pp. 57–6812 passages
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When Man is in his corrupt estate the Essence of the soul remains entire, and that natural disposition remains in the Will to follow the last dictates of the Understanding; so that when God makes this change in the Understanding, there is always a proportionable change made in the W•ll• When God makes an Understanding he makes a Will, and when he renews the Understanding he renews the Will: They are not two things, ⟨p. 58⟩but one and the same soul, diversely denominated according to two several ways of working, which are inseparably conjoined. When the soul has this spiritual light, it necessarily acts accordingly. Therefore the way to conversion is this,
WHen Man is in his corrupt estate the Essence of the soul remains intire, and that natural disposition remains in the Will to follow the last dictates of the Understanding; so that when God makes this change in the Understanding, there is always a proportionable change made in the W•ll• When God makes an Understanding he makes a Will, and when he renews the Understanding he renews the Will: They are not two things, ⟨p. 58⟩but one and the same soul, diversely denominated according to two several ways of working, which are inseparably conjoined. When the soul has this spiritual light, it necessarily acts accordingly. Therefore the way to conversion is this,
I. The soul sees the reason and foundation of spiritual carriages. Holy carriages are very reasonable; but whatever is presented before men to persuade them, nothing will have any efficacy on them, until God gives spiritual light; for naturally they are blind, they are at a loss about the reality of those things, tho' they make a continual profession of them: But when God shines into their hearts with the light of life, they are convinced of those things that are the foundations of such carriages. They counted them probable before, but now they are evident to them.
I. The soul sees the reason and foundation of spiritual carriages. Holy carriages are very reasonable; but whatever is presented before men to perswade them, nothing will have any efficacy on them, until God gives spiritual light; for naturally they are blind, they are at a loss about the reality of those things, tho' they make a continual profession of them: But when God shines into their hearts with the light of life, they are convinced of those things that are the foundations of such carriages. They counted them probable before, but now they are evident to them.
1. They see the foundations of faith in Jesus Christ. When the eyes of men are opened they see the gracious Nature of God, that he can have mercy on whom he will have mercy, that he can find in his heart to have compassion, on them, though they be mere creatures and uncapable to be any profit to him, though they cannot recompense him; and though sinful creatures, whatever be the number and aggravation of their sins: they see that there is an excellency in the loving ⟨p. 59⟩kindness of God. Psal. 36.7. They are convinced that none is like to God in Mercy; that he can abundantly pardon; that his ways are not as our ways; that he is the God of all Grace; that his mercy is unlimited; that his mercy passes knowledge; and so their unworthiness is no ground of discouragement. He sees also a sufficiency in Christ, Christ is precious in his eyes. 1 Pet. 2.7. God has made a new and living way by the blood of Christ; what tears would not do, what thousands of Rams could not effect, that has been done by the blood of Christ; Christ has answered all the challenges of the Law, and made reconciliation, bought off our Punishment, and made a purchase of Eternal Life, he has fulfilled every jot and title of the law, there be unsearchable riches in Christ, there is blood enough to cleanse away all Sin, a sacrifice sufficient to make atonement, price enough for our redemption, so that they may be saved without any reflection on the Justice of God. He also sees the faithfulness of God in the offers of the Gospel. God invites him to come to Jesus Christ, and commands him to believe, and has promised to accept of him in a way of coming to Christ, Acts 10.43. To him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall have remission of Sins. And when men see those things, they see abundant encouragement to come to Christ, these encouragements ⟨p. 60⟩remove all difficulties, there is no one objection but is easily answered, the way is clear & plain, they see there can be no danger in relying on Christ.
1. They see the foundations of faith in Jesus Christ. When the eyes of men are opened they see the gracious Nature of God, that he can have mercy on whom he will have mercy, that he can find in his heart to have compassion, on them, though they be meer creatures and uncapable to be any profit to him, though they cannot recompence him; and though sinful creatures, whatever be the number and aggravation of their sins: they see that there is an excellency in the loving
2. They see the foundation of love. When their eyes are opened to see the gloriousness of God, they must needs see the reason why they should love him: for all the attributes of God, are lovely; his Grace is lovely; his Mercy is very endearing that he has a heart to pardon Sin; and to provide a way of Salvation for Sinners; his Glory is renowned upon that account. Mic. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, pardoning iniquity, —c. God is mightily praised in the Church upon that account, that his mercy endured for ever. His Justice also is a lovely excellent property, his name is celebrated upon that account; the church praises him upon that consideration: Rev. 19.2. That true and righteous are his judgments. So his Holiness is lovely; the Seraphims cry before him, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of Hosts. His Wisdom is lovely; that is his glory that he searches the heart and tries the reins of the children of men. Jer. 17.10. His Power is lovely. Psal. 21.13. Be thou exalted Lord by thy own Strength, so will we sing and praise thy Power. His Faithfulness is lovely; that is his commendation, that his faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Psal. 36.5. that he remembers his covenant from generation to generation. He is ⟨p. 61⟩praise worthy because of all his attributes; he therein excels all men and Angels; he deserves to be loved with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the strength. All his Attributes are Perfections, and we have reason to delight in him. He is so excellent on the account of them that we have reason to make it the business of our lives to glorify him; we have reason to take a complacency in him, and choose him for our portion. When men see those attributes, they see upon what account he may justly challenge their love.
2. They see the foundation of love. When their eyes are opened to see the gloriousness of God, they must needs see the reason why they should love him: for all the attributes of God, are lovely; his Grace is lovely; his Mercy is very endearing that he has a heart to pardon Sin; and to provide a way of Salvation for Sinners; his Glory is renowned upon that account.
3. They see the foundation of humility. When this Spiritual light shines into Men, and they see the gloriousness of God, they understand that all nations to him are as the drop of the bucket, and as the dust of the balance, they are before him as nothing, and they are less than nothing and vanity, as 'tis said, Isai. 49.15, 17. There is abundant reason to be thankful to him for the least mercy, and to say as David that he humbleth himself to behold the things that are upon the earth, as Psal. 113.6. And that it becomes them to be subject to his disposals in all things; to sacrifice all their interests to his glory, and to be obedient to his voice in every thing; to be abased because of their Sins, and lie in the dust before him, as Job did, Job. 12.5.6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor […] ⟨p. 62⟩self and repent in dust and ashes. When their eyes are opened to see God's glory, they see reason to lie low before him. Psal. 8.3.4. When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars that thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him. When men see the gloriousness of God, they see it an unreasonable thing to set up their wisdom against the wisdom of God, and their will against the will of God, and their interest against the glory of God. They see an infinite difference between God and them, and that there is all reason that they should be humble.
3. They see the foundation of humility. When this Spiritual light shines into Men, and they see the gloriousness of God, they understand that all nations to him are as the drop of the bucket, and as the dust of the ballance, they are before him as nothing, and they are less than nothing and vanity, as 'tis said, Isai. 49.15, 17. There is abundant reason to be thankful to him for the least mercy, and to say as David that he humbleth himself to behold the things that are upon the earth, as
II. When they see the foundation of holy carriages, they do immediately carry holily. They forthwith come to Christ with a spirit of love and humility. When he sees the foundation of gracious carriages, he will carry graciously. Now he acts reasonably in trusting in Christ and loving God. While he was in the dark he was unpersuadable; they might as soon prevail with a stone as with him: But when he sees that that is the proper motive, that will work upon his heart. When men see reason to be afraid, they will be afraid, and when they see reason to hope, they will hope. So, when they see reason to believe, they will believe; thorough conviction always prevails on the heart; God ⟨p. 63⟩carries on his work by Light. When suitable light is let int o the heart, sinners are scared; and when they see their own badness, they are broken off from their own righteousness; and when they are turned from darkness to light, they are turned from the power of Satan to God, Act. 26.18. When God teaches men, then they come to Christ; Joh. 6.45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me. For,
II. When they see the foundation of holy carriages, they do immediately carry holily. They forthwith come to Christ with a spirit of love and humility. When he sees the foundation of gracious carriages, he will carry graciously. Now he acts reasonably in trusting in Christ and loving God. While he was in the dark he was unperswadable; they might as soon prevail with a stone as with him: But when he sees that that is the proper motive, that will work upon his heart. When men see reason to be afraid, they will be afraid, and when they see reason to hope, they will hope. So, when they see reason to believe, they will believe; thorough conviction always prevails on the heart; God ⟨p. 63⟩carries on his work by Light. When suitable light is let int o the heart, sinners are scared; and when they see their own badness, they are broken off from their own righteousness; and when they are turned from darkness to light, they are turned from the power of Satan to God, Act. 26.18. When God teaches men, then they come to Christ;
1. When they see the foundation of holy carriages they are able to carry holily. Men cannot come to Christ unless the Father draw them, Joh. 6.44. But the way whereby he draws them is by teaching them, v. 45. And when this light is let into them, they are able. Many sinners are concerned to get the pardon of sin; and they resolve to come to Christ, and they strive to come to Christ, but they cannot; it seems to them a dangerous thing to venture themselves on Christ, and they cannot overcome their fears: They set many encouraging considerations before themselves, but they cannot vanquish their fears; they dare not for their heart venture upon Christ: They are as unable to come as a man that is bound with chains is to come out of prison. It is a terror to them to continue as they be, yet they dare not cast themselves upon Christ: But when their eyes are opened to see the free grace of God and the preciousness of Christ, their fears are removed; their ⟨p. 64⟩fetters are taken off, and now they can come: Yea, they dare not stay away from Christ, they would not for a world stay away from Christ: Satan with all his artifices cannot persuade them to neglect Christ. They have been in great distress, and now they see the relief that is provided for them; they are under a necessity in their own spirits to accept the call. In like manner when they see the gloriousness of God, they are able to love him. They were before urged in conscience to do it, and had abundance of arguments set before them to induce them to love him; but nothing would prevail upon them, because they were strangers to the loveliness of God: But as soon as ever their eyes were opened to see the glorious grace of God in the gospel, now they can love him. They made a profession before, but now they are sincere; Psal. 36.10. Stretch forth thy loving kindness to them that know thee, and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. The heart is drawn to God; they cannot deny their love to him. Whatever was dear to them before, now God is dearest to them. And in like manner, now they can indeed abase themselves, when they see the divine excellency of God: They look on themselves infinitely inferior to him, and lay themselves low before him.
1. When they see the foundation of holy carriages they are able to carry holily. Men cannot come to Christ unless the Father draw them,
2. When they see the foundation of holy carriages, they love to carry holily. There ⟨p. 65⟩is naturally an enmity in the heart to holy carriages; Rom. 8.7. The natural mind is enmity to God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. But this light makes them love holy carriages. When men see the preciousness of Christ, it mightily suits them to come to him; they take a complacency in coming to Christ. Some men force themselves after a fashion to venture on Christ; but when they see the divine authority of the gospel, they love to come to him, as the hungry man loves to eat, and the thirsty to drink. Acts 16.34. He rejoiced, believing in God. He sees that that makes it pleasant to him; he sees that God is worthy of that honour: He is a God of such grace and faithfulness, that he is worthy to be trusted in; and he sees that the honour of a glorious Mediator is due to Christ; and he sees that it is a safe thing to come to Christ. There is no rest any where else for the sole of his foot, but Christ is a sure foundation, a precious corner stone: His heart takes contentment in relying upon him: All the world shall not persuade him to forsake him, and make choice of any other refuge. Isai. 45.24. Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. So, the man loves to make the glory of God his end; and he loves to abase himself before God, and look upon himself as vanity, and nothing in comparison of God. The sight of the excellency of ⟨p. 66⟩God and Christ draws his heart; and he loves these holy carriages. There was an antipathy against them in his heart before; but now God and Christ are lovely in his eyes, and he has a mind to come to Christ, and to honour God, and he will not be restrained; for such carriages are pleasant to him. The glory of God and Christ draws the heart sweetly and powerfully, and he rejoiceth therein.
2. When they see the foundation of holy carriages, they love to carry holily. There ⟨p. 65⟩is naturally an enmity in the heart to holy carriages;
3. This Spiritual light makes the heart stand bent that way. This doth not only draw forth gracious actings, but leaves an Impression and Bias upon the heart that way. Beauty draws forth an act of Love and leaves a disposition to love. This sight changes the mind and makes men judge otherwise of God and Christ than they used to do, and it changes the heart and inclines it to carry suitably. The conviction is an abiding conviction, and so the disposition is abiding. This discovery is like the needles touching the lodestone, it inclines it toward the north. When this light is let into the man he is principled to trust in Christ, to love God, and live in a way of obedience, it prepares his heart to live in such a way. When once he is throughly convinced of the gloriousness of God and Christ, he is set in that way and it will abide with him as long as he liveth; there is an impression left on the heart that will never wear ⟨p. 67⟩out. 2 Cor. 3.18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image. For,
3. This Spiritual light makes the heart stand bent that way. This doth not only draw forth gracious actings, but leaves an Impression and Bias upon the heart that way. Beauty draws forth an act of Love and leaves a disposition to love. This sight changes the mind and makes men judge otherwise of God and Christ than they used to do, and it changes the heart and inclines it to carry suitably. The conviction is an abiding conviction, and so the disposition is abiding. This discovery is like the needles touching the loadstone, it inclines it toward the north. When this light is let into the man he is principled to trust in Christ, to love God, and live in a way of obedience, it prepares his heart to live in such a way. When once he is throughly convinced of the gloriousness of God and Christ, he is set in that way and it will abide with him as long as he liveth; there is an impression left on the heart that will never wear ⟨p. 67⟩out. 2 Cor. 3.18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image. For,
1. When they do perform those holy carriages, they are inclined to perform them. It were impossible for to do them without an inclination to do them. If the heart were not inclined to trust in Christ, they would not trust in him. Holy actions are never forced. Men may be under a necessity to love God and trust in Christ, but that necessity don't arise from compulsion but from inclination. Psal. 110.3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Before the man had aversion to those gracious actions, he was under the dominion of a contrary inclination, but when he doth them, he is inclined to do them; and that actual inclination leaves an habitual inclination on the heart that way. We indeed commonly say that one act don't make a habit; but we mean that one act doth not make amore perfect habit; as habit is distinguished from disposition, which is called habitus imperfectus. But one act commonly doth leave something of an inclination that way: one act of love to another person or thing disposes the heart to renew that act of love. One act is preparation for another of the same kind; One act of faith puts the Soul into a believing frame: and one act of humility into an humble frame; he is more inclined to believe again than he was, and the clearer discovery ⟨p. 68⟩he had of God and Christ, the more strongly he doth believe, and the greater inclination doth remain in him to believe.
1. When they do perform those holy carriages, they are inclined to perform them. It were impossible for to do them without an inclination to do them. If the heart were not inclined to trust in Christ, they would not trust in him. Holy actions are never forced. Men may be under a necessity to love God and trust in Christ, but that necessity don't arise from compulsion but from inclination. Psal. 110.3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Before the man had aversion to those gracious actions, he was under the dominion of a contrary inclination, but when he doth them, he is inclined to do them; and that actual inclination leaves an habitual inclination on the heart that way. We indeed commonly say that one act don't make a habit; but we mean that one act doth not make amore perfect habit; as habit is distinguished from disposition, which is called habitus imperfectus. But one act commonly doth leave something of an inclination that way: one act of love to another person or thing disposes the heart to renew that act of love. One act is preparation for another of the same kind; One act of faith puts the Soul into a believeing frame: and one act of humility into an humble frame; he is more inclined to believe again than he was, and the clearer discovery
2. Such men as have this spiritual discovery never do utterly forget it. It is possible for a man to forget the first time when he had the discovery of God and Christ made to him, yet I judge that is not ordinary; but if he doth forget the time, yet he never utterly forgets the thing, he remembers that he hath seen God and Christ to be glorious: There be many times when he hath not the actual remembrance of it, and many times also when he has corrupt apprehensions concerning God and Christ, and may be under the prevailings of carnal reason and unbelief, yet he never utterly forgets what he has been convinced of, but doth recover the convictions that the Gospel is true, and Jesus Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour, and so the inclination to holiness doth abide in his heart. 1 Joh. 2.27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you. And though he hath not such discoveries as he hath had, yet he knows that he hath seen it and accordingly he hath an inclination still to carry holily, when the Glory of God and Christ are out of sight. The man is sure from what he has seen that it is so, and that maintains an inclination in him to carry himself holily.
2. Such men as have this spiritual discovery never do utterly forget it. It is possible for a man to forget the first time when he had the discovery of God and Christ made to him, yet I judge that is not ordinary; but if he doth forget the time, yet he never utterly forgets the thing, he remembers that he hath seen God and Christ to be glorious: There be many times when he hath not the actual remembrance of it, and many times also when he has corrupt apprehensions concerning God and Christ, and may be under the prevailings of carnal reason and unbelief, yet he never utterly forgets what he has been convinced of, but doth recover the convictions that the Gospel is true, and Jesus Christ is an alsufficient Saviour, and so the inclination to holiness doth abide in his heart. 1 Joh. 2.27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you. And though he hath not such discoveries as he hath had, yet he knows that he hath seen it and accordingly he hath an inclination still to carry holily, when the Glory of God and Christ are out of sight. The man is sure from what he has seen that it is so, and that maintains an inclination in him to carry himself holily.
