The Conversion of a Sinner Explained, To the reader
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER
Reader!
AS ſoon as thou haſt looked on, immediately look off again, and look up to heaven!
How canst thou ſee to read with any profit, unleſs the Father of lights do open thine eyes and give thee an underſtanding heart? He can ſhew thee wonders in the moſt commune Truths, which before thou wert unacquainted with. Thoſe doctrines that are moſt uſually preached, as thy Judgment may yet more fully be informed about them; ſo I am ſure thy affections have need to be ſtirr'd up to bear ſome more proportionable ſuitableneſs unto the weight and concernment of them.
It has moved my ſorrow, and almoſt my indignation, to ſee how many Truths, becauſe often (as 'tis needful) inſiſted on, are nauſeated by ſome Profeſſors. And yet alas theſe very Truths, though they have often heard them, they do not know them as they ought to know. As to any heart-affecting and operative knowledge, theſe perſons who fancy and conceit themſelves ſo very intelligent, are very groſly ignorant. Their conſciences are ſtupid, and they were never brought under the power of the Word which is preached to them. Duties, though plainly and frequently preſſed are neglected, and ſins which they communly hear reproved, are yet notwithſtanding more communly given way to.
Thou who canſt not like of a Diſcourſe unleſs thy fancy be pleaſed, and thy itching ear clawed; what juſt reaſon haſt thou to queſtion, whether thy nature has been indeed renewed? for they who have been born again, deſire the ſincere milk of the word (though there be little mixture of what is humane) that they may grow thereby.
Reader! Art thou groſly ignorant and ungodly? How much then doth it concern thee to uſe thoſe means which are appointed for the attaining of knowledge? Since without knowledge thy heart cannot be good; nor thou thy ſelf in a ſafe eſtate. Thou art gene aſtray; Oh, Turn immediately, leſt the next ſtep thou takest, be into the Grave and Hell! 'Tis but ſmall ſecurity not to perceive thy danger; 'tis but a pitiful happineſs to be ignorant of thy miſery, for this very ignorance increaſes thy danger, and will make thy miſery the more unavoidable. Sin is ſuch a thing as none ever repented of their parting with; therefore be perſwaded to deny thy former ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, and righteouſly and godly in this preſent evil world.
If thou art a Profeſſor, but not a practiſer of Religion; conſider, 'tis not a feigned converſion, but a turning with the whole heart, upon which Life is promiſed and aſſured. If thou haſt a form of godlineſs without the power, what does this prove but that thou hast more of the Atheist in thee. Surely thou thinkeſt the Lord does not regard, and will not puniſh, at leaſt to thee he will be partial. I wonder how thou dareſt come ſo often into his preſence, ſo neer his Ark where his jealouſie is hotteſt, and ſo frequently engage in duties of his Worſhip; ſome ſin or vanity all the while keeping thy heart away from him.
But if thou art indeed converted, Oh ge… neerer unto God, and turn more and more like to him. Grace is ſo excellent a thing, that methinks thou ſhouldſt be reſtleſly importunate for a greater meaſure of it. The more you follow on to know the Lord, the better you will love him, and the more unwilling you will be to leave him, and return again to folly.
Converſion is a nail which the Prophets of old were hammering upon perpetually. Our Lord and his Apoſtles endeavoured to drive this nail home. And God of late has not only ſent his Miniſters to ply this buſineſs, but has taken the hammer of judgments to make this nail to enter. Now the ſtronger the reſiſtance is, we make, we muſt expect from this hammer the more ſtroaks. We have ſeen lately dayes of great calamity and affliction, and yet they have in ſome ſenſe been alſo dayes of grace. Therefore temporal judgments have been ſent, that ſpiritual mercies might be prized, and eternal judgments might be prevented. God has had a deſign of love at the bottom of all his ſeverities. Let us comply with it; for if we ſtill walk contrary, he has threatned in fury to chaſtize us ſeven-fold more than as yet he has chaſtized us. And I may well tremble to think of thoſe judgments which will be ſeven times worſe than the Plague and Fire. But if we learn wiſdom and inſtruction by his correction, and turn unto him that has ſmitten us, we ſhall find the expreſsions of his favour and loving kindneſs, f… greater than ever were the ſigns of his diſpleaſure.
N. V.