R. White desinâ— et sculp The true Effigies of Mr. Nathanael Vincent Minister of the Gospel THE Conversion OF THE SOUL OR A DISCOURSE EXPLAINING The Nature of that CONVERSION which is Sincere and Directing and Perswading all to cease their loving Sin and Death and to Turn to God and Live. By NATHANAEL VINCENT M. A. Minister of the Gospel Jer. 3. 12. Go and proclaim these words towards the North and say Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Dixit Deus Fiat Lux facta est Lux Dicit Convertimini filii hominum Conversi sunt Ita plane Conversio animarum opus divinae vocis est non humanae â—ernard de Conversione ad Clericos cap. 1. pag. mihi 843. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Epist ad Colos LONDON Printed by J. Astwood for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers-Chappel 1688. LICENSED March 5. 1687 / 8 TO The Right Honourable Sir JOHN SHORTER Lord MAIOR OF THE CITY of LONDON My Lord THis is a time in which by the Gracious Providence of God and by the Unexpected and therefore more Obliging Favour of his Majesty I enjoy a Liberty more publickly to Preach the Gospel I now also take the Boldness to Present some Sermons which lately sounded from my Mouth in the Pulpit unto your Lordship the Supream Magistrate in the City I am glad that the Gospel of Peace may now be Preached without Disturbance and that those hands that without reason were once so Violent are now tied up so that they cannot inflict those severe Penalties which never were indeed deserved I cordially Desire and Pray for the Prosperity and Welfare of London And were it but a City all of Converts it would be the Joy and Glory of the whole Earth and resemble that Heavenly Jerusalem above where there is neither Sin nor Trouble Conversion is not to be Pressed only upon Heathens and Infidels How many that are called Christians go beyond Them in Wickedness and consequently need it as much nay more than they The Jews of old did make their Boast of God and of his Temple yet the Prophets call them to Turn and tell them that Death was no other way avoidable The Way to Heaven and a Glorious Immortality is but One and truly 't is a very narrow one You that are high as well as they that are low must tread in the same Path of Holiness or else your hopes of Everlasting Life will end in a dreadful Disappointment My Lord 'T is my Prayer for you that you may be preserved from Temptations that you may exercise your Authority so as to Reform the City over which you Preside from that Debauchery and Prophaneness which has so much Impoverished it which is its Shame and Disgrace and which cries so loud to Heaven for Vengeance to be inflicted upon it A great Trust is reposed in you I wish you Wisdom and holy Resolution from above to Improve the Price put into your Hands You must be called to an Account at last What singular thing you have done for God and for his Truth and Interest in this Year of your Maioralty The greater Enemy you shew your self to all sorts of Vices and the more Exemplary you are in fearing God and keeping his Commandments the greater Blessing you will be to London and the more truly you will Consult your own Honour and Blessedness I am Your LORDSHIPS Most Humble Servant Nathanael Vincent THE Epistle to the READER Reader IF this Book by the Providence of God shall come into thy Hand and thou wilt bestow the Pains to peruse it I would have thee read it as he who has the Benefit of the Clergy reads that Verse with Care the reading of which well does save his Life Agitur de Magnis Things of the greatest Importance are here treated of The subject matter of this Discourse is its Commendation Mans Conversion to God is explain'd and press'd The Authour can truly say He earnestly desired the Conversion of those that heard these Sermons and Hope that some may be turned to God by the reading of them is the reason of their being Printed Melchior Adamus reports of that famous German Preacher Bucholstzer That he troubled not the Church with Polemical Divinity his great Design was to draw Men to a Saviour to turn them to the living God that their Hearts and Lives might be pure and their End peace and that after Death they might enter into Everlasting Rest The Pruritus Disputandi the Itch of Disputing has taken away the Beauty of the Churches Face and Hands Certainly it would be more for the Churches Health and Strength and Glory if the great Truths of the Gospel were more insisted on namely Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and Conversion which is the same with Repentance towards God. How many strange Doctrines are vented how many quaint Notions that please the Fancy rather than Edisie the Soul will be found Wood Hay Stubble at last and be Lost and Consumed as not being able to endure the Fire a strict Tryal Discourses which out of the Scriptures of Truth have plainly declared the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ the Mystery of Conversion and of Godliness will be found to be Gold Silver Precious Stones and will turn to best Account to those who have built on the right Foundation Reader Art thou Unconverted does thy stupidness under the Guilt of Sin and thy contentedness to be still its Slave prove thee to be so I pray thee have not less Faith than the very Devils for they Believe and tremble Thy state is truly doleful but not desperate but quickly it may be so if thou still refusest to be a Convert The Door of Hope may soon be shut that now stands open Death may suddenly seize thee and send thee with all thy Sins unto the Bar of God who judges righteously Awake O Conscience before it be too late O Heart harden thy self no longer Wrath in the day of Wrath will be very terrible But if thou art indeed a Convert and thy submission to God and chusing him above all things is the evidence of it this Book brings thee happy Tidings and as true as happy Converting Grace is the greatest benefit bestowed on Earth and when that Grace has finished its work Eternal Glory will assuredly follow That all the Hearers of these Sermons may be such hearers as that their Souls may live that all the Readers of them may read with advantage to their Souls with an advantage that may last unto Eternity is and shall be the Prayer of Nathanael Vincent PSAL. XIX 7. former part The Law of the Lord is perfect Converting the Soul. THE Works of God though in himself invisible shew forth the Workers Wisdom Power and Goodness a
not corrupt themselves Moses knew how prone the Children of Israel were to do thus therefore he wrote the Words of the Law in a Book that they might be a witness against them and hinder their growing stiff-necked and rebellious against the Lord Deut. 31. 24 26 27. Finally the Word was written that Religion it self might not be corrupted nor that go under Gods name which is none of his Were it not for the Holy Scriptures how easily might falshoods and fables and humane inventions be imposed upon us and called the Mind of Christ by men of corrupt minds and dostitute of the Truth Now certainly the Lord has caused so much to be written that may be sufficient to attain his end in writing and if so then it follows that all Doctrines of Faith and Precepts both for the ordering of our Hearts and Lives are sufficiently declared in the Scripture If the Scripture is given to prevent Corruption in Religion the Scripture is perfect that that Corruption may be prevented If we should suppose part of the Doctrines and Precepts of the Gospel never to have been written why was less care taken of these than of the other How easily would these be forgotten and corrupted and how could we be satisfied in their being truly and sincerely conveyed to us 3. Adding to the VVord of God is most severeby forbidden therefore the VVord is perfect Prov. 30. 6. Add thou not unto his VVord least he reprove thee and thou be found a liar Those that are thus presumptuous to add are liars and therefore not to be believed by others and they have reason to be afraid themselves for the Reproof and Rebukes of the Almighty are terrible To instamp the Kings Head upon counterfeit Coyn is no less than Treason VVhen Doctrines and Ceremonies which make gain to be godliness and are inventions of Men shall have Divinity stampt upon them and pretend to be from Heaven this is a daring Treason against the highest Potentate the great Lawgiver who has Power to save and to destroy In the last book of Canonical Scripture just at the close plagues are threatned to be added to any man who shall add thereto and he that shall take away from it God says he will take away his part out of the Book of Life Rev. 22. 18 19. 4. It is another proof of the VVords perfection that all Spirits are to be tried by it Satan himself can transform himself into â—â— Angel of light and his Ministers can look like the Ministers of Righteousness There is great need then of Caution 1 Joh. 4. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God. Now 't is the VVord they are to be tried by The Spirit of Truth and this VVord always agree 't is not a subjecting the Holy Ghost to the Scripture when we observe the agreement between his Instructions his Motions and the Scripture but we follow his own Direction in the case It would not be a subjecting a Prince unto those general Instructions which he himself has given whereby his mind might be known but to examine messages even from the Prince by those Instructions would be VVisdom and Obedience in the Subject The Spirit of errour and falshood may seem to agree with the VVord but if the VVord be diligently heeded the difference will be apparent If the VVord were not perfect but much of the Mind of God were really unwritten the written VVord would be insufficient to be a trial and standard of right Doctrine and it would not have been said To the Law and to the Testimony if they speâ—â— not according to this VVord it is because there is no light in them Isa 8. 20. 5. The Word of God is perfect for wisdom to eternal Salvation is derived from it Indeed the Wisdom is from the Father of Lights but the written Word is the Means of conveying it 2 Tim. 3. 14 15. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus What the Apostles taught was committed to writing the great Doctrine of Faith in Christ Jesus is here mention'd and this written Word must needs be perfect which was able to make those that received it wise unto Salvation The Wisdom in the Gospel is so accounted by them that are perfect for this VVisdom excells the policy of Princes that come to nought and is ordained unto the Glory of Believers 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this World nor of the princes of this World which come to nought but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the VVorld to our Glory 6. The Effect of the VVord of God proves its perfection for it makes us perfect throughly furnished unto all good works here is right Doctrine to inform the Judgment of what is true here is reproof and conviction of what is errour and falshood Here is correction for miscarriages in practice and instruction in the way of righteousness 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works If by the Man of God you mean the godly Man the Scriptures Perfection is evident in being a Means so throughly to furnish him with Light and Grace to do all the good works his Lord requires If by the Man of God you understand the Minister of Christ the Perfection of the Scripture is the more evident For those that are called Stars in Christs hand Angels of the Churches Labourers in the Lords Vineyard may from the written word be throughly furnished both to teach and to do what is required to save themselves and those that hear them In the third place I am to give you the Reasons why the Perfection of the Word is mentioned when Conversion is spoken of 1. To intimate the Imperfection of the Light of Nature This Light discovers many things and to do those things which are contrary to the Light of Nature is to do very wickedly but can it be said that this Light of Nature is perfect working Grace and converting the Soul The Heathens that had onely this Light and were without Supernatural Revelation did speak several things excellently concerning God they had a Notion of another World of the Souls Immortality and of Rewards and Punishments hereafter and they give remarkable Counsels as to Wisdom and Folly Vice and Vertue But those of them that had the greatest Parts and Learning the sharpest and most piercing eyes to see most they saw nothing of God manifested in the Flesh they understood nothing
the flesh Christ has the highest room in every true Converts Heart he counts all things loss that Christ may be gained Phil. 3. 8. And 't is but reason that Christ should be best loved by him whose love to him is greatest and most beneficial and who is altogether lovely Cant. 5. 〈◊〉 Vbi amor ibi oculus where the Love is the Eye is Christ being loved the Convert's eye of Faith is set also upon him and he stayes on Jesus the Author and finisher of his Faith that he may be preserved in a state of Grace and strengthned unto all continuance and perseverance in well doing Let senseless Souls that are without knowledge and experience call this Resting a Lolling on Christ notwithstanding their Ignorance and Blasphemy the Members of the true Church will according as the Holy Ghost by wise Solomon expresses it lean upon their Beloved Cant. 8. 5. in their passage through the Wildernâ—ss of this World that they may be conducted and brought safe unto the heavenly and incorruptible Inheritance Thus much of Conversion with reference to Jesus the Mediatour Sixthly and Lastly Conversion may be considered with reference to the Word of God This Word is the way into which every true Convert turns Psal 119. 59 60. I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments The Converts Eye is turned to look into this Word of God his Ear is turned to hearken to it his Feet are turned to walk according to it and his very Heart is turned to love it As 't is natural to new born Babes to desire the Mothers or Nurses Milk so 't is spiritually natural to them that are Regenerate and Converted to desire the Word of God 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby 1. The Converts natural enmity against the Word of God is cured he neither with the Jews counts the Gospel a stumbling-block and matter of offence nor with the Greeks does he esteem it foolishness he does not look upon the Mysteries of the Word as absurd nor upon the strictest Rules as unreasonable He owns the Authority of God in his Word and acknowledges his Wisdom and Goodness in giving such a Testimony of his Will upon record as is so faithful and worthy of all acceptation 2. The Convert approves the whole of the Word of God He prizes Truth and is afraid of Error for there are damnable Errors in Judgment as well as damnable Immoralities in Practice They that are led away with the Errour of the wicked do wrest the Scriptures and that is not without danger of Destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16 17. The Convert sees a need of threatnings to deter him from Sin and to keep his flesh in awe that it become not head-strong against the Spirit He likes the Commands as well as â—he Promises and is perswaded 't is a priviledge to work for God as well as an encouragement that his labour shall not be 〈◊〉 vain 1 Cor. 15. 58. He concludes whatever God has spoken is spoken for his good therefore dislikes nothing he has â—id The Apostle consented to the goodness of the Law and was troubled that so much evil was present with him which â—indred that exact obedience he desired 〈◊〉 yield Rom. 7. 16 21. And the Psamist â—eaks fully Psal 119. 128. I esteem all by Commandments concerning all things to be â—ght and I hate every false way 3. The Convert performs the word of God â—to the end his Faith is not temporary â—or his obedience forced by a present fear â—nishing away as soon as ever the danâ—r is apprehended to be over The righâ—ousness that is as the morning cloud is hyâ—critical and unacceptable The truly â—ghteous man holds on his way and waxes â—onger and stronger Job 17. 9. The entrance of the word gives that light and strength to the Convert as heartens him to go on the more he obeys the greateâ— cause and reason he sees to be still more obedient the greater progress he makes iâ— his course the nearer he comes to the prize the glory of that prize makes him press forward and run the faster Thus have I opened the Nature oâ— Conversion Much is included in it Happy those that have felt what I have spoken But what a Mulâ—itude of Professorâ— are excluded out of the number of sincerâ— Converts To how many a Man may Conscience say Thou hast no part nâ— experience in this matter thy heart is not rigâ— with God. Thy beloved lusts thy idolizâ— gain and pleasures thy unreasonable self-confidence have hindred thy coming to Christ tâ— turning to God and obeying his Word to thâ— day In the third place I am to tell you whaâ— are the Properties of Conversion Here shall observe several things concerning iâ— which will help you the better to understand it and may serve for a trial whethâ— you are indeed converted 1. Conversion is both a duty and a previledge Conscience should take notice oâ— and with authority and vehemency urge â—he Sinner to the duty and the Heart â—hould be forward to Conversion since it 〈◊〉 such a Priviledge The Gospel calls all that hear it to turn to God and layes them under an obligation to do it And Conversion being a Submission to the whole Will of God it is the summ of all the duties which he requires Turning to God is a consenting to do and suffer whatever he commands and continuing a Convert is a standing perfect with â—n evangelical perfection which is Sinceriâ— and compleat in all the Will of God Col. 4. 12. And as the Convert does his duty so the doing of it is beneficial to himself Is it not a priviledge and every â—ay for his truest interest to be near God â—o be received into his favour and to be under the blessed influence of his powerful and special Grace 'T was good counsel that â—liphaz gave though he gave it to a better man than himself Job 22. 21. Acquaint â—ow thy self with him and he explains that by returning to the Almighty and be 〈◊〉 peace thereby good shall come to thee 2. Conversion meets with great oppositiâ— What in the whole World is oppoâ—d more The Children of men go by â—roves in the broad way that leads to Destruction and they can't endure that any should part company if any begin to make a stand and run not with them to the same excess of riot they think it strange and their tongues speak evil of them 1 Pet. 4. 4. if they do not make them feel the violence of their hands also But if Earth is troubled when any are converted Hell is much more moved when a Sinner turns Satan loses an House where he dwelt and an Heart which was a Throne where he reigned And for that proud spirit to lose a vassal nay to be forced to flee from him as the promise is he shall upon resistance Jam. 4.
God in Christ be loved and chosen above all then conclude that Conversion is sound and sincere If the Heart be grieved because it is no more suited to God because it hath no more Faith in him and though it can't say with Peter Joh. 21. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I do love thee yet it can say Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I would love thee Above all things in the world I desire to love thee and to be beloved of thee Such a kind of desire as this doth plainly shew that the work of of Conversion is begun notwithstanding a great many doubts and fears that do remain about it But if under the highest Prosession of Religion if under the most constant attendance upon all Ordinances the Heart doth secretly go after its Covetousness the Soul is fond of its Lusts and of its Vanities and is resolved still to be so certainly there is no such thing as a work of Conversion though there be never so high and mighty a Confidence that there is Ezek. 33. 31. They come unto thee as the People cometh and they sit before thee as my People and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their Mouth they shew much love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness The Second Use is by way of Exhortation I exhort you all to lift up your Souls to God with a desire that he would turn them to himself Naturally your Hearts are in very bad hands but if you give them unto God his hands are powerfull and good and safe He can new form your Souls both to and for Himself And therefore I beseech you give your consent and earnestly desire that God would take the Work in hand and Convert every Soul before him to himself to day To prevail with you thus to Consent and Desire I would lay before you these following Arguments 1. If your Souls are Converted they will be enlivened though before dead in Trespasses and in Sins they will be made alive unto God Eph. 2. 1. You will presently be free from the Sentence of Death and Condemnation that ye are under and ye will be made to live in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. O what a Life will you lead when once ye become Converts your Lives will become Holy they will be Heavenly they will be Angelical The Spirit of God will be that and a great deal more unto your Souls than what your Souls are to your Bodies The Spirit will set you at liberty The Spirit will act and lead you The Spirit will fill you with his own blessed fruits that are both pure and peaceable 2. If your Souls are Converted they will be healed Where is the Soul among us that is not sick of various Maladies and that Soul is most sick that least feels its sickness Conversion and healing are joyned together Isa 6. 10. Least at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be Converted and I should heal them So Jer. 3. 23. Return ye backsliding Children saith the Lord and I will heal your backsliding behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God. The Soul is most precious and the best part in a Man the diseases of the Soul are the worst and most dangerous and consequently the cure and healing of these diseases is most of all desirable If thou didst labour under a death-threatning Malady how wouldst thou long to be cured Poor Man thy Soul labours under a great many Maladies and all of them Hell-threatning Maladies and if thou art not Cured thou must be damned therefore Cure should be prized and Conversion and Curing go together 3. If your Souls are Converted they will be both beautified and strengthned the Image of God is the Souls Beauty and Glory and upon all true Converts this Image of God is Instampt Sin makes men vile Conversion and Sanctification makes them excellent so excellent that the Scripture plainly affirms that the World is not worthy of the Saints that are in it Heb. 11. 38. And Strength will follow Conversion as well as Beauty Who is the strongest upon Earth The answer is the Convert is the strongest All the Unconverted are without strength Alas they are without Life and therefore must needs be without strength The Convert is strengthned with might by the Spirit of God in the inward Man so that he is enabled to do good he is enabled to bear evils with patience he is enabled to resist the Enemies of his Salvation he is enabled to Fight and to Conquer nay which is more emphatical he is enabled so to conquer as to be more than a Conquerer through him that hath loved him Rom. 8. 37. Lastly If your Souls are Converted they will be both satisfied and secured and what can you desire more It would be a loud lie if Mammon should say that ever he satisfied any All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit and there is no profit under the Sun Eccles 2. 11. But now the Lord with truth doth say I have satiated the weary Soul and I have replenished every sorrowful Soul Jer. 31. 25. Those Souls that are weary and sorrowful seem furthest off from Satisfaction yet these weary and sorrowful Souls the Lord is able to satisfie Nay in Scripture we read of abundant Satisfaction Psal 35. 8 9. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures That which increaseth the Satisfaction is that the Souls of Converts are secure the Hand of Christ and the Hand of the Father which is greater than all is sufficient to defend these Converted Souls from the force of Earth and Hell and Sin too If your Souls are lifted up to God Sursum Corda Up with your hearts unto God If your Souls are Converted to Him they will be safe in Life they will be safe in Death and immediately after death they will be past all danger being admitted into that House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. Thus have I done with the second Doctrine That Conversion is then sincere when the very Soul is Converted Doct. 3. Is this That the Word of God is the great means of Conversion And O that the Word that sounds in your ears to day may be found an effectual Means of the Conversion of all the Uncoverted here before the Lord The Law of the Lord in the Text is said to Convert the Soul because 't is the Means which the Lord himself makes use of and adds an efficacy to that such an effect may be produced The Word is styled the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believes Rom. 1. 16. And by this Word Faith it self is wrought whereby the Soul comes to Christ and by him does Convert to God Rom. 10. 17. So then Faith
the righteous he is a Buckler to them that walk uprightly 3. You that live under the New Testament Dispensation be very thankful that the written Word is so very copious and so large To have such a compleat Declaration of the Mind of God by his own Son was a Priviledge which the Old Testament Believers wisht for but did not enjoy What Moles are they who are onely busie and working in the Earth and for Earthly things and regard not the clear shining of the Sun of Righteousness To be deaf and regardless when God speaks so much to us not to understand when he speaks so fully and so plainly is inexcusable but to have Knowledg and to sin against it and to detain the truth in unrighteousness is inexcusable much more here is Ingratitude and Presumption together and the more stripes are threatned and deserved Luke 12. 47. And that Servant that knâ—w his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beatâ—◠〈◊〉 many stripes Search the VVord of God be much that you may be mighty in the Scriptures By this weapon you may defend your selves against the subtilest Enemies of the truth nay against the old subtle Serpent himself It was not an unwritten but a written word that Christ produced when he was assaulted by the Tempter Mat. 4. 4 7 10. It was an Injunction of our Lord himself Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life It was a right thought that the Scriptures direct unto Life Eternal but it was a presumptuous thought in the Pharisees to imagine Eternal Life was theirs since instead of building upon the Foundation Stone in Sion they stumbled at it But the Injunction it self is of great Moment The Scriptures are Gods own Books and the onely Books he has in the World. Longâ assiâ—uâ meditatione Scripturaram prâ—tus suun fecerat Bibliothicam Chriâ—â—â— Hyeronym de Nepotiano Every ones Breast should be like Nepotian's Bibliotheca Christi A Library in which these Books should be kept safely To be acquainted more intimately with the Word is the way to be better acquainted with God and the consequent of this acquaintance is Peace Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come to thee By Searching of the Scriptures the Understanding is improved the Heart is purified the Life is regulated This Book is indeed the thankful Glass that mends the Eyes of all that rightly look into it It was an honest Distich of one Ex aliis paleae viles hinc grana leguntur Aurea tu paleas linquito grana lege Which another thus Englishes Mens Books with worthless chaff are stor'd Gods Scripture Golden grains afford Reject the chaff and spend thy pains In gleaning up these golden Grains 5. Pray for the Spirit who endited the Word that he may interpret it and lead you into the understanding of it He is called the Spirit of wisdom and Revelation Eph. 1. 17. He reveals the Gospel he enlightens the eyes of the Understanding True Wisdom is the special Gift of the Holy Ghost It is an encouragement in Prayer that the best things may be asked with the greatest confidence The Gift of the Spirit comprehends the best things of all doubt not of Gods willingness to bestow it Luk. 11. 13. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father gave the holy Spirit unto them that ask him It is not a notional Knowledge which many Hypocrites excell in that you should content your selves with Such Knowledge being alone puffs up him that has it 1 Cor. 8. 1. and disturbing Strife and contention follows upon Pride and High-mindedness such Knowledge aggravates Sin in the careless and carnal Professor and will exceedingly inflame his Reckoning in the day he must give account of himself to God. It is true wisdom a Spiritual understanding of the Scriptures that you should cry for When the Spirit of God discovers a truth to you with what Satisfaction will your Mind receive it When the Spirit shews you your Duty how Righteous how reasonable and what a Priviledge does it appear The Spirits Light and Strength go together so that the Will is inclined to a compliance when the enlightned Soul does understand the Will of God. When the Spirit applies a Promise to you how will your Faith be confirmed how will you abound in Hope and how full of sweetest peace will your hearts be while you securely rest on the God of Truth whose VVord will endure when Heaven and Earth shall pass away Isa 26. 3 4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting Strength 6. Let your Knowledge of the Word of God be more perfect Alas how little do we know of what may be known and what we do know how much better may we know it Though the Children of God are Children of Light and Children of the Day yet there are great remainders of darkness in some of them and some remainders in all This remaining Ignorance is both their Sin and Misery by reason of which Satan their subtle enemy has many times great advantage against them Labour after a more perfect Knowledge of God his Son his Truth his Will his Word informs you of all If the Happiness of Heaven lies so much in a beatifical seeing Oh use all possible intention of mind that you may see more and more even while you are here on Earth True Knowledge will debase the idolized World and make it nothing in your eyes and it wil humble you and make you perceive that really you are worse than nothing How does a clearer Knowledge of God make holy Job much more humble than ever Job 42. 5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear but now mine Eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorr my self and repent in Dust and Ashes The better you know the Lord the more you will Love and Fear and Praise him The better you know his Christ you cannot chuse but still more highly prize him and your Hearts will cleave to him with the fuller purpose The 〈…〉 er you know his Commands the more they 〈◊〉 be your Counsellours your longing your delight and your Songs in the house of your Pilgrimage The better you know the Cross of Christ you will be the less offended 〈…〉 heaviest Afflictions will be made light of 〈◊〉 compared with a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. 7. Let your Love be greater and more perfect to this perfect VVord of God. The World indeed hates this VVord because it testifies against them that their works are evil and will have an ill end True love to it will argue spiritual Life by it and that it has been effectual to turn and
change our very Hearts Love to the Word distinguishes the true Church from the Antichristian Society Of these 't is said because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had Pleasure in Vnrighteousness 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. All the excellent properties of the Word and the wonderful effects of it should take your Hearts and still be increasing your affection to it and the stronger your love is the greater will be your care to keep it Psal 119. 167. My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I love them exceedingly Love will make you labour hard in the work which the Word commands and yet it will so overcome the difficulty that hard labour shall become easie It was a saying of Bernard Is rectè divinas Scripturas legit qui verba vâ—rtit in opera He rightly reads the Holy Scriptures who turns VVords into VVorks Love will mightily constrain you to this 't will make you doers and blessed in your deed Love the Word of God as a Malefactour would love to read his pardon after the Sentence of Death has been past upon him Love the Word as a Debtour would love to read his general and full discharge which delivers him out of Prison and secures him from the danger of being arrested any more Love the Word as a Sick man would love to read a Receipt prescribing a medicine that would certainly cure his distemper and save his Life Finally love the Word as an Heir would love to read over a Testament in which is left him a rich Estate a most plentiful Inheritance In the VVord of God you find a pardon a discharge from all debts by your great your sufficient Surety here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Souls universal remedy And the Psalmist says Psal 119. 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my Heart 8. Never be ashamed of this Word of God which is so perfect and worthy to be owned VVith your Hearts believe it unto Righteousness with your Mouths Confess it to Salvation Be not concerned that the VVorld accounts the VVord foolishness fear not either their reviling or their rage their hands are weak considering how strong your helper is and their Judgments weaker Stand fast in the Faith and quit you like men be strong 1 Cor. 16. 13. Your Lord will be much pleased to see you valiant for the Truth and no less than a Crown of Life shall be the reward of Faithfulness unto the Death But if you are ashamed of Christ and of his word before Men he will be ashamed of you before his Father and all his Holy Angels Mar. 8. 38. And how great and everlasting then will your shame and confusion be VSE III. Of Exhortation Since the VVord is perfect let me exhort you all unto Perfection The legal Perfection of Adam in Innocency you cannot reach since the fall keeps all his Posterity short of it hear the Apostle confessing and bewailing Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect Phil. 3. 12. But evangelical Perfection is possible 't is necessary 't is actually found in all true Converts In legal Perfection it may be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no Sin. In evangelical Perfection it may be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no predominant Hypocrisie In the former there is no sin at all in the latter there is no Sin loved and allowed In the one every command is kept in the other there is grief when any command is broke and a true Desire after Grace to keep every Commandment better When I exhort you to Perfection I mean three things That you would be of a perfect Heart That you would walk in a perfect way That you would stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God. 1. Let your Hearts be perfect The Heart is the very Seat of Sincerity if it be not here 't is no where 't is not in the eye or tongue or hands or feet if the Heart remain as it was by Nature without a change and is still wicked sensual and earthly the VVords and actions though never so good signifie and avail nothing nay the better the VVords and Actions are the greater is the Hypocrisie and Dissimulation There are several excellent ingredients in this Perfection of Heart which I would press upon the Hearts and Consciences of All. 1. Let your Hearts shew themselves perfect by setting God alwaies before them Walk before me says God to Abraham and be perfect Gen. 17. 1. The perfect Heart is sensible that Gods eye looks into it and sees all that is in it therefore its eye is also upon God and as there is an holy awe of God upon it so 't is not satisfied without his approbation Upright David cryes out O Lord thou hast searched me and known me thou understandest my thoughts afar off Psal 139 1 2. Thoughts include all the affections workings and inclinations of the Heart all these were open and naked unto the Eye of Gad. And David looks to his Heart accordingly and he begs that the evil of his Heart might be more plainly discover'd to him that his Heart might be more throughly cleansed 2. Let your Hearts be perfect in being truely willing and very studious to please that God with whom you have to do The perfect Heart sees 't is highly reasonable that Mans Will in all things should be obedient unto Gods since the VVill of God is so righteous good and holy since He cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth hâ— any man to any thing that is hurtful Jam. 1. 13. to please the Lord should be the Pleasure of your very Souls You should hate every abominable thing which he hates and what he delights in should always be chosen 3. Let your Hearts be perfect in refusing to have a liking respect and regard to any iniquity David manifested his uprightness and as a perfect man he was regarded and his Prayer heard because he did not regard iniquity in his Heart Psal 66. 18 19. Iniquity in the Heart is to be regarded so as to be humbled for it weary of it and bewail it and to endeavour by all means to mortifie and purge it away 't is not to be regarded so as to cover and excuse it so as secretly to delight in it and resolve to spare iâ— Especially let your Hearts set themselves with full bent against that which may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sin that does most easily be set you Heb. 12. 1. from hence is the greatest guilt defilement danger the Sin that by reason of your Constitutions Callings Age and the bad Customs of the Places where you live have been most insinuating into your Affection and aptest to prevail should be abandon'd with a special and peculiar
or other provide for the Sheep of his Pasture 2. This Church shall have the Spirit along with the Word We may as well suppose a living Body without a Soul as a true Church of Christ without his Spirit The Spirit is promised and given to the Church to abide there for ever Joh. 14. 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Now where the Spirit of the Lord is how effectual is the Word what Light what Liberty what Power what Peace is there The Spirit makes the Means of Grace to attain their end He fills Ordinances with an Heavenly vertue he quickens the Dead enlarges the straitned Heart causes fruit to be brought forth plentifully he comforts the true Converts and stablishes them in every good word and work 3. It 's matter of Consolation that in this perfect Word of God there is wisest and safest counsel given Prov. 6. 22. When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou awakest it shall talk with thee So Prov. 3. 23. Thou shalt walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble This Word counsels Converts against evil Men evil Women evil Angels an evil World and against every evil work It never gave bad counsel unto any The Counsels of the Word are best with reference to Eternity and with reference to Time also It bids us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear to live as Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth that we may be less concerned and disturbed and keep more unspotted from the World. It bids us to walk uprightly that we may walk surely It informs us that all carnal Policy which is joyned with a contempt of God and Religion is onely a cunning contrivance to undo our selves but 't is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of Wisdom and the Knowledge of the Holy is understanding 4. In this Perfect Word of God a compleat Armour is found to secure Converts against the Enemies of their Salvation Eph. 6. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand This Armour is to be valued indeed which is Armour of proof which secures us against the worst and most powerful Adversaries which certainly defends and makes us victorious when sighting for Eternal life when those against whom these Enemies prevail will surely dy the everlasting Death The Apostle speaks at large of the pieces of this Armour We are furnished with the Girdle of Truth sound Doctrine must be held fast our Judgments well settled against errour Here is the Breast-plate of Righteousness Sincere Holiness must be in the Heart if the Spirit be not right if the Heart be not clean there can be no safety Here the feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace The Gospel that is the Word of Reconciliation with God and that speaks Peace to the Conscience does prepare and fit us to walk in the way of Holiness and the difficulties of that way are endured with patience Here is the shield of Faith Believing on Jesus resting on the Promises that in in Him are Yea and Amen quenches the Fiery Darts of Satan so that true Converts are not sunk into an Hell of Despair by the remembrance of their past Sins which the Blood of Jesus has made an atonement for neither are they discouraged by fiery Trials by the siercest Persecutions Here is the Helmet of Salvation that is the Hope of Salvation This Hope is lively well grounded will never make ashamed and causes the Convert to lift up his head with courage because Redemption and Glory are aproaching Here is the Sword of the Spiâ—it the Word of God rightly used and applyed And unto these pieces of Armour Preces Lacrymae arma Ecclesiae Prayers and Tears which are the Churches Weapons must be added because we need not onely Armour but skill and strength to use it from above then we shall prevail indeed when we are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might How strong may be the Consolation considering how compleat and strong the Armour is how strong the Helper of a Christian Eph. 6. 10 -18 5. In this Perfect Word of God the Convert finds Promises that may serve to support and encourage him in every condition Is he afflicted 't is in faithfulness and love not in wrath and hatred Prov. 3. 12. Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth And affliction shall be profitable because it shall be purifying Heb. 12 10. He that is the Father of Spirits chastizeth for our profit that we may be partakers of his Holiness Is the Convert poor and destitute He may cast all his care on God who cares for him 1 Pet. 5. 7. The young Lions lack and suffer hunger but those that seek the Lord have him to be their Shepheard and shall not want any good thing Psal 34. 10. Is the Convert tempted His merciful and faithful High-Priest was tempted before him and knowes how to succour him Heb. 2. ult When the Apostle was sorely buffered by Satan and cries for help what answer has he See be encouraged when you see 2 Cor. 12. 9. And the Lord said unto me My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Is the Convert deserted and troubled because God hides his face He has the Name of God and his everlasting Covenant to trust in and the Face that is now hidden will be shewn again and dry up the Tears of the deserted Isa 54. 7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a little wrath hid I my Face from thee for a Moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 6. 'T is matter of Comfort unto Converts that this Perfect word endures for ever 1 Pet. 1. 24 25. All Flesh is grass and all the glory of Man as the Flower of the field the Grass withereth and the Flower thereof falleth away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you The Word is an everlasting truth never did any never shall any find it false 'T is a means to Convert the Soul to make the Heart new and 't is written in the new heart in Characters that are indelible and abiding 't is a Sustentation to the New Creature and cherishes it unto that Life which is Eternal The New nature is Immortal true Grace never dies but at Death is perfected in Glory that fadeth not away The CONCLUSION THus have