A Golden Chain, Conclusion 2
II. Conclusion.
The first material beginnings of the conuersion of a sinner, or the smallest measure of renewing grace, hauehave the promises of this life, and the life to come.
The exposition.
THE beginnings of conuersion must bee distinguished, some are beginnings of preparations, some beginnings of composition. Beginnings of preparation, are such as bring vnderunder, tame, and subdue the stubburnenesse of mans nature, without making any change at all: of this sort are the accusations of the conscience by the ministerie of the lawe, feares and terrors arising thence, cōpunction of heart, which is the apprehension of gods anger against sin. Now these and the like I exclude in the conclusion, for though they goe before to prepare a sinner to his conuersion following… yet are they no graces of God, but fruites of the law, that is, the ministerie of death, & of an accusing conscience. Beginnings of composition, I tearme all those inwarde motions and inclinations of Gods spirit, that follow after the worke of the law vponupon the conscience: and rise vponupon the meditation of the Gospel, that promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ: out of which motions the conuersion of a sinner ariseth, and of this it consisteth: what these are it shall afterward appeare. Againe, grace must be distinguished: it is twofold, restraining grace, or renuing grace. Restraining grace, I tearme certaine common giftes of God, seruing onelyonly to order, and frame the outward conuersation of men to the lawe of God, or seruing to berea…e men of excuse in the daie of iudgement. By this kind of grace, heathen men hauehave beene liberall, iust, sober, valiant. By it men liuing in the Church of God, hauehave beene inlightened, and hauing tasted of the good worde of God, hauehave reioyced therein, and for a time outwardly conformed themselues thereto; renewing grace is not common to al men, but proper to the elect, and it is a gift of Gods spirit, whereby the corruption of sinne is not onelyonly restrained, but also mortified, and the decaied Image of God restored. Now then, the conclusion must onelyonly be vnderstood of the second, and not of the first: for though a man hauehave neuer so much of this restraining grace, yet vnlesse he hauehave the spirit of Christ to create faith in the heart, and to sanctifie him, he is as farre from saluation as any other. Now then, the sense and meaning of the conclusion is, that the very least meanes of sauing grace, and the very beginnings or seedes of regeneration doe declare, and after a sort giuegive title to men, of all the mercifull promises of God, whether they concerne this life or the life to come: and therefore are approoued of God, if they be in trueth, and accepted as greater measures of grace. That which our Sauiour Christ saieth of the worke of miracles, …f you hauehave faith as a graine of Musterd seede, ye shall say vntounto this mountaine remooue hence to yonder place, and it shall remooue, must by the lawe of equall proportion be applyed to faith, repentance, the feare of God, and all other graces, if they bee truely wrought in the heart, though they bee but as small as one little graine of musterd-seede, they shall be sufficiently effectuall to bring forth good workes, for which they were ordained. The Prophet Esay 42.3. saith, that Christ shall not quench the smoaking flaxe, nor breake the bruised reede. Let the comparison be marked: fire in flaxe must be both little and weake, in quantitie as a sparke or twaine, that cannot cause a flame but onelyonly a smoake, specially in a matter …o easie to burne. Here then is signified, that the gifts, and graces of Gods spirit, that are both for measure and strength as a sparke or twaine of fire, shall not be neglected, but rather accepted and cherished by Christ. When our Sauiour Christ heard the young man make a confession of a practise, but of outward and ciuill righteousnes, he looked vponupon him and loued him: and when he heard the Scribe to speake discreetely but one good speach, that to lou… God with all his heart is aboue all sacrifices, he said vntounto him, That he was not farre from the kingdome of heauen. Therefore no doubt, hee will louelove with a more special louelove, and accept as the good subiects of his kingdome, those that hauehave receiued a further merciemercy of God to be borne anew of water and of the spirit.