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

But are you in earnest? Do you verily think, if God should indeed enlighten you to see your self, sin, guilt, misery, that it would spoil your sport, and hazard a divorce between you and your Lovers? Then if thou beest a man, hast the use of thy reason, let us grapple a little, as I have felt your Objection, so I can give you a feeling Answer.

First, You must and shall see your sin, self and guilt, do what you can, there is no avoiding it; if as you are loth to see sin and guilt now, so you could take a course that you should never see it, nor know the effects of it, then you might have some reason on your side, why you so oppose this work; but this is impossible, ¹God will set mens sins in order before them, Psal. 50.21. he will set them in order; the word is used variously, sometimes for the ordering of a Table, sometimes for the ordering of an Army: God will set them Rank and File, and a terrible Army will this appear, Before thine eyes; turn thy eyes which way thou wilt, yet there shalt thou see thy sins, you shall not be able to turn your eyes from them; My sin is ever before me, said David, Psal. 51.3. David did not now seek to hide it, nor could hide it. Thus have those found it whom God intends to save, by this discovery of their sin and guilt, bringing them to repentance and embracing of Christ: And blessed is that sight of sin, when God withal gives the sight of a Saviour. Thus also have others found it in a day of evil, often on a death-bed, when their sleepy Consciences come to be awakened; now they can see their sins set in order before them, and hell attending them; and a sad time it is, when the despised Ministers and Christians are sent for, but know not what to say to them: I have found it a great trouble what to say at such a time; one while our bowels move, hearts relent, to hear poor Creatures that now lye under the fears of dropping into hell every moment, what sad complaints they make, and how they cry out for one word of comfort: on the other side, when we have known their lives, how the Word, the Offers of Christ and Promises have been slighted,