The Conversion of a Sinner Explained, Title page – Dedication
THE CONVERSION OF A SINNER Explained and Applied, FROM
Ezek. 33. 11.
Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil wayes; for why will ye die, O houſe of Iſrael?
Part whereof was preached ſome while ſince at Saviours Southwark.
THE Day of Grace, DISCOURSED OF FROM
Luke 19. 41, 42.
If thou hadst known, even thou, at leaſt in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.
By Nathanael Vincent, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
London, Printed for Thomas Parkburſt, at the Golden Bible on London-Brdge, under the Gate, 1669.
The Dedication. To his Sacred and moſt Glorious Majeſty, the God of Heaven and Earth, the KING of KINGS, and LORD of LORDS; who is much more above the higheſt Potentates and Emperors in the World, than they are above their meaneſt Slaves!
Almighty Lord!
TO Thee I dedicate my Book, to whom I have devoted my ſelf, all that is good therein, it is thy own; and if it do any good, to Thee I muſt aſcribe the praiſe. The In…nt indeed might be aſhamed and diſcouraged, if he did not know that thou canſt work as well by weak means as by ſtrong; nay, ſometimes thou makeſt choice of weak on purpoſe, that fleſh may not glory, but the excellency of the power may be of thee alone.
It was moſt free and rich Grace, (which Eternity it ſelf will be ſhort enough to admire and adore) that I my ſelf was pitied, who once lay as much polluted in my blood as any other; who had run ſo far in the broad way, and had ſinn'd my ſelf ſo neer the deſtruction which is everlaſting! But if I am not only made a Convert, but alſo made uſe of to convert others, my obligation will be hightned, which is infinitely vaſt already, to ſhew forth thy praiſe.
'Tis the deſire of my ſoul, O Lord! that thy Kingdom may be advanced, and that the Dominion which ſin and Satan have uſurped may be overthrown. Since thy yoak is eaſie and thy government ſo ſweet, ſo gracious, why ſhould not thy ſubjects alſo be moſt numerous? Gird thy ſword upon thy thing, Oh, moſt mighty one! and ride forth conquering and to conquer; and thy right hand ſhall teach thee terrible things. Let thine arrows be ſharp, and thy Word pierce like a two-edged ſword; and let the whole world, either by converſion or ſubverſion, bu… eſpecially by converſion fall under thee!
Thou art the God of the ſpirits of all fleſh; is there any thing too hard for thee? When the Devil ſinn'd againſt thee (and thereby became a Devil) thou didſt eaſily throw him out of heaven, and ſhackle him in chains of darkneſs; and canſt thou not as eaſily throw him out of thoſe ſinners hearts which he has poſſeſſed and filled, and pull down all his ſtrong holds? And as for ſin, though it be ſo mighty a thing, that Adam in innocency was overcome by it, that Angels in Heaven could not ſtand before it; yet thou art able, and haſt promiſed to ſubdue it. Oh, ſhew thy power and Grace! Since thy mercy is ſo great, why ſhould there be ſo few partakers of mercy? Since thy Son is ſo able to ſave to the uttermoſt, why ſhould ſo ſmall a number be ſaved by him? Since the New Jeruſalem is ſo ſpacious, why ſhould Hell fill ſo exceeding faſt? Oh, let thy ſpecial love be more generally manifeſted! Let thy healing and thy ſaving grace run in a much broader channel! Let thy tents be enlarged, and let them ſtretch forth the curtains of thine habitation! Let not ſo many ſouls be the Devils prey, which are of greater value than the world; and which are capable of loving, and admiring, and glorifying thee for ever! Anſwer, O my God, ſuch deſires as theſe, ſo far … conſiſtent with the ſecrets of thy Counſel, and thy Wayes and Judgments, which are unſearchable and paſt finding out!
Let thy Goſpel continue in this Land of England! Let the Sun of righteouſneſs ſhine forth in greater ſtrength and glory, and diſpel the miſts of error, and chaſe away the night of Ignorance! Let not the Sea be more full of water, than this Land of the knowledge of thy glory! As long as there is a Church on earth, let there be a Church in England! And let the Lamp of thy Word ſhine cleerly among us, as long as the Sun and the Moon ſhall ſhine in the Firmament!
Thou who hast the hearts of all in thy own hand, incline ſome to read theſe following Sermons; and let all that read be the better by them. Let them underſtand in this their day the things which concern their peace! and obey thy Call to Turn, before thou comeſt to this Reſolution to call and cry no more after them! Oh, let none grow bl…nder by the light's ſhining in their eyes! let none grow harder by the means which were deſign'd to ſoften them! Let not the Word of Life prove unto any a deadly ſavour! Let ſome ſouls date their converſion from their reading this Book; and let thoſe who are converted be further ſtrengthned by it. Encourage thy ſervant more and more, by making his labours more abundantly ſucceſsful, who has reſigned and given up himſelf to Thee; and whoſe greateſt H…nour and trueſt Happineſs it is to be,
Thine for ever, NATHANAEL VINCENT.