A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The Convictions and Workings that are oftentimes upon men that are never converted.
MAny men that are never converted have mighty Convictions upon them, that they ſee they have been very ſinfull, and are ready to deſpair as Judas did, Mat. 27. they are ſo troubled in their Conſciences; ſometimes men are convinced of the vanity of the world which they have ſet their hearts ſo much upon, they will cry out with Severus the Emperour, Omnia fui, & nihil mihi profuit; I have had honour and riches, and thoſe things, and never the better; and they will ſometimes ſay, Now none but Chriſt; O give me Chriſtand I have enough; this is in ſome worldly diſappointments and diſcontents, and in the trouble and confuſion of their Spirits! How mightily was Balaam inlightned and convinced? Num. 23. and Num. 24. he was convinced of the bleſſed Eſtate of the Saints; and deſired in his way to die the death of the righteous.
There are many that are ſo inlightned that they get a great deal of knowledge, and ſhall tell Chriſt at the laſt day, Mat. 7. We have propheſied in thy name, that they have preached Chriſt to others, and yet are ſhut out for ever from the preſence of the Lord.
Indeed, Thoſe that are not ſavingly wrought upon, and yet are much inlightned, commonly they fall into great Errors; and if they be in Church-fellowſhip, they will, uſually go out from the Saints, becauſe they were not of them; joined as Members in Chriſts myſtical body, 1 Joh. 2.19. This laſt age wherein Gifts and Knowledge are more common then heretofore, afford many ſad inſtances of this, that many have had only common inlightning; and becauſe they never received the Truth and ways of God that they ſeemed to own in the Love and Power of them, therefore God giveth them up to ſtrong deluſions and errors, 2 Theſſ. 2.10,11. And theſe in Gifts go beyond many of the true Members of Chriſt; but they are kept, when the Lord leaveth others with their parts and gifts to be deluded with error.
God knows how to make uſe of the parts and gifts of Hypocrites, and thoſe that have only common inlightnings, that while they are in the Churches of the Saints, God may make their parts and gifts of uſe to the Saints: God makes uſe of their falling away to ſhew his people by whom they are kept, and how excellent the Grace of Chriſt in the hearts is above parts and common inlightnings.
When this ſort of Profeſſors have been moſt flouriſhing and beſt in appearance, and high in the thoughts of many for Religion, ſome of eminent Grace and acquaintaince with the ways of God, have ſeen the rottenneſs of their hearts, and have ſaid that they were but Hypocrites, as their falling away did afterwards manifeſt.
And this ſort of Profeſſors have uſually a mighty itch upon their Spirits after novelty of opinions, that they rove from one opinion to another, and are ſeldom ſetled in any thing, but take up and lay down; and if they have found an opinion wherein they ſtick, they preſently paſs ſentence upon all Profeſſors, be they never ſo eminent in Grace, that agree not with them in that.
Thus many that have common inlightnings will for a time make profeſſion of Religion, and perhaps have high notions, & afterwards turn very Atheiſts, neither pray nor hear, nor diſcourſe of heavenly things, but grow as proud and covetous, & prophane as any other, and ſo the Scripture ſpeaks of them, that they have Conſciences ſeared with an hot Iron, & return with the dog to his vomit; (being but dogs yet in the ſight of God) and with the ſwine after all their outward waſhing and reformation, to their wallowing in the mire.
O, What deep convictions have many men, and cry out of their ſins, and the people of God rejoyce and hope that theſe are the pangs of the new birth; and yet theſe men either pacifie their Conſciences many times with legal Reformation, with their own righteouſneſs, and leaving thoſe particular ſins which have ſo galled their conſciences, without ever becoming new creatures, or elſe time wears out their trouble, and they grow more prophane and wicked then ever they were before, and among other ſins, that they are given up to by the righteous hand of God, they will fall to mighty oppoſition, and rage againſt the Saints of God.
But were theſe men united to Chriſt by faith? No, in no wiſe; as the Heaven is higher then the Earth, ſo is the work of the Spirit upon a true Believers heart, above all the convictions and inlightnings, and profeſſion and outward reformation of thoſe that fall away.
Nebuchadnezzer had great convictions, yet we do not know that ever he was converted; however not before he was driven from men to the beaſts of the field, Dan. 4.31,32. yet before that he had great convictions. Firſt, By Daniels interpreting of his dream. Dan. 2.47. He told Daniel that his God was the God of Gods, and the Lord of Kings; yet preſently he fell to Idolatry; Dan. 3. and commanded all to worſhip the golden Image which he ſet up; and was ſo impudent, as if he had loſt all his former conviction, ſaying, (verſe 15.) to the three Children when they would not worſhip his Image, What God is there that can deliver you out of my hand?
But this is obſervable, that many under their convictions remain all their days in a ſtoutneſs and ſullenneſs againſt God, and will turn their heels upon duties and means, and cry out, All is in vain, I ſhall be damned; and thus their hearts were never truly humbled to lie at Gods feet; Lord, if thou damn me, thou art righteous, but O let me live, and I ſhall praiſe thee; but their hearts riſe up againſt the Lord, and are fit to curſe God and die; thus it is with many. And if they perform any duties, and uſe any means of Grace, and God do not reveal his Love and pardoning Mercy, they will take it ill at Gods hands, and ſay as they did, We have faſted, and he regardeth it not: and ſo under all legal workings and convictions, there remains a deſperate proud heart in a man ſtill.
If mens Convictions ariſe ſo high as to ſee that they are Unbelievers, and to be convinced of the greatneſs of that ſin, (whereas many that have much trouble for ſin, never go ſo far) then many times if God do not give them true Faith, they will content themſelves in a faith of their one making, which is only a work of their underſtanding, whereby they ſay that they will be juſtified by Chriſt: but it will be ſuch a dead faith, that for the moſt part it hath no Sanctification, not ſo much as outward Sanctification accompanying it. Neither doth it truly humble the Soul, and lay it proſtrate at the Lords feet for a pardon, meerly from his own good Will and free Grace; but the ſoul is ſtill full of its ſelf, and confident in its own qualifications. Neither doth this Faith bring joy in the holy Ghoſt, though there be ſome flaſhes of Joy, as there was in the ſtony ground Hearers. Mat. 13.
For men to be convinced of ſin both in general and particular, is a thing worth the deſiring; yet this is not the ſaving work of Gods Spirit: But how many are convinced of many groſs ſins, and ſins that are more plainly forbidden in the Law, and their Conſciences are troubled for them? but yet it may be all their days never ſee theſe more ſecret ſins of truſting in their own righteouſneſs, truſting in their own ſtrength, ſpeaking evil of the Saints and ways of God, quenching the motions of the Spirit, neglect of duties and means of Grace: Theſe ſins many are never convinced of, that yet will cry out, they are damned for ſome groſs ſins.