The Parable of the Prodigal, Part 12

The Parable of the Prodigal · Part 12

p. 253For this my Son was dead, and is alive again.

Theſe words do hold forth a pithy deſcription of a ſinners converſion; that is, a paſſage from death to life; or a mutation from a dead condition, into a living condition; the eſtate of ſin is a dead eſtate, yea, a deadly eſtate; and the ſtate of Grace, is a living eſtate, yea, a lively eſtate. There any many Doctrinal Propoſitions, which are couched in theſe words: As 1. That an impenitent, or unconverted man, is a dead man: [This my Son was dead] 2. That when a ſinner is converted, he is then made a live: [And is alive] 3. That God doth ſometimes convert a very great and notorious ſinner: [This, this my Son] 4. That great afflictions are ſometimes the means of a great ſinners Converſion: [This my Son was] 5. That there is an almighty power, required to convert or change a ſinner [As much as to make a dead man to live.] 6. That true Converſion is a very great and conſpicuous alteration: (No change is like that from death to life.) 7. That true Converſion is an inward, or a ſoul-alteration; not of cloaths, or painting: (It is the putting of life into a dead man.) 8. That a ſinner contributes nothing at all towards his Converſion, but Converſion of a ſinner, is the ſole work of a God; (for it is God only, who can quicken the dead, no dead man can make himſelf alive.) 9. That the Lord takes notice of every condition of man (of the Prodigals former condition, he was dead, and of his preſent condition, but he is alive again.) 10. That the Lord doth own every converted perſon, as a Father owns a Son: [This my Son.]

p. 2541. That an impenitent or unconverted man is a dead man [This Doct. 1. An unconverted man, is a dead man.my Son was dead] The ſinner is in Scripture ſometimes ſtiled, A fallen man. Hoſ. 14. 1. Thou haſt fallen by thine iniquity: Yea, but this fall is a deadly fall; not like Eutychu's Fall, Acts 20. 29. in whom yet there was life, verſ. 10. But like Ahaziah's Fall, which was deadly to him, 2 Kings 1. 4. A diſeaſed man, (Iſa. 1. 6. From the ſole of the ſoot even to the head, there is no ſoundneſs) but this diſeaſe is a deadly diſeaſe; and therefore ſin is called the Plague of the heart, 1 Kings 8. No diſeaſe is ſo deadly as the Plague, and no Plague is ſo deadly as the Plague in the heart. A wounded man (Luk. 10. 30. A certain man fell among Theeves, who wo…nded him.) But this wound is a deadly wound, like that which the King of Babilon gave to Pharaoh, which made him groan with the groanings of a deadly wounded man, Ezek. 30. 24. An inthralled man. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Of whom a man is overcome, of the ſame he is brought in Bondage; But this Bondage is a deadly Bondage; whether of ſin unto death (ſaith the Apoſtle) of the ſervants of ſin, Rom. 6. 16. A dead man; and this is the higheſt, unleſs you ſay, a damned man; frequently doth the Scripture Phraſe this way. Pſalm 106. 28. They did eat the ſacri…ices of the dead, becauſe offered to dead Idols, and by dead Idolaters. Prov. 21. 16. The man that wandreth out of the way of underſtanding, ſhall remain in the Congregation of the dead, (.i.) of the ungodly, wicked, impenitent: The Epheſians, what were they before their converſion? See Chap. 2. 1. Dead in ſins and treſpaſſes. The Coloſſians, what were they before their converſion? See Chap. 2. 13. And you being dead in your ſins, &c. 1 Pet. 4. 6. The Goſpel was preached to them that were dead, (.i.) to wicked and impenitent perſons; nay, Jude, v. 12. ſpeaks of ſome that were twice dead; dead in reſpect of Original Sin, and dead in reſpect of Actual ſin; or, dead in reſpect of corruption, and dead in reſpect to their former profeſſion. I grant, that an unconverted ſinner may be alive. 1. In reſpect of his own opinion: I was once alive (ſaid Paul Rom. 7. 9.) but when the Commandment came, ſin revived, and I dyed. 2. In the opinion of men. Rev. 3. 1. Thou haſt a name that thou liveſt, and art dead; So Chriſt of the Church of Sardis. 3. To ſinful works; he lives in them, and lives with them, and lives to them; but this life is death, this life is a ſign that he is dead, that unto ſpirituals he is dead. This is a great Point, of p. 255which I am now diſcourſing, and hath been the ſubject of much diſpute, as in former Ages, ſo in this latter Age. There have been ſome that have denyed (utterly) this death of a ſinner; others have held ſinful men to be wounded, and to be half dead: The Pelagians go this way, ſo do all the Papiſts, and verily the Arminians come not much ſhort herein; yea, moſt men pre…me that though they be ſinners, yet that they are not altogether dead, but ſome life ſtill remains in them, or ſome power. Favour me therefore, to o…en the point with ſome diſtinctions, and then I ſhall confirm the truth delivered, both with Scripture and Arguments, and wind up the reſt with ſome profitable Applications to our Several Diſtinctions.ſelves.

1. For the firſt of theſe I diſtinguiſh thus; Man is conſiderable Man conſidered under a three …ld St…te. Of Creation. Of Degeneration. Of Regeneration. Man in his Degeneration Conſidered as to Natural actions. Political actions. Or Theological.under a threefold eſtate. 1. Of Inſtitution, or Creation: Wherein he was alive, and had a power to live or dye. 2. Of Deſtitution, or Degeneration: In this eſtate every man living is dead. 3. Of Reſtitution, o… Regeneration: And here he is born again, and is made alive again. Again, man in his degenerate or fallen eſtate, may be conſidered in relation to actions, and objects, either, 1. Natural: To theſe he is alive; the ſoul in man is no dead, but living thing, and is able to underſtand, will, deſire, diſcourſe, and reaſon; and this man can eat, drink, ſleep, &c. 2. Political: Here alſo life is found in him; even a wicked man (deſtitute of all Grace) is alive to trade, to bargain, to buy, to ſell, to plant, to build. 3. Theological, or Spiritual: Now here the impe…itent, or unconverted man is plane mortuus; ſtark dead. An underſtanding (I confeſs) he ſtill hath, but none that is able to know God aright, or Chriſt, or any ſaving truth (without Divine aid or Grace.) 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not ſufficient of our ſelves, to think any thing as of our ſelves, If we (Apoſtle and regenerate) be not ſufficient, who is! if not to think, then to what! to think, is the loweſt act of po…er, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſs unto him; neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. John 1. 5. The light ſhineth in darkneſs, and the darkneſs comprehended it not. A …ill alſo I grant unto the natural and unconverted man, for he could not be a man, if he had not a will, but this will (without Grace) cannot do any ſpiritual good, nor chuſe it, nor love it, nor deſire it: Non poteſt home aliquid velle niſi p. 256adjuvetur ab eo, qui malum non poteſt velle: So S. Auſtin againſt Pelagius, Tom. 3. De ſpiritu & Litera cap. 3. Without me (ſaith Chriſt) ye can do nothing, Joh. 15. 5. No man comes to me, except the Father draw him, Joh. 6. 44. It is God who works in us to will and to do (ſaith the Apoſtle) Phil. 2. 13. And Works, I grant un…o this man, but ſpiritual work I deny to them. Quid boni peteſt perditus niſi in quantum à perditione liberatus: Auſtin in Enchirid. c. 30. They that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God, ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 8. 8. An evil Tree cannot bring forth good fruit, ſo our Saviour, Mat. 7. 18. Without ſaith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, Hebr. 11. 6.

2. But let us proceed further, and ſearch what Reaſons may be produced to demonſtrate the Aſſertion: That the natural, or Reaſons of it.unconverted man is ſpiritually dead, and as to ſpirituals altogether dead; Thus then, 1. He who hath no Communion at all with H… …ath no communion with the principles of ſpiritual life.the principles of ſpiritual life, is (in a ſpiritual ſenſe) altogether dead; for where there is no principle of life, there cannot be any thing but death: Tolle animam, tolle vitam; but the impenitent and unconverted ſinner, hath no communion with any one principle of ſpiritual life: Therefore, &c. There is a twofold principle of this life. 1. A primitive conjunction with God, in the eſtate of Innocency; but this is loſt. 2. Arenewed Conjunction with God by Chriſt; but yet this is not attained to by an unconverted ſinner. It is a confeſſed truth, that Jeſus Chriſt is the Author of ſpiritual life to the ſinner: He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life, Joh. 5. 17. And the ſinner hath it partly by Faith, which taking Chriſt, takes life from him; by the Spirit of Regeneration, which renews, and makes him alive; but the unconverted ſinner, hath neither the one, nor the other; had he either, he were then converted.

2. Original ſin (whilſt reigning) is a compleat cauſe of ſpiritual Original ſin, is a compleat cauſe of ſpiritual death.death: But original ſin reigns in the impenitent and unconverted ſinner, therefore he is dead. The Fathers have diverſly Phraſed Original ſin; ſome call it Venenum Syerpentis, ſo Cprian; others Plagam ſerpentis, ſo Ireneus; others Vitium parentum, ſo Pau…inius in Auſtin; the Apoſtle Paul calls it, ſometimes, the body of ſin, ſometimes, the body of death, ſometimes, the Law of ſin and death, ſometimes, the Ʋncircumciſion of the heart. Our Divines generally conceive two things in it, viz. In Original ſin, there is p. 2571. A total deprivation of original righteouſneſs: The Faculties remain, but the Rectitude is gone. It is reported of an excellent Philoſopher, that he fell into a Diſeaſe, which daſhed out all the Learning that ever he acquired, ſo that he forgat even his own Name. Original ſin is like the extinguiſhing of a Candle; the Candle remains ſtill, but the Light is gone: Or like the quenching of red Iron; the Iron remains, but the fiery redneſs is all gone: Or like a Tree, the Limbs remain, but the Life is gone. It is an Univerſal ſpoil; it hath robbed us of all our ſupernaturals; worſe to us than the Devil to Job, who took away all that he had, yet ſpared his Life: But Original Sin not onelyonly took away Paradiſe and Righteouſneſs, but all ſelf-power ſo much as to deſire to be good. 2. A total depravation of all the man. Seges ubi Troia: The Soul of Man was once like a Garden, fully ſet with the ſweeteſt Flowers of Righteouſneſs; but now it is become like a Wilderneſs run over and filled with Briars and Thorns: Or it is like a Face, which once was the moſt curious of features, (every part expreſſing moſt amiable ſweetneſs;) now it is like the ſame Face, moſt deformed with the cluſters of the Pox, and the very ſhame and reproach of it ſelf. There is not a Faculty in the Soul, but it is like the Bough of a fruitfull Tree, thickly laden with Iniquity: It is a Spring, bubling out nothing but averſation, enmity, reſiſtance to ſpiritual good; and readineſs, inclination, eagerneſs, unſatiableneſs to all that is evil: God ſaw that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man was onelyonly evil continually, Gen. 6. 5. The beſt of men complain of blindneſs, of dulneſs, of deadneſs; Alas then, what, or how is it with the worſt of men? Paul could not do good, a wicked man would not do good: Paul complains for want of power; what then may an unconverted man do! By all this (I think) it manifectly appears, That the unconverted man is ſpiritually dead, becauſe Original Sin reigns in him; (if in any, then in him;) and where Original Sin reigns, there is a total privation or abſence of all ſpiritual Life, and total corruption or preſence of ſpiritual Death in the Soul.The terms uſed in Scripture to expreſs converſion.

3. The Terms uſed in Scripture to expreſs a ſinners converſion, do ſeem ſufficiently weighty, to prove, That before his converſion p. 258he was ſpiritually dead: For it is ſet forth ſometimes, By the Reſurrection of the dead; Epheſ. 5. 14. Awake, thou that ſleepeſt, and ariſe from the dead. By the Generation of a perſon. Of his own good will begat he us with the word of truth, Jam. 1. 18. By Creation. 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Chriſt, he is a new creature. Now obſerve; if Converſion be a Reſurrection, a ſpiritual Reſurrection, then the ſoul before Converſion was ſpiritually dead; if Converſion be a Regeneration, then a new life is brought into the ſoul, which it totally wanted before: If Converſion be a Creation, and the converted man qua talis be a new creature, then he had no ſpiritual being before. If ſpiritual Life be a creature onelyonly of Chriſt's making, then, &c.

4. To me, thoſe ſpiritual Promiſes which God makes, of giving The promiſes of giving a ſpiritual being and life.a ſpiritual being and life, do abundantly clear, that man is dead: As, of pouring forth the Spirit of Grace, giving his Spirit, taking away the heart of Stone, and giving the heart of Fleſh, of giving Knowledge, Love, Fear, &c. Such kinds of Promiſes imply three things: 1. Our total want and need; 2. Gods undertaking to beſtow them; 3. A free and total donation of them to us on Gods part.

5. S. Auſtin uſeth the Duty of Prayer, to prove this Aſſertion The duty of, Prayer.againſt the Pelagians; Petenda à Deo bona omnia, ergo nihil boni ex nobis poſſumus. And in an Epiſtle to Vitalis, he ſaith, Prorſus non oramus Deum, ſed orare nos ſingimus ſi nos ipſos non illum credimus facere quod oramus.

6. I will add but one Argument more, viz. That man is totally dead, (quantum ad ſpiritualia,) who cannot ſo much as Man cannot prepare himſelf to life.prepare himſelf, no not remotely, no not in any degree unto the life of Grace: But, the Unconverted man cannot (virtute propria, and without ſupernatural aid,) in the leaſt degree prepare himſelf, &c. for, without that aid, he cannot deſire deliverance out of his ſinfull eſtate, nor mourn over it, nay not feel it, nay not ſpiritually know it.

The Uſe which I deſire to make of this Point, I ſhall reduce unto, 1. Information, 2. Trial, 3. Inſtruction.

1. For Information. Is every natural and unconverted man a Information.ſpiritually dead man? Hence we may be informed of ſeveral The unconverted man is in the ſaddeſt condition.Truths. 1. That the unconverted man is, of all men on the earth, in the ſaddeſt, vileſt, miſerableſt condition: Why? Becauſe p. 259he is ſpiritually dead, dead, ſpiritually dead. A wounded man is in a tedious condition, and a diſeaſed man is in a languiſhing condition; but what is a wound to death? what is a diſeaſe to death? Me morienti mori; Death is the Sun-ſet of all comfort; Death is the drowning of a little world; Death is the very Hermitage of forgetfulneſs and loathſome corruption: Death is the loweſt and vileſt condition; what then is a ſpiritual Death? No Death like the ſpiritual Death. O my friends, conſider ſpiritual Death, either in compariſon, in its proper complexion, Conſider this death.or in the conſequents of it, ſurely, no Death, no condition is ſo diſmal as it. 1. In compariſon with any other In compariſon with other death.Death: This is the worſt, this is the heavieſt. There is the Death of our Goods and Eſtate, (into which Job fell;) of our Name and Reputation, (into which David fell;) of our Bodies and natural Life, (into which Lazarus fell;) of the Soul, the immortal ſoul of man, into which every unconverted ſinner is fallen: Now what is a dead Eſtate to a dead Soul? Or what is a dead Name to a dead Soul? Or what is a dead Body to a dead Soul? It is not ſo much as the death of a Dog to the death of a Man. Every unconverted man hath a dead ſoul; a converted man may have a troubled ſoul, but the unconverted man hath a dead ſoul, ſin hath ſlain his precious ſoul; If the ſoul be dead, what is alive? What is that man whoſe ſoul is dead? In all other deaths, ſomething is alive; if Goods be gone, the Name lives; if the Name be gone, the Body lives; if the Body be gone, the Soul lives: But if the Soul alſo be gone, what lives? 2. In it ſelf: Why ſpiritual Death is a total privation of God, In i… ſelf.of Chriſt, of Grace; no life of God, no life of Chriſt, no life of Grace is there in any unconverted perſon; none at all. Ah poor wretch! what art thou, and what is thy condition, who art thus dead? A total corruption, diffuſion, poſſeſſion with ſin. S. Auſtin affirms, That the very Vertues of the Heathens were but ſplendida peccata, meer flowers on a dead man: And Solomon, The ſacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. What a gaſtly ſ…ght would it be, to open a grave, and ſee the dead body run over with crawling worms, and a general putrefaction over all the parts! And truly, ſo it is with the ſoul of an unconverted perſon; it is the filthieſt, naſtieſt, corruptedſt, may I ſay, C…on. Luther ſaid once, So many ſins, ſo many hells; p. 260ſurely, I may then ſay, So many Sins, ſo many Deaths. The unconverted man is full of ſin: his heart is full of evil, ſo Soloman; He is filled with all unrighteouſneſs, ſo Paul affirmeth. Job was filled with botches, yea, but he was not filled with ſins; and Lazarus was filled with ſores, yea, but he was not filled with ſins; and Davids ſoul was filled with complaints, and Chriſts ſoul was filled wich ſorrow, yea, but it was not filled with ſin. Every unconverted mans dead ſoul is filled with living ſins, as a good mans ſoul is filled with dying and dead ſins; and a ſoul full of living ſins, is much like a ſoul filled up with Hel-fire. There is no evil ſo evil as ſin, and no ſin ſo evil as living ſin, and no living ſin ſo evil as a fulneſs and an onlineſs of living ſin. 3. In the conſequents of it: I will name but three of them, In the conſequents of it.1. All the guilt of all thoſe ſins lie on him alone. 2. All the wrath of God looks on him, the ſentence of curſe. 3. An eternal death may ſoon befal him.

2. Then no marvel, that publick and private admonitions, counſels, No marvel that admonitions, reproofs, counſels, prevail not with moſt men.reproofs, prevail not with the moſt of men. We Miniſters preach, and we think we preach Religion, and with evidence enough of Reaſon, and deliver things fairly and plainly and convincingly; and now we wonder at it, that men ſhould hear ſuch clear and undeniable truths, and not be moved and perſwaded! And Parents give admirable counſels and inſtructions to their Children, and no good comes of them! &c. Why Sirs, are not unconverted men dead men? And what can all our undertakings (alone conſidered) do unto dead men? Aſſuredly, unleſs the Lord of Life himſelf will ſpeak theſe counſels and theſe admonitions unto ſinfull men, they will never hear them ſo as to be ſtirred, ſo as to be moved, ſo as to be converted by them; they will remain in their ſinfull condition and obſtinate wayes to eternity.

3. Then it is of Gods meer mercy, and pity, and power, if ever It is Gods mercy that any ſoul is converted.thy poor ſoul be converted: Never aſcribe it to thy excellency, (what excellency is there in a dead man?) to thy power, (what power is there where there is no life?) to thy ſelf preparations, (what active diſpoſing or preparation can a dead man afford?) The dead ſinner is the meer object of pureſt mercy, and the dead ſinner is without all ſtrength; if ever his ſouls lives, then to Chriſt muſt that life own it ſelf, and to Divine Mercy, and Power, &c.

p. 261The next Uſe ſhall be for Trial or Examination. Since every unconverted man is ſpiritually dead; let's therefore ſearch our Ʋſe 2. Trial, Whether we be ſpiritually dead. Four Tokens of it.hearts, in what a condition they are: Are not many of us yet dead in ſins and treſpaſſes? ſpiritually dead men? There are four Tokens of a man ſpiritually dead. 1. Ʋnſenſibleneſs: Where there is no life, there is no ſenſe; of all ſinners, the unſenſible ſinner is in the moſt deadly condition. Tanto pejor quanto inſenſibiliter, ſaith Auſtin. Do what you will to a dead man, he is Unſenſibleneſs.unſenſible of it; call to him, he hears not; put the ſweeteſt perfumes to him, he ſmels not; kick him, cut him, burn him, he feels not; although he be full of loathſomneſs, he perceives it not. Now I beſeech you mind this Trial; for verily, if ſpiritual unſenſibleneſs prevail upon you, you are ſpiritually dead: If ſpiritual ſenſe be the firſt evidence of Life, then è contra, ſpiritual unſenſibleneſs is a ſure evidence of Death: And what ſpiritual ſenſation is yet wrought in you? There are ſins upon ſins (mountains upon mountains) in your hearts, the leaſt of them hath been an heavy burthen to a living ſoul, but what haſt thou ever felt of thy ſinfull heart and life? There is in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, no leſs than riches of Mercy, freeneſs of Love, glories of Heaven tendred to you; but what do you perceive in it? Didſt thou never yet feel and cry out of a body of Death? O here, here is a dead heart, an ignorant heart, a proud heart, an unbelieving heart, an heart in which there is no good, in which is all evil. Ah poor man, thou art a dead man; no feeling, no complaining, no crying out of thy heart againſt all thoſe many many vile and notorious ſins.

2. An univerſal and conſtant coldneſs. If life be gone, heat is gone; the Feet are cold, and the Hands are cold, and the whole An univerſal and conſtant coldneſs.Body is cold, and the very Heart is cold too: A living man may have cold hands and feet, but he never hath a cold heart; for life is there, and heat is there. Why! there is no one converted man under heaven, but he hath ſome heat in him; though not much in ſome of his actions, yet certainly ſome in his heart: O, ſaith he, I approve of what is good, and I would do good, and I delight in the Law of God after the inward man; I believe, Lord help my unbelief. But now, an unconverted man hath, 1. A cold heart unto any ſpiritual good. Suppoſe he be at Prayer, and at Sermon; why! but he hath no heart to or in theſe duties, he hath no mind to theſe works, no delight p. 262in them, or in the Sabbath, or in a Faſt; and though his body be preſent, yet his heart is afar off, it goes after his covetouſneſs. 2. And this Coldneſs is univerſal: There is not any one ſpiritual Duty, unto which his heart is not dead or cold. He will tell you when he hears Catechizing, I ſhould like Preaching; and ſo when he hears Preaching, I could like Praying; and ſo when Praying comes, I could like Reading; and when Reading comes, I could like Meditating; and when that comes, I could like Practiſing; and when Practiſing comes, I could like Underſtanding: But he diſſembles, he loves not one Duty at all; his heart to theſe is like a ſick ſtomack, that ſeems to like any thing but what it hath, but indeed likes no meat. 3. And it is alſo conſtant: I confeſs, even a good and converted heart may find ſometimes more actual indiſpoſitions to good than at other times, and ſometimes a greater meaſure of dulneſs and deadneſs; but an heart conſtantly cold, from one end of the year to another, all the life long, ſtill to loath ſpiritual ſervices, never to attain unto a delightfull and affectionate communion with God, This is a Token of a dead ſoul.

3. Where the Word preached is but a dead Letter unto the hearer, Where the Word preach…d is but a dead Letter.certainly that man is in a dead condition. If our Goſpel be hid, 'tis hid to them that are loſt, ſaith the Apoſtle: So may I ſay, If our Goſpel be dead, it is ſo onelyonly to them that are dead. The Goſpel is the great Trumpet of Chriſt, the Silver Trumpet by which he raiſeth the dead; as, at the laſt, he ſhall raiſe the dead by the Voice of the Trumpet; this is that by which Jeſus Chriſt quickens and pulls a ſoul out of its ſinfull condition. 1. It lets in light to ſee that condition: 2. It affects Conſcience to feel it: 3. It puts in Faith to go to Chriſt to fetch life: Yet many men are not wrought on at all by the Goſpel preached: Unmoveableneſs is the token of a dead man.

4. A delight in dead things, and in dead works, plainly declare A delight in dead works.a dead condition. Paul, in Epheſ. 2. 1. tels the Epheſians, that they were once dead; but how did that appear? See verſ. 2. In time paſt ye walked according to the courſe of this world. And verſ. 3. Ye had your converſation in the luſts of the fleſh, fulfilling the deſires of the fleſh and of the mind. 1. In dead things: Dead men are heavy, and deſcend to the earth; worldly things are the Optima and the Ʋltima of an unconverted heart. Who p. 263will ſhew us any good? Pſal. 4. If that of Paul (Col. 3. 1, 2. If ye be riſen with Chriſt, then ſeek thoſe things that are above, and ſet your affections on things that are above,) be a true ſign of a living raiſed man, then è contra, to ſeek, to ſettle affections on things below, is a true ſign of a dead man. 2. In dead works: Theſe opera mortua & mortifera. And truly, nothing doth more diſcover a ſpiritual death, than a delight, and a ſervice of ſin; certainly, ſuch a man is yet an unconverted man.

The laſt Uſe ſhall be for Inſtruction unto ſeveral Duties. I will but glance a them. 1. Have as little ſociety with wicked men Ʋſe 3. Inſtruction. Have as little ſociety with unconverted men as may be.as may be; for they are dead men: Would any man living have a dead man to be his companion? There is a two-fold Society with men: 1. One is neceſſary, in reſpect of our Relations, or of our Commerce and Trade, which cannot well be avoided: 2. Another is arbitrary, in reſpect of our Election; avoid this, do not make choice of wicked ſociety. There are two Reaſons to hearken to this advice: One is, You ſhall never get any ſpiritual good by their ſociety; a wicked man is an unprofitable man; Can any one gather Figs of Thorns, or Grapes of Thiſtles? Who is the better for a dead man? Another is, You ſhall receive much hurt by ſuch ſociety: The Jews were unclean, if they did but touch a dead body. It was the practice of a Tyrant once, to tie a dead man to a living man, that the filthy ſavour of the dead man might infect and deſtroy the life of the living man. O you who are to marry your children, take heed of marrying them to the dead; and you who are Free-men, take heed of embracing ſociety with the dead. There are three notorious miſchiefs will enſue hereupon: 1. Dead ſociety will, by degrees, bring you into a deadneſs of heart; wicked company will certainly abate your zeal and holy affections, as waters do the flaming fire: 2. Dead ſociety will quench your Life in ſpiritual Duties; they will not onelyonly interrupt, but mitigate your ſweet and wonted ſociety with God▪ and good men: 3. Dead ſociety will, in time, corrupt you to dead works: Remember Solomon.

2. Lament and bewail thy unconverted Friends and Kindred. Lament thy unconverted friends.You read that David wept for Abſalom, O Abſalom, my ſon, my ſon, &c. and you read, that Chriſt wept for Lazarus, being p. 264dead; and you read, of both of theſe weeping alſo for thoſe that were ſpiritually dead: David, Pſal. 119. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, becauſe men keep not thy Law. Chriſt came near to Jeruſalem, and wept over it, ſaying, Oh if thou hadſt known, even thou, at the leaſt in, &c. Wouldſt not thou weep to ſee thy Fathers, or Mothers, or Siſters, or Brothers dead body carrying out to the grave? and ſay, Alas my Father, alas my Brother, alas my Child? How then canſt thou refrain tears for their dead ſouls? Why doeſt not thou pity the dead and unconverted ſoul of thy Father? &c. At a Funeral Feaſt, there is no mirth, becauſe the Maſter of the houſe is dead: Ah, weep over thy Father, over thy Son; the Maſter of the houſe is dead, his precious ſoul is dead: Thy pity can do a dead body no good, but it may do a dead ſoul ſome good, eſpecially, if you take in the next Duty, which is,

3. Pray for the dead: I mean not in the Popiſh ſenſe; they, Pray for the Dead.you know, pray for ſouls departed, ſuppoſing them to be in Purgatory, where the pains, as they ſay, are intollerable, equal to them in Hell, and the ſouls are deprived of the viſion of God; and therefore their Prieſts and others often pray for them; and upon the Graves they inſcribe, Pray for the ſoul of ſuch a one, and on his ſoul Jeſu have mercy: But this is a wicked ſuperſtition. We acknowledge no Purgatory, and no need of Prayers for ſouls departed, yet we hold Prayers requiſite for one another, whiles we are upon the earth. And becauſe ſome are dead whiles they live, O pray to the Lord for them; Lord Jeſu, have mercy upon the ſoul of my Husband, Child, Wife; O convert them, quicken them from the dead, ſuffer them not, their poor ſouls, to die for ever. When Steven was to die, he prayed for thoſe that were ſpiritually dead: When Chriſt was dying, he alſo prayed for them: And Monica, the Mother of Auſtin, prayed for him; and all of them were heard. Object. But I have prayed, but yet no good comes of it. Sol. Pray ſtill; as long as there is life, and as long as there is prayer, there is hope: It will be an excellent comfort to thee, and eternal happineſs to thy friend, if thou canſt, at length, by thy prayers, prevail with God to deliver that one ſoul from death.Uſe the means by w…ich you may be quickned.

4. If the Lord hath opened any of your eyes but to ſee what your ſpiritual condition is, that you are yet in your graves, yet p. 265dead in tre…paſſes and ſ…s; my advice unto you is this, Go, uſe the means by which your dead ſouls may be quickned. Object. Why! but this is ridiculous, to bid a dead man do work, go, ſtir, do any thing. Sol. I anſwer, 1. There is a difference twixt a man corporally dead, and a man ſpiritually dead: The former can do no action whatſoever, neither ſpiritual, nor civil, nor natural; the latter, though he can do nothing in ſpirituals, yet for the other, he may, and can. 2. You muſt diſtinguiſh twixt a ſpiritual action, and an action which brings to a ſpiritual means: He cannot convert his own heart, yet he hath power to hear the Word, which can. 'Tis true, that a wicked unconverted man cannot exert any one ſpiritual action; nevertheleſs, he hath liberty and power to go to Church, and hear a Sermon: Why! uſe this power, and this liberty, to come to the Pool where the Angel ſtirs; to come to the Ordinances, where God is pleaſed to quicken and raiſe the dead. 3. When thou art under a ſpiritual Ordinance, thou art under the voice of Chriſt himſelf, who hath ſaid, That the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and live. And truly, let me tell thee, That the Voice of Jeſus Chriſt in his Word, hath not only a power to find a loſt man, but alſo to quicken a dead man.

I have finiſhed the firſt Propoſition out of theſe words, viz. Luk. 15. 24.Luke 15:24That the unconverted man is a dead man: I now proceed to the ſecond, which is this;

That every converted man is a living man. When the ſinner Doct. 2. Every converted man is a living man.is converted, he is then made alive. Converſion is a Sinners Life. So the Text, This my ſon is alive again. It is reported of Similis, Captain of the Guard to the Emperour Adrian, that he retired from the Court into the Countrey ſeven years before his death, and cauſed this to be written on his Tomb, Hi… jacet Similis cu…us aet as multoru… annorum …uit, ipſe ſeptem duntaxat annos vixit: For ſo many years only was he converted. We count the length of our lives from the time of our birth, and we muſt count the life of our ſouls from the time of our new birth, ſaid Hierom. It is frequent in Scripture, to ſtile converted perſons living perſons, or perſons made alive, Rom. 6. 13. Yield your ſelves unto God, as thoſe that are alive from the dead. Chap. 8. v. 10. If Chriſt be in you, the ſpirit is life becauſe of p. 260righteouſneſs. Gal. 2. 20. I live, ſaith Paul. Col. 2. 13. You who were dead in your ſins hath he quickned. For the advantagious diſcuſſion of this Point, I ſhall briefly open unto you, 1. What Life that is, which the converted ſinner attains unto? 2. How it may appear that he is inveſted with ſuch a Life? and why? 3. Then the uſeful Application of all this▪ unto our ſelves.

1. What Life that is, wherewith the converted man is inveſted? What is the life of a converted ſinner, A four-fold life. Natural.Sol. I ſpeak only of that Life incident unto man, which is four-fold. 1. Life natural, which is a power to move and act. I count not my life dear unto me, ſaid Paul, Act. 20. 24. All that a man hath he will give for his life, Job 1. This is the Life of Nature, and every man, good or bad, enjoys it. 2. Life connatural; which is a proſperous fruition of our Lives Life connatural.with peace, contentment, and comfortable ſucceſſes, in the external matters and affairs of our life: This alſo is poſſibly incident to all ſorts of men. 3. Preternatural; which is a death, Preternatural.rather than a life: A ſinfull life, a life acted under the power and motion of ſinfull luſts. I was alive once, ſaid Paul, Rom. 7. In this reſpect, wicked and ungodly men only are alive. 4. Supernatural; Supernatural.a divine life, a new life, a life in Chriſt, and from Chriſt, and to Chriſt: Of which there are two parts, and they are proper only to converted perſons. 1. There is the Life of Grace, which they enjoy in this world: 2. There is the Life of Glory, which they enjoy in the world to come, called often in Scripture, eternal life. The Text ſpeaks of the firſt of theſe; The The life of Grace, is The life of Juſtification.converted ſinner is inveſted with the Life of Grace: And this again is branched into the life of, 1. Juſtification; for when a ſinner is juſtified, he is then in the condition of life: The unjuſtified man is a dead man, (for he lies under the ſentence of death;) and the juſtified man is a living man, he is paſſed from death to life; the Lord takes off the ſentence of eternal death from him; He ſhall not die for the ſins which he hath committed, for I have pardoned all his ſins, and now he ſhall live, and not die, ſaith the Lord. 2. Sanctification: When a ſinner is ſanctified, Of Sanctification. Which may be conſidered, In the cauſe of it.he is then made alive. At this, I ſuppoſe, the Text doth principally aim. This Life is conſiderable, 1. In the Cauſe of it, which is no other but the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, who unites Chriſt and the Soul together; and upon this union, the Soul is quickned with the life of Chriſt. I live by the faith of the Son of God, p. 257Gal. 2. 20. 2. In the Nature of it; it is a novum & ſpirituale eſſe, which doth regenerate the man, and, as it were, create him In the nature of it.again. The Scripture ſtiles this quality, a new creature, and the new man: It is an holy living principle. In a word, this life is nothing elſe but the Grace of the Spirit, regenerating, and renewing the whole ſoul of a ſinner. It is ſaving light ſet up in the Mind, and ſaving wiſdome ſet up in the Judgment, and ſaving grace ſet up in the Will and Affections, which alter the old ſinfull nature in man, and are a new ſpiritual inclination to matters that are ſpiritual, yea, and a new ſpiritual ability or power in the whole ſoul of man to work that is ſpiritual: Whereas the Underſtanding could not know the things of God, now it is enabled to know them, and to admire them, and to ſtudy them: whereas the Will was both unable to good, and unwilling to good, and only ſet on what was evil; now, being quickned by Grace, it is drawn off from that affectionate inclination to evil, and it is bent and inclined, and in ſome meaſure enabled to deſire Chriſt, to love Jeſus Chriſt, to fear God, to obey God, and to walk with God: And when this comes into the heart of a ſinner, he is ſaid to be alive again.

Shall I draw out my thoughts of this Subject more clearly unto When a ſinner is made alive. Jeſus Chriſt applies himſelf unto the ſoul, and breaths into it the breath of life.you? Take me then thus. When any ſinner is made ſpiritually alive, 1. Jeſus Chriſt applies himſelf to the Soul, and he breaths into it the Spirit of Life. He doth with a poor dead ſoul, much like as Eliah did with the Shunamites dead child; who lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon the childs mouth, and his eyes upon the childs eyes, and his hands upon the childs hands; and he ſtretched himſelf upon the child, and the fleſh of the child waxed warm: So the Lord Jeſus applies himſelf by his Spirit to the ſoul of a ſinner, (to all the ſoul of a ſinner,) and works mightily in it, producing knowledge in a blind mind, and feeling in an hard heart, and faith in an unbelieving ſpirit, and all his Graces in the whole Soul. 2. Which gracious principles He puts in living principles.are all of them living principles; and alter all the ſoul, and incline it ſpiritually: So that the man who cared not for God, nor Chriſt, nor Grace, nor holy Duties heretofore; now his ſoul bends to theſe, and he minds theſe, and he is never better than when he is thinking of God, and mourning for his ſins, and thirſting for Chriſt, and praying to God, and hearing of the p. 268Word of God; this is his deſire, and this is his delight. 3. There is a power in theſe principles of ſpiritual life. A power There is power of ſpiritual life in theſe principles.againſt his ſins; ſo that now he can hate them, and ſay, What have I to do any more with Idols? Get ye hence. And a power in his affections; ſo that now he is able to love God above all, and able to fear God, and not diſpleaſe him willingly. And a power in his will; ſo that now he is able to come to Chriſt, and cleave to Chriſt, as his onelyonly happineſs. And a power to ſpiritual actions; ſo that he is now able to hear and underſtand, to pray and wreſtle, to pray and believe, to believe and repent.

Queſt. 2. How it may be evidenced, that the converted man is How this may be evidenced.thus made ſpiritually alive. Sol. Thus, 1. Every converted man hath a living union with Jeſus Chriſt; he is brought into He hath a living union with Chriſt.fellowſhip with Chriſt. Now Jeſus Chriſt is a living Head, and all his members are living Members. 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son, hath life. And Joh. 6. 51. I am the living bread, if any man eat of this bread, he ſhall live for ever. … 2. All true grace is of a living nature: Falſe grace is a dead thing, it True grace is of a living nature.hath no life, and can give no life; but true grace is living. True …aith is a living faith, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2. 20. And true hope is a living hope; 1 Pet. 1. 3. God hath begotten us to a lively hope. 3. Every converted man is the child of the living God; he is born of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of life. He is a child of the living God.God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; and God as a Father never begets any dead Children: All his children are begot after his own image; they are partakers of the Divine nature, and that is a living nature. … 4. The converted man lives the reſt He lives the reſt of his life to God.of his life unto God. 1. Pet. 3. 2. None of us liveth to himſelf; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord, Rom. 14. 8. Can he poſſibly live unto the Lord, until he be made alive by the Lord? What glory can God get by the life of a dead ſinner? The living, the living, he ſhall praiſe thee, as I do this day, ſaid Hez…kiah, Iſa. 38. 19. God muſt have much glory from the converted man; not only paſſive glory on him, (this he hath on wicked men,) but active glory from him, glory from his believing, and glory from his obedience, which cannot be unleſs he be made alive, ſpiritually alive.

p. 269The Uſe of this Doctrine ſhall be to draw you into a ſearching acquaintance with your ſpiritual condition. There is not Ʋſe. Trial of our ſelves about our ſpiritual life.a buſineſs which can poſſibly concern you more nearly than this, Whether you be children of Death, or of Life? Whether yet dead in ſins, or quickned by the life of grace? Can it be ſaid of us as here of the Prodigal, This my Son was dead, but is alive? So we were ſometimes diſobedient, ignorant, proud, vile, ſerving divers luſts: but after that the grace of God hath appeared, we are alive; we have put off thoſe luſts, and have other Principles, other Natures, other Lives. Let me offer unto you four Motives, to try your ſouls about their ſpiritual Motives to this Trial.Life.

1. You have enjoyed the means of Life, The Goſpel is often You have enjoied the means of life.called, the Word of Life, a quickning and regenerating Word; it carries Chriſt in it, the Author of Life; and the Apoſtle calls it, the Miniſtration of Life: And perhaps it hath been ſo to ſome poor man and woman, and to ſome of thy children. But O how long haſt thou heard it? how often haſt thou come to this Bread of Life? to theſe Waters of Life? What! and yet dead in thy ſins? not yet quickned and made alive? Why! thou art a reproach to the Goſpel; and thy ſins have not only given, death to thy ſoul, but death to the Goſpel of Chriſt, the Goſpel is made by them a dead Letter; it is not ſo in it ſelf, but thou haſt made it ſo: And how wilt thou anſwer God, for killing thy ſoul, and killing his Chriſt, and killing his Goſpel?

2. Many have a name that they live, but (like the Angel of Many have a name to live, and yet are dead.the Church of Sardis) they are dead, Revel. 3. 1. Oh Sirs! Spiritual life, (the life of grace,) is a rare thing, and a difficult thing. Every man loves his life, but few love this life: No man hates his own life (almoſt,) but moſt men hate this life of grace, becauſe it is deſtructive to this life of ſin: And many think they have it, and others think ſo too, and yet they have it not. You know, it is one thing to put Flowers upon a dead body, and another thing to put life into a dead man: It is one thing for the Sun to convey light, another thing for the Sun to convey life. I might ſhew you, that m…n miſtake ſpiritual life exceedingly: Education in a perſon may lead him far, and ſo may an enlightned and generous Conſcience, and ſo may p. 264reſtraining Grace, and ſo may Art, and ſo may the common gifts of the Spirit; they may enable a man to ſtrange conceptions, and ſtrange affections, and ſtrange actions, and yet the man may be ſpiritually dead: Not any of theſe flow from a gracious principle of ſpiritual life: Why! common Gifts may lead up the ſoul far, and Education may lead to Duties much, and Conſcience may awe ſin exceedingly, and Art or Hypocriſie may counterfeit the very life of Grace (as a Stage-player doth a King) wonderfully. O therefore, look to it, that you have more than a name of life; that you live indeed.

3. If you ſhould deceive your ſelves, and when you come to It would be very ſad to be deceived in this.die, you find that you have been dead all your lives, and never were ſpiritually made alive; Oh! in what a condition will thy poor trembling ſoul be! To die, and ſee nothing but death! I thought there was life in my heart, and life in my ſtrong faith, and life in my troubles of ſpirit, and life in my obedience; but alas, I never lived, I never enjoyed Chriſt, never enjoyed grace, &c.

4. If the Lord hath made thee alive from the dead, I do not To be alive, is cauſe of great joy.know any man living on the earth, that hath ſuch cauſe of joy unſpeakable and glorious. I will mention but three particulars unto thee. 1. Hereby thou mayeſt be aſſured of thy intereſt in the richeſt mercy, and greateſt love of God to thy poor ſoul. Read but the Apoſtle in Epheſ. 2. 4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, v. 5. even when we were dead in ſins, hath quickned us. 2. Thou mayeſt palpably diſcover the tokens and vertues of Jeſus Chriſt upon thy ſoul, the very Effigies of the ſaving works of Chriſt; that which Paul ſo longed to know, even the power of the death and of the reſurrection of Chriſt, Philip. 3. 10. In thy death to Sin, and in thy life of Grace, doth the power of Chriſts death, and of Chriſts reſurrection appear. 3. Thou mayeſt certainly know, that Heaven ſhall be the place of thy reſt hereafter. Spiritual life comes from Heaven, and bends to Heaven, and ſhall bring to Heaven: It prepares for Heaven, and it is a part of Heaven, and it ſhall be perfected and filled up in Heaven. O what things are theſe! who would miſs of theſe! For Chriſts ſake, ſearch throughly whether you be made alive.

p. 261Now me thinks I hear ſome ſoul ſecretly longing to know how it may be cleared un…o it, That God hath quickned it from the Signs of ſpiritual life.dead; That as it was once dead, yet it is now alive. Sol. There are many things which may clearly declare it; for indeed, life is ſuch an active thing, (eſpecially ſpiritual life,) that it may eaſily appear, ſometimes or other, to him who hath it.

1. If ſin be alive, then thou art ſtill dead; and if ſin be dead, thou art certainly alive. I will open both theſe par…s. 1. If ſin be alive, then the man is dead; for it is impoſſible that the If ſin be alive, the man is dead.ſame man ſhould be alive and dead under the ſame conſideration. Spiritual Life and ſpiritual Death are incompatible at the ſame time in the ſame ſubject: And therefore, if ſin be alive, queſtionleſs you are ſpiritually dead. Now there are four things which manifeſt ſin to be alive in any mans ſoul. 1. The flaming bents, and in…atiable deſires of the heart, after things forbidden in the Word. Epheſ. 4. 19. we read of ſin with greedineſs 2. The univerſal and eaſie authority, law, or command that it hath over the ſoul and body; that it can uſe them in the ſervice of luſts, when, and as it pleaſeth, Epheſ. 2. 2, 3. 3. The joyfull contentation and ſatisfaction which the heart takes in evil things; as we do in meat and drink. 4. The cuſtomary trade and courſe of our life in ſinfull ways; a walking in them, a living in them. O, if theſe be yet found in thee, ſin is alive ſtill, and thou art dead ſtill. 2. But if ſin be dead, thou art certainly alive. If ſin be dead, thou art alive.I confeſs, ſin may be reſtrained, and a man not alive; and ſin may be troubleſome in ſome reſpects, and a man not yet alive: But if it be dead, the man is ſpiritually alive; for ſin in thee can never come to be dead, but by ſpiritual life. Now ſin is dead in thee, if thou canſt find two things. 1. If it hath loſt thy affections: If love to ſin be gone, and hatred of ſin be come; if delight in ſin be quenched, and ſorrow for ſin be implanted. Oh Sirs! the love of ſin is the life of ſin; and if the hatred of ſin doth live, then the love of ſin is dead. 2. If it hath loſt its Authority, its free and uncontrolled power; although it moleſts ſtill, and tempts ſtill, yet it rules not, thou art not a ſlave to it, and ſubject to it, thou wilt not ſerve it, obey it any longer: If thou haſt Chriſt for thy Lord, the Law of Chriſt for thy Rule, and Sin for thy Enemy, thou art alive.

p. 2722. A ſecond ſign of ſpiritual life is, a ſpiritual ſenſe of ſpiritual wants. This is an undoubted truth, That where there is A ſpiritual ſenſe of ſpiritual wants.life, there is ſenſe; and where there is ſenſe, there is life: If the life be a ſpiritual life, then the ſenſe is a ſpiritual ſenſe, a feeling of our ſpiritual wants. When the Prodigal began to live, he began to feel; to feel; to feel his nakedneſs, to feel his poverty, to feel his wants: And when Paul began to live, he began to ſee his wants; Rom. 7. 14. The law is ſpiritual, but I am carnal, ſold under ſin: I know that in me there dwelleth no good thing; how to perform that which is good, I find not. O when God gives grace unto the heart, that grace, though never ſo weak; affords two operations: 1. It gives you a clearer ſight of ſin; 2. it gives you a fuller ſight of your wants. It is Learning which makes us to ſee how much Learning we want; it is Health which makes you ſee how much Health you want; it is Grace which makes you ſee how little Grace you have, and how much you ſtill need: No man rightly feels the want of more Faith, but by ſome Faith; the want of more Softneſs, but by ſome Softneſs.

Object. But now the Queſtion may be, How a man may How a ſpiritual ſenſe may be known.know, that the ſenſe of his wants be a ſpiritual ſenſe of them? for many men ſay that they want ſuch and ſuch ſpiritual Graces, and yet they have not a ſpiritual life in them. Sol. I anſwer… There are four things which declare the ſenſe of our ſpiritual wants to be a true ſpiritual ſenſe: 1. Ordinarily, it follows after a deep Conviction of ſin; that man It follows after a deep conviction of ſin.deceives himſelf, who talks of ſpiritual wants, and yet never ſaw his ſpiritual fulneſs of ſin. The Lords ordinary way in Converſion is, To ſtrip us wholly of our ſelves; and therefore, 1. He opens our eyes to ſee how rich we have been in ſin; 2. To ſee how poor and nothing we are in Grace. 2. If it be a ſpiritual ſenſe, it is an humbling It is an humbling ſenſe.ſenſe: He who can ſee much ſin in himſelf, and not be troubled, is not rightly ſenſible of ſin; and he who can ſee much want of grace in himſelf, and not be humbled, is not ſpiritually ſenſible of his ſpiritual wants. What! and yet ſo little Knowledge! yet ſo little Faith! and yet ſo little Love of Chriſt! yet no more ſtrength to pray, to deny my ſelf, to overcome my ſins! And now he mourns and weeps. p. 2733. If it be a living ſpiritual ſenſe, it is an humb…e ſenſe. The It is an humble ſenſe.preſence of Grace (though little) breeds an high conflict with all ſin, and a lowly ſpirit under all wants. This man admires at other Chriſtians Graces, and prizes them, and goes home, and confeſſeth, Lord, I am leſs then the leaſt of all Saints. 4. If it be a ſpiritual ſenſe, then it is a careful and an active ſenſe: It It is a careful and an active ſenſe.would have theſe wants ſupplied; it is full of inquiry, what ſhall I do? and it is full of Prayer, I believe, Lord, help my unbeliefe: The ſenſe of want will not ceaſe but in the ſenſe of ſupply.

3. A ſpiritual appetite is a ſign of ſpiritual life; You know There is a ſpiritual appetite.that life ſeeks its own preſervation; the living man muſt have food, and will have food: As ſoon as ever a child is born, if it be living, nature prompts it to crave the breſts; and verily, ſo it is with every new born Chriſtian; As new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, 1 Pet. 2. 2. As ſoon as the Prodigal began to be ſpiritually alive, he preſently thought of food; O, (ſaith he) there is bread enough in my Fathers houſe, and to ſpare: As there is bread for life, ſo there is bread of life; and as there are waters for life, ſo there are waters of life; there is ſpiritual bread, and ſpiritual water: Corpus Chriſti eſt pabulum fidei, The Lord Jeſus and his Ordinances are the ſpiritual food of the ſoul; and when a man receives a ſpiritual life, he cannot live without them, but depends on them as for the nutrition and preſervation of his life.

Here again it may be demanded, How a Chriſtian may know that his appetite is a truly ſpiritual appetite, flowing from life? To which Signs of appetite flowing from life. It is a ſtrong appetite.I anſwer thus: If it be an appetite flowing from ſpiritual life. 1. Then it is a ſtrong appetite; the Scriptures call it an hungring and thirſting, the ſtrongeſt and fierceſt of all appetites: O Sirs, There is an appetite dainty, and there is an appetite hungry; there is a difference twixt a want on empty deſire, and an hungring, or an appetite for life. Give me children, or elſe I dye; the word is to ſuch a man, more then his appointed food. 2. It is an Ʋniverſal Appetite: Some men have a ſtomack to the Word, but not to the Sacrament; and ſome A Univerſal appetite.have a ſtomack to the Sacrament: (O, that they muſt have) but not to the Word; and ſome have a ſtomack to this part of the Word, not to that part of the Word, and to it as thus dreſſed, and another way dreſſed; New Diſhes for dainty ſtomacks: But a Chriſtian in whom the life of Grace is wrought, why! he is for the Word, p. 274and he is for Sacrament, and he is for all Chriſts Ordinances, and all Chriſts truths: Why! (ſaith he) I have a proud heart, and ſuch a truth will humble it; and I have a troubled heart, and ſuch a truth will comfort it; and I have a doubtful heart, and ſuch a truth will direct it; and I have a weak heart, and ſuch an Ordinance will ſtrengthen it; ſo that he ſees food in all of them, and he hath an appetite to all of them. 3. It is a conſtant A conſtant appetite.appetite: Give a living man food in the morning, and Life looks for ſome at night; he can feed to day, and he can feed to morrow too. Thus it is with a living man; though when a man is dying, his ſtomack dies in him, and leaves him: One Sermon a monethmonth, or a year, will ſatisfie. A living Chriſtian, he takes in proviſion every market day (every Sabbath) for his ſoul, and he longs for the market day again: O, when will the Sabbath come again! O, when ſhall I appear before God again! O, when ſhall I ſit down, and be entertained at Chriſts Table again! O, I could hear of Chriſt, of Faith, of Mortification, of the Love of God, of newneſs of Obedience, &c. ſtill I need more heavenly nouriſhment for my Graces, &c.

4. Spiritual Growth is a ſign of Spiritual Life: You know There is ſpiritual growth.that living men do grow, until they attain unto that proportion and meaſure, which Nature (ſay the Philoſophers,) God (ſay we) allots unto them. Therefore living Chriſtians are compared to a ſucking and thriving child, which ſucks and growes by ſucking: And to living branches that grow into more ſtrength; and in Scripture, True Grace (which is the ſame with ſpiritual life) it is of an increaſing and growing nature; Chriſt compares it to a grain of Muſtard-ſeed, which is little at firſt, but in time growes and ſpreads exceedingly; and Solomon compares it to the Sun, which riſeth more and more to the perfect day. Paul commends the Corinthians, that they did abound in all Grace; and praies for the Philippians, that their love might a bound yet more and more in knowledg, and in all Judgment; And he himſelf forgat what was behind, and preſſed forward, and counted himſelf not to have apprehended. O you! who take your ſelves to be alive, do you grow in grace? Many men grow worſe and worſe under the means of Grace; many grow in notions, but they do not grow in Grace; many grow into new opinions, but they do not grow in holy affections. But do you grow in Grace? and do you grow in all p. 275Grace? and do you grow according to the means of Growth? Alas! many men decay apace, and many men, like pictures, retain the ſame dimenſions; ſin is no more weakned after forty years living, then at the firſt; their old ſins retain their old ſtrength, and their faith receives no augmentation; they are no more able to truſt on God for their bodies, nor to rely on Chriſt for their ſouls then heretofore. The barrenneſs and unfruitfulneſs of Chriſtians, is an unſpeakable diſhonour to the Goſpel, and an evident teſtimony, that they have but a form of Godlineſs without the power of it; I might now have ſhewn you, that true ſpiritual Growth is 1. Eſpecially an inward Growth. 2. And a general Growth. 3. And the Growth comes in by the Growth of Faith. 4. And appears beſt in the Growth of humili…y.

5. A ſpiritual cry or breath, is another ſign of ſpiritual life: There is a ſpiritual breath.If a man can but groan and breath, that man is a living man. When Paul was converted, Ananias was ſent unto him, as to a choſen Veſſel, Behold (ſaid God unto him) he prayeth: in Zach. 12. 10. The Spirit of Grace, and of Supplication are joyned, for the one never goes without the other: But will ſome reply, This cannot be a ſure ſign of ſpiritual life; for a wicked man may pray, and cry to God; we read of their Prayers and cries in Scripture often. I grant it, But 1. There is a difference twixt a ſpiritual cry, and a natural cry; their cries ariſe from natural principles, but not from a ſpiritual principle. 2. It is the cry of a diſtreſſed man, but not of a renewed man. 3. It is a cry for natural and outward good, but not for ſpiritual and everlaſting good. 4. And when they cry for mercy and heaven; it is not that mercy may bring them into an holy communion with God, but only that mercy may keep them from wrath and Hell.

6. Laſtly, A ſpiritual manner of working is an infallible evidence There is a ſpiritual manner of working.of a ſpiritual quickning… When the Lord converts a man and makes him ſpiritually alive, he now works ſpiritual work. 1. By Spiritual Rules. 2. From Spiritual Principles in the ſtrength of Chriſt, by Faith, and from love. 3. With Spiritual Affections, willingly, cheerfully, and delightfully. 4. For Spiritual ends. 1. By Spiritual Rules; To as many as walk according By ſpiritual rules.to this Rule, peace be on them, Gal. 6. 16. A dead and unconverted man lives by the Rules of his ſenſual Luſts, or the cuſtomes of the World, or the wiſdome of carnal policy; ſin p. 276rules him, and men rule him, and his profits and pleaſures rule him: But when the man is converted, now God rules him; he ſtands in awe of Gods Word▪ and lives, as 1 Pet. 4. 2. To the Will of God: His actions, intentions, deſires, ſteps are meaſured by the word; tis not An libet, but An licet; The word lets him out, and brings him in: Whether the living Creature went, thither the Wheeles went, ſo, &c. 2. From ſpiritual Principles: O Sirs, From ſpiritual principles.a man may do much work (which we call ſpiritual) from a Carnal and low principle; ſelf-Love, vain-Glory, Education, a quick Conſcience, may ſet out much: But the living Chriſtians work ariſes from union with Chriſt; all is done in the ſtrength of Chriſt, and Faith fetcheth ſtrength from Chriſt to pray, and to preach, and to mourn, and to repent, &c. 3. With ſpiritual affections: With ſpiritual affections.There is a connaturalneſs twixt a ſpiritual heart, and a ſpiritual work. Thy word was the rejoycing of my heart; I was glad (ſaid David) when they ſaid unto me, let us go to the Houſe of the Lord. I delight (ſaith Paul) in the Law of God after the inward man: It is good for …e to draw near to God: There are affections in the works of a living man; his works drop out of his heart, another mans fall out of his parts. 4. For ſpiritual ends; So that Chriſt may be glorifyed: we live For ſpiritual ends.unto the Lord, unto him that dyed for us; Whatſoever ye do, do it to the Glory of God; that God in all things may be glorifyed through Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 4. 11.

Obj. But will ſome ſay, if theſe be ſigns of the life of Complaints of the want of all theſe.Grace; of one being made ſpiritually alive, then I am in a ſad condition: For 1. I find much ſin ſtill living in me. 2. And I find very dull, if not dead affections; and I find, 3. Exceeding impotency to what is good. 4. And I cannot find that old appetite, and thoſe old …ervent crie… of Prayer which here … I found. 5. And as for grow hunder ſpiritual means, O, my heart ſinks to behold the rich ſeaſons of Grace, and my barrenneſs and unfruitfulneſs under them. Sol. I ſhould Anſwered.be …th that any truly living Soul ſhould go away with a ſad heart; therefore give me leave to anſwer thy fears, 1. Generally. 2. Then diſtinctly.

1. Generally thus: 1. Such complaints as theſe (ordinarily) Generally.are the language not of the dead, but of the living: When ſhall you hear ſuch indit…ments from a baſe, lewd, ſin-loving, and ſerving p. 277perſon? O no, theſe are the complaints of an heart that is ſpiritually ſenſible, and ſpiritually tender, and ſpiritually jealous, and which would not be deceived in its ſpiritual condition. 2. If ſuch complaints as theſe be attended with inward humblings, and abaſings of the heart, and with deſires and endeavours of help, aſſuredly they are the Teſtimonies of a living man: Who ſhall deliver me, O wretched man! was the complaint of living Paul. 3. If thou canſt not at all times find every one of the forenamed Symptomes of life; yet if at any time thou canſt find any one of them, it is a ſign that thou liveſt; if the child doth not go, yet if it ſucks, this ſhews life; if it doth not ſpeak, yet if it cry, it is alive; if it doth not cry, yet if it breath, it is a ſign of life: If there be groanings under the burden of ſin, and …ighings, for help, for grace, for Chriſt, &c. they are a ſign of life. O Chriſtian, the ſpiritual life is ſometimes more open, and full, and lively, and quick in actions; and ſometimes it is reduced to deſires, to a will, to a complaint, to a tear, to a ſigh, to a groan; O, that I could pray, O, that I could believe.

2. Dictinctly to the particular Caſes.

Obj. 1. Thou feareſt that thou art not alive, becauſe much Diſtinctly to the particular caſes. I am not alive, becauſe much ſin is living in me. Anſwered.ſin is yet living in thee: To which I anſwer. 1. It is with the Chriſtian made alive by Grace, as it was with Lazarus made alive by Chriſt, who had for a while his grave cloathes on him, and he was bound hand and foot, and yet he was made alive; ſo there may be many ſinful corruptions, yet cleaving to that ſoul, which is indeed quickned with ſpiritual life. Nay, if thou didſt feel no ſinful corruptions, I ſhould queſtion whether yet thou wer… made alive, for ſpiritual life or grace doth give unto the ſoul, 1. The cleareſt ſenſe of ſin. 2. And the greateſt grief for ſin. 3. And the ſtrongeſt combate and conflict with ſin. 2. There is a difference twixt a feeling of ſin ſtill ſtirring in us, and of the life of ſin ſtill ruling in us: Thou feeleſt ſin living in temptation, but doſt thou feel ſin living in thy affection; Thou feeleſt ſin moleſting of thee as a Tyrant, but doſt thou acknowledg ſin ruling over thee as a King. 3. And what doeſt thou, when thou findeſt ſin thus working? Doſt thou dye daily? If thou feeleſt ſin as if it were alive, doth not this humble thee? and doth not p. 278this haſten thee by Faith unto Chriſt, for more crucifying virtue?

Obj. 2. Thou feareſt that yet thou art not alive, becauſe thou There is much du…neſs and deadneſs in my affections and operations. Anſwe…ed.diſcerneſt m…ch ſpiritual dulneſs, and deadneſs in thy affections and operations. Sol. I anſwer. 1. Even the living have ſo…nd too much ſpiritual deadneſs in their hearts: Davids ſoul was heavy, and caſt down, and indiſpoſed, and a deadneſs poſſeſſed him, and he prayes of en…; O Lord quicken me. 2. But is there not a difference twixt deadneſs and death; death is the total privation of life (where there is ſpiritual death? there is not ſo much as the habit of grace) but deadneſs is ſome diminution, or ſome damp upon the habit of grace, that it ſteps not out to its acts, with that liberty, and that alacrity as it was wont, and ſuch a deadneſs may be in a living ſoul. And thirdly, Thou feeleſt this deadneſs, and thou diſlikeſt it, and thou bewaileſt it, and thou prayeſt, how often, how earneſtly: Lord quicken this dead heart of mine: Is it thus where death prevails? do dead men do thus? 4. The actions of life are various; Let the action for the quantity be what it will, greater or leſſer, quick or dull, free or checked, and interrupted; yet if what thou doſt be done in the ſtrength of Chriſt, if it be wrought with an humble and an upright heart; aſſuredly, thou art not a dead ſinner, but a living (though perhaps troubled) Chriſtian.

Obj. 3. But I have no power to do any good; I cannot believe, I cannot pray, I cannot mourn. Sol. 1. What, no Power at all? I have no power to do any good. Anſwered.never any power, no power from thy ſelf, nor any power from Chriſt; no power perhaps to this work; but what, no power to any ſpiritual work? no power (perhaps at this time) to an eminent act, but then is there not a power to pray for power? Though power appears not in the work, doth not power yet appear in the will and deſire? Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me (that is in my fleſh) dwelleth no good thing. For to will is preſent with me; but to perform that which is good I find not: I cannot do it, but I would do it. 2. If there be a power living in the will, it is the beſt ſign of life: A wicked man doth often the good which his will is againſt, and the good man often doth not the good, cannot do the good, which his will is yet for. Now God looks upon the will, more then upon the work: If gracious acts be couchant in the will, life is in thee. 3. However, although p. 279thou haſt not power (ſometimes) let down for ſpiritual work; yet thou haſt ſo much power ſtill remaining, as to lif… up weak hands for more power: Though thou canſt not believe, nor repent, nor mourn as thou thinkeſt, yet there is an heart to ſeek unto God in Chriſt for this power to believe, &c.

Obj. 4. But my old lively affections are gone, my old eſtimations, My old lively …ff…ctions are gone. Anſwered.my old hungrings and thirſtings, my old delightful communion with God in prayer, and in his ordinances. Sol. To this I would only ſay thus much. 1. There is a difference twixt the intenſive ſwiftneſs, or flaſh of affections, and the intenſive ſtrength, and weight of the affections. A young Chriſtian is moſt in the former, an old Chriſtian (who acts more upon Judgment and Faith) is moſt in the latter. 2. The caſe ſeems rather to be of a living man, like to dye, then dead: Of a man decaying in Grace, rather then totally deprived of grace; of a ſick Chriſtian, rather then of a dead Chriſtian. 3. And therefore ſeriouſly ſearch the cauſes of the remiſſion of thy firſt love, of thy ancient favour in holy communion: O, look whether a dead flye be not fallen into the ointment, whether ſome inſnaring luſt, fleſhly, or worldly hath not robbed thee of thy ſtrength. 4. If ſo, Be humbled greatly, and repent, and do thy firſt work.

Obj. 5. But where there is life, there is growth, but I find it not. I finde no growth. Anſwered.Sol. A word to this: The denial of growth may be either 1. Negative, Never any at all; this is impoſſible if life be wrought. 2. Comparative; Not ſo much as another, not ſo much as I have found under ſuch, or ſuch means; not ſo much as I deſire; and this may be where there is life.

I have finiſhed two Propoſition from this Text: One reſpecting the death, and the other reſpecting the life of a ſinner: I now proceed to a third, which is, That a very great and notorious Doct. 3. A very great ſinner may be converted.ſinner may be (at length) converted and changed. [This my Son was dead, and is alive again:] This Son! and who was he, or what was he; in the precedent Verſes, you may ſee his picture, you may read the Hiſtory of him; he was one, who would be gone from his Fathers Houſe, and into a far Country he went, and there he did waſte his ſubſtance with riotous living. He made an end of all of it, and in the baſeſt of wayes, amongſt Harlots; and then betakes himſelf to …ordid ſhifts: He offered himſelf to …eed Swine, and would have fed with the Swine, nay, would p. 280have lived upon the Offals and Husks which the Swine left: He ſtood it out to the laſt; if he could poſſibly have ſubſiſted, if he could but have lived, he would never have come back to his Father: Yet this Son, this Son at length comes back, at length is converted, and is alive again. But I obtained mercy (ſaid Paul, 1 Tim. 1. 13.) Miſericordia… donantem, mercy of Converſion; miſericordiam condonan…em, mercy of remiſſion: I obtained mercy! Why! what was he more then another, that he does ſo emphatically ſpeak of himſelf, I obtained mercy! Yea, there was reaſon to ſet it off thus with an Emphaſis; for he was a notorious ſinner, I was (ſaith he) a Blaſphemer, and a Perſ…cuter and Injurious, yet I, I obtained mercy! Some of you know that it hath been an ancient queſtion and debate about the equality or inequality of ſin; I think thus, 1. That Original ſin (quantum ad ſe) is equally divided amongſt all men, there is aequalis carentia debiti, and aequalis inhaerentia Indebiti (as touching the nature of Original ſin) in every man; in reſpect of it, one ſinner is not a greater ſinner then another. 2. Yet the actual exerciſe of that ſin, may be more in one man, then in another; and hence it is, that ſome ſinners we call them leſſer, and others we call them greater: By a great ſinner, I mean one who exceeds another very much in ſinful wayes and guilt. And one may be called a great, a very great ſinner in four reſpects; nevertheleſs they have not hindered converſion.One may be called a great ſinner in four reſpects.

1. One may be called a very great ſinner, whoſe ſingle ſin is of an amazing quality; ſuch as not only Scripture condemns, but When a ſingle ſin is of …n amazing quality.even nature ſhrinks at it, as Inceſt and Sodomy; there is a kind of reluctancy, and abhorrency in nature againſt thoſe, and the very Heathens ſtart at them: Yet God hath converted ſome men guilty of theſe ſins. The inceſtuous Corinthian, whom Paul would have delivered to Satan, was wrought upon, and converted, and repented; and 1 Cor. 6. 9. Some of them who were abuſers of themſelves with mankind, v. 11. Were yet waſhed, and ſanctifyed and juſtifyed. 2. One may be called a very great ſinner, whoſe kinds of ſinning are very many, and all of them exceedingly Whoſe kinds of ſinning are very many and provoking.provoking: When they are as a volly of poyſoned arrowes, all of them levelled at, and ſhot into the very face of God; every one of them, like Saul, is higher by the head then other ſins, which in compariſon are of a lower ſtature: Such a p. 281great ſinner was Manaſſes; he was one of the higheſt Idolaters that ever we read of, and a witch, and dealt with the Devil, and offered ſome of his children to the Devil, 2 Chron. 33. 3, 4, 6. and ſhed much innocent bloud: Yet this notorious ſinner at length humbled himſelf greatly, and was converted: See verſ. 12, 13. 3. One may be called a very great ſinner, Who hath continued a long time in a courſe of great ſins.who hath continued a long time in the courſe and practiſe of great ſins, perhaps twenty, forty, fifty years: Abraham continued a long time in his Idolatry, and at length was called and converted: The Epheſians walked according to the courſe of this world, and had their converſation in times paſt in the luſts of the fleſh, fulfilling the deſires of the fleſh, and of the mind, Chap. 2. verſ. 2, 3. yet at length were quickned and converted, verſ. 5. 4. One may be called a great Whoſe ſins are …reatly circumſtanced.ſinner, whoſe ſinnings are very greatly circumſtanced: Circumſtances, you know, give a very great accent unto moral actions.

Queſt. But how may it appear, that a very great ſinner may Demonſtrations it.be converted? Sol. There are four Reaſons of it, or Demonſtrations for it. 1. Becauſe ſome great ſinners belong to the Election of Gods Grace: Paul was (as you have ſeen) a very Some great ſinners belong to the Electio… of Grace.great ſinner; yet ſaith God of him, Act. 9. 15. He is a choſen veſſel unto me. There are two things (amongſt many other) which belong to the Divine Election. 1. It is a free Act, and if I may uſe the word without offence, an Independent Act, raiſed only from the good pleaſure of the Divine Will, and not from the condition of the Object. Rom. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compaſſion on whom I will have compaſſion. Verſ. 16. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that ſheweth mercy. If God will chooſe fooliſh things, and baſe things, &c. 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28. 2. It is an infallible Decree: I mean, ſuch a Decree which God will certainly fulfil. In Election, God doth decree or ordain a perſon unto ſalvation; and this perſon God will certainly bring unto ſalvation, by thoſe means which he hath appointed for that purpoſe: And therefore, if a great ſinner be within the compaſs of Gods Election, him in time will God convert; Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.

p. 2822. Becauſe the Converſion of a Sinner is an omnipotent work: It belongs to God, to whom nothing is too hard; he can pardon The converſion of a ſinner is an omnipotent work.great ſins as well as little, and convert great ſinners as well as ordinary ſinners. There is as much power put forth to convert a ſinner, as there was to make a world, yea, and more: For in Creation, there was nothing in the Subject created to reſiſt and withſtand; but when a Sinner is to be converted, there is an exceeding great reſiſtance, ſuch a reſiſtance, as is able to put by all the ſtrength and power of a moral Agent. No created and finite power can convert a ſinner: An infinite power is required; and if that be put forth, the ſtouteſt and ſtrongeſt ſinner muſt and doth yield. If the Sun riſeth, then the thickeſt darkneſs flees away and vaniſheth: If Chriſt ſpeaks the word, then Lazarus, who had been dead four dayes, lives again. Steven preaches, and not only Paul ſlights his Sermon, but conſents alſo to his death: But when Jeſus Chriſt ſpake only a few words unto him, Paul now quakes, and trembles, and yields, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do.

3. Becauſe the Lord God hath the abſolute dominion over the God hath the abſolute dominion over the heart.heart; he can diſpoſe, faſhion, alter, turn it, as he pleaſeth, and when he pleaſeth: He hath the command of the heart and grace. Take the heart (as uſually we do) for any or all the faculties of the ſoul, yea, as corrupted by nature and cuſtome, yet God hath a dominion over it, and he can make new impreſſions, and divine alterations and inclinations upon it. The Underſtanding naturally is blind and dark, unable to unfold and apprehend the morality of conditions, actions, objects; but God can turn it from darkneſs to light; he can imprint on it the cleareſt light, whereby it ſhall be able to behold what is good, and what is evil. The Judgment naturally is erroneous, it miſtakes good for evil, and evil for good; judgeth ſinfull evil as the beſt and ſweeteſt way, condemneth good as moſt contrary to us, to our delights, courſes, ends: But God is able to imprint on mans Judgment, a diſcerning and righteouſly ſentencing ability, that a man ſhall not only ſee his ſinfull nature and life, but condemn it (I was mad, ſaith Paul; ſuch a fool, a beaſt was I. They ſhall remember their evil wayes, and loath themſelves, Hoſ. 2. 7.) as his greateſt evil and miſery; and conclude, that a new holy penitent life is the beſt of all lives, and that for himſelf. The p. 283Conſcience is either ſleepy or ſeared naturally: But God can awaken it, and imprint on it a power to feel ſin; to complain, accuſe, indite, wound, and ſlay the ſinner, that he ſhall have no reſt as long as he lies in his ſinfull condition: Sin revived and I died, Rom. 7. The Will is naturally averſe, and perverſe; it is ſet againſt all ſpiritual good, and ſet upon evil: But cannot God alter this Will? He can eaſily turn it about; let him but drop in the leaſt degree of Grace, and the Will preſently wheels about, and is as ready, and deſirous, and cleaving to good, as ever it was to evil: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Act. 9. So for the Affections, the Lord hath the dominion over them: He can make them to love him as much and more than ever they loved ſin; and to grieve, and to hate, and to fear ſin, &c. Get thee hence; what have I any more to do with Idols?

4. The Lord doth ſometimes convert a great ſinner to glorifie his God doth this to glorifie his own grace.own Grace. 1. The power of it, that it is able to cure great and ſtrong diſeaſes. If ordinary ſinners onelyonly were converted, men would imagine but a common and vulgar power lay in converting Grace; where there is a leſſer oppoſition, there a weaker ſtrength may ſuffice to do the work: But if ſin be ſtrong, now the power of Grace appears, in reſcuing the ſoul even from the Gates of Hell, and from the Powers of Darkneſs. 2. The riches of it: When all the world knows, and the man himſelf knows, That there was nothing in him, but a vileſt heart, and lewdeſt courſe, and yet Divine Grace hath converted him; O, ſaith he, this was rich Mercy and Grace indeed. The Apoſtle ſaith, That God quickned the dead Epheſians, that he might ſhew the exceeding riches of his grace, chap. 2. verſ. 7. O, ſaith the great ſinner, (now converted,) never was there ſuch a gracious and ſuch a mercifull God, ſuch a kind and loving God; I was dead, and he hath made me alive; I was the greateſt of ſinners, and I have yet obtained the ſweeteſt of mercies; I was the greateſt Enemy, and yet God would be my kindeſt Friend; overcome by Sin, and now overcome by Grace; falling down into Hell, and now lifted up to Heaven; ſo bad, that Juſtice might have had much Glory to damn me, yet God hath been ſo good, that Mercy ſhall have the Glory to ſave me. Ʋſ… …o relieve the troubled Conſcience.and diſtreſſed Conſcience. You ſhall find by experience theſe p. 284two Truths: 1. That whiles men are in a dead, loſt, vile, and unſenſible condition, they then imagine that their ſins are little, and mercies great, and they have power to turn to God when they pleaſe: 2. That when they come to be truly ſenſible of their hearts and ways, then their ſins appear exceeding great, and the mercy and grace of God ſeem little; O! they have withſtood the offers of grace, and all ſelf-power is gone, and the greatneſs of their ſinning is an abſolute bar to their converſion.

And there are eight Reaſons, why a man (made ſenſible of Reaſons why a man ſenſible of his great ſin, thinks God will not convert him.his great ſinnings) inclines to think that God will never convert him. 1. Becauſe he hath been one who hath exceedingly provoked God to wrath againſt him: He ſees great wrath in God, and that he hath, by his continual ſinnings, incenſed the Lord. O, ſaith he, it is mercy that muſt convert; but I have turned a mercifull God into a juſt God, and a kind God into an angry God; my great ſins have put me into the hands of his great wrath. 2. Becauſe ſuch a perſon ſees his condition lying under the threatnings of God, and out of the reach of the promiſes of God; God threatning him, Warrants iſſued out to take and arreſt him, an Arrow levell'd at him; God hath ſaid, That he will wound the hairy ſcalp of him that goes ſtill on in his iniquities; and that he who hardens his heart, being often r…proved, ſhall be deſtroyed without remedy; Now I have been that ſinner. 3. Becauſe ſuch a perſon feels the impreſſions of Gods diſpleaſure on his Conſcience: He is in the very hands of wrath; Conſcience tells him, Thou art the man, and theſe have been thy ſinnings, theſe have been thy ways and thy doings; and Conſcience condemns him for one who hath delighted himſelf in evil, and ſecretly goes and ſmites him with unavoidable fears and terrours. Now when a man feels wrath, 'tis an hard thing to perſwade him, that God hath any thoughts and intentions of mercy and grace for him. 4. Such a perſon ordinarily looks more upon the examples of deſtruction, than upon the inſtances of converſion; rather what God hath done againſt them, than for any of them. O, ſaith he, God in Scripture hath often left ſuch and ſuch great ſinners to their As the Iſraelites Pſal. 81. 12. 2 Theſ. 2. J…r. 13. 14.Ps 81:122 Thess 2own hearts luſts, and he hath given them up to Satans deluſions, and to a reprobate mind and ſenſe, and would not have mercy on them, he would deal with them no more. 5. The diſtance twixt his greatly ſinning ſoul, and converting grace, ſeems to him p. 285wondrouſly large: If I had been but ſick and weak! but can a dead man live? ſhould a Rebel be embraced? can a Blackmore be made white? It is great grace to convert a little ſinner, but what grace is ſufficient to convert ſo great a ſinner? 6. He meaſures the diſpoſition of Divine Grace, by the indiſpoſition of his own heart. O, ſaith he, I have been, how long, how ſtubbornly unwilling to receive grace, how violent to oppoſe grace! If I had neglected it only, but I have rejected it; I have been ſo long unwilling, deſpiſing, will Grace be pleaſed and ſo willing to one ſo unwilling? Grace will not be willing to ſmile on him who hath frowned on it; Grace will not ſtoop to him who hath trampled upon Grace: Can Divine Grace and I be ſo eaſily friends! What, forty years lying in Hell, and now to think I ſhall go to Heaven! all my life to ſerve the Devil, and yet now to think that God will take me, or make me his ſervant! 7. Such a man ſees his ſins in another manner than ever before: The face of ſin is unvailed, like ſo many ſpears in the heart of Chriſt, like ſo many wounds given to ſweeteſt Mercy, like ſo many cups of poyſon that he hath drunk, and ſo many cups of wrath which he hath made Chriſt to drink, and as ſo much dung caſt upon the Beauties of Holineſs. 8. Yea, and he feels his ſins in another manner. O, ſaith he, I feel my proud heart ſtill, and my adulterous heart ſtill, and my covetous heart ſtill; and when any good ariſeth, it is ſurprized, it it reſiſted, it is quenched by a thouſand evil motions: And though I hear, and though I ſeek God, yet it is thus with me. O! my ſins have been ſo great, that God will never undertake my converſion, my change; had I been more civil, had I been leſs evil, perhaps he would.

Now I would ſay ſix things to this great ſinner. 1. Great Six things to this great ſinner. Great ſinnings ſhould be reaſons of great humblings, but not of un belief.ſinnings ſhould be reaſons of great humblings, but they ſhould never be the cauſes and helps of unbelief. Grandia delicta, fletus grandes. Becauſe thou haſt found an heart which could ſin exceedingly, beſeech God to give thee an heart to mourn exceedingly; and think not, that God cannot do much good, becauſe thou haſt done much evil. 2. Great ſinnings ſhould work a ſelf-deſpair, but they ſhould never work a God-deſpair. Great ſinnings ſhew Great ſinnings ſhould work a ſelf-deſpair, but not a God-deſpair.a great fulneſs of ſin, which cannot be overcome, but by a great God. Thou art a great ſinner, but God is a great God; there is no ſinner like to thee, and there is no God like to him: p. 286He is great in power, (if he were not able to convert a great ſinner, he were not great in power;) and he is great in mercy and love, (he were not great in mercy to pardon, nor great in love to ſave, if he did not pardon great ſinners, and convert great ſinners:) Therefore, as the leaſt ſinner ſhould deſpair of his own power, ſo no ſinner, no not the greateſt, ſhould deſpair of Gods power. 3. God hath converted great ſinners. Uſually, God hath conve…ted great ſinners.the ſinners whom God hath converted, they have been of the greateſt rank of ſinners: He hath paſſed by many an hundred civil righteous perſons, and his converting Grace hath laid hold on the notorious ſinner. Thou art not the firſt Idolater, the firſt Thief, the firſt Whore, the firſt Adulterer, the firſt Drunkard, the firſt Swearer, the firſt Sodomite, the firſt Perſecutor, the firſt Unbeliever and refuſer of Grace, that Divine Grace hath aſſayed and converted: They had no more power to contribute towards their converſion; there was no more reaſon in them to move the Lord to look upon them, than there is in thy ſelf; yet God did convert them. 4. Though a perſon can ſay, No ſinner can ſay, God will never convert him.that God hath not hitherto converted him; yet no ſinner (living under the means of Grace) can ſafely ſay, that God will never convert him: For no ſinner can know his eternal Reprobation, this is a ſecret counſel which is reſerved in the boſome of God; can know the ſeaſon, the very deſigned ſeaſon when God will convert him; for the Lord reſerves the power of converſion, and the ſeaſon of converſion to himſelf; he converts ſome at one time, ſome at another: God never revealed to any man, that at ſuch a time, at ſuch an hour he would convert him; Conſequenter, a man may know the hour of his converſion, but Antecedenter, he could not know that God would then (juſt then) convert him. 5. There is more probability that God will convert thee (thus ſenſible, There is more probability of thy converſion, being thus ſenſible, than not. Reaſons of it.&c.) than that he will not. For 1. The clearing of thy great ſinfulneſs unto thee, and the ſetting of thy great ſins in order before thine eyes; 2. The quicknings of thy Conſcience to feel the burthen and weight of thy great tranſgreſſions; 3. The great perplexities and fears in thy heart becauſe of theſe great ſins, are no evil ſigns at all: Of the two, the troubled Conſcience is much more hopefull than the …eared Conſcience. Vicinior ſaluti eſt dolor patientis quam ſtupor non ſentientis, as Auſtin well. Though trouble in Conſcience be not alwayes an p. 287infallible Argument of Life, yet it is an ordinary Antecedent unto Spiritual Life: The ſtill Voice came after the Whirlwind, and Chriſt came after the ſtorm, and Canaan came after the Wilderneſs, the Spirit of Adoption comes after the Spirit of Bondage. 6. But what if the Lord hath already converted What if the Lord have already converted thee.thee? What if God have done that work in thee which thou feareſt he will never work further? Aſſuredly, if thou art greatly aſhamed of thy great trangreſſions; if thy ſoul can now loath it ſelf for all its abominations; if thy heart can remember them, and bitterly mourn over them; if thy cries be great to be delivered from them; if thy fears be great to ſin no more; if thy heart will not be content without a new heart; if thou and God muſt be reconciled; if thou haſt received an heart willing to be converted; What ſhall I ſay? Thou art indeed converted.] Remember two ſupports which I leave with thee: 1. No poor ſinner can be ſo ready and willing to be converted by God, but God is much more ready and willing to convert him; 2. A willingneſs to be converted, is converſion begun; the firſt ſtroke of converſion lights upon the Will of a ſinner, and the greateſt part of converſion appears in the change and converſion of the Will; it is from the will of Gods grace, that thou art willing to have grace.

A ſecond Uſe ſhall be of Caution. Let no man preſume to continue Ʋſe 2. Caution. Let no man preſume to continue in great ſins.in great ſins, or to remain ſecure and careleſs, becauſe he hears that a great ſinner may be changed and converted: For 1. Although God doth convert ſome great ſinners, one Abraham, one Paul, one Mary Magdalene, yet there are many of them whom he never converts. 2. Perhaps he may convert, perhaps he may not; and what if he do…h not? It is but contingent to thee: Perhaps he will convert thee, this ſhould move thee to ſeek him; perhaps he will not, this may affright thee to ſtand out any longer againſt him. Therefore, to be bold in ſin, becauſe God can, and ſometimes doth convert a great ſinner, may move thee rather to conclude, he will not, he intends not to convert thee, than that he doth. When Divine Goodneſs is made encourageable to ſin againſt that Goodneſs; when it is not a melting Sun, but an hardning Sun; it is a preſage rather of a mans ſubverſion, than of his converſion. 3. Though God can, and doth ſometimes convert a great ſinner, yet uſually the greater ſinner p. 288comes off with the ſharper converſion. The great Malefactor ſometimes hath his Book and his Life too, but he is burned in the Hand, and in the Shoulder. Paul was a great ſinner, and was converted; but his great ſins, which were a troubling to Chriſt, did prove a trembling to his heart. God puts ſuch a ſinner upon the Rack; he ſtrikes and wounds him, that all the Countrey ſhall hear of the troubles which his Conſcience feels for his ſinnings againſt God: God doth, as it were, ſinge him with the flames of Hell, before he meets him with the kiſſes of Heaven. 4. Moſt uſually, thoſe great and notorious ſinners whom God converts, are ſuch who have thus ſinned under their ignorance. I was a blaſphemer, &c. ſaith Paul, but I did obtain mercy, for I did it ignorantly, and through misbelief. He did not know what he did, he thought he had been in the right: You ſeldome read of one knowing Phariſee, who perſecuted Chriſt, that was converted; yet you read of many of the Jews, and of the Elders, that were converted; for they did not know Jeſus Chriſt to be the Lord of Glory. I will not ſay, that no knowingly notorious ſinner ſhall ever be converted; but certainly, Converſion is very rare, where Knowledge holds the Candle to long and great works of Darkneſs. Thoſe ſinners who go on againſt the workings of an enlightning Spirit, fall very rarely within the favour of the converting Spirit: Therefore let no man gather poyſon from this honey, &c.

The laſt Uſe ſhall be a word of Direction to any great and notorious Ʋſe 3. Direction to ſuch converted ſinners. Take pains to be aſſured of pardon.ſinner, whom God hath been pleaſed mightily and graciouſly to convert. I would commend theſe Adviſoes unto him. 1. Let him take much pains to get his Acquittance fairly writ and ſealed; I mean, to be well aſſured that his ſins are pardoned. Believe it, no man ſhall find his title ſo queſtioned, his heart ſo aſſaulted with often doubts and fears of pardon, as one who hath been a great ſinner: The Provocations have been great, and Conſcience hath been boiſtrous, and Satan can lay in ſhrewd exceptions, &c. 2. Let Conſcience be exceeding tender: O awake Keep conſcience ten…er.it not, diſpleaſe it not by new adventurings; all the old wounds will bleed afreſh: A little new ſin committed, will raiſe up the old ghoſts; it will revive the ſenſe of all the old great ſins, which although they be pardoned, yet thou wilt now think they are not. A perſon who before his Converſion lived as if he had p. 289been in Hell, ſhould after his Converſion live as if he were in Heaven. … 3. Love much, and do much; do ſome great thing Love much, and do much.for Gods Glory.