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

By this work of Illumination and Conviction, those vain hopes, wherewith so many delude themselves, that their case is not so bad as some of these censorious Ministers would make men believe, but they may do well enough: Their quarrellings with the Word and Ministry; their extenuations of sin; their shiftings of the Word from themselves to others, as not belonging to them; the slight thoughts they had of a man in his natural state; the fickleness and unconstancy of mind, whence nothing would fasten or hold upon them; these and such like things are removed, and way made for further workings.

By this work of Illumination and Conviction, those vain hopes, wherewith so many delude themselves, that their case is not so bad as some of these censorious Ministers would make men believe, but they may do well enough: Their quarrellings with the Word and Ministry; their extenuations of sin; their shiftings of the Word from themselves to others, as not belonging to them; the slight thoughts they had of a man in his natural state; the fickleness and unconstancy of mind, whence nothing would sasten or hold upon them; these and such like things are removed, and way made for further workings.

1. Hence. How far are they from Conversion, who have not attained to this first work, no not so much as in the notion; they are not yet come to so much light and conviction to see themselves sinners: that they are sinners they will not deny, because you say you are a sinner, and all men say they are sinners, and it is no shame to be what all men are: but if you come to any particular sin, they know none they are guilty of, as I have given instance before; and others I could mention, who having lived to above sixty years, when they have been asked, How do you hope to be saved? have answered roundly, They have not ⟨p. 51⟩sinned against God in all their life: Others, They have kept the Commandments of God; but for a state of sin and misery, they neither feel it, know it, nor believe it.

1. Hence. How far are they from Conversion, who have not attained to this first work, no not so much as in the notion; they are not yet come to so much light and conviction to see themselves sinners: that they are sinners they will not deny, because you say you are a sinner, and all men say they are sinners, and it is no shame to be what all men are: but if you come to any particular sn, they know none they are guilty of, as I have given instance before; and others I could mention, who having lived to above sixty years, when they have been asked, How do you hope to be saved? have answered roundly, They have not