The Way to Sound and Saving Conversion, Part 1
Of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting means for all heedfully to attend upon, that hope to enter into Heaven.
THere are ſprings of Grace, or pipes of conveyance, which if cut off, or neglected, we may live in ſinne, and die in ſinne, and at laſt go to hell; but if we heedfully and frequently make uſe of them, we may live in the fear of the Lord, and die in his favour, and enter into heaven; theſe means are for the increaſing holineſs, as well as for the attaining it, and therefore we are not to ſatisfie our ſelves with making uſe of them now and then, but frequently and willingly; for the ſame meanes that doth work the work of Illumination, doth alſo work the work of Converſion, Vocation, Regeneration, Faith and Repentance, &c. And not only work and beget theſe in us, but increaſe it, and cauſe it to flouriſh, and grow up from one degree of grace to another, untill we come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt; the means follow.
1. Keep cloſe to Grace-begetting and Soul-converting Ordinances.
2. Dwell much upon the meditation of Grace-begetting Promiſes.
3. Frequent the company of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting companions.
4. Be frequent in the cheriſhing of Grace-begetting Conſiderations.
5. Gather and treaſure up Grace-begetting, and Soul-converting Experiences.
1. Keep cloſe to Grace-begetting and Soul-converting Ordinances, and they are theſe three,
1. The hearing of the word preached.
2. Reading of the Scriptures.
3. Frequent and earneſt Prayer; Firſt, of the Firſt,
1. Hearing of the Word preached, Acts 2. 37, 41. it was by hearing Peter preach, that the Jews were pricked at the heart, and converted, and three thouſand added to the Church at once, So Acts 26. 17, 18. God ſent Paul to preach, for the opening of mens eyes, and turning them from darkneſs to light, by teaching ſinners the way of God; David aſſured himſelf they ſhall be converted to him, Pſal. 51. 13. the word of god is the ſeed of life, which is ſown and takes root in th… hearts of them that God will ſave, 1 Pet. 1. 23, 25. It is the word of God which is the incorruptible ſeed, by which we are born again; it was thoſe that had ears and heard▪ not, that were not converted and born again. Mark. 4. 12. &c. as we ſhould hear the word preached in order to converſion, ſo for the begetting of faith in our hearts, Luke. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing, Epheſ. 1. 13. in whom alſo ye truſted after ye heard the word of truth the Goſpel of our ſalvation, Iſai. 55. 3. hear and your ſoules ſhall live. Now in the uſe of this bleſſed meanes, obſerve theſe four rules, and thou ſhalt never miſcarry, but get ſomething by every Sermon thou heareſt.
1. Try the doctrines preached, by the Scritures, Act. 17. 11. they received the word with all readineſs of mind, and ſearched the Scriptures daily whether thoſe things were ſo.
2. Receive what thou findeſt agreeable to the word, as from the Lord, 1 Theſſ. 2. 13. for this cauſe alſo thank we God, without ceaſing, becauſe when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it, not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God.
3. Keep in memory as much of it as may be, James 1. 25. Being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer, Heb. 2. 1, 2. Therefore we ought to give the more earneſt beed to the things which we have heard, le…t at any time we ſhould let them ſlip: verſ. 3. How ſhall we eſcape, if we neglect ſo great ſalvation?
4. Indeavour to practiſe it thy ſelf, and communicate it to others, Mat. 7. 26. Every one that heareth theſe ſayings of mine, and doth them not, is like unto a fooliſh man that built his houſe upon the ſand. James 1. 25. But whoſo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man ſhall be bleſſed in his deed; therefore be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own ſouls.
2. The next Faith-begetting, and Soulconverting Ordinance, is, reading the Scriptures, many a ſoul hath had happy experience of the benefit of reading the Word, Pſal. 19. 7. for the Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the ſoul, Acts 8. 28. The Eunuch was reading in Iſaiah; and in the 37th verſe, we read he was converted and baptiſed. 1 Tim. 4. 13. Till I come give attendance to reading, Rev. 1. 3. Bleſſed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Propheſie, Acts 17. 11, 12. They ſearched the Seriptures daily, whether thoſe things were ſo, and many of them believed.
3. The next Grace-begetting and Soulconverting Ordinance, is frequent and …arneſt prayer▪ prayer is a fruit of faith, and yet prayer is a means for the begetting of faith; as the Spirit is the fruit of prayer, ſo prayer is the fruit of the Spirit, Luke 11. 13. Compared with Rom. 8. 15. In the former place, the Spirit is ſaid to be the fruit of prayer; in the latter place▪ prayer is ſaid to be the fruit of the Spirit, whereby we cry Abba Father, &c. Iſa. 55. 6, 7. Seek the Lord whilſt he may be found, call upon him while he is neer, let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, &c. James 1. 5. If any of you lack wiſdome, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and …pbraideth not, and it ſhall be given him, Joh. 4. 10. Jeſus ſaid unto her, if thou kneweſt the gift of God, and who it is, that ſaith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldſt have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
2. Dwell much upon Grace-breeding, and ſoul converting promiſes, there are promiſes of direction, and ſupportation, and promiſes of protection, and promiſes of juſtification, and ſanctification, and promiſes of acceptation; there are promiſes to ſettle us when we are wavering, and to ſupport us when we are falling, and to recall us when we are wandering, and to comfort us when we are fainting; ſurely, as the lamp liveth upon the oyle, and a child upon the breaſt; ſo doth faith upon the promiſes. All theſe and ſuch-like promiſes, are reduceable to theſe two heads, either abſolute, or conditional promiſes; The conditional promiſes runnes thus, Believe, and thou ſhall be ſaved, John 3. 16. Repent, and thy ſinnes ſhall be forgiven thee. The abſolute promiſes are ſuch, as are without condition, or ſuch wherein the Lord hath promiſed to give the condition, I will be merciful to your unrighteouſneſs, and your ſinnes and iniquities I will remember no more, Heb. 8. 12. So Iſa. 43. 25. I, even I am he, that blotteth out thy ſinnes for mine own ſake, &c. Theſe, and ſuch abſolute promiſes, are Grace-breeding, or Faith-begetting promiſes. To theſe promiſes we muſt go for faith, to the conditional promiſes we muſt bring faith, without which we cannot apply them, but to the abſolute promiſes; we are not to bring our penny to the promiſes, but go to them, as to the means of working faith in us, ſuch promiſes as theſe, Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from me, Ezek. 36. 25. I will ſprinkle water upon you, and you ſhall be clean from all your filthineſs, verſ. 26. A new heart alſo will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you. Verſ. 27. And cauſe you to walk in my wayes, Heb. 8. 12, For I will be merciful to their unrighteouſneſs, and their ſins and their iniquities, I will remember no more. Now let the Reader take one promiſe, and charge that upon the heart, and if the heart be ſtubborn, and will not yield, then take another, and if that will not do, take another, and lay that home upon the heart, and never leave this work, till you have gotten at leaſt ſome ſmall meaſure of faith. viz If thou doſt doubt, and canſt not believe the pardon of thy ſinnes, then take this promiſe, and charge it upon the heart, Iſa. 43. 25. I, even I am he, that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions, for mine own ſake, and will not remember thy ſinnes: If the heart remain ſtubborn, and will not yield, then take another promiſe and charge that upon the heart, Mich. 7. 18, 19. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of his people? he reteineth not his anger for ever, becauſe be delighteth in mercy, he will ſubdue our iniquities, and caſt all our ſinnes into the depth of the Seas. Now if the heart will not yield to believe this, then take that portion of Scripture, 1 Pet. 2. 24. and bring it to the 53. of Iſaiah, that whole Chapter, and charge that upon the heart, and there thou ſhalt finde, that our ſinnes were laid upon Chriſt, and the ſtripes due unto us for them, by which the Father is ſatisfied, the Law fulfilled, and by his ſtripes we are healed. Let us then believe and apply this, and we are ſaved; wherefore live much in the haven of the promiſes, feed upon the freeneſs, ſweetneſs and fatneſs thereof, &c.
God hath ſo far condeſcended to our weakneſs, for our eſtabliſhment, that he hath not only given us his promiſe, but promiſe upon promiſe, and aſſured us by the mouth of all his Prophets and Apoſtles, yea and Chriſt himſelf, that he is faithful, mindful, able and willing, and to this he gives us his covenant, his oath and his ſeale, and all to aſſure us he will never faile nor forſake us, but make good every tittle of his promiſe to us, How then can we look ſo many ſweet promiſes in the face, and harbour ſo many miſgivings in our hearts?
3. The next meanes followeth, frequent the Company of Grace-begetting and Soulconverting companions, where we ſhall hear how God hath wrought grace in them, and how the Lord doth uſually work upon the hearts of unbeleivers, as a man that cometh into a ſhop of perfumes, will carry away ſome of the ſent with him, ſo we with converſing with the godly ſhall be the better, Pro. 13. 20. he that walketh with wiſe men, ſhall be wiſer, but a companion of fools ſhall be deſtroyed; vaine talk and vaine practiſes, inticeth the minds of men to vanity, the noyſe of their fooliſh laughter, and ungodly diſcourſe, will drown the voice of conſcience, remember grace is hardly got, and hardly kept, and more hardly increaſed in ſuch company, Prov. 10. 20. 21. The tongue of the juſt, is as choice Silver, but the heart of the wicked is little worth, the lipps of the righteous feed many, but the fooliſh die for want of knowledge, Prov. 14. 7. Goe from the preſence of fooliſh men, when thou perceiveſt not in him the lips of knowledg▪ Oh why ſhould we not ſtrive to live among thoſe companions on earth, that we muſt live with in heaven, if ever we come there? Nicodemus came to Jeſus for counſel, and Chriſt thereupon did give him adviſe in the great work of the new birth, So Math▪ 19. 16. Another came and inquired what he ſhould do to be ſaved? ſo the Eunuch deſires inſtruction of Philip, Acts. 8. and Paul of Ananias, Acts. 9. 12. 13 17. and Cornelius inquired of Peter; ſo the Jews that were pricked at heart, askt Peter and the reſt of the Apoſtles, what they ſhould doe to be ſaved? Acts 2, 37. and the ſaylor asked Paul and Silas, what he ſhould doe to be ſaved? To cloſe up this point, conſider this, that a man never goes in the company of wicked men, but he comes away, leſs a Chriſtian then he was before, Joſeph by this began to ſwear, by th…, life of Pharaoh, and Peter being in bad company but a little, began to ſwear and lye in one breath; therefore let us reſolve with David, Pſal. 119. 63. to be a companion of all them that fear the Lord and keep his ſtatutes, &c.
Let us then, if it be poſſible, frequent the company of the moſt ſober, ſerious, ſpiritual, heavenly profeſſors, that will be drawing us heaven-ward, and opening to us the riches, freeneſſe, fulneſs, and everlaſtingneſs of God the Fathers, and of the Sonnes love, and of the Holy Ghoſts love, one Lord bleſſed for ever.
4. The next means for the begetting of grace, and converting the ſoul, may be this, let us meditate upon, and call to minde grace-begetting conſiderations, which may be reduceable to theſe few heads,
1. Conſider what Chriſt hath done for us,
2. Conſider how God hath dealt with other ſinners, as bad as we are.
3. Conſider what relation we have to him.
4. Conſider what engagements we have from him.
5. Conſider in whoſe name we come before him.
1. Let us conſider what Chriſt hath done for us. Viz.
1. Chriſt by the will of God, gave himſelf a ranſom for our ſinnes, a ſacrifice of a ſweet ſmelling favour, acceptable unto God.
2. Conſider that the Father accepted of this ſacrifice, in full ſatisfation for all our iniquities, tranſgreſſions and ſinnes.
3. The Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt, in the preaching of the Goſpel, doth make Proclamation with open mouth to all the world, that he, the Lord of Glory, is fully ſatisfied, foraſmuch as the debt, by Chriſt our ſurety, is fully paid; and the bond or hand writing that was againſt us, cancelled; and ſo much for the firſt Conſideration, of what Chriſt hath done for us.
2. Conſider, and that ſeriouſly, how God hath dealt with other ſinners as bad as we are, who have come to him, viz. The Lord did not deſpiſe the weeping Mary, the begging Canaanite, the intreating Publican, the confeſſing Thief, the adulterous, Woman, the denying Diſciple, the perſecuting Paul, &c. And if he refuſed not theſe, but ſhewed mercy to them, converting and healing them, he will not reject me, if 1 ariſe and go to him, Pſal. 119. 59. I thought on my waies, and turned my feet to thy teſtimonies, I made haſt, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
3. Conſider what relation we have to him, he is our Creator, we are his creatures; in a word, we are his by right of Creation, Redemption, and now we begin to be his by right of Regeneration, Vocation, Marriage, and Covenant &c.
4. Conſider what engagements we have from him, viz. he hath promiſed to pardon our ſinnes, to purge our natures, Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I ſprinkle clean water upon you, and ye ſhall be clean from all your filthineſs, and from all your Idols will I cleanſe you.
5. Conſider in whoſe name we come before him, not in our own, neither in the name of any, but only his own dear Son, in whom he is well pleaſed, and for his ſake he hath promiſed, that whatſoever we ask in his Name he will give it unto us. 1. We have his prayer to the Father, to ſubdue and conquer our luſts, John 17. 17. 2. We have his promiſe, I will ſubdue your iniquities, Micah. 17. 19. Sin ſhall have no more domin ion over you, Rom. 6. 14. 3. He is not only a Redeemer, but alſo a Refiner, a Purifier, he gave himſelf for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to cleanſe and purifie us to be his peculiar people, zealous of good works. 4. We have his merits, as a Sanctuary to fly unto, as to a fountain ſet open to waſh us, from all finne, filthineſs and uncleanneſs, Zach. 13. 1. Sure theſe are grace breeding conſiderations, conſider them over and over again and again.
5. The fifth means is, gather and treaſure up a ſtock of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting experiences; viz. We have had ſome experience of the riches, freeneſs, fulneſs, and everlaſtingneſs of Gods love, and we have a little taſte of the ſufficiency and efficacy of the death and ſufferings of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Gen. 30. 27. O friends, ſhall Laban, a natural man, make uſe of experience which he had treaſured up, and ſhall not a true Chriſtian, in carrying on the work of grace, began in his ſoul, make uſe of it much more? It is the duty, and it ſhould be the practiſe of all in converting, and alſo of thoſe converted, to treaſure up experiences of Gods goodneſs to them, even from their cradles, that God made them men, and women, and not toads and ſerpents, that he hath hitherto preſerved them, when he might have deſtroyed them, that they have as yet the means of grace, whilſt others in the world want, that they have liberty, ſight, limbs, food and raiment; theſe and ſuch like are the bleſſings of his left hand, and he tenders to thee alſo the bleſſings of his right hand, Pſal. 63. 7. Becauſe thou haſt been my help, therefore in the ſhaddow of thy wings will I rejoyce, 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver us, in whom we truſt be will yet deliver us, See Pſal. 116. 2. Becauſe be hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. It is good to hear, better to hear and underſtand, better to enjoy, and beſt of all to have bleſſed experience of what we hear, underſtand and enjoy; the Saints of old could ſay, that they had ſuch experience of the faithfulneſſe of the Lord, that he made good every thing that he had promiſed to them, no one good thing failed, Joſh. 21. 45. There failed not any good thing, that the Lord had promiſed to the houſe of Iſrael, all came to paſſe, Joſh. 23. 14. Not ſo much as one thing hath failed, &c.
In the uſe of theſe and the like meanes, the Lord uſually ſcattereth ſome little ſeeds of grace in the hearts of thoſe that he will bring unto himſelf, which ſeeds being ſowen, doe afterwards by degrees put forth, and act towards God, as we may ſee in Lydia, the Jaylor, and Zacheus &c. God makes himſelf known to us as a God of mercy, gracious, long-ſuffering, pardoning iniquitie, tranſgreſſion and ſin, and ſo offers himſelf to be reconciled to us, though we have rebelled againſt him, promiſing to be a Father unto us, and to accept of us in his beloved, as his ſons and daughters, and thus is the difference made up between God and man; the ſoul begins now to ſay, at leaſt in its ſelf, I that was an enemy, he hath now reconciled unto himſelf; I that was in times paſt without God, without Chriſt, without promiſe, without covenant, without hope, yet now I have God for my God, he is become my ſalvation, Chriſt is become my Redeermer, the Holy Ghoſt my Sanctifier. O bleſſed, thrice bleſſed be Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt! O how often did he call, how carneſtly did he knock, how powerfully did he ſtrive, how long did he wait upon me, before my ſtubborn hard heart would yield? if he had never loved me, I had never loved him; if he had never drawn me, I had never come; if he had never ſought me, I had been yet ſtraying in the wilderneſs of iniquitie, and feeding in the fields of vanity; now I ſee that God keeps open houſe, invites, intreate, beſeecheth us to beleive, and come in, O every one that thirſteth, come ye to the waters, come buy ye that have no Silver or Gold, come buy milk and wine without money, Iſai▪ 55, 1. and he that comes to me. John 6. 37. I will in no wiſe cast out. Let him that will, come, whoſoever hath a mind let him come, let his ſinnes be what they will be, for nature, number, and for continuance, yet come, I will in no wiſe caſt thee off, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, & paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion, of the remnant of his heritage, thou retaineſt not anger for ever, for thou delightest to ſhow mercy, Micah 7. 18, 19.