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

That he doth convince all [I speak of persons adult] first or last, yea, and that early also, I doubt not of it, but to say he doth it in the very first stroke of Conversion, this I dare not defend. Mr. Shepherd moves the question, ¹Whether the Lord convinceth all the elect at first of the sin of their nature, and shows them their original sin in and about this first stroke of Conviction? He answers, I doubt not of it. Paul would have been alive and a proud Pharisee still, if the Lord had not let him by the Law see this sin, Rom. 7.9. To what he saith after, I readily agree, that he doth first or last, in a lesser or greater measure, &c. but this doth not seem to agree with the former, As to his instance of Paul, because he was so convinced, ergo, All are and must be convinced of it in this first stroke, I am not satisfied in the consequence: yet it may be Paul's persecution was a sin more set home at first; this I grant, if the state of a person be as Paul's was, one that rests in himself, hath good thoughts of his own righteousness, duties, and doings, and upon these bears up himself, then no doubt, if God works upon such a one, in the first stroke, he sets home original sin. It is hard to prove that those Converts in the second of Acts were convinced of their original sin, at that time when they were pricked at their hearts: the sin that Peter charged them with, was their crucifying of Jesus, who was both Lord and Christ, ver. 36. and upon this they were pricked in their hearts, ver. 37. That the Jailer, Acts 16. was convinced of this sin when he came in trembling to Paul, and put forth that question, What shall I do to be saved? I dare not affirm it, because I know not how to prove it. Convinced he was of sin, and that he was an undone condemned Creature. And I hope it cannot be denied, that the Spirit of God may so set home some particular actual sins, that shall make the Soul see it self in such a lost and damned condition, that the news of a Saviour will be welcome, and glad it may ⟨p. 50⟩enjoy him upon any terms.

That he doth convince all [I speak of persons adult] first or last, yea, and that early also, I doubt not of it, but to say he doth it in the very first stroke of Conversion, this I dare not defend. Mr. Shepherd moves the question,