The world that now is; and the world that is to comeThe vvorld that now is; and the vvorld that is to come

And I desire the Reader to take notice, that the want of a thorough work of Conviction, is the cause of the want of a sound and saving work of Conversion. ⟨p. 23⟩One Reason why there are so few true Converts in this our Day and Generation, is because the Ministers of the Gospel do not labour in the Word and Doctrine of a thorough Gospel-Conviction. The Reason why so few Hearers do believe in Christ, is because they were never thoroughly convinced of the sin of unbelief. How many Herod-like Hearers are there in and about London? Mark 6.20. How many stony-hearted Hearers follow and flock after the Preachers of the Gospel, who hear the Word with Joy, & believe for a time, Luk. 8.13. But when the time of the Trial of their Faith comes, by sufferings and persecutions, then they fall away, Matth. 13.20, 21. And you have the Reason of their falling away expressed by both the Evangelists, They had no Root in themselves; that is to say, They had not Christ in their Souls to be the Root of their Faith, Col. 2.6, 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the Faith. Faith rooted in Christ will stand out all Storms of Temptation and Persecution; it will endure all fiery ⟨p. 24⟩Trials; but Faith without Christ will fall away. And the Spirit tells us expressly, that some (who made a great and glorious profession of Faith) will depart from the Faith in the latter days, 1 Tim. 4.1. because they have not possession of Christ, and their Faith is not Rooted in him. Do but diligently observe and enquire into this matter, and you shall find, That those Ministers of Christ are most instrumental in converting Souls unto God, who labour most in the Word and Doctrine of Gospel-Conviction of Sinners. Those Ministers that Preach Christ and the Gospel of Free-Grace, most convincingly, & labour in the Application of every Doctrine to convince the Conscience of Sinners, that they are in danger of the Wrath of God, and of eternal Death for their sins; especially because they believe not in Christ, exhorting them to Repent of their sin and Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they may be pardoned & saved by him: I say, those Ministers have most Converts; those are workers together with God, and their convinced, humbled, converted and sanctified Hearers, have not received the