The Conversion of the Soul, Discourse 1 · Conclusion
The CONCLUSION.
THus have I done with all the Doctrines; but yet I have not done with you. Words of inſtruction Solomon compares to Nayls, Eccleſ. 12. 11. I ſhall add a few ſtrokes more to drive them home. How can I with patience ſee any of you ſecure in Sin ſtill! faſt aſleep! Under Satans power, and upon the bottomleſs pits brink! And every moment in danger of tumbling down into it! Though ſome of you make light of Hell, and more light of Sin that does deſerve it, yet I foreſee how you will change your minds, when once you feel what 'tis to be there; and I would fain prevent your going thither. What ſhall I ſay? how ſhall I do to prevail with you, to become willing to a ſincere Converſion, and ſo eſcape eternal Miſery and Confuſion? Once more, I cry as loud and earneſtly as I am able, T…rn ye, Turn ye!
O ye youngeſt that are here, turn to God: Your whole time is ſhort enough to provide for Eternity, begin early to redeem it. Can you be too ſoon ſafe and happy? ſafe in being under the Wing of Chriſt; happy in having the Lord to be your God and Father. Oh ye Children, become Converts! Chriſt is ready to embrace you in his Arms, and bleſs you. I ſhould not at all fear the Goſpels going, if I could behold much of the Work of Regeneration among the young generation. O ye oldeſt Sin…rs! Turn to God; the door of Mercy is not quite ſhut, though you have lived ſo long in Sin, 'till you have one foot in the Grave. Admirable Myſtery and Miracle of Grace! when thoſe are in a ſpiritual ſenſe New Born, who were old both in Years and Wickedneſs! Turn ye, O you that have moſt Righteouſneſs of your own! for your Righteouſneſs is filthy raggs, and you have Sin enough to ruine you. Turn ye, O you that have been guilty of the greateſt Tranſgreſſions! for in the Lord is ſuperab…ndant Grace enough and enough to ſave you.
If you will not Turn, you gratifie the evil One, the Enemy of your Salvation; you Conſent to be his Slavis and Prey; and chuſe rather to dwell with him in Torment, than with the Lord in Glory. If you will not turn, you are S…l…-haters; not Acceſſari…s only, but Principals in the Murthering of your own Souls. It was a true ſaying of Salvian, Nemo nobis, Cr…ior nobis; none more Cruel, none ſo cruel to ſinful Man, as he is to himſelf: The very Prince of the Devils has not ſo great an hand in his Deſtruction.
If you will not turn immediately, this very day, hour, moment, it may quickly be too late: Abuſed Mercy may go away for ever, and God may now at laſt foreit, who has long waited to be gracious. The Axe, before another Sabbath, may be laid to the root of the Tree which bears nothing but the Grapes of Sodom, and the Cluſt…s of Gomorrah: A Sentence may be pronounced from Heaven, H…w down ſuch a ſtrange and degenerate Plant, and caſt it into fi…e unquenchable.
But if at laſt you ſee with with your Eyes, and hear with your ea…s, and underſtand with your hearts, and turn to the Lord; the Father will receive you with open arms of love and kindneſs, his tendereſt Bowels will be troubled for you, and ſure Mercies ſhall be yours: T… Lord Jeſus will ſee of the travel of his Soul, to his Satisfaction rejoycing that Children of Regeneration are born into his Church wh… ſhall be Heirs of Glory. The Comforter, who was grieved and vexed at your reſiſtance, will be much pleaſed to ſee you yield, and will delight to dwell in you, and to fill you both with Grace and Peace.
Converting Grace whenever wrought on Earth, cauſes a Ne… Triumph above in Glory. The Thrones; Dominions, the Cherubim, the Seraphim that are there, will ſing a New Song of Prai…; they will give glory to God in the Higheſt, when more Sinners are begotten again to a lively Hope; they will aſcribe Bleſſing and Honour to the Lamb, when more Souls are redeemed by his Blood.
Have I been ſpeaking unto Stocks and Stones; or unto thoſe who have Senſes, Souls, and Reaſon? If you will not turn that you may be ſaved, I muſt confeſs 'twere well if you had no Souls to loſe for ever. It was a Cuſtom among the Ancient Romans, to keep dead Bodies above ground ſeveral dayes, and often to cry in their ears with a loud Voice, to ſee if they were dead indeed. And theſe were called Corpora conclamata, Bodies that had been cryed unto in vain, and then they were carried to their Burial. May not your Souls, O unconverted Sinners, be called Animae conclamatae, Souls that have been often cryed unto, to turn and live? But if you ſtill refuſe, 'tis a ſign you are very dead indeed, and you may quickly be buried in the fiery Tophet, out of which you ſhall never riſe more.
But alas! all Pleadings, Intreaties, Arguments, will be to little purpoſe, unleſs there come a convincing Light, a converting Power from above. Cachedram habet in coelo qui corda docet in terrâ: He has his Chair in Heaven who teaches hearts on Earth. Oh that the glorious Spirit would come and breath upon the dead dry bones, and inſpire a Life that may never end! That he would cauſe All, even the moſt hardned and dead in ſin, to become Alive to God, and have their fruit unto holineſs, that the end may be everlaſting Life. Let God ariſe, and let his enemies be ſcatter'd! Let Sin, Satan and Mammon be forced to flee before Him! that all Hearts poſſeſt by them, may now ſubmit to Him! When the tongues of Men and Angels cannot prevail, one powerful word from God can convert a multitude of Souls, though they have been never ſo diſobedient and gainſaying. If the Lord will fill his Sanctuary with his Glory, it will be to all unconverted Ones that are here, the place of their new Birth, and the very Gate of Heaven.
FINIS.
A WARNING GIVEN TO Secure Sinners, TO Prepare for Judgment, TO Flee from Wrath to Come, AND Turn from All Sin; BUT Eſpecially the Sin which does moſt eaſily beſet them.
By NATHANAEL VINCENT, M. A. Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Ezek. 33. 7. O Son of Man, I have ſet thee a Watchman unto the houſe of Iſrael, therefore thou ſhalt hear the Word at my Mouth, and warn them from Me.
LICENSED, March 17th. 1688.
LONDON, Printed by J. Aſtwood for Tho. Parkhurſt at the Bible and three Crowns, at the lower end of Cheap-ſide, near Mercers-Chappel. 1688.
THE Epiſtle to the READER.
Reader!
WHen I Preached theſe following Sermons, I had not the leaſt thought of Publiſhing them: They were taken from my Mouth by a dexterous and nimble hand that wrote almoſt every Word I utter'd: I was very much ſollicited to Print them; and the Notes being written out fair, and brought to me, I have look'd them over, and now they are preſented to thee, with a ſincere Deſign that they may be beneficial to thee, and not without Hope they will be ſo. The Subjects here handled are awakening; and in this ſecure Age, what need is there of ſtartling Sermons! At this day in England, there is work enough for many a Boanerges, for ten thouſand Sons of Thunder.
The guilt and defilement of Sin, proves it to be Mans greateſt Enemy; but becauſe it ſtupifies and hardens thoſe that have been guilty of it, it is likely the more effectually to deſtroy them; for the Diſeaſe not being felt, the Remedy is neglected. A ſpiritual Lethargy is the general Diſtemper, moſt continue faſt aſleep in Sin, till Hell wakes them, but then it is too late. Though Chriſt has the Key of Hell, that Saviour releaſes none that once are thrown into it. Miſerable World, becauſe it lies in Wickedneſs! more miſerable, becauſe it apprehends not how miſerable its Wickedneſs has made it! becauſe it fears not, is endeavours not to eſcape Eternal Miſery!
Oh dreadful Day of God that's coming! when all Apoſtate Angels that are now in Chains of Darkneſs, ſhall be brought forth and judged, and dealt with as the Enemies of God and Man: Theſe Principalities and Powers …ill be overpowr'd▪ and …tte…ly … to avoid the ſe…erity of their Righteous and Almighty Judge: How much evil have they done, and ſtill they are doing more! of what Woe and Torment are they capable!
And all thoſe of the Children of Men who have been led Captive by Satan at his Pleaſure, that have reſolved rather to be deſtroyed themſelves, than that the works of the Devil ſhould be deſtroyed in them, 'tis juſt that they ſhould, but how ſad will it be for them, to ſhare in Torment with … Sin will have a very bad end; all that are gone into another World, are ſenſible of it, though few i… this World perceive it. When the Servants of Sin … received their Wages, which is Death; then they will know to their ſorrow, what kind of Maſter they … ſerved, and what Pains they fooliſhly took for tha… Miſery, which they ſhould have taken Pains to have prevented.
Reader!
Be wiſe, believe and fear, and take the Watchman's Warning: The Sword in the Hand of the living Eternal God will give a dreadful and … deadly Blow; to fall under his Vengeance will be fear…ul and thy Blood lying upon thy own Head, it will lye very heavy, and upon this will follow everlaſting heavineſs and anguiſh. Oh fear the Wrath to come before 'tis come, and fly from Sin, …nd … to God by Jeſus Chriſt, a Saviour both from Sin and Wrath, and a Saviour to the uttermoſt. Better Counſel than this cannot be taken by thy ſelf, … given by any to thee.