Remains, Title page 4 – Table of contents 3

Remains · Title page 4 – Table of contents 3

PAVLS CONVERSION. OR, THE RIGHT VVAY TO BE SAVED. As it is excellently well set out in divers Doctrines raised from ACTS 9. 6. And he trembling, and astonished, &c.

By the late faithful and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ, IOHN PRESTON, D^r. in Divinity, Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.

Printed at London for Andrew Crooke. 1634.

The Contents of PAVLS Conversion.

NOthing can deject a sinner so much as the fearefull power of God. pag. 108

Three things cause an astonishment:

DOCTRINE I. He that will receive Christ or the Gospell, must first bee humbled. p. 182

Humiliation, how tis call'd in Scripture.

1. Pricking of the heart. ibid.

2. Poverty in Spirit. p. 183

3. A melting heart. ibid.

4. A trembling at the Word. p. 184

Humiliation of necessity to salvation, because without it men keepe backe from Christ.

Two hinderances that keepemen from Christ.

1. Vnbeleefe. p. 187

2. Neglect of Christ, which is twofold;

1. Totall, refusing all offers of grace. p. 188

2. Partiall, having a mixture of the love of the world, and Christ. p. 189

Men compared to the three grounds in the Gospel. p. 190

Whether Humiliation bee absolutely necessary or no? p. 191

Godly and worldly sorrow differ in the

Objects. p. 195

Causes. ibid.

Effects. p. 196

The degrees of godly sorrow. p. 199

The least measure of Humiliation is that which makes a man beleeve in Christ. p. 200

USE I. To examine our selves whether wee have received Christ or no; for it must be by a deepe Humiliation. p. 201

Without Humiliation no receiuing the Gospell; shew'd in five particulars.

1. A man will not find any need of Christ. p. 202

2. He will not hold out to entertaine Christ. p. 203

3. He will not for sake all things for Christ. p. 204

4. He will not wholly depend on him. p. 205

5. He will not undergo any thing for Christs sake. 206

Meanes to attaine humiliation of Spirit, are,

I. A rectifi'd Iudgement. p. 207

From a rectifi'd Iudgement proceeds sorrow for sinne, in respest,

1. Sinne is evill of its owne Nature. p. 208

2. It is the greatest evill, because it deprives us

1. Of the best outward good, which is God. ibid.

2. Of the chiefest good within us: For,

1. It deformes the beauty and strength of the inward man.

2. It weakens grace within us. p. 209

3. It produces evill effects, ibid.

4. It needs the greatest medicine to beale it, even Christ himselfe. ibid.

II. Humility of heart. p. 210

The way to get our hearts humbled, is,

1. To labour for some sense of holinesse. p. 211

2. To consider the punishment of sinne. ibid.

III. Application. p. 213

IV. Bringing things to a propinquity. p. 216

V. The removall of all excuses. p. 818

Excuses, or deceits, are,

1 We doe as well as the best. p. 219

2 We have as good meanings as the best. p. 221

3 It is our Nature to be thus and thus. p. 222

4 Our condition privilegeth us. p. 223

The better the condition, the more reason to serve God.

1 Because a greater account is to be rendred. p. 224

2 Because their knowledge is the more. p. 225

3 Because a greater Iudgement will bee inflicted. p. 226

VI. The obtaining of the Spirit. ibid.

VII. A joyning the Word with the Spirit. p. 228

The Word will effectually humble us,

1 If we get saving knowledge of the Word. ibid.

2 If we receive it as the Word of God. p. 229

3 If we bring it home to the Conscience. p. 231

Three Rules that the Word by Application may be effectuall to humble us.

1 Not to defer or put off the worke of the Spirit. p. 232

2 Not to make too much haste out of humiliation. p. 233

3 To proportion humiliation to the sinnes. p. 235

USE. II. To exhort us to get our selves throughly humbled. p. 236 Motives hereunto, are,

1. All we doe, till we be humbled, is but lost labour. p. 237

Reasons hereof are, because

1 A broken heart is the Altar on which we must offer. ib.

2 An humble soule is a fit habitation for Gods Spirit. 238

3 Without humiliation no keeping close unto Christ. ib.

2. Whatsoever profession we make, it is worth nothing without humiliation.

Reasons hereof are, because without humiliation

1 A man withers, will not hold out in his profession. 239

2 He will not grow strong in Christ. ibid.

3 Good duties wil be chok'd, as the seed amongst thornes p. 240

3. There can be no sound cōfort without humiliation. 241

Two Questions answered:

1 What kind of sorrow meant here. p. 242

2 Whether it be of absolute necessity to salvation. 243

Signes to know whether we be truly humbled or no, are,

I. To love much. p. 247

Motives to love Christ, grace and holinesse, are,

1 To consider the goodnesse and exoellency of the thing you are perswaded to. ibid.

2 To consider the good you see in Christ, is yours, if you be his. p. 248

II. To tremble at the Word Preached. p. 249

III. To be affected with the Word when it comes in the edence of the Spirit. p. 251

In the Word two things:

1 Meat. ibid.

2 Medicine. p. 253

IV. To be little in ones owne eyes. p. 254

V. To yeeld a generall obedience unto Christ. p. 255

Humiliation fits the soule for obedience, because

1 It makes a man see God in his holinesse and power▪ 256

2 It makes him desire the favour of God. ibid.

3 It makes him chuse God to be his master. p. 257

4 It tames the stubbornnesse of our Nature. ibid.

5 It makes him willing to suffer any thing for Christ. p. 258

VI. To prize Christ above the things of the world. p. 259

DOCT. II. Sinne in it selfe is full of griefe and bitternesse, and men shall finde it so, sooner or later. p. 260

Prov'd to be bitter. p. 261

Men shall find it so, for these reasons; because

1 Otherwise God should lose his glory. p. 262

2 Every sinne is the breach of a just Law. p. 263

3 It is Gods Iustice to punish sinners. p. 264

God suspends the execution of Iudgement,

1 Because the time of punishment is not yet come. p. 265

2 For the Churches increase. p. 266

3 For the good of some that are yet to be call'd. ibid.

4 For try all of the heart. p. 267

5 Because their afflistions are greater than other mens, though they seeme not so: and that in these respects:

1 Because God denyes them grace. p. 268

2 The prosperity of the wicked is a punishment. ibid.

3 They wither and dry in their sinnes. ibid.

4 They have many afflictions we know not of. p. 269

USE. I. To teach us not to delude our selves in the matter of afflictions. p. 269

Motives to forsake sinne, are,

1. Sinne will make you ashamed. p. 271

2. If you sinne, God will beat you. p. 272

God correcteth his children when they sinne, sor two reasons.

1 Because sinne is sinne with God, in whomsoever it is. ibid.

2 Because Gods children are the Temptes of the holy Ghost, wherein God delights to dwell. p. 273

Six objections concerning Gods punishing sinne, answered. p. 274

3. Sinne will take away your excellency. p. 277

4. The least sin violateth the peace of conscience. p. 278

5. Sin will bring upon you all manner of miseries. ibid.

6. Sin can yeeld no true comfort or content. p. 280

7. Sin is restlesse. p. 281

8. Sin hath no familiarity with God, p. 282

9. If you live in sinne, God will shew no mercy. ibid.

10. Sin breakes the Covenant betwixt God & you. p. 283

11. Sin is a Theefe. p. 284

12. Sin is the greatest enemy God hath. p. 285

13 Sin will make you come weeping home. p. 286

14 No content so long as you live in sinne. p. 287

15 Sin will make you confesse your selves to be fooles. ib.

16 Sin will take you away from God, and God from you. p. 288

Motives to hate sinne in regard of God:

1. God doth take notice of all you doe. p. 289

2. When God strikes for sinne, his wrath exceeding bitter. ibid.

3. The longer God stayes from striking sinnes, the greater and terribler his stroke when it comes. p. 290

DOCTR. III. Christ is exceeding mercifull and ready to shew mercy to those that are truly humbled. p. 291

REAS. I. Because mercy pleaseth him. p. 293

REAS. II. Mercy is naturall unto God. ibid.

REAS. III. God is rich in mercy. ibid.

REAS. IV. God is our Father. ibid.

USE. I. To draw us close to God, because he is mercifull. ibid.

OBJECT. My sinnes so many, so great, I feare Christ will not receive me. p. 294

ANSW. Gods mercy is infinite, and so are not thy sinnes. p. 294

USE. II. To exhort men not to neglest those meanes whereby grace is got. p. 294

Helpes, not to put off Repentance, but to get grace, are

1 To take the time and opportunity when Grace is ofred. ibid.

2 Repentance is not in thine owne power. p. 295