1 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soul in general, that it is a sinner and sinful; but the Lord brings in a convicting evidence of the particulars; the first is learnt more by tradition (in these days) by the report and acknowledgement of every man, rather then by any special act of conviction of the spirit of Christ; for what man is there almost but lies under this confession, that he is a sinner? the best say they are sinners; & if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves, and I know I am a sinner; ⟨p. 10⟩but that which the Spirit principally convinceth of, is some sin or sins in particular: the Spirit doth not arrest men for offences in general, but opens the writ, and shows the particular cause, the particular sins; Rom. 3.9. we have proved, saith the Apostle, that Jews and Gentiles are under sin, but how doth the Apostle (being now the instrument of the Spirit in this work of conviction) convince them of this? mark his method, verse 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. wherein you you shall see it is done by enumeration of particulars; sins of their natures, there is none righteous; sins of their minds, none understandeth;1 sins in their wills and affections, none seek after God; sins in their lives, all gone out of the way; sins of omission of good duties, there is none that doth good; their throats, tongues, lips, are Sepulchres, deceitful, poysonfull; their mouths full of cursing, their feet swift to shed blood, &c. And this is the state of you Jews, (verse 19.) as well as of the Gentiles;2 that all flesh may stand convinced as guilty before God. If it be here demanded, What are those particular sins which the Lord convinceth men of? I answer, in variety of men there is much variety of special sins, as there is of dispositions, tempers, and temptations; and therefore the Lord doth not convince one man at first of the same sins of which he doth another ⟨p. 11⟩man, yet this we may safely say, usually (though not alway) the Lord begins with the remembrance and consideration of some one great, if not a mans special and most beloved sin; and thereby the spirit discovers gradually all the rest: that arrow which woundeth the heart of Christ most, the Lord makes it fall first upon, the head of the sinner that did shoot it against heaven, and convinceth, and as it were hits him first with that:
1 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule in generall, that it is a sinner and sinfull; but the Lord brings in a convicting evidence of the particulars; the first is learnt more by tradition (in these dayes) by the report and acknowledgement of every man, rather then by any speciall act of conviction of the spirit of Christ; for what man is there almost but lies under this confession, that he is a sinner? the best say they are sinners; & if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves, and I know I am a sinner; ⟨p. 10⟩but that which the Spirit principally convinceth of, is some sinne or sins in particular: the Spirit doth not arrest men for offences in generall, but opens the writ, and shewes the particular cause, the particular sins; Rom. 3.9. we have proved, saith the Apostle, that Iewes and Gentiles are under sinne, but how doth the Apostle (being now the instrument of the Spirit in this worke of conviction) convince them of this? marke his method, verse 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. wherein you you shall see it is done by enumeration of particulars; sins of their natures, there is none righteous; sins of their minds, none understandeth;1 sins in their wills and affections, none seek after God; sins in their lives, all gone out of the way; sins of omission of good duties, there is none that doth good; their throats, tongues, lips, are Sepulchres, deceitfull, poysonfull; their mouthes full of cursing, their feet swift to shed blood, &c. And this is the state of you Jewes, (verse 19.) as well as of the Gentiles;2 that all flesh may stand convinced as guilty before God. If it be here demanded, What are those particular sins which the Lord convinceth men of? I answer, in variety of men there is much va•iety of speciall sins, as there is of dispositions, tempers, and temptations; and therefore the Lord doth not convince one man at first of the same sins of which he doth another ⟨p. 11⟩man, yet this we may safely say, usually (though not alway) the Lord begins with the remembrance and consideration of some one great, if not a mans speciall and most beloved sin; and thereby the spirit discovers gradually all the rest: that arrow which woundeth the heart of Christ most, the Lord makes it fall first upon, the head of the sinner that did shoot it against heaven, and convinceth, and as it were hits him first with that:
- 1Rom. 3.
- 2Quest. Answ. What those particular sins are, which the Lord convinces men of in thei• conversio••Quest. Answ. What those particular sinnes are, which the Lord convinces men of in thei• conversio••
