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

As the Father whips a Child upon occasion of one special Fault, but then tells him of many more which he winked at before this, and tells him, Now, Sirrah, remember such a Time, such a froward Fit, such undutiful Behaviour, such a reviling Word you spake, such a Time I called, and you ran away, and would not hear me, and you thought I liked well enough' of these Ways, but now know that I will not pass them by, &c. Thus the Lord deals with his, and hence it is many Times, that the Elect of God civilly brought up, do hereupon think well of themselves, and so remain long unconvinced of their woeful Estates, the Lord suffers them to fall into some foul, secret, or open S•• and by this the Lord takes special Occasion of working Conviction and Sorrow for Sin; the Lord makes them hang down the Head, and cry, Unclean, unclean. Paul was civilly educated, he turned at last a hot Persecutor, Oppressor, Blasphemer: The Lord first convinced him of his Persecution, and cried out from Heaven to him, Paul, Paul, Why persecutest thou me? ⟨p. 11⟩This struck him to the Heart, and then Sin revived, Rom. 7.9. Many secret Sins of his Heart were then discovered, which I take to begin and continue in special in those three Days, Acts 3.9. wherein he was blind, and did (through' Sight •f Sin and Sorrow of Heart) neither eat nor drink. As a Man that hath the Plague, not knowing the Disease, he hopes to live; but when he sees the Spots and Tokens of Death upon his Wrist, now he cries out, because convinced that the Plague of the Lord is upon him; so when Men see one or more special Sins break out; now they are convinced of their lamentable Condition; yet it is not alway (tho' usually thus) for some Men the Lord may first convince of Sin by showing them the Sinfulness of their own Hearts and Ways; the Lord may let a Man see his Blindness, his extreme Hardness of Heart, his Weakness, his Wilfulness, his Heartlessness; he cannot pray, or look up to God, and this may first convince him; or all that he doth is sinful, being out of Christ: The Lord may suddenly let him see the Deceits of his own Heart, and the secret sinful Practices of his Life; as if some had told the Minister, or as if he spake to none but him; that he is forced to fall down being thus convinced, and to confess, God is in this Man,