their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom And the Apostle Peter shews that some escape the pollutions of the world in a sense and yet return with the Dog to his vomit are again intangled and quite overcome by their old sins and their latter end is worse than their beginning So likewise we read of those that have been enlightned and tasted of the Heavenly gift and of the Powers of the world to come and yet fall away Not that these Scriptures or any other do hold forth a total and final Apostacy in any from special grace but onely from common grace The Doctrine of the certainty of the perseverance of all sound Believers shines forth so gloriously from many plain Texts of Scripture and from the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and the purchase that Christ hath made for them that are his and the Almightiness of God who hath undertaken and promised to keep them that they shall not depart from him and perish that there is scarce any part of Religion that hath been controverted that is with more facility defended against all Opposers But such Scriptures hold forth that there is Common Grace as well as Special Judas his profession and gifts Simon Magus his believing when he saw the Miracles and Signs which were done Herod's hearing John Baptist gladly and doing many things Agrippa's being almost perswaded to be a Christian come all under this Head of Common workings of the Spirit so called because that not onely those that are saved but those that perish have many times such workings of the Spirit Now therefore observe that amongst those that God is pleased to bestow Common grace upon some are ordained to eternal life and upon these the Lord sooner or later bestows special grace And as for others the holy Lord doth either by the common motions and influences of his Spirit keep them in the profession and practice of it all their days in his infinite wisdom and good pleasure making use of their common grace and gifts for the good of others and for the preventing of their own greater damnation or else God in his righteous judgment so ordereth it that those common influences and workings of the Spirit depart from them and so they openly fall away into gross errour or profaneness of life to their greater damnation As to Common Grace and preparatory workings of the Spirit some carry that point so far that they confound common and special Grace darken the Doctrine of Conversion and cast a stumbling block before weak Christians puzling them exceedingly speaking of some things under that Head that are wrought onely in those that are effectually called But these things following may be brought under this Head of Common Grace and preparatory workings of the Spirit 1. An Illumination of the Spirit to make impression upon the Soul that there is a God that Man is fallen in Adam that Jesus Christ is the Mediatour that there is Heaven and Hell yea one that hath onely this common illumination may have knowledge notional knowledge and utterance about these and other points of Religion beyond many sincere Christians Hence it is that men may go to Hell with their heads full of knowledge and notions of Religion Some that we think for their knowledge and excellent parts are happy men yet may have onely common illumination and perish 2. Conviction of Sin comes in also under this Head of Common Grace and preparatory workings of the Spirit The Lord useth before he infuseth Faith in Christ and the habit of special grace into the heart first to convince men of Sin Those that were converted in the Second Chapter of the Acts were first pricked in their hearts with the sense of their sins verse 37. afterwards God gave them Faith in Christ What sins the Lord will set home upon the Conscience first of all to awaken and startle a secure Sinner depends upon his holy pleasure Sometimes the Lord shews men so much of their own vileness as doth almost sink them in their Spirits sometimes the Lord dealeth with them in a gentler way Usually God sets home gross sins special sins with most terrour upon the heart It is no matter how long it is since the sin hath been committed God can set it home upon the Conscience with as much terrour as if it had been but yesterday The universal depravedness and corruption of our Nature is sometimes set home upon the Conscience that the convinced sinner seeth himself more vile upon that account than upon the account of his sinful acts It is said of the Holy Ghost that he shall convince men of sin because they believe not on Christ John 16.8 9. From whence we must not conclude that men are not so throughly convinced of sin as God doth convince men in the preparatory workings of the Spirit except the Lord do set it home particularly upon the Conscience that the person besides many other sins is guilty of the sin of unbelief taking it for the Soul 's not coming to Christ and believing and relying upon him as a Saviour But we may take the not believing on Christ there in a large sense for being in a course of impenitency and gracelesness Or we may thus conceive the meaning of the place that the Holy Ghost in converting Souls will convince them of sin what sins he pleaseth and shew them that they are in danger of Hell and damnation being such persons as are not yet in Christ and believe not on his Name and so have not their pardon in Christ to plead for their discharge from the guilt of their sins It is true where persons have been long under convictions of other sins and have lived under much preaching of Christ and yet have gone on a great while in a way of secking to be justified by their own righteousness and are not brought to give God the whole glory of his free grace in Christ in justifying and saving of them the Lord may set home this unbelief of theirs and slighting of Christ their onely remedy as a great sin and folly but that the Lord doth set home this particularly upon every one that is under conviction in order to a sound conversion and that conviction is not through and sufficient without this cannot be made out by Scripture Under this Head it must be considered That though the Lord useth to convince men of sin and fright men with the terrours of the Law whom he intends to convert and bring to Christ Yet first all that are converted feel not the like terrours and fears of the wrath to come before their closing with Christ 2. Though the setting home of sin upon the Conscience and putting the Soul in fear of the wrath to come is the work of the Spirit making use of the terrours of the Law to that purpose yet not every thing that sometimes follows the reupon as a mans concluding that he shall never find mercy or his going on in a
speech or wisdom of the Preacher that doth convert the Hearers All the Oratory in the World cannot convert a Soul Arguments Promises Threatnings and Intreaties set forth with the Tongues of Men and Angels if they were to assume humane shape and speak to Sinners about their everlasting concernments could not prevail to bring them from Sin to Christ except the Lord put forth his Almighty power 5. It is not from any power of Nature that before lay dormient and idle that now awaketh and yieldeth obedience to the Word that a Soul is converted For there is no such power of Nature 't is an idle speculation of those that think it is so for in conversion the Spirit of God is put into us and the fear of God and so consequently the Seed and Principle of Faith and Repentance and other Graces is put into our hearts where before it was not 2. Positively I answer That the efficacy power and vertue of the preaching of the Word when a Soul is converted by it is wholly from the Spirit of God When the Scripture saith That faith cometh by hearing 't is only as an outward means that God worketh by when it pleases him for bare hearing of the Gospel worketh Faith in no man for Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Philip. 1.29 The fruit of the Spirit Galat. 5.22 And when the Gospel is said to be the power of God unto salvation it is not to be understood as if the bare preaching of the Gospel did save and convert men but it is called the power of God unto salvation in opposition to the Law and the Covenant of works because it reveals and holds forth the way of Grace in Christ by which God saveth lost Sinners which the Law doth not How the Spirit of God doth work in and by the preaching of the Word for the conversion of Souls is a deep mystery And O that we may experimentally know that the Holy Ghost hath made use of the Word to convert our Souls though we cannot exactly conceive of the way and manner of his working thereby The workings of the Holy Ghost in Conversion are compared to the wind as for the freeness and powerfulness so for the mystery that is in them As the wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3.8 But for further light into this Question let us observe these Scriptures following It is said The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul Ministers do but call and knock at the doors of mens hearts 't is God that by a secret work of his Spirit openeth their hearts Acts 16.14 And it is said Acts 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard him Peters preaching and the Holy Ghosts falling upon them that heard him were two distinct things the one might have been without the other the one was the work of man the other was the work of God And that which is said 1 Thess 1.5 will make it yet far more evident For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance The Gospels coming to people in word and in the bare preaching of it is one thing and the Gospels coming to them in power and in the Holy Ghost is another to some the Gospel comes only in word they hear a sound of words and as they are rational men they may have a notional knowledge thereof but unto the Elect it comes with power and with the Holy Ghost even with such powerful workings of the Spirit as turns them from Sin to Christ Of these things this is the sum the preaching of the Word shews us the way of salvation it is the Spirit of God that by a secret and strong hand puts us into that way The preaching of the Word shews us our lost estate by Nature it is the Spirit that inwardly makes us sensible of it and affecteth our hearts with it The preaching of the Word shews us Gods Grace in Christ holds up Christ as the Brazen Serpent it is the Spirit that gives us an eye of faith to look to him that we may live The coming to the Ordinance to hear the Word is like the Woman in the Gospel touching the hem of Christs garment others touched him as well as she but there came a secret vertue from Christ to heal her of her Bloody Issue Many come to the preaching of the Word and to some of their Souls there cometh secret vertue from Christ that they find in themselves that now they are humbled for sin now they prize Christ now they cleave unto the Lord with a full purpose of heart to walk in his ways Praise the Lord for ever It was not the Minister it was not the bare preaching of the Word that could make this change but this was the day of the Lords power to thy Soul and vertue came secretly from our blessed Lord Jesus to thy Soul admire him and love him and cleave to him to carry thee on by the same power of his Spirit unto the end It may be many others in the same Sermon found no vertue come from Christ to their Souls it was a burden and tedious to them Admire free Grace and love the Lord Jesus for ever When we find good to our Souls by the preaching of the Word we must not look upon poor Ministers with admiration of them as if by their power and holiness we had such a change wrought in us but know that God hath made bare his own arm and glorified his own power and the exceeding riches of his grace in Christ Jesus to us-ward And this is one reason why God makes use many times of persons of meaner parts and small repute to be Instruments of converting more Souls than he doth of others that excel them that it may appear that the high and excellent power that converts the Soul is of God and not of man It is not fit that the Glory of God should be given to Ministers and Ordinances if we get any good to our Souls by them look upon them but as the Conduit-pipes and let all the Glory be given to him who is the Fountain of life for thine O Lord is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever CONVERSION Wrought by the POWER of GOD CHAP. V. Shewing that whatsoever Outward Means the Lord makes use of for the Conversion of Souls the Work is done by his own Almighty Power IT hath been shewn that the Lord in Converting Souls doth usually make use of Outward Means and especially the preaching of the Word Now let us enquire more fully how those that were spiritually dead come to be made alive and those that were darkness come to be made light in the Lord. Those
actings whereby it is more easily discerned as for example when a Believer is examining whether he hath true Faith in Christ the Holy Ghost doth sometimes put that grace into act at that very time and then he can say Lord I believe I see faith at this very time working in my heart and so for other graces as repentance love to God and the like When it is thus a poor believer goes thorough the work of self examination with great satisfaction and delight and if it be not always so yet let a Believer pray and search into his heart and wait upon the Lord If he hide his face yet wait upon him for a good hour when he will come unto us and comfort us 4. The stronger the habit of grace in the heart is and the more frequent and constant the actings of grace are the more easily may we come to the knowledg and assurance of the work of grace in us If faith were stronger in the habit and more frequent in the act we might have more assurance that we have the truth of that grace and usually it is so that such have most assurance the like may be said of repentance love to God and other graces Happy is it when a man can truly say shall I question the truth of my faith in Christ when through the grace of God who hath wrought my heart to this self same thing I find a strong bent upon my heart to cleave to Christ as my Mediatour for ever I am continually looking to him he is precious to me the Meditation of him is sweet to my soul I have counted do count and will for ever count all things but dung in comparison of him shall I question the truth of my repentance when I find that I have continual sorrow in my heart for my sins and sighs and cry continually to be delivered from all my corruptions I say happy is that man whose grace is so strong and in such continual motion and action such a man can more easily discern the truth of it let us pray and wait for this 5. Believers must not be taken up wholly in trying of themselves whether they are in the state of grace or no but press forwards in putting forth New acts of Faith New acts of repentance New acts of love to Christ and New acts of mortification of Sin That we may grow up into him in all grace who is our head even Christ Yea sometimes former grace received may be many ways so obscured yea weakned that there is no other way to recover the vigour and comfort of grace but for the Soul to believe in Christ repent and turn to God as if it were but now to begin to follow Christ Secondly Conversion and the work of grace upon the heart is sometimes manifested to us by the more immediate testimony of the spirit If the holy Ghost do indeed perswade and assure our hearts that we are in the love and favour of God then we are effectually called for though God loveth those whom he hath chosen from everlasting and the giving of Christ to die for them and his drawing them to Christ is from that free love and good pleasure of his will towards them yet until a person be converted the holy Ghost doth not assure him that God hath ordained him to eternal life Those whom God hath foreknown he hath predestinated from eternity to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ but till they be actually sons and daughters which is not till their conversion and believing in Christ John 1.12 The Lord doth not send his spirit into their hearts to enable them to cry Abba Father The Lord indeed sendeth his spirit into the hearts of the Elect to convert them and work faith in them for without the spirit it could never be done but it is an after work for the spirit to come into our hearts enabling us to cry Abba Father assuring us that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 And shedding abroad and pouring in the love of God to us in particular into our hearts Rom. 5 5. We must not think that the holy Ghost at first dash doth assure a person that God hath ordained him in particular to eternal life before he insufe the habit of grace and spiritual Life into him but first the holy Ghost having convinced the soul of sin and convinced the Soul of righteousness to justify to be in Christ and in him alone doth enable the soul to apply Christ and come unto him and afterwards as it pleases him doth manifest to the soul the truth of his faith and his pardon through Christ The Holy Ghost works as a Sanctifyer before he workes as a Comforter the Holy Ghost workes faith in the heart before he fill with joy and peace which is onely in believing in Christ and discerning the fruits of our Vnion with him The manner how the Holy Ghost doth assure us that we are the Children of God is a great mystery When the Holy Ghost clears to us the work of grace upon our hearts this is one way that he doth witness to us that we are the Children of God But sometimes he doth it more immediately that when the believer hath not been at that time trying his spiritual estate or it may be is in great heaviness through manifold inward temptations and outward dangers and afflictions suddenly the Holy Ghost makes him to triumph in Christ and rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Indeed this way of the spirits witnessing to the soul though it is most refreshing and ravishing yet it is not so ordinary as the other and it is more transient and quickly passing away and is rather a cordial for some sowning fit or some Antidote to strengthen the heart in some great appraoching service or tryal then the common food of the Saints in this life If any shall say how do Believers know the voice and witness of the spirit speaking peace and joy by Jesus Christ to their souls from a delusion I answer 1. By a certain spiritual instinct which no man knows but him that hath it by this they know the voice of the spirit from the voice of a stranger 2. By the signs that follow this voice and Witness of the spirit raising our hearts to look to Christ the Mediatour As he from whom all our springs are admiring the love of the father in giving him to be the propitiation for our sins loathing of our selves for our iniquities and stronger desires to walk in universal obedience to the Lord. But now because some seem to examine themselves little concerning the work of grace upon their hearts but in giving a reason of the hope they have that they are passed from death to life speak not of their faith repentance and other graces but say that they had such and such a word given in as for example I have loved thee with an everlasting love or I have blotted out as a
thick Cloud thy transgressions and will remember thy sins no more Fear not I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God be of good cheare thy sins are forgiven thee or the like This question may be moved hereupon Quest When a man hath some promise or word of grace come into his thoughts so as to make impression upon his heart and quiet him as to his feare of the wrath of God how shall he know that this is spoken by the spirit to witness to him that he is the Child of God or whether it be a delusion Answ 1 That the holy Ghost doth sometimes comfort the hearts of believers by some promise or word of grace mentioned in the Scripture is not to be questioned As the Holy Ghost in convincing men of sin and their last estate by nature doth often make use of some places of Scripture as for example the wages of sin is death the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men and setles home the commandments of the Law with the curse anexed to the breach of them in particular to the soul as if the Lord did speak from heaven to that particular person I have said in my Law thou shalt have no other Gods before me But thou hast made riches thy God thy belly thy God thy Name and esteem amongst men thy God therefore thou art cursed I have said in my Law thou shalt not take my Name in vain but thou hast done it I have said thou shalt keep my sabbath Holy but thou hast not regarded it and so thou hast broaken this commandment and the other I have said cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law to do it therefore thou art under the curse and what wilt thou do As the holy Ghost I say doth often set home such Scriptures to convince men os sin and shew them their need of Christ so doth the Holy Ghost many times make use of other Scriptures that hold forth Gods free grace in Christ both at first to work faith and draw the soul to Christ and afterwards to fill the heart with joy and peace in believing Thefore it is a sign of a prophane heart and destitute of the knowledge of conversion and of the comforts of the holy Ghost to make a mock and jeare of Scriptures and promises given into and set home upon the spirits of men 2. Sometimes promises and words of grace are given into the soul to work grace at that time and not to witness that grace was wrought before for we ordinarily receive the spirit to work grace at first in us by hearing in the preaching of the word or else darted more immediately from God into our souls some promise or declaration of Gods grace in Christ and if that be all our mistake that at such a time when we thought the Holy Ghost set home such or such a promise and word of grace upon our hearts to assure us that we were the Children of God that he did it at that time to work the first special grace in us and unite us unto Christ so that that was the time of our first receiving Christ If this I say be all the mistake it is not dangerous 3. Lastly it must be granted that all that have a promise or word of grace come into their minds yea though it take some impression on them and quiet their thoughts and affect them with a kind of joy for the present have not these words given in by the spirit of God either to work saving grace in them at that time or to bear witness to them that they are in the state of grace for such as are compared in the Scripture to the stony ground do sometimes hear the word with joy and consequently have it come into their thoughts with some flashes of joy and those that fall away do tast of the heavenly gift and after a sort are made partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6. In some of his common motions and impressions upon their hearts as hath been opened more largely before so that for a conclusion of this matter If there be not a work of grace wrought in the heart even an abiding work as well as promises words of grace that transiently and suddenly pass thorough the thoughts we may be fearfully mistaken about our spiritual estates But if we can find such faith in Christ such repentance and such love to God wrought in us as have before been spoken of the more promises and words of grace are cast into our thoughts the better for they strengthen true believers in holiness and communion with God and are as so many love-tokens send them from Jesus Christ by the spirit till they come to him in heaven Hypocrites and notional professours turn such promises and words of grace into wantonness and into a snare to their own souls but true believers get real good by them and lay up these sayings in their hearts and cleave the more unto the Lord in faith and holiness Thus I have endeavoured to shew how we may know we are in the state of grace let me speak a word or two to those that are converted and have had it cleared up to their souls that it is so 10. Praise the Lord for the exceeding riches of his grace Be content yea rejoyce and be thankful whatever sad loss of outward trouble and affliction lye upon you grace hath abounded towards you the Lord hath not dealt so with many others as he hath dealt with you look round about you and see what multitudes lye in wickedness in grosse ignorance and prophaness and live without God in the world what if you be poor in the World you are heirs of Gods Kingdom what if you have not health of body as others have you shall soone leave this ruinous earthly Tabernacle and be with Christ in Paradise and he will also raise up this poor frail body and make it like to his glorious body at the last day what if near relations Father and Mother should forsake you the Lord hath taken you up into his everlasting Armes where he will hold you for ever what though the world hate you and curse you the eternal God hath loved you and blessed you in Christ Rejoycing in the Lord and praising him cont inually are comely for those that are converted and pardoned in Christ O sing and give Praise 2 After God hath once given you a comfortable assurance of your conversion do not call all in question upon every fit of deadness and darkness that comes upon your Spirits Be humbled for the least sin but say not upon every spiritual fall that if there had been truth of grace you had never done thus for after conversion there remaineth in this life flesh and corruption that is not wholy taken away till death Then indeed the house of the Old Man will quite fall and all these
of conversion 7. The word preached is the most ordinary means of conversion the reading of the word our selves or hearing it read by others and likewise the reading of other good Books have been blessed of God to the conversion of Souls and all these things are to be used But the opening urging and applying the doctrine of the word unto people in a way of preaching is the ordinary means of Conversion Acts. 2.37.41 Acts. 11.21.22 Acts. 26.16 17 18. Rom. 1.16 Mat. 28.19 Go teach all nations 2. Tim. 4.1.2 Preach the word be instant in season and out of season Rom. 10. How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher And so it appeareth throughout the story of the Acts of the Apostles that the declaring of the Gospel by lively voice was the great means that God made use of for the Conversion of Souls And here it is to be noted That those who are converted out of this ordinary way whatsoever outward means the Lord pleases to take occasion by for their conversion yet he doth though more immediately by his Spirit set home the same things for the substance upon their hearts that are held forth to others who are converted by the Ministry of the word that is the Lord shewes them their sinful and miserable estate and reveals Christ to them as the only way of justification and acceptance with him Now then seeing God is Pleased to make so much use of the preaching of the word for the conversion of Souls let all the true ministers of Christ go forth in his name and strength let them look to him for assistance and success in the work and as ever they would be Instrumental for the conversion of Souls let them preach with all plainess of Speech let them not be desirous of vain glory let them Preach without all ostentation without all dark and affected expressions and let them in their Preaching insist much upon common and fundamental truths as about the greatness and holiness of God the sinfulness and misery of Man The necessity of conversion and the way of redemption by the blood of Jesus Such subjects as these are so vast and also so necessary that they may take up much of a Ministers Preaching It is a great fault in ministers if they do not with all their might set forth unto men their miserable estate by nature and if they do not endeavour to bring their hearers acquainted with Christ holding forth him upon all occasions to them not only as he by whom we must be delivered from the wrath to come but as the fountain and Spring of all grace and Spiritual strength whereby we may walk in holiness and new obedience For Ministers to put men upon for saking their evil wayes and so promising them Life without directing them to Christ to put their whole trust in him for their justification and to fetch strength and vertue from him for the mortification of Sin and for new obedience is but to teach men to build upon the Sands and to shew them a cleaner way to Hell For Ministers to preach so much at random not having well digested themselves the doctrine of original Sin the difference between the Law and the Gospel the necessity and nature of conversion the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them that believe and the nature of Gospel grace and true sanctification tends to the making of their Preaching useless to the salvation of mens Souls And though such Preachers may have applause from the ignorant for their Method delivery and learning yet they do but mislead men and trifle with them about a thing of the highest moment the salvation of their Souls As a Physician must not play with the life of a man 'T is such a precious thing but had need to be well advised in his Judgment of the nature of the disease and of a right Method for cure and haue many things in his eye so had a Minister need to be careful much more in dealing with such a thing as the Soul of a man is to know the original cause of Soul Ma ladies and the only way of cure which is by the blood of Jesus But if Preachers do but play with their Texts and play with the Souls of their hearers not having their hearts awed with a holy reverence of God and his Word and affectionately desirous of the eternal salvation of the People great is their Sin What with the differences amongst us about lesser things and invectives that Preachers stuff their Sermons with against those that dissent from them what with errors of Doctrine that some Preachers seem to be tainted with what with the new coyned words and Phantastical expressions that some preachers use and what with want of experience in their own souls of the nature of conversion it is to be feared there is a great decay of sound plain and profitable preaching especially about the points of justificiation and conversion Next to erroneous preaching 't is most offensive to an intelligent and spiritual hearer when a Minister preacheth with high words affecting such a stile as is no way suited to the profit of his hearers And though such may admire themselves and also have their reward that is applause of the ignorant yet their preaching is nauseated of the judicious It is a more difficult thing and requireth more substantial learning to set forth the mysteries of the Gospel to the capacity of ordinary hearers then to stuff Sermons with quotations Scraps of Latin and School tearms made ready to our hands But it may be said seeing that the habit of grace and spiritual Life is infused into the Soul by the spirit of God as hath been shewn when a Soul is converted by the preaching of the word how doth the Lord effect this work thereby Answer 1. Negatively 1. It is not the holiness of the Preacher that doth convert the Hearers All that heard Christ himself preach the holiest Preacher that ever was were not converted 2. It is not the affections of the Preacher that doth convert the Hearers his Zeal and his Compassion to the Souls of the people are very good and God is pleased so to work that sometimes the affections of the Preachers do affect the hearts of the Hearers but except the Lord put in nothing is done all his weeping will not break their hearts and reclaim them from their sins 3. It is not meerly the sublimity and excellency of the matter that is preached that doth convert the Hearers for then all should be converted that hear the Gospel preached It may be the person that is converted at a Sermon hath heard the same Points opened many a time and that more fully then at that time yet was never affected till now the Reason is because now God speaketh to his heart as well as the Minister to his ear 4. It is not the excellency of
sins which if it had been laid upon us would have been eternal but he overwrastled it made satisfaction put away sin by the sacrifice of himself made peace and obtained eternal redemption for us whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that after he had the iniquities of all his people laid and charged upon him yet he rose again the third day is gone unto the Father and is set down at the right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens By one offering upon the Cross he did the work he being an infinite Person God as well as Man his short suffering was of an infinit value He dieth no more there is no need at all of it in referance unto those for whom he made his soul an offering for sins he hath done the work fully to whom be glory for ever This is the Summ and substance of the Gospel Now if any hearing of the danger they are in of the wrath of God for their sins and sensible of the Rebellion and perversness of their hearts and wayes against God would have a Saviour and a sanctifier that it may go well with them for ever this is he Jesus the Son of God He is not here now upon earth to be seen with bodily eyes he is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Look up to him there with an eye of Faith put your trust in him he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Get the knowledge of him out of the word search the Scriptures for they testify of him they tell you what he is what he hath done and what he hath suffered to bring us to God Think of him continually prize him set your hearts on him if you flight him you will find there is no other Saviour no other Mediatour no other advocate with the Father If the work be yet to be done even now whilst thou readest these things look to him close with him give up thy self to him to be saved and Sanctified by him fall in love with him you will never repent of your choice Poor soul what saist thou to a Pardon for all thy sins what saist to peace with God what saist thou to eternal life Come to Christ and thou shalt have all these and a New Heart and spirit to walk in holiness and obedience before God too O doth the Lord affect thy heart for he doth this great work that thou art taken with Christ and art a thirst for this water of life then take it freely as excellent and precious as the Lord Jesus is he bestowes himself freely upon poor sinners the best qualification you can have for receiving Christ is to see your need of him and that you are altogether unworthy of him do you see your sins now the multitude of them the hainousness of them let not your sins drive you from Christ but drive you to Christ Come poor sinners come to Christ his blood cleanseth from all sin his righteousness is able to cover all your unrighteousness Come to Christ but with a true Heart to give him all the glory of your salvation and to desire now to have him reign over you and fear not he is mighty to save Jesus is the Lord of glory consider his God-head in your looking to him to take away your sins Never any Patient came to this Phisitian and missed of cure come with all the spiritual Vlcers running Sores and Bloody Issues of sin touch the hem of his Garment by Faith as the Woman in the Gospel did and you shall see there is vertue enough in Christ to make you whole The Devil labours to make men confident and presumptuous when they are going on greedily in sin but when they are convinced of their lost estate and are looking after Christ then he endeavours to puzle them with many doubts and suspitions as if they were past cure and it were too late now to lock after Christ Ah poor souls do not you see that the hand of Sathan is in all this When you went on in ignorance and prophaness he would not endure you should hear when Ministers preached of damnation and now that you are convinced and stopt in your vile courses and are thinking how you may make peace with God now the Devil cannot endure you should hear of Salvation in Christ the Son of God least you should come unto him that you may have life Thus I have set before them that are not yet converted life and death pardon of sin peace with God and eternal life if the Lord giveth them hearts to repent and close with Christ The Wrath of God and eternal destruction If they still go on in their ignorance prophaness and slighting of Jesus Christ If any that read these things shall say in their hearts they shall have peace and shall do well enough whatsoever some zealous preachers say though they cast Gods law behind their backs and never look after a work of Grace and conversion upon their souls the anger of the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoake against those persons and burn against them for ever But if they shall now tremble at the word of the Lord and lay hold upon the offer of Christ believing on his name and submitting unto him their sins shall be forgiven them for his names sake and they shall be the heir of eternal life through him for though the wages of sin is death even eternal death yet the gift the free gift of God is life even eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be glory for ever Amen FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Henry Mortlock at the Phaenix in S. Pauls Church-Yard and at the White Hart in Westminster-Hall THe Saints Ebenezer and Pillar of hope in God when they have none left in the Creature Or the godly-mans Crutch or Staff in times of sadning disappointments sinking discouragements shaking dissolations wherein is shewed the Transcendent Excellency of God his Peoples help and hope with the unparalell'd hapiness of the Saints in their confidence in him over-balancing the Worldlings carnall dependance both as to sweetness and safety by F. English A word in season or 3 great dutys of Christians in the worst of times viz abiding in Christ Thirsting after his instruction and submission to his providence to which is added by way of appendix the advice of some Ministers to their people for the receiving the power and practice of godliness in their familys Oct. The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discover'd in reference to First Their service and suffering Secondly their consolations Thirdly their salvation and eternal glory together with the Excelency of the fear of God The goodness and pleasantness of brotherly Love the wisdom of hearing the voice of the Rod repentance the only way to prevent Judgments delivered in several Sermons by William Bridg sometimes Preacher of the Word at Yarmouth Death unstung in 8 Sermons Preached at the Funeral of Tho. Moseley an Apothecary who died July 1669 With a brief Narrative of his Life and Death Also the manner of Gods dealings with him before and after his Conversion drawn up by his own Hand and Published by James Janeway Oct. A Fathers Testament Written long since for the benefit of the Particular Relations of the Author Phineas Fletcher sometimes Minister of the Gospel at Hillgay in Norfolk The voice of one crying in a Wilderness or the business of a Christian both Antecedaneous to Concomitant of and consequent upon a Sore and heavy Visitation represented in several Sermons First Preached to his own Family lying under such Visitation and now made publick as a thank offering to the Lord his healer by S. S. a servant of God in the Gospel of his Son FINIS
OF THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS TO God in Christ The 1. Necessity 2. Nature 3. Means 4. Signs of it WITH A concluding SPEECH to the VNCONVERTED By MARTIN FYNCH a Servant of Christ in the Work of the Gospel Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3.3 Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3.19 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be turned unto thee Psalm 51.13 LONDON Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Sign of the Phoenix in S. Paul's Church-yard 1680. TO THE INHABITANTS OF Great GRIMSBY IN THE COUNTY of LINCOLN Salvation in Christ Jesus our LORD IT is said of Paul when he was at Athens his spirit was stirred when he saw the City wholy given to Idolatry Act. 17.17 The Servants of Christ are to have their Spirits stirred with a Holy Zeal for God and with bowels of compassion to the Souls of men when they see People wholy given to ignorance and prophaness That is a good stirring of our Spirits and from the Holy Spirit of God to endeavour to turn men from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God Charity to the Souls of Men is the highest Charity those that know the terrour of the Lord and what a fearful thing it is to fall into the bands of the living God should be very earnest to perswade men to flee from the wrath to come if by any means they may be instruments in Christs hand to save some This small Treatise written in your Town and much for your sakes I dedicate unto you as a Testimony of my love to your souls I write not unto you about controversies and about lesser things my design is higher that is to shew the necessity of the New Birth and the Nature thereof If Persons be truly converted from Sin to Christ though they may erre and mistake in somethings about the manner of the outward worship of God in this World God will sooner or later reveal it unto them or however Pardon it to them through his grace in Christ so that those mistakes shall not hinder their Salvation But if persons be never so right in the outward way of their profession and worship and yet be strangers to a work of grace and conversion upon their hearts they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God There are two sorts of Persons especially with whom I have to do in this Treatise First those that think that the practise of some formalities and outward things will bring them to Heaven without a work of grace and conversion upon their Souls If men think that the being of this or that Church and being of this or that way of outward profession of Religion will bring them to everlasting Life whilst in the mean time they are grossly ignorant of the things of God of loose and licentious lives or unacquainted with a Sanctifying change wrought by the Spirit of God upon their Souls let them consider what is written in this Book to undeceive them and shew them what of necessity must be done or else they are undone for ever The second sort that I deal with in this Treatise are those who though they are for devotion strictness of Life and a change of mens Spirits and ways yet carry it no further then a kind of Civility Moral vertues and reformation of life produced by a meer awe of a Deity and fear of Hell without the true knowledge of Christ and faith in him In true Conversion there is a coming to Christ a receiving of Christ a being Sanctified by Faith in him Christ is little known as the justifier and Sanctifier too of lost and sinful man Christ is made use of by many but as upon the by and for fashion-sake both in the matter of justification and in the business of conversion therefore it is the design of this Treatise to lead men to a more distinct knowledg of Christ and that they may se how God blesseth us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in him I have not adorned this discourse after the manner of some I Study to set forth the things of God to the meanest capacity I wish what I have written were yet more plain and easier to be understood Now that the God of all grace would bless what I have written to the furtherance of your salvation and to the everlasting good of others who shall peruse it is the prayer of Your Servant in Christ MARTIN FYNCH THE CONTENTS Chap. I. OF the Necessity of Conversion Chap. II. That in the ordinary way of the Lords converting of Souls God doth first work upon men in a more common way making a change upon men which yet falls short of saving work Chap. III. Sheweth what Special Grace and saving Conversion is Chap. IV. Sheweth what outward means God is pleased to make use of in the Conversion of Souls Chap. V. Sheweth that whatsoever outward means the Lord makes use of for the Conversion of Souls the work is done by his own Almighty Power Chap. VI. Sheweth that God converts men at several Ages some in youth some in their latter time as it pleaseth him Chap. VII Sheweth how we may know that we are Converted and passed from death to Life Chap. VIII Is a concluding Speech to the unconverted THE NECESSITY OF Conversion CHAP. I. Of the Necessity of Conversion BEfore I open the Nature of Conversion it is requisite that I should speak something of the Necessity thereof This Proposition therefore I lay down That every Man by Nature is so Degenerated from God so utterly corrupted and tainted by Sin so prone to all Evil so opposite to God and all that is spiritually good that except he be Converted and Changed he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God There is a twofold Misery come upon us by our Fall in Adam First The loss of the Favour of God Secondly The loss of the Image of God in Holiness and Righteousness First We have lost the Favour of God by Sin so that as we are by Nature the Children of wrath Ephes 2.3 God is angry with us Psal 7.11 We are under the Curse of his holy Law Galat. 3.10 The Law curseth us for Original Sin the Law curseth us for Actual Sins The Law pronounceth the Sinner to be vile and abominable to God to be such a One as his Soul hath no pleasure in but will bring into Judgment and punish according to all the Evil that he hath done to provoke the Eyes of his Glory Now from this part of our Misery we are recovered by the Grace of Justification which is an act of Gods free Grace whereby he forgives a poor Sinner for Christs sake all Trespasses and imputeth the perfect and glorious righteousness of Christ as our Mediator and Surety to make him pure clean and without spot in his sight This great
Article of Religion is held forth in such Scriptures as these In the Lord shall all the house of Israel be justified and shall glory Isa 45.25 This is the Name whereby he shall be called speaking of Jesus Christ The Lord our righteousness Jer. 23.6 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3.23 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works Rom. 4.5 6. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made of God unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Most excellently doth the holy Scripture set sorth this Point telling us That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that their Sins are blotted out remembred no more cast into the depths of the Sea not imputed unto them cast behind Gods back and that in Christ Believers are righteous all fair and no spot in them God beholding them cloathed and beautified in the best Robe the Garment of Salvation he is not ashamed to be called their God and their Father but taketh them near unto him to stand before him for ever The Lords marrying of a Soul to Christ by giving us Faith in him doth actually acquit us from the debt of Sin Christ our heavenly Husband answereth all As we need no more to bring us into an actual state of Condemnation but that we come to be actually in the first Adam so we need no more to our actual Justification then that we be actually in Christ the second Adam who is a root of Justification and communicateth Righteousness to all that are in him As there is a Fountain and first Vnion between Adam and his Posterity in the Covenant of Works So there is a Fountain and first Vnion between Christ and the Elect in the Covenant of Redemption And as Wrath and Condemnation stand ready to seize upon us as soon as we come to be actually in Adam because of what he hath done in our own room as our Head and publick Person So Life and Justification stand ready to be bestowed upon the Elect as soon aâ— they come to be actually in Christ because of what he hath done and suffered iâ— their room and stead As we are not actually in Adam till wâ— come to be quickned in the Womb of Nature So we are not actually in Christ tiâ—â— we come to be quickned in the Womb oâ— Grace As when we come actually to have imputed to us the Guilt of Adams Sin we have an inherent taint and corruption of our Nature from him So when we come to have the Righteousness of Christ actually imputed to us we have inherent Grace and Sanctification of our Nature from him So that as the first Adam is the Root both of Condemnation and Corruption to us So the second Adam is the Root both of Justification and Sanctification to us When the Scripture saith We are justified by Faith it is not meant that we are justified by it as a work or quality but that by this Grace of Faith we receive Christ who justifies us The Righteousness by which we are justified is a righteousness without us the righteousness of another wrought by another inherent in another it is the righteousness of Christ God-Man That Robe of Righteousness which covers our Sins is put on by Faith and we wear it here and for ever in Heaven But though it be upon us as the Apostle speaketh the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ is unto all and upon all them that believe Rom. 3.22 Yet it is never inherent in us but only imputed to us No man under Heaven hath a persect Legal righteousness of his own to justifie him therefore he must have an Evangelical righteousness that is a righteousness that answers the Law but is brought to light by the Gospel No man hath a righteousness of his own to justifie him therefore he must have the righteousness of another even the righteousness of Jesus our Lord. Justification is perfect when we first believe in Christ though not as to our participation of all the joy and comfort and blessed effects of it so it extends it self to everlasting yet 't is perfect in it self because the righteousness of Christ which we receive in our first believing is a perfect righteousness we never have any other to justifie us at Gods Bar neither do we need any other We rejoyce and glory more and more in the righteousness of Christ are more taken with this best Robe and are more thankful for it But this Robe of righteousness that covers Sins and makes us lovely in the eyes of the Lord is the same for ever Justification and Sanctification must by no means be confounded The Grace of Justification is for one purpose the Grace of Sanctification for another Justification is for the taking away of the guilt of sin Sanctification for the taking away of the filth and power of it Justification brings us into a state of favour and acceptation with God Sanctification is to enable us to walk suitable to this New and happy Estate The Lord Jesus is not our Half-Saviour and works the other half or any part of a Saviour but Christ is All in this business There is a washing of Regeneration which is also from Christ our Saviour Titus 3.5 But this is of another nature and to other ends and purposes then the washing of Justification Not only Ministers but all Believers should labour to have a clear and distinct knowledge of the Doctrine of Justification for it is our Life When the Apostle James saith That Abraham was justified by works the meaning is That he was approved declared and manifested to be a true Believer by his works When the Holy Scriptures speaks of the Lords giving rewards and eternal life upon working and obedience Those Scriptures must be understood declaratively not casually that is as nothing and declaring who are the persons to whom he gives eternal life and not as shewing the cause thereof for that is only his free grace in Christ Likewise those Scriptures shew the certain connexion that there is between Grace and Glory that where the Lord freely gives Glory hereafter there he gives Grace here What is Glory in heaven for the substance of it but Grace Holiness and Communion with God perfected So that such Scriptures hold forth no more but this That whom the Lord justifies freely by his Grace in Christ and sanctifieth in him he trains them up in holiness obedience and fellowship with him until he brings them to the fulness of that which at first they have but the last and the first fruits of So that when afterwards in this Discourse I speak of a saving work of the Spirit wrought in those whom the Lord bringeth unto life You must not
think that this work of Regeneration is the matter of our Justification By Grace we are saved freely by Grace through the Redemption which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. The work of Conversion and the Graces of the Spirit wrought in us do only accompany Salvation as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 6.9 are wrought in those that are saved and go along with them and accompany them to Heaven Yea those Graces for the substance leave them not when they have accompanied them thither but are persected here But the work of Conversion is called a saving work of the Spirit because it is wrought in all them and onely in them who are saved by the free grace of God in Christ Now my way will be clearer to proceed Secondly We have as we are in the state of Nature lost the Image of God consisting in spiritual knowledge holiness and righteousness Regeneration is wrought in those that are saved to deliver them from this part of their Misery Man was at first made upright made in the Image of God in respect of those spiritual and heavenly Endowments he was furnished with But it is otherwise with us by our Fall our Vnderstanding is darkned like Sampson our Eyes are put out That glimmering of light to know that there is a God and that some things are evil and some things good seems rather to be a new Gift of God and common Illumination of the Spirit since the Fall of Adam to be some curb and restraint to Sin in the World then any remainder of Gods Image which was upon us in our first Creation For the peace of Gods Church for the benefit of humane Society and such like reasons God bestows this common illumination and conviction upon men without which this World would be like Hell and men would be like Devils Marvel not at this saying that men would be so vile if it were not for this common illumination of the Spirit and common light that God giveth to the Sons of Men seeing the Nature of Man is wholly corrupted and the thoughts of his heart are evil and onely evil and that continually A dangerous mistake it is of the people commonly called Quakers that they make the heeding and attending to this common light to be Conversion which thing is to be found among many sober Heathens But it is not to be much wonder'd at in that People seeing they are generally very Ignorant even of the very Fundamentals of Religion 'T is true this common light is a great Gift of God to the World to keep up some Peace and Order and common honesty amongst men But the New Birth and true Conversion is a thing of a far higher Nature consisting in a more special Illumination of the Spirit to shew us our lost estate by Nature and to reveal Christ to us as an Object of Faith and it is such a work of the Spirit upon the Soul as doth enable us to believe on the Name of the Son of God to mourn for Sin to hate Sin and to walk in Obedience unto God not meerly from Convictions of Conscience and fear of the Wrath to come but from a delight to do the Will of God and a fixed Principle of Gospel ingenuity and gratitude to God for the exceeding riches of his Grace and kindness towards us through Christ Jesus But for a further discovery of the depravedness and corruption of our Nature whereby it may appear that there is such a need of a new Birth and Conversion let us consider things more particularly 1. As was touched before There is wonderful ignorance in men about Heavenly things It is an amazing thing if you enquire into people yea those that are grown to be Men and Women yea many that have gray hairs upon them how ignorant they are about Adams Fall Man's lost estate by Nature the Incarnation of Christ and redemption by him And if so many be so grosly ignorant amongst us where they have the Bible in their own Tongue and where they live under the Preaching of the Word and such helps to get Knowledge how ignorant and spiritually blind are we by Nature and without the means of light 2. There is a strange carelesness in man about his future and Eternal State looking only at these seen things which are temporal That except a man be awakened and roused up by Afflictions or Convictions of the Spirit men are in a profound and deep sleep and take no care what shall become of their Souls when they die and go hence But live without studying of the Scriptures without serious and constant praying to God without speaking of Heavenly matters at all as if they had not immortal Souls that must be happy or miserable for ever in another World And if one tell them of Heaven and Hell and that upon this moment depends Eternity they think a man is Brain-sick and Fantastical 3. There is a proneness yea a strong bent and inclination in man to all evil To Blaspheming of God to Murder to Theft to Covetousness to all kinds of Uncleanness to Drunkenness to Lying and though by education company employment terrors of Conscience fear of punishment from God or man respect to name and reputation in the World and by the temper and constitution of the Body this wicked bent of the heart may be much curbed and kept in yet there is in all by nature such an evil frame and disposition that there is no sin so black so horrible so hainous but man is prone to it 4. There is in man not only an Indisposition but Opposition of the heart to any thing that good is not onely to Gospel Grace and Holiness to believe in Christ to repent and to walking in the Spirit but even to Civility and Morality and those things which yet natural men many times do So that I take that common change that is in men from the grossest vices to some sobriety temperance and justice to proceed not from the power of corrupt nature but from a kind of common Grace and common Illumination of the Spirit which God distributeth to man as it pleases him to make him useful to humane Society If there be any need to enlarge upon this Subject to shew the Sinfulness and Corruption of man by Nature omitting many other ways of Sin let us but seriously consider the Sins of the Eye the Sins of the Tongue and the Sins of the Thoughts 1. The Sins of the Eye shew the wonderfull corruption that is within the heart of man Sin within in the heart sits looking out at those Windows of the eyes and there when it seeth a suitable Object how it lusts after it When we see beauty then we have wanton eyes when we see fine houses and riches we have covetous eyes or envious eyes when we view our own gifts and greatness and converse with those that are below us what scornful eyes and looks have we The eye is a curious piece of Gods workmanship all
the Angels in Heaven could not make such a piece 't is the most beautifull member of the Body and it is the light of the Body it is endowed with a marvellous power to discern and take in Objects the eye should be pure holy chast But it is full of Adultery Covetousness Pride and Envy Even Holy Job one in the State of Grace was fain to make a Covenant with his eyes and put a Law and restraint upon them It is strange what impressions are made upon the mind from the sight of the eye in a moment how the eye affecteth the heart and stirreth up the corruptions of it There may more corruption be stirred in the heart by one glance of the eye than we can get rid of many days it may be weeks Even those that are in the state of Grace have need to watch the outward senses of the Body The eye makes suddain and strong impressions on the mind Ah! what need is there to look to Christ for a chast eye a mortified eye a sanctified eye 2. The Sins of the Tongue shew the wonderful Corruption that is within in the heart of man The Tongue is a fire an unruly evil full of deadly poyson James 3.6 7 8. Full of cursing and bitterness Rom. 3.14 The Tongue and Speech is an excellent gift of God 't is mans glory above a Beast that he can express his mind by Speech but man maketh it his shame If all our passionate Speeches proud and boasting Speeches backbiting Speeches obscene and filthy Speeches lyes curses oaths indiscreet rash and idle words throughout our whole Lives should be written down what a strange Book would it be So much Sin is committed by the Tongue and such an unruly evil it is that David a man in the state of Grace and one that was eminent in Grace too prays earnestly to God to set a watch before his mouth and to keep the door of his lips 3. The Sins of the Thoughts do shew the wonderfull corruption that is within in the the heart of man There is nothing that may sooner convince us of our own vileness and make us cry out We are unclean We are unclean than a serious reflection upon our Thoughts O how many proud Thoughts wanton Thoughts envious Thoughts uncharitable Thoughts discontented Thoughts What a multitude of sinful Thoughts arise in the heart in a little time then what a numberless number is there in ones whole life that lives any considerable time in the World None but he that telleth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their names is able to count the number of our vain and sinful thoughts and he knoweth all the thoughts that come into our minds every one of them As for good and holy Thoughts if God did not put them in and keep them in the heart how rarely should we have a thought of God of Death of Heaven and the way that leadeth unto Eternal Blessedness The Thoughts of Foolishness is sin though it never come into outward act there is Heart Adultery Heart Theft Heart Murder Heart Disobedience to Parents Heart Blasphemy against God Heart Pride He knoweth nothing almost of Religion that knoweth not that Thoughts may be Sin as well as outward acts and that abundance of sin may be committed in the heart that never appeareth in the Life After Conversion nothing usually humbles men more than the sinfulness of the Thoughts and the unsuitableness of the heart to God sinful thoughts were far more before God wrought upon them but as Believers grow more spiritual and holy the more they take notice of their Heart-sins and abhor themselves for them What should I more say to set forth the corruption of our Nature whole Volumes might be written of this Subject and yet the half no not the thousand part told us of it But it is briefly comprehended in those words of our Saviour Mark 7.21 22. For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts adultery fornication murders thefts covetousness wickedness deceit an evil eye blasphemy pride foolishness And in Jeremiah 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it To treat fully therefore of the corruption of Man's Nature is one of the vastest Subjects that can be spoken of next to that of the Immensity and Infiniteness of God and his Grace in Christ but these few things are written of it that we might know the Plague of our own hearts as an Introduction to the following Discourse that we may see what need we have to believe on the Name of the Son of God that we may be pardoned and sanctified through him By what hath been already said we may see what a gross and dangerous mistake it is of those that think there is no other Conversion than being Baptized and taking upon us the outward profession of Christianity Now that any should speak thus and count all trouble of Conscience about our eternal estate and looking after a work of Grace upon our Souls to be Enthusiasm Melancholly and Mopishness shews their wonderful ignorance of the Scriptures and their utter unacquaintedness with the Grace of God in their own Souls When the holy Scripture speaks so much of a new heart and spirit of the taking away of the heart of stone and giving us an heart of flesh of writing Gods Laws in the heart of putting his fear into our hearts of circumcising our hearts and speaks of the necessity of being born again of believing on Christ of repentance and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. To make all this to be onely our being baptized and making an outward profession of Religion shews men to be wholly strangers to the way that leadeth to eternal life And such men as they are utterly ignorant of the case and condition of Souls that are in spiritual trouble and fear of the wrath to come crying out What shall we do to be saved So they prescribe as strange remedies for their cure as to be merry to go into Company to play at Cards to go to Plays and such like when if they get rid of their trouble for sin by such means and be not brought to Christ who onely can give them rest their remedy is worse than their disease and they had better continue in their trouble of Spirit than find ease by such things COMMON WORKINGS of the SPIRIT CHAP II. That in the ordinary way of the Lord 's Converting of Souls God doth first work upon men in a more common way making a change upon men which yet fall short of a Saving Work THat there is a Common work of the Spirit upon men as well as a Special and saving work appears by many Scriptures Those Hearers and Professors that are compared to the Stony ground and heard the word with joy Matth. 13. have common motions and workings of the Spirit and so have such as are called the foolish Virgins that took
legal way to seek peace and healing of his wounds by his own righteousness and duties without the blood of Christ these things come not from the holy Spirit that first convinced the Soul of sin but from Satan and from the corruption of our own hearts that mix themselves and put in with these convictions and workings of the Spirit 3. All that are convinced of sin and have terrours yea it may be very great terrours of Conscience thereupon are not converted Cain and Judas had great terrours of Conscience and yet never were converted yet alas many in giving account of their conversion build too much upon this that at such a time they were much troubled for their sins when as trouble for sin is not a sufficient evidence of a sound conversion if it be onely for fear of Hell and damnation But if after sight of our sins and fear of the wrath of God we were brought to know Christ to prize Christ above all to rest our weary souls upon him yea upon him alone and were made willing in the day of his power to take his yoak upon us that as we live by him we might also live to him then the work the good work of special and saving grace is begun in us Praises to Jehovah for ever 3. There is some stop put to sin especially grosse sin by this common illumination and common convictions of the Spirit So that a Man being awed with the terrors of the law dare not run into that excesse of riot and prophanesse that he hath done but having some feeling of the bitterness of sin cannot commit it with that greediness that he hath done But begins to leave more open and gross sins and persorm duties of Religion and sets upon reforming of his Life and finds some kinde of joy and peace therein which yet we may not think comes from the comforter the Holy Ghost for he giveth no joy and peace to any but what flows from the beholding God's reconciled face in Christ or a reflexion upon the effects of his grace and presence with us leading us forth in wayes of holiness and obedience in his Name So that wee must diligently consider that although these common workings of the Spirit do lay some restraint upon Sin and put us upon good duties and reformation of Life yet wee must not rest here and say surely the bitterness of Death is past but careful must we be as for our Lives that now our Souls be rightly bottomed upon Christ that he may be our righteousness to justify us and the onely Fountaine of sanctification and holiness to us Many other things might be added under this head of common grace and preparatory workings of the spirit as that the Lord doth sometimes make great impressions upon men of the holiness of the Law of his justice if he should cast us into hell of the insufficiency of our owne righteousness to make our peace with him and that we must come to Christ if we would have life But we must not extend the preparatory workings of the Spirit to far as some do as if there were any saving work upon the soul before union with Christ That which I aime at here is to shew that in conversion ordinarily there is legal repentance before Evange lical sight and sense of sin before Christ be brought into the Soul but no speciall grace and saving work untill union with Christ and infusion of a new heart and spirit of these things this is the sum The Lord doth usually work common grace before he works speciall grace Some have these common workings of the Spirit and yet are never savingly converted In the elect these common workings of the Spirit are the preparing the way to speciall grace that the Lord intends to bestow upon them that is that the common illumination convictions and humbling for sin that the holy Ghost worketh in the elect before their conversion are in order to their conversion CHAP. III. Shewing what Special Grace and Saving Conversion is NOw to shew what Special Grace and Saving Conversion is First I shall give a short definition of it 'T is a work of the Spirit of God upon the soul whereby the habit the principle and seed of all grace is infused changing and sanctifying the heart to the bringing of us to trust wholly in Christ for salvation to repent of our Sins to love God and unfeignedly desire to walk before him in obedience and newness of Life according to his will Those who have this change wrought in them are passed from death to life shall undoubtedly be saved and inherit everlasting Life But to open the doctrine of conversion more fully and plainly to every ones capacity I know no better and surer way then to explain some of those expressions of the holy Scripture by which special grace and conversion is set forth to us First special grace and conversion is frequently especially in the new Testament called believing on Christ To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believed on his name John 1.12 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life John 3.36 This is the word of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent John 6.29 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.31 With the heart Man believeth unto righteousness Rom. 10.10 By grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 yea this grace of believing is spoken of in the Old Testament though not so clearly as in the new Look to me and be saved Isa 45.22 where by looking is meant believing and vers 24. surely shall one say in the Lord viz the Lord Jesus the Mediator have I righteousness and strength even to him shall men come 24 vers where by coming is meant believing Those that were saved under the Old Testament saw Christ's day of coming in the flesh affar off and were glad and put their trust in him having the same spirit of Faith in Christ that the Saints have now Well then it is clear that where there is a true believing on Christ there is true conversion Now therefore let us inquire when a man doth believe to the saving of his soul And there is a necessity to enquire into the true nature of Saving Faith because a Man may have some kind of Faith and yet never go to Heaven some are said for awhile to believe and afterwards to fall a-away Luke 8.13 Simon Magus is said to believe Act. 8.13 Which Scripture do shew that there is an assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel which is but a temporary Faith an historical Faith from common illumination and convictions Yea it is said the Devils believe and tremble James 2.3 The devils by the power of light and convictions are forced to believe that there is a God though yet they are Enemies to him and wish there were no God The truth is if a man do
subdue mine iniquities strong is thy arm strong is thy right hand let me see my desire upon thine enemies and my enemies these vile lusts of my heart smite thom to the ground that they may not rise a second time until this be perfectly done and my heart be brought to perfect obedience to thee I shall sigh and never be at rest Thus we may distinguish true Faith from counterfeit Faith that many have who while they pretend to believe on Christ as a Saviour have no intention and desire to be sanctified and walk holily but rather are more emboldened to sin by seeming to lean upon Christ for salvation 5. 'T is an abiding Faith true Faith in Christ is a fixed and permanent thing One that hath but common workings of the Spirit may for a fit in great terrors of conscience or at the hearing of a Sermon of Christ seem to believe in Christ prize Christ above all but when the trouble of Conscience is worne of and those Common workings of the Spirit fayle Christ is despised and made nothing of Though a Believer is not alwaies acting Faith on Christ yet he hath alwaies the habit of Faith such a Frame and bent upon his heart that though he is not at the present under terrors of Conscience and though his heart and Life be more reformed then it hath been yet still he lives upon Christ as Jehovah his righteousness not only at the first looking to Christ but evermore desiring to be found in him whereas others grow wanton against Christ when they get out of terrors of Conscience and think they can do well enough with their own righteousness without his If a man hath found that through the Grace of God his heart hath been carried out in a constant way from time to time since the Lord first wrought upon him still to be humbled for sin and to prize Christ and to live wholly upon his righteousness it is a signe of true Faith in Christ By such things as these we may examine our selves whether we have Faith or no and prove our selves whether Christ be in us or not Secondly special grace and conversion is frequently called repentance Repentance from dead works Heb. 6.1 Repentance to salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 God commandeth men every where to repent Act. 17.30 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto Life Act. 11.18 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of Sins Therefore if the Lord hath given a man repentance he is in a state of grace and his sins are forgiven him But there is a Legal repentance so called 1. Because it is wrought only by the terrors of the Law and fear of damnation 2. Because the person that repenteth onely in that way and manner as to his state and condition is yet under the Law and the curses of it and not under Grace Now this is not that which the Scripture calleth repentance unto Life and repentance unto Salvation but may be in those that never shall be saved The Holy Ghost saith that Judas repented himself saying I have betrayed the innocent blood Matth. 27.3 4. And Ahab when he heard of Gods Judgments against him rent his clothes put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and humbled himself 1 Kings 21.27.29 yet we find not in the Scripture that he was converted but the contrary Men are in nothing more deceived then about Repentance deferring it to old age when they have had their fill of Sin as if they were sure of their lives as long as they please to count their time in the world and as if they could repent at any time when it shall please them to think best and so likewise many are deceived about their having Repentance already taking every sigh in a good mood and trouble for their sins to be sufficient Repentance whereas there is a repentance for sin that ariseth onely from fear of Hell shame in the world and apprehensions of outward inconveniences and dangers that men have exposed themselves to by their vile courses What Thief or Murderer except he be extraordinarily stupid and hardened doth not in such a common way bewail his sins and yet it may be no signes of true conversion do appear and the person wholly ignorant of Christ and the way of salvation by him Therefore it is necessary to distinguish between common and legal repentance and that repentance which is to salvation which may be done by these particulars 1. True repentance is alwaies accompanied with Faith in Christ so that he that doth not truly believe in Christ neither doth he truly repent Many persons think if they be but forry for their Sins that this is enough and that this will make satisfaction for their sins and never know what it is to believe in Christ and to be washed in his blood from the guilt of their sins This therefore must be considered that as when the Scripture saith believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved it is to be understood of such a Faith as is accompanied with repentance and sorrow for sin So when the Lord commandeth us to repent it is to be understood of such a repentance as is accompanied with believing in Christ without which all our sorrow for sin and abstaining from some outward act of it signifies nothing And this is observable that ignorant people make a Christ of their repentance for they rest in this that they are sorry for their sins though the Lord knows the generality of them scarce know what trouble of Conscience for sin is and never look after Christ as a Saviour to know him and believe on his name So that their pretended repentance and trouble for their sins doth but keep them at a distance from Christ and maketh them that they hunger and thirst not after him But where a poor sinner looks to Christ with an eye of Faith and reliance on him and looks upon his sins with an eye of Sorrow and grief for them that is the true Penitent Many are so blinded by the God of this world and the Gospel the way of Salvation by Christ is so hid from them that all that they look at is that when they sin if they be but sorry for it and purpose to amend they think that all is well and that God is pacified for all that they have done against him and are strangers all their dayes to believing in Christ and being accepted in him 2. True repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is an offending and displeasing God and not mearly for the hurt and mischief that Sin hath brought or may bring upon our lives Indeed as we are often said in the Scripture to sin against God so we are said to be Sinners against our own souls Num. 16.38 As sin is an offence it is committed
by the Ministry of the Word as if he himself had spoken immediately from Heaven to them by name and so the Lord hath made that unlikely time the time of love and the Day of his power to their Souls Sometimes when Ministers have been straightned in their affections and expressions in Preaching more then they have used to be that they have gone on heavily in the work and haver reflected upon their service with much humiliation to their own Spirits yet God hath sometimes done much by such weak means and converted some effectually at that time that there hath been more good done at that time then at many other times so far as comes to their knowledge when they have been much assisted in the work God knows how his faithful Servants would preach and set forth his truth and he is pleased to enlarge things by the inward light of his Spirit upon the minds of the hearers sometimes above what they did sufficiently clear to them All these Observations run into this that God worketh all in all he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith and that Ministers can do no good nor People that hear them receive any good but as it is given from above and when he will work nothing shall let it not the ignorant indisposedness and prejudice of the hearers nor the defects and weakness of his Servants that speak in his Name 3. Some of the worst natural tempers not onely of the weakest parts but of most froward and cross Spirits are wrought upon by the grace of God and men of ripe wits and of more affable and courteous natures are never converted unto God Those differences among men that arise from their constitutions of body whether it be for the better or the worse alter not the case God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy God can convert those who are of the worst natural tempers and without he infuse grace those who are of the sweetest natural dispositions will never turn unto the Lord yea the composedness of their natural temper may turn much to their prejudice making them think they are in a good estate because they do not break out into such passions and intemperances that others are very Subject to although they know nothing of any New birth and sanctifying work of the spirit upon their souls 4. Some very dissolute and prophane persons are converted and many others that are free from such gross vice are never born again Publicans and Harlots and such as the theif upon the Cross are sometimes brought to a sight of their sins and to repent and believe in Christ when others that never were so vile go on quietly resting in their formality and morality and never see their need of Christ and a work of grace upon their hearts and so perish for ever When God doth convert men that have been notorious Sinners filled with all unrighteousness drunkards swearers scoffers at Religion and old in sin too habituated and accustomed to all kind of evil he proclames unto us that the power of converting souls is of God and not of man It is true it doth require the exceeding greatness of Gods power to convince a proud Pharisee that trusteth in himself that he is righteous and despiseth the righteousness of Christ that he is in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity and to bring him as a poor lost and undone Sinner to seek for life from Christ and in some respects such have greater difficulties to be carried thorough to Christ then others yet in regard that some of the other sort are so outragious in sin and almost down right Atheists that make a mock and jear of all religion and regard of God and the world to come if the Lord please to convert such as sometimes he doth the exceeding greatness of Gods power shines forth most eminently therein When the passages of mens Conversion shall be known in the world to come it will be matter of everlasting wonderment and astonishment to Angels and men for then it will appear that God is to be admired for his free grace and the exceeding greatness of his power to all that believe Lastly that I may stand no longer upon this Point let us consider a few places of Scripture more that beyond all contradiction to establish this truth that conversion is wrought in the soul of man by the power of God alone It is said the exceeding greatness of his power worketh towards them that believe and that according to his mighty power which wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes 1.19 20. He that hath wrought us to the self same thing is God 2 Corin. 5.5 Hence it is a very proper expression that wee commonly use when we speak of mens conversion to say they were wrought upon at such a time for indeed except God had wrought them by the exceeding greatness of his power to this self same thing they had never turned from Sin to Christ A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 27. In Conversion the habit of grace is secretly infused into the heart as life into a dead man the soul is passive at first hence it is said of God in reference unto this work Jam. 1.18 That of his own will begat he us of his own will that shews it is of his own meer grace and when it is said he begat us that shews that it is of his own power and that the Soul is first passive in the work When a Soul is converted it doth repent and doth act saith on Christ and is active in a way of Grace but first the Lord begets us spiritually and in uses spiritual life We must not imagine that the soul never acts at all first or last and that there are no created habits of grace but first the Lord infuses the habit of Grace wherein the Soul is passive and the Soul being changed and sanctifyed thereby through the help and influence of the spirit exciting and assisting that New spiritual Life put into us we are enabled to put forth acts of Faith Repentance and other Graces First the Lord puts spiritual Life into us and then in him through his concurrence and secret assistance we move and act spiritually and graciously The summe of all is this God first giveth repentance and then we repent God first giveth faith and then we believe All those Scriptures were it is said that God giveth repentance and giveth Faith and worketh in us to will and to do might all be insisted on for further confirmation of this truth That conversion is wrought by the power of God alone Likewise all those Scriptures that set forth the weakness of the Saints even after they are in the state of grace how they yet cry out to be delivered from the body of death what need they
by filling their heart on a sudden with the blessed Motions of his Spirit whereby the snare is broken and they escape that the remembrance thereof is enough to keep them humble all their dayes Besides if it have not been so with such that they have not been almost in such evils almost perswaded and enticed to such gross sins yet there is the Sin of our natures and the sins of daily infirmity distractions in holy duties vaine thoughts sinful passions idle words and the like for which we have cause to lie in the dust before God Thirdly Those that are converted young do many times attain to a higher degree of grace before they die then others who are converted in their latter time especially those that are converted young and live long afterwards before they finish their course such have longer time to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and sasiour Jesus Christ Yet that none that were converted young may be high-minded but feare let it be considered that it is not alwayes thus but some of these through great temptations and falls into sin are but weak in grace all their days and some that were converted many years after them do get the start of them in grace are more awful of God more weaned from the world and more fruitful in their course And greatly are some humbled when they count the number of the years since God first wrought upon them and think with themselves how little communion they have with God how little mortification to the world how little service they have done for God and then look upon others that have been converted many years after them and see to what a greater measure of grace they have attained Though they do not envy the goodness of God to such but rejoyce therein and give thanks unto his Name for his grace bestowed on them yet they reflect upon themselves as those who have quenched and grieved the holy Spirit of God for which he is not pleased they think to influence and quicken and comfort them as he doth others that have been more obedient and so their souls are greatly abased before the Lord. Of these things which have been spoken of conversion in youth this is the summe That it is in it self a great priviledge and yet nevertheless such as are converted young had need to watch and pray be very humble and diligent least they fall into temptations and snares and go on very slowly and heavily in the wayes of God Likewise from what hath been said it doth appeare that how ever wee may be advantaged in some circumstances and priviledges above others as in being in Christ before them and the like yet without great supplies of grace from above we shall not make a proficiency according to such advantages Before I leave this head it may be profitable to speak some thing more by way of caution and counsel to those that are converted young 1. Have a care of errours of Judgement Youth is usually raw and ignorant you may have strong and good affections but it may be weak judgments go not out of novelty to hear unsound Preachers give your selves to Prayer and to the reading of the Word attend upon the Faithful Preaching of the word by the Ministers of Christ. 2. Be much in proving your own selves whether you have a sound work of grace upon your hearts the end of it usually to them that are sincere is a suller assurance that they are passed from Death to Life 3. Flie youthfull lusts as Paul exhorted Timothy 2 Epist 2.22 one that was converted young and was yet but a young man when the Apostle wrote thus unto him flee pride flee all kinds of uncleaness flee unlawful recreations flee bad company and the like Have a care that through ignorance you do not commit some sins in your youth that may wound your consciences much in age In riper years you may see some things to be sin which you would not have done in your youth if you had known so much then Therefore study the Scriptures well and beg of God to shew you what sins youth useth to fall into knows it not then but it may be afterward to the great wounding of Conscience Intreat the Lord that while you are yet young men or Women you may cleanse your way and take heed thereunto according to his word 4. Often bless the name of the Lord for revealing himself to you so soon in your young and tender years Wonder at the Lords free grace that he should convert you at all and labour to be much affected with the time when he did it in the morning of your lives so soon so early 5. Whatsoever difficulties temptations and afflictions you go thorough in the course of your pilgrimage let your hearts trust safely in the Lord that his grace shall be sufficient for you He will never leave you nor forsake you so that you may boldly say the Lord is your helper what ever sad lots of affliction are upon you and that all things shall work together for your good If God hath been the God and Guide of your youth he will be the God of your riper years and though in your latter time you may have great decaies of body and can do him little service yet he will be tender of you and care for you and do you good to gray hairs and in gray hairs he will bear you and he will carry you in his everlasting Arms to Heaven You may have many a Thorne in the flesh many humbling temptations least you should be lifted up but be not dismayed for the Lord is your God and he will strengthen you he will help you he will uphold you with the right hand of his righteousness 6. Admire him that is of power to keep you and hath kept you and will keep you in the state of grace unto the end remember the former dayes when you were first illuminated what difficulties the Lord carried you through how he made you able by the power of his grace to break off from evil company and from your sinful courses and it may be to endure a great fight of afflictions from carnal Parents and Relations and acquaintance and though you were young youthfull and very unconstant yet by the power of God you were not afraid of any amazement and could not be turned aside from following the Lord. Some that are converted young are sometimes strengthned with such might by the Spirit of God that though they have carnal Parents and Relations that oppose them in the wayes of God they carry it with that Patience humbleness of mind and yet with that magnanimity and courage that is to be wondered at even while they are young and but Children they may go through such difficulties with a holy rejoycing as would be hard for them to go through afterwards without very much assisting grace from God Remember therefore and forget not the kindness of
the Lord to you in your youth and how he hath yet maintained the work of grace in you keeping grace alive through so long a tract of time as some of you have walked with God who were converted young And though your hearts and lives are not so with God as you would have it and that you have not yet so far attained as to be perfect but still groan and sigh being burdened with your corruptions and temptations yet thank and praise the Lord that hath taught you from your youth up and that hitherto he hath kept you in that great and terrible wilderness you have gone thorough and that his spirit and his feare is yet you 7. Have a care of abating in your first love and zeal and sincerity and diligence in following the Lord. Let the spiritual dew of your youth be alwaies upon you that you may be alwaies green and flourishing in grace that as your dayes so may your spiritual strength be Give not the men of the World occasion to say that your forwardness in religion in your youth was because you wanted wit then but that now you are grown wiser you follow the World as hard as others take liberty in your conversation as others do and give over preciseness and strict walking but let them see that now your judgments are bettered with age and much experience you still chuse rather to suffer affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin that are but for a season Lastly it is very requisite for those that are converted young and are but yet young to read the Scriptures diligently concerning the duties that God requireth of men in those Relations that his Providence hath put them into or shall put them into in the world Study well the duties of Servants and Masters Children and Parents Wives and Husbands and other Relations As the best Saints are apt to miscarry much in their duties in the Relations they stand in so especially those that are young for want of knowledge of what God requires in his Word in those Relations Therefore art thou called being very young study upon those duties that the Scripture requires towards thy Parents if they be yet alive and make great conscience of them Art thou called being a Servant or intended to be so shortly read over those Scriptures that speak of the duties of Servants again and again pray over those Scriptures often that God would make thee obedient diligent and faithful in that Relation as his Word requires Art thou called and art soon to marry or art newly married study those Scriptures that concern that estate and so for Masters and Parents and the like The holy Scriptures are able to teach you your duties in all these things that you may be throughly surnished with directions from them Let no young people despise this counsel for through their not giving attendance to the Reading study of the Scripture in these things they many times offend God much and whatsoever grace they have the beauty and lustre of it is exceedingly darkned before the eyes of men We hear of such a young person that is much affected with the word and prayes much speaks of good things and prizes Christ but when we inquire how doth he carry it to his Parents or his Master or to his Yoak-fellow it is oftentimes a grief of mind to the Godly-wise and makes them they know not what to think there is so great failing in those duties Now I am speaking of the Lords converting some very young Note this that sometimes young people and especially those that have good education live in godly Families and under the faithful preaching of the word are much convinced and set upon prayer and others rejoyce and hope that it will be a through work and yet all this comes to nothing they soon lose all sense of those things and grow more vile in their practises then they were before And others of them to please their Relations that are godly after they have lost the power of those common convictions they have had will seem to be religious still for a while but when their godly Parents are dead or they come to leave good Families and be for themselves then they will shew what they are indeed Some are notable Hypocrites very young and having good parts and finding that the profession of Religion makes them acceptable to some upon whom they have dependance will make a fair shew to deceive others but let them know that they deceive themselves most in the end when they come to have their portion with the Hypocrites where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth I have dwelt long enough upon this first Head to shew that God doth convert some in youth yea very young and have given cautions and counsel unto such Now to proceed Secondly God doth convert some in their riper years in the midst of their days or in old age as it pleaseth him Abraham in the Old Testament and Nicodemus in the New are recorded as persons converted in their riper years and latter time but whereas some say shew any other instances besides them of persons converted in their latter time I will say that we know not the precise age of the three thousand that were converted Acts 2. nor of those Acts 4.5 nor of those Multitudes that were added to the Lord Acts 5.14 nor of Cornelius his friends Acts 10. upon whom the Holy Ghost fell neither do we know the precise age of Lydia the Jaylor and many others that are mentioned by name in the Scripture whether they were young or old when they were converted nor is it necessary for us to know it It is sufficient for us to know that whosoever cometh unto Christ he will in no wise cast out whether he be young or old Those holy men that shew what an unsuitable time old age is to have then the work to do to make our calling and election sure when we can scarce see to read the Scriptures can scarce hear the word of life that is preached to them and their Memories and parts extreamly decayed must not be understood as if God could not convert such or never did it but to shew that the repentance of such is very often feigned and counterfeit and to warn young people that they do not count upon old-age conversion to the neglecting of remembring their Creatour in the days of their youth It is a great truth that they say that God should not be put off to take the dregs of our lives and to take the Devils leavings for he deserveth the beginning of our strength the best of our days and all our days to serve him but better late then never better come into the Vineyard at the eleventh hour then not at all There have been remarkable conversions of old men recorded by worthy men O that there were more both young and old brought home to Christ I know none that