A Treatise of Conversion, Chapter 1 · Section 10
SECT. X.
… THe second part of the change of the heart is in its Intents. Conversion setteth a man upon right Ends: All the work of a mans life lieth in Intending Certain Ends, and using Certain means to obtain them: and all the work of Christianity lieth in Intending right ends, and in using right means to obtain them. The chief part of mans Corruption in his depraved natural state, doth consist in this, that he intendeth wrong Ends: that is a mans End which he accounteth his felicity, his treasure, his chiefest Good, and which he useth all things else to obtain. Whatsoever you think the best thing in the world for you, and had rather have it then any thing else; and whatsoever you principally seek after in your life, and think your self most happy if you could obtain it, and think your self most miserable if you miss of it, and therefore had rather lose all then that, and make it your main business to be sure that you may enjoy it, that, and nothing else but that, is your End. In general, every mans happiness is his end, and this nature it self, as nature, doth so far adhere to, and Intend, that no man can do otherwise, and there is no note of mans not Intending this. But generals are nothing, but as they are found in particular things: when it comes to the particular object of fruition, and what it is wherein mens happiness doth consist, there it is that the depraved nature doth most damnably err: For every Carnal man doth apprehend it the best condition for him to enjoy his Carnal pleasure, and profit, and vain glory in this world; or if he look for a life to come, he would have it consist of such kind of pleasures as he here enjoyed in this life; and therefore his very heart is most set upon these sensual worldly things: he hath a Nature so sutable to them, that he savoureth these, as the sweetest delights, and things fittest for him: and therefore his very business, and daily care and work in the world is, to get, or increase, or keep, or enjoy and draw out the sweetness of these sensual things, So that an earthly man hath an earthly mind, and earthly ends, as Christ said to Nicodemus, Ioh. 3. 6. that which is born of the earth is earthly: and a fleshly man hath a fleshly mind, and fleshly ends, as I before shewed, from Rom. 8. 7. they cannot see in the Love of God, or the enjoyment of him, so certain, so sutable a good for them as may be their felicity, and better to them then these earthly things. Either they doubt whether the happiness which they see not be true, or a meer delusion; or else they think that it is too far off, and a place too strange to them to be their felicity: they think that God and man are at too great a Distance to be so mutually loved, and that he is so strange to us as to be an unsutable object for our highest Love: Nay, because of his Holiness, Justice, and the other blessed perfections of his nature, and because he will Judge the ungodly world unto perdition; therefore their hearts are even against him, and they that call him their God, have a secret enmity to him: so that, before Conversion it is the sinfull miserable state of all men that God is not their end; he hath not their hearts; it is not he that they most seek after in their lives, nor in whom their souls apprehend the chiefest delight and felicity to consist: But it is in the fleshly pleasures, or profits, or honour of this world; It is some Creature and not God that hath mens hearts, their care, and earnest Diligence. Hence it is that they are said to have their portion in this life, Psal. 17. 14. and are there called the men of the world: they are such as lay up a treasure on earth, Math. 6. 18, 19. they think none can shew them any greater good, and apprehend not the joy of the light of Gods Countenance, Psal. 4. 6, 7. they seek only what they shall eat or drink, or wherewith they shall be clothed, for this is the custome of the Nations of the world, Luke 12. 29, 30, 31. They make light of Christ, and the Kingdom that he promiseth, in comparison of their Farms, their Ox…n, their worldly wealth & pleasure, Luke 12. 21. Mat. 22. 5. They lay up treasures for themselves here, but are not rich towards God, Luke 12. 21. If they have abundance, they chear their souls, as having enough for many years, and so resolve to eat, drink and be merry, Luke 12. 19. If they are called by a triall to part with all for Christ & the hope of Everlasting Glory, they go away sorrowful, because of their riches, or the dearness of that which they are called to forsake. In a word, they are such as a compassionate man should mention with tears, they are enemies to the Cross of Christ, though not always to his Name, their end is destruction, their God is their belly, their glory is in their shame, they mind earthly things, Phil. 3. 19. they make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Rom. 13. 13, 14. they have their good things in this life, when the godly have their evil things, and therefore when others are comforted, they shall be tormented, Luke 16. 25. All these Scriptures declare to you what are the End; of unconverted men, and where are their hearts: For where their treasure is, there will their hearts be, Math. 6. 21.
But when the Spirit comes with Converting Grace, the very Ends and Intents of a man are changed; as he findeth the greatest Excellency in God, and the things of the life to come, so hath he there laid up his treasure. Math. 6. 20. and fixed his hopes: he hath reckoned what the world is worth, and how much it can afford him, and how long it will last him, and what it will do for him in the greatest need; and upon certain knowledge of its vanity and insufficiency, he hath resolved that this cannot make him happy. If ever you be converted, you will know all this to be true by experience, that I say. That it is the work of Converting grace to make a man consider whether all that he can hope for in this world will make him indeed a happy man; and upon consideration he findeth it will not serve his turn. God bringeth it now close to his thoughts and affections, so that the meer splendor, and sugared taste, and glozing appearances of worldly things cannot deceive him as formerly they did: but he understandeth now the utmost that they can do for him: he considereth how that they do but flatter him into the grave and hell, and leave him when he is in the depth of his distress; Before he was as the Prodigall, that thought it hard keeping to live in his Fathers house, but abroad and among his companions and pleasures he would go; but when he comes to himself, he finds that he must home again or perish with hunger: The poor soul then layeth these things to heart: Alas, thinks he, I may be merry a few dayes more if I hold on in this company and course; but will this life last for ever? I may be some body in the world for a while, if I can be rich or honourable; but how long can I keep it when I have got it? I may please my mind among my friends and worldly businesses, my corn and cattle, my pleasures and prosperity; but what shall I do shortly when these things are gone? I may, think now that I can live without the favour of God, but can I do so when I have nothing else to live on? Alas! Is that fit to be instead of God and heaven to me, that will not keep me out of the grave, nor keep my strongest or most beautiful parts from rotting in the dust? No, nor keep soul from Everlasting Torments? Oh, what shall I do if I have no better a portion then this? wo to me that ever I was born, if I be not better Provided for before I die: Thus doth God take off the soul in Conversion, from its former ends, and makes it say [Lord, these will not serve my turn, Oh, put me not off with such things as these: when the soul is thus loosened from its former delight, and seeth that it must be something else that must be his happiness; then doth the Spirit by the Word of God Reveal to him, the Certainty and the fulness of that glory that is to be had by Christ in the Everlasting love and fruition of God. And then he sees, that though it be not here to be had, yet it is to be had hereafter; and that Man was made to higher things, then he hath hitherto minded. Now he begins to bethink himself in good sadness, that heaven may be had, and that for him as well as others: the impossibility is taken away by Christ, and the door is set open: the glory is unconceivable, and if he can but once get it, he is made for ever: These thoughts now work in the heart of the man, that never had such lively working thoughts of it before. So that, now he feeleth his heart burn within him, when he hath once found, where his happiness is to be had, presently the Spirit having touched his heart with an effectual Inclination thereto, he is bent upon it, and sets his heart and face to seek it: and Now this is his business: Comparatively he hath nothing else to do: Now it must be God or none, heaven or Nothing that will serve his turn: Now if God should offer him, [I will give thee mirth and riches for a thousand years without Interruption, I will give thee the good word of all about thee; I will make thee the greatest man on earth, and thou shalt have the world at will, but not my Love and Grace in Christ, nor the hope of Everlasting glory; this would be the saddest News that ever came to his soul. It is not now the same thing that would please him, as before. Tell not him now of profit and pleasure; it is Everlasting pleasure that he must have. He hath another Journey to go, another home to Regard, another kinde of trade to drive on in the world then before he had. Now he looketh for a City that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God; and therefore doth take himself but as a stranger on earth, and one that sojourneth in a forrein Country, Heb. 11. 9, 10, 13. Now the best of worldly things will no longer satisfie them, but they desire a better Country, that is an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City Heb. 11. 16. Now they are soundly perswaded that there is a God, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and that this reward is beyond the grave, and therefore they have Respect to the Recompence of reward, and are content to submit to the sufferings of this life, that so they may obtain a better Resurrection, Heb. 11. 6, 26, 35. He now is to this world as a dead man in comparison; crucified to the world, and the world to him, Gal. 6. 14. And his life is hid with Christ in God; and when Christ who is his life shall appear, then shall he aprear also with him in glory, Col. 3. 3, 4.
Beloved hearers, you may easily conceive that it is a very great change that causeth a man to have other ends then ever he had before, and that quite turneth the very bent of his heart and life, and maketh him have a quite contrary business in the world then before he had: that sets a mans face another way, so that he that before went one way, doth now go the clean contrary. Alas! it is not the Restraint of a wicked work or two, or the outward Civilizing of your lives, that is true Conversion. It is such a change as I am now describing to you, that turneth you quite another way. If you are true Christians that hear me, you know it, or may know it to be thus with your selves. For certainly you have had experience of this in your souls. It were no Impossible thing for you now, if you were but willing, to know certainly whether you be Converted, yea or no. One would think that a mans End might be discerned above all things: Cannot you know what you like and love best? and what you would fain have? and what you cannot be content without? and what you drive at in the course of your lives? and what you place your hopes and happiness in, which you will have, though you part with all to get it? and what it is that beareth down all things else in your hearts and lives? Why something or other doth this, whatsoever it be, and this is your End. And one would think, that this which so much takes one up, and so much swayes, and is the business of his life, might be well discerned. Sirs, deal truly between God and your souls: what hath your hearts? what game do you follow? what do you mind above all? I ask not whether you set not a foot now and then out of the way; but which way are you travelling? for earth or for heaven? Oh that you would but be faithful to your souls in this tryall. I have often told you, and will tell you yet again, and desire you to remember it as long as you live, That this is the true difference between every true Converted soul, and all hypocrites and carnall men in the world: That to the true Christian indeed, God and Everlasting Glory is his main End, and Religion is his business, and all worldly things come in but upon the by, and therefore he can have them, or be without them, whereas with all Hypocrites and carnal men, the pleasing of their flesh in this world, is their main End, and therefore Worldliness, Voluptuousness or Ambition is their business, and the matters of God and Religion come in but upon the by, and therefore they can taste of them; or they can be without them. I would you would keep this one mark by you while you live, by which you may Judge your selves without deceit, and so the true Christian need not deny his sincerity, nor the hypocrite imagine that he is what he is not; but might Certainly know that he is yet in the flesh. And thus I have shewn you what is the second part of the work of Conversion of the will or heart, even the change of a mans Ends and Intentions.