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

Thus we have the two last things which I opened, as required to a true receiving of Christ, proved: and here let me only leave this word to many Christians, who when they read of such a mighty power that God puts forth in the day of Conversion, or of Faith closing with Christ, Psal. 110.3. Ephes. 1.19, &c. they apprehend God puts forth some strong Act, whereby he bends or bows their wills, and makes them by mighty power of his, as it were by force, to come up to his terms in offering of Christ, and they have not felt such a force or power, but have found their hearts so willing to accept him upon those terms, and blessing God for ever, may they but have him for their Jesus, and God for their God, it is the best bargain that ever they made: hence not feeling such a power as they imagined, their faith is not found. Now this is a gross mistake, yea, though God wrought upon thee when thou wert adult, and hadst played the Rebel against him before in thy life, following thy vile lusts, when God hath been preparing of thee before, and thy will renewed (whether mediately, by working on the understanding first in order of nature, though in order of time together, or whether immediately, I dispute not, though I incline to the first) thy heart comes up most freely and sweetly to thy closing with Christ, as if there were no power at all put forth ⟨p. 180⟩upon the will by God, because by out-bidding of all thy lusts, and setting before thy hungry will, such a Gospel-Feast (as I mentioned before) and helping of thy understanding clearly to see it and taste it, though he doth still concur with the will, it comes off as freely as ever it did in making of a bargain in which thou wert sure to gain a thousand pound, without any such sensible reluctancy and resistance at that time: That thou wilt find rebellion and reluctancy enough afterwards, against the ways of Christ and holiness, I deny not, and too much, enough to make thee groan; yet still thy will holds the same towards Christ, who destroys the dominion of that rebellion, though he doth not remove the trouble of that rebellion.

Thus we have the two last things which I opened, as required to a true receiving of Christ, proved: and here let me only leave this word to many Christians, who when they read of such a mighty power that God puts forth in the day of Conversion, or of Faith closing with Christ,