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

First, I pray remember what I said in my first Chapter about Preparations in general; how the Lord sanctifies many in their infancy, and are trained up by Parents, that have any Religion in them, in the knowledge of Christ, so far as their catechizing can help; and many from their childhood are savingly acquainted with the knowledge of Christ their Saviour, as they are with their sinful and lost condition in Adam.

Secondly, If the Lord wrought upon you, when you were adult; yet living under the clear preaching of the Gospel, you had the knowledge of Christ in the notion; you thought you knew a Saviour so well, that you had him pinned on your sleeve, you might have him when you list: but as it was in the former work, you knew the notions of sin and misery, before the Lords work on you, and it may be there were no new notions let in, but a Divine light, which made you see those notions you had before after another manner than ever you saw them before, that now your sin, misery and creatures appeared like themselves: so you may have the notions of Christ, his Person, Offices, Redemption, before you could tell these truths before: but you never saw their truth, necessity and glory, as now you do, under the Spirits working. How quickly had the Jailer the knowledge of sin, and of Christ, and received him? A very few hours, if it were two, is more than I can prove.

Secondly, If the Lord wrought upon you, when you were adult; yet living under the clear preaching of the Gospel, you had the knowledge of Christ in the notion; you thought you knew a Saviour so well, that you had him pind on your sleeve, you might have him when you list: but as it was in the former work, you knew the notions of sin and misery, before the Lords work on you, and it may be there were no new notions let in, but a Divine light, which made you see those notions you had before after another manner than ever you saw them before, that now your sin, misery and creatures appeared like themselves: so you may have the notions of Christ, his Person, Offices, Redemption, before you could tell these truths before: but you never saw their truth, necessity and glory, as now you do, under the Spirits working. How quickly had the Jaylour the knowledge of sin, and of Christ, and received him? A very few hours, if it were two, is more than I can prove.