The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Evidences of the Spirits uſual working in this way before Converſion.
Queſt. 3. BUT how appeares it that the Spirit of God ordinarily works firſt this way?
Anſ. 1. Becauſe the Spirit of God (as to the order and manner of his working) deals not with man, as we uſe to do with ſtocks and ſtones; (We tranſlate them from place to place, and condition to condition, barely by an act of extrinſecal power; As we do raiſe a ſtone to the top of a ſteeple, and prop him up there contrary to its Natural inclination, which tends another way:) but as we do with living Creatures when we uſe ſuch means to ſtoop them to our deſignes as their natures require. Thus we make advantage of the hunger of the Hawk to tempt him to the fiſt, and of the fiſh to bring him to the hook, and watch wild creatures, that out of need of reſt we may make them content to become tame and tractable.
And thus doth the Spirit deal with men. Their intellectual natures are moved to higher objects, but in the ſame way by making uſe of emptineſs and appetite to work upon the moving powers of the ſoul, and carry them out towards an object that will ſatisfie. For certainly (though I am aſſured that moral perſwaſion is not ſufficient to convert without a ſupernatural infuſion of perſwaſible faculties, wherein I ſtand at profeſſed defiance with the Papiſt and Arminian: yet) this ſupernatual work is not ordained to perfect the converſion of any ſinner, he continuing meerly paſſive all the while; for then a man would be ſaved by meer force, and faith as the condition applying the Covenant of Grace (which implies knowledg and choice) were utterly uſeleſſe, and ſo might innocently be denyed by the Antinomians. The Spirit therefore infuſeth new power into the faculties, and then ſets them on working after ſpiritual objects in an order ſutable to their nature.
I dare ſay, There is nothing more ſupernatural, and yet nothing more Natural in the world, then ſound converſion. It is ſupernatural in its power and principle, it is moſt natural in its manner, method and order, God doth not deſtroy, but renew our faculties in converſion, and when renewed, makes uſe of them without any violence in the moſt natural way.
And therefore, though he renew the underſtanding to apprehend, and the Will to chooſe, and the Affections to purſue heavenly objects, which of themſelves they had no power at all to do; yet he doth not invert their uſual order of working upon each other. And ſo (by conſequence) that tranſforming light which (from heaven) ſwayes the laſt dictate of the practical underſtanding, where the Work of Grace begins, ſo renewing the mind effectually, works upon the will, enabled (at the ſame inſtant) to embrace it, and that (in like manner) ſtirs the affections (at the ſame moment) made ductile and obedient to the Law of the mind. So then, the root of this tree of Life lies in the mighty power of God, in changing and affecting the Judgment. And that (therefore) muſt firſt be brought, to paſſe a right ſentence on its own condition, and the condition to which it is called, that ſo the will may not make a blind fortuitous choice when it accepts of Chriſt and ſalvation. Now can you perſwade a man that Phyſick is good for him, except you firſt convince him that he is ſick? Can you perſwade a man that feels Matth. 9. 22no fetters to cry out for liberty; a man that thinks he is in the beſt way, to take anothers? Can you poſſibly make a man apply himſelfe to one only Phyſician to cure him, and give him any thing that he will ask (yea, if he ask a mans whole eſtate,) when there are many that profeſſe to be able to do the cure, and profer their ſervice at an eaſier rate; except you can poſſeſſe him ſtrongly that all theſe be Mountabanks, and he muſt go to that one if ever he meanes to be cured? The poor woman never ſought to Chriſt for her Flux, till ſhe had found all other Phyſicians had emptied her purſe of its coyne, but could not her body of its diſtemper, Luke 8▪ 43.
2. It is the uſual way of the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt in the Old and New Teſtament, nay, the way of Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe, in their Labours and Endeavours for converſion of ſinners. Certainly the method of the Spirit in working converſion, is not different from that which God will have his Miniſters walk in, and which Chriſt himſelf hath thought fit to tread in to that end. Now this I hope to clear by abundance of inſtances. The Miniſtry of Moſes, (who was not only a Law giver, but a Typical Mediator, and ſo his Miniſtry was the Miniſtry of Chriſt) was in this method; firſt he layes downe the Moral Law for conviction, and ratifies it with a curſe, as the proper ingredient into that cup of trembling, which belongs to unconverted ſinners: and then ſuppoſing its work to be done, preacheth Chriſt in the Ceremonial Law, as the proper remedy for ſuch a malady. Downwards obſerve the method of the Prophets, Iſaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, all their Prophecies are by the Holy Spirit caſt into this order. How ſeverely doth Iſaiah for five or ſix of the firſt Chapters, convince, reprove, threaten the rebellious people for their ſins; and thoſe precious Evangelical comforts of which he (of all the Prophets) is moſt full, are caſt off to the latter part of his Propheſie. Jeremiahs commiſſion is firſt to root out, and to pull down, and to deſtroy, and to throw down obſtinate and unconverted ſinners, and then to build and to plant, chap. 1. 10. And (as that people were an obſtinate and ſtiff-necked people) ſee how he handles them with reproofs, convictions, threatnings for above twenty Chapters together, before he is commiſſioned to ſpeak any conſiderable portion of comfort to them. Ezekiels commiſſion alſo is full of Lamentations, and mourning, and woe, a bitter Roll, chap. 2. 10. and 3. 1. &c. and for thirty Chapters downeward we find little elſe but the contents of that Roll, ſcarce a duſt of ſugar to ſweeten the Pill. Hoſea is to pronounce the people Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ammi, a people that have not obtained mercy, that were none of Gods people, ere he is to adminiſter one dram of comfort, and that which he doth, chap. 2. it is conditioned with threatnings of ſevere afflictions and judgments for ſin. Joel and the reſt are generally in the ſame ſtrain. I grant, the order of the Prophecies doth not neceſſarily imply they were uttered in the ſame manner as they are written; yet ſeeing the Spirit of God who directed the Pen-men as well as the Speakers, thinks fit ſo to diſpoſe them, it ſeems likely he did it for ſome ſuch uſe, as we have obſerved
But theſe may to ſome ſeem Legal Preachers; let us therefore ſee how our Saviour and John the Baptiſt, and the Apoſtles beſtir themſelves in their Miniſtry. The firſt Doctrine that our Saviour preacheth is, Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, Mark 1. 15. And in the fifth, ſixth, and ſeventh of Matthew, how ſevere an Interpreter of the Law, how effectual a convincer of ſin, how rigorous a Pronouncer of Judgement and Condemnation upon ſinners, doth he ſhew himſelfe? And how many woes afterwards upon all occaſions doth he denounce? John the Baptiſt convinceth the Scribes and Phariſees of their viperous hearts, and vaine confidences, and threatens them with wrath to come, layes the axe to the root of all their hopes, & ſcorcheth their conſciences with the flames of unquenchable fire, Matth. 37, 9, 10, 12. The Apoſtles alſo follow the ſame method. Peter, Acts 2. and Stephen, Acts 7. and Paul Acts 17. and 24 make it their firſt work to preach the Law, and Judgment. So that it ſeemes needleſſe to me to inſiſt any longer on this head.
3. The Examples of thoſe Converts, the manner of whoſe converſion is declared in the Scripture, hold forth a farther evidence to this Truth. Ephraim is ſo converted, Jer. 31. 18. Smites on the thigh; Manaſſeh is humbled greatly, and the Crucifiers of our Saviour are pricked in their hearts, Acts 2 Chro. 33. 122. 37. and the Jailor comes in trembling, chap. 16. 29. Paul is ſmitten to the ground, Acts 9. 4. and trembles and is aſtoniſhed, verſe 6. And the inceſtuous Corinthian is even ſwallowed up of ſorrow, 2 Cor. 2. 7. And if any examples, (as thoſe of Zacheus and Lydia) ſeem to ſpeak no ſuch matter, yet ſeeing the Scriptures are not ſo punctual in the manner, but only relate the matter, they muſt rather be rdeuced to this rule, then be urged as examples againſt it. Sure, if God had dealt with them another way, and would have had us to have made any ſuch exceptions from the general rule of his dealing with others, he would have been more particular in the recording of thoſe paſſages that might ground them. Beſides, it is concieved by ſome of no mean note, that they were converted before, as members of the Jewiſh Church, and their then converſion was but to Chriſtianity from Judaiſm, which needed no ſuch work. As for Lydia, 'tis clear ſhe was one that before was a Proſelyte, one that worſhipped God, the Text ſaith, Acts 16. 14.