Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

But some Persons continue wandering in such a kind of Labyrinth, ten times as long as others, before their own Experience will convince them of their Insufficiency; and so it appears not to be their own Experience only, but the convincing Influence of God's Spirit with their Experience, that attains the Effect: and God has of late abundantly shown, that he don't need to wait to have Men convinced by long and often repeated fruitless Trials; for in multitudes of Instances he has made a shorter work of it: he has so awakened and convinced Persons Consciences, and made them so sensible of their exceeding great Vileness, and given 'em such a sense of ⟨p. 27⟩his Wrath against Sin, as has quickly overcome all their vain Self-confidence, and born them down into the Dust before a holy and righteous God.

There have been some who have not had great Terrors, but have had a very quick Work. Some of those that han't had so deep a Conviction of these things before their Conversion, have, it may be, much more of it afterwards. God has appeared far from limiting himself to any certain Method in his Proceedings with Sinners under legal Convictions. In some Instances it seems easy for our reasoning Powers to discern the methods of divine Wisdom, in his Dealings with the Soul under awakenings: in others his Foot-steps can't be traced, and his Ways are past finding out: and some that are less distinctly wrought upon, in what is preparatory to Grace, appear no less eminent in gracious experiences afterwards.

There is in nothing a greater Difference, in different Persons, than with respect to the Time of their being under Trouble; some but a few Days, and others for Months or Years. There were many in this Town, that had been, before this Effusion of God's Spirit upon us, for Years, and some for many Years, concerned about their Salvation; tho' probably they were not thoroughly awakened, yet they were concerned to such a Degree as to be very uneasy, so as to live an uncomfortable disquieted Life, and so as to continue in a way of taking considerable Pains about their Salvation, but had never obtained any comfortable Evidence of a good Estate, who now in this extraordinary time have received Light; but many of them were some of the last: They first saw Multitudes of others rejoicing, and with Songs of Deliverance in their Mouths, who seemed wholly careless and at ase, and in pursuit of Vanity, while they had been bowed down with solicitude about their Souls; yea some had lived licentiously, and so continued till a little before they were converted, and grew up to a holy Rejoicing in the infinite Blessings God had bestowed upon them.