Now Paul he being such a notorious sinner, and so abounding in sin, when he is brought home by conversion. God must use him more severely and deal more sharply with him and humble him greatly, and lay him low in the sight and sense of his own vileness, and under the greatness of his own sinfulness: God must unhorse Paul in meeting him in the way he was riding to accomplish his evil designs, and as he was going to vex the people of God. I say God must cast him down to the ground, and lay him upon his face, and make him cry, Lord what wilt thou have me to do, as you may read the story at large in Acts 9. And the great reason is this, because, as his cruelty was manifest; so God would 1make his repentance and humiliation to be manifest as his sin was: not only as his sins was against a great God, so his humiliation and repentance should be manifested to be great; ⟨p. 10⟩but also as his sins was so great an offence to men that feared God; so his humiliation and repentance should be great and manifested before them that were so offended by him, at his course: this humiliation, and horror is his spiritual penance to the world & makes repentance more visible. And If I now speak to any of you here, that have been or still are notorious in sin and wickedness that have sinned greatly: if ever God bring you home by effectual calling and conversion, he will lay you low by humiliation, and cast you down greatly under the sight, and sense, and sorrow for sin: that as your sins have been great, so your sorrow shall be great. That instance spoken concerning Lydia, is worthy your observation, in Acts 16. v. 14. 29 &c. there you read of two persons that 2were converted, yet in a different way one from the other. You read of Lydia in the 14th verse, A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard as: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul. This woman she was Converted in a very easy way and manner in coming to hear Paul preach, and at this time the Lord opened her heart. Here was conversion without any mention made of terror and trouble of conscience, and casting down for sin, or deep humiliation under the sense and sight of sin; no mention made of casting down in the sense and apprehension of her former life: but she was brought home to God in a very mild and gentle way.
Now Paul he being such a notorious sinner, and so abounding in sin, when he is brought home by conversion. God must use him more severely and deal more sharply with him and humble him greatly, and lay him low in the sight and sense of his own vilenesse, and under the greatnesse of his own sinfulnesse: God must unhorse Paul in meeting him in the way he was riding to accomplish his evil designes, and as he was going to vex the people of God. I say God must cast him down to the ground, and lay him upon his face, and make him cry, Lord what wilt thou have me to doe, as you may read the story at large in Acts 9. And the great reason is this, because, as his cruelty was manifest; so God would 1make his repentance and humiliation to be manifest as his sin was: not only as his sins was against a great God, so his humiliation and repentance should be manifested to be great; ⟨p. 10⟩but also as his sins was so great an offence to men that feared God; so his humiliation and repentance should be great and manifested before them that were so offended by him, at his course: this humiliation, and horror is his spiritual penance to the world & makes repentance more visible. And If I now speak to any of you here, that have been or still are notorious in sin and wickednesse that have sinned greatly: if ever God bring you home by effectual calling and conversion, he will lay you low by humiliation, and cast you down greatly under the sight, and sense, and sorrow for sin: that as your sins have been great, so your sorrow shall be great. That instance spoken concerning Lydia, is worthy your observation, in Acts 16. v. 14. 29 &c. there you read of two persons that 2were converted, yet in a different way one from the other. You read of Lydia in the 14th verse, A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard as: whose heart the Lord opened, that shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul. This woman shee was Converted in a very easie way and manner in comming to hear Paul preach, and at this time the Lord opened her heart. Here was conversion without any mention made of terror and trouble of conscience, and casting down for sin, or deep humiliation under the sense and sight of sin; no mention made of casting down in the sense and apprehension of her former life: but shee was brought home to God in a very mild and gentle way.
- 1Acts 9.
- 2Acts 16. 14. 29.
