Thomas Goodwin *observes, That a ma• may be held too long under John Baptist's Water and that some have urged too far, and insisted to much on that, as preparatory, which includes the beginning of true Faith. Such Authors as have asserted, that men cannot be sincere Converts, except they have been some considerable time under great legal terrors, have caused groundless fears, and perplexity in the minds of many gracious ⟨p. vii⟩Souls, for the Relief of whom, Reverend Mr. Firmin Published an Excellent Book, Entitled, The Real Christian. Very often the Children of Godly Parents, who have had a Religious Education, and been kept from all scandalous sins, that wound and waste the Conscience, have been favoured with an Easy, as well as with an Early Conversion: The seed of Grace has sprung up in their hearts, they know not how, Ma. 4.27. So as that, although' they can say, as the blind man restored to his sight did, One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see, yet the particular time, they cannot account for. It is (says Mr. Norton) *our duty to bless God, that we are Converted, and not groundlessly to afflict our selves about the time of our Conversion. And he cites Mr. Pemble, whose words are; To tell the month, day, or hear, wherein they were Converted, is in most Converts impossible; in all, of exceeding difficult observation; tho' I deny not, but tha time may be in some, of sensible mark That Eminent Man of God, Mr. Baxter †relates, that he was once at a Meeting of many Christians, as eminent for Holiness, as most in the Land, of whom divers were Ministers of great Fame, and it was desired, that every one of them would give an account of the time, and manner of his Conversion, and there was but one of them all, that could do it. And, (says he,) I aver from my heart, that I neither know the day, nor the year, when I began to be sincere. Nevertheless, for the most part, they that have been great Sinners, are not Converted without dreadful Terrors of Conscience. Our great Hooker ⟨p. viii⟩(of whom Dr. Goodwin says, that if any Man, in this Age, came in the Spirit of John Baptist, Hooker was the Man) his Doctrine *will be found a sad truth, viz That as for gross, and scandalous Sinners, God usually exercises them with heavy breakings of heart, before they are brought to Christ. Especially it is so, if the Lord intends to make use of them in great Services for his Name.
Thomas Goodwin *observes, That a ma• may be held too long under John Baptist's Water and that some have urged too far, and insisted to much on that, as preparatory, which includes the beginning of true Faith. Such Authors as have asserted, that men cannot be sincere Converts, except they have been some considerable time under great legal terrors, have caused groundless fears, and perplexity in the minds of many gracious ⟨p. vii⟩Souls, for the Relief of whom, Reverend Mr. Firmin Published an Excellent Book, Entituled, The Real Christian. Very often the Children of Godly Parents, who have had a Religious Education, and been kept from all scandalous sins, that wound and waste the Conscience, have been favoured with an Easy, as well as with an Early Conversion: The seed of Grace has sprung up in their hearts, they know not how, Ma. 4.27. So as that, altho' they can say, as the blind man restored to his sight did, One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see, yet the particular time, they cannot account for. It is (says Mr. Norton) *our duty to bless God, that we are Converted, and not groundlesly to afflict our selves about the time of our Conversion. And he cites Mr. Pemble, whose words are; To tell the month, day, or hear, wherein they were Converted, is in most Converts impossible; in all, of exceeding difficult observation; tho' I deny not, but tha time may be in some, of sensible mark That Eminent Man of God, Mr. Baxter †relates, that he was once at a Meeting of many Christians, as eminent for Holiness, as most in the Land, of whom divers were Ministers of great Fame, and it was desired, that every one of them would give an account of the time, and manner of his Conversion, and there was but one of them all, that could do it. And, (says he,) I aver from my heart, that I neither know the day, nor the year, when I began to be sincere. Nevertheless, for the most part, they that have been great Sinners, are not Converted without dreadful Terrors of Conscience. Our great Hooker ⟨p. viii⟩(of whom Dr. Goodwin says, that if any Man, in this Age, came in the Spirit of John Baptist, Hooker was the Man) his Doctrine *will be found a sad truth, viz That as for gross, and scandalous Sinners, God usually exercises them with heavy breakings of heart, before they are bro't to Christ. Especially it is so, if the Lord intends to make use of them in great Services for his Name.
- *In his Preface before Mr. Hooker of Preparation.
- *Ubi supra: p. 162.
- †Of Infant-Baptism, p. 129, & 133.
- *Sermons on Acts 2.37.
