To the second, I answer, Howsoever this work is the same in all for substance, yet in a different manner it is wrought in most: Two men are pricked, the one with a pin, the other with a spear; two men are cut, the one with a pen-knife, the other with a sword: so the Lord deals kindly and gently with one soul, and roughly with another: There is the melting of a thing, and the breaking of it with hammers; so there is a difference in persons: for instance, if the person be a scandalous liver, and an opposer of God and his Grace: Secondly, if a man have ⟨p. 24⟩harboured a filthy heart, and continues long in Sin. Thirdly, if a man have been confident in a formal civil course. Fourthly, if God purpose by some man to do some extraordinary great work: In all these four cases he lays an heavy blow on the heart, the Lord will bruise them, and rend the call of their hearts, and make them seek to a faithful Minister for direction, and to a poor Christian for counsel, whom before they despised. But if the soul be trained up among godly Parents, and live under a soul-saving Ministry, the Lord may reform this man, and cut him off from his corruptions kindly, and break his heart secretly, in the apprehension of his Sins, and yet the world never see it. In both these we have an example in Lydia and the Jailer: Lydia was a sinful woman, and God opened her eyes, and melted her heart kindly, and brought her to a taste of his goodness here, and glory hereafter: But the Jailer was an outrageous, rebellious wretch, for when the Apostles were committed to prison, he laid them up in stocks, and whipped them sore; now there was much work to bring this man home: when the Apostles were singing Psalms, there came an Earthquake, which made the prison doors fly open, and the prisoners fetters to fall off, but yet the Jailers heart would not shake: at last the Lord did shake his heart too, and he came trembling, and was ready to lay violent hands upon himself, because he thought the prisoners had been fled; but the Apostles cried to him, Do thy self no 1harm, for we are all here: with that he fell down before them, and said, Men and brethren, what shall I do to be saved?
To the second, I answer, Howsoever this work is the same in all for substance, yet in a different maner it is wrought in most: Two men are pricked, the one with a pin, the other with a spear; two men are cut, the one with a pen-knife, the other with a sword: so the Lord deals kindely and gently with one soul, and roughly with another: There is the melting of a thing, and the breaking of it with hammers; so there is a difference in persons: for instance, if the person be a scandalous liver, and an opposer of God and his Grace: Secondly, if a man have ⟨p. 24⟩harbored a filthy heart, and continues long in Sin. Thirdly, if a man have been confident in a formal civil course. Fourthly, if God purpose by some man to do some extraordinary great work: In all these four cases he lays an heavy blow on the heart, the Lord will bruise them, and rend the kall of their hearts, and make them seek to a faithful Minister for direction, and to a poor Christian for counsel, whom before they despised. But if the soul be trained up among godly Parents, and live under a soulsaving Ministery, the Lord may reform this man, and cut him off from his corruptions kindely, and break his heart secretly, in the apprehension of his Sins, and yet the world never see it. In both these we have an example in Lydia and the Jaylor: Lydia was a sinful woman, and God opened her eyes, and melted her heart kindely, and brought her to a taste of his goodness here, and glory hereafter: But the Jaylor was an outragious, rebellious wretch, for when the Apostles were committed to prison, he laid them up in stocks, and whipped them sore; now there was much work to bring this man home: when the Apostles were singing Psalms, there came an Earthquake, which made the prison doors flie open, and the prisoners fetters to fall off, but yet the Jaylors heart would not shake: at last the Lord did shake his heart too, and he came trembling, and was ready to lay violent hands upon himself, because he thought the prisoners had been fled; but the Apostles cryed to him, Do thy self no 1harm, for we are all here: with that he fell down before them, and said, Men and brethren, what shall I do to be saved?
- 1Acts 16. 30.
