VII. In that kingdom, happy believer, the times of

refreshing fully come from the presence of the Lord: mercy and love embrace thee on every side ; and thy sprinkled conscience enjoys the peace of sin-pardon- ing God. Then smiling Justice, more than satisfied by the meritorious death of Christ, sheathes her flam- ing sword, and declares, ‘‘ There is now no condemna- tion to them that are in Christ Jesus; they are justified from all things, and freely forgiven all trespasses.”— And now thou at more than conqueror through him that loved thee. Standing by humble faith in his om- nipotence, thou canst do all things, through his grace strengthening thee. Sin has no "dominion over thee: the. cruel and bloody tyrant, that reigned unto death, is dethroned; and grace, rich grace, sweetly reigns through righteousness unto eternal life. ‘Triumphing in Christ over thy fiercest enemies, and putting thy victorious foot upon the neck of the last, thou chal- lengest his utmost rage, and shoutest, “ O death, where is thy sting?. O grave, where is thy victory ? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Now thou seest and feelest that God is Love. Thou dwellest in Him, and He in thee. Love, the fulfilling — of the law, diffusing itself through all thy heart, influ- ences thy looks, words, and actions, and makes thee spring after Jesus into the chariot of cheerful obedi-
THE TRUE, PENITENT. 515
ence: thy heart is as his heart ;. and while active grace draws thy willing soul along, God’s free Spirit pours
the oil of gladness upon the fervid wheels of thy affec- tions : supported and animated by the Lord’s presence,
_ thou swiftly moyest, thou delightfully fliest in, all the
ways of duty: mountains of difficulties sink into plains before thee; wisdom’s roughest ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. - Now thou rejoicest to be thought worthy to suffer shame for Christ’s name, and countest it all joy when thou fallest into divers trials. With him the cross
loses its dreadful aspect, and enormous weight : when thou findest it in the highway of holiness, instead ‘of
consulting with flesh and blood, how thou shalt go aside to avoid it, thou immediately takest it up, and
it proves a comforting staff, a never-failing prop. ~~
Christ crucified, works this miracle of grace,’ for
‘Him thou receivest with every cross; and the moment thou dost so in the power of his Spirit, God, even thy own God, gives thee his choicest blessing : he crowns thee with loving-kindness and tender’ ‘mercies: ‘and . ‘with the inexpressible complaisance ofa father who |
receives a lost son! With the triumphant’ joys ofa
Saviour, who embraces a raised Lazarus, he says to the
myriads that surround his throne, ‘‘ One more sinner : repenteth unto life! hallelujah! He hath escaped 'the avenger of blood, he hath passed the gate‘ of the city of refuge! hallelujah! Shout, ye sons of the morning! My angels, strike your golden harps!’ Dance every - heart for joy, through the realms of heaven! Let bursts of triumphant mirth, let peals of ravishing praise, ‘roll along the transporting news; Let all your exulting breasts reverberate, let all your harmonious ‘tongues echo back our glorious joy! For this'my -son’ was dead, and is alive again! This your brother was lost, and is found !” «
And irradiating thy soul with the light of his recon- ciled countenance, he Says to thee from a throne blaz- . ing with grace and glory, ‘“ Penitent believer, receive the adoption ofason. Because thou receivest my Son, my only-begotten Son, into thy heart, I admit thee, _
516 A SERIOUS ADDRESS, ETC.
into the family. of the first-born: be thou blameléss and, harmless, a son of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom I allow thee to shine as a burning light in a be- nighted world. Son, all that I have is thine; be ever. with me, and thou shalt inherit all things. Yes, whe- ther Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas; whether my first apostles, or my choice ministers; or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all is - thine, for thou art Christ's, and Christ is mine. As thou hast received him, so abide and walk with him, worthy of me unto all pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in his knowledge, till thy faith is turned to sight, and I am all in all.” A
Start not, believing Reader, at these sayings, as if they were too glorious to be credited. They are the true sayings of God. The Lord himself spoke them for thy comfort. They are the precious pearls, which I promised thee out of the unsearchable treasures of Christ: if. swine trample them under their feet, wear thou them on thy breast. Instead of being offended at their transcendent excellence, magnify the God of all, consolation, who having delivered up his own Son for us all, with himalso freely gives us all things: con- sequently the richest mines of gospel grace. _ And giv- ing, vent tothe just transports of. thy grateful heart, cry, out with the beloved disciple, ‘ Behold what man- ner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!—Unto him who thus loved. us, and washed us from our sins in his own ‘blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God and his, Father:, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
THE END. |
AN
ALARM
TO
UNCONVERGED SINNBRS.
BY JOSEPH ALLEINE.
4
LONDON:
PRINTED AT THE CAXTON PRESS, BY HENRY FISHER,
(PRINTER IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY.)
SOLD AT NO. 38, NEWGATE STREET,
bela T ato is} uuu
Av ype a pep nap
aM, OVA POA ves
on on “nye re saribaginyeh ys pms
{
TO THE
UNCONVERTED READER.
MISERABLE sOUL!.
THERE is that’ life, and light, and love, in every true believer, but especially in every faithful mi- nister of Christ, which engageth them to long and Jabour for your salvation. Life is communicative and active; it maketh us sensible that faith is not phan- tasm, nor true religion a stage-player, nor our hopes of eternal happiness a dream. And as ‘we desire nothing more for ourselves than to have more of the holy life, (which we have, alas, in so small a measure,) — so what is it we should more desire for others? With the eye of an infallible (though too weak) faith, we see the heaven which you neglect, and the blessed souls in glory with Christ, whose companions you might be for ever: we see the multitudes of souls in hell, who came thither by the same way that you are going in, who are shut out of the glorious presence of God, and are now among those devils that deceive them, re- membering they had their good things here, Luke xvi. 25. and how they spent the day of their visitation, and how light they once set by God, by Christ, by hea- ven, by mercy, whilst mercy was an earnest, solicitor - for their hearts; and with our bodily eyes we see at
the same time abundance of poor sinners, living about
us as if there were no God, no Christ, no heaven, no - hell, no judgment, no, nor death to be expected ; as if
a man were but a master-beast to rule the rest, and
feed upon and perish with them. And if it were your
own case, to see what souls do in heaven and hell,
and at once to see how unbelievingly, carelessly, and
senselessly, most men live on earth, as there were no
such difference in another world, would it not seem a
520 3 AN EPISTLE TO THE |
pitiful sight to you? If you -had once seen the five brethren of Dives on earth, eating, drinking, laughing, and merry, clothed and faring daily with the best, and at the same_time seen their brother's soul in hell, beg- ging in-vain for a’ little ease, and ‘wishing that one from the dead might go warn them, that they came not to that place of torment;..would it not seem to you a pitiful sight? Would not pity have made you think, ~ *« Is there no way to open these gentlemen's eyes? No way to acquaint them what is become of their brother, and.-where Lazarus is, .and whither, they. themselyés are: going? No, one.,driveth, or forgeth .them.to hell, and. will they go thither of themselyes! And is there no: way; to. stop them, or keep, them) back?” Did you but ‘see. yourselyes »what, we,see by faith, (believing God,) and .at. once ‘behold. the.saints, in heayen,. the lost despairing souls in-hell, and the.senseless sensual sinners on earth, that yet wall lay none of this to hea surely it would make you wonder at the stupidity of mankind..Would you not say, O what a deceiver is the devil, that can thus lead. on souls. to) their ow: damnation! O what a cheat, is this transitory word that can make men. so forget the world where they must live for ever!, O. what an enemy is this flesh, that thus draweth down,men’s souls from) God! O what a besotting thing is, sin, that,turneth a reasona- ble soul into worse ;than a beast!..What a bedlam is . this wicked world,, when thousands are so busy labouring to undo, themselves, and others, and gratify- ing the deyil against their, God and Saviour, who would give them everlasting blessed life...
-And as we have such, a sight as this by. faith to make us pity you, so,we have so much taste of the goodness of God, the sweetness of his ways, and the happiness of believers, as must needs make us wish that you had but once tried the same delights. They would turn the pleasures of sin into detestation. God knows we desire nothing more for ourselves than the perfection and eternity of this holiness and Aappiness which we believe and taste: and should we not desire the same for you ? ,
SS
UNCONVERTED, READER. bQa
', And being thus moved with necessary pity, we ask of God what he would have us to do for your salvation. And he hath told us in scripture, That the preaching of his gospel, to acquaint you plainly of the truth, and earnestly and frequently entreat you to turn from the flesh and world to God by Jesus Christ, is the means with which his grace is ready to. concur for your salvation; when obstinate resistance causeth the Hol Sporat to forsake the sinner, and leave him to himself to pursue his own counsels, lusts, and will.
In this hope we undertook, the sacred ministry, and gave up ourselves to this great and most important work. In the great sense of our unworthiness,. but yet in a sense of our. soul’s necessity, we were not such fools at our first setting out, as not to know it must. be a life of labour, self-denial, and, patience; and the devil will do his -worst to hinder us, and have all his instruments ready to serve him against, our labours, and against your souls, Christ our Captain was saved by patient conquest; and so must we save ourselves and you; and so must you save yourselves under. Christ, if ever you be saved. . “Twas no strange thing to Paul, that bonds and afflictions did every-where attend him ; nor did he account his life dear, that he might finish his course. with joy, and the ministry committed to him by the Lord, Acts xx.23, 24. It was no. strange thing to him to be forbidden preaching to the, Gentiles, that they might be saved; by such as .were filling up the measure “of their. sins, and .were under God's ut- most wrath on earth, ] Thess. ii. 16.. Devils-and Pha- risees, and most where they came, both high and low, were against the apostles preaching of the gospel; and yet they would not sacrilegiously and cruelly break their. covenant with Christ, and perfidiously desert, the souls of men; even as their Lord, for the love of souls, did call Peter ‘Satan, who would have tempted him_,to save his life and flesh, instead of making it a sacrifice for‘our: sins, Matt. xvi./23.
What think you should make us undertake a calling so contrary to our fleshly ease and interest? Do we ale, 3.U
522 AN EPISTLE TO THE
not know the way of ease and honour, wealth and pleasure, as well as others? And have we not flesh as well as others? Could we not be content that the cup of reproach, scorn, slander, poverty, and la- bours, might pass from us, if it were not for the will of God and your salvation? Why should we love to be the lowest, and trodden down by malignant pride; and counted as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things; and represented to rulers, whom we honour, as schismatics, disobedient, tur- bulent, and unruly, by every church-usurper, whom we refuse to make a god of? Why give we not ‘over this preaching of the gospel at the. will of Satan, who is for the everlasting suffering of your souls, un- der pretence of its making ws suffer? Is not all this, that’ you may be converted and saved? If we be herein beside ourselves, it is for you: could the words of the ignorant or proud have persuaded us, that either your wants or dangers are so inconsiderable (or your other supplies and helps sufficient) that our labours had been unnecessary to you; God knoweth we should have readily obeyed the silencing sorts of pas- tors, and have betaken us to some other land, where our service had been more necessary. Let shame. be the hypocrite’s reward, who takes not the saving _ of souls and pleasing of God for sufficient reward, without ecclesiastical dignities, preferments, or worldly wealth. pry I have told you our motives, I have told you our business, and the terms of our undertaking. It is God and you senners that must next tell us what our enter- tainment and success shall be. Shall it still be neglect and unthankful contempt, and turning away your ears and: ‘hearts, and saying, We have something else to mind? Will you still be cheating. by this deceitful world, and spend all your days in pampering your guts, and providing for the flesh that must be rotting shortly in a grave? Was you made for no, better use than_ this? May not we bring you to some sober thoughts of your condition? Not one hour seriously to think whither you are going? ‘What! not one awakening
.
UNCONVERTED READER. 323
look into the world where you must be for ever? Not one heart-piercing thought of everlasting glory? Not one heart-piercing thought of your Saviour’s love?
- Not one tear for all your sinful lives? O! God for-
XN
bid: let not our labours be so despised: let not your God, your Saviour, and your souls, be so light set by: O let there be no more profane persons. among you like Esau, who for one morsel sold his birth- right. _ I
Poor sinners! we talk not to you as on a stage, im customary words, and as if talking was our trade: we are in as good earnest with you as if we saw you mur- dering yourselves, and were persuading you to save yourselves. Can any man be in jest with you, who
-believeth God, who by faith foreseeth whither you are
going, and what you lose, and where the game of sin will end? ‘Tis little better to jest with you now in a pulpit, or in private, than to stand jesting over your departing souls, when at death you are breathing out your last.—Alas! with shame and grief we confess, we never speak to you of ti:ese things, as theit truth — and weight deserve, nor with the skill and wisdom, the affection and fervency, that beseemeth men en- gaging in the saving of souls; but yet you may per- ceive that we are in earnest with you, (for God is so.) What else do we study for, labour for, suffer for, live for? Why else do we so much trouble ‘ourselves, and trouble you, with this ado, and anger them that would have made us silent? For my own part, I will make my free confession to you to my shame, that I never grew cold, and dull, and pitiless to the souls of others, till I first grew too cold and careless of my own, (unless when weakness or speculative studies cool me, which I must confess they often do.) We never cease pitying you, till we are growing too lke you, and oft have need of pity ourselves.
When, through the mercy of my Lord, the prospect of the- world of souls, which I am going to, hath any ©
_ powerful operation on myself, O! then I could spend
and be spent for others. No words are too earnest, no labour too great, no cost too dear; the frowns and
2
524 AN EPISTLE TO THE?
wrath of malignant opposers of the preaching of Christ's gospel are nothing to me: but when the world of spi- rits disappears, or my soul is clouded, and receiveth not the vital illuminating influences of heaven, J grow cold, first to myself, and then to others.) §
Cdne then, poor sinners, and help us, who: are wild . ling at any time to help you. As we first crave'Gad’s help, so we next crave yours: help us, for we cannot serve you against your wills, nor save you without your. consent and help. God himself ‘will not save you without you; and how shall we? ‘We know’that the devil is against us, and will do his utmost to hinder us; and so will all his ministers, by what names ‘or titles soever dignified or distinguished. But all this is nothing, if you will but take our parts;. I mean, if you will take Christ’s part and your own, and will not be against yourselves. Men or devils cannot either help or hinder us in saving you, as you may do yourselves: if God and you be for’ us, who shall be against-us ?
And wiil you help us? Give over striving against God and conscience: give over fighting against Christ and his Spirit: take no more part with the world and flesh, which in your baptism you renounced :) set your hearts to the message which we bring: allowit your manlike sober thought, search the scriptures, and see whether the things we speak be so or no. We ‘of= fer you nothing but what we have resolvedly chosen . ourselves, and that after the most serious deliberation — we can make. We have many times looked: round about us, to know what is the happiness of man ; and had we found better for ourselves, we had offered bet- ter to you. If this world would have served our tutns, it would have served yours also, and we would not have troubled you with that talk of another world; but it will not, I am sure it will not, serve your turns to make you happy, nor shall you long make that’ self- deceiving shift with it 'as now ye do.
But if you will not think of these things, si you will not use the reason of men, alas! what can we do to save your souls? © pity them, Lord, that they may
‘ . 4
UNCONVERTED READER. 525
pity themselves; have mercy on them, that they may ~ ave some mercy on themselves; help them, that they may help themselves and us. If you still refuse, will not your loss be more than ours? If we lose our labour, (which to ourselves we shall not,) if we lose our hopes of your salvation, what is this to your everlasting loss of salvation itself? And what are our sufferings for your sake, in comparison of your endless sufferings ?
But, O! this is it that breaketh our hearts, that we leave you under more guilt than we found you: and when we have laid out life and labour to save. you, the impenitent souls must have their pains increased for refusing these calls; and that it will be part of your heli to think for ever, how madly you refused our counsel, and what pains, cost, and patience, were used to have saved you, and all in vain. It will be so, it must needs be so. Christ saith, it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for the rejecters of his gospel-calls. The nature of the thing, and the nature of justice, certainly inform you it must be so. i
O turn not our complaints to God against you! tura us not from beseeching you to be reconciled to God, to tell him you will not be reconciled: force us not to say, that we earnestly mvited you to the heavenly feast, and you would not come: force us not to bear this witness against you, “‘ Lord, we could have borne all our labour and sufferings for them muuch easier, if they would but have yielded to thy grace. Butit was they themselves that broke our hearts, that lost our labour, that made us to preach and intreat in vain; it was easier to preach without maintenance than with- out success. It was they that were worse to us than all the persecutors in the world. How oft would we
have gathered them; but they would not, but are un- - gathered still?” How many holy, faithful ministers, have I known, these eleven years last past, who have lived in pining poverty and want, and hardly by-cha- rity got bread and clothing; and yet, if they could but have truly said, «‘ Lord, the sermons which I preach
526 AN ‘EPISTLE TO THLE*)
privately, and in danger, have won many souls to thee,” it would have made their burden easy. But I tell the senseless. and impenitent sinner, thou that de- niedst God in thy heart, and that deniedst them thy conversion, which was the end of all their labours, has dealt much more cruelly with them than they that denied the Levites bread. sa}
Poor sinners! I know that I am speaking all this to those that are dead in sin; but ‘tis a death consisting with a natural /ife, which hath a capacity of spiritual life, or else I would no more-speak to you than to a stone. And I know that you are blind to sin; but ‘tis a blindness consisting with a reasonable faculty, which is capable of spiritual i//wmination; or else 1 would no more persuade you than I do a beast. And I know that you are in the fetters of your own lusts; your wills, your love, your hearts, are turned away from God, and strongly bewitched with the dreams and dalliances with the flesh and world: but your wills are not forced to this captivity. Surely these wills may be changed by God's grace, when you clearly see sufficient reason to change them; else I would as soon preach (were I capable) to devils and damned souls. Your case is not yet desperate; O make it not desperate. There is just the same hope of your salvation as there is of your conversion and perseve- rance,and no more. Without it there is no hope, and with it you are safe, and have no cause to doubt and fear. Heaven may yet be yours, if you will. “No- thing but your own wills, refusing Christ and a holy life, can keep you out. And shalt thou do it? Shall hell be your own choice? And will you say, you wil
not be saved?
O think better what you do! God's terms are rea- sonable, his words and ways are good and equal; Christ's yoke is easy, and his burden light ; «and his commands are not grievous to any, but so far as blindness and a bad and backward heart makes them so. You have no true reason to be unwilling ; God and conscience shall one day tell you, and all the world, that you have no reason for it. You may as wisely pretend reason to
*
UNCONVERTED READER. 527
cut your throats, to torment yourselves, as plead rea- son against a true conversion unto God. Were I per- suading you not to ki// yourselves, | would make no question but you would be persuaded; and yet I must be hopeless; when I persuade. you from everlasting misery, and not to prefer the world and flesh before your Saviour, and your God, and before a sure ever lasting joy.—God forbid!
Reader, I take it for a great mercy of God, that be- fore my head lies down in the dust, and I go to give up my account unto my Judge, I have this opportu- nity once more earnestly to bespeak thee for thy own salvation. I beg it of thee, as one that must shortly be called away, and speak to thee no more till we come unto our endless state, That thou wouldst but sometimes retire into thyself, and use the reason of a man, and look before thee whither thou art going; and look behind thee how thou hast lived, and what thou hast been doing in the world till now; and ook within thee, what a case thy soul is in, and whether it be fit to enter upon eternity; and look above thee, what a heaven of glory thou dost neglect, and consider thou hast God to be thine everlasting Friend or Enemy, as thou chusest, and as thou livest, and thou art always in his sight; yea, and Jook below thee, and think where they are that die unconverted. And when thou hast soberly thought of all these things, then do as God and true Reason shall direct thee.—And is this an un-
reasonable request? I appeal to God, and to all wise
men, and to thy own conscience, when it shall be
awakened, if I speak against thee, or if all this be not for thy good: or if it be not true and sure, thenwegard
not what I say: if I speak not that message which God hath commanded his ministers to speak, then let
it be refused as contemptuously as thou wilt. But if I
do but in Christ’s name and stead beseech thee to be reconciled to God, 2 Cor. v. 20. refuse it at thy peril. And if God’s beseeching thee shall not prevail against thy sloth, lust, thy appetite, against the desires of the flesh, against the dust aud shadows of the world, re-
. F
528 AN EPISTLE TO THE member it when with fruitless cries and horror thou art beseeching ‘him too late.
I know, poor Sinner, that flesh is brutish, and ies and appetite have no reason: but I know ‘thou hast reason thyself, which was given thee to over-rule them, and that. he that will not be a man, cannot be a saint, nor a happy man. 1 know thou livest in a tempting and wicked world, where things and persons will be daily hindering thee : but I know that this is no more to ‘a man that by faith sees heaven and hell before him, than a grain of sand is to a kingdom, or a blast of wind to one that is flying for his life. O man! that thou didst but know the difference between that which the devil and sin will give thee, if thou wilt sell thy soul and heaven, and that which God hath promised and Sworn to give thee, if thou wilt heartily give up thy- self to him! I know thou mayest possibly fall ito company (at least among some sots and drunkards) ‘that will tell thee, « All this is but troublesome pre- ciseness, and making more ado than needs.” But I know withal what that man deserveth who will believe a fool before his Maker; (for he can be no better than - a miserable fool, that will contradict and revile the ‘word of God, even the word of grace that would save men’s souls.)
And, alas, it is possible thou mayest hear some of the tribe of Levi (or rather of Cain) deriding this seri- ous godliness, as mere hypocrisy; and fanaticism, and. self-conceitedness ; as if you must be no’better than the devil's ‘slaves, lest you be proud im thinking that you are better than they; that is, you must go with them to hell, lest in heaven ye be proud hypocrites, for wen ing yourselves better than they.
ft may be they will tell you, that this talk of con- version is better for pagans and infidels to hear, than for ‘Christians and Protestants, because such men’s big look or coat. may make the poison be the easier taken down: Twill entreat thee ‘but: (as before (God) to an- ‘swer the ‘following questions, ‘or to get them answer- ed,‘and then judge whether it be they or we that would
UNCONVERTED READER. 529
deceive thee: and whether as men use to talk against learning, that have none themselves, so such men prate against conversion and the Spirit of God, because they have no such thing themselves.
Quest. 1. I pray ask them, whether it be a Puritan _ or Fanatic opinion, that men must die? And, what all the pomp, wealth, and pleasure of the world, will sig- nify to a departing soul? Ask them whether they will live on earth for ever, and their merry hours and lordly looks will have no end? And whether it be but the conceit of hypocrites and schismatics, that their carcase must be rotting in a darksome grave? .
Quest. 2. Ask them, whether men have not an 2m- mortal soul, and a longer life to live when this is ended? Luke xu. 4, 5.
Quest. 3. Ask them, whether reason requires not every man to think more seriously of the place, or state, where he must be for ever, than of that where he must be for a little while, and from whence he is post- ing day and night? And whether it be not wiser to lay up our treasure where we must stay, than where we must not stay, but daily look to be called away, . and never more to be seen on earth ?
Quest. 4. Ask them, whether God should not be loved with all your heart, and soul, and might? Matt. xxii. 37. and, whether it be not the mark of an ungodly miscreant to be a lover of pleasure more than God, 2 Tim. iii. 4. and a lover of this world above him, 1 John ii. 15. and whether we must not seek, first, God's king- dom and his righteousness, Matt. vi. 33. and Jdabour most for the meat which never perisheth, John vi. 27. and strive to enter in at the strait gate, Luke xiti. 24. and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure? 2 Pet. i. 10.
Quest. 5. Ask them whether without holiness any shall see God? Heb. xii. 14. Matt. v. 8.. Titus n. 14. and, whether the carnal mind is not enmity to God, and to be carnally minded is not death, and to be spiritually minded is not life and peace? and whether, if you live after the flesh, you shall not die and be condemned? “eae they shall not live and be saved that walk
. 3X
530 AN. EPISTLE TO THE’
after the Spirit? and whether any man be Christ’ that hath not the Spirit? Rom. vii. 1—10.
Quest. 6. Ask them, whether any man hath treasure in heaven, whose heart is not there? Matt. vi. 21. And whether this be not the difference between the wicked and the godly, that the first make their bellies their god, and mind earthly things, and are enemies to the cross of Christ, (though perhaps not in name,) and the latter have their conversation im heaven, and, being risen with Christ, do set their affections on things above, and not on things that are on the earth, to which they are dead, and. their life is hid (or out of sight) with Christ in God, till Christ shall appear, and then shall they appear (even openly to all the world) with him in glory? Phil. ii. 18, 19, 20. Col. ili. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Quest. 7. Ask them, whether it be credible or suit- able to God's word or working, that he that will not give the fruits of the earth without their labour, nor feed and clothe them without themselves, will yet bring them to heaven without-any care, desire, or labour of their own, when he hath bid them not care for the one, and called for the greatest diligence in the other? Matt. vi. 31, &c. Yea, ask them whether these be not the two first articles in all faith and religion: 1. That God is; 2. That he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seek him,
Quest. 8. ic them, yea, ask your eyes, your ears, your daily experience in the, world, whether a// or most that call themselves Christians, do in good\earnest thus live to God in the Spirit, and mortsfy the flesh with its affections and lusts, and. seek frst God's king- dom, and righteousness, love him above all, and lay up treasure and heart in heaven; or rather, whether most. be not lovers of the world, and lovers of pleasure, more. than God, and live not after the flesh; and mind not most the things of the flesh? I mention not now the drunkards, the flesh-pleasing gentlemen, that. live in. pride, fulness, and idleness, and sport and play away their, precious time ;. nor the filthy fornicator, nor the merciless oppressor, nor the mabgoant hater of. a
UNCONVERTED READER. 531
godly life, nor the perjured betrayers of men’s souls and the gospel, or of their country’s good: nor such other men of seared consciences, whose misery none questions, but such as are blind and miserable: it*is not those only I am speaking of, but the common, worldly, fleshly, and ungodly ones.
Quest. 9. Ask them, whether the name of a Chris-. tian will save any of these ungodly ones? And whe- ther God will like men the better for lying and call- ing themselves Christians, when indeed they are none? And, whether they dare preach to the peo- ple, that a Christian-drunkand, or Christian-fornicator, or oppressor, or a Christian-worldling, needeth no con- version ?
Quest. 10. Ask them, whether they say not them- selves that hypocrisy is a great aggravation to all other sin? And whether God hath not made the hypocrites and unbelievers to be standards in hell? Matt. xxiv. 51. And, whether seeking to abuse God by a mock religion doth make such false Christians better than the poor heathens and infidels, or much worse? And, | whether he be not @ hypocrite, that professeth to be a Christian and a servant of God, when he is none, nor will be? And, whether he that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall not have the sorest stripes or punishment? Luke xii. 47.
Quest. 11. Ask them, whether in their baptism (which is their christening as a covenant) they did not - renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil, and vow and deliver up themselves to God their Father, their Saviour, and their Sanctifier? And whether all or most men perform this vow? And whether a perjured cove- vant-breaker against God, is fitter for salvation than one that never was baptized ?
Quest. 12. Ask them, whether the holy nature of God be not so contrary to sin, as that it is blasphemy to say that he will bring to heaven, and into the bosom of his eternal delights, an unholy and unrenewed soul ? 2 Pet. i. 15, 16. . ~ Quest. 13. Ask them, why it was that Christ came into the world, whether it was not to save his people from
1532 AN EPISTLE TO THE,
their sins, Matt. i. 21. and to destroy the works of the devil, 1 John iii. 8. and to purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. 1. 14. and to bring home straying souls to God, Luke xv. and to be the way to the Father? John xiy. 6. .And whether Christ will save that soul that is not converted by him, and cleansed from his sins? Or whether it be the. dead image only of a crucified Jesus that is all their, Saviour, while they have no. more of him?
Quest. 14. Ask them, why they believe, and, were baptized in the Holy Ghost? And, whether a-man can enter into the kingdom of heaven that is not , born of the Spirit as well as of water? John iil. 3, 6, 7. and that is not converted, and begins not the world as it were anew, in a teachable and tract- able newness of life like a little child? Matt. xyui. 3. And whether it be not a certain truth, that 2f any man have not the Spirit of God, he is none of his? Rom. vii. 9.
Quest. 15. Ask them, why Christ gave the world so many. warnings of the damnableness of the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, if hypocritical Christians may be saved? And what were these Pharisees? They were the mas- ters of the Jewish church, the Rabbies, that must have high places, high tithes, ceremonies, and formal gar- ments, and must be reverenced of all; that gave God lip-service without the heart, and made void his com- mands, and worshipped him in vain, teaching for doc- trine the commandments of men'; and strictly tithed mint and cummin, while love, merey, and justice, were pass- ed by; who worshipped God with abundance of cere- monies, and built the tombs and garnished the sepulchres of the saints, while they killed and persecuted those that did imitate them, and hated the living saints, but honoured the dead: they were the bitterest enemies and murderers of Christ, on pretence that he was a blasphemer, and a seditious enemy to César and the common peace, and one that spoke against the temple; they were the greatest enemies of the Apostles, and silencers of those that preached Christ’s gospel, and persecuted them that called upon his name. And had
?
UNCONVERTED READER. S55
these no need of Conversion, because they could say, God is our Father, (when the devil was their father, John viii. 44.) and that they were Abraham's seed ? And are not hypocritical Christians, drunken Christians, fornicating Christians, carnal, worldly, infidel Chris- tians, (the contradiction is your own,) persecuting Christians, false-named, hypocritical Christians, as bad, yea, worse, as they abuse a more excellent profession ? Matt. xv. 7, 8, &c.
Quest. 16. Doth not the Holy State, or heaven, require holiness in all that shall possess it? Can an unholy soul there see, and love, and praise, and de- light in God for ever, and in the holy society and em- ployment of the saints? Is he not more like a Maho- metan than a Christian, that looketh for a sensual and unholy. heaven ? :
Quest. 17. What is the difference between the church and the world? Is not the church a holy society of regenerate souls? Yea, the church visible is only those that in baptism vow holiness, aud profess it. Look these hypocrites in'the face, and see whe- ther they do not blush when they repeat in the Creed, *T believe in the Holy Ghost; I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, and the Communion of Saints,” who shall have the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting. Ask them whether they mean holy adulterers, holy worldlings, holy perjured persons? Ask them, whe- ther they mean a communion of saints in a tavern, in a play-house, in a gaming-house, in a whore- house, or a jesting, canting stage-play communion ? If the church be holy, be holy if you will be of the church: if it be a communion of saints, make it not a communion of swine; and make not saints and their communion seem odious, neither their infirmi- ties, for their crossness to your carnal interest or conceits.
Quest. 18. Ask them, whether there be a heaven and a hell or not? If not, why are they pretended Chris- tians? If there be, will God send one man to heaven, and another to hell, to so vast, so amazing a difference of states, if there be no great difference between ther
534 AN EPISTLE TO THE
here? If holiness no more differenced Christians from others, than saying a sermon, or saying over a prayer, doth difference one from an infidel, where were the justice of God in saving some and damning others ? And what were Christianity better than the religion of Antonine, Plato, Socrates, Seneca, Cicero; Plutarch,
and others, if not much worse? Go into Loudon streets, and when you have talked with living prudent’ men, then go to the painter's shop, and see. a comely picture ; and to the looking-glass, and see the appear- ance of each passenger in a glass; and to the periwig- ° shops, and see a wooden head with a periwig upon the block ; and you have something like the difference of a holy soul, and of a dead and dressed formal
hypocrite. ‘
Quest. 19. Ask them, whether kings and all men make not a difference between man and man; the loyal and perfidious, the obedient and disobedient ? and, whether they difference not themselves between a friend and a foe, one that Joveth them, and one that robbeth, hateth, or would kill them? And shall not the most Holy God make more difference between the righteous and the wicked ?
“Quest. 20. But if they are dead in every poifit, save carnal interest, ask them why they are preachers or priests? And if Conversion and Holiness be a needless thing, what use are they themselves of? . And why must the country be troubled with them, and pay them tithes, and owe them reverence?
When. these twenty questions are well answered, conclude you may be saved without conversion.
But if, poor soul, thou art fully convinced, and asketh, What shall T do to -be converted?’ The Lord make thee willing, and save thee from hypocrisy, and I will quickly tell thee in a few words.
1. Give not over sober thinking of these things, till thy heart be changed.
2. Come to Christ, and take him for thy Saviour, thy Teacher, thy King, and he will pardon all that is
. past, and save thee. 3. Believe God's love, the panes of sin, and the
UNCONVERTED READER, 535
everlasting joys of heaven, that thou mayest feel that all the pleasure of the world and flesh are dung in ~ comparison of the heavenly delight of faith, and hope, and holy love, and peace of conscience, and sincere obedience.
4. Sin no more wilfully, but forbear that which thoy mayest forbear, Isa. lv. 7.
5. Away from temptations, occasions of sin, and evil company, and be a companion of the humble, hea- -
. venly, and sincere, Psal. cxix. 63—115.
6. Wait on God’s Spirit in the diligent and constant use of his own means: read, hear, meditate, pray; pray hard for that grace that must convert thee: wait thus, and thou shalt not wait in vain, Psal. xxxvii. 34. and Ixix. 6.
“ Pity, O Lord, and persuade these souls; let not Christ's blood, his doctrine, his example, his Spirit, be lost upon them, and they lost for ever. Let not hea- ven be as no heaven to them, while they dream and doat on the shadows of this world. And, O save this land from a greater destruction, than all our late plagues, and flames, and divisons, which our sins and thy threatenings make us fear. O Lord, in thee have we trusted, let us never be confounded.” ~
Having thus contributed my endeavours in this Pre- face, to the furtherance of the design of this ercellent book, I must tell thee, Reader, that I take it for an honour to commend so masculine a birth into the world: the midwife of Alevander or Aristotle need not to be ashamed of her office. Who the author of this treatise was, how he preached, how he lived, how he suffered, (and for what,) and how he died, his life, and letters, lately printed, fully tell you: and I ear- nestly commend the reading of them to all, but espe- cially to ministers: not to tell them what men have here been forbidden to preach Christ's gospel, and for what; nor what men they are that so many years have done it; but to tell you what men Christ's ministers should be. But say not, “ he killed himself with ex- cessive labour, therefore I will take warning, and take my ease.” For, 1. He lived in perfect health all his
s
536 AN EPISTLE TO THE
days, notwithstanding all his labours, till after his hard and long imprisonment. 2. It was not the greatest labour of his times of liberty that hurt him, but his preaching six, seven, or eight times in a week, after he was silenced, because he could not speak to all his
people at once. O make not an ill use of so excellent.
an example; say not, like Judas,“ What needs this waste?” His labours, his life, his sufferings, his death, were not in vain. The ages to come, that read his life, and read his little popular treatise, and his Cad to Archippus, shall say they were not in vain.» And tho’ he was cut off in the midst of his age, and his longer labours and more elaborate writings thus prevented, take thankfully this small, but methodical, warm, and serious Tractate: read it seriously, and it cannot be but that it must do thee good.
Iam one that have looked into books, sciences, and speculations of many sorts, and seriously tell thee, as a dying man, that, after all my searches and experience, I have found that philosophical inquiries into the di- vine artifices and nature of things, have, among a great number of uncertainties, a great many pretty pleasant probabilities, which a holy soul can make good use of in admiring God, and may find us a lawful Kind of sport; but in the moralities, which Atheists count un- certainties, the knowledge of God, and our duty and our hopes, the doctrine and practice of holiness, tem- perance, charity, and justice, and the diligent seeking and joyful hopes of life everlasting, is all the true wis- dom, goodness, rest, and comfort, of a soul). What-
ever be the plea, this is the sanctifying certainty, the
business, and the beautiful improvement, of our lives
RICHARD BAXTER.
UNCONVERTED READER. 537
“« READER,
_* HOW well it were, if there were no more uncon- verted ones among us, than those to whom this is directed! Unconverted persons, how many are there! but how few unconverted readers, especially ~ of such books as this before thee! A play, or a ro- mance better suits the lusts, and therefore must have more of the eye of such; what will cherish the evil ° heart only is most grateful,—not what will change it. How many are there to whom this is directed, who will not know that they are the men! and how little hope is there that this excellent treatise should reach its end with those that apprehend themselves not con- cerned in it!—Art thou not one of them? Art thou a convert, or art thou yet in thy sins? What is sin? What is conversion ?—It may be thou canst tell me neither, and yet thou sayest a convert thou art: But to what purpose is it then like to be, for the servants of God to treat with thee about this matter?. Let them bid thee believe,—thou art a believer already: let them bid thee repent and turn to the Lord,—that work (thou sayest) is not to do now. What can there be said to this man that is like to bring him to good? Friend, _ know thyself better, or thou perishest without remedy. Thou mayest pray, but what hope is there in thy pray- ing? Thou mayest read, but what hope is there in thy reading? Yet read on; this little hope there is, in this book there’s eye-salve that may heal thee of thy blind- ness. In this book there is a glass that will show thee thy face. Dost thou know thy own face when thou seest it? Behold thy very image in those marks that are given of an unconverted person; read and consi- der them, and then say if thou be not the man.
** Be willing to know thyself, and to know the worst of thy case: wink not at the light: hide not thyself from thine own soul. Wilt thou never know thy dis- ease till it be past remedy ?
** Much of our hardest work would be over, if we: could see the sinners to whom we are sent, to be con-
38. : 3 Y
Wap > AN EPISTLE TO THE
vinced sinners. If we could but open the blind eyes, there were hopes we should shortly raise the dead.
«Sinner, of a truth thou art in an ‘evil ease, whe- _ ther thou know it or not; thou art among’ the dead, and there is but one step between thee and hell. Thou wilt not believe it, though it be told thee: yet once again let me beseech thee, come to the'glass that is here presented to thee, and narrowly observe whether the very marks of the dead be not found upon thee.
“If there be miscarriages in this first work, if thou wilt not understand thy misery and thy danger, there is an end of all hope concerning thee. hilst self- ignorance abides upon thee, all the ciatnoniie that are necessary to a man in thy case will do thee no good; they are never like to prosper with thee, because thou wilt not count them proper for thee. » Who will be per- suaded to do that which he believes'is already done ? Who will take the counsel of the physician, that does not think himself sick? The man'of God may spare his pains of persuading thee to conversion, whilst thou art confident thou art converted already. Who will be at the pains of repentance, that concludes ‘he hath re- pented? Who will be at the labour and pangs of the new-birth, thst is confident he is already passed. from death unto life? |
« But, friend, let me reason a little with thee; Thou art confident it is well with thee; yet why wilt thou not yield.to thus much at least, to put it to the question, Am I not mistaken? Thou art worse than’ mad, if thou thinkest such a question may not be put. Dost thou not know, that the heart is false and de- ceitful? Yet because it speaks good concerning thee, must it not be questioned whether it speaks true or no? Be so wise as to conclude, J may be mis- taken; and thus come to the trial whether thou art mistaken or not.
“ And if upon trial, by the marks that are ‘pefare thee, thou come to be undeceived, and see thyself wrapped up in that misery which hitherto thou wouldst not suspect, the news that I expect to hear from ~ thee is, What shall I do to be saved? QO were it come
‘
.
UNCONVERTED READER. 539:
to that once! then thou hast an answer at hand in those means thou wilt find prescribed thee: and be- cause they are such as thou wilt hardly be. persuaded to use, take in the motives that follow, and they will help down the means: consider both the one and the other, and if thou dost not find the means proper, and the motives weighty, I think T shall do thee no wrong if T tell thee, thou art still of a blind mind, and a harder heart.
“Friend, the matter which this little book comes -
to treat with thee about, is of the highest importance,
‘tis a matter of life or death. If thou sayest, The terms upon which life is offered are hard; consider, is it not harder to die? He is worthy to die who will lose his _ soul to save his labour. If thou couldst step down
into-the deep, and take a turn or two with those damn-
ed souls who are drenched with fire and brimstone, and bound in everlasting chains of vengeance, and should ask them, Now what do you think of the terms upon which life was offered? Now what think you of that repentance, ofthat. obedience, of that cir- - cumspection, self-denial, and the greatest severity, which by the gospel were imposed upon you?- If you might once again have the same terms granted you for your redemption from this place of torment, would you yet say, Hard terms? let me rather die this death for ever, than live such a life? let me broil in this furnace, rather than escape with such difficulty ?
* Shouldst thou ask them thus that have felt what it is
to be damned, what answer dost thou think they would make? O friend! never again groan under the diffi- culties of conversion, till thou believe them to be worse than hell. But I will no farther anticipate my worthy author. ; ‘= Nor. 18 ee much need I should commend either himself or his works; for the author himself thou
mayest at a small charge get acquainted with, in that
history of his life and death which is extant, concern- ing which I shall only say, “« Sic mihi contingat vivere, sicque mori.”
540 - AN EPISTLE, ETC.
‘«* And for this work of his, what commendation I shall give of it will be needed no longer than till thou hast read it over: thou wilt find such wine in it as needs no bush. This only shall I say, as far as my credit will go, it is exceedingly well worth thy most serious perusal. O mayest thou hear that voice (such a voice from heaven there is, whether thou hear it or no) Tolle & Lege—Take up and read. Read, friend, and read. over again, read and understand, understand and pray, pray and consider, and consent unto him, who by the pen of his servant calls to thee from hea- ven, Why wilt thou.die? Turn and live. O. suffer this work of instruction and exhortation to open thy blind eyes, to turn thee from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, that thou mayest receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified, Et cum talis fueris, memento mei, When it is thus with thee, then pray for
“ The friend and servant ef thy soul,
« RICHARD ALLEINE,”
seivadhieleiucie INVITATION TO SINNERS ; TO TURN TO GOD,
IN ORDER TO THEIR ETERNAL SALVATION. ~
DEARLY beloved and longed for, I gladly ac- knowledge myself a debtor to you all, and am con- cerned, as I would be found a good steward to the ‘household of God, to give every one. his portion ; but the physician is most solicitous for those patients whose case is most hazardous; and the father’s bow- els are especially turned towards his dying child ; the numbers of unconverted souls call for my most earnest compassion: and. therefore to these, first, I shall ap- _ ply myself.
But, Lord, wherewith shall I woo them? Where- with shall I win them? O that I could but tell! I would write unto them in tears; I would weep out every argument, verily (were I able) I would: O how thankful would I be, if they would be prevailed with to repent and turn! But, Lord, how insufficient am I for this work! Lord, what a task hast thou sent me to do! Alas, wherewith shall I make the heart -to feel that is hard as a piece of the nether millstone! Shall I go and lay my mouth to the grave, and look when the dead will obey me, and come forth? Shall _ I give the blind to see? From the beginning of the world was it ever heard that a man opened the eyes of the blind? But thou, O Lord, canst pierce the scales and prick the heart of the sinner: I can but draw the bow at a venture, but do thou direct the arrow
a 542 MISTAKES ABOUT CONVERSION.
between the joints of the harness, kill: the sin, and save the soul of a sinner that casts his cn bead labours.”
But some of you do not know what is meant by conversion; and therefore, for-your sakes, I shall show what conversion is. Others cherish secret hopes of mercy, though they continue as they are: and for them I must show the necessity of conversion. Others har- den themselves with a vain conceit that they are con- - verted already; unto them I must show the marks of the unconverted. Others, because they feel no harm, fear none, and so sleep upon the top of the mast: to them I shall show the misery of the unconverted.
Others sit still, because they see not their way out: to .
them I shall show the means of conversion. And, finally, for the quickening of all, I shall close with the motives to conversion.
CHAP. I.
Showing what ConvERsIoNn 7s not.
Ler the blind Samaritans worship they know not.
what—John iv. 22. Let the heathen Athenians su- perscribe their altar unto the unknown God—Acts xvii. 23. They that know man’s constitution, cannot but know that the understanding having the empire in the soul, he that will go rationally to work must labour to let in the hight hones Therefore, that you may not mistake me, I shall show you what I mean by the conversion I persuade you to endeavour after.
The devil hath made many counterfeits of conver- sion, and cheats one with this, and another with that ; : and such craft and artifice he hath, that (if it were pos- sible) he would deceive the very elect. Now, that I may cure the damnable mistakes of some who think they are converted, when they are not, I shall show you the nature of conversion, both what it is not, and what it is.
1. It is not the taking upon us the profession of
Christianity. . Doubtless ea umiccat is more than a -
>
oe
MISTAKES ABOUT CONVERSION. 543
name; If we will hear Paul, it lies not in word but in power, 1 Cor. iv. 20. If to cease to be Jews and Pagans, and to put on the Christian profession, had been true conversion, who better christians than they of Sardis and Laodicea? These were all. Christians by profession, and had a name to live; but because they had. but a name, are condemned by Christ. Are there not many that mention the name of the Lord Jesus, that yet depart not from imiquity? And. will God receive these for true converts?) What! © converts from sin, when they yet live in sin! We find not only professors, but preachers of Christ, and wonder-workers, turned off because evil werkers, Matt. vii. 22, 23. | 2. It is not the being washed in the laver of regene- ration, or putting on the badge of-Christ in baptism. Many wear the livery of Christ, that yet never stand to their colours, nor follow their Leader. Azanias and Sapphira were babtized as well as the rest. How fondly do many mistake here, deceiving and being de- ceived! dreaming that grace is necessarily tied ‘to the external administration of baptism, and so every infant shall be regenerated, not only sacramentally, but really and properly. Hence men fancy, that being rege- a already when baptized, they need no farther work.
Friends and brethren, be not deceived, God is. not
__ mocked, Gal. vi. 7. Whether it were your baptism, or
whatever else that you pretend, I tell you from the living God, that if any of you be prayerless persons, or unclean, or malicious, or covetous, or riotous, or a scoffer, or a lover of evil company; in a word, if you are not holy, strict, and self-denying Christians, you cannot»be saved.
3. dt lies not in a moral righteousness. This ex- ceeds not the righteousness of the Scribes and Phari- sees, and therefore cannot bring us to the kingdom of God.’ St. Paul, while unconverted, touching the righ- teousness which is in the law was blameless. The Pharisee could say, J am no extortioner, adulterer, unjust. Thou must have aes more than all a
544 MISTAKES ABOUT CONVERSION.
to show, or else (however thou mayest justify thyself} God will condemn thee; I condemn not morality, but warn you not to rest here: piety includes morality, as Christianity doth humanity; and grace includes rea- son; but we must not divide the tables. >
4. It consists not in -an external conformity to the rules of piety. “Fis too manifest men may have a form of godliness, without the power. Men may pray long, and fast often, and hear gladly, and be very forward in the service of God, though costly and expensive, (Isa. i. 11.) and yet be strangers to conversion: they raust have more to plead for themselves, than that they keep their church, give alms and make use of prayer, to prove themselves sound converts ; no outward ser- vice, but a hypocrite may do it, even to the giving all his goods to feed the poor, 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
5. It lies not in the chaining up of corruption by . education, human laws, or affliction. “Tis common to mistake education for grace; but if this were enough, who a better man than Jehoash? While Jehoiada his uncle lived, he was very forward in God's service. But here was nothing more than good education ; for when his good tutor was taken out of the way, he ap- pears to have been but a wolf chained up, and falls to idolatry.
6. It consists not in conpiction, in a superficial change or partial reformation. A Fehw may tremble under conviction, and a Herod amend many things. ‘Tis one thing to have sin alarmed by convictions, and another to have it captivated and crucified by con- verting grace. Many, because they have been trou- bled for their sins, think well of their case, miserably mistaking conviction for conversion. Others think, that because they have given off their riotous courses, and are broken off from evil company, and reduced to sobriety, they are now real converts, forgetting that there is a vast difference between being sanctified and civilized; and’ that many seek to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and are not far from it, and arrive to the almost of Christianity, Acts xxvi. 28. and yet fall short at last. While conscience holds
MISTAKES ABOUT CONVERSION. 545
the whip over them, many will pray, hear, read, and forbear their delightful sins: but no sooner is the lion asleep, but they are at their vomit again. Who more religious than the Jews, when God’s hand was upon them? Yet no sooner was the affliction over, but they forgot God, and showed their ee to be a fit.
Hear then, O smners. Why would you wilfully deceive yourselves, and build your hopes upon the ~ sand! I know he shall find hard work of it that goes to pluck away your hopes. It cannot but be ungrate- ful to you, and truly it is not pleasing to me. TI set about it as a surgeon, when he is to cut off a putrified member from his well-beloved friend, which of force he must do, though with an aching heart, and a trem- bling hand. But understand me, brethren, I am only taking down the ruinous house, (which will otherwise speedily fall of itself, and bury you in the rubbish,) that I may build it fair, strong, and firm for ever. The hope of the wicked shall per ish.” And hadst thou not - better, O sinner, let the word convince thee now in © time, and let go thy false hopes, than have death to open thine eyes, and find thyself in hell before thou _ art aware? Let your conscience speak: what is it that you have to piead for yourselves?’ Is it that you wear Christ's livery? that you bear his name? that you are of the church? that you have knowledge in the points of religion? are civilized, perform religious duties, are just in your dealings, have been troubled in conscience for your sins? I tell you, from the Lord, these pleas will never be accepted at God's bar; all © this, though good in itself, will not prove you done verted, and so will not suffice to your salvation. OQ! bethink yourselves of turning speedily and soundly ; set to praying, and to reading and studying your own hearts; rest not till God hath made thorough work with you: for you must be erlier men, or else you ¢ are lost men.
But if these be short of conversion, what shall I say of the profane sinner? He must know from the Lord
3 Z
546 MISTAKES ABOUT CONVERSION.
that made him, that he is far from the kingdom of God. May a man be civilized}, and not converted? | where then shall the drunkard and the glutton appear ? May a man keep company with the wise virgins, and - yet be shut out? shall not a companion of fools. much more be destroyed? May a man be true and just in his dealing, and yet not be justified of God? what then will become of thee, O wretched man, whose conscience tells thee thou art false in thy trade, and false in thy word, and makest thy advantnge By a lying tongue? If men may be brought to the perform- ance of holy duties, and yet go down to perdition for’ resting in them, and sitting down on this side of con- version, what will become of you, O miserable fami- lies, that live without God in the world? and of you, O wretched sinners! with whom God is scarce in all your thoughts! that are so ignorant that you cannot, or so careless that you will not pray? O repent, and
be converted: break off your sins by righteousness ;
away tu Christ for pardoning and renewing grace; give up yourselves to him to walk with him in holiness ; or else you shall never see God! O that you would take the warning of God! In his namel once more admonish you: turn you at my reproof. Be sober, right- eous, godly. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Cease to do evil. Learn
- to do well. But if you will go on, you must die.
‘CHAP. Il. Showing what CoNVERSION 428.
I may not leave you with your eyes half open, as he
' that saw men as trees walking. The word is profit-
able for doctrine, as well as reproof. And therefore
- having thus far conducted you by the rocks of so many
mistakes, I would guide you into the harbour of truth. Conversion then is a thorough change both of the heart and life: I shall briefly describe it in its nature
‘and causes. -
THE NATURE OF CONVERSION. «© 547.
‘1. The author, ’tis the Spirit of God, and therefore tis called the sanctification of the Spirit; yet not ex- cluding the other persons in the Trinity: for the - apostle teacheth us to bless the Father of our Lord Je- sus Christ, for that he hath begotten us again. And Christ is said to give repentance unto Israel, and the’ children which God hath given him. Yet this work is principally ascribed to the Holy Ghost; and so we’ are said to be born of the Spirit, John ii. 8.
So then ’tis a work above man’s power. Never think thou canst convert thyself; if ever thou wouldst be converted, thou must despair of doing it in thine own strength. It is a resurrection from the dead, a new creation, a supernatural work, Gal. vi. 15.
2. The moving cause is Internal or external.
The internal moving is only free grace. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but of his own mercy he saved us.
God finds nothing in a man to turn his heart, but _ enough to provoke his loathing. Look back upon | thyself; look upon thyself in thy blood. Open thy sepulchre. Behold thy putrid soul, thy loathsome members. Behold thy ghastly visage, thy crawling lusts, thy slime and corruption! How then should ho- liness and purity love thee? Be astonished, O. hea- vens, at this! Be moved, O earth! Who but must needs cry, Grace! grace! Hear and blush, you chil- dren of the Most High; O you unthankful generation ! one would think you should be doing nothing but praising and admiring God, wherever you are. How can you make shift to forget such grace, or to pass it over. with a slight mention? How affectionately doth Peter lift up his hands, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who of his abundant mercy hath be- gotten us again, | Pet.i. 3. How feelingly doth Paul magnify the free mercy of God! God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, hath guickened us together with Christ ; by grace ye are saved, Eph. ii. 4, 5.
The external mover is the merit and intercession of the blessed Jesus. Ue hath obtained gifts for the re-
548 THE NATURE OF CONVERSION. bellious, and through him it is that God worketh in us what is well-pleasing in his sight. Through him are all spiritual blessings bestowed on us in heavenly places, Eph. i. 3. He intercedeth for them that be- lieve not. Every. convert is the fruit of his’ travail. O never was an infant born into the world with that difficulty that Christ endured for us! How emphati- cally he groaneth in his travail: all the pains that he suffered on the cross, were our birth pains. He sane~ tified himself, (that is, set apart himself as a sacrifice ») that we may be sanctified, John xvii. 19. .
‘Tis nothing then but the merit and intercession of Christ, that prevails with God to bestow on us grace. If thou art a new creature, thou knowest to whom thou owest it, to Christ's pangs and prayers. Hence the natural affection of a believer to Jesus Christ. The foal doth not more naturally run after the dam, than a believer to Jesus Christ.
3. The instrument is either personal or real.
The- personal is the ministry. J have begotten you in Christ through the gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. Christ’s ‘ministers are they that are sent to open men’s eyes, and to turn them to God.
O unthankful world, little do ye know what you are doing, while you are persecuting the messengers of the Lord. These are they, whose business it is (under Christ) to save you. Whom have you re- proached and blasphemed? Against whom have exalted yourselves, and lifted your voice on ei These are the servants of the Most High God, show unto you the way of salvation, Acts xvi. te do you thus requite them? O foolish and unwise! sons of ingratitude! against whom do you sport fit selves? These are the instruments that God uses to convert and save you.
The real instrument is the word. We were begotten by the word of truth: this is that which enlightens the eye, which converteth the soul, Psal. xix. 7, 8. “which maketh wise to salvation, 2 Tim. iii. 15. This is the incorruptible seed, by which we are born again. If we are washed, it is by the word, Eph. v.26 If
THE NATURE OF CONVERSION. 549,
‘we are sanctified, it is through the truth, J ohn xvii. 17. “ 7; :
You that have felt its renewing- power, be for ever thankful forit; tie it about your necks, write it upon your hand. - “When you go, let it lead you: when you sleep, let it keep you; when you wake, let it talk with you: say with huly David, I will not. forget thy pre- cepts, for by them thou hast quickened me, Psal. cxix. 93. You that are unconverted, read the word with diligence, flock to it where powerfully preached, fill the porches as the multitude of the impotent, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water, John v. 3. Pray for the coming of the Spirit im ‘the word; come off thy knees to the sermon, and’ come’ to thy knees from the sermon: the seed doth not pros-: per, because not watered by prayers and tears, nor covered by meditation.
4. The final cause is man’s -salvation, and God's glory.—We are chosen thro’ sanctification to salvation, 2 Thess. ii. 13. Called, that we might be glorified, but especially that God might be glorified : that we should » show forth his praise, and be fruitful in good works, Col. i. 10. O Christian! do not forget the end of thy calling; éet thy light shine, Matt. v. "16. let thy lamp burn, let thy fruits be good, and many, and in season, Psal. i. 3. let all thy designs fall in with God's, that so may be magnified in thee.
5. The subject is the sinner; and that in all his parts and powers, members and mind.
This change of conversion passes throughout the whole subject. A carnal person may have some shreds of good morality, but he is never good throughout the whole cloth, the whole body of holiness. Conversion. is no repairing of “the old building, but it takes all down, and erects a new structure, ‘tis not the putting ina patch, or sewing a list of holiness; but, with the true convert, holiness is woven into all his powers, principles, and practice. The sincere Christian 1s quite a new fabric; from the foundation to the top-stone all fire-new. He is a new man, a new creature. All things are become new. Cohversion is.a deep work,
550 THE NATURE OF CONVERSION.
a heart-work ; it turns all upside down, and makes a man be in anew world. It goes throughout with men, throughout the mind, throughout the motions of, the whole man. Vavendls
1. Throughout the mind. It makes a universal change within. First, it turns’ the balance of the judgment, so that God and his glory weigh down all carnal and worldly interest. It opens the eye of the mind, and makes the scales of its native igno- rance to fall off, and turns men from darkness to light. The man that before saw no danger in his condition, now concludes himself lost for ever, except renewed by the power of grace. He that formerly thought there was little hurt in sin, now comes to see it to be the chief of evils; he sees the unreasonableness, un- righteousness, and deformity, that is in sin; so that he is affrighted with it, loathes it, flees it, and even abhors himself for it. He that could see little sin in himself, and could find no matter for confession before God, unless it were some few gross evils: now sin reviveth within him, he sees the rottenness of his heart, and desperate and deep pollution of his whele nature: he cries, ‘‘ Unclean, unclean! Lord, purge me with hyssop, wash me thoroughly, create in me a new heart.” He sees himself altogether become filthy, corrupt, both root and tree; he writes unclean upon all his parts, and powers, and performances: he sees the blasphemy, and theft, and murder, and adultery, that is in his heart, which before he was ignorant of: heretofore he saw no form or comeliness in Christ,
or beauty, that he should desire him; but now he
finds the hid treasure, and will sell all to buy this field. :
Now, according to.this new light, the man is of ano- ther mind, another judgment, than he was: now God is all with him, he hath none in heaven nor on earth
like him, Psal. xxiii. 25. He prefers him before all’
thé world: his favour is his life; the light of his coun- tenance is more than corn, or wine, and oil, the good that formerly he inquired after, and set his heart upon. Now let all the world be set on one side, and God
7
THE NATURE OF CONVERSION. 551
alone on the other; let the harlot put on her paint, and present herself to,the soul (as when Satan would have tempted our Saviour with her) in all the glory of her kingdoms, yet the soul will not fall down and worship her, but will prefer a naked, yea, a crucified, persecut-
- ed Christ, before her. This is the convert’s voice;
=
The Lord is my portion; whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire. be- sides thee. God is the strength of my heart, and my
_ portion for ever.
Secondly, l¢ turns the bias of the will, both as to means and end.
1. The intention of the will is altered. Now the man hath new ends and designs; now he intends God above all, and desires and designs nothing in all the world so much, as that Christ may be magnified in him. He counts himself more happy in this than in all that the earth could yield, that he may be service- able to Christ, and bring him glory in his generation. This is the mark he aims at, that the name of Jesus may be great in the world.
Fisher: dost thou view this, and never ask thyself, whether it be thus ‘with thee? Pause awhile, and breathe on this great concern,
2 The. election is also changed, so that, he chuseth another way. He pitcheth upon God as his blessed- ness; upon Christ as the principal, and holiness, as the subordinate means to bring him to God. He chu-. seth Jesus for his Lord. This choice is not made in a fright, as with the dying sinner, that doth only take Christ rather than hell; but he deliberately resolves, that Christ is his best choice, and would rather have him than all the good of this world. Again, he takes holiness for his path; he doth not of mere necessity submit to it, but he likes and loves it. He takes God's testimonies, not as his bondage, but as his heritage; yea, heritage for ever, Psal. cxix. 111. He counts. them not his burden, but his bliss; not his cords, but. his cordials. He doth not only bear, but takes up Christ's yoke: he takes not holiness as the stomach doth the loaded potion, but as the hungry doth his be-
loved food. No time passing so sweetly with him as that which he spends in the exercises of holiness; these are both his aliment and element, the desire of his — eyes, and the j joy of‘his heart. —
Put thy conscience to it as thou goest, whether thou © art the man. O happy man, if this be thy case! But see thou be impartial in the search.
Thirdly, Jé turns the bent of the affections. These run all-in a new channel: Jordan is driven back, and — the water runs upwards againsts its natural course. Christ is his hope, 1 Tim. i. 1. This is the prize, Phil. iii. 8. here his eye, here his heart is. He is contented to cast all over-board (as the merchant in the storm). so he may but keep this jewel.
The first of his desires is not after gold, but grace. He hungers after it, he seeks it as silver, he digs for it as hid treasure: he had rather be gracious than be great: he had rather be the holiest man on earth, than the most learned, the most famous, most pros- perous. Once he said, O! if I were but in great esteem, and rolled in wealth, and swimmed in plea- sure, then I should be a happy man. But now the tone is changed. O! saith the covenant, if I had such measures of grace, such fellowship with God, though I were poor and despised, I should account myself a blessed man. Reader, is this the language of thy soul ?
His joys are changed. He rejoiceth in the ways of God’s testimonies, as mueh as in all riches. He de- lights in the law of the Lord, wherein once he had little favour. He hath no such joy as in the thoughts of Christ, the fruition of his company, the prospérity of his people.
His cares are altered. He was once set for the world, and any serap of time were enough for his soul Now he gives over caring for the asses, and sets his heart onthe kingdom: now all the ery is, What shall, ¥ do to be saved? His great solicitude is now to se- eure his soul. ' His fears are not now of suffering. Once he was afraid of nothing so much as the loss of his estate or
552 THE NATURE OF CONVERSION. 1
THE NATURE OF CONVERSION. pos
esteem, or the pleasure of friends; nothing sounded so terrible to him as pain, or poverty, or disgrace ; now these are little to him, in comparison of God's dishonour or displeasure. How warily doth he walk, lest he should tread uponasnare! He feareth always, he looks before and behind, lest he should be. over- taken with sin. It kills his heart to think of losing God's favour; this he dreads as his only undoing. No thought in the world doth pain him so much, as to. think of parting with Christ.
His dove runs a new course. My Love is crucified, (saith holy Ignatius) that is, my Christ. This is my Beloved, saith the Spouse.
He can find no words sweet enough. Let me see thee, O light of mine eyes: come, O thou joy of my spirit. Let me behold thee, O life of my soul. Appear: unto me, O my great delight. O my God, my life, and the whole glory of my soul. Let me find thee, O desire of my heart. :
His sorrows have now a new vent. The view of his sins, the sight of Christ crucified, that would _ searce stir him before, now how much do they affect his heart!
Commune then with thine own heart, and attend the general current of thine affection, whether it be towards God in Christ above all other concernments. Indeed the great inquiry is, whether the judgment and will be standingly determined for God above all other good: and if the affections sincerely follow their choice, though it be not so sensibly as is to be desired, there is no doubt but the change is saving.
2. Throughout the members. Those that were before the instruments of sin, are now become the holy uten- sils of Christ’s living temple. He that before abused his body, now possesseth his vessel in sanctification and honour, in temperance, chastity, and sobriety, and dedicateth it to the Lord.
The eye that was once a wandering eye, a wanton eye, a haughty, a covetous eye, is now employed in weeping over its sins, in beholding God in his works, >) ee 4A
554 THE NATURE OF CONVERSION. |
in reading his word, in looking up and down for ob- jects of mercy, and opportunities for his service. «~
The ear that was once open to Satan’s call, and re- lished nothing so much as filthy (or at least frothy) talk, and the fool’s laughter, is now bored to the door of Christ's house, and open to his discipline; it saith, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth ; and waits for his words as the rain, and relisheth them more than the appointed food.
His heart is now become an altar of incense, where the tire of divine love is ever kept in, and whence the daily sacrifice of prayer and praise, and sweet in- cense of holy desires and ejaculations, are continually ascending. | A ety
The mouth is become a well of life, his tongue as choice silver, and his lips feed many: now the salt of grace has seasoned his speech, and cleansed the mouth from its filthy communication, flattery, boast- ing, railing, lying, swearing, backbiting, that once came hke the flashes that proceed from the hell that was in the heart. The throat that was once an open sepulchre, now sends forth the sweet breath of prayer and holy discourse, and the man speaks in another tongue, in the language of Canaan, and is never so well as when talking of God and Christ, and the matters of another world. His mouth bringeth forth wisdom, his tongue hath become the silver trumpet of his Maker's praise, his glory, and the best member that he hath.
3. Throughout the life and practice. ‘The man takes anew course. His conversation is in heaven. Nosooner doth Christ call, but he straightway becomes a follower of him. When God hath the new heart, and writes his law in his mind, he forthwith walks in his statutes, and keeps his judgments.
Though sin may dwell in hin, yet it hath 70 more dominion over him. He hath his fruit unto holiness, and hath an unfeigned respect to all God’s commandments, making conscience even of little sins and little duties. His very infirmities, which he cannot help, are’ his soul's burden, and are like the dust in a man’s eye, ~
YHE NATURE OF CONVERSION. a2:
which though but little, yet is not a little troublesome, O man! dost thou read this, and never turn in upon thy soul by self-examination? The sincere convert is not one man at church and another at home; he is not a saint on his knees, and a cheat in his shop; he will not tithe mint and cummin, and neglect mercy and judgment, and the weighty matters of the law;
“\he doth not pretend to piety, and neglect morality ; but he turneth from all his sins, and keeps all God's statutes, if not perfectly, yet sincerely, not allowing himself in the breach of any. Now he delights in the word, and sets himself to prayer, and opens his hand, (if able,) and draws out his soul to the hungry; and hath a good conscience, willing in all things to live honestly, and to keep without offence towards God and man.
Here again you shall find the unsoundness of many, that take themselves for good Christians; they are partial in the law, and take up with the cheap and easy duties of religion, but go not through with the work, They are as cakes not tumed, half toasted and half raw. It may be, you shall have them exact in their words, punctual in their dealings; but they do not exercise themselves unto godliness! and for exa- mining themselves and governing their heart, to this they are strangers. You may have them duly at the church; but follow them to their families, and there you shall see little but the world minded. Or, if they have a road for family-duties, follow them to their clo- sets, and there you shall find their souls are little look- ed after. It may be they seem other ways religions, but bridle not their tongues. It may be they come up to closet and family-prayer; but follow them to their shops, and there you shall find them ina trade of lying, or some covert way of deceit.
6. ‘‘The terms are either from which, or to which.”