A55299:444
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ, and our union and communion with him by Edward Polhill ..., Esquire.
London: printed for Ben. Foster, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
SECT. V
According to these principles, 1there is no certain way to get into Christ; the method prescribed is, Conviction, Compunction, Humiliation, and Faith, which is the uniting Grace. Now I observe first, that a Man is passive in all this, and can contribute nothing to it himself, any otherwise than as he is acted by an irresistible power; and it is a vain thing to give such rules and directions, as no man can follow; this only tells us, by what methods God unites us to Christ, ⟨p. 507⟩not what we must do, but what we must suffer in order to this union; A Sinner may stir up in himself some natural Conviction of sin, some natural fear, sorrow, &c. And in a sense of this, may set upon the work of Reformation, of leaving his sins and performing duties: But all this they tell us, is to no purpose, for unless this Conviction, Compunction, Humiliation, be wrought in us by the irresistible power of the Spirit of God, (which no Man can possibly tell whether it be or not) it is not of the right stamp, and will avail us nothing; so that the Sinner hath nothing to do but to sit still, and patiently expect, till God will do all for him.
ACcording to these principles, 1there is no certain way to get into Christ; the method prescribed is, Conviction, Compunction, Humiliation, and Faith, which is the uniting Grace. Now I observe first, that a Man is passive in all this, and can contribute nothing to it himself, any otherwise than as he is acted by an irresistible power; and it is a vain thing to give such rules and directions, as no man can follow; this only tells us, by what methods God unites us to Christ, ⟨p. 507⟩not what we must do, but what we must suffer in order to this union; A Sinner may stir up in himself some natural Conviction of sin, some natural fear, sorrow, &c. And in a sense of this, may set upon the work of Reformation, of leaving his sins and performing duties: But all this they tell us, is to no purpose, for unless this Conviction, Compunction, Humiliation, be wrought in us by the irresistible power of the Spirit of God, (which no Man can possibly tell whether it be or not) it is not of the right stamp, and will avail us nothing; so that the Sinner hath nothing to do but to sit still, and patiently expect, till God will do all for him.