The sound believer. A treatise of evangelical conversion. Discovering the work of Christ's spirit,…

1. It is inward as well as outward, for the Lord calls Thousands outwardly who yet never come, because they want an inward Call to come; an inward whispering still Voice of God's Spirit: And therefore it is said, He that hath heard and learned (not of Man only, but) of the Father, cometh unto me, John 6.45. The Lord doth not stand at the outward Door only and call to open, but the Lord Jesus comes in, he comes near unto the very Heart of a poor Sinner makes that understand, Hos. 2.14. and the Lord makes his Grace glorious, and his Mercy sweet unto the Hearts of his Elect; look (saith the Lord Jesus) how I have left Thousand Thousands in the World, and have had greater Cause so to have left thee; but behold I am come unto thee, Oh come thou unto me.

2. It is a particular Call; for there is a general Call and Offer of Grace to every one, Mark 16.15. Now tho' this be a Means to make it particular, yet ⟨p. 167⟩the Spirit of Christ which is wont to apply Generals unto Particulars particularly, makes the Call particular, that the Soul sees that the Lord in special means me, singles out me in special to believe; otherwise the Souls of the Elect will not be much moved with the Call of God, so long as they think the Lord offers no more Mercy to me than to any Reprobate; and therefore the Spirit of Christ makes the Call particular, Isai. 43.1. I have called thee by Name: John 10.5. He calleth all his Sheep by Name; not that the Lord calls any by their christen Name (as we say) as the Lord did extraordinarily call Samuel, Samuel, and Paul, Paul, but the Meaning is, look as the Lord from before all Worlds writ down their Names in the Book of Life, and loves them in special; so in Vocation (the first Opening of Election) the Lord makes his Offer and Call special, and so special as if it were by Name; for the Soul at this Instant, feels such a special Stirring of the Spirit upon it, which it feels now, and never felt before; as also its particular Case so spoken unto, and its particular Objections so answered, and the Grievousness of its Sin in refusing Grace so particularly applied, as if God the only Searcher of Hearts only spake unto it, and so dares not but think and believe that the Lord meaneth me.