A Treatise of Conversion, Chapter 7 · Section 15 – Section 24
SECT. XV.
Direction 7. LEt go the world then, if ever you would be converted. You renounced it in your Baptism, see that your hearts now unfeignedly renounce it, unless you will renounce your part in Christ and the world to come. Think not to keep both, and make up a felicity to your selves between them: It is now become your enemy, and as an enemy it must be affected and used, or else as an enemy it will effectually destroy you. It is a killing conquering enemy to those that take it not heartily for their enemy: …ut it is only a troubling, but a conquered enemy to them that take it and use it as an enemy. Oh that poor worldlings did but know what a feather, what a shadow, what an empty unprofitable thing they do pursue. You run after it eagerly, but when you overtake it, you will befool your selves, and say, What have I gotten? Is this all that I have cared and toiled for? Is this all that I forsook God and my Salvation for? For your souls sake sinnrs, forsake not God till you know for what. Neglect not Heaven till you have somewhat better to regard. Renounce not your salvation till you know such reason for it as you dare own and stand to at Death and Judgement. Is a little plenty of wealth and worldly trifles a matter for a man to sell his soul for? You think (I know) That you do not sell your salvation for it, because you hope that you may have both▪ But this is but your wilfull Delusion. If you will not believe God now that telleth you you cannot have two Portions, two Treasures, two Ends, or two Masters, you will find it true when your deceit hath undone you. Doth God tell you that you cannot love both, and that the world and he cannot both have your hearts, and will you not believe him? If the world be better then God▪ then take it and let him go: If it be more durable then Heaven, then follow it and spare not. But alas! what a Dream, what a shadow is it! How soon will it be gone! Will you alwaies dwell in these houses? or will your friends and riches stay with you for ever? Will you carry your Lands and wealth, and fleshly Provision to another world? Alas, that men should wilfully undo themselves! …here is not a worldling but will confess all this to be true that I say, and yet their hearts are still the same, and the world hath their love, and care, and pleasure, and worldlings they will be still. Oh what a self▪ condemning sinner is a worldling, and how much against his knowledge doth he sin! He knows that he misplaceth his affections, and yet he will do it. He foreseeth that the world will deceive him at the last, and yet he will follow it, to the neglect of his salvation. Christ hath made▪ but one thing Necessary, Luke 10. 42. Do that and do all get that and get all: but they needlesly cumber themselves about many things, and make themselves more work then God hath made them; and will not see that they have lost their labour, till they find that they have lost their souls. Oh poor foolish sinners that now are so busie for you know not what, and rejoycing in your possessions as if you were happy, when your souls shall be required of you, whose then shall these things be? Luk. 12. 10. When Death and Judgement shall awaken you to your account, and help you better to understand your reckoning, then make your boast of the world, and boast of your gain, if you find it worth your boasting of. Then tell us who was the wiser Merchant, he that sold all for the Pearl of Grace and Glory, or he that let go that Treasure for the world. Then tell us whether an Heavenly or an earthly conversation was the wiser course; and who it was that chose the better part.
SECT. XVI.
Hinderance. 8. ANother great Impediment to Conversion, is: When custom in sinning hath given it the mastery, and made the flesh the Ruler of your Reason, and made men think that they have a kind of necessity to sin. Nature as corrupted, doth bring forth sin in too great strength; but custom doth make it stronger, and blotteth out the remnants of Morall wisdom and honesty from the soul: when men have long taken a custom of sinning, they grow hardned and sensless, as the high way doth by being often trod upon, or as a labourers hand grows hard by constant Labour: and so sin becometh familiar to them, and they become past feeling, and are given up to work uncleanness with greediness, Eph. 4. 19, 20. A custom of sinning against reason doth make men in a sort unreasonable, by giving their sensuality the Rule of their Reason▪ We see by sad experience when men grow old in Ignorance, how hardly they are brought to knowledge, yea or to be willing to learn: and when men are often drunk or commit any other hainous sin, how it prostituteth their souls to the next temptation, and maketh sin as familiar to them as water to the fish. It must be by a Miracle, or next to a Miracle, that an old ignorant worldly or sensual sinner must be converted: By often sinning they have lost their understandings, and hardned their hearts, and think the greatest good to be evil, and think they cannot live without their sin. But as a man in a Feaver calls for cold water, so do they for the pleasure of their flesh: They must have it, they cannot forbear it, their flesh will have no nay. If the Blackamore can change his skin, or the Leopard his spots, then may they that are accustomed to do evil, learn to do well, Jer. 13. 23. We see in Publike Cases, what a power custom hath: If men be but used to any thing in Gods worship that is unmeet or contrary to the Word of God, they will not hearken to Scripture, but cry out, Custom, custom▪ against that plain Word that must Judge them, and should direct them; (as if the custom of their Forefathers were of more Authority then the Word of God,) No wonder then if a custom of swearing, or drunkenness, or worldliness, or wickedness, or contempt of a Religious, godly life, do prevail with thousands to harden them to perdition; And this be a grievous hinderance to their Conversion.
SECT. XVII.
Direction 8. YOu that are yet young, take heed of a custom in sin, and you that are hardned in it already, in the fear of God make a stand and go no further: It is sad that you have gone so far! But if you wilfully go on but one day more, you know not but God may leave you to your selves; and if you wilfully add but one sin more to the heap, it may seal you to perdition, it may break your backs and sink you into Hell. Oh what a folly is it then for men to delay their Repentance to the last, when custom in sinning doth make the work of their conversion to be more difficult: Remember I beseech you, that your custom is the aggravation of your sin, and not any just excuse. What if you had taken a custom of spi…ting in the face of your own father or dearest friend, or any way abusing him, would you think it a good excuse for you to continue it, because you are accustomed to it? Why, the oftner you have sinned, the oftner you have wronged God; and the oftner you have wronged him, the more should you now bewail it, and not therefore go on to wrong him more. If you had oftentimes hurt your selves by falls, or cut your fingers by Negligence or carelesness, will you do so still to keep a custom? What greater madness can there be then to plead custom for sinning against the living God, and hastening your own souls to everlasting Perdition? You shall have custom for suffering then, as you have for sinning now, and see whether you will therefore love your suffering. If you will love sin because you are accustomed to it, you shall try whether you can love Hell, because you are accustomed to it.
SECT. XVIII.
Hinderance 9. ANother hinderance of Conversion is foolist self-Love; that makes men unwilling to know the worst of themselves, and so keepeth them from believing their sinfulness and misery; and causeth them to presume and keep up false deceiving hopes that they may be saved whether they are converted or not; or that they are converted when indeed they are not. They think it is every ones duty to hope well of themselves, and therefore they will do so; and so while they hope they are converted already, or may be saved without Conversion, no wonder if they look not seriously after it. Like many a sick man that I have known in the beginning of a Consumption, or some grievous disease, they hope there is no danger in it; or they hope it will go away of it self, and its but some cold; or they hope that such or such an easie Medicine may cure it, till they are past hope, and then they must give up these hopes and their lives together whether they will or no. Just so do poor wretches by their souls: they know that all is not well with them, but they hope God is so mercifull, that he will not damn them, or they hope to be converted sometime heareafter, or they hope that less ado may serve turn, and that their good wishes and prayers may save their souls, and that in these hopes they hold on, till they find themselves to be past remedy, and their hopes and they be dead together. I speak not this without the Scripture, Prov. 11. 7. When a wicked man dyeth, his expectation shall perish, and the hope of the unjust man perisheth. Iob 27. 8▪ 9. What is the hope of the Hypocrite, though he have gained, when God taketh away his soul? will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Iob 11. 20. And the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall escape; and their hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost. There is scarce a greater hinderance of Conversion, then these false deceiving hopes of sinners; that think they are converted when they are not; or hope to be saved when they have no ground for their hopes: Were it not for this, men would look about them, and return.
SECT. XIX.
Direction 9. I Have formerly spoke and wrote to you of this point, and I have told you that it is none of my desire that any man should absolutely despair. But despair you must of ever being saved without Conversion, or finding heaven in the way to hell: till that kind of despair possess your hearts, we cannot expect a saving change: for men will not let go all their pleasure, and cast themselves upon these difficulties which flesh and blood apprehendeth to be in the way of God, as long as they hope to do well enough without it. No wonder if men be unholy, that hope to be saved whether they be holy or not. It is hope that keepeth your heats from breaking, which must be broken for your former sins. It is hope of doing well enough in your present case▪ that keeps you from seeking out for a better, if you knew that you must be converted or condemned, and had no hopes of being saved, unless you were born again, then you would look about you, and run to God by Prayer for his Grace, & run to the Word by reading for Instruction; and run to the Minister with enquiry for Direction, and be glad of that company which would help you to heaven. I tell you, it is these carnal hopes that deceive the world, and hinder them from seeking Christ and life. The thing therefore that I request of you for the sake of your own souls, is but this, That you would but try your hopes by the Word of God, and prove them sound before you trust them; and content not your selves to say, I hope I shall be saved, but prove and try whether you are such as God hath promised Salvation to, or not: for there are hopes that will never deceive men, that is, those that are well grounded on the Word of God; and there are hopes, as you have heard, that will die with men and undo them; that is, those that had no ground but their own self-love; when men hope they shall be saved because they would have it so, and hope to come to heaven when they will not go the way to heaven: It is one of the dreadfullest sights in the world to see a man ready to leave this world, and have no hopes but what will die when he dyeth. Oh if you did but know what a terrible thing it will be for a man in his life time to hope for Salvation, and as soon as he is dead to find himself in damnation, and all his hopes to vanish like a dream, you would sure be perswaded to try your hopes. Prove once by the marks of Grace in your souls that thou art one of those that God hath promised salvation to, that is, one of the Regenerate, the heavenly and the holy, and then hope for salvation and spare not, and the Lord confirm and maintain thy hopes. For these hopes are grounded on the word of God, which never yet deceived any. But if you hope well, and know not why, and you have nothing to shew for your hopes of heaven, but what an ungodly man can shew, or the most of the world may shew, that shall perish; and cannot prove that you are new creatures, and holy, and heavenly, these hopes do but hinder your Conversion and Salvation.
SECT. XX.
Hinderance 10. THe next hinderance of Conversion is, Those counterfeit Graces, or half conversion, which are like to true Graces, but are not them, and so do not bring over the soul to God, but strengthen the false hopes which we mentioned before. There is somewhat in the heart of an unconverted man which is like, in his eyes, to true Conversion. Some fears and accusation of Conscience he may have, and some change thereupon: He may be convinced of his sin and misery, and see the Nenessity of another course, and hereupon may change his company, and betake himself to many duties, and break off many of his former sins, and seem to himself to be truly converted, and glory in this as long as he liveth, and think verily that he is indeed a converted man: he may know the very time, the book, the sermon, the words that were the means of doing this work upon his soul, and therefore think that it is truly done: he may remember so great a change that was made on him, that he may confidently conclude that it was a saving change, and yet it may be but common preparation, or meer terrors or convictions, or some common works, which many that perish, partake of: he may have hereupon somewhat that in his eye is like to every Grace of the Spirit, and therefore think that these are they indeed: and this is a fearfull, deceiving state, and mightily quieteth men in a miserable Condition; when these common Gifts should be otherwise used.
SECT. XXI.
Direction 10. TAke heed therefore of trusting to counterfeit Graces, or superficial works that do not effectually convert the soul; Labour to discern by the light of the Word of God, whether the work be savingly done or not; how you may discern it I have told you before: if God be set up highest in your souls, and brought nearest to your hearts, and your hopes are set upon the life to come, and all things in this world seem vain to you in comparison of it: if sin be bitter to you, and Christ, and Grace, and Holiness be sweet, then you may conclude that it is a saving work, but otherwise not. And therefore rest not in common works.
SECT. XXII.
Hinderance 11. ANother hinderance is, when men live among strong temptations, and occasions of sin; as when they depend upon some great men, or Parents, or other friends that are enemies to Godliness, and would undo them if they should follow it: or when they are so engaged in a course of sin that they cannot break it off without their worldly undoing or suffering: when their credit or their gain depends upon it: as the Oppressor liveth by oppression, and the Ale-seller liveth by the sins of Drunkards, or tipling idle Companions, and because they think this gain is sweet, therefore they will not leave the sin. As Acts 19. 24, 25. Because Demetrius and the rest of the crafts-men had their wealth and living by making shrines for the Idol Diana, therefore they stirred up the people against the Gospel and the Preachers of it, that would take down the Idol that caused their Commodity: In like manner, when men that are addicted to drunkenness will live among such company or temptations as will draw them to it; when lustfull persons will live among those that do provoke or tempt them: when Ignorant unresolved persons live among those that speak ill of Godliness, it is a hard thing to be converted under these temptations: especially if men wilfully cast themselves upon them.
SECT. XXIII.
Direction 11▪ FLy therefore the occasions and appearances of evill: If you would not be drowned, what do you so near the water side? If you would not be wounded, why do you thrust your selves among your enemies? If you would escape the hook, meddle not with the bait: walk not among the lime-twigs if you would not be intangled: you may fly from Temptation, and yet resist the Devil and make him fly: be not too confident of your own strength; consider whether it be safe to die in your sin and ungodliness? If not: why should you live in it? And if you may not live in it, why should you commit it? If you cannot digest it when it is down, but it must up again by Repentance or you perish; why then should you let it down? If you may not let it down, what reason have you to be tasting it? And if you may not taste it, why should you once look upon it, to entice your taste? And if you may not look on it, why should you think on it, and make your own phantasie to be your tempter? Present and strong Temptations have shaken those that seemed to be Cedars: therefore take heed of them; for they may much more hinder the conversion of the Impenitent, and such difficulties may easily block up the way of life to you.
SECT. XXIV.
Hinderance 12. ANother common hinderance of Conversion, is: The scand…lous lives of the Professors of Religion: when those that seem godly, or indeed are so, shall fall into division among themselves, and withdraw from each other▪ and censu…e one another, and cry out against one another as deceived; when the common people see so many Religions, as they think, and so many severall minds and waies, they think it is as good be of none, as to venture among so many, where they are not sure to hit of the right; and it maketh them Question all, when they see so many that they know not which to own. When they see men change their opinions which a while ago they seemed so zealous for, this makes them think that the rest may be as uncertain as these: And thus we have seen by sad experience in these times, that many have been kept off from the approving and practice of a godly life, because of the unhappy differences that are among us: And alas, when they see one that seemed Religious to be worldly, and another to fall into this or that sin this makes them think that Religion is but hypocrisie, and themselves are already in as good a condition as the godly are.