The Way to Sound and Saving Conversion, Title page – To the reader 1
THE WAY STEP by STEP To ſound and ſaving CONVERSION, With a clear diſcovery of the two ſtates, VIZ: Nature, & Grace: AND How to know in which ſtate one is, and the way to come out of the one into the other.
OR, The ready and right path-way for the firſt Adams poſterity to get out of their fallen eſtate accompanied with ſin and miſery, into the relation and Family of the laſt Adam, which eſtate is attended with Grace and Glory, &c. With many weighty queſtions anſwered, and caſes of Conſcience reſolved, for the clearing and confirming the truths aſſerted.
By ROBERT PURNELL.
John 3. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot ſee the Kingdom of God.
Matt. 18. 3. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye ſhall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 13. 5. Except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh.
LONDON, Printed by T. Childe, and L. Parry, for Edw. Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1659.
An Epiſtle to the Impartial Reader.
THough it be not expedient to be alwaies laying the Foundation, yet it is of abſolute neceſſity, that the Foundation be at firſt firmly laid: that ſo the building, notwithanding the Floods, Winde, and Storms, may ſtand, &c. There are many waies to Damnation, and there is but one way to Salvation, & that is ſtreight, and the Gate narrow; ſo that although the Runners are many, yet the Obtainers are but few: for except a man be born again, converted, regenerated, renewed and quickned, he cannot be ſaved; for we are by Nature Children of Wrath, and ſuch a one as this, even juſt ſuch a one, and no other, is a man, yea every man by Nature, ſuch a one was I, and you, and each of all the Sons of Adam, that have been, or ſhall be, and that univerſally without any exception or reſervation, we are all gone out of the ways, we are all become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one: yet there is a way if we could light on it, how to poſſeſs what we want, and to live long in a little time, and to have one foot as it were in Heaven whilſt the other is upon the earth: to point out that way was my endeavour in this Treatiſe. Reader, this ſmall peece is the birth of many Prayers, and a Deſcription of many choyce Experiences, and the ſum and ſubſtance of many ſolid and ſweet converſes, and the judgement of many precious Chriſtians; wherefore I would entreat the Reader, to weigh things in the Ballance of Righteouſneſs, and then I am almoſt confident, that there will be few or none that have the work of Grace upon their hearts, unleſſe they be under ſome violent fit of Temptation, or re-inſnared and intangled in a ſtate of Backſliding, but in the main will cordially own the enſuing Treatiſe; wherefore let the Reader rather amend what I have done amiſſe, than to carp, catch and bark at what he may ſuppoſe to be unſound, let him rather put pen to paper and correct the faults, and ſupply the defects, if he find any, that ſo this Book may be of great worth, though but of ſmall price. I am ſure this ſubject is the moſt ſeaſonableſt, and the moſt needfulleſt, that can be offered or preſented, Converſion being a moſt bleſſed work, and the day of Converſion the moſt bleſſed day that dawns, on this ſide Heaven it ſelf. It is true nothing is more common than for men to write of this ſubject, on the by, and by parts and pieces, but purpoſely on this ſubject, and alone, I know none, nor as yet could ever hear of any, beſides Mr. Whatleis New Birth, & Mr. Baxters Treatiſe of Converſion, ſo that a man may almoſt ſay, there is nothing more rare than to find Books, that are wrote purpoſely & alone on this ſubject, & thoſe few that are, are either ſo voluminous on the one hand, or ſcolaſtick on the other, that the Reader for want of Learning, and a better Memory, gains not altogether that benefit thereby, as otherwiſe he might. To draw towards a cloſe, Let me acquaint the Reader, that the beſt and chiefeſt Authors that I have conſulted withall, in the aſſerting and compiling the enſuing Diſcourſe, are the Prophets and Apoſtles mentioned in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament, next unto them, not as infallible but as fallible men, knowing but in part. I have peruſed the writings of Mr. John Wollebius, Mr. Sam: Boulton, Mr. Chriſtopher Love, Mr. William Jenkin, Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, Mr. John Norton, Mr. Francis Roberts, Mr. Thomas Brooks, and many others; but chiefly and principally. I have peruſed and made uſe of Mr. Whatleis New Birth, and Mr. Baxters Treatiſe of Converſion, finding my Spirit witneſſing the ſame, before I ever ſaw their Books, for a great part; I have ſometimes named them, and ſometimes omitted it, and ſo do here recite it in general; I have not ſtep by ſtep followed the method of neither, but here and there where I found things fully proved by Scripture, and my own Conſcience bearing me Witneſſe thereto, thoſe and ſuch like things I have taken, as helps in the compiling the enſuing piece, and no otherwiſe, &c.
Reader, I doubt not through the Grace of God, and his bleſſing upon thee in the reading this Book, but Faith may be wrought in thee if thou haſt it not, or ſtrengthened if thou haſt it: and if ſo, I have my end, and thou wilt have the benefit. Let a mans ſin be never ſo great, if he believe, he ſhall be pardoned, if his Sin be never ſo ſmall, if he believe not, he ſhall be damned: the very ſin againſt the Holy-Ghoſt eſt is not unpardonable for want of Grace in our Saviour, but for want of Faith and Repentance in the ſinner, the cauſe of condemnation according to the Law is all ſin, but the cauſe of condemnation under the Goſpel is Ʋnbelief, and as Ʋnbelief contains in it all manner of Diſobedience, ſo Believing containeth all Obedience; therefore this one Act of Faith is more acceptable unto God than all our Sins are unacceptable. Here thou art preſented with the means for the obtaining this grace of Faith, and all other graces of the Spirit, and for the growing in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Christ, to whoſe protection I leave thee, and ſubſcribe my ſelf thy Servant for his ſake,
ROBERT PURNELL.