your resolutions be upon Motives either mutable or conditional you may be troubled with much temptation but you will never advance in much penitential actions 2. Servile fear When we so exalt the opinions of men and their Tongues and their Power what will they
think of me Servile fear how will they nick-name and disgrace me what may befall me who can tell what mischief they may do unto me These are the Frosts which nip the buds and the Winds which bind the Ship and the Remora's which hold the Children still in the birth We love the opinions of men to be well thought on and the Tongues of men to be well spoken of and the respects of men to be countenanced and encouraged A cross way makes us start Zedekiah would not obey the Lord least the Princes should laugh at him and many of the Jews durst not confess Christ for fear of the Scribes and Phaâ—isees For a man who enjoyes friends and ease and estate and abundance in all sorts to thrust out into a Sea to enter into a holy and strict course of Life wherein he shall be sure to be scorned as the off-scouring of the world be trampled upon as the more in the streets be torne in his name by the teeth of wild beasts suffer ship-wrack in his liberty in his plenty in his body Why these apprehensions are eâ—ough to quell and to keep in all forwardness all action as Spira confesseth That they wrought on him when he denyed the profession of the Truth of Christ Therefore if you would descend into the present execution of penitential purposes you must not be slavishly affected unto man you must not fear the power of man nor be aâ—hamed of the Cross of Christ you must put your shoulder under the Cross and the contempts of men under your feet I am ready saith Paul Acts 21. 13 not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 4. 14. I will not fear what man can do unto me said David Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man who shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker and hast feared continually because of the fury of the oppressor as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressor Isa 51. 12 13. 3. Despair of performance Why say we as good never a Dispair of performance whit as never the better It is not possible that ever we should get hands to conquer all these sins or feet to walk in all these wayes which are so holy so many so strict so difficult We cannot find words to pray nay God knows sometimes not hearts the motions of sin are thick and strong and ableevery moment to lead us captive we have made some assay but alas the work proves so harsh so uncomfortable so unprosperous we are without all strength we shall never break all these bonds of sin nor tread through all these pathes of holy duties Thus as death closeth up our eyes so doth despair shut up all our actions where there is no hope to finish there will be no heart to begin But let us reject such despairing delusions what hath been done may be done what God commands to do he can enable to do and what he promiseth that we shall do that he will make and cause us do But God hath commanded us to leave all our sinful courses and to lead a life of holiness God hath promised grace sufficient to forsake an evill way and to walk in a good way I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments and do them Ezek. 36. 27. If God gives strength to work why should we with-hold hearts to work Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis said S. Austin Lord give what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt Seriously consider any one penitential work for which God hath not promised grace and strength to perform Many have travelled in this penitential Work and have found it very feisable and passable How many are this day in heaven and how many are walking towards heaven all of them prove that it is not impossible to execute penitential resolutions 4. Hypocrisie and guile of heart Where the heart is false Hypocrisie there the performance is faint if the work be not done in the heart it will never be done in the life the work is best done in the life which is first done in the heart They in Jeremiah had rotten hearts they did not cordially intend to leave their own wayes and therefore when they were put to it indeed they would not yield to walk in the wayes which God prescribed Where an holy way is not throughly approved and where an evil way is not throughly hated there may be many flashes but there will never be solid performances or courses Yet a little sleep yet a little slumber yet a little folding of the hands said the Sluggard who loved sleep and idleness Prov. 6. 10. So where our affections are hankâ—ing about a sin there is ever at the least a slowness to leave that sin Modo modo said S. Austin when motions came into him to forsake his â—nclean Lusts they answered Shortly shortly Hereafter hereafter and this modo modo vvas sine modo this putting off from day to day would have continued so all the dayes of his life Therefore if you vvould execute your penitential resolutions take heed of corrupt affections if they again prevail upon you they vvill assuredly intangle and hinder you they mar the judgment and close vvith temptations and hinder actions Oh how suddenly vvill they quench your spirits alter your judgments put aside your duties extenuate your purposes bring you into further bondage confirm your unwillingness excite your fears raise up discouragements and all to frustrate the present executions of your former resolutions Corrupt affections are the very gates of sin the Bane of holiness the Quenchers of resolutions and the Impediments of all good performances 5. Worldly cares Our Saviout saith That the seed which fell among thornes was chaoked Luke 8. 7. And what was it which Worldly cares did choaâ— it see vers 14. The cares and riches and pleasures of this Life There are two things which worldly cares do choak viz. Heavenly directions of the word and Heavenly resolutions of the heart so that neither the one nor the other do come unto perfection Holy performance or action it is the end or perfection of all knowledg and resolution and worldly cares stifle both You have many a man who comes to the word and hears the terrours of God and his wrath revealed against his unrighteounsness insomuch that his soul with Felix trembles under the strokes of divine justice Or he hears how happy and blessed the condition and life of holiness is what heavens of mercies what rivers of comforts what excusations and peace of Conscience what blessings in life what supports in
to make a dead man to live 6. That true Conversion is a very great and conspicuous alteration No change is like that from death to life 7. That true Conversion is an inward or a soul-alteration not of cloaths or painting It is the putting of life into a dead man 8. That a sinner contributes nothing at all towards his Conversion but Conversion of a sinner is the sole work of a God for it is God only who can quicken the dead no dead man can make himself alive 9. That the Lord takes notice of every condition of man of the Prodigals former condition he was dead and of his present condition but he is alive again 10. That the Lord doth own every converted person as a Father owns a Son This my Son 1. That an impenitent or unconverted man is a dead man This Doct. 1. An unconverted man is a dead man my Son was dead The sinner is in Scripture sometimes stiled A fallen man Hos 14. 1. Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Yea but this fall is a deadly fall not like Eutychu's Fall Acts 20. 29. in whom yet there was life vers 10. But like Ahaziah's Fall which was deadly to him 2 Kings 1. 4. A diseased man Isa 1. 6. From the sole of the soot even to the head there is no soundness but this disease is a deadly disease and therefore sin is called the Plague of the heart 1 Kings 8. No disease is so deadly as the Plague and no Plague is so deadly as the Plague in the heart A wounded man Luk. 10. 30. A certain man fell among Theeves who woâ—nded him But this wound is a deadly wound like that which the King of Babilon gave to Pharaoh which made him groan with the groanings of a deadly wounded man Ezek. 30. 24. An inthralled man 2 Pet. 2. 19. Of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in Bondage But this Bondage is a deadly Bondage whether of sin unto death saith the Apostle of the servants of sin Rom. 6. 16. A dead man and this is the highest unless you say a damned man frequently doth the Scripture Phrase this way Psalm 106. 28. They did eat the sacriâ—ices of the dead because offered to dead Idols and by dead Idolaters Prov. 21. 16. The man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the dead .i. of the ungodly wicked impenitent The Ephesians what were they before their conversion See Chap. 2. 1. Dead in sins and trespasses The Colossians what were they before their conversion See Chap. 2. 13. And you being dead in your sins c. 1 Pet. 4. 6. The Gospel was preached to them that were dead .i. to wicked and impenitent persons nay Jude v. 12. speaks of some that were twice dead dead in respect of Original Sin and dead in respect of Actual sin or dead in respect of corruption and dead in respect to their former profession I grant that an unconverted sinner may be alive 1. In respect of his own opinion I was once alive said Paul Rom. 7. 9. but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed 2. In the opinion of men Rev. 3. 1. Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead So Christ of the Church of Sardis 3. To sinful works he lives in them and lives with them and lives to them but this life is death this life is a sign that he is dead that unto spirituals he is dead This is a great Point of which I am now discoursing and hath been the subject of much dispute as in former Ages so in this latter Age. There have been some that have denyed utterly this death of a sinner others have held sinful men to be wounded and to be half dead The Pelagians go this way so do all the Papists and verily the Arminians come not much short herein yea most men preâ—me that though they be sinners yet that they are not altogether dead but some life still remains in them or some power Favour me therefore to oâ—en the point with some distinctions and then I shall confirm the truth delivered both with Scripture and Arguments and wind up the rest with some profitable Applications to our Several Distinctions selves 1. For the first of these I distinguish thus Man is considerable Man considered under a three â—â—ld Stâ—te Of Creation Of Degeneration Of Regeneration Man in his Degeneration Considered as to Natural actions Political actions Or Theological under a threefold estate 1. Of Institution or Creation Wherein he was alive and had a power to live or dye 2. Of Destitution or Degeneration In this estate every man living is dead 3. Of Restitution oâ— Regeneration And here he is born again and is made alive again Again man in his degenerate or fallen estate may be considered in relation to actions and objects either 1. Natural To these he is alive the soul in man is no dead but living thing and is able to understand will desire discourse and reason and this man can eat drink sleep c. 2. Political Here also life is found in him even a wicked man destitute of all Grace is alive to trade to bargain to buy to sell to plant to build 3. Theological or Spiritual Now here the impeâ—itent or unconverted man is plane mortuus stark dead An understanding I confess he still hath but none that is able to know God aright or Christ or any saving truth without Divine aid or Grace 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves If we Apostle and regenerate be not sufficient who is if not to think then to what to think is the lowest act of poâ—er 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned John 1. 5. The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not A â—ill also I grant unto the natural and unconverted man for he could not be a man if he had not a will but this will without Grace cannot do any spiritual good nor chuse it nor love it nor desire it Non potest home aliquid velle nisi adjuvetur ab eo qui malum non potest velle So S. Austin against Pelagius Tom. 3. De spiritu Litera cap. 3. Without me saith Christ ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. No man comes to me except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44. It is God who works in us to will and to do saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 13. And Works I grant unâ—o this man but spiritual work I deny to them Quid boni petest perditus nisi in quantum à perditione liberatus Austin in Enchirid c. 30. They that are in the flesh cannot please God saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 8. An evil Tree cannot bring forth good fruit so our Saviour Mat. 7. 18.
by this opinion is manifestly placed in the liberty of a sinners will whereas the Scripture plainly ascribes it to the will of him who calls not to the will of him who is called 2. Others hold it to be much beyond this To be a most High Power a Iâ— is a most high power a creating power Creating Power a Divine Power an Almighty Power such a Power as overpowers all the sinful power in man bears it down and overcomes a proud stubborn resisting heart though it doth not totaliter eradicare yet it doth actualiter predominari vincere resistentiam voluntatis Now that no less power is sufficient effectually Proved to convert a sinner may be cleared by these Arguments 1. If you consider the nature of Conversion it self there are two From the nature of conveâ—sion things which Conversion doth denote One is an immediate work of God renewing man or giving unto him a new birth this cannot be done without an almighty Power Our Divines in the Synod of Dort call this Mirabilem operationem Prosper calls this Grace Bonorum in nobis creatricem This is the creating work to bestow a Soul upon the Soul a Spirit of life upon a spirit this must be the work of an almighty God indeed Omnipotentissima potestas inclinandi humanorum cordium Austin de Cor. Gra. c. 14. No man nor Angel can make a creature only a God can make creatures and new creatures The Ethiopian cannot change his skin and can any but a God change the heart the nature of a sinner Another is A work of man by Faith and Repentance turning himself unto God some term the former conversionem primam and the latter conversionem secundam these two in the order of time cannot scarce be distinguished but in order of causality they are the work of God converting man is before and it is a cause of the action in man converting unto God Now Conversion in this sense depends upon an almighty Power even the believer cannot believe without Gods mighty Power there is a wonderful Power required to draw out the act of believing Oh how much power is necessary to make any troubled broken heart actually to come unto Christ actually to believe to embrace Jesus Christ how many Seas must be divided first how many Mountains levelled and removed out of their places first It must come from the Father if any do come unto the Son See Jo. 6. 37. 45. Vnto you it is given to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the gift of God and the act of Faith is the gift of God too a renewed will is from God and when it is renewed even now to will is from God God works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. there must be his good will to make us will good and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his work to make us to work 2. If you consider the strength of sin in mans nature we look upon two things in From the strength of sin in mans nature sin the guilt of it Oh this was so great so mighty that it could never be expiated but by an almighty satisfaction even the blood of the Son of God the filth and corruption of it why thus considered it is of that strength in the Soul that no Power but what is Divine can overcome it an almighty Power is necessary to this it must be a stronger then the strong that must dispossess this strong man they are no weak weapons but mighty weapons and mighty through God which must pull down these strong holds the heart of man is full of evil saith Solomon it is desperately wicked saith Jeremy I beseech you pause a while upon two Considerations 1. There is an exceeding strength in Sin even in the Regenerate and converted Person Paul cries out I am sold I am led captive David is weeping for no less sins then of Adultery and Murder Peter weeps bitterly for no less sin then denying of Christ then for swearing and cursing In the very best the flesh lusteth against the Spirit So that they cannot do the Good they would and cannot overcome the evil that they hate Now mark if there be so much strength in sinful nature dying how great is the strength in sinful nature living If there be so much power in a broken arm how great is the power in a perfect strong unbroken arm If all the Christians Grace he hath be sometimes too weak for his sinful inclination assuredly then all external counsels advises reproofs are too weak to alter the whole sinful nature for the quality of Grace is much more strong then the exhortation unto Grace 2. That there is such a strength in sin that all the degrees of Grace unto which a converted person can possible attain in this life are not able totally to rid the soul of it Till the mud-wall be quite pulled down some of the Ivy will stick unto it Jacob went halting unto his grave Till death makes an end of our lives Grace cannot make an end of our sins Is it thus with the converted person that neither Counsels nor Exhortations nor Grace received can utterly extirpate sin nay is sometimes too weak for sin verily then there can be no conversion of a sinner without an Almighty power the power of sin in an unconverted man being in fullest strength in every faculty and making highest resistance to Grace because naturally of deepest contrariety thereunto 3. Nay thirdly consider as there is a mighty strength From that strength joyned with Sin to oppose the sinners Conversion in sin so there is a mighty strength joyned with sin to oppose the sinners Conversion and the sinner cannot be converted until both these armies be conquered 1. Satans strength is joyned with the strength of sin the sinner is under the dominion of sin and he is likewise under the dominion of Satan and as sin is a powerful Lord so Satan is a powerful Prince he is the God of this world he works mightily in the Children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. He takes them captive at his pleasure and as Pharaoh raised all his host when the Children of Israel were to go out of Egypt so doth Satan stir up all his policy and put forth all his power to withhold a person from being converted He arms the Judgment with reasons exceptions shifts disputes and he arms the Will with aversness unreasonableness stubbornness pride And he arms the Conscience and he arms the Affections O what corrupt reasonings how many proud denials what hideous representations of the wayes of Grace what delights what profits we have had by sin what impossibilities what disputes what feares what terrors what dampings of the Word what distractions in Prayer what agonies and continual and vehement and violent conflicts doubts scruples c 2 All these must be answered and all these must be conquered if the
soul be converted And can all this be done by a morall power O no it must be an Almighty power which must rescue a poor soul out of the hands of two such mighty Lords The people of Israel could not be delivered from one King and with a temporal deliverance but by the exceeding greatness of Gods power and by an high and insuperable working of divine Grace 4. There is more then an ordinary power required for effects which fall short of Conversion and if From the effects which fall short of Conversion no less then an almighty power be required for these which are at the best but subordinate and preparative workes to the main work of Conversion questionless then the work of Conversion depends and must depend on an almighty Power Such a quantity of power cannot be denied for the greater which yet must be granted for the lesser works in the same Order There are some good and learned Divines who handling the preparatives Synod Dâ—rdr pag. 160. to Conversion do conceive four precious acts or works wrought before it v. g. 1. Notitia divinae voluntatis a knowledg of the Divine will 2. Sensus peccati a sight and feeling of our sins and sinful condition 3. Cogitatio de liberatione some thoughts and desires of deliverance 4. Spes veniae an hope at last of a possibility of mercy and pardon all which God works by the preaching of the Word As upon Peters sermon they came to a â—ense of their sin and fear and trouble and desire and had some hope of deliverance preached unto them the promise being made to them and unto their Children upon which God converted them Now mark me There is a necessity of an almighty Power to produce these antecedaneous and inferior works None but the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory can inlighten the eyes of the Ephesians c. 1. 17 18. Surely then none less then he can open the heart of the Ephesians for which is the greater work to open an eye or to open an heart Is it not more to give life to the dead then to give sight to the blinde None but God can make a sinner sensible of his sins When the Commandment came sin revived and I died Rom. 7. 9. Now which is the greater work to make me feel my sins or to make me forsake my sins to trouble my heart or to alter my heart to feel my disease or to heale me of my disease to shew me my â—etters or break off these â—etters 5. It is at least as great a work to convert a sinner as it is to From the power required to preserve a sinner converted preserve a sinner converted and one would think a greater work for to the one man is dead to the other he is living Is iâ— not more to make the house then to repair the house but to preserve or keep a converted person stedfast to the end there needs no less then the power of a God We are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. therefore to convert a sinner doth require no less power then that of a God Now put all these things together the nature of Conversion the Power of a sinful heart the Strength of Satan the Power required for lesser works then conversion the Greatness of making then keeping and then I think it wil manifestly appear That no less then an almighty Power is necessary to a sinners Conversion Is there an almighty power required to convert a sinner Vse 1. as great a power as to make a dead man alive how To humble us from the consideration of the Dâ—pth of our disease may this humble all our thoughts and all our hearts you may judg of the depth of the disease by the bredth of the Remedy so may we of the greatness of our fall by the greatness of the power which is required to raise us up O who can utter the sinfulness of a sinner who of us would believe that there is so great a strength in one of his sins that all the powers in heaven and earth less then Gods are not able are not sufficient to turn his heart from it That one lust of Pride that one lust of Uncleanness that one lust of Covetousness that one lust of vain-Glory c. is too strong for thee and it is too strong for all the men on earth and it is too strong for all the Angels in heaven Though one puls and the other puls and all of them pull together they cannot pull it from thy heart nor thy heart from it you read in 2 Kings 4. 31. that Gehazi went before Elisha and laid the staff upon the face of the Child but there was neither voyce nor hearing wherefore he went again to meet Elisha and told him saying The child is not awaked Why thus it is with thy heart under all the means of life and Grace they may all turn back to God and say This sinner is not yet awakened he is not yet turned The word of God may say I cannot with all my Instructions with all my Reproofs with all my Exhortations convert him nor can I saith Conscience nor I saith Affliction nor I saith the Minister nor I saith the Father The proud Pelagians Papists Arminians dream in this Point of a sleeper but think not of a death they talk of a prison and opening the doore but think not of the chains wherewith the prisoner is bound and fettered they talk of a Counseller but forget the Physitian they write as if a sinner were to be converted with Logick and Râ—etorick but alas if any word converts a sinner it must be an almighty word God must quicken as well as call God must heal as well as speak God must work as a God or else the sinner will remain an eternall sinner 2. If such an almighty Power be necessary to convert a sinner It is foolish presumption to defer Repentance upon a pretence of turning when we list then what a foolish Presumption is it to defer to beg Repentance supposing a lurking dormant power in the heart to turn when we list But O vain man why yet a little sleep more and yet a little slumbring more and why to morrow or why hereafter what is thy power or what is thy strength to come off from thy sins or to overcome and turn thy sinful heart Why Go and try some lesser thing change the Leopards spots turn night into day raise thy dead child out of the grave stop the course of the Sea and sweeten it Read the word and make thy self to understand it Read thy heart and make thy self to humble it if thou canst not do the lesser the weaker why wilt thou endanger thy self with a presuming to do the greater the stronger Is it credible that a sinner is able to do the work of a God thou canst not break the thred and shalt thou be