A guide to Christ. Or, The way of directing souls that are under the work of conversion. Compiled for the help of young ministers: and may be serviceable to private Christians, who are enquiring the way to Zion. / By Solomon Stoddard, A.M. and Pastor of the church in Northampton. ; With an epistle prefixed, by the Reverend Dr. Increase Mather.

Author: Stoddard, Solomon, 1643-1729.2011-05

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A Guide to Christ OR, The way of directing Souls that are under the Work of Conversion. Compiled for the help of Young MINISTERS: And may be Serviceable to Private Christians, who are Enquiring the Way to Zion.

By Solomon Stoddard, A.M. And Pastor of the Church in [...]-Hampton.

With an Epistle [...] the Reverend Dr. [...]

Boston, Printed by J. Allen, for N. Booke, at the Sign of the Bible in Cornhill. 1714.

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TO THE READER

THat Preparation for Christ is necessary, before the Soul can be United to him by Faith, is an undoubted Truth. He came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance. Men must be convinced of their being Sinners, or they will not be in bitterness for it: Sin must be bitter to them, or they will not forsake it. As long as they love their sins, it is impossible, that they should believe on Christ, Joh. 5.44. Nor will they come to Christ for Righteousness, and Life, except they have an humbling sense of their own unrighteousness, Ro. 10.3. These are Truths which cannot be denied. But whether there is any praeparatory Work, which is saving before Faith, has been controverted among Divines. My Learned Tutor, (whom for honour's sake I mention) Mr. Norton (once a Famous Teacher in Boston) in his ^† Orthodox Evangelist has Elaborately proved the Negative, with whom the Worthy Author of the Ensuing Discourse does concur. It has been an Error (and a Tyranical one) in some Preachers, that they have made their own particular experiences a Standard for all others. When as God is pleased to use a great variety in bringing his Elect home to Christ, altho' [Page vi]Conversion as to the substance of it, is the same in all, that are brought into a State of Salvation. Some have experienced such terrors, and distress of Conscience, as others have not been acquainted with, who nevertheless are true Believers on Christ. To that Question, What measure of praeparatory Work is necessary to Conversion? Mr Norton ^* answers judiciously, As the greatest measure has no necessary connexion with Salvation, so the least measure puts the Soul into a preparatory capacity, or Ministerial next disposition to the receiving of Christ. There is not the like degree of humiliation in all those, that are Converted, for some feel a greater measure of trouble, others a lesser, [...]not all that are truly Converted, are humbled: Nor can it be determined how long a man must be held under fears and terrors, before he is truly Conversed. To affirm, that men must be so many years or months under a spirit of bondage, before they can believe on Christ, is contrary to the experience of many Pious Souls, and to th [...] Scriptures. The preparatory work of the Converts mentioned in the Sacred Writings, was not of long continuance. That super-eminent Divine Dr. Thomas Goodwin ^* observes, That a ma [...] may be held too long under John Baptist's Water and that some have urged too far, and insisted to much on that, as preparatory, which includes the beginning of true Faith. Such Authors as have asserted, that men cannot be sincere Converts, except they have been some considerable time under great legal terrors, have caused groundless fears, and perplexity in the minds of many gracious [Page vii]Souls, for the Relief of whom, Reverend Mr. Firmin Published an Excellent Book, Entituled, The Real Christian. Very often the Children of Godly Parents, who have had a Religious Education, and been kept from all scandalous sins, that wound and waste the Conscience, have been favoured with an Easy, as well as with an Early Conversion: The seed of Grace has sprung up in their hearts, they know not how, Ma. 4.27. So as that, altho' they can say, as the blind man restored to his sight did, One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see, yet the particular time, they cannot account for. It is (says Mr. Norton) ^* our duty to bless God, that we are Converted, and not groundlesly to afflict our selves about the time of our Conversion. And he cites Mr. Pemble, whose words are; To tell the month, day, or hear, wherein they were Converted, is in most Converts impossible; in all, of exceeding difficult observation; tho' I deny not, but tha time may be in some, of sensible mark That Eminent Man of God, Mr. Baxter ^† relates, that he was once at a Meeting of many Christians, as eminent for Holiness, as most in the Land, of whom divers were Ministers of great Fame, and it was desired, that every one of them would give an account of the time, and manner of his Conversion, and there was but one of them all, that could do it. And, (says he,) I aver from my heart, that I neither know the day, nor the year, when I began to be sincere. Nevertheless, for the most part, they that have been great Sinners, are not Converted without dreadful Terrors of Conscience. Our great Hooker [Page viii](of whom Dr. Goodwin says, that if any Man, in this Age, came in the Spirit of John Baptist, Hooker was the Man) his Doctrine ^* will be found a sad truth, viz That as for gross, and scandalous Sinners, God usually exercises them with heavy breakings of heart, before they are bro't to Christ. Especially it is so, if the Lord intends to make use of them in great Services for his Name. Saul (afterwards Paul) had a terrible Conversion, altho' he was not long in the pangs of the Newbirth. The like has been noted of Luther. Famous Mr. Rogers ^* of Dedham had been very extravagant in his Youth. Mr. Richard Rogers of Weather [...] who was his Kinsman, helpt to maintain him at the University, where he Sold his Books, and spent the Mony, so that his Kinsman and Patron would have utterly cast him off, had not the entreaties of a near Relation prevailed with him, to try him once again. When he saw what a wonderful change Converting Grace had made in his young Kinsman, he would often say, I will never despair of a man for John Roger's sake. God designed, that this very Ungodly Youth, should be made a great Instrument of Glory to his Name, and of good to many of his Elect. He was bruised to purpose under the hand of the Almighty. Great were the terrors of his Soul for some time, when he would get alone under bushes in the Field, praying, & crying to God for mercy. When he was Converted, 'tis thought he was an Instrument of Converting more Souls, than any one Minister in England. He was inspired with an extraordinary zeal; [...] [Page ix]a way of delivering himself in his Sermons, which in any other Man would have been Ridiculous, but in him was very becoming, and awful; which made Bishop Brownrig say to Mr. Ward, John Rogers will do more good with his wild note, than we shall do with all our set Musick. But this is God's usual Method, with such of his Elect, as have fallen into great Sins; he brings them home by great Terrors For the Confirmation of this, I might have instanced in Mr. Bolton, whose excellent Books have made him famous in the Church of God. Before his Conversion he was very Wicked He loved Stage-Plays, Cards and Dice; was an horrible Swearer, Sabbath-breaker, a Boon Companion, that neither Loved God, nor Good Men; he hated Puritanical Preaching. Hearing the same of Mr. Perkins, he went to Cambridge to hear him Preach, and having heard him, said, he was a Barren Empty Fellow, and a passing mean Scholar. This Man, after his Conversion, was an Eminent Saint, and a successful Minister of Jesus Christ. But the manner of his Conversion was terrible. His Sins were so heavy upon him, that he Roared for anguish of heart, would sometimes rise out of his Bed in the night for very anguish of spirit; and to augment his misery, he was afflicted with grievous temptations, horribilia de Deo, terribilia de side. These heart-piercing sorrows continued for many Months. They issued in a sound Conversion.

There have been some, who have maintained, that a man is not sufficiently prepard for Christ, except he be brought to that pass, as out of respect to the Will and Glory of God, to be content to be Damned Eternally. An horrid assertion [Page x]justly disclaimed by the Author of this Discourse, and refuted by the ^* Orthodox Evangelist, yet there are some unhappy Passages of that nature, in a Book of Humiliation, which goes under Mr Hooker's Name, by which, incredible wrong has been done to that great Author. It may be, it will be to the satisfaction of some Readers, to see what Dr. Goodwin has written concerning Mr. Hooker's Books, about preparation for Christ, who, in his Epistle prefixed to Mr. Hooker's Sermons on Act. 2.37. has these words; There has been published long since many parts, and pieces of this Author, upon this Argument, Sermon-wise, preached by him, here in England, yet having been taken by an Unskilful Hand, which upon his recess into those remoter parts of the World, was bold, without his privity or consent to Print, and Publish them (one of the greatest injuries that can be done to any Man) it came to pass his genuine meaning, and this in points of so high a nature; and in some things differing from the common Opinion, was diverted in those printed Sermons, from the fair, and clear draught of his own Notions, and intentions, because so utterly deformed, and misrepresented in multitudes of passages, and in the Rest, but imperfectly, and crudely set forth. That which the Doctor says is a sufficient Vindication of the Renowned Name of Mr. Hooker, from the Reflections cast upon him, on the account of some crude expressions in those Books pretended to be his, which were never Printed with his allowance. Th [...] like is to be said with reference to some passages in Mr. Shepards Sincere Convert, which have occasioned [Page xi]great disquietment in some Godly Minds, and made them afraid to believe on Christ, when deeply sensible of their misery without him. Concerning which Book Mr. Shepard in a Letter to Mr. Firmin, Dated December 27. 1647. ^* Expresses himself thus; That which is called the Sincere Convert, I have not the Book; I once saw it, It was a Cellection of such Notes in a dark Town in England, which one procuring of me, published them without my Will or Privity; nor do I like to see it: He that published it, confesseth it came out altered from what was first written.

It is usual with New Converts to be molested with fears lest they have committed the Sin against the Holy Ghost. I am far from being of Dr. Tillotson's Opinion, who supposeth, that none in these Days are, or can be guilty of that Sin, nor any besides those, who were Eye-witnesses of the Miracles wrought by our Saviour Christ. I rather Concur with Dr. Collings, whose words are, Give me leave to speak my fears. I profess they are my thoughts, my sad thoughts, that we live in an Age as full of persons, that have sinned that Sin, that shall never be forgiven, as any Age ever was, since our Lord was on the Earth. Are there not many in our Days, who having been once enlightened, have not only [...]nned against the light of their Education, but are become malignant haters of those Holy Truths, and Ways of God, in which they were initiated, and malicious persecutors of all such, as profess the true and pure Gospel? Do not such sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the Truth? [Page xii]And have they not done despite to the Spirit of Grace? As for such as are troubled with groundless fears of their having been guilty of that Sin, The Reverend Author of the Discourse Emitted herewith, has therein offered that, which may ease and satisfy their disquieted Consciences. Mr. Baxter notwithstanding the Dispute which had been between him and Mr. Tombs about Paedo-Baptism, after that wrote a Commendatory Epistle before a Learned Book of Mr. Tombs's against the Papists.

It is known, that in some points (not Fundamentals in Religion) I differ [...] this beloved Author; Nevertheless, (as [...] there was a difference of Opinion [...] Jerom and Austin) Jerom said for all [...], I cannot but love Christ in Austin; so do I say concerning my Brother Stoddard. And I pray the Lord to bless this, and all his holy Labours for the Conversion, and Salvation of many of God's Elect.

Increase Mather.

Boston, November, 15. 1714.

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THE Preface.

THE Work of Regeneration being of absolute necessity unto Salvation, it greatly concerns Ministers especially, in all ways possible to promote the same; and in particular, that they guide Souls aright who are under a work of Preparation: some there be that do deny any necessity of the Preparatory work of the Spirit of God, in order to a closing with Christ, this is a very dark Cloud, both as it is an evidence that such men have not the experience of that work in their own Souls; and as it is a sign that such men are utterly unskilful in guiding others that are under this work: if this Opinion should prevail in the Land, it would give a deadly wound to Religion, it would expose men to think themselves Converted when they are not: if men do understand that there is a work of Humiliation before Faith, then if they get some common affections, love, sorrow, delight, yea, and a common faith too, they will say these are not of the right kind; for men must see the plague of their own hearts, their heplessness, [Page 2]and that they are like Clay in the hand of the Potter, before they come to Christ, and so will be afraid, and be searching of themselves; but if they do not know any necessity of preparation, they will take the first appearances of Holiness for Holiness; and if they find religious affections in themselves, they will grow confident that God has wrought a good work in them. It would likewise expose them to boulster up others in a false confidence: a man that knows there must be a work of preparation, will be careful how he encourages others that they are in Christ, he will enquire how God has made way for their receiving of Christ; but another that is a stranger to it, will be ready to take all for gold that glisters, and if he se [...] men religiously disposed, will be speaking peace to them; he will be like the false Prophets, saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace: so men will be hardned, it is a dismal thing to give men sleepy notions; and make them sleep the sleep of death.

The truth of this Opinion is much to be suspected from what has been left on Record to the contrary, by Hildersham, Perkins, Dod, Si [...], B [...]ins, Dike, Ball, Preston, Hooker, Shepard, Norton, &c. others of the like Stamp, whose judgment in matters of this nature does outweigh the judgment of thousand of others, though otherwise Learned men: but besides this, there is a great deal of light held forth in the Word of God in this matter. I will not argue from Israels [Page 3]being led by Moses the Law-giver out of Egypt through a land of pits and drought, and fiery flying Serpents, before they were brought into Canaan by Joshua: Nor from the Legal Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace foregoing the Evangelical: Nor from John Baptists being sent as a Forerunner of Christ to prepare the way of the Lord: Nor from the Parable of the Prodigal, being in want, and becoming a Servant of a Citizen of the Country before he returned to his Father: Nor from the Dry Bones being in a disconsolate condition, before God put life into them: these things may better be made use of for Illustrations than Proofs.

But there are other Scriptures which hold forth, that there must be PREPARATION for Christ before our Closing with him: it does appear by INSTANCES recorded in the Scripture: One is of Paul, Acts 9.4, 5. he was terrifyed, in way of preparation to his receiving of Christ, and about the same time was led into the understanding of his own helplessness, Rom. 7.9. Another is of the Jaylor, Acts 16.29, 30, 31. he was greatly scared, least he should fall short of Salvation; and since we have such circumstances, and none to the contrary, we may [...] judge that this is Gods method in Converting Sinners.

It also appears from such [...] as are held forth in the Scriptures: [...] some Sinners are near the Kingdom of God, and others are far from it: Mark 12.34. this shews that [Page 4]some men are in a more prepared way, and more hopeful to receive it than others: So that doctrine that some are not in a present incapacity to come to Christ, because under the power of a earnal design: Joh. 5.44. this shews that men must be broken off from their carnal designs before they come to Christ: so the doctrine of the difficulty of getting into a state of Salvation. Mat. 7.13. Luke 13.24. this shews that there be many difficulties in the way of Conversion; and that by striving, they may get into a nearer preparedness for faith.

It also appears by that PROPHESY of our Saviour, where it is foretold that God will first prepars men, and then bring them to Christ, Joh. 16.8. here it is foretold what method the Spirit will take with men; he will not reveal the Righteousness of Christ to men in the first place; but in order to this, he convinces them of sin, makes them see their danger and miserable condition: first he searches their wound, and then applies the remedy: It appears also, by the particular application of the Call of the Gospel to those that are prepared: Sometimes the Call is propounded generally to all, but at other times [...] propounded particularly to such as are in distress by reason of their sins; that see themselves miserable and undone. Mat. 11.28. Isa. 55.1. Rev. 22.17. the Call is applied particularly to these, as being in the next capacity to give entertainment unto it: intimating the condition that men must be in before they do receive it.

[Page 5] EXPERIENCE also gives considerable light in this matter: we learn by experience, that mens hearts are generally set for carnal things before they are terrified, and for their own Righteousness before they see their own hearts. Generally such men as have not had the terrors of God in them, don't much mind Eternal Things; if they be not rude and vicious, yet they are worldly, vain and proud. Eph. 2.3. And such convinced sinners as have not been led into the understanding of their hearts, are set to build up a righteousness of their own, they are taking incouragement from their frames, with a neglect of Christ. Experience also shews that many men highly reputed of for Religion, have had a work of preparation. Many men that have a special interest in the hearts of others, can give a fair account how they have been prepared for Christ: and many Professors that have not had such experience have not proved well. Several that have had some lighter toucher of Conviction, though they have made a blaze [...] while, yet have proved themselves carnal Men at last; of at least have rendred themselves much suspected. Many that have been strangers to the work of preparation, have crackt their credit at last. Mat. [...]. 3.20, 21. Yea, many Godly People do know that they were Hypocrites, and never [...] Christ, till after they had a work of [...]: they know they were not godly chough they have [Page 6]affections, enlargements and encouragements; it was all common work, and they had no spark of grace in them; their Religion was but the sruit of nature improved. Rom. 7.9. Yea, this is exceeding agreeable to REASON; the light of Nature cannot give a demonstration of it: for it is a voluntary dispensation; there is no necessity in nature of any preparation before the infusion of GRACE. Christ changed the Water into Wine, and raised the Dead to Life, without any previous preparation; so he can do in this case. The work of preparation does not make the work of the new Creation the easier; for after men have a work of preparation, sin reigns in them as much as before; preparation does not at all destroy the principle; & men when prepared, can do nothing to help God in planting Grace in them: and men that are not prepared, can do nothing to hinder God in implanting Grace: but yet it is very agreeable to reason, that the Spirit do work a work of preparation, before it does infuse Grace: for it is the duty of Ministers to preach such things to Sinners, as are proper to work this preparation; they are bound to preach the threatnings of the Law, mans Insufficiency, and God's Soveraignty: Yea, the manner of God is to deal with men, after the manner of men. Man is a rational Creature, and therefore God deals with him in a moral way [...]s Convictions before him. Men would make Enemies submit, before they pardon them; so does God. Besides, it is the duty [Page 7]of the Sinner to do those things wherein preparation does consist; it is their duty to seek to God, to reform, and to make an absolute resignation of themselves to God. No wonder then if God holds them to it; Yea further, there is an absolute necessity in nature, that men be prepared before the Exercise of Faith; men cannot exercise Faith, till the heart be prepared by a sinse [...] danger, and the insufficiency of other things. If they don't see their danger, they can see no occasion that they have to come to Christ: if they don't see themselves liable to Wrath, how can they come to Christ to save them from Wrath; as long as they imagine that they can help themselves, they will not come to Christ for help: men can't trust in Christ alone, till driven out of themselves; they cannot come as helpless and undone, until they see themselves so. Phil. 3.3.

And seeing there is such a work of preparation foregoing mens Closing with Christ, it must needs be of great consequence for awakened [...] to be guided aright under this mark. If men have the best Guides, yet they may mi [...] [...] but undoubtedly many do perish for want of suitable help; some after they have been in trouble a while, do grow discourage, under apprehensions that their seeking with be in vain, and so leave off endeavouring [...] up and down Gonverted Estate. Some wander up and down under fears and hopes as the Children of Isreal in the Wilderness, until they dy [...] they [Page 8]cannot be quiet in a way of sin, neither can they find the way of deliverance; and many others, after a little trouble are comforted under a notion of being at peace with God. Unskilful Chyrurgeons make a palliate cure, and perswade them that the bitterness of Death is past: multitudes of Souls perish through [...] ignorance of those that should guide them [...] way to Heaven: men are nourished [...] vain hopes of being in a state of Salvation, before they are got half the way to Christ.

Those therefore whose business it is [...] lead Souls to Christ, had need furnish themselves with skill and understanding to handle wounded Consciences in a right manner, that they may be serviceable to them in their distresses; who would venture his Ship with [...] unskilful Pilot? Who would venture his wounded Body with an Unskilful Chyrurgeon? Who would willingly put his distreised Soul into the hands of an Unskilful Minister? Men should not satissie themselves with other points of learning, but labour after that [...] they may speak words in SE ASON to very one that is weary: that as Moses said to [...] Father-in-law, they may be instead of eyes to than that are in the Wilderness.

There are two things especially serviceable to this end.

One is, that they get experience of this work in their own hearts: If they have not experience, [Page 9]they will be but blind guides; they will be ingreat danger to entertain false notions concerning a Work of Conversion: they will be inclinable to think, that there is not so much necessary as is in order to Conversion; they are in danger to be deceived with pretences of mens being delivered from their own righteousuess, with shews of humilitation, faith and love. Whatever Books men have read, there is [...] need of experimental knowledge in a Minister, many particular things will occur that he will not meet withal in Books: it is a great calamity to wounded Consciences, to be under the direction of an unexperienced Minister.

The other is, to be acquainted with the observation of those who have travelled much in this work: if a man have experience in his own Soul, that will not reach all cases that may come before him; there is great variety in the workings of the Spirit, and in the workings of mens hearts under the convictions of the Spirit; and men that have had to do with many [...] in their distresses, may afterward meet [...]ith [...] difficulties as may puzzle them [...]ery much; therefore it is of great use to [...]t the knowledge of the observations of [...]ose who have had to do [...] variety of cases, whereby they [...] get a arger Understanding how to manage themselves, when things are difficultly circumstanced.

[Page 10] This small Treatise, composed upon th [...] desire of some Younger [...] is offere [...] [...] the consideration of such as do desire [...] be further instructed in the right way [...] dealing with distressed Souls: and if t [...] Author shall be hereby the instrument [...] the Salvation of any perishing Souls, he sha [...] count his Labour well bestowed.

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Directions How to guide Souls through the Work of Conversion.

WHEN a Sinner wounded in Spirit, does apply himself unto a MINISTER of the Gospel for Counsel, it is profitable, after some Enquiries concerning the time, means and degree of their Convictions and Terrors to use this method with him.

1. To confirm and establish him more in the apprehensions of the dangerousness of a Natural Condition: shewing him that every man that dies in a State of Nature; will certainly be damned, that a State of Dammation is intollerable, that the continuance of his opportunities for deliverance is very uncertain: for there is danger that if his convictions be not cherished, they may by degrees wear off: many mens terrours are but short liv'd: they harden their [Page 2]hearts by company, clogging themselves with worldly business, and their natural disposition to flatter themselves.

2. To incourage him to be in the use of means, in order to his Conversion: for if they have not hopes of obtaining mercy; either they will not seek after it, or they will do it in such a careless & dull way that it will come to nothing: God leads men through the whole work of preparation partly by fear, and partly by hope. If they run into either extream, to have fear without hope, or hope without fear, they are like a Ship that goes beside the Channel, and is in danger to be broken to pieces; a mixture of fear and hope makes men diligent: they may be incouraged from such considerations as these: that God has provided a glorious way of Salvation through Christ, that all that do believe in him shall be saved; that there is an infinite Ocean of mercy in the heart of God; that God has had compassion on many greater Sinners than they, that the day of grace is not yet gone: that God is now striving with them by h [...] Spirit, which is many times the forerunner of Conversion.

3. To direct him what course to take at present: As,

1. Daily to seek God in secret. As this is a duty, so a special means to cherish the motions of Gods Spirit in his heart: if this be neglected, it would be no wonder if his Convictions should dye away: he is also to be directed, [Page 3]not to content himself in putting up some good requests to God [...]t he should open his case plainly before God, as he would do to a Physici [...] if he were sick: this is a way to been him from wandring thoughts in Prayer, and further to affect his own Soul with his condition. Isa. 55.6. Seek ye the Lord while be may be found.

2. To Reform his Life, and not to indulge himself in any sins of Omission or Commission: in any external sins, nor in sinful thoughts or desires; neither in sinful actions, nor in doing good actions in a sinful manner: Men that are seeking Salvation, must not allow themselves to go on in a way of Damnation: that terror is not sufficient that will suffer men to live an unreformed Life: if men be thoroughly [...]red, they will dread doing what wounds then Consciences; fear of Hell will make men afraid of sin: if they be thoroughly wounded, those temptations that formerly carried them [...] will be overcome, Luke 13.10, 12, 14.

3. To lay himself open to the Convictions [...] the [...]. Sometimes men are desirous to be con [...]ed and terrified, but not so much, they would over-rule their Convictions is to time and degree; but as a Patient leaves himself in the hand of the Chyrurgeon, so should they in the hand of the Spirit, when it [...] him, and as much as it pleases him, not [...] eyes against the light, Joh. 3.20.

After the awakened Sinner [...] using [Page 4]means a while, he often timesgives an account of some ALTERATION; he finds some affections, sorrow for sin, delight in Sabbaths, love to the People of God, love to reading of the Scripture: What is to be said to him in this Case?

1. He is to be told, that he must not rest in Ease, but labour after healing. If a Wise man by applying Plaisters to a Sore be delivered from much of the anguish that he was in, he will not satisfie himself with that, and give over the [...] of means, least the anguish should return again; so the Sinner had need be careful that [...] don't satisfie himself in the ease of his Conscience, but must get it healed by the application of the Blood of Jesus Christ.

2. It is extreamly dangerons to tell him, that it is hopeful that God has put the seeds of Grace into him. There is not one in a thousand but does experience such religious affections long before [...] is Converted; these religious affections are nothing else but the workings of self-love and natural conscience; natural Conscience discovers the danger of sin, and somewhat of [...] baseness of it, hence he is sorry for it; the [...] conceives some hope that by praying, reading, &c. he shall get Salvation, hence he delights in them; the man hopes that he has accepted of God, hence he has some affections to him; and of a Minister does but speak encouragingly as if the man were Converted, he lays a foundation for [...] for he is in great da [...] to fall in with the flattery.

[Page 5] 3. He is to be warned against a self-righteous Spirit. Men are exceeding ready to think that their good works and religious frames will abate the fierce anger of God, and incline God to pity them, and have mercy on them; they are proud of their Services, ignorant of the Righteousness of Christ, and of the freedom of Gods mercy; they think God cannot love them, unless they be lovely; and that he cannot but love them if they be lovely, and so they are ready to dote upon their own righteousness, Rom. 10. [...] They go about to establish their own righ [...] therefore the man is to be warned against [...] and light is to be held forth to him, to convince him of the insufficiency thereof.

4. He may be put upon to examine these affections, whether they be not in hypocrisie; and signs may be given to him, whereby he may discern them to be so; but there had need be great care that the signs be sound, and warranted by the Word of God; otherwise he is in dan [...] to be established in his mistake.

Quest. 1. Are Sinners that are awakened to be directed to labour to work up their heart of sincere [...]w for sin, and love to God and [...]

Answ. 1. If their terrors are great, they me neady of themselves to labour to do this, from a self righteous Spirit; that they may [...] neart of God and asswage his anger, they commonly take a great deal of pains in order thereto, that they may work [...] qualificatious [...] themselves; the [...] considerations [Page 6]before themselves, read and hear, and use all the methods that are in their power, to enliven their own hearts.

2. It is a presumptuous thing for them to strive for this, for it is impossible for them to work up such things in their own hearts; they are dead in sins, and cannot sanctify themselves; no principle that they have, will produce such an effect; fear will not make them do it, the fear of Hell cannot make men hate sin more than Hell: Self-love will not make them love God above themselves: they cannot by Considetation work any such effect upon their hearts, for they don't understand spiritual things: Encouragements will not make them do it, for it is beyond their power: Resolutions will be ineffectual, they may as easily remove Mountains as to do this; therefore it is they should not strive to work their own hearts to it.

3. There can be no benefit of such direction but only this, that they may find by experience their own [...]ability; that after they have done their utmost, they may by their experience understand their own helplessness: it is the duty of men to love God, and to repent of sin; and it is the duty of Sinners to labour that they may love God, and repent of sin, &c. but it is not in their power to work up their hearts to the love of God, and Godly Sorrow; they should labour to be convinced, they cannot do it.

Sometimes it is much to be suspected, that thay do not reform all that is amiss: and in this Case;

[Page 7] 1. The danger of a Natural Condition is to be solemnly set before them; though their terrors seem to be great, yet they need to be greater; men must have so much terror as to bring them to a separation from sin: therefore there is need to represent their danger in the most lively and dreadful way, that the sense thereof may pierce their heart deeply; if they be but thorowly scared, they will be brought to an universal Reformation: Isa. 2.20, 21.

2. They are to be urged to Reformation: their duty in this matter is to be particularly pressed upon them, their Consciences must be stirred to part with all sin, as Christ urged the Jews, Mat. 5.29. If thy right eye offend thee pluck it out. For the neglect of Reformation will put a stop to the work, &c they will not get forward in the work of Humiliation, till they are Reformed; as the first Concoction prepares for the second, so Reformation does for Humiliation: Men must overcome the next and more immediate difficulties before they overcome those that are remote: he that will not part with sinful practices, will not yield himself into the hands of Justice: if they don't reform, they put the work to a stand; yea, such men do aggravate their own sorrows, for trouble will lie upon them, till their hearts are brought to be humbled, and their terrours will be multiplied, if they belong to God, till they are perswaded to reform: Psal. 32.3. When I [Page 8] kept silence, my benes waxed old through my rearing all the day.

Sometimes some particular sin lies exceeding heavy upon his heart. In this Case the Minister may tell him,

1. That it is not his duty in ordinary cases to publish such sin to him, it's sit he should consess it to God; but ordinarily there is no just occasion to publish a scandal to him; it is best that secret sins be kept secret, except the circumstances of the person do call for the making of it known.

2. That the sin is pardonable: This he may demonstrate from several examples in the Scripture; from the sufficiency of Christ's Redemption; from several Offers and Promises of the Gospel, that the mans heart may not sink with discouragement.

3. That in case the Rule does call for any satisfaction to men, he must not delay that, but that must be attended as soon as there is opportunity; if he can make satisfaction without confession, there is no necessity of confession; for satisfaction answers for the wrong that has been done to man.

4. That he must not be sensible of that sin only, but of all other sins; every sin being provoking to God, and deserving damnation: and particularly that his Impenitency and Unbelief is more dangerous than any former act of sin: Joh. 3.19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light

[Page 9] Sometimes after the man has been in trouble a while, before he has any great experience of his own heart, he has some promises come to him with a great deal of refreshing: and he hopes God has accepted him; in this case the Minister may tell him,

1. That it is a common thing for God to give encouragements unto men, before they are carried thorow the work of Conversion; that a [...] God gives them incouragements by his Word [...] so he does many times by his Spirit: God always maintains in the hearts of Sinners that are seeking of him, some hopes that they may obtain mercy: and sometimes he gives them very great refreshing, by some sense of the Glory of Heaven, Luke 14.15. by some fupersicial discoveries of Christ: Mat. 13:20. thereby holding forth some promises before them, the design whereof is to draw them on in a way of seeking, and to support them under their temptations.

2. That God never gives a Faith of Assurance, before he gives a Faith of Dependance; for he never manifests his love till men are in a state of Favour and Reconciliation, which is by a faith of dependance. When men have comfortable Scriptures come to them, they are apt to take them as tokens of Gods love: but men must first be brought into Christ, by accepting the Offer of the Gospel before they are fit for such manifestations. Gods method is first to make the soul accept of the Offers of Grace, and [Page 10]then to manifest his good Estate unto him.

3. That if his Comfort be not of the right kind, it will not continue: And usually after such encouragements, mens terrours are wont to return with as much violence as ever. God commonly intermingles smiles and frowns, and if such vain confidences as men took up from refreshing Scriptures, be but nipped in the bud, they generally quickly wither away; and their fears return as strong as ever.

WHEN the Sinner that was hoping he was in a good Estate, because some refreshing Scriptures came to him, sees his mistake, he is in danger to be discouraged. In this case he may be told,

1. That it is a common thing for persons that are afterwards Converted, to pass thorow such Changes; it is not a peculiar thing to him, but a thing of ordinary experience in such people as God is about to deliver out of a Natural Estate. They commonly have some lightsome times, and then returns of darkness: there was no reason to expect that that should last very long; such comforts are like Jonahs Goard, that rise in a night, and perish in a night.

2. That it is a great mercy that those confidences are taken away from him; had they continued, they would have ruined him; false confidence is better lost than kept. His condition is the more hopeful now those confidences are lost; while he had those confidences he was like a Ship that stuck in the Sand, and now he [Page 11]is delivered from them, there is more ground of encouragement.

AFTER he has had affection and inlargements for a while, he is wont to complain that he grows more dull, and he is afraid that his Convictions are about to leave him: In this Case he may be told,

1. That there is no reason to expect that his Convictions should always be in the like degree. Persons in such a Condition, are subject to many alterations, as it is with a Ship at Sea, sometimes it has a fair Wind, sometimes it blows more moderately, sometimes it is becalmed; yea, sometimes it has Storms and cross Winds: There be many Changes that pass over such men. So men in a Journey, have sometimes good way, sometimes bad; they meet with Rivers and miery places, where they cannot make speed.

2. That he must be very careful that he do nothing to quench the motions of the Spirit, 1 Thes. 5.19. There be many ways whereby men do it, sometimes by discouragement, sometimes by presumption and flattery, sometimes by rebelling against the light, sometimes by Companykeeping. Men that are much addicted to company, do commonly lose these Convictions; so by crouding themselves with Worldly Business: tho' diligence be no hindrance, yet combring of themselves will be a great impediment to the abiding of Convictions.

3. That it is his best way to improve the Convictions [Page 12]that he has. Sometimes persons are wont to argue, that it will be to no purpose for them to strive. If they have not greate [...] Convictions, they shall but tire themselves to no purpose; and they conceive it best for them to tarry, till they have stronger Convictions a but the Seaman is wont to hoist his Sails, and improve the Wind he has, whether it be less or more: if men improve moderate Convictions, they may get forward, and do that which will further their Conversion: and if they do improve lesser Convictions, that is the way to have more: it is their duty to do it, and in that way God owns them; to him that hath shall be given. Some that have complained of the smallness of their Convictions, have within a while changed their note, and complained as much of the greatness of them, that they have been such, that they could hardly live under them.

A Person that is under the work of Conversion, is subject to many affrightments, and discouraging TEMPTATIONS, a dreadful sound is in his Ears: all such persons have not the same temptations, and they have them not in any certain order; but care must be taken to give suitable support and advise to them according to the variety of their temptations. ONE TEMPTATION is, That he is not ELECTED; but God has Overlooked him, and appointed him to Condemnation; this sometimes lies upon the heart with great weight: In this Case he may be told,

[Page 13] 1. That those things that make him fear that he is not Elected, are no certain signs of it, there be no certain tokens of reprobation upon him. Those things that he takes to be signs are very, uncertain; the greatness of his sins don't argue Reprobation: Many that have been guilty of great Sins have been Elected. His being of Elderly years don't argue it; sometime God turns such to himself, Mal. 4.5, 6. Gods leaving of him still in a Natural Estate, though he has sought God a long while does not shew it; Israel was a great while travelling from Egypt to Canaan.

2. That it is a sinful thing for him to draw any conclusions about his Election. It is a secret reserved in Gods own Breast, and he cannot determine any thing understandingly about it: Deut. 29.29. Secret things belong unto the Lord our God. When he undertakes to conclude that he is not Elected, he acts presumptuously: his conclusion may be false for ought he knows; he pretends to know what he is ignorant of.

3. That Gods striving with him by his Spirit, is an hopeful sign that he is Elected, for many times is is the fruit of Election. When the Spirit convinces of Sin, it is in order to his convincing of Righteousness, Joh. 16.8. This is the course that God is wont to take with those that are Elected; frequently he lets Reprobates live in security, but he is wont to terrifie the Elect in order to their Conversion; and the more earnestly the man follows after God, and labours to get into a Converted Condition, the more [Page 14]hopeful it is that God has Elected him; for where God has appointed the end, he has appointed the means also.

Another TEMPTATION is, That he has committed the UNPARDONABLE SIN; that he has committed the Sin against the Holy Ghost, that Sin which is unto Death, he has carried badly after Illuminations, and it sinks into him, that now there is no remedy.

In this Case he may be told, That it has been a frequent thing for men to fear that they have committed this Sin, who have afterward been Converted; that it is not the manner of those that have committed that Sin, to be perplexed and exercised with fears about it; but the principal way to help in this Case, is to inform him from the Word of God, what this Sin is; particularly he may be informed,

1. That it is an External Sin, not a Sin that is committed in the heart; men have some wicked thoughts after enlightnings, and then fear that they have been guilty of that sin; but that is an outward sin, it is a sin that other men may see, 1 Joh. 5.16.

2. That it is a Course of Sin, not any particular act of sin, which a man breaks off from, and is troubled for, but a way of evil that he does continue impenitently in.

3. That it is one particular sort of sin, committed with great aggravations; namely, A rejecting of the Profession of the Gospel: There be many other grievous sins, but none of them [Page 15]however aggravated, are the Unpardonable Sin; it is a rejecting of the Truth of the Gospel, and renouncing the Profession thereof: they are said to fail away, Hebr. 6.6. they are said to forsake the Assemblies of the People of God, Heb. 10.25. they are said to tread under feet the Son of God; and to deny their Baptism, Heb. 10.29. So that if any person among us should turn Papist or Heathen, having a blasphemous spirit against the Ways of God, and a bloody persecuting spirit towards the People of God, there might be reason to fear that he was guilty of the Unpardonable Sin; but there be no footsteps in the Scripture to judge that men that are following after God, and labouring to get into a Converted Condition, have committed that Sin, tho' they are guilty of much Unbelief, of many decays and backslidings, and of very vile tho'ts and risings of heart; for multitudes of men that have been guilty of such things, have had experience afterwards of the Pardoning Grace of God.

Another TEMPTATION is, that his day of Grace is past; he had a time when he might have obtained Mercy, but he has let it slip, and it is in vain for him to strive: In this Case the Minister may tell him,

1. That it is a common device of Satan, when he can't perswade men that it is too soon, then to perswade them that it is too late. He is set [Page 16]to hinder men from using of means; and first he tells them that there is no baste; and when that temptation will do no longer, then he changes his voice, and tells them that the season is gone.

2. That there is no such Doctrine in the Scripture that any sort of mens day of grace is past, before the day of life is past, except they be guilty of the Unpardonable Sin. It is taught in the Scripture, that God will strive with some men, only a limited time, and then destroy them, Gen. 6.3. My Spirit shall not always strive with man, yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. It is also taught, that God does harden some Nations in order to great misery, Isa. 6.10, 11. and sometimes in order to their Unchurching, Joh. 12.40. It is also taught, that God may harden some particular persons before Death, and never more strive with them in any remarkable way. Rev. 22.11. Let him that in filthy, be filthy still: But there is no such thing taught, that there is any sort of men that may be described, or any particular person that may be known unto himself or others, whose day of grace can be said to be past before his death. When men say their day is past, they only fear, they do not know it.

3. That such Scriptures as seem to evidence th [...] their day is past, do not determine any such thing it is said, Prov. 29.1. that he that being often reproved, hardneth his neck, shall suddenly be [Page 17]destroyed. But it is evident, that God waits longer upon some persons than upon others: Some Threatnings are universal, and some are indefinite: shewing what God does many times do; so it is said, Heb. 10.28. If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him; but the Backsliding here spoken of seems to be the Unpardonable Sin; he had been speaking of that, ver. 26. and seems here to have reference to the same sin; for in other cases God does speak incouragingly in his Word unto Backsliders, Jer. 3.22. Hos. 14.4.

Besides the Temptations mentioned, there is ANOTHER SORT of Temptations that are very exercising to him, his Conscience being guilty, he is much subject to frights.

1. One Temptation is, That he shall be left to some great and dreadful sins. In this Case he may be told by the Minister,

1. That one special reason of these fears is that he sees more of the badness of his heart than formerly; Men under troubles of Conscience, are wont to see much of the Corruption of their hearts, and they see that which is sufficient to lead them to all sorts of wickedness; and because God is angry with them, they are afraid he will not keep them, but avenge himself on them, by leaving them to such wickedness.

2. That God is now striving with him in order to his Eternal Good; God is exercising [Page 18]a great deal of mercy, and he has no cause to conclude that God will so leave him; though God might justly do it, yet he has reason to hope in God to preserve him.

3. That it is fit he should be humbled under the sense of the depravedness of his nature, & be senfible of the insufficiency of his own Righteousness, to bring him into the Favour of God, his heart being a sink of all manner of Sin; he can never be justified but by the perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ.

4. That his best way is to make haste to get into a Converted Condition. If he were once Converted, he would not be in so much danger to fall into great Transgressions; because he would have then an holy principle to resist temptations to Sin; and then he would have an Interest in the Favour of God; & it would be more hopeful that God would preserve him.

2. Another Temptation is, That he shall get a false hope, and so satisfie himself that he is in a good Estate, when he is far from it; he understands that it is so with many: Prov. 30.12. Rev. 3.17. In this Case the Minister may tell him,

1. That he is indeed in danger of it, both because of the pride of his spirit, ready to magnifie his own performances; and because of his fears of Hell, the tediousness of those fears make him ready to catch at any appearances of Conversion, and therefore he had need be exceeding [Page 19]careful; it is good for him to understand what Conversion is, and what Preparation there must be in order thereunto; and if there be appearances to him at any time as if he were Converted, his way is to examine them thorowly, and get the help of some that are skilful before he settle himself much in that perswasion.

2. That he must leave himself as to that matter in the Hands of God: it is beyond his own power to deliver himself: if God delight in him, he will carry him through all the difficulties of the Work, and shew him the right way; it may be God may have purposes of grace to him, and if so, he will shew him the path of life.

3. Another Temptation is, That Satan will appear to him. This is a great terrour to him; especially he is possessed with this fear when he withdraws himself to Secret Prayers: sometimes this makes him neglect his duty, sometimes it makes him attend it with distraction. In this Case the Minister may tell him,

1. That he is under Gods keeping; and that when he is doing his duty, he is under God's protection. There is less reason to be afraid of Satans appearing at that time, than at many other times; it is not Gods manner to suffer Satan to appear at such times.

2. That if Satan had power and liberty to appear to him, it is not probable, that he would fright him with the expectations [...] [Page 20]it; he would not give such notice of his coming; but his design in terrifying of him, is to prevent him from doing that which might be serviceable to his Soul.

3. That it is too much honour to Satan, to be so far out-bid with the temptation, as to change the time of his prayer; but if he cannot attend his duty suitably, and the temptation do prove too overbearing to him, it is better to attend the duty by day-light.

I may add to this Case another that now and then happens, that he says he has heard some voice, seen some shape, felt something on him; this I apprehend at least sometimes to be only the effect of strong imagination: a strong fancy may make men to imagine such things; as it is with persons in their dreams, and with distracted persons; all Sensation is in the brain, and therefore by some disorder of that, men may think they see, feel, or hear things which they do not see, feel or hear.

4. Another Temptation is, That it is best to destroy himself; many have been urged to this, some have attempted it, and some have performed it, as Judas did. In this Case the Minister may tell him,

1. That the Devil is very active in this temptation, though he has that in his own heart, that may lead him to it; yet it's Satan that stirs him up thereunto. The Devil entred into Judas when he betrayed Christ, and was [Page 21]not gone out of him when he destroyed himself. The Devil has a double design in it; one is to secure the man, he is afraid he shall lose him, now he is troubled about his Condition, and is taking pains for Salvation. Satan is jealous lest he will escape out of his hands, and labours to make him destroy himself, that he may presently secure him, then there will be no danger of his running away. The other design is to bring a reproach upon trouble of Conscience, and discourage others from giving way to Convictions. If there be but one such Instance in a Town, that will make many others to stifle Convictions, lest they should come to the like End.

2. That there is good reason to hope that he may obtain Salvation. It is discouragement that leads men to such practices: And if he have but considerable hope of obtaining peace with God, there is not much danger of his hearkening to the temptation; therefore such things may be suggested, as are proper to bear up his heart, as that the Spirit of God is striving with him in order to his Salvation; that Satan is afraid he will be saved, that his sins are no other than what God has pardoned oftentimes, and the like.

3. That it is a dreadful sin to destroy himself. It is a sin against nature, it is unthankfulness for Gods mercy in saving his life; that this is far worse than other sins that are very terrifying [Page 22]to him; this is the way to throw himself immediately into endless misery. Whatever may be said of the possibility of the Salvation of such persons, there is no reason to think that one in a thousand is saved; this sin is heinous, and quickly cuts off their opportunities: Such a man as is tempted to this Sin, would be afraid to tell a lye, or to prophane the Sabbath; how much more has he reason to fear this sin, which will bring him presently to Eternal Damnation? It is a poor remedy to deliver himself from anguish, to throw himself into that, which is unspeakably greater; certain damnation is far more dreadful than the fears they are oppressed by: this will make their condition much worse, and not better.

SOMETIMES he complains of a self-righteous Spirit; that he is ready to trust to every thing he does: that especially when he feels any affections, he is proud of them, and ready to make a righteousness of them: In this Case it may be profitable,

1. To convince him of the insufficiency of his own righteousness to save him: that his own righteousness will not bring him into favour with God; for his own righteousness is utterly imperfect, and so falls short of what the Law requireth. The Law stands for perfect Obedience, but he never did perform one perfect act of Obedience: all his Obedience is stained with Corruption. Besides, while he is in a [Page 23]Natural Condition, he does nothing sincerely, but is an Hypocrite in all his performances; and accordingly God is so far from justifying of him for the sake of them, that he will not accept of him, but holds him guilty for the sake of them. Besides, his own righteousness han't the nature of satisfaction in it; there can be no satisfaction for sin, but by bearing the Curse of the Law. Obedience is a natural debt, and cannot satisfie for his contracted debts; if our Obedience would have procured our acceptance, there would have been no need of the Death of Christ: Christ's Death would be in vain, Gal. 2.21.

2. To direct him how to get delivered from this self-righteous spirit, viz. by getting an understanding of the badness of his own heart: for [...]t him hear never so often of the vanity of his own righteousness, yet he will trust to it, till he sees he has none, and can get none. A thorow discovery of his own heart, will break him off from trusting in himself; for then he will see nothing in himself to trust in: he will be afraid because of his duties, his strong holds will all be thrown down; but a notional conviction of the insufficiency of his own righteousness to save him, without an experimental conviction of the badness of his heart, will not deliver him from confidence in himself.

SOMETIMES he complains that he does every thing from a spirit of self-love: he don't aim [Page 24]at the Glory of God in any thing; but fear of Hell, and desire of Salvation, are the great things that do set him on work: were it not for fear of Hell he should leave off. In this Case he may be told,

1. That it is impossible he should act from at higher principle. He has no principle of love to God, Job. 5.42. Self-love is the reigning principle in him, and therefore it is no wonder that he does all in Religion from that spirit; it was his weakness that he formerly thought he did any thing out of love to God. No Natural man ever did act with an higher spirit, then a spirit of self-love: A bad Tree cannot bring forth good fruit.

2. That he should make use of this for Humiliation, and not for Discouragement. There is no reason that he should be discouraged because of this, for every one is an Hypocrite at first; and many that have sought God for a while with a selfish-spirit, have afterward been turned, and have had another spirit given to them: but he should make use of this to his Humiliation, and learn hereby his own badness, the insufficiency of his own righteousness, and the justice of his Condemnation, and that he has no cause to think much that God does reject his Services, and not give peace unto him.

After this the Sinner gives an account that he finds a spirit of love to God, sorrow for [Page 25]Sin, aiming at the Glory of God, hating of Sin, &c. In this Case he may be told,

1. That there is a great resemblance between common and saving Grace: Common Grace is the picture of Sanctifying Grace, and common affections are sometimes stronger than saving. Pharaoh justifies God, Saul weeps, one who was far from sincerity, tells Christ, he will follow him whithersoever he goeth, the Jews cry, Hosanna to the Son of David, the Israelites sang Gods praise, but soon forgat his works.

2. That while they have such pangs of affection, it will be very hard for them to see their Hypocrisie. Their fear of Damnation makes them catch at any appearances of sincerity, and their pride makes them have an high opinion of their attainments; men sometimes in that frame make such signs as do indeed shew their hypocrisie to be arguments of their sincerity.

3. That it is a very dangerous thing for them to think that they are sincere, while they are not: then they will bless themselves, when God curses them; then they will continue quietly in a Natural Condition, and neglect the means of Conversion: and if they don't see the deceit quickly, there is danger that they may grow so hard-hearted, that if they do see it afterwards, they will not be the better for it.

4. That they may be satisfied from such things as these, that they don't love God sincerely, whatever appearances there be, viz. That they never had a [Page 26]work of Humiliation; and sincerity does never forego that: that they never Closed with Jesus Christ, and the heart is never purified without Faith. All those affections that go before faith, let them be never so strong, are deceitful; the first good action that any man does perform, is to give entertainment to the Gospel: other things follow upon that.

SOMETIMES he gives an account, that he does believe on Jesus Christ; he don't trust in his own righteousness, but places his hope in Christ. In this Case the Minister may tell him,

That there is a great deal of faith that does not justifie. Some do believe for a time, Luke 8.13. some receive the word with joy, and in time of temptation fall away, Mat. 13.20, 21. Some believed on Christ, but did not confess him, Job. 12.42. several sorts of faith do not justifie: As,

1. An Historical Faith. Men do receive the History of the Gospel for a truth, and take it for granted, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and Saviour of the World; and if any should deny it, or dispute against it, they would be very zealous against him, it would stir up their indignation; if they have any workings of infidelity, yet generally they go with that perswasion, that the Gospel is true; but this is no more than a Turk will say for his Religion: this Historical Faith, don't mortifie mens corruptions. John 2.23, 24, 25. many profane man have this Historical Faith.

[Page 27] 2. A considerable confidence that Christ will save them. They are perswaded that they shall obtain Salvation by Christ, and do rejoyce in the hope of it: This Confidence is a distinct thing from Justifying Faith; it is good or bad according to the grounds of it. Godly men have frequently such a confidence from the experience of a work of Grace in their own hearts, and the manifestation of the Love of God; but this is not Justifying Faith, but a Faith of Assurance. Carnal Men may have such a confidence, arising from an imagination that God loves them, and from a sense of their own goodness; but this is not Justifying Faith, but Presumption.

3. A depending upon Christ, on the incouragement of a mans own goodness. He hears the Gospel, or has some common Illumination, discovering somewhat of God's readiness to pardon Sinners through Christ: and considering what he is, he ventures on Christ. When a man savingly believes, he ventures upon Christ upon Gospel incouragements; but another ventures, being incouraged from the consideration of his Prayers, Tears, Consciensciousness, or on that incouragement that he is not very bad, so he thinks such an one as he may venture; whereas if he did see himself so bad as indeed he is, he would not venture on Christ; the man makes partly his own righteousness, and partly the Righteousness [Page 28]of Christ the foundation of his Faith; he does not exclude the Righteousness of Christ, but the preponderating consideration, and that which especially imboldens him to venture, is his own righteousness; his own righteousness is the first foundation of his hope, though he takes in the plea also of the Righteousness of Christ; he sees enough in Christ for such an one as himself, but not for the worst of Sinners.

But possibly he will plead for himself, That he was much affected with Christ, and with the mercy of God, it was more than ordinary, he never had such a light before. In this Case he may be told, That Carnal men have sometimes superficial discoveries of Christ, and are affected therewith, Mat. 13.20. men have considerable inlightnings and tasts, yet may fall away; and it is no wonder they should be affected with the mercy of God: if men do apprehend that God has pardoned them, they cannot but [...] affected with it: as pardon does affect men, so does Imaginary pardon.

He may further plead for himself, That it was just so with him, as it has been with Godly men, as he has heard them to express themselves; that all his objections were answered; he was backward before, but he had such a discovery of Christ, that all his objections did vanish away, and he had nothing to say.

But he may be told, that the reason why [Page 29]some mens objections are all answered, is not from the greatness of the light that God gave them, but from their ignorance of their own hearts. They did not see so much of their own badness, as thorowly to feel the power of an objecting spirit; if they had seen how bad they were, their objections would not have been answered. A little matter will answer the objections of an ignorant and conceited man, they have not light enough to make such strong objections as they would do if they knew themselves; and fo [...] all their objections are easily answered.

SOMETIMES he builds his Confidence upon some PARTICULAR SCRIPTURES.

ONE Scripture is, 1 Joh. 3.14. We know that we are passed from death to life, because we love the brethren: He says he finds such a spirit in himself, and he thinks his Condition good. But he may be told,

1. There is a great difference between loving the People of God for their Plety, and honouring them for their Piety. Many Natural men have some Convictions that Godly men are choice men, and happy men; and if they think a man is a sincere man, they honour him, and have a respect for him; so Herod had for John, Mark 6.20. but these men have not a sincere love to them for their Piety; they don't love God nor Godliness, therefore don't love Godly men for their Piety.

[Page 30] 2. There is a great difference between loving Godly men for their Piety, and loving them for their Morality. Godly men are moral men some of them are eminent for Justice, Sobriety and Faithfulness, and these are very lovely things in the eyes of many natural men; they love them upon that account, Dan. 6.3.18. Darius had a great love to Daniel, but it was not upon the account of his Piety, but his Prudence and Morality: Morality is lovely in the eyes of many carnal men. Some love Godly men, because they are related to them; some because they are friendly to them, and some because of their moral qualifications, that have not any love to them upon the account of their Piety. The moral Carriages of the People of God flow from a spirit of Piety; but Morality & Piety are very different things, and some persons that have a love to them upon the account of their Morality, may have no love to them upon the account of their Piet [...]

Another Scripture that he may build a confidence on, is, 1 Joh. 5.11. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. By this Rule he says he is in a good condition, he does believe this, therefore is Regenerate. In this Case he may be told,

That the believing here spoken of, is the receiving of it as certain upon the testimony of God. Many men have a common perswasion that Christ is the Son of God from tradition, and from his Miracles, which is in a more general [Page 31]acceptation called believing. Joh. 2.23. and yet they are not born of God: but more properly they are said to believe it, who receive it, upon God's testimony; and those men who have only a common perswasion, are indeed Unbelievers; they that have not Grace, don't properly believe the Word of God.

ANOTHER Scripture that he takes notice of to strengthen his confidence, is, Mat. 5.6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness; his Conscience testifies that he does so, therefore he hopes he is blessed. In this Case he may be told,

That though some desires of grace are grace, yet all desires of grace are not grace: As men may act hypocritically when they pretend to desire grace, so when they do desire grace. For

1. Many Carnal men do desire Grace. It is a common thing for Ungodly men to desire Grace, especially when terrified with the word, they desire to be Converted: Some men have slighter Convictions, and they have faint and languishing desires, and some have more smart terrours, and they have more earnest desires to be Converted: they think they would give all that they have in the World, that they were Converted: So the Foolish Virgins, Mat. 25.8.

2. Desires of Grace may arise from natural principles. Grace is not only desirable, for its own sake, but there are several benefits that do attend it, which may make natural principles [Page 32]crave it. Grace is an honourable thing, Heb. 11.2. it [...] among men, it procures men a good name in the World; hence Pride makes men crave it: Grace is a means of many outward blessings, 1 Tim. 4.8. And upon this account, men out of a selfish spirit may desire it; grace is necessary in order to Salvation, Heb. 12.14. And upon this account, nature makes men crave it.

AFTER he is delivered from his confident opinion of his good estate, and sees himself to be in a natural condition still; it may be needful upon that occasion,

1. To encourage him: For he is in danger to be too much cast down, so as to hinder his future diligence: He may be encouraged from the consideration of Gods Goodness in discovering that deceit which would have proved his bane; he was in a dangerous way, but God has delivered him, and so put him into a nearer capacity to be Converted: Gods not suffering him to continue in his delusion, is an hopeful sign, that God does intend mercy to him; he is now under greater advantage than before. John 9.4.

2. To war [...] him that he don't run into the same error again; for he is still under the reigning power of a self-righteous spirit, and may get a false opinion of Conversion again. Some do several, times strike upon that rock, therefore he must be cautioned not to be deceived with the appearances [Page 33]of grace; nor to give way to the flattery of his own heart; if he should take up such a perswasion again, it is doubtful that he would not be delivered, relapses are dangerous; and if he should begin to think so, it were best to advise with those that can inform him, before he be confirmed in such an opinion.

3. To lead him into the understanding of his own badness, and insufficiency to help himself. This is an advantageous time to drive him out of himself, and bring on the work of Conversion. When he sees his own hypocrisie, the best way is to follow, till he is quite emptied of himself; it is good policy to improve a victory, and to help him to a thorow sight of himself, that he may be prepared for Christ.

SOMETIMES after a man has been seeking a while, and has passed thorow many Changes, there is reason to fear that he will leave off, he has a great deal of discouragement; others obtain, and he is left; God don't make the Word powerful on his heart, he don't get forward, and it may be perceived, that he is more slighty than he was. In this Case it is best,

1. To encourage him: for the discouragements that he is under, are a great cause of Apostacy; therefore it is best to hearten him up: the notion of the giant-like stature of the Canaanites, and the strength of their Walls, was a great inducement to Israel to entertain thoughts of returning back to Egypt. So it is in this [Page 34]Case: And he may be encouraged two ways.

1. By shewing him the possibility of his obtaining mercy. So Caleb told the people they were well able to overcome, and if God delighted in them, he would bring them in; thus he may be encouraged, by shewing of him that God can help him, and that nothing does appear to shew that God will not help him; his mercy is free, he has pardoned others as bad as he; his Providences to him are consistent with designs of Grace.

2. By shewing him the wonderful benefit that he will have if he does obtain mercy; besides that peace and communion with God which he will have in this Life, he will enjoy Eternal Salvation in the other World, which is inconceiveaby great. It were a great thing to have his punishments moderated, much more to be delivered from them; it were a great thing to be saved out of Hell, after hundreds of years, greater to be preserved from coming there: It were a great thing to be kept out of Hell, and suffered to live a natural life always upon the Earth; greater to be translated into the glorious presence of God, and to be like the Angels of God always beholding the face of the Father; it is worth the while to go thorow any difficulty for Heaven; Heaven will make amends for all: if all the way to Heaven were Rocks and Mountains, yet it is worth the while to travel thither. The People of Israel were often [Page 35]told of the excellency of the Land of Canaan, that it was a Land flowing with milk and honey, and a land of vineyards, and olive-yards, & wheat and barley: So it is useful to set before him the glorious Happiness that the People of God will enjoy in another World.

2. To warn him of his danger, for security has a great hand in Apostacy; to remember him what a miserable condition he would cast himself into, if he should cast off fear, and restrain Prayer before God. Sometimes when men Apostatise, they fall into despair; and God suffers them to be miserably hurried and haunted by their own evil Conscience, and no means can deliver them; so it was with Judas. Sometimes God shortens their days, and don't suffer them to continue in this world: When they draw back, God withdraws protection from them, and they quickly dye: When they neglect seeking Eternal Life, God denies temporal life to them; and sometimes he leaves them to be very wicked; they sometimes become of the number of the basest of men. 2 Pet. 2.20, 21, 22. Mat. 12.44, 45. and they are in dreadful danger of Eternal Fire; and that misery that no Creature knows how to grapple with. Such Considerations as these may help him against the [...]oth and slightiness of his spirit.

SOMETIMES he complains he is followed with Atheistical thoughts; he is frequently followed [Page 36]with questions about the Being of God In this Case the Minister may,

1. Acquaint him that though this is a great sin, yet it may be forgiven. There is abundance of Atheism in the hearts of men, the lives of men shew that they have much of this spirit Tit. 1.16. And many persons that have complained of this, have been afterward Converted; and that some Godly men are much exercised with this temptation, Psal. 73.12, 13. And therefore though he should not make light of it, yet he should not draw up any dark conclusions against the possibility of his Salvation.

2. Convince him that there is a God; and settle his heart about that great Truth.

3. By evidencing to him the Being of God, which he may do, especially from the Works of Creation thus. The things which we see, are made things; they are finite, compounded, corruptible, and therefore it is impossible they should be of themselves; that which is finite, is not Eternal, but was made in time, out of nothing; that which is compounded, was compounded by some other thing; that which is corruptible, has not its being from it self; we could not be of our selves, and therefore the First man, who was of the same nature with us, could not be of himself; and he that made these things, must be an Infinitely Glorious God: He that could bring the World out of [Page 37]nothing, and make the Creatures that are therein, with wonderful variety of properties and vertues must be one of infinite perfection, this is God. Rom. 1.20. Psal. 19.1.

2. By removing those Objections that prove snares to him: If that be a snare to him, that we do not see God: He may be told, That we don't question many other things which we never saw. We doubt not that there are such Countries as France and Spain. Several things are invisible, as the Souls of Men, Angels and Devils, unless they affirme a Shape; yet we may be satisfied about these: There be other ways to satisfie us about the Existence of things, besides seeing of them. We know some things by reason, and some things by faith, Heb. 11.3. If that be a temptation to him, that others don't believe the Being of God, he can plainly perceive by the lives of men, that whatever they pretend, they do not really think that there is a God: He may be told, That though they are not fully perswaded, that there is a God, yet they cannot be fully perswaded that there is not a God; they have so much light that they cannot extinguish it; there is not a perfect Atheist in the World: Besides, Carnal men are led by their Corruptions, and their reason is very much darkned, and there is no weight to be laid upon their thoughts. Shall we think here be no Antipodes, because some ignorant men denied it? Shall we question the roundness [Page 38]of the Earth, because some others think otherwise? We may not offer violence to our reason, because of the sottishness of other men. If that be a snare to him, to conceive how God can be of himself; how it is possible he should be, without being made: He may be told. That if that be above his reason to fathom, [...]e [...] that is not contrary to reason; as it is to think that a company of finite things, should be of themselves: Besides, if there are beings, there must of necessity be some First Being: If the rest be made, yet there must be one that was not made: To say that nothing was made, and to say that all things are made, are alike absurd; those things that are made could not have been, unless there were something that was not made; seeing many things have a being, there must be one of them that is of himself; they could not interchangeably make one another, but there is one who was not made, but is of himself, who is GOD.

SOMETIMES he complains that he is followed with horrible injections, blasphemous tho'ts, and other wicked thoughts, that are a great affliction to him, and take away the comfort of his life, they make him a terrour to himself. In this Case he may be told,

1. That so far as they are injected by Satan, they are not imputed to him. The heart of man, is very bad, and from that fountain of sin, exceeding wicked thoughts may arise; but when persons [Page 39]are violently followed with such thoughts, they are usually injected by Satan, they are some of his fiery darts spoken of, Eph. 6.16. And when he casts them in, the man is no more guilty, than he that hears a man blassheme: if a man were perfect'y holy, that could not prevent such injections if God let Satan loose upon him.

2. That his Nature is so corrupted, that those injections do less or more taint him. The heart is like tinder, and these, temptations will make some impression, though he has a detestation of those thoughts, and labours against them, yet there is a principle in the heart to fall in with them; and generally upon such occasions, persons do contract guilt; and it is but [...]re if ever, that men are meerly passive at such a time: The Sin that is in men, does easily beset them, Heb. 12.1. And therefore it becomes him to be confessing before God the wretched [...]ess of his own heart, in sodering in any degrees with those temptations.

3. That such temptations are no sign that God don't love him; he may not gather from thence, that God has given him up to Satan; for this has been the condition of some very Godly men. This is an exercise that God has brought upon some that have been dear to him: As Satan is wont to tempt the best of men, so [...]me of the choicest with these suggestions; [...]his is not too great an affliction to be bro't [Page 40]upon such men as God does love; the Devil may in this manner hurry those that he shall not be able to destroy. Paul in likelihood had some such temptations, 2 Cor. 12.7. God for holy ends may suffer those whom he loves to be thus exercised, that they may leave their own weakness, and be humbled before God.

4. That it is not very usual for God to suffer men to be long followed with these injections. Tho' there be some instances to the contrary, yet more ordinarily after a while God does restrain Satan, though no man can determine any precise time, yet after a while they are wont to be removed. God may so far hear Prayers, as to remove this affliction.

SOMETIMES he complains bitterly of the badness of his own heart, speaks of it as exceeding bad; he says he never saw it so bad as of late, and seems to be almost discouraged thereby. In this Case he may be told,

1. That the heart of every natural man is exceeding bad. Many times through restraints of corruption and common grace, the badness of it is hidden; but the heart of every natural man is desperately wicked, Jer. 17.9. Whatever appearances it may make, it is utterly corrupt; every sin is unmortifyed: those sins that they have not been accustomed to, those sins that their tempers don't dispose them to; those sins of whose baseness they have the deepest sence & their hearts are totally empty of all goodness, [Page 41]there is not one spark of goodness in them: that the principle of sin is as strong in them after they are inlightened & reformed as ever it was.

2. That it is necessary for him to be convinced of the badness of his own heart. When men see the badness of their own hearts, they are ready to be discouraged, but they are then in a more hopeful condition than before: If men be strangers to their own hearts, they will trust in themselves, and neglect Christ. God first discovers to them what they are, and then he discovers the excellency of Christ to them: men will never come to Christ, till they are convinced what corrupt, blind and dead creatures they [...]e. And therefore the more God shews him of the badness of his heart, the more graciously he deals with him: The badness of the heart is matter of sorrow, but the sight of that badness is matter of incouragement; the more they see of that, the more hope there is of their being prepared for Christ.

3. That it is his best way to search his own heart further. Many times men will complain bitterly of the badness of their own hearts, and one time after another give an account that they have seen more in their hearts than over they did before; and yet are far from seeing what they must see in their own hearts. And while it is thus, they should be put upon it to study their hearts, that they may see more of them: Persons are afraid to see their own [Page 42]hearts, and are wont to strive against it, seeking to perswade themselves that they are better, than indeed they be: it crosses their pride, and their false hopes, to see the badness of their own hearts; therefore there is need to stir them up thereunto, and to tell them of what consequence it is. The sight of the heart is like the opening of a festered wound, it prepares men for healing; they should be put upon it to search themselves, and led into the way to do it: particular things may be propounded to them to search after; this is a very material thing, for the sincerity of their Conversion has a great dependance upon the thorow knowledge of their hearts.

Quest. Whether at this time it is not best to urge him to believe on Christ, though he does not thorowly understand the badness of his own heart?

Answ. 1. It may not be amiss while he is in this condition, to mind him that it is his duty to believe in Christ. And to set forth sometimes the Excellency and Sufficiency of Christ before him, it may be several ways beneficial to him; it may help him to take notice of the contrariety and opposition of his heart to this duty, and lead him into a further understanding of the corruption of his Nature; it may give some check to that spirit of self-righteousness that prevails in him, and make him sensible of the necessity of the Righteousness of Christ unto his Justification; it may serve [Page 43]to encourage as to the possibility of his Salvation, and convince him, that he is capable to be brought into a state of Salvation.

2. Yet there is no ground to hope, that till he thorowly sees himself, he will accept the offer of the Gospel. Men must be first humbled before they will believe. Invitations to come to Christ will never be succesful, till men are driven out from all their false refuges; they may hear the most powerful arguments with a great deal of evidence and affection, but they will not be obedient; either they will be afraid to come to Christ, and have one thing or other to object; they will be fearful, because they see so much sin, or because they don't know that God means them, or they have not the inward Call of the Gospel. Under some notion or other they will not come, or else they will come in a [...]resumptuous manner, and pretend to believe, when they do not indeed believe: Either they will be born down with Unbelief, or they will get a false Faith.

SOMETIMES the man complains that he has not encouraging Scriptures come to him, and therefore he fears that he is not under the work of the Spirit: Other men have encouraging Scriptures brought to them, and therefore God don't deal with him, as with those he is wont to Convert. In this Case the Minister may tell him,

1. That if he have supporting considerations cast [Page 44]into his heart, that is sufficient; there is no necessity to have incouraging Scriptures to come with a great deal of power upon his heart; there is need of some supporting considerations, to maintain an hope, and to keep him from despair: and if the heart be but supported with an hope that he may obtain at last, that is sufficient. God deals very variously with men; some that have many encouraging Scriptures, do never obtain mercy.

2. That if he does continue to wait upon God, he may have encouraging Scriptures come to him after a while. God knows what he stands in need of, and don't tie up himself to the same method, as to the circumstances of the work: He uses a great deal of variety; scarce two persons are carried on exactly after the same manner; some have more incouragement towards the beginning, & others towards the latter end of the work.

SOMETIMES he says, that if he were sure to obtain, he could be willing to take any pains: Yea, though God should hold him waiting a long while; and he could be content to go through any anguish of spirit; but that which sinks his heart and makes him dull, is, that he is not certain of success. In this Case he may be told by the Minister,

1. That all that have obtained mercy, have sought upon the in incouragement that they might obtain mercy. They did not know what the issue of it would be; the possibility of it was that [Page 45]which bore up their hearts in using of means; they had some hope mingle, with fear, and if they had not sought upon the incouragement of the possibility, they had certainly gone without mercy. The Sick man does not say he will not use means, unless he were certain of a Cure: The Merchant don't say that he will not send his Ship to Sea, unless he were certain of a prosperous Voyage: The Husbandman don't say that he will not Plow and Sow his Land, unless he were certain of a good Crop; Men must wait upon God, upon this encouragement, that they may obtain mercy, Jon. 2.8, 9.

2. That the meer loss of their pains is a small matter. It will be a dreadful thing for a man to lose his Soul; but the meer loss of their labour is a small matter. A man may well venture the loss of his labour, in hope of the Salvation of his Soul: A man that is sick, will venture the loss of a little expence for the preservation of his life: Men have no cause to be very scrupulous about the loss of their pains: The loss of their Souls will be far sorer.

3. It is not fit that men should be sure to obtain mercy, till they do believe in Christ. There is security enough, that if they do believe in Christ, they shall be saved: And there is no reason that God should be desired to make a New-Covenant, and secure Salvation to any other Condition: God has descended low enough when he promise Salvation to believing; and it is too [Page 46]much for any man to desire that God should promise it to Praying, to Reading, to Reforming, &c. Especially seeing those things are done with a false heart, only for Salvation.

4. If men be thorowly scared with the danger of Damnation, they will readily improve their possibility, and not stand for assurance of success. Men will be glad of a possibility, and not neglect means, because they have no more incouragement: If a man be cast into the Sea, he will not neglect Swimming, because he is not certain that he can swim to the Shore: If a man be pursued by an Enemy, he will not stand still, because he is not certain that he shall get clear. If men stand convinced of their dreadful danger in neglecting to seek, they will betake themselves to the use of means at a venture, rather than run the hazard of their Souls.

SOMETIMES he complains that after he has told the Minister how it is with him, it seems to him as if he had told a company of lies; and he is terrified with the apprehension of it. In this Case he may be told,

1. That these tho'ts rise partly from the frightfulness of his Conscience. He is in a terrified condition, and so the sound of a shaking leaf will scare him; and he flees when none pursueth; he imagines dangers where there be none; he has a humbling guilty Conscience, and is afraid that he sins when he don't, and is ready to charge things upon himself without cause.

[Page 47] 2. That these thoughts arise from those contrary workings that are in his own heart. Sometimes he has a great sence of danger, sometimes he has but little sence of it: sometimes he is afraid he has committed the Unpardonable Sin, and then he is not afraid of it: he has great variety and change of frames, and whatever account he gives of the workings of his own heart, he has had some contrary workings thereunto; so that after he has told what workings of heart he had, he has reflections, because he remembers some contrary workings of heart.

SOMETIMES a man that has been seeking after peace with God a great while, leaves off for some months together, he is followed with guilt, and comes and makes his Case known unto the Minister: In this Case it is very suitable,

1. To reprove him for his backstiding, and set before him the sinfulness of what he has done, and the danger that he has exposed himself unto: he has quenched the Spirit, the tendency of whose motions was for his good; he has sinned against a great deal of light; when he was in a more hopeful way, he has relapsed into a sorrowful condition; he has lost ground, and has a great deal of his work to do over again: God must needs be greatly provoked with him.

2. To encourage him notwithstanding, by assuring of him, that he is capable of mercy. God invites Backsliders to return unto him: Persons are [Page 48]sometimes cured of relapses: God has mercy enough to pardon such sins, several persons have had experience of it: sometimes the first attempt is not successful; (as when David attempted to bring the Ark into the place prepared for it) but the next time he prospered.

3. To warn them that they do not so again. They are in great danger, because they have done so already: A Beast that has once tired, is more ready to do so again: Those temptations that have prevailed upon them, are more like to prevail again; and if they get an habit of backsliding, they will be the more incurable: Custom in any evil way, naturalizes it to men: They run more readily into the same.

SOMETIMES a man goes on in a way of seeking a great while, yet seems to be at a stand, the work don't go forward: he has the same fears, the same complaints, sees nothing further into his own heart; he is like a man in a Chronical Disease, that notwithstanding all Medicines, continues much in the same posture, he is neither much worse, nor much better; like a Ship that beats upon the Coast day by day, and can't get in. In this Case the Minister may,

1. Mind him that he may quickly die. The fence of approaching Death is very terrifying, and will stir up men to do their utmost: The face of Death is terrible, and it may be very profitable to work upon them, [Page 49]a fence that they may be quickly snatched away; they have the seeds of all Diseases in them; Gods Judgments are as a light that goeth forth. Men are commonly snatched away before they are aware: Many of the Israelites that went out of Egypt, did not live to go into Canaan: Their way is offensive to God, and so he may take them away in his anger.

2. To convince them, that they cannot make their own hearts better. One thing that makes men be at a stand is, that they are waiting in expectation to mend their own hearts; they hope from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from one Duty to another; and though they fail hitherto of their expectation: they find that Afflictions don't do it, nor Ordinances, nor Mercies, nor Examples; yet they are promising themselves that after a while, they shall make them better, and it is fit they should be convinced of the impossibility of that; Their hoping and waiting for that is their snare: They may be shewed how it is quite beyond their power: whatever resolutions they take up, whatever pains they take, whatever encouragements, afflictions and terrours they have, yet it is beyond the compass of their power; they cannot understand the excellency of God and Christ, or the [...]reat evil of Sin: Sin governs them, and they can't subdue it: Self-love may make them seek Salvation, but not love God above themselves. [Page 50]Men cannot be scared out of a sinful Estate, though they may out of some sinful practices.

3. To possess them that God is very angry with them, notwithstanding the pains they take. For one great reason why they make no more proficiency is, because they live upon their Duties; though they don't think that their Duties do justifie them, yet they do pacifie their Consciences with them; and they think that God will have a respect to the pains they take: they do what they can, and they do more than some others; and they hope they stand upon better terms with God than formerly; and though they speak of their own badness, yet they imagine so much of their own goodness, as that they think it will be an hard case for God to damn them: Therefore they should be convinced upon what terms they stand with God; that as there is no merit in their duties, so there is nothing to move God to pity them, nor to abate the anger of God towards them; but their best duties are provocations, and impated to them as sins.

SOMETIMES a man that has been in a very hopeful way quickly to get through the work of Conversion, returns again to his old postures; he had of late great Convictions of the badness of his own heart, the hypocrisie of his duties, the insufficiency of any thing of his own to gain Gods favour, and has such workings of heart as are wont immediately to procure submission [Page 51]to God, and a work of Humiliation, and in a little time tacks about, and is remote from Humiliation as he used to be: As the Children of Israel when they were almost ready to enter into Canaan, fetcht a Compass, and wandered a long time in the Wilderness. In this Case the Minister may,

1. Warn him that he be not afraid to see the badness of his own heart. For persons that have been praying for it, are yet afraid of it when it comes to. It is such a doleful & uncomfortable Spectacle that they cannot bear to behold it; the sense of it is so cross to their pride, and stirs up such fears of Damnation, that they cannot tell how to away with it, and labour to hide it from themselves, and to get such affections as may comfort them; but they should be told, that there is no cause for them to fear to see their own hearts, for it is dangerous to be ignorant of them, but not dangerous to see them; the sight of the heart is awful, but not hurtful; the heart is bad whether they see it or no, and they must see it before it be better: The Chyrurgeon must come to the bottom of the Wound before he heals it.

2. Instruct him, that there is a necessity of his submission to God; for his opposition to that has made him to quench those Convictions of the Spirit which he had. He could not bear to yield himself a prisoner into the hands of God, and to lie at his foot waiting [Page 52]for mercy, and that has put him upon it to deliver himself from those Convictions that led that way; but he must be instructed, that there is a necessity of submitting himself to God; he cannot help himself, & God is not bound to help him; God may leave him to perish if he will, and so long as he magnifies himself, and refuses to resign up himself to God, God will not discover Christ to him; he may pray, but he will not be heard: God resists the proud.

SOMETIMES he is afraid that his Convictions are not like the Convictions of other men, and he hath several arguments to strengthen those fears.

One Argument is, that his Convictions are only the workings of natural Conscience, and not from the Spirit of God: his Convictions are from the workings of his own thoughts; but he may be told, the way of the Spirits working when it does convince men, is by inlightning natural Conscience; the Spirit does not work by giving a testimony, but by assisting natural Conscience to do its work: Natural Conscience is the instrument in the hand of God to accuse, condemn, terrifie, and to urge to duty: The Spirit of God leads men into the consideration of their danger, and make them to be affected therewith, Prov. 20.27. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. When men's own hearts are stirring [Page 53]them up to Sin, & they have many reasonings about it, that is no sign that Satan is not busie with them: So when their own hearts are accusing and frighting of them, it is no sign that the Spirit of God is not at work with them: All the regular actings of Conscience, all those Convictions that are according to the Word of God, are from the Spirit of God.

Another Argument is, that his terrors are not so great as other mens. Many others have such terrors that they are swallowed up therewith, almost distracted; all the Town may take notice of it; but his terrors are more moderate by far: But he may be told,

That there is great diversity in the degrees of mens trouble: Every man must have so much trouble, as to make him strive earnestly after Salvation, and do what he can do in order to it; so much as to make him thorowly to Reform, and earnestly to strive to get into a Converted Condition. Every Ship that performs its Voyage, must have so much Wind as may make the Ship Sail; but some Ships have stronger and more tempestuous winds than others have. Some men are of more tender spirit, & less will prevail upon them, than upon others; and some men whose troubles are but small at the beginning, do grow afterwards to a great height: God uses his Sovereignty very much as to the degree of mens trouble.

Another Argument is, that his terror did not [Page 54]begin when other mens did. Many others have been smitten in the Preaching of the Word, the Word of God has been like a sharp sword in their heart; but his troubles came from the examples of others, or from some affliction, or from his fall into some sin: But he may be told,

That it is all one from what occasion his troubles did arise, provided that he be but convinced of the absolute necessity of present Reconciliation, and be but earnest in his endeavours after that: Though the Word be a principal means of Conversion, yet God may bless what means he will to do the work, Luke. 3.10, 12, 14. Jer. 2.24. Examples fails, and Afflictions have a great tendency this way. Whatever be the means of mens Reformation, yet if men be reformed it is well: God would have men to make use of Providences as well as Ordinances, there is a voice of God in them, Mic. 6.9.

Another Argument is, Because he does not see the evil of Sin. He sees a great deal of danger, but he does not see the evil of sin, he thinks that other men see more than he sees; but he may be told,

That other men do never see the great evil of sin, until they are Converted. Men may see a moral evil in sin, and a great deal of the vanity and folly of it, though they are not under a preparatory work of the Spirit; but they never come to see the great evil of sin, until they are Converted. Men have not a Spiritual Understanding [Page 55]given them, till they are Converted; they don't hate sin, until they are Converted; so long as they remain under the preparatory work of the Spirit, no such things can be expected from them, as are peculiar to Saints: When once men come to see the evil of sin, they also see the Glory of God; they do mortify their sins, and are brought into a state of Sanctification.

Another Argument is, Because he don't prosper in his seekings; he has been seeking a long time, and yet God stands at a distance from him, other men get thro' it quickly; some that began a long time since him, have obtained peace with God, but he is left yet in a deplorable condition: But he may be told,

That it is a common thing with God to Convert some in a far shorter time than others. One Ship may spend twice as much time as another in performing the same Voyage; one mans disease may be broke in far less time than another mans. Some men has more temptations and hindrances than others; the Spirit pursues some men more closely than others; and those that are longer under the work, may be as soundly Converted at last. The great reason why men do not hitherto prosper in their seekings, is not that their first troubles were not like the troubles of other men, but because they trust in their own righteousness, and are not yet convinced [Page 56]of their own helpless condition, and the badness of their own hearts.

Quest. But are not some mens Convictions and Terrors Saving? Is there not a difference all along in the terrors of them that are Elect, and them that are Reprobate?

Answ. There is no difference for a great while between the strivings of the Spirit in those that shall be Converted, and in those that shall not. As there may be no difference in the Voyages of two Ships for a pretty while, one of which at last arrives in the Harbour, and the other is Cast-away; So it is here. Those that shall never be Converted, may have the same experiences for a considerable time, that those have that shall be Converted; there may be no difference in their Awakenings, in their Reformations, in their Temptations, in their Encouragments, nor in respect of their Frames. This does appear,

1. Because those strivings that men may have, that shall never be Converted, are sufficient to bring men forward towards Christ. There is no necessity at all, that the Elect should have any other strivings for a time, than what are common to Reprobates; the Convictions that Reprobates may have, are sufficient to bring men forward towards Christ; those terrors that Reprobates may have, are sufficient to wean them from the World, to make them reform their lives, and labour to be Converted. If men have but such a sense of Hell as many Reprobates [Page 57]have had, there is no danger but they will take pains to be saved, Psal. 78.34. Tho' this will not Convert them, yet it will bring them nearer to the Kingdom of God, then they were; it will make them travel towards Christ, and overcome several impediments that lay in the way of their Conversion; though they don't see the great evil of sin, yet they will be afraid of it; though they don't see the excellency of Holiness, yet they will seek after it: Common Convictions are a preparation for Conversion.

2. They that are to be Converted, are not capable of any strivings of the Spirit, but what are common, till they come to be humbled, and to believe. It is a pritty while after God begins to strive with the Elect, before they come to be humbled, and to believe in Christ; and before that, they are not capable of any strivings, but what are common. What can there be, but what is common to other men? Other men have fears of Hell and Judgment [...] of Wrath, moral Convictions of [...] Sin; encouragements, many [...] of vileness in their own hearts, [...] deceitfulness: And what can these have more before they are humbled? They are not capable yet to see the evil of Sin, the excellency of Christ, nor of godly sorrow, nor of sincere desires, because they are not Converted. Why may not a Reprobate have as much Conviction as they? What are they capable [Page 58]of in their present Circumstances, but what many have had that are now in Hell? Some speak of a Saving Conviction, and Contrition; What is it? if it be only of Hell & Wrath, Reprobates have such as well as they; it can't be the great evil of sin, for none can see that, but they that are Converted: Natural men are blind, Rev. 3.17.

3. If there be a difference, men might be able to tell what the difference is, and apply it. There is a difference between common grace and saving grace, and we are able to give an account what it is: So if there were a difference between the Convictions of the Elect and Reprobate, we might be able from the Word of God to tell what the difference is; if ordinary men could not do it, yet it might be expected, that such as have a deeper insight into the Scriptures should: There God gives us Rules to discern the difference that is in his Dispensations; but no man in the world is able to tell what Convictions of Wrath and Hell are peculiar to Elect Sinners, and what are peculiar to Reprobates. Can we distinguish them by their kinds, by their degree, by their continuance, by their immediate effects? What Rules have we to guide us in this matter? And can we make an application to persons? If Sinners give us a true account of their terrors, can we tell one that his Convictions are such as are proper to the Elect, and they will end in Conversion; [Page 59]and another, that his Convictions are the Convictions of Reprobates, and that they will end in Damnation? This would be a bold Undertaking of any man; the Scripture is silent about is; yea, the Scripture speaks the contrary, Luk. 12.52, them that were entring in ye hindred.

SOMETIMES the man is afraid that he shall dye quickly, and lives in a great deal of torment upon that account. He is in anguish of spirit; this frame rises either meerly from his sense of Gods anger, he thinks God will presently pour out his Wrath; or sometimes besides this, there is something in Providence that looks that way, or some would come to him that makes him fear it; as that, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt dye and not live. In this Case he should be told by the Minister,

1. That he ought not to take up such a Conclusion. No man should believe any thing that may be false: He has no sufficient grounds to draw up any such peremptory conclusion, for the thing it self is uncertain; Gods anger does not shew it; God has been angry with him a long time, yet he lives; neither do those other signs shew that it shall be; such things have oftentimes failed.

2. That it is not so usual with God to take men away when they are under earnest endeavours to be Converted. God threatens Sinners to take them away in the time of their security: When they say peace, peace, 1 Thes. 5.3. Mat. 24.48. [Page 60]Though sometimes men do dye that are seeking after peace with God, and to all appearance have not found; yet this is not an ordinary dispensation. When he is striving by his Spirit to bring them to Repentance, it is an hopeful sign that God will wait a while upon them; if we knock at a mans door, and they be all fast and don't stir to open the door, we are wont to go away; but if we perceive that they are rising and preparing to open the door, we are content to wait a-while. God generally stays to see what work men will make of it.

3. That he has indeed no certainty of his life; his body is mortal and frail, and many men dye suddenly. God has been much provoked by him, and may justly snatch him away by a sudden stroke. Many times men have very little warning of Death, the fear of death is of great use to forward the work of Conversion: If men put far away the evil day, they thereby harden their hearts; the right numbring of their days, is a means to make them apply their hearts to wisdom, Psal. 90.12. Upon this account it is good to nourish awful fears of death; that makes men sensible of the vanity of the World, of the dangerousness of Sin of the necessity of making haste to be Converted: therefore Ministers should say nothing to perswade them, that they are in no danger, for they are in real danger, and it is best for them to have the sense of it; this will solemnize their spirits, and quicken [Page 61]them to their work; when afraid of Death, they will be willing to take pains, and not be hindred by temptations.

SOMETIMES he complains that he finds a dreadful murmuring spiri [...]; he is dreadful apt to quarrel with God, and can't tell how to justifie him: it is a great terror to him, yet he cannot deliver himself from it. In this Case he may be told,

1. That it is generally so with men under the work of preparation. There's scarce any but has experience of it. Men can hardly bear outward afflictions, much less appearances of damnation: When awakened Sinners are called upon to submit to God, yield themselves prisoners to him, there are two courses that men take to avoid it; One is, to establish a righteousness of their own; they strive to pacify the anger of God, they would fain do something to ingage the heart of God to save them. Upon that account they pray affectionately, they are exact in their outward carriage, they strive to make their hearts better: The Other way is, when they find that their danger continue after all their pains, they quarrel with God, object against his Dispensations, find fault with him; they are in a tumult, their hearts are in an uproar, and they are murmuring against Gods dealing.

2. That he may see much of his own heart in these murmurings. And indeed these murmurings [Page 62]are a great occasion sometimes to bring men off from their own righteousnesses: Therefore it is good to lead him on this occasion into the sense of the wretchedness of his heart; he may see in these workings much of his own hypocrisie, he has owned many times the need he has of free mercy; and that he deserved Condemnation; yet now he murmurs as if God owed Salvation to him; he may see much of the Pride of his own heart, in rising up against God, and of his boldness, and of his enmity to God; these workings of heart does discover a dreadful fountain of Sin within.

3. That those Objections which his heart makes against God's proceeding are causeless. He may be shew'd particularly, that the ways of God are righteous and that men have no reason to murmur against him. It should be cleared up to him, that God has great cause to find fault with him, but he has no cause to find fault with God.

1. If the man OBJECTS, that men are bro't under a necessity of sinning, and yet are punished for sin. Sin being DECREED it cannot but be committed, yet it is punished. He may be told,

1. That the DECREES of GOD does not at all infringe the liberty of man: Though the Decrees brings a necessity, yet men act as freely, as if there were no Decrees. The Decree of God offers no violence to the will of man; men chuse the ways of sin, Isa. 66.3. And therefore [Page 63]the Decree is no excuse for Sin: Men don't accept it when any wrong is done unto them, neither will God accept it as an excuse; men act their own pleasure and dispositions when they sin: The necessity rising from the Decree, don't take away the commendableness of good actions, nor the blameableness of bad actions; this necessity don't cut off all rewards and punishments.

2. That in this Decree, God does but use his Sovereign Liberty. If God will make a multitude of Men and Angels, must he be bound to bring them all to Eternal Life? Who shall lay a prohibition upon God, that he shall not make use of some of them for the Glory of his Justice? If it be injurious for God to Decree that men shall sin, and then punish them for their sin, then he is utterly cut off from all opportunity for the glorifying of his Justice; but it is worth the while for Men and Angels to suffer for the manifestation of Gods Vindictive Justice.

2. If the man OBJECTS that the sin of ADAM is imputed to him, and upon that account he is deprived of Original Holiness; whereas he was not at all active in it, and gave no consent unto it. He may be told,

1. That men in many cases have a power to appoint others to represent them; and they are accordingly bound to stand or fall according to the carriage of those Representatives. Yea, [Page 64]men have a power to make Representatives for others; these things are common in matters of a Civil Nature. Why then may not God, who hath more power over men, than they have over themselves, appoint one to represent them, to act on their behalf, according to whose carriage, they should stand or fall?

2. That this was a fair and probable way for the good of Mankind; it was as hopeful a way as for every man to stand for himself: There was less likelihood that all Adams Posterity should stand, then that he should stand; not only from the personal qualifications of Adam, which were certainly greater than his Posterity would have had in the time of their Childhood; but because Adam was under an exceeding great Bond, he had a great Charge upon him; the Happiness of all his Posterity having a great dependance upon his Carriage. Adam had not only the care of his own Soul upon him, but he stood intrusted for many Millions that were to discend from him; and it was probable, that that Consideration should make him more careful to keep Gods Covenant.

3. If the man OBJECTS against the Severity of Gods Law, that punishes men with Everlasting Damnation. He may be told,

1. That it is very meet that he should appoint such a punishment, as might be a great restraint to mans sinning. If God had appointed some little punishment, men would have been more bold [Page 65]to break the Law of God. Experience shews, that this severe punishment is not sufficient to keep multitudes from living in a way of sin; if the punishment had been less, men would have regarded it but little.

2. It was very meet that God should appoint a punishment that was suitable for the vindication of his Name. God loves himself, and his Name is dear to him; and it becomes God to annex such a penalty to his Law, as that his Great Name might be vindicated: God is a Great God, and therefore Sin is a great Evil; and it is very fit that if sin be punished, there be a punishment appointed some ways proportionable to the great evil of Sin.

3. That by Gods appointing so dreadful a punishment, he makes no man miserable. God holds out the point of a sword, this will do them no hurt if they don't run against it: God makes a dreadful pit, this will hurt no man if he don't run into it: Gods Law makes no man miserable; they make themselves miserable, and are cruel to their own Souls, when they sin against him.

4. The punishment appointed for sin, is no greater than the recompence of Obedience. There is an equality in the Law, the Law is as bountiful to the Obedient, as severe to the Disobedient: If the Law did appoint little rewards of Obedience, and great punishments of Disobedience, men would have more shew for their complaints, but the reward is as great as the [Page 66]punishment. Heaven is as good, as Hell is bad.

4. If he OBJECTS, That God has shewed mercy to others that have not taken so much pains as he: God pardons others, and gives grace to others, but denies him. He may be told.

1. That his Labour and Service does lay no bond upon God to shew mercy to him. Whatever he has pretended in his Prayers, he has no true regard to the Glory of God, he has minded nothing higher than his own Salvation; he has been serving himself, and not God. God is no ways obliged to give him such a reward, he has not merited grace, but has merited Condemnation by such services: There is nothing in such services to work upon the mercy of God; God's mercy is not moved by any external thing, there is nothing in those Services to ingage the Justice of God, they are far from being meritorious; there is nothing to engage the Faithfulness of God: God has made no absolute promises to any hypocritical prayers.

2. That God has a liberty to bestow his Grace upon whom he will. Mercy is Gods own, and he will make choice who shall be the subjects of it. God is master of his own gifts, will bestow them upon one, and deny them to others. It is just for God to deny all Sinners Saving Mercy, but if he pleases to have mercy upon some, none may prescribe who they shall be; but he may chuse one, and refuse another, 1 Cor. 4.7.

[Page 67] 3. That God never did bestow saving mercy upon any Sinner, while he quarrelled against his proceeding. Before ever others had mercy, their spirits were brought down, and they were bro't to justifie God, and lie at his foot; if they had stood it out as he does, they should have gone without saving mercy, Isa. 45.23. To me every knee shall bow.

5. If he OBJECTS that he has done what he can, and yet God denies Grace to him. He should not think much of it, if he gave way to a sluggish spirit, and carried himself viciously, but he does what he can, and what would God have more. He may be told,

1. That if he does what he can, he may not challenge mercy from thence. By what Law will he demand saving grace because of that? That does not in its own nature take away Gods Liberty and his Soveraignty: there is no wrong done him, if God sees cause to deny him; neither is there any promise whereby God has obliged himself to those that do all they can; God has left it in his own liberty to deny them, if he pleases.

2. That he doth not what he can. It may be he is otherwise very faulty, but however he don't do what he can, because he does not own the Sovereignty of God; he don't justifie God, nor acknowledge that God may justly reject him after all. Indeed he can't do this without help from God, so he can't pray and reform, [Page 68]without assistance: Yet this is a thing that he can do, principles of nature may produce this effect; many natural men have come to this; men that have no natural principle have resigned up themselves to God, their mo [...]ths have been stopped, and they have become guilty before God.

6. If he OBJECTS that God requires him to believe, whereas it is not in his power; he is dead in sin, and yet God binds him to believe, and calls on him to believe; this seems very hard and strange. He may be told,

1. That though he has lost his power to obey, yet God has not lost his power to Command. If he has lost his strength, yet God has not lost his Authority: If a Servant make himself drunk, and be not able to do his Masters Business, that is no excuse. God gave man power at first, and his prodigality don't deliver him from Gods Authority.

2. That in this way God is pleased many times to work Faith. Men are able to do many things in order to beliveing, and hereby they are put upon it to prepare for that; and in that way many have faith wrought in them. There have multitudes by the Blessing of God on the Preaching of the Gospel been brought to embrace Jesus Christ.

SOMETIMES the man says, he is afraid to do any thing in Religion; for whatever he does he is ready to trust to it: if he Prays, Fasts, [Page 69]Reads, especially when he does those things with any affection; so he trusts in his Conscienciousness. In this Case he may be told,

1. That he will not neglect his duty by any means. He must be sure to attend his duty whatever ill use his heart be ready to make of it; he must not scare himself from his duty, because he is ready to trust in it: Duty must be done, Gods Command must be attended, whatever be the consequence of it. Men may not take upon them to judge when it is best to attend Gods Command, and when it is dangerous, and so give themselves a dispensation from their duty; as men must not do evil that good may come of it; so they may not neglect good, lest evil come of that: Men must do their duty, and run the adventure of their hearts making a bad use thereof.

2. That there is no necessity of mens trusting to what they do. If God do but open their eyes, to see the plague of their own heart, they will not trust to what they do. When men are thorowly convinced of the abominations that are in their hearts, and see the hypocrisie and formality of their duties, it is impossible that they should trust in them: their confidence in their duties rises from the opinion that they have of them, and when they come to understand the wretchedness of them, their heart will not gather considence, but fear from them; and therefore it is their duty to study their [Page 70]own hearts, and labour to find out the wickedness of them.

When the man is told that there is a necessity of seeing his own heart, in order to his Humiliation. Sometimes he Objects, that he is blind and can't see; how can a blind man see his own hearts. He may be told,

1. That he is indeed spiritually blind, and therefore he cannot see the evil of Sin; that is not to be seen, till men have received a Spiritual Understanding from God; and accordingly there is no necessity of seeing that in order to his Humiliation.

2. But yet he is capable to have an experimental sight of the badness of his own heart. Natural Conscience is able to discern that: Men may find by experience, that they are under the power of pride, of discontent, and carnal affection; and that they are utterly destitute of love to God, or any gracious disposition; these things are not discerned by a spiritual eye, but by a natural eye: Natural men may observe and discern the workings of their own hearts, Rom. 7.8. Sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of Concupiscence.

SOMETIMES the man says, he is willing to believe in Christ, but finds himself unable; he could be glad he could believe, but it is beyond him. In this Case he may be told,

1. That there is a mighty opposition in the heart of a natural man to believing in Christ; as it is [Page 71]with all other Spiritual Duties, so it is with this. Men don't love to believe in Christ, but have a contrariety thereunto, Jeh. 5.40. Mat. 23.37. The opposition rises partly from pride, they had rather be saved by their own works, that they may have somewhat to glory in; it is very cross to their haughty spirit to go out of themselves, and be beholden to Christ alone for Salvation, to have nothing of their own to glory in; Men don't love to see themselves nothing; and partly it rises from fear: it seems to them a terrible thing to adventure upon Christ, they are not certain that God is free to accept of them; they are not certain whether Christ's Righteousness be sufficient for them; they don't see the incouragement that is in the Gospel, & think it an unlikely thing that they shall be safe in such a way: hence they have a trembling in their heart; look upon it too great an adventure, they fear it will be loked upon to be presumption, and that instead of mending their condition, they shall make it worse, they should be afraid to stay away from Christ; but they are afraid to come to him, and therefore are not willing.

2. If the man were willing, what keeps him from Christ? The difficulty lies in the will, if the will be conquered, the man is conquered: Yea, Faith in Christ is an act of the will: Faith is a chusing of Christ for his Saviour. Christ is offered to men, and many incouragements are [Page 72]presented before them; and when once the will is gained to accept the offer, the man does believe on Christ: If men were willing, the difficulty would be at an end; they can't be willing till they are able; they are not willing, until the will is strengthened to comply with Gods Call.

3. That seeming willingness that is in many men is but feigned. They pretend a willingness to quiet their Consciences; they don't it may be feel much opposition, but they are not indeed willing; they are willing to be saved, and willing to be saved by Christ, rather than not be saved at all; and have some selfish desires that they could come to Christ, but there is no sincerity in them.

SOMETIMES the man says, that he would fain submit to the will of God, but can't tell how; he has been striving after it a great while, but cannot attain it. In this Case he may be told,

That Natural men do never sincerely strive after submission to God; they do strive to submit after a fashion, and pray that they may, because they hear that it is necessary in order to Conversion, but they are never sincere in it; they do it in a false and deceitful way: Which appears,

1. Because they are labouring to make their hearts better. They are labouring to mend themselves; and upon this account they labour after it, that they may be necessitated to submit [Page 73]to the will of God; that their own goodness may be a bond upon God to save them, that it may not be in the free liberty of God to do what he pleases with them: And upon this account they strive to submit to God, that they make a Righteousness of that.

2. Because at the same time they are hiding their own hearts from themselves; they are afraid to see how bad they are. If they have any Convictions of their own badness, they will stifle them if they can: they are labouring to excuse themselves, and love to look upon any thing in themselves that seems like goodness; they are perswading of themselves that they are better than they are, which are great hindrances to Submission.

3. Because they are not thorowly convinced of a necessity of submission to God. If they were convinced of a necessity of it, they would do it; and if they be not convinced of it, they can't strive sincerely after it: as long as men hope that they may make a shift without it, they will not heartily seek after it: As long as they hope that their own righteousness will lay a bond upon God, and that it is not fair for God to condemn them, they will not heartily endeavour after submission.

When men are called upon to submit to God, and resign up themselves to his Sovereignty, they say they do so; they can't help themselves, but must justifie God. In this Case there is [Page 74]great need to examine, whether their submission be of the right kind; for there is a shew of submission, which is not real Humiliation: and there are these signs of a false Submission.

1. When it is the fruit of their own strivings. Men hear that they must submit themselves to God, before they obtain mercy; and accordingly they strive for it, and work up a kind of image of submission to God: they bring themselves to own that they are in Gods hands, and he may do what he will with them, this is never right. When men are brought to submit to God indeed, the thing is forced by the power of Conviction: they strive against it, but never so evidently convinced of the insufficiency of themselves, and the Justice of God, that they had no other way left them, but to fall into the hands of God; as it was with those Lepers, 2 King. 7.4.

2. When men make a righteousness of their submission. When men have got a false submission, they are wont to be proud of that, and to think that God will be taken with them: they look upon it a choice frame of spirit, and rejoyce in it as a thing pleasing to God; but when men do indeed submit to God, they see nothing in it to be proud of; they see themselves all over defiled like Lepers; empty of all good, and look upon this submission as having nothing at all of goodness in it; they see they are meerly [Page 75]forced to it: That they have no other way to take, but to fall into the hands of God.

3. When, notwithstanding their submission, they are still striving to make their hearts better. If you ask them whether they are striving to love God, and to do duties for his Glory? They say yes, they are labouring after it; you may be sure they don't submit to God, but are labouring to get some goodness of their own to commend them to God; they are not sensible of their own impotency. But if a man do indeed submit to God, he sees himself dead in trespasses and sins; ask him whether he be striving to make his heart better; he will say he can as easily remove a mountain as do it; that he has been striving after it a great while, but now he finds that he has no power; his heart is as dead as a stone, there is no disposition to any thing that is good in him, it is quite out of his reach; if God don't make him better, it will never be effected.

4. When men say they have been brought to that many a time. When some men are enquired of, whether they were brought to submit to God's Sovereignty? Yes, they say many a time. Sinners in trouble of Conscience say it has been so oftentimes with them; this shews it is not a right submission. Godly men after their Conversion, may submit many times to God, but that submission differs much from this; that is a gracious submission, and they don't see at the same time themselves utterly destitute of all grace; but that submission that goes before the closing with Christ, is never wrought any more than [...]; when it's wrought it may continue some [Page 76]little time, till God reveals Christ to a man; but this work is never wrought over and over again in the Soul.

5. When men are afraid they are not humbled enough. Some men that do pretend to submission, are afraid that they are not humbled enough, and they wish they may be humbled more; this makes it evident that they do not indeed submit, it is a sign that they make a righteousness of their submission. When men do indeed submit to God, they are never exercised with any such scruples, because they don't look upon their submission as a thing that commends them to God. When a man submits, he absolutely resigns up himself as a prisoner to God, is wholly broken off from his own righteousness and sufficiency, and leaves himself with God, and does not do it under a notion that there is any excellency in it, but out of necessity leaves himself with God.

6. When men submit to God as looking upon him not very angry. Some Sinners submit to God, and at the same time they think they have some love to God, and some care of his Glory; and accordingly they look upon their peace half made; truly this is no difficult matter; it is easie for a man to put his life into the hands of his friend: there is no great opposition to submit to God, when a man is pretty confident that God will save him; but it is another thing to submit to God, when a man does not see a spark of goodness in himself, when he looks upon God as bitterly angry with him, and is much afraid that God will utterly destroy him: When men submit under such circumstances, it is evident that God has conquered them, and that their Wills are broken.

[Page 77] Quest. What is to be said to a man in case he should say that he is willing to be Damned?

A. 1. No man acting understandingly is willing to be Damned. All Ungodly men do interpretatively love Damnation. Pro. 8.36. but no man that understands himself, is willing to be damned; it is against Nature; Nature teaches every man to desire Happiness. Damnation is a dreadful terror to them that know what it is, Isa. 33.14.

2. No such thing is required of men. For God has put a spirit of self-love into men, & binds them to love themselves; and commands men to be seeking of Salvation, Joh. 6.27. Luke 13.24.

Such willingness is either only pretended; or if real, it must arise either from desperate rage and passion, or from some violent pang of false affection to God. The Spirit of God don't stir up such workings in the hearts of men.

SOMETIMES a Sinner does enquire, How he may come to know his own heart? He is told, that it is needful for him to know it, and enquires what he should do in order to it. In this Case he may be directed to these three ways.

1. To observe the sinful workings of his own heart. The hearts of men are often working in a way of pride, discontent, worldliness, envy, &c. And by observing these, a man may learn abundance of the badness of his heart, if he do consider with himself how far such a spirit would carry him, if God did not restrain it. As when a man sees the Fire burn the wood on the Hearth, he gathers that it would consume the House too, if not restrained.

2. To examine those shews of goodness that the [Page 78]heart makes. The heart makes many shews of goodness, sometimes of sorrow for sin, of love to God, to Godly People, of love to Ordinances, of desires to be Converted, of believing the Word of God, of Humility, of Patience, of Thankfulness: And the way to know the heart, is, to search whether it be not false in these appearances; to examine the ends and motions of those frames and workings of heart, whether the root of them be not self-love, fear of Hell, hope of merit, &c.

3. To try his heart, by supposing some suitable cases to it; as he may suppose to himself, That such Godly men as he pretends great love to, should slight and despise him; that God should take away such a Child from him, that God should Convert some others, and leave him under guilt and terrors; that his Estate should be lost, that there should come Persecuting Times; that he were in the hands of Enemies that would kill him, if he would not carry sinfully; that God should now come to take away his life before he is Converted. By questioning seriously with himself what he thinks he should do in such cases, he may come to have more understanding in his own heart. Changes of Condition make great discoveries of the heart: and supposed changes sometimes do a pretty deal that way; such questions if seriously considered, may be as touchstones to discover what is in the heart; the answer of the heart to such Enquiries, may give men a great deal of light to see themselves by.

Quest. How does God shew men the badness of their own hearts?

Answ. 1 The Means whereby God effects it, is by leading men into temptation. Men in continuance [Page 79]of time fall into temptation, and so the Vizard falls off from their hearts, and they come to have an understanding of the plague that is therein. Sometimes by reason of some temptation they are drawn into some moral evil, and that discovers their hypocrisie and corruption: Sometimes temptations prevail upon them to make them worldly and proud: Sometimes by Afflictions the discontentment of their hearts is stirred up; so by God's not hearing their prayers, by converting other persons; sometimes by hearing the Doctrine of God's Soveraignty, or the strictness of the Law Sometimes the Word of God, and sometimes the Works of God are a temptation to them, and occasion them to be dead to that which is good, and make their corruptions works violently, Rom. 7.8. Sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence.

2. As to the manner it is done gradually. God don't lead men at once into an understanding of their hearts; as the Chyrurgeon by degrees comes to the bottom of the Sore. God could at once make men see the bottom of their own hearts, as when the Jaylor was Converted; but in this way men would not have such experience of the deceitful turnings and windings of their own hearts; but he generally shews it them by degrees, and they are a long while before they come to an understanding of them; they see something of their hearts, and then grow into a pretty good opinion of them again, they have many partial discoveries of their heart; sometimes they go forward in discerning their hearts, and th [...] [...] backward again; they get ground, & then [...] [Page 80]lose it; they seem as if they would presently come to an understanding of them, and then there is a stop put to it for a pretty while; a great deal of time is consumed before they come to have a thorow understanding of themselves. Men are sometimes years under trouble before they do attain unto it.

Quest. What must men know of their own hearts, before they be Converted?

Answ. In general, They must know so much as is sufficient to bring them off from trusting in their own righteousness and their own strength. Some men know a great deal more of their own hearts than other men, they see many particular deceits and workings of corruption that other men don't see, and no man knows his heart so before Conversion, but he may learn a great deal more after he is Converted; but so much must be known by every man, as is sufficient to break him off from trusting in himself: It is the sight of his own heart that does take him off from trusting in himself: let him hear never so much about the insufficiency of his own righteousness, he will trust in himself, till he sees his own heart; but when he sees that thorowly, it is impossible that he should trust in himself, for he sees there is nothing there to trust unto.

Particularly, 1. He must see himself under the reigning power of Sin. If men imagine that they have no great disposition to sin [...] [...]or that their corruption are in any [...] [...]ortify'd, they will commend themselves to God upon that account; and wont see it [...] [...]ir for God to condemn them. [...] absolute necessity they should have the particular consideration of [Page 81]every corruption that is in their hearts; but they must see that they are under the dominion of sin, that a spirit of self-love reigns in them, and that their heart is contrary to that which is good; they find such workings of pride, discontentment and enmity to Christ, as shews to them they have abominable hearts; that their hearts are like the hearts of Devils, as full of sin as a toad is of poyson, Rom. 7.9.

2. To be empty of all goodness. He has no inclination to any thing that is good, that there is no disposition to that which is good, but a total emptiness. It may be he does not think particularly of every grace that he is destitute of that, but sees that he is utterly void of spiritual life, that he has no power to do any good; he is dead in sin, wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Before that he was convinced of a weakness, but now he finds himself dead: he thought before that he had little strength, now he sees he has none: there is not one spark of goodness in him, nor any power to get any, he is stript out of all his perfections, and sees an utter emptiness in himself of all that is good; he has no love, no godly sorrow, no thankfulness, no humility, no spiritual desires, those appearances that he had are all vanished out of sight, he can't do any thing, there is no seed of any goodness in him; if he be advantaged with all manner of helps, yet it is quite beyond his power to work up any good frame in his heart; he prays, but there is no goodness in his prayers, and he is uncapable of working up any, he is not in a swound, rubbing and chasing will not fetch him to life, but he is everlastingly dead in sin, unless God will put a principle of life into him.

[Page 82] SOMETIMES the man says that he sees he can do nothing of himself. In this Case he may be told,

That the best Saint in the world can do nothing of himself, Joh. 1 [...].4. Those that do a great deal for God, and have a gracious principle, do yet know that they can do nothing of themselves: And a Natural man may stand convinced of this, that he can do nothing of himself, though he be very proud, and imagines that he does God a great deal of choice service; when he says, he can do nothing of himself, he only means, that he can do nothing without assistance from God. This a man may see, and yet be a great [...]anger to his own heart. The thing that he wants to see is, that he has no principle of doing any good, that there is no power nor inclination in him, but that he is totally and everlastingly dead in sin, unless God infuse a new principle into him.

SOMETIMES men have great discoveries of their own hearts for a pretty while together, and yet don't come to lye at Gods foot, they say themselves they can't do it. In this Case they may be told,

1. That they cannot deliver themselves; that it is utterly impossible for them to mend their own hearts. For men may see themselves bad and insufficient, yet not be brought to despair as to their own power; be nourishing a secret hope, that in time with some advantages their heart will be brought to a better pass; therefore it is best to possess them with a sense of their utter insufficiency to help themselves; they may as well make a world, as make their own hearts good; they can't work faith in themselves, Joh. 6.44.

2. That they cannot deserve that God should give [Page 83] Grace to them. They can't force God to work Regeneration in them, they have no natural excellency to ingage God, they can't work upon the Mercy of God, nor ingage the Justice of God to save them; God is not bound to them to help them, there is nothing to hinder him if he pleases, there is nothing to oblige him, they can't compel God; God is free to help them or deny help, as it pleases him

3. That it is dangerous to stand it out long against God. If they do not yield, they are in danger either to be left of God to a senseless spirit, or to get a false confidence, or to be snatcht away out of the world; men stand in slippery places that continue to be stubborn against great Conviction: it is not like to be long before the scale turn; if they do not quickly submit, there is danger of their rejection.

SOMETIMES the man says, that now he can justify God, however he deals with him, and yet it is evident that he is not brought off from his own righteousness. In this Case he may be told,

1. That he must beware that he don't make a righteousness of this. Pride will feed upon any appearance of good qualifications, and if he lots upon it that now his heart is better than it was, and that God is taken with him, he will greatly deceive himself; his justifying of God, is no justification of himself; his justifying of God, will not make God to justifie him; though he justifies God, yet God condemns him.

2. That some men do justifie God from a partial conviction of the righteousness of their Condemnation. Conscience takes notice of their [Page 84]sinfulness, and tells them that they may righteously be damned; as Pharaoh, who justified God, Exod. 9.27. And they give some kind of consent to it, but many times it don't continue; they have only a p [...]ng upon them, that usually dies away after a little time: this justifying of God differs much from that which does immediately go before Conversion, which is a fixed and thorow Conviction, arising from a thorow understanding of their own hearts.

SOMETIMES the man seems to be upon the very borders of despair. For some men are nearer to it a great deal than others, he is in anguish of spirit, and does almost conclude, that there is no mercy for him. In this Case he may be told,

1. That there is no hope in any Creature. He can't help himself, he has no wisdom, power nor worthiness that can help him; there is no way that he can take that is sufficient for his deliverance: that Ministers are not able to deliver him, and that if others pray for him, yet tha [...] will not secure his salvation: All Creatures are as cyphers, and can't work out any salvation for him; if God will destroy him, there is none that can save him.

2. That God may help him; it is not beyond the power of God to change his heart, and it is not beyond the Grace of God to help him. The reason that men are not pardoned, is not the greatness of their sins, but because they do not come to Jesus Christ. That though God be angry, yet he should not be discouraged, God is always angry with Sinners, when he comes to bestow Converting Grace upon them: That God has done a great deal for him, inasmuch as he makes him sensible of his danger: That these discoveries of danger are many times fore-runners of Conversion: That his Condition is a great deal more hopeful now, than when he pleased himself with his frames and attainments; every man must despair in himself, before he [Page 85]comes to trust in Christ; that there is enough in Christ, he is able to save to the uttermost, Heb. 7.15. Christ came to save the chief of Sinners, 1 Tim. 5.

3. That there is no way left him now, but to yield himself into the Hands of God. If God destroy him he may, he lies at the meer mercy of God; if God will deliver him he may, if he does not he does no wrong; he can't run from God, he can't force God; if he stands it out against God, he takes a way to ruin himself [...] the safest course he can take, is to fall into the hands of God; it may be God may help him, however he can but perish.

SOMETINES a little before the work of God is compleated in him, he complains that he seems to be as before he was under Convictions, careless & senseless; his terrours have left him, and he is not affected with his condition. In this Case he may be told,

1. That now he may see what an heart he has, and how insufficient he is to deliver himself. His heart is empty of all that is good, and there is no possibility of his attaining Salvation by his own power, he has no principle of Grace, and never had; the frames that formerly he had, were nothing else but the workings of self-love and natural Conscience; and unless God does deliver him, he will never attain unto life.

2. That his way must be to wait upon God still. This is no sign God has given him over, his terrors may quickly return again, and he may find mercy for all this: When he had his good frames and affections, they could not save him, nor make his peace with God; and if God do shew him his own emptiness, he may quickly after discover to him the Excellency of Christ.

At length the man seems as if he were thorowly brought off from himself, and brought to lye at the foot of God. All his selfish hopes are taken away, he sees his own heart, and his will bows, he seems to resign up himself to God. In this Case,

1. It is best to examine whether there be no deceit in it. Sometimes it is so plain that there is no great occasione [Page 86]to examine, sometimes it is more doubtful. When they are thorowly humbled, such things as these do concurr. (1.) He sees all his own righteousness to be utterly empty and vile. that it has no power to draw the heart of God; he sees nothing at all to commend him, but he has been provoking God thereby. (2) He is at an end of his contrivances to change his heart. Formerly when things appeared dark unto him, he was wont to think that if he did th [...]s or so, that would bring him into a more hopeful way; but now he is beyond all his contrivances, he can't do any more. (3.) He sees his heart spiritually dead. He is utterly destitute of power to do any good thing; yea, he has no inclination to any good (4.) He sees he is in Gods Hand. It is free for God to do as he will with him, and he resigns up himself to God, so he is more quiet now than he was; both because his will is brought down, and he is satisfyed that God can, and may help him.

2. It is no wayes fit to tell a man that God will shew mercy to him. For though this be the manner of God, when men are prepared for Grace, to bestow Grace upon them, yet there is no promise in the Scripture made to such persons; the promises are made to Coming to Christ: Faith is the Condition of Salvation; and though there be many promises made to Humility, yet there are none made to Humiliation. And he is to be told, That he is in Gods hands, God is at liberty to do as he will with him, and that he must wait upon God to open his eyes, and shew Jesus Christ unto him.

3. It is very meet to set the Gospel before him, and mind him of Gods sending of Christ into the World to Save Sinners. That Jesus Christ has satisfied the Justice of God, and performed perfect Obedience for us: That God has pardoned many thorow Christ, that he offers Salvation to him through Jesus Christ; and that God has promised Eternal Life to all that do accept of Christ: That those that have nothing to bring with them shall be welcome to him,; that God is of infinite [Page 87]mercy, and delights to glorifie his Grace in Saving the Chief of Sinners: That because we had no worthiness, God has provided a worthiness for us in Christ: That Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that come to him: That Gods love is free, and there is no danger in venturing upon Christ; whoever believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Quest Is there at that time any true meltings of heart because of S [...]n? Is the Soul truly gr [...]eved for its Sins against God, as some men have thought?

Answ. That though there is such a Conviction of sin as makes men to justifie God, yet there is no godly sorrow for sin. Men are not at this time affected with any Godly sorrow.

1. Because such sorrow is inconsistent with the work of Hum [...]liation When the Sinner is humbled, he sees himself emptied of himself, and sees his own heart dead in sin; this could not be, if he had any gracious sorrow for sin; if there were true sorrow for sin, there must be love to God, a spiritual understanding, a new heart, a divine principle put into the man; for nature cannot produce any such effect.

2. Because Faith is the first act of Grace. If the man had a gracious principle, he would immediately Entertain Christ and the Gospel; after a man has received a principle of Regeneration, the first way that it works in is by drawing the heart to Christ; when mens hearts are changed, and a new Nature put into them, it does not first work in a way of sorrow for sin, or thirsting after Gods Glory, or delighting in Holiness; but always the first act of Grace is to close with Christ: God leads him into the exercise of this, that he may be justified, Rom. 5.1. If he did any other gracious act before this, it could not be accepted, for the person is not accepted before Faith: All Sanctification is the fruit of Faith, Acts 26.18.

Soon after the Soul is brought to lye at Gods foot, he is wont to give an account of his Closing with Christ; that God has revealed Christ to him & drawn his heart to him, & he does accept of Christ. In this Case it is best, [...]

[Page 88] 1. To examine whether his faith be right. And in this work there is no weight to be laid on it, whether it was in Hearing, Reading, Praying or Meditating, that God gave one right to him; God does not confine himself to any of those ways: neither is there any weight to be laid on it, whether it was by any particular word or without it; if it be according to the Word it is sufficient; nor must we lay weight upon it, whether it were by a word of promise, or some other passage of the G [...]spel, nor whether he had one word came to him or many Sometimes many promises flow in, one after another, in abundance; but special Enquiry is to be made, [1.] What condition he was in just before, whether he was wholly emptied of himself, or found any imaginary goodness in himself; if his humiliation was right, there as no doubt of h [...]s fa [...]th: [2.] Whether by that light that was given him, he saw Christ and Salvation offered to him, or whether he saw that God loved him and pardoned him; for the offer of Grace, and our acceptance goes before pardon, and therefore much more before the knowledge of it: [3.] Whether he saw a glorious fulness in Christ, a sufficiency for the greatest sinners, so as to make him admire the excellency of Christ: [4.] Whether the Offer came with Divine Authority, whether he saw God calling of him so that he could not but accept thereof.

2. If upon Enquiry the Case be more doubtful, as it may be, partly because some things were not so clear to himself, or because he has forgotten some material thing, and cannot speak to it. It may be well to tell him, That if it be right, he will see more of it; when God begins to make a discovery of Christ, he will not leave men' but is wont to shew them more. The path of the just is like the morning light, &c. Prov. 4.

3. If the Case be plain, it is best to encourage him, tho' there is no need to be positive. But he may be told, That it is hopeful that God has drawn his heart to Christ, and made a gracious change in his Soul; and that if he does indeed believe on Christ, he shall certainly be [Page 89]saved; his sin don't make such a breach between God and him, as to hazard his Salvation.

4. To warn him to depend still on the free Grace of God in Christ; he must expect many dark hours and times of temptation, but his way must be, to grow in the knowledge of Christ; he must not think, that now he shall always live a life of joy and comfort. Satan will be busy with him, and he will have many workings both of carnal confidence and unbelief; & he must get more and more convinced of his own righteousness, and the fulness of Christ; if he live many years, he must never expect any thing to glory in but Christ Jesus: And he is likewise to be warned, That he live up to the mercy of God to him; that he don't fall into a languishing and pining condition, but maintain the life and power of Godliness, that so he may not expose himself to temptation and darkness, and that he may not dishonour the Holy Name of God; shewing forth the vertue of him that has called him out of darkness into his marvellous light.

There be TWO particular CASES that do require a particular Consideration.

The Frst CASE is, When the Minister is sent for by a man upon his Sick-bed. The first thing to be done is to get an understanding in what condition the person is. For though a man that does not know his Case may speak several things that may be safe and profitable: whatever his Condition is; yet the more knowledge there is of the state of the man, the more advantage he is under to speak pertinently.

I. If it be plain that the man is in a Natoral Condition, it is most proper to insist upon these three things:

1. That he has a present absolute necessity to be at peace with God: that if he should dye in a Natural Condition, he will be for ever undone: It is very fit he [Page 90]should be rememored of his sinful life, and the dreadfulness of that punishment that hangs over his head; which may be set before him in an affecting manner, that if it be possible he may be terrified, and made sensible of those Eternal Miseries that are coming upon him.

2. That he may not rest in any thing short of Jesus Christ M [...]n in such a Case are like a man drowning, ready to catch hold of any thing that comes near; they are ready to have a dependance upon their Priviledges, upon their Parentage, upon their sorrow for their mispent life and upon their purposes to live better if God do raise them up again; he must be led into an understanding of the strictness of the Law of God and the vanity of all ca [...]l confidences.

3. That there is a glorious way of Life prepared by Christ Christ Jesus has fulfilled the Law, & wrought out Eternal Salvation for us, that the Gift of God is Eternal Life; and that the mercy of God is free, and God does not refuse any that do hearken to the Call of the Gospel, that God will as readily receive him if he comes to Christ, as if he were likely to live many years, and do service to God in the World.

And if his particular temptations may be discerned, care must be taken to remove them; if he be under any special discouragement or any flattering delusion, the snare if it be possible must be broken; he must be shewed the vanity of that temptation. Such light must be held out, that if God will bless it he may be delivered.

If at that time, or any other afterwards he does pretend to believe in Christ, it is very meet that he be cautioned that he does not deceive himself; for sick-bed Repensances are seldom true. Many persons that made great pretensions when sick, have proved very badly after their recovery.

II. If it be doubtful whether the man be in a Natural Condition, or Converted, as there may be some occusion to hope because of his profession, because of [Page 91]his estimation among men; because of an orderly carriage, and yet occasion to fear, because there is no great evidence of Grace, either in his Conversation before, or discourse at present: Sometimes there is more grounds for hope, sometimes for fear. These three things may safely be spoken to him.

1. The Doctrine of the Law and Gospel may be set before him. They may be somewhat explained and cleared up: It is fit men should be remembred of the Rule they are to be judged by. Many times when the Rule is clearly laid down. Conscience makes application, and witnesses to men how it is with them, Heb. 4.12. The Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, &c.

2. Promises may be applied conditionally. He may be told, That if he have been thorowly broken off from himself, and brought to rely upon Christ, God has accepted of him; that if his heart have been drawn by Gospel Encouragements to rely on Christ, he is out of danger; that if Gods Glory be upon his heart indeed, he is an heir of Glory; he may be told, that only his own Conscience can tell what the workings of his heart have been: That if he be not mistaken, but has indeed made Christ his refuge, all his sins are pardoned.

3. He may be warned that he do not deceive himself. It may be meet to remember him, that the heart is deceitful; that many false hearts do go hoping out of the World, that there be several things that do resemble Faith, and every Grace may be counterfeited: That he had need to beg of God to discover things plainly to him: That it would be a dreadful thing to be mistaken; and so he may be charged that he do not trust in any thing in himself, but betake himself alone to Christ.

III. If it be considerably plain, that he is Converted and Gracious; either from his known eminency in Religion, or from an account that he gives of Communion with God, or discoveries of Christ, and gracious workings of his heart: It may be very meet, [Page 92]To comfort him with those great and precious promises that God has made, to remember him of the freeness of Gods Grace, and the preciousness of the Blood of Christ; he may be minded of those things that are the pillars of our Faith, and the foundations of our comfort; how God in all Ages of the World has proposed this way of Salvation in this way the Saints of Old have lived and dyed: How the Faithfulness of God stands engaged for their Salvation, that their sins and iniquities are cast behind Gods back; this must be understood or spoken upon a supposition, that their work is a thorow work.

In Case he desires the Minister to tell what he judges about his sincerity; it may be suitable to tell him, that as far as he can discern, his heart is upright, and that the root of the matter is found in him; he must tell him that he has no infallible knowledge, God alone does know the hearts of men, there is no depending on his judgment, but so far as he can perceive, his Soul has been renewed by the Spirit of God.

If the man has any particular temptations, it is very suitable to remove them; he may be under temptation, because he has great deadness, a great deal of pride and hypocrisie; because he has not had so much dscovery of the favour of God, as he perceives others have had; because many others have been mistaken; because God has afflicted him very much; because he is withdrawn now in the time of his Sickness: Such particular temptations are to be answered. It may be [Page 93]shewed to him, that the dealings of God are various with his people; that such things are not inconsistent with Grace, that the best way is to live upon the free mercy of God in Christ.

The OTHER CASE is, when such persons as have made an high profession of Religion for a long while, are in darkness about their Condition.

In this Case, the first care of the Minister must be, to get satisfaction concerning the state of the person, whether he be Regenerate or not. Not but that many things may be spoken that may be profitable to them, whether they be sincerely Godly or no: But if the Minister do not know their condition, he can't apply proper remedies; and he may speak that which may be very dangerous, if he supposes the man to be Unconverted, when he is Converted; he may torment him, and discourage him needlesly; if he supposes the man Converted when he is not, he may do him much damage by comforting him up in a false way; therefore it is very needful that he do get what satisfaction he can about their condition, that so he may be helpful to them in their distresses.

In order to his passing a right judgment upon their condition, he must be careful that he do not lay too much weight upon it, that they have been in Church-fellowship many years, that their Carriage has been orderly, that they are well accounted of where they live, for these are [...] fallible signs, such things are common to Saints [Page 94]and Hypocrites; though these things may be grounds of Charity; but a Minister had need have better grounds to go upon when he comforts up persons with hopes of Reconciliation.

Neither must he lay too much weight on bad signs, that are not demonstrative; if the man do not know the time of his Conversion, or first closing with Christ, if he have any notable blemish, if he be not well accounted of, the Minister may not draw any peremptory conclusion from thence that he is not Godly; yea, if he do judge himself confidently to be Unconverted, it is best to enquire somewhat further in it. It is best discovered by three sorts of Enquiries.

1. Whether they have passed thorow the several steps of the work of Conversion. Some can give so full an account thereof, as will abundantly satisfie the Minister, that the work is right; some are so strangely to seek, that he may be much confirmed, that they have no grace; in some others after they have given what account they can, the work is more dubious.

2. Whether they have lived a life of Sanctification. There is great diversity in the measures of Sanctification that men have attained unto: very Holy men live an holy life, and by Enquiring what knowledge they have of God? Whether they prize the Glory of God? Whether they hate all Sin? Whether they do draw their encouragement from Christ? Whether [Page 95]they love Holiness, for Holiness sake? What Conflict they have with Pride, Unbelief, a self-righteous Spirit and Self-love? A Minister may come to comptent satisfaction whether they be in a state of Grace or not; in discoursing such things with them, a man may many times feel the workings of a spirit of Holiness.

3. Whether they have had sensible Communion with God. God is wont at times to draw nigh to the Souls of his People, sometimes in Meditation, sometimes in Prayer, and in other Ordinances; and to make discoveries of himself, and of Jesus Christ to their Souls, and to draw their hearts to him; and if there has been any thing considerable that way; the Minister may be well satisfied of their good Estate.

In Case the Minister be satisfied that the man is not Converted, he must use his prudence to judge whether it will be for the mans profit, that he do in plain Terms tell him so; sometimes it may be a prejudice and a means to exasperate him. Sometimes there is no such danger, but he may freely tell him what he judges, and the reasons of his jugment.

But in case he do not see it his way to tell the man his thoughts concerning him, yet he ought in conscience in the wisest way he can, put him into the understanding of his own condition: He may not suffer the [Page 96]man to go away with an opinion, that he [...]inks well of him, much less may he leave him ignorant of such rules whereby he may come to understand his condition; it becomes him to lay such signs of tryal before him as are most likely to bring him to sight of himself, and convince him of his Dangerous Estate.

In case the Minister be satisfied on good grounds about the mans good Estate: He ought to endeavour to clear it up to the man, laying convincing light before him; and answering those temptations that make it doubtful to the man himself; and also to direct him in such ways, wherein it is hopeful that God will help him and deliver him from his Temptations.

FINIS.

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