A Treatise of Conversion, Chapter 1 · Section 8
SECT. VIII.
4. THe fourth point wherein the change of the understanding doth consist, is, in the healing of mens errors, and turning them from those false Conceits which they had about God and his ways, and the matters of Salvation: While they were unconverted, Satan had taught them, and the world had taught them, and the flesh had taught them many things against God and their own safety: they were perswaded that either there was no heaven and hell, or that God would save them though they did not much look after it themselves. They thought sin was better then holiness, and it was a more desirable life to please the flesh, and to be honourable, and eat and drink, and be merry, then to live in the thoughts of another world, and deny the flesh that pleasure it desireth; and to spend as much time in reading, hearing, praying and meditating. They thought this was a tedious unnecessary life, and that all this was more ado then needs; and that the wisest way was to follow their business in the world, and take their pleasure while they might have it, and only come to Church, and forbear some hainous sins, and then believe that God will be merciful to them, and they shall do well enough without all this stir, and that they may take what they can get of the pleasure of the world, and when they have done, if there be any heaven, they may have it with a short Repentance, when they can keep the world no longer. Abundance more such errors as these are in the minds of unconverted sinners, through the seducements of the Deceiver: Indeed they live a life of error. Some Hereticks err in one particular, and some in another, but wicked men do err in the very drift of their lives. But when God converteth, he changeth all these opinions: The man is then of another mind. He that thought sin so pleasant, would now fain spit it out; he that desired so to glut himself with the world and sinful Delights, would now be rid of them: like a foolish person that will needs take poison, because it is sweet, and will not believe him that tels him it is deadly; but when he feeleth it begin to gripe him in the bowels, and to burn him at the heart, then he cryeth out; Oh now I believe you that it is poyson: Oh give me a vomit that I may cast it up quickly, or else I die: Then, if you see him reaching and straining himself to get it up again, and groaning, and crying out, Oh my heart, it burns me, it tears me; oh that I could get it up; you may see then that the mans opinion is changed. Sinners believe it, if ever God will save you, it will be thus with you. You thought there was no great harm in taking now and then a cup with good fellows; in Neglecting God and your souls, while you provide for your bodies; in dropping a curse or a small oath in the heat of your passion; you could ask, what harm is it to spend the Lords day in idleness, or vain-talking, or recreations, when you had a God, and a soul, and an Everlasting state to look after, which should have been the business of that day: Perhaps you let down now and then some sharper poyson of Covetousness, malice, fornication, &c. Oh but if ever God Convert you, all this must up again; you will groan and strain at it by the vomit of Repentance, and cry out, oh that I had never known it: Oh that I had never seen the faces of such ungodly companions: Oh that I could get up the very roots of this sin, I would never Return to it again. You that now think it so grievous a life to be Godly, and that there needs not so much ado for your Salvation; if ever God convert you, he will make you see, that it is both Necessary and Delightful: you will then say, what, shall I sit still when my Everlasting Salvation is at the stake? I have but a little time to make sure of escaping eternal misery, I must very shortly be in heaven or hell; and now is the time that must turn the scales, for then I must be judged according to my works; and is this a time to loiter in? or is this a matter to be forgotten or made light of? Oh sinners, if God open your eyes, you will marvel, I tell you, you will a thousand times marvel, that ever you should be so foolish, and in a manner besides your selves, as to follow your business in the vain world, and eat, and drink, and sleep so quietly, while you knew not what should become of you for ever. You will cry out of your selves. Oh where was my wit. that I should make so light of that which was my only business? And that I should sleep out that short time of my life which was given me of Purpose to work out my Salvation in? and that I should forget that Judgement that I was told again and again was at the door I Sinners, If God do once truly Convert your souls, you will see, that if Wife, Children, Friend, Estate, Life require your labour and care, your salvation requireth an hundred times more. You will then say, what, can I make too much haste to heaven? or be at too much care or pains to make sure of it? Can any labour be too much to obtain such a glory; or to escape the flames of Everlasting misery? If I lose the world and my life, I may be a saver and a gainer in the life Eternal; but if I lose that life, how shall I be a saver? or which way shall I hope for a Reparation of my loss? and what Good will it then do me that I had Pleasure, or Credit, or Riches in the world? Is it worth the labour of all my life to rake in this earth, and to live in more plenty of worldly vanity then other men a little while, till I drop into my Grave? and is it not worth ten thousand times more care and pains to make sure that I live among the Angels, and see the face of God in Endless glory? Oh Lord, where is that mans brains that thinks he can pay too dear for heaven, and yet that all the stir of his life is not too dear a price for earth… to get him a pleasant passage to his grave, when he might have as much pleasure upon other terms? Where is that mans reason that will be at all this trouble for nothing, and yet will cry out to God or to his Minister, what need all this ado to be saved? Ask a gasping man on his death-bed whether this labour had not been better laid out for heaven? and whether heaven or earth will pay a man better for his care and pains? What I doth the Lord himself cry out to sinners, Lay not up to your selves a treasure on earth where rust and moth doth corrupt, but lay up for your selves a treasure in heaven, &c. Mat. 6. 19, 20. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, &c. Mat. 6. 33. Labour not for the food which perisheth, but for that which endureth to Everlasting life, Joh. 6. 27. And shall men that call themselves Christians say, that this is more ado then needs?
Thus sinners will your minds be changed, if ever you be converted you will then be quite of another mind concerning the world, and God, and the wicked, and the godly; then now you are. I tell you, God will unteach you again all these false opinions about these matters, which the devil, the world, and the flesh have been so long teaching you. It is his work to unteach you first, and then to teach you better things: this will be so, You that now say you will never Believe but a man may be saved without so much ado; you will never Believe that none shall be saved but those that are thus changed; you will never Believe that God maketh so great a matter of sin as Preachers talk of: If God will Convert and save you, he will make you believe it. Even the most confident of these conceits will be changed. Be not too peremptory man, God can yet shew thee so much Mercy as to change thy mind: he hath changed as self-conceited mens minds, as thine; and hath shaken as confident opinions, as these; Paul thought himself as wise as you, before his Conversion, and telleth us, Acts 26. 9. I verily thought my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus: but when God had struck him down, and amazed him with his Glory, and then Illuminated him with his saving light, he crieth out, Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do? Acts 9. 6. And this with trembling and astonishment. And Tit. 3. 3. He telleth you what he thought then of his former courses; We our selves were sometime foolish, disobedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures; but how was he healed? ver. 4, 5. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not by works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy be saved us by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost. You say you will never be of another mind; I but God can make you of another mind: His light cannot be overcome by your darkness, if he mean you so much mercy as to shine in upon your souls. This is the fourth part of the change of mens Understandings from error to saving Truth in the matters of salvation.