The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

The last Question remains, What measure of Humiliation is here necessary?

The last Question remaines, What measure of Humiliation is here necessary?

¹Look as so much conviction is necessary which begets compunction, & so much compunction as breeds humiliation; so, so much humiliation is necessary as introduceth faith, or as drives the soul out of it self unto Christ: for as the next end of conviction is compunction, and that of compunction is humiliation; so the next end of humiliation is faith, or coming to Christ, which we shall next speak unto. And hence it is that the Lord calls unto the weary and heavy laden to come unto him, Mat. 11.27. So much as makes you come for rest in Christ, so much is necessary, and no more. If any can come without being thus laden and weary in some measure, let them come and drink ⟨p. 139⟩of the water of life freely; but a proud heart that will make it self its own Saviour, will not come to the Lord Jesus to be his Saviour; he that will be his own Physician, so long cannot send out for another. Nay let me fall one degree lower, if the soul cannot come to Christ, (as who feel not themselves unable when the Lord comes to draw?) and find not the Lord Jesus coming unto them, to draw them and compel them in; yet if the soul be so far humbled, as not to resist the Lord, by quarrelling with him, and at him, for not coming to him, as unworthy of the least smile, as worthy of all frowns; verily the Lord will come to it, and no more is requisite then this, and thus much certainly is: For thus the whole Scripture runs, He gives grace to the humble, James 4.6. I dwell with the contrite and humble, Isaiah 57.16. The poor afflicted shall not alway be forgotten,