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…

Some say, that many in Scripture are converted to Christ without any sorrow for sin, and produce the example of Lydia, whose heart God sweetly opened to receive Christ; and the Eunuch, Acts 8. converted in the same manner.

I answer, these are examples of persons converted to God before, who did believe in the Messiah, but did not know that this ⟨p. 54⟩Jesus was the Messiah, which they soon did when the Lord sent the means to reveal Christ; and therefore Lydia, a Jewish proselyte, is called a worshipper of God, Act. 16.14. and so was the Eunuch, Act. 8.27. and in the same condition as the Centurion, Act. 10.2. who feared God, and whose prayers were accepted, ver. 4. (which cannot be without faith) yet did not know that this Jesus crucified was the Messiah, until Peter came unto him. So that suppose here was no sense or sorrow for sin, at this time; doth it therefore follow they never had any when the Lord at first wrought upon them? are these examples in persons converted, fit to show forth Gods work in persons unconverted? in some things indeed they are examples, in others not so: their examples of believing in Christ are not in that act examples of sorrow for want of Christ. And yet let me add, to say that God opened Lydia's heart to believe in Christ, and yet opened not her heart to lament her sin and misery in her estate without Christ, (suppose she were without Christ) is more then can be proved from the Text; for tis said, Her heart was opened to attend unto the things that were spoken by Paul; and can any think that Paul, or any Apostle, ever preached Christ without preaching the need men had of him? and could any preach their need of Christ, without ⟨p. 55⟩