The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

And this I conceive is not only in the first work of Conversion, but afterwards in the gracious actings of the regenerated Soul, there is a presence of the Spirit of the Covenant with understanding and practical judgment, and with the will at the same time, as a first cause, determining of it now renewed to follow the dictate of a sanctified judgment: That there must be a presence of the Spirit in both, I think our sensible experience will teach us something; of which more hereafter.

Fourth Position. This work of illumination makes the elect Vessel now coming home to Christ to see things as they ARE.

The state in which the Spirit finds the elect Vessel, is a state of sin and misery; under the bounds of guilt, power of its lusts, slavery to the Creature, estrangement from, and enmity against God, a child of wrath: Now the Spirits intention being to make the Soul answer his call, and so to come off from this state in which it now lieth, by this light let in to the understanding, he maketh the Soul see all these as they Are: A man may know things, but yet not know them as he ought to know them, 1 Cor. 8.2. It is possible if you asked him before, whether sin were not an evil thing? the Creature a vain thing? the wrath of God a dreadful thing? he will answer yes, he he knows all these to be so; and yet cleaves fast to his lusts, dotes upon the Creature, is careless as to any real endeavours to get deliverance from wrath to come; the reason is, he knows not these as he ought to know them, he seeth them not as they are; if he did, it were impossible he should carry himself as he doth and be quiet. Let then the Spirit of God come in with his saving light, and teach the Soul these things as they are, then you shall see plainly by his carriage, the guilt of sin, the wrath of God are terrible indeed: in is evil indeed, the Creature is but vain indeed; the man knows these things, as Doctor Preston said, otherwise then he did before.