The Way to Sound and Saving Conversion, Part 2
Means to be uſed for the confirming, ſealing, ratifying, and increaſing of Grace, where it is began.
WEe are to take notice, that the ſame meanes for the moſt part, that doth beget or breed grace in us, doth build up, nouriſh and increaſe the ſame; theſe forementioned means, are both the begetters and the nouriſhers, both the breeders and feeders of grace, viz. Hearing the Word preached, reading the Word, prayer, promiſes, good company, conſiderations, and choice experiences; all theſe are full to nouriſh and ſtrengthen grace; alſo the Sacraments were inſtituted and ſet up for this end, to increaſe our grace, and aſſure us of the pardon of our ſinnes, and the ſalvation of our ſoules; Baptiſme is a ſeal of our entrance into the Church of God, the Supper of the Lord is a ſeal of our continuance in the ſame; the former is a ſeal of our new birth, the latter is a ſeal of our ſpiritual growth…; in Baptiſme, ſome of our ſenſes are exerciſed, in the Lords Supper, all our ſenſes are or ought to be exerciſed; this Ordinance is to be uſed often, baptiſm but once; for these is but one entrance into Chriſt, but there are many degrees of growth in him. Again, Conſider that we are to wait on God in the uſe of means frequently; as we muſt not forſake our meals for our bodies, ſo we are not to neglect our meals for our ſouls, cut not off religious exerciſes too ſhort, turn not theſe holy duties into matter of faſhion or form, but come with an hungry appetite; and that thou maiſt ſo do, dip thy morſels often in the ſharp ſawce, and ſowr herb of humiliation; look back and conſider what once thou waſt. Now, though we grant that the Miniſtery of the Word, whether Law or Goſpel, is but as it were a dead letter, and profiteth little without the Spirit, 1 Cor. 3. 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increaſe, We cannot prevail with the blind to ſee, nor with the deaf to hear, or with the dead to live; yet are we with diligence to attend upon God in the uſe of means, for though the means cannot work without the Spirit, the Spirit ordinarily will not work without the means; Man is a reaſonable creature, therefore God proceedeth with him by way of arguments or means; but becauſe man in ſome ſenſe, is a dead creature, therefore he muſt work in him, that which he perſwades him to; he commandeth us who are unwilling, to be willing, and then by the powerful efficacy of the Spirit, changing the will of unwillingneſs, he makes us willing; By the firſt he stands at the door and knocks, Rev. 3. 20. By the ſecond, he opens the door, and comes in, and ſups with us; He in his Word calls upon us, to will and to do; the Spirit of Chriſt worketh in us, both to will and to do; God in the Creation ſpake the word, that ſuch a creature ſhould be, and therewithal ſent forth a …ower cauſing that creature to be according to his word. So whilſt the Angel revealeth unto Mary the conception of Chriſt, the power of the Holy Ghoſt overſhadowed her, whence it was with her according to his word, Luk. 1. 35, 38. So alſo whilſt Jeſus cried with a loud voice, John 11. 43, 44. Lazarus come forth; there proceeded from him a power whereby he came forth. So Luke 5 24. He commanded the man that was ſick of the palſie, to take up his bed and walk, and conveyes a power together with the command, whereby verſ. 25 He did immediately ariſe, took up his bed, and went to his houſe and glorified God, So again, Ezek. 2. 1, 2. And he ſaid unto me, Son of man, ſtand upon thy feet▪ and I will ſpeak unto thee, and the Spirit entered into me when he ſpake, and ſet me upon my feet, and I heard him that ſpake unto me, &c. But in the uſe of theſe and the like precious means, obſerve theſe cautions.
1. Be ſure that the means you make uſe of, be means of Gods own appointment, of his own providing, to which he hath annexed his promiſe.
2. Conſider, it is not the means ſingly that helps, but Gods bleſſing upon the means, without which, the moſt likely means, bringeth nothing to paſſe.
3. Conſider his bleſſing is diſpenſed, not ſo much according to the means, as according to the uprightneſſe of the heart, in the uſe of them.
4. Conſider, notwithſtanding all this, we are to wait upon God in the uſe of them frequently, as it is Gods way of conveyance; for where ordinary means may do, he will not uſe extraordinary.
The walls of Jericho muſt fall, Joſh. 6. from verſ. 4. to ver. 15. but they muſt uſe the means, although but weak means, that we might not ſlight the means. So John 9. from the 1. verſe to the 7th, when our Saviour opened the eyes of the man that was born blind, He made clay of ſpittle and annointed the eyes of the blind man, and bid him go waſh in the pool of Siloam, and be went and waſhed, and came ſeeing. So the ſtone muſt be rowled from Lazarus grave, and Moſes muſt ſinite the rock to get water for the Iſraelites; all which are written for our learning, to ingage us to be diligent in the uſe of means, and preſents us with our duty, viz. that we ſhould leave no means unattempted, for the accompliſhment of what God hath promiſed; for the means are Gods pipes of conveyance; which if we cut off, how can we expect the things we want, which God hath promiſed to give? Chriſt did not diſcharge us from the debt of ſinne, to free us from the debt of ſervice; but therefore he did pay the one, that we might wait upon him in the uſe of the other; he that withdraws himſelf from the promiſe, cannot long keep cloſe to the precept, and he that keeps at a diſtance from the uſe of means, ſhall never attain the mercies conveyed to others therein.
The Sacraments were inſtituted and ſet up for this very end, to increaſe and ſtrengthen, ſeal and eſtabliſh us; the Lord knew he had to deal with doubting, ſtaggering, miſgiving perſons, and therefore he doth not only give the promiſe, his covenant and oath, for the confirmation of us, but to all theſe he annexeth his ſeal, the Sacraments of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper. Here I ſhall give the Reader a brief accompt of the ſum and ſubſtance of what hitherto in this Treatiſe hath been preſented, and ſo proceed, &c.
We have began with mans creation, and of his eſtate before he fell, & of the manner of his fall, and the ſubtilty of Satan therein, and of the miſerable eſtate he fell into, and how he can never be ſaved, unleſs born again, renewed and reſtored; there are four Gates ſhut, and five exceptions made againſt him; there be amongſt the Sons and Daughters of men, eighteen ſorts, that ſhall not either ſee, nor enter into the kingdome of God; there be four ſtrong reaſons, why he will execute juſtice upon them; there are four ſorts of changes, and but one of them ſpiritual and ſaving; Man is in miſery, and unable and unwilling to help himſelf out, &c. Of the preparations or qualifications that we are to find in our ſelves, before we lay hold on Chriſt and the promiſe; Converſion and Regeneration, Vocation and Repentance, are but four words to hold forth, as it were, one and the ſelf ſame thing: Of the way ſtep by ſtep how the Lord in his ordinary diſpenſation in theſe Goſpel-dayes, doth lead a ſoul, as it were, by the hand, out of a ſtate of nature into a ſtate of grace; Firſt, by enlightning the ſoul; Secondly, by calling him effectually; Thirdly, by enabling him to believe; Fourthly, by giving him the ſpirit of prayer, by which he prayes for more light to ſee his ſins, and then for pardoning mercy, and for purging mercy; Fifthly, the Lord doth cauſe the ſoul ſecretly to give it ſelf up to God, and ſo he comes to ſurrender all its own ſuppoſed intereſt that he had in himſelf, unto God that made it, and unto Chriſt that hath dearly purchaſed it; then there follweth the mean… to be uſed, to breed and beget grace, and to convert the ſoul; Firſt to keep cloſe to grace-begetting Ordinances, viz. hearing the Word preached, reading the Scriptures, and frequent and earneſt prayer; Secondly, to dwell much upon grace-begetting promiſes; Thirdly, to frequent the company of grace-begetting and ſoul-converting companions; Fourthly, to call to mind, and meditate upon gracebegetting conſiderations; Fiſthly, to gather and to treaſure up grace-begetting and ſoul-converting experiences, and ſo to be diligent in the uſe of many other means, for the confirming, ſealing, and aſſuring the ſoul of ſalvation; theſe and many other ſubordinate branches, thou haſt here preſented, in a little room, and a few words, &c. Now to proceed a little farther, in this great work, and ſo to draw towards a cloſe, let the Reader conſider theſe things following, viz.
1. If we remain in an unconverted eſtate, let us blame our ſelves only; for the want of converſion is not in God, for he makes uſe of all means, and wayes to convert us.
2. We ſhall preſent the Reader with ſome of the principal hinderances of Converſion.
3. Conſider the ſad and miſerable condition of the unconverted.
4. The trials of converſion, by which a man may know, whether he be converted, yea, or no
5. The priviledges, and benefits of all that are converted.
6. Certain Objections anſwered, which ſome out of weakneſs, and others out of prejudice, may be apt to make againſt the foregoing diſcourſe, and ſo I ſhall cloſe up this Book.