Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 9 · Sermon 67
SERMON LXVII.
Divers Propoſitions or Conſiderations introductory to the Doctrine of Converſion.
EZEK. 33. 11.
Say unto them, As I live, ſaith the Lord God, I have no pleaſure in the death of the wicked, but that he turn from his way: Turn ye, turn ye from your evill wayes.
THis Text hath informed us how unpleaſing the death of a wicked man is to God. We now proceed to the inference made from that propoſition, Therefore the wicked ſhould turn from his evill wayes. Turn ye, turn ye. The ingemination denoteth the vehement affection and deſire of God, as alſo our ſtupidity and love to our ſins, when once calling will we not awaken, but we muſt over and over again be called upon. I am therefore now to treat on that famous and neceſſary work, converſion or turning from ſinne. As Satan and the Angel did once ſtrive about Moſes his body, So now the great controverſie between God and his Angels, and the Devil and his inſtruments, is about a wicked man, whether he ſhall ſtill be kept in the bonds or chains of ſinne, or whether he ſhall be looſened from them, and ſet free to walk in Gods Commandements. I ſhall, becauſe of the uſefulneſſe of this point, handle it doctrinally, and practically. And the foundation upon which we will build our diſcourſe ſhall be this Doctrine, viz.
That converſion or turning, from our evill wayes, is neceſſarily required Doctr.to an happy and eternall life. The Text hath this in the affirmative and the contrary, Let the wicked man turn, that he may live. Turn ye, Why will ye dye? See how life is the neceſſary conſequent of Converſion, and death the fruit of neglecting it. Life and death are the great Arguments in the world. What will not a man give for life? and death is the King of terrors. We uſe to ſay, ſuch a man is ſo earneſt and buſie in that matter, as if life and death depended on it. To be ſure, ſuch ought your cares, prayers, and endeavors to be about the avoiding of ſin, and cleaving to that which is good; for life and death are in theſe things. Oh that men by faith and an effectual Meditation would apply theſe things more.
For Introduction into this matter, conſider ſome particulars.
Firſt, That the phraſe in the Text, To be converted, or turn our ſelves, is a metaphor Introductory conſiderations. 1.taken from the outward ſituation or poſition of bodies, and is applyed ſometimes to things, ſometimes to perſons. To …hings; ſo God is ſaid to turn joy into laughter, and to turn the captivity of Sion: unto Perſons, and ſometimes it is applyed to God, when of angry he becomes loving and propitious unto men, when they leave their luſts, and turn to him, both are comprized in this Text: Turn unto me, and I will turn unto you. Turn unto me by an holy change, and I will turn to you by a gracious change, though all the change be in man, not God. The Texts of Scripture which command and commend this converſion are ſo many, that it is endleſſe to name them; ſo then as bodies, are ſaid to have ſuch a locall poſture, (as for example) a man may ſtand with this poſture, as to have his back upon the Sun, and his face clean contrary to it; Thus it is with the ſoul, the affections of the ſoul are its feet, and when it turneth from God, the back is turned upon the Sun; and in that poſture he continueth, till by faith and repentance he be turned again. Conſider therefore in what poſture thy ſoul is, whether thou art not clean oppoſite to God and his way. As naturally we came into the world, with our faces towards hell, and our backs upon God; ſo it is with our ſouls.
Secondly, As by ſinne we are thus turned from God, which is terminus a quo, ſo the Creature, and the luſts of ſin are the terminus ad quem, to which they turn. Converſion 2.is a motion; Now in all motions, there is the term from which, and the terme to which. Thus in the motion of the ſoul to ſin: The term from which, is God; the term to which, is ſin: and the contrary is, when we turn to God; ſo that if there were no other arguments, this might eaſily perſwade us to come out of that cuſtome and delight in ſin, which we have been uſed unto; for how reaſonable and happy is the change, to leave ſinne, that hath guilt, torment, condemnation, and all curſes in it, and to turn to God, the fountain of all happineſſe and joy! Oh, we might think, that all the violent temptations of ſinne, ſhould never be able to hold us, but that we would quickly break all thoſe bonds, and run to God.
Thirdly, This phraſe of turning to God, and from ſin, implyeth thus much, That while we live in ſinne, we make ſinne our Lord and Maſter; and therefore follow 3.that, turn up and down after that, as the Servant after his Maſter: but when we caſt off theſe tranſgreſſions, then we follow the Lord our Maſter, and go after him; ſo that all men in the world are divided into thoſe two ranks, either they are ſuch as goe after their luſts, turn after them, as the ſhadow after the body, or elſe ſuch as cleave unto the Lord, and as the herb Heliotropium, turneth up and down after the Motion of the Sun, ſo doe they in obedience and affections after the commandments of God. Now this ſervice and obedience to the luſts of the fleſh, is a tedious and toilſome life indeed, though to the corrupt heart it may ſeem otherwiſe: Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, Matth. 11. 22. A man that turneth into the way of ſin, is like a traveller that ſhould turn into a way full of Quick-ſands and Bogs, and dangerous Precipices, having alſo a ſore and intollerable burden on his back, preſſing him down with exquiſite pain.
Therefore, if you ask, How can wicked men be thus merry, jocund, ſecure and preſump…ucus, when they are in ſuch a dangerous eſtate? The Anſwer is eaſie.Queſt. How wicked men that are in cruel bondage to their Luſts can be me…ry. Anſw.
Firſt, They are ignorant and fooliſh; their eyes are put out; and mad men cannot apprehend the danger they are in.
Secondly, ſin is a connatural and ſutable object to their depraved affections; and ſo they ſwallow down ſin, which is like honey in the mouth, though it prove Gravel in the belly. Oh then that all wicked men would have thoſe repenting reſolutions, as the Prodigal, I will leave my Husks and Swine, and riſe, and return to my fathers houſe. I will leave theſe new lovers, and new Husbands, and go to my old, as the Church purpoſed, Hoſ. 2. 7.
Fourthly, This Converſion unto God, as it implyeth ſin putting us into an averſion from him; ſo alſo it ſuppoſeth ſlight and contempt, which every wicked man puts upon God. For to turn the back on a man is an action of ſcorn, and diſdain. Thus God complaineth, They turned the back upon him, and not the face, Jer. 32. 33. All ſin hath in it a contempt of God; for it is the turning the back on God. And although every ſin doth not formally, and expreſſely intend ſuch a diſdain and contempt of God; yet interpretatively, and in truth it doth ſo. Ariſtotle ſaith, that contempt and contumely doe more provoke an ingenuous man than reall oppoſitions. When God would aggravate Davids ſin, he calleth it, A Deſpiſing of him. Oh then that wicked men would lay this more to heart! Thy ungodlineſſe and wickedneſſe thou liveſt in is ſo much ſcorn and contempt offered unto God, its turning the back on him. Now for thee a poor ſinful Creature, who haſt all thy mercies from God to put contempt on him, how unſufferable is it? and the greater the contempt is, by how much baſe and more ignoble thy luſts, are to which thou turneſt. To prefer the Devill before God, to regard his temptations more than Gods Promiſes; What arrogancy, and impudency is this? Did the Devill creat, thee, doth he preſerve thee, did he dye, or was crucified for thee? Then if thou art ſo many wayes obliged, and ingaged unto God; yet for thee to prefer the Creature, yea the Devill before God; how unjuſtifiable is it?
Fifthly, Becauſe by ſinne we are thus averſe from God. The further we go on in ſinne, and the more progreſſe we make in thoſe wayes, the farther off ſtill we are from 5.God, and our turning back to him will be a more difficult thing. The Prodigal went into a far Countrey, ſpiritually as well as corporally: He went far from God, and therefore his return would coſt him dearer: ſo that this ſhould make every man ſtop betimes in the way of his ſinning; this ſhould make him without any delay return to God: for every day thou goeſt farther, and ſtill farther from him; whenever thou ſhalt return to him, thy task will be the harder. Oh it is ſeldome ſeen, that a man who hath all his life time been in motion and travell from God, ſhould at laſt bethink himſelf, and reſolve to go back to God, from whence he fell. As Auſtin ſaid of the Heathens noble and admirable actions of morality, which he called glittering ſins, That the faſter they learn, the more they were out of the way; This is true of all wicked men, the greater haſte they make in this world, and the more dayes they live, the farther off are they from God: thou art farther off from ſalvation, than thou waſt many years agoe. A ſad thing it is to conſider, that the longer thou liveſt, the leſſe hope of thy Converſion; the more time thou haſt ſpent in this world, the further off from happineſſe. Be not then worſe than the Horſe, or the Mule, for a Bridle in their mouth will ſtop them, and turn them out of the way: But though the Scripture put many Bridles in thy mouth, give thee many curbs to keep thee from ſin, yet thou wilt violently ruſh on. The Apoſtle could ſay of ſome, Their ſalvation was nearer than at firſt, Rom. 18. but we may of many, Their damnation is nearer.
Sixtly, This Converſion, and turning unto God, is in Scripture ſpoken ſometimes as 6.our work, and ſometimes as Gods work. Thus in the Text, Turn ye, turn ye. And again, Make ye a new heart, and a new ſpirit: But in other places, its made the peculiar gift of God alone. Thus God ſaith, He will take away the heart of ſtone, and give an heart of fleſh, Jer. 31. Ezek. 32. So, He will circumciſe their hearts, He will give them a new heart, &c. Now how can theſe be reconciled? If God doe it, how can man? If man, how can God? Can it be Gods gift and our work too? Now there is returned this anſwer by erroneous Teachers, that (ſay they) from thoſe places its plain, our Converſion is partly from Free-will, and partly from Free grace, though Gods grace be acknowledged to be the principall: The one teacheth Gods operation, the other our co-operation. Thus they do not exclude God totally, yet they make him onelyonly a co-partner with us in this work of converſion: But this is quickly diſpelled, by thoſe places that deſcribe man dead in ſinne; and ſo can be no ſynergiſt with God: as alſo by thoſe Texts which give the praiſe and glory of Converſion totally and ſolely to God, not dividing this glory between him and the Creature, no more than divine worſhip, of which God is ſo jealous, that he will have it alone.
The true Anſwer therefore lyeth in this; That the former kind of places of our duty and obligation, what we ought to doe; They are not a meaſure of our power what we can do. When the Prophet ſaith, Turn ye, turn ye; He doth not here declare what we are able to do, but what we ought to do; and yet this is not in vain, becauſe by this we are convinced of our impotency, and are humbled under our infirmity; and withall God makes this a practical command to turn us: Even as that word at firſt, Let there be light; or that of Chriſt to Luzarus, Lazarus come forth; and the latter kind of places they argue the work of Converſion to be wholly of God, in which we are ſubjects receiving; not agents co-working. This is to be underſtood in reſpect of the initiall working of Grace; for this phraſe, Turn ye, doth alſo imply that we act and work; being firſt acted and wrought upon by God; Actiag…mus, & hoc bene agimus, quod a bono agamur. So that to ſpeak properly, turning to God, or converſion, is not ſo much that work of grace infuſed in us, which we receive, as Adam had the breath of life breathed into him; but its the actual motion and turning of the ſoul, which floweth from the fo…m…: So that this is rectus ſecundus, the other is actus primus, as they ſay. Hence a man is not ſaid to turn to God, becauſe he hath the habits and principles of grace, but becauſe they are actuated, and by them the ſoul doth move to God, as is more largely to be ſhewed. Thus then you ſee how thoſe places are conſiſtent together.
Seventhly, This Converſion or turning to God, is either the firſt Converſion, or the latter. The firſt Converſion I call that, when we are at firſt tranſlated from the 7.ſtate of darkneſs to glorious light; when at firſt we are taken off the bitter root we were in, and ingreffed into the ſw…et Olive-tree. The latter converſion is that when upon fals, or ſins committed, we have in ſome meaſure turned from God again, but afterwards return. Thus Peters recovery is called a converſion, Luke 22. 32. When thou art converted ſtrengthen thy brother. And thus when the Diſciples fell into p…d and contention, our Saviour ſaith, Except ye be converted, and become like little children, ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, Mat. 18. So that although there be but one main fundamental converſion, or turning to God, yet ſeing every ſin, eſpecially thoſe that are more foul, do turn remarkably from God; therefore even converted perſons need dayly to be further converted. Do not therefore reſt in this, that thou art once converted, thou canſt remember the time and inſtrument of it; but conſider, there is a daily converſion, and turning to God requiſite; Thou art to be converted from thy daily pride, daily hypocriſie, daily guile of ſoul, diffidence in the Promiſes. Some think, becauſe of that great work, and remarkable change God once made upon them, that therefore they may ſay, Soul take thy eaſe, for thou haſt much good laid up for thee, and think to be cloathed in all glory, like the L…es, that neither labour, or spin; but the word of God tels us, that there are daily corruptions remaining, from which we muſt conſtantly turn away.
Eightly, There is a two fold Converſion. The one from Heatheniſm and Paganiſm or Hereſies, to the true Faith and Doctrine of Chriſt: The other not o…ly from 8.that, but alſo from ungodlineſſe and impiety in our lives. Now though the one be much admited, yet the latter is the chief of all. We ſee by the preaching of the Apoſtles many thouſands were converted; but many of theſe were Hypocrites, and loved the world and their luſts ſtill. Therefore they were onelyonly converted to receive the faith of Chriſt, not to obey his holy laws and commands. Thus ſome are ſaid to Turn from their Idols to the living God, 1 Theſ. 1. 9. But if they did not leave their ſins, and their carnal confidences, which were as ſo many Idols, they found no advantage. Therefore diligently mark this; Its a light matter to be converted from Heatheniſm, Hereſie and Popery, ſo as to come to acknowledge the Truth; but art thou alſo converted in thy heart and affections, to ſubmit to, and willingly obey the Lawes of Jeſus Chriſt? This is all in all.
Ninthly; Therefore in the laſt place; As every part and faculty of the ſoul and body hath been averſe from God, ſo Converſion must be in them all. The mind muſt 9.turn from its vain, ignorant, blinde, and unbelieving thoughts and imaginations: The will muſt turn from its obſtinacy, perverſneſſe and diſobedience: The heart and affections from their unlawfull objects they were placed upon; and from all this exceſſe, violence and immoderacy: for want of theſe comes that partiall and imperfect Converſion to God ſo often condemned in the Iſraelites. Oh then ſit down and think, Lord, every thing within me is averſe to thee, there is nothing but is turned from hee Oh then vouchſafe thy Grace, which will make all within me turn to thee; minde, heart, affections, and all my might: you will find that true Conver… are very rare, half Converts and partial converſion is often; but this true, ſolid, and univerſall Converſion is in a few onelyonly.
In the next place, let us conſider, what goeth to the m…g up of this Converſion, or turning to God. And firſt,
There muſt be a true and ſound underſtanding out of Gods Word, that the way we What goeth the ma… of conv… 1.are in is a wrong way: That if we turn not at la… the end of thoſe … is in hell and damnation. A blind man, or he that walketh in the darkneſſe can ſee no neceſſity to turn out of the way he is in. Therefore if this Text may do any good to thee, pray for illumination of mind: Say, Lord, open my eyes, that … may ſ… the cragg…, and ſlippery, and dangerous places I walk upon. Thus Eſay 6. L…ſt they hear with their eares, and underſtand, and be converted. That underſtanding is antecedent to converſion; ſo that ignorant, ſottiſh and brutiſh people, who know nothing of God, or of their own corruption, are very remote from converſion: till thou come to know & underſtand the danger thou art in, thou wilt not be willing to go out of the way.
Secondly, The wayes of ſin muſt adminiſter ſ…me wear…ſs and trouble; elſe the 2.ſoul will never think of returning: Come to me ye that are heavy l…den. When the Prodigal is almoſt farniſhed, then he thinketh of going to his Father. When Iſraels way is hedged in with thorns, then ſhe will go back to her firſt husband, Hoſ. 3. So that if thou wouldſt ever turn to God, pray thou maiſt feel the weight, and burden of ſin in ſome meaſure, not to break thee, but to drive thee out of the way thou waſt in, when thou believeſt lyons and all curſes to be in thy way, then thou wilt quickly go back; whereas wicked men that live in …ollity and proſperity, that have no trouble, no exerciſes, nor croſſes in their ſins, they are far from Converſion; they never think of going out of that broad way as long as they find it ſo ſweet and pleaſant: and hence God in mercy afflicts, grieveth, and continually troubleth that ſinner whom he intends to convertr.
This Converſion cannot be, till God hath firſt infuſed a ſupernaturall life in a man; 3.for ſeeing this turning is a ſpiritual motion of the ſoul, there cannot be any motion, if there be not life firſt: and in this reſpect, no man in the world hath any active fitneſſe, or worthineſſe in him to be converted, no more than thorns have to become grapes, or ſtones children. The firſt ſtep that muſt be taken towards heaven, muſt be after Chriſt hath ſaid unto thee, Ariſe and walk. Iter ad gratiam eſt per gratiam, per que ipſam venitur ad ipſam, Proſp.
Fourthly, Its not enough to have this life infuſed, but there muſt be the actuating 4.of it. For to turn is an action, is a motion; and therefore though a man be renewed paſſively by God, yet till actively he move unto God again, he is not ſaid to turn to him: ſo that this converſion doth denote more than regeneration, or a new creation; for in them its enough if God hath wrought a ſpiritual change; but here he doth not onelyonly work to will, giving the ability and power, but to doe alſo, giving the exerciſe of this power.
Fiftly, This turning unto God is to be looked for in the conſtant and diligent attendance 5.upon the preaching of Gods Word; for that is inſtituted as an inſtrument to change and turn us. You have many examples of the great and glorious converſions, that have been upon the moſt indiſpoſed and unlikely ſubjects. And how ſo? By the plain and powerful preaching of Gods Word. Its not humane Oratory, or artificial eloquence hath done this, ſo much as the autoritative and ſpiritual explication and application of Gods Word; and therefore all thoſe who careleſly neglect, or deſpiſe the Miniſtry appointed for this end, no wonder they reject the good counſell of God; and its no wonder why Satan doth ſo rage and ſet againſt the Miniſtry of Jeſus Chriſt; for this is the only Engine and Battery that deſtroyeth his Kingdome… and reſcueth poor captives that were taken in his ſnares.
Uſe of Inſtruction. See and underſtand now the neceſſity of thy converſion. It is Uſethat which undoeth moſt; you live the ſame, come to Church, and go home the ſame, and you never think of a turn & a change that ought to be upon you. Doth not God ſay to thee, Turn from this and that evil way of ſinning, why wilt thou dye and be damned in it? but thou like the Serpent ſtoppeſt thy eare, if there were no other Motive to make thee turn than this, that thou liveſt in an age, where many turnings and changings of things have been, this might prevail. God hath turned peace into war, quietneſs into trouble; why then ſhouldſt not thou turn prophaneneſs into holineſs; ſecurity, into godly fear and trembling? Oh turn from ſin, before God turn thee into hell; and the longer and further thou haſt gone on in wicked ways, know it is the higher time thou ſhouldſt return. He goeth far that never turneth (we ſay) and why then is it thy obſtinacy to do ſo?