A Treatise of Conversion, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
SECT. I.
I Have spoken of the work of Conversion, as it containeth the Change of the Judgement, and of the Heart, and of the Life, and so have finished the third Particular promised: which was to shew you what Conversion is, and wherein it doth consist. By what is said, you may easily see that it is a great Change that is made on the soul and in the Life, by this Renewing Grace of Christ. Me thinks now all those men that know, or may know, that never such a work was wrought upon their hearts, should see that it is time to look about them, and to lay to heart the sad conclusion which Christ hath here protested in my Text. What! Have all the people of this Congregation found all this change upon Judgement, Heart and Life, as I have here spoken of? Oh, that it were so well. What a joy were that to us, to Angels, to Christ himself! and what everlasting joy would that be to themselves! But alas! Their conversations and careless lives do tell us, that with too many of them it is far otherwise. And what keepeth such guilty souls in peace? Can so many men hear such a Text as this: That except they be converted they cannot be saved, and yet not look about them, nor be awakened from their security? Yet it is too evident by sad experience, that they that read this and know, or might know, that they are not converted, are yet as careless as if they could endure damnation well enough. And what is the matter? And how comes this to pass? Doubtless, because they do not throughly believe the truth of what is said. I shall therefore come now to the next thing promised: Briefly to shew you from the Word of God the Certain truth of what we have in hand, That you may see it is a matter past all doubt and Question.
And first, what need you any more then the very words of the Text? Do you need further proof, where you have the words of Christ himself? But you shall see yet more, Joh. 3. 3. He telleth Nicodemus, That except a man be Regenerate and born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: That is, As a child is as it were a New Creature that lately received life, which had none before, and newly entereth into the world; so must very man that will be saved, as it were receive a New spiritual Life, and enter into the world of Grace, even into the Church of God, and begin his life as it were again, 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new! See here both the Necessity, and the Nature of this Change. It is not one or two, but every man that is in Christ, that is thus converted. And he that is not in Christ, is not a Christian, and he that is not a Christian cannot be saved. Every true Christian then is a New Creature, not in substance, but in Quality and in Life, Old things are past away, behold, all things are become New! What are these all things? but those that I have before expressed to you. A true converted man hath not the same Ends and Intentions that he had before: He hath a new hope and happiness, New Love, New Desires, New Sorrow, New Delight, New Resolution, and a New Conversation: all is become New. He entreth a New Covenant with Christ, and so he hath a New Master, a New Head, and Husband, and Lord: And is now a member of a new Society, and entred into a new Kingdom and Family. He hath a new work to do, he hath new company to converse with, he hath new thoughts in his heart, and speaks a new Language. He leadeth his life by a new Law: and thus all things are become New Even Relations are here included, as well as Physical Qualifications. For he hath a new Father, a new Inheritance, and so of the Rest. It must needs be a great change indeed, where all things are become new. If it were but one or two of these, it would make a great alteration; much more when it is in all. So in the 1 Pet. 2. 2. The Apostle likeneth them to new born babes, who must therefore desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may live and grow by it. And in Gal. 6. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new Creature. The world must be crucified to us and we to the world, that we may live a new to God, ver. 14. And I told you before out of Eph. 4. 22, 23, 24. That in conversion we put off the old man, which according to the deceitful lusts, is corrupt, and are renewed in the spirit of our mind, and put on the new man, which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness. And Tit. 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he sheddeth on us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his Grace, we might be made Heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So Col. 3. 10. We put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created us. Ezeek. 18. 31. He commandeth them to make them a new heart, and a new spirit. And what he commandeth all, he declareth himself resolved to give to his Elect, Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put into you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh; and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them. So in Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart, and I will put a New spirit within them; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh; that they may walk in my Statutes, and keep my Ordinances and do them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And as they are new creatures, so they have a new Commandment, or Law to live by: and a new promise, or Covenant for their Inheritance, Joh. 13. 34. Luk. 22. 20. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Heb. 9. 15. They have a New name, that no man knoweth but he that hath it, Rev. 2. 17. or at last they shall have. They have New Imployments, even serving God in newness of life, that as they were planted together in the likeness of Christs death, they should be also in the likeness of his Resurrection. Knowing this, that their old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth they should not serve sin. For he that is dead is justified or freed from son, Rom. 6. 4, 5, 6, 7. And thus they serve God in newness of spirit, Rom. 7. 6. And so the whole Church is one new man in Christ, Eph. 2. 15. And a new lump that is purged from the old Leaven, must all particular Churches of Christians be, 1 Cor. 5. 7. But lest any doubt should be left, I will reduce the rest to some particular Arguments.
1. It is the very Office of Jesus Christ, which he came into the world to perform, to bring back ungodly sinners unto God. And shall we think that Christ came on a needless errand? Believe it Sirs, As his suffering was Necessary for our Ransom, so was his Doctrine and Spirit, as Necessary for our Conversion, and we can no more be saved without the one, then without the other. Think with your selves whether it be a likely thing, that God should send his Son on earth by a Miracle, surpassing all Miracles, and this on purpose to call home straying sinful souls; if they might be saved without Conversion? If it had been possible for men to be happy without holiness, and to escape misery without escaping sin, what need Christ have come to sanctifie them? The Lord Jesus is the great Physitian of souls, and he comes not to heal any petty diseases, that might as well have been healed without him: But he comes to cure a killing plague, that no one else could have cured but himself. It was never the mind of Christ to come down from Heaven to suffer for our sins, that we might be saved in them without a change. Never did it enter into his holy thoughts to bring men to glory in their sins; but to destroy their sins that would keep them out of Glory. He never meant to bring you and your disease to heaven together; but to heal your disease, that else would be your ruin. What shall we think, that Christ came to Impute a Righteousness to the impenitent and unconverted? And to make God believe that they are just in him, who are not in him at all? And to make men seem to be what they are not? Why, this were to fain the blessed Son of God to be the Patron of Iniquity; and to die for the upholding of sin; and not for the destroying of it. What greater blasphemy against Christ can there be, then to imagine that he befriendeth sin which he doth so hate? And that he taketh part with Satan, and strengtheneth his Kingdom, when it was his very business in the world to destroy it, and his works? 1 Joh. 3. 8. What, must Christ come, and so Miraculously condescend, and do, and suffer what he did, and all to heal diseased souls, and kill that sin that else would kill them, and after all this, shall he be made the Patron of it? Take this home with thee to thy heart, unconverted sinner, whoever thou art: If men could have been saved without conversion, Christ would never have done so much to convert them as he hath done. You comfort your selves in Christ, while you live in wilfull sinning, and you think that though you be not renewed, yet you shall be pardoned and saved by his blood-shed. Why, I tell you from the Word of God, you may fetch much terrour from the thoughts of Christ; but hope of salvation without Conversion he will afford you none. You may rather think with your selves, that if the changing of a sinner had not been a work of great Necessity, Christ would never have come down to do it. I know that we have free pardon of sin by his blood, or else we had no hope: But it is none but the converted that partake of that pardon; as you may see, Mar. 4. 12. Lest at any time they be converted, and their sin should be forgiven them. So Act. 26. 18. Act. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore, that your sins may be blotted out. If you had but that one Chapter, Luk. 15. to tell you in what manner Christ doth save men, you might easily see, it is not by bringing them to Heaven in their ungodliness: He likneth himself to one that having lost a sheep in the wilderness, goeth and seeketh after it, till he find it: and when he hath found (what, doth he leave it? No; but) layeth it on his shoulders, and bringeth it home Rejoycing, ver. 4, 5. Or like one that sweepeth the house to find a piece of silver that was lost, ver. 8. Or like the Father that gladly Receiveth the returning Prodigal. But without Returning, there had been no Receiving him; nor no Rejoycing over him.
Object. But doth not Christ tell us of some that needed no Repentance, vers. 7. Answ. True, why is that? Because they had truly Repented before. They needed no conversion; or such conversion as the New Converts have, which consists in a change, from a state of sin to God: But onelyonly a proceeding in obedience, and particular Repentance for their particular slips. But if they had not been converted before, they would have needed such a Conversion or Repentance. For so the Prophet saith, Isa. 53. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray, and have turned every one to his own way: And so 1 Pet. 2. 25. For ye were as sheep going astray, but are returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. Or if there be any that were sanctified in their Infancy, as no doubt there is, so that their actual going astray was prevented; yet as they went astray in Adam and their Parents, so had they a straying disposition in their corrupted Natures, which needeth a turn, as well as the sins which appear in the life. And thus it appeareth that Christ came of purpose to Convert men, and not to pardon any soul without conversion, Luk. 19. 10. The Son of man is come to seek, and to savè that which was lost, Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us (not to pardon us, and to save without converting us, but) to redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. So that hence you may see the Absolute Necessity of Conversion to Salvation.
2. It is the very Drift of the Gospel, and main Design of the whole word of God, to convert men from Sin to God, and build them up when they are once converted. And do you think that God would have made it the scope of his Word, if it had not been Necessary? If a man could be saved without conversioin, what need God to inspire Prophets and Apostles to deliver his Word to the world, & to seal it with the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, and all to convert men, and build up the converted? Would God make all this stir with us as he doth in the Bible, for a needless thing? Alas, if he did not know that your disease will kill you except it be cured, he would never have prepared so many Remedies against it. This is the very Use and glory of the Law of God, Psal. 19. 7. The Law of God is pure, converting the soul. What else doth Scripture call sinners to, but to repent and turn to God by Christ? Ezek. 33. 11. As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; Turn ye, turn ye from your evil wayes; for why will ye die, Oh house of Israel? Ezek. 18. 21. But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die, ver. 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should return from his wayes and live? vers. 30, 31, 32. Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions▪ so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your Transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit; for why will ye die, Oh house of Israel? for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth; saith the Lord God: wherefore turn your selves and live ye. So Ezek. 14. 6. & 3. 18, 19, 20, 21. Isa. 31. 6. & 59. 20, 21. Jer. 3. 7, 14 & 18. 8. & 26. 3. Prov. 1. 23. Turn ye at my Reproofs, and I will pour out my Spirit to you, Hos. 5. 4. & 12. 6. Joel 2. 12. Turn ye to me with all your hearts, with fasting and weeping, and mourning; rent your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God, Jonah 3. 8. And hundred such places might be brought, in which it is apparent, that the turning of sinners of God, is the main scope of the holy Scriptures.
3. It is as Certain, that it is the very business that the Ministers of the Gospel are appointed to, to convert men to God by the faith of Jesus Christ. And is it likely that God would send us to trouble the world with a needless work? For my part, if I did not know that Repentance and Conversion are absolutely Necessary to the glory of Gods Grace and saving of the sinner, I should be loth to trouble my self and others, so much about such matters as I do. Who could find in his heart to study, and preach, and weary himself, and vex the world, and call men to such unwelcom duties, and preach to them such unpleasant Truths, and set them upon works that are so hard to flesh and blood▪ and put them upon so many sufferings in the world, if all this were for a needless thing? John Baptist began to preach Repentance; Christ followed him in preaching Repentance, and tells them, except they repent, they shall all perish, Luk. 13. 3, 5. The Apostles follow him in preaching the same Repentance, as that without which there is no salvation, Act. 2. 38. & 8. 22. They tell us, God commandeth all men every where to Repent, Act. 17. 30. Pauls business was, to shew all men that they must repent and turn to God, and do works meet for Repentance, Act. 26. 20. And to open mens eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and the power of Satan to God, that they may Receive Remission of sins, and an Inheritance among the sanctified by faith in Christ. As Christ himself came to call sinners to Repentance, Mat. 9. 13. So doth he send his Ministers on the same …rrand; and after all his suffering he will give men pardon on no others terms: But Repentance and remission of sins must be preached in his name among all Nations, Luk. 24. 46, 47. Mark the way of Gospel-preaching and salvation, Act. 5. 30, 31. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with his Right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins: Repentance in order before forgiveness: when men turn from sin, God turneth from his punishing wrath, but not before, Act. 11. 18. God hath granted to the Gentiles Repentance unto life. The sum of Pauls doctrine was, Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, Act. 20. 21. For this do Gods Ministers instruct in meekness them that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will, 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26. & 2 Pet. 3. 9. It is said, That God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Repentance, which plainly implyeth; that if they come not to Repentance, they must perish for all that. And therefore Repentance is one of the Fundamentals, and preaching Repentance is laying the Foundation: as appeareth, Heb. 6. 1. And he that is grown uncurable, and remediless by Apostacy, is said to be one that cannot be renewed by Repentance, Heb. 6. 6. Which supposeth that there can be no other way of Renewing: And a Desperate man is one that findeth no place for Repentance, Heb. 12. 17. And in the godly, all the fruits of holiness are made the fruits of Repentance, 2 Cor. 7. 9, 10, 11.
4. The very Providences of God in mercy and affliction, are purposely to bring sinners to Repentance: and therefore certainly, Repentance is Necessary to salvation, Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath, and Revelation of the Righteous Judgement of God, Rev. 9. 20. & 16. 9, 11. If Conversion were not Necessary to Salvation, God would not make so much ado by Affliction and Mercy to bring us to it.
5. God makes it the duty even of every man in his place, to do all that he can for the Conversion of others: And this he would never do, if there were another way to Salvation, Dan. 12. 3. They that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. James saith, 5. 19, 20. If any of you do err from the Truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he that converteth a sinner from the error of his wayes, shall save a soul from Death, and cover a multitude of sins. And David promiseth, if God would pardon and restore him, that he will teach transgressors his way, that sinners may be converted to him, Psalm 51. 13. So that, lay all this now together, and judge whether it be likely that God would have set all the world on work for the Conversion of Sinners, if there had been any other way to save them. Should Christ himself have come upon this Errand? Should the Word of God be written to this End? Should all the Prophets, Apostles, and Ministers of the Gospel be sent on this Message? Should all Mercies, and all Afflictions be directed to this use? Should it be made the duty of every Christian to endeavour it? If men could be saved without Conversion, by any other way? Doubtless, the case is plain; it should not be.
I beseech you therefore, Let this be received by you as an unquestionable Truth: make no halt or doubt in the business; shift it not off with foolish Cavils, but ground it even in the bottom of your hearts, that without true Conversion there is no hope of salvation.
You have as good proof of it as you can desire of any truth in the world. Yea, besides all that I have said, it is a thing that in General is confessed by Heathens, and discerned even by the light of Nature. They that will not believe in Christ, will confess the Necessity of Repentance and Reformation, which yet cannot be wrought without faith in Christ. Though I know, there is a great deal more Necessary to this work, yet I should think I had done something to day, if you would but all go home Resolved without all doubt of the truth of my Text: And would never more think that there is any other way to salvation, besides Conversion. For certainly, if you were once well Resolved, that you must every man of you be converted, or condemned, you would look a little better about you then most do. At least this would destroy your deceiving hopes, and presumption, and make you see what is yet to be done, and would much help to prepare you for a further work. And that none of you may say another day, that you never heard or knew the Truth, I do here solemnly proclaim it to you all in the Name of Christ, That there is no hope of Salvation) without true Conversion. And I have fully proved it to you from the word of God. So that, if ever a man or woman that is here before the Lord this day, shall yet dare to live in an unconverted state, you are left without a cloak for your sin: you shall not be able to tell the Lord at Judgement, that you never heard or knew so much. If he ask any of you at that day, how it came to pass that you turned not to God, nor sought after Converting Grace, and how you could ever think to look God in the face without conversion: you shall not be able to say [we lived under a Minister that never told us of it: we thought we might have done well enough without it, and some particular Repentance might have served the turn.] The Truth hath shone this day in your eyes: you have heard what Christ saith, and what his Apostles say, and what is the drift of all the Scripture. If yet you will believe that a man may be saved without Conversion, it is your wilfull Obstinacy and Unbelief that maketh you think it: you must wink hard, and draw the Curtains of Carnal security about your ears: if in the midst of this Day-light you will sleep as in the Night of former dardness.
SECT. II.
Quest. BUt are there not many in the world that need no Conversion, even from their Infancy? Doth not God Regenerate men by Baptism, or at least before: which Baptism sealeth, or at least by Christian Education in their Infancy? and what need have these of after Conversion?
Answ. To this I shall answer briefly, but plainly in these Propositions following. 1. No doubt but God doth pardon Original Sin to multitudes of Infants by the blood of Christ, through the Covenant of Grace, which is made to the faithful and their seed. And being thus pardoned, they may be truly said to be New Creatures, or Regenerate Relatively: And this pardon bestowed by the Covenant, is sealed by Baptism, which more solemnly conferreth it. 2. It is most probable that God doth also make some change on the hearts of Infants, secretly giving them some seed of Inward Grace before, or in their Baptism. 3. It is certain, that sometimes before their death, he doth give this Spirit to Elect Infants, according to their capacity, and thereby fit them for glory, I mean those that die in Infancy. 4. Holy Education of Parents may be a means through Gods blessing, of actual converting those that were before but Seminally changed, yea and of those that were not. And if Parents did their duty first in a believing Dedication of their children to God by Baptism, and then in a careful bringing them up in his fear: It is most certain, that this would be the most Ordinary age and season of Regeneration and sanctification to life. For God would not be wanting to his own Ordinances used in Faith by his own people. He did not appoint them in vain, neither hath he given them a Precept without a Promise. 5. If any one did Receive the seed of true Grace in their Infancy, it will certainly appear in a holy life even from their Infancy upwards. And therefore there is the same work done in the hearts of such as were converted in Infancy, and after were brought up in the fear of God, as I have before described to you in the truly converted. If any man did but live one year, or month, or week of his Childhood after he had the use of Reason, in a state utterly graceless, that man hath no reason to take the least comfort now to himself, upon any conceit that he was Regenerate in his Infancy. If he have from his childhood unfeignedly loved God above all, and been heavenly-minded, and hated sin, and delighted in all holiness, and feared God, and repented of all known sin, and laboured to subdue it, and had the rest of the marks of Grace in his heart, then he may be sure that he was sanctified betime. But if any man have lived to the world or the flesh but one month since his Infant-state, never minding the life to come, nor loving the holy wayes of God, nor hating iniquity, he may be sure that he must have another Conversion, then any he had in his Infancy, or it will not serve his turn for Heaven. An Infant-conversion may serve for an Infant state of Salvation; but he that hath after that, lived to sin, must have an Actual conversion, as he was Actually a Sinner. And if he had Grace in Infancy, he must have the same working of it toward God and Heaven, which in the work of Conversion I described before. So that I do not call you to judge of your state by the time or manner of your Change, so much as by the matter or thing it self: Find all that work upon your judgements, heart, and life, which I have before laid down, and be sure it is there, and then, whensoever you come by it, you are happy. But if it be not now there, it is a silly delusion, to glory in the conceits of an Infant-Baptismal Change. Yet I doubt not but there is many a true Christian, who hath Received this Grace so early, that they have the greater cause to be for ever thankful for it to God.
So much for the confirmation of the Point: that certainly this work of Conversion is Necessary to all that will be saved. One time or other the Image of God must be Imprinted on the heart, and in those at Age expressed in the life.
SECT. III.
I Am next according to the Method propounded, to give you the Reasons of it. Why a man cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven except he be converted. The case is so clear, that we may easily see reason for it, if we be willing to see.
1. If there were no other Reason Apparent to us but the word of God, one would think it might satisfie such as we. Heaven is his own, and he may give it to whom he will, and he hath told us in his word that he will give it to no other; and should not that suffice us? May not he do with his own as he list? It is his hand that must set on the Crown; and may not he set it on what head he please? We are sure of these two things. 1. That God hath full power to dispose of it, and therefore can do no wrong to others by denying it. 2. And that he is Infinitely wise, and good, and just, and therefore it must needs be the wisest and best way that he takes, though such dark sinners as we could not see the wisdom, or the goodness, or justice of it. Do you grudge at this Doctrine, that none shall be saved but those that are converted? why, then you grudge at God. And do you think indeed that he knoweth not what he doth? Are you wiser then he? Or are you more Righteous then he? What! must the God of Heaven come down to you to learn wisdom, or justice, or mercy? Will you question him at the bar of your judgement, and ask him why he doth so? Will you charge him with injustice, or unmercifulness? and say, Lord, why art thou so unmerciful as to condemn all the unconverted? Oh, poor fools! (for so I dare call you, that dare so far presume) How easily will God answer you, and justifie his Wisdom, his Justice, and his Mercy? It is a fine world, when the Creator must be judged at the bar of a silly Creature! What if a fly or a flea could speak, should it expostulate the case with God that he made him not a man? Or should a Toad, or a Snake, reprove him of injustice for making him such, that never had sinned? Or tell him that this is an Act of unmercifulness? How much less should a wretched sinner, that hath done so much wrong to the Lord that made him, that hath refused his Grace by which he would have saved him, presume to open his mouth against God, and tell him after all this, that if he condemn him, he is unmerciful. But more of this anon.
Sirs, I tell you my Religion, and my Resolution. I Believe all that God saith to be true, though the matter were never so much beyond my reach: And of this I am so confident, that I will venture my soul upon it. I have looked up and down to see if there be any better and surer grounds for a wise man to venture his happiness upon, and I can find no better: Nay, I am sure there is no better. If any man have found any better, let him take it, and make his boast of the gain when he hath it. For my part, I will take Gods Word, and I will trust my soul and hopes on this, and I will look for satisfaction of all my doubts and scruples, when I come to possess the promised felicity. And I am sure I can lose nothing, or no great matter by this Resolution. For sure I am, that all other happiness is a shadow and delusion; and all other Foundations are sandy, and will deceive. If God tell me in his word, that no man shall be saved except he be converted, I will take his word, and let them look well to their standing that do refuse it. I will set this Word of God against all the Reasons in the world that you can bring. Well, you say it is a hard saying, that so few should be saved? Will you say you cannot Believe that God will deal so hardly? Against all these vain Cavils I set the Word of God. God hath said it, and will he not do it?
SECT. IV.
2. VVEll, But if we must needs go further to reasoning the case with you, and Gods Word will not satisfie you. I will proceed to shew you some nearer Reasons from the Nature of the thing. And the first of these Reasons shall be from the Nature of Gods Government, and the state of men in this present life. We are set here as in the way to a further End; God never Intended that this should be our home, nor that we should have the Victory without a Combat, nor the Crown without the Victory. God never meant that we should have the wages of his Glory, how free soever, without a faithfull performing of our work; at least the work of unfeigned Repentance and Conversion: Would you have God reward men for serving the Devil? Or to say at the last day, [Come sinner, thou hast lived to the Devil all thy life, and set thy heart on the world, and abused or despised me and my Grace, enter now into the promised Glory] Why Sinners, if self-love did not blind you, and make fools of you: you could tell that this were a sentence unfit for the most wise and Righteous God. What! must he reward the Devils servants? shall not the Judge of all the world do Righteously? Gen. 18. 25. And what is Righteousness, but to give every man his due? And is not punishment Naturally due to the Disobedient? Especially when they have refused, or set light by a pardon? Sirs, the case is plain. A wise and Righteous Governour, let him be never so merciful, must make a Difference between the Righteous and the wicked: And therefore God will so do, Mal. 3. 18. A Righteous Judge must pass sentence according to the Law. Tell me! would you think well of that Governour, that should let men rob you, or beat you, or violently take possession of your house or Land, and never punish him? And will you think that God will put up Infinitely greater injury at your hands? Would you like such a Law, that shall bid all men steal, and kill, and spare not, for the Judge will not be so cruel as to hang or punish them. I think you would say, this were but a foolish and unmerciful Judge, that pretendeth thus to be merciful: Do not then for shame impute this folly and unrighteousness to God. If he should not have made Righteous Laws, which threaten punishment to sin for the Restraining of it; how should the world be governed? And if he should make Laws, and never execute them, how should he be wise and Righteous? He is not so weak as to be put to govern the world by meer deceit. It belongeth to a Righteous Governour, to see that it go well with the good, and ill with the bad; ut bonis bene sit, & malis male. And I think if God should deal so well with the worst as with the best, your own Reason would be ready to question it. Why, what can he do more to the best, then to save them in his glory? for what more are they capable of? and should he do this also to the worst? And sure, if he must shut them out of glory, they must needs be in misery. For if there were no more, but to look towards the happiness which they so lost, and see Lazarus and Abrahams bosom, and the Righteous whom they derided, possessing that Glory which they set light by, it must needs fill their minds with Anguish and Vexation; and their own Corsciences would Torment them for ever. Well! you see then some reason why the Unconverted should not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
SECT. V.
3. BUt further consider this. The holy Nature of God will not permit the unclean, and unholy soul in his presence, Revel. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, or whatsoever worketh Abomination, Hab. 1. 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil, and canst not look on Iniquity, Psalm 5. 4. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight, thou hatest all the workers of Iniquity: The Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness, but the wicketh his soul hateth, Psalm 11. 5. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in Judgement, nor sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous, Psalm 1. 5. For God shall Judge the world in Righteousness: and Minister judgement to the people in uprightness, Psalm 9. 8. And he is known by the judgement which he Executeth, when the wicked is snared in the work of his own hand: so that the wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the Nations that forget God, Psal. 9. 16, 17. What reason would you have more? There is a contradiction between the Nature of God and the Unconverted. What fellowship hath Righteousness with Ʋnrighteousness, and what communion hath Light with Darkness? 2 Cor. 6. 14. Therefore it is that God also putteth an enmity between the seed of the woman and of the Serpent, Gens. 3. 15. And calleth his Converted people to come out from the impenitent unbelieving world; Not by a Schismatical, but by a godly Separation, 2 Cor. 6. 14, 15, 16. For what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel? And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? For ye are the Temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord: And touch not the unclean thing, and he will Receive you, and be a Father to you. If God himself could endure Communion with the unholy, then he would allow his people to endure it. But because they are his, and must be like him, therefore must they withdraw from such. Sinners, I pray you judge as you would be judged of. Would you have Communion your selves, with that which is against your Nature? Would you be tyed to feed upon Toads or Snakes, or to put them in your bosomes, or lay them in bed with you? Or if a Toad could speak, would it be a reasonable Argument to say, why art thou so unmerciful as to refuse my Company, or thus to abhor me, and cast me away? Why the holy Nature of God is Infinitely more against unholy sinners, as such, then your Nature is against the most venemous Toad: and therefore he cannot admit the Unconverted into his Kingdom. Therefore it is, that he will Redeem, and sanctifie them, and cleanse them from their sin, that they may be presented spot-less and Unblamable to him by Christ, before they shall come to Glory, Ephes. 5. 26, 27. Believe it Sinners, Light and darkness, Holiness and unholiness, God and sin, are utterly Unreconcilable. If ever God and you must live together in glory, you must become holy as he is holy, that you may be such as he can dwell withall, and delight in: Either he must turn unholy like you, or you must turn holy like him. And which do you think is the more likely to be done? Can you expect that the Sun of Righteousness should turn dark to comply with your darkness? Or that the Immutable God should lay by his Excellency, to sute himself with your vileness? Why, this were for God to cease to be God: For to be an unholy God, is to be an evil God, and this is to be no God. For to be God, is to be the chiefest good: see then what a fair issue the Carnal reasonings, and confident hopes of wicked men have. They hope to be saved without Conversion and holiness: and the Issue is this: They hope that God will cease to be God, lest they should be damned, and shut out of his Kingdom. Do not say, I make worse of your reasoning then it is. The case is plain, it is no better. And I appeal to thy own conscience, whether the brains of a man be capable of greater madness. Oh Sirs, what a befooling thing is Sin! Is it not more reasonable that thou shouldst cease to be ungodly, then that God should cease his blessed Nature? There is some possibility yet that thou maist cease to be a wilful Impenitent Sinner: But there is no possibility that God should cease to be God. Wo to thee, if thou cast thy soul upon such hopes. Should God cease his goodness and blessed perfection, all the world would be confounded, or turn to nothing. Turn therefore, for be sure of it, he will not turn to thee. He hath commanded his servants, that they come not one jot nearer the wicked, Jer. 15. 19. Let them return to thee, but return not thou to them. And will he then do that which he forbiddeth his servants? Many a sinner hath thought that God is like himself, even of his mind, and thought as lightly of sin as they, Psalm 50. But they never found it so in the End: He did by wonderful incomprehensible Condescension become man to save Sinners, but he will never become a Sinner to save Sinners; nor unholy to save the unholy. He took our flesh, and he took our Curse, and in that sense became sin for us, who knew no sin: But he will never take to him, sin it self. He is yet Reconcilable to sinners; but he will never be Reconcilable to sin. Yet, if thou wilt turn to him, thou maist be welcom; but never look he should turn like thee.
SECT. VI.
4. ANd do you not yet see reason enough, why no unconverted sinner should be saved? Why, come along with me and I will shew you yet more. God offered them Salvation in this Life, for the very taking. I may well say upon easie and reasonable terms, when it was no more but accept it, and have it; And they would not. It was propounded to their choice, and they refused it. They might have had Christ, and pardon, and holiness, and happiness, if they would, and they would not: And would you have God to save them whether they will or no? He set Life and Death before them, and bids them choose Life, that they might live▪ Deut. 30. 19. He set before them blessing and cursing, and denounced to them, that they should certainly perish, if their hearts turned away, and they would not hear. He called Heaven and Earth to Record against them, Deut. 30. 17, 18, 19. And he sent his Son, his Apostles, his Ministers to them to entreat them, and in his Name to beseech them to turn to him, and to be Reconciled, 2 Cor. 5. 20. He charged us to be Instant with them in season, and out of season, 2 Tim. 4. 2. And to Reprove, Rebuke, Exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine: as Suitors that would take no Nay. He bids us even compell them to come in, Mat. 22. 9. Luk. 14. 23. And yet they would not come, we could not prevail. Some would make excuses from one thing, and some from another: some had their Farms, and some their Trades, and some their Wives, and all their sins to Regard; They could not have while to be converted and fear God: And some set light by us and our Message, Matth. 22. 5. And some did openly oppose it, and contradicting the Truth, and Cavilling at it, as if they were wiser then to be converted and saved: As if they had more reason then to come in to God that called them, and accept of his Salvation; And therefore even scorned the holy word and way of God, that should have saved them. Sirs, to our hearts grief we must witness it against the faces of thousands of our poor hearers, that this was the true Case, and thus things were carried between God and them: Christ cals out to them when he was on earth, even with tears, and bids us do the like with tears now in his stead. [Oh, that thou hadst known at least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace I but they would not, till they were hid from their eyes, and it was too late, Luke 19. 41, 42. How often would I have gathered thee, as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not, Mat. 23. 37. Sinners, I beseech you, let not sin and flesh befool you, to make you flie in the face of God, instead of Returning to him at his Call. Can you think that God is unjust or unmercifull, that would have given you heaven, and you would not accept of it? If he deny you that Everlastingly which you would not accept of, can you blame him or your selves? I know what some hearts will be ready to imagine. You will say, [I was willing to be saved, and therefore this is nothing to me.] I, but were you willing to take Salvation as it was offered? If not, you may as well say plainly, you will have none of it: For you shall have none of it upon any other terms. You would have had mercy by the …ves, and not in whole. You would have picked out that part of Salvation which pleased you, and left the rest. God would have saved you from the guilt and power of sin, from hell; and from unholiness, and you would have but one of these, without the other: Or would have been saved from hell and all other punishments, but you would not be sanctified and brought neer to God, and taken off from this world, and set your hearts on the world to come: And you knew, or might know, that God would not half and part his Salvation: you shall have all, or you shall have none. If you will keep sin, you shall keep the curse with it: If you will keep the Serpent, you shall have the sting and venom with it. If you will not take Christ for your Master, as well as your Saviour, and be ruled by him when his yoke is so easie and his burden so light, never look to find rest to your souls, Matth. 11. 27, 28, 29. If you will not be converted, you may as well speak out, and say plainly, you will not be saved: for it is all one. He that saith he will not eat and drink, may as well say he will not live: and he that will not take the Physick, may as well say he will not be cured. Sirs, if Christ, and Grace, and Glory, had never been offered to you, nor you had any means to have brought you to the knowledge of him, then you had had some excuse. As Christ saith, Joh. 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin. If we had not in Christs Name entreated you to return, and offered you Salvation, you had some excuse. But now, what can you reasonably say? I dare challenge the reason of all the world to answer this one reason, by which God will prove, that the unconverted should be condemned. It is reason, that he that would not have Heaven upon such reasonable terms as Christ did tender it him; should for ever be shut out. What will you say to this, when God shall question thee, and say What saist thou sinner, did not I freely offer thee my Grace and Salvation?] Do you believe you shall have the face at the day of Judgement, to tell Christ he is unmerciful if he damn you, when he shall tell you, that he would often have gathered you to him as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not? Will not that one word stop thy mouth for ever? What, dost thou complain of man? Is it for want of mercy? Why, what tenderer mercy wouldst thou have had? I would have gathered thee as the Hen, &c. Sinners, I witness to you this day, that God, and Angels, and men shall judge of you, that if you be thrust into Hell, it is because you would not be saved. And it is not because God was cruel to you, but because you were cruel and unmerciful to your selves. I tell you, this will prove true at the last.
SECT. VII.
5. IF all these Reasons do not satisfie you; I will shew you more, and such, as me thinks, should satisfie any man on earth, that the unconverted cannot be saved. Even because it is an Impossible thing: It is a flat Contradiction. Why Conversion is part of Salvation here, and the perfection of it is an higher part hereafter. Why, Sirs, Sin is the souls Sickness, and wound, and Death! And Grace and Holiness is its health and Life: and were not that a fool, that expecteth you should make him well, and not remove his sickness? And cure his wounds, and never heal or close them? Or make a dead man alive, and yet let him be dead still? Why, it is as great a Contradiction and Impossibility for a man to be saved and not converted. What is it that we must be saved from, but Sin and Hell? And there is no saving from hell, but by saving from Sin, Matth. 1. 21. He shall save his people from their sins. Do you know what the Salvation is that God hath promised us in Glory? Why, it is this: That we shall be perfectly freed from all sin, and have the Image of his Holiness perfected on our souls: That we shall be perfectly in love with God, and perfectly Beloved of him, and live in the sight of his Majesty, and fill our selves with the view of his pleased face, and breath out his praise with the heavenly Host for ever. Doth such a Heaven as this is, like you? or doth it not? If it do not, you must have none; for there is no other. Except you will call an Ale-house, or an Whore-house, or other sensuall pleasures your heaven. But if you will have this Heaven which God doth offer you, you may easily see that it cannot be had without Conversion. Can you be saved from sin, and yet keep it? Can you be perfected in holiness, and yet be unholy? Can you live in the everlasting love of God, and have no true love to him at all? Can you delight in him, and yet have no delight in him, but be weary of him, and delight in your worldly vanities more? Well Sinners! I think I need to say no more. The Contradiction is so Evident, that you may as well say [I will be saved, and I will … ] as to say, [I will be saved, but not Converted.]
But perhaps, some vain Caviller will say; Its true, we cannot be glorified without Conversion and holiness, but God might have given us that in another world, though he change us not here.
Answ. But do you not know, that this Life is the Appointed time of working, and running, and fighting for the Crown? The Life to come is the time of Reward, and of your Receiving the Prize that here you run for: Would you have God help you in your Race when you are past it, and your time is gone? Or contrary to Wisdom and Governing Justice, to confound the way and the End; this Life, and that to come? You may with far more wisdom expect, that when you have loitered till the Sun be set, God should call it back again at your desire, that you may have Day-light to work by. He gave thee time, and gave thee warning to use it while thou hadst it; and told thee, This was the accepted time; This was the Day of Salvaiton, 2 Cor. 6. 2. And to trifle out this time, and then to think that God should give thee both Grace and Glory in that Life, where he hath Resolved onelyonly to perfect Grace in Glory, and Crown those that have Overcome on Earth. This is such folly in so great a business, as I desire no friend of mine may be guilty of. Object. But it is our ignorance of God that maketh us unholy: and therefore when Death hath opened our eyes, as we shall know him better, so we shall the more love him according to that knowledge; and so we shall be sanctified: And God cannot but love those that love him; and therefore they will be saved.
Answ. It is not all knowledge of God, that will cause a love to him. If you know him as Excellent, and yet as your enemy, and one that standeth Resolved Everlastingly to Punish you, this will provoke no love to him, but hatred. The Dignity and worth of an Enemy may be some matter of Admiration to us, and of Reverence, but not of such Love as may tend to fruition. It is inseparable from your Natures to love your selves. And therefore you will love that which you think is for your Good, and hate that which you think is against you, and tends to your Destruction. You will then find that your Damnation was part of Gods Righteous Government of the world: And that the whole work of Government was one inseparable Frame, begun by Legislation, and finished by Judgement and Execution: And that God will no more break the frame of Government, then he will the frame of Nature: nor so much. For that he may do when he please, though he will do it rarely, but this his own perfection is against. So that when you see God as it were obliged everlastingly to destroy you, you cannot close in love with him, as your Friend, or chiefest Good, as these do, that enjoy him in the promised Glory.