■^m^. 
 
 aA^ '^""A. -.. ^ ■ -i? 
 
 
 
 
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 "^Rm,mJ^^ 
 

 Geo. ALLEN 
 
 Library. 
 
 No...L^J..^. 
 
 PERKINS LIBRARY 
 
 Duke University 
 
 Kare Dooks 
 
 Rec'd- 
 
 / V^ / 
 
 
A 
 
 TREATISE 
 
 OF , 
 
 CONVERSION, 
 
 Faith and Justificatio n^&cc. 
 
 Being an Extract of fundry Discourses on 
 
 ^ Rom. V/^.^ D^ivered at Qxfor d in the latter 
 
 End of the Year 174 1, and beginning of 1 742 . 
 
 ■ By J o/6/? Cam phelL V. D. M. 
 
 And Paftor of the Church there. 
 
 Now publijb* d at the deftreofhis conjlant hearers^ ^ other's. 
 
 IsA.viii. 20. ^0 the Law and to the Teftimony -^ if 
 they [-peak not according to this Word^ it is becaufe 
 there is, no Light in them. 
 
 il. Cor. xiii. 8. For we can do nothing againft the 
 Truth., hut for the Truth, 
 
 De Deo eft jildicandum tantum ex verbo pate- 
 fa6to, non autem ex cerebro H^Ereticorum. 
 
 De caelo quasrendus eft Judex, fed quid ut pulfamus 
 ad caelum, cum habeamushic in evangelio teftamen- 
 tum, Optat milevit contra parmen. Lib". 5. 
 
 Boston, Printed and Sold by Rogers & Fowls 
 next to the Prifon in Queen-ftreet. 1743. 
 
► 
 
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 .•!*■ * ii* * 11* *|i * *i| *ii *-|i* * II* *n * *|| * It 
 II * *ll *. *11 * 11* * 11* ll* *!! * *!1 * Ii* * 11* *n 
 
 D ED icjrio n: 
 
 To my well-beloved Congregation, 
 and much delired in our Lord 
 Jesus Christ. f^^. 
 
 University Dbrary 
 
 Dear Friends and Brethren; - 
 
 S^^^^ T is an iinalterahb Rub , well groiinded 
 
 ^g / ^ in the fVorJy a Maxim in which good 
 
 Pf-^^^^ ^^^ ^^'^ ^g^^^^h '^iz. The Co venant of 
 
 U^^^^ G race is theKey ofSclTEmre. "^ree^ 
 
 a^jly, asfoon as tbeDotlrine of the Decrees, and the 
 
 free^ Grace of God were attacked and ridkuTd by 
 
 Sectaries, and Admrfaries to thefe divine Truths ^ I 
 
 took the Hint, and endeai:ourd with full Pwpofe of 
 
 Heart, and unfeigned Dependance on the Help (f 
 
 Almighty God, to eJlahUflj you in thefe veryfom- 
 
 fortahle and important Points ; Farticiilarly when of 
 
 late, treating with great Care and Labour onRom. 
 
 'S-5' ^n theJeveralDifcourfesprofecuted therefrom:, 
 
 An Extrat} ivbereof at your Defircy is no-mmw- 
 
 Ufloed in the following Treatife, ■-'. - ^ 
 
 Toil then gave me good Reafon to hope, that yo:i 
 
 .heard thefe Things with great. Rxfo^o^^ and proper 
 
 Difpofitions of Heart. Nor mi'twithmit Hope, 
 
 that^ you'll read them with a new Advantage and 
 
 Satisfaclion. Dearly Beloved, JVhatcver^eau 
 
 \ment^ thisTVork may meet with from the wicked L- 
 
 """:ics of thefe divine Truths^ never to he fUghnd^ 
 
 ■ ^''^^^'^AyJ^L thcjj:hoJe Venture is immcdhteh 
 
 O U 5 l^ D ^ 2 fir 
 
iv DEDICATION. 
 
 for your Sakes^ yon are more efpecially obliged t9 
 anfwer the Ends of it. Tou niay perhaps^ /hew 
 fojne Candor 6? Regard to me, but this is mt enough 
 for yourfehes. If you go no further than a Com- 
 7nendation of what you read in this or any other 
 Tnatife of f acred Things^ and take no Care tohai^e 
 the Truth fixed in your Hearts, and reduced into 
 Tradtice, our Gofpel is hid, and you are lofl. 
 But Beloved, I am perfwaded better Things of 
 you, and Things, -that accompany Salvation, 
 tho' I thus fpeak. 
 
 I ivUlingly offer you this fmall Treatife as a 
 Pledge of my Love, and as a Witnefs of my Thank- 
 fnhicfs unto God for his Cracex in you. I pray 
 God in Chrifl to keep you by his mighty Pow- 
 er thro' Faith unto Salvation. Now Brethren, 
 ye knoz^ from the firji Day that I came among 
 yoUy after what Manner I have been with you- at 
 all Seafons ferdng the Lord, teftifying to both 
 Towig y Old, Repentance toward God, and Faith 
 tovv^ard our Lord Jefus Chrift, A6ls 20. 18, 19,2 r; 
 So, wifljing to you all, that your private reading 
 may confirm your puhlick hearings and that both 
 feafoned with Prayer, may help you on by Faith 
 (iud Obedience in your Travels for and to the hea- 
 venly Canaan, and that in the End of your FiU , 
 grimage in thefe your earthly Tabernacles, you may 
 ^11 ( thro infinite Grace and Compaffion ) he put 
 wto full and evcrhfiing Poffeffion thereof, fiall 
 he my daily Prayer to the Father of Mercies, and 
 God of all Grace, who am your faithful Friend in 
 Jefus Chriji our Lord, ever ready to do the bejl 
 Services for your Souls and Bodies. 
 
 JOHN CAMPBELL.. 
 

 TO THE 
 Judicious and Candid Reader. 
 
 PSip^ ^^^^^ ^^^« ^^^^ common Folly and Error of 
 13 {^ ^^^ World in all Ages, for the generality 
 ^WMl of Men to efleem Cufiom and Fajbion a 
 fufficient Warrant for any Courfe which 
 themfelves affect or undertake'^ and this more efpe- 
 daily in Matters of Religion. If Men can fay as 
 inJgespaft, the hejt^ the great eji Number, themfcfl 
 amongjl uSy thus they think, thus they fay, thus 
 they do; From hence they imagine they fetch a firong 
 Reafon ^uMch cannot be gainfaid. And thus ma- 
 ny are like the Froth, Jam. i. 6. Which is carried 
 up and down with the Wind and the Tide, 
 fometimes to this Shore, and fometimes to the other, 
 follo'-joing that detejiahle Example of Hufhai, 2 
 Sam. i6. 1 8. Whom this People and all the Men 
 of Ifrael chufe, his will I be, and with him will I 
 dwell, faith Hulhai to Abfalom ; even fo is the 
 ■fyJigion of viany ; they mil not befmgular, they look 
 
 O U O U nJ (J- . 
 
vi To the Judicious and Candid Reader/ 
 
 ^:ohkh Way the Multitude goes, and that Way mil 
 they go. And the Reafon of this fo common a Folly y 
 is thisy that it is an hard Matter to judge y but an 
 eafy Thing to believe. This being too much' the 
 Error of this Day gave Occafion to the Compofure 
 cf the foIlov:ing' Treatije, in which fome of the mofi 
 wipcrtant Points in 'the Chrifiian Rehgi^'U are pro- 
 pofedy cleared, and proved by Authority of f acred 
 Scripture'., which, is the befi, the only Standard of 
 Faith and PraMice. I hope, we all abhor that Say- 
 ing of a blafphemous Papift^ That it was the In- 
 vention of the Devil,* to permit the People to 
 read the Bible : But I will urge you i2iith that of 
 the ApofikyCol 3. 16. Let the Word of Chrift 
 dv/ell in you richly in all Wifdom. 
 
 The following Work is offered to the World with 
 cU due Deference andRefpecb to the many excellent 
 Performances of this Kind vje are already bleffed 
 with, done by far better Hands than mine. The 
 Things are not neiv^ and by me firjldifcovered, as if 
 no Mans Writings could afford them for your Ufe 
 hut mine. Noy bleffed be . God, thcfe be Subjects pro- 
 ftably taught by divers others. But every Book 
 ccvneth not to each Mans Handy and as in Meats, 
 the differing kifid of dreffcng helps the Appetite, the 
 fame Meat prepared mie Way^ may content the St o~ 
 macby 1-jlhh in fqm 6ther Faflnon would net pleafe ; 
 foin Bwks the 'oery' f elf fame SnbjcSs may better 
 
 fatijf' ^^-.rr .r^.ru:! JT^n^, .r >„.. 7'r,. . /f thail 0^0^ 
 
To the Judicious and Candid Reader, vii 
 
 ther. If any Thing of reading occur in the follow* 
 ing Sheets, Iveryju )illinp:ly enihrace this Op^ nrtn- 
 njty_to_ frefent my humble Thanks j o our ginsiUlj^ 
 J^iefaftofFj^y ]u:ho have made a Co llection of 
 Bo oks for theUfe of the iiKumben ^Minifve rjf^this 
 Parifh ^ ^-i^ij ch were^ ^^jeat HelpTo me incoi npojing 
 this IVork . It i s toTTwff^ that other good G en- ' 
 tlenien would folloiv their good Example in making 
 /? Collection of this Kind for ot hJeFpoofTarlfies. 
 
 This Work hath been undertaken, and is noiDpi-b- 
 lifhed, with a jiijt Senfe of my own Unworthinefs 
 aiid Unfitnefs to bear the Veffels of the Lm'd^ and 
 :o do any Service in his Sandtuary. I fend it un- 
 der the Frote^ion and Blejfmg of Heaven^ with a 
 hearty Grayer to God to forgive whatfoever is. 
 amifs and defeflive in the Performance, and gra- 
 cloiifly accept whatfoever is good and profitable 
 therein y to whofe gracious Blejfmg I leave it, and 
 
 fi 
 
 The Honourable JudgsjQjj^devifed this 
 liberal Thing, and feduloufly promotes it 
 among Gentlemen. The Dogors Nam es 
 alexin a Catalogue of jhe B^ ksy luperpd- 
 
 maniDoni memnriam: l^hoge their JX^ames 
 
 ^y.^ilbejn^eye^'lb^ 
 
 Che Lord. "^^ ■ 
 
 ri 
 
vili To the Judicious and Candid Reader. 
 
 to his Grace I commend you all ; defiring in fny 
 daily Prayer to be and continue your Fellozv-Sol- 
 dier^ in feeking the Glory of God*s Grace, defending 
 the Truth of the Gofpel, and fighting againji the 
 fpreading Errors of this Age. 
 
 JOHN CAMPBELL. 
 
 ^Jd^ . 
 
 Cl^?^J ^. 
 
 i;?^/. / /ttii 
 
mm m^mmmmsmmm^M 
 
 A Treatife of Conversion, 
 Faith and Justieication. 
 
 ROMANS V. 5. 
 
 The Love of God is [bed abroad in our Heart Sy by 
 the Holy Ghoji ^ivhich is given unto us. 
 
 f^?^?^^^/^// in his many prophetick 
 ^^f ^ Raptures, predi6ling the coming 
 ^.^S li^ and Kingdom of the MeJJiah, fore- 
 m^Uj ^^^^^ alfo a great Acceffion of Light 
 ' ^ and Glory to the Church of God by 
 him. Arife^PoineJor thy Light is come, and theGlory 
 of the Lord is arifen upon thee. And the Gentiles flail 
 come to thy Light y and Kings to tbe^ Brightnefs of 
 thy rifing. The Lord fJjall be unto thee an ever- 
 lafilng Light, and thy Godthy Glory, K 6o\ 1,3,19.- 
 All thefe ExprefTions are applied to Chriil the- 
 immaculate Lamb of God, in Rev. 21. 23^ 24.^ 
 What we are to underfland efpdcially by the^ 
 Light that fiiould arife to the Church' by the 
 coming of the MeiTiah, and after thecompW- 
 ing of the Canon of Scripture, is not immediate' 
 "Revelations from Heaven, of religious -Tnith^ ^ 
 :and Duties : but all the Word of God.'^this.is 
 "^^ght, but eipecially the Gofpel, which difco. 
 ^:^-3 z plain and open Way unco Salvation to 
 B ' hotji 
 
10 A Treat if e of Converjion, 
 
 both Jews and Gentiles ; as the Apoflle Faul . 
 explains it : Jci^ 26. 23. This glorious Light 
 began to be oppofed, very early by Satan^ and 
 no Wonder, for it begets thofe for Ileaven, 
 whom he had begotten for Hell. It pulls down 
 his Image and fets up God's : it pulls Men out 
 of the Kingdom of Darknefs, and tranflates 
 them into a Kingdom of Light. Col. i. 13. 
 
 JuiTt before our bleffed Lord, the bright and 
 morning Star of his Church, entered upon his 
 publick Miniflry, the Princes of the Powers of 
 Darknefs attacked the Prince of Life and Peace 
 to obfcure his Light, by perverting the true In- 
 tent and Meaning of facred Scripture. He came 
 to our Lord probably in fome vifible Shape, he 
 forming an audible Voice of the Air, faid, If 
 thou be the Son of God, not that he doubted it, 
 which (hewed his horrible Impudence. This 
 the Tempter did three Times fuccefllvely, Mat, 
 4. putting God upon working of Miracles to 
 declare Chrift to be his Son, when there v as no 
 Need, and of which there was no U^Qy mocking 
 our Saviour's true Ufe of Scripture, with Scrip- 
 ture abufed, and many other Ways, but he had 
 to do with One not ignorant of his Devices. 
 
 Some Time before the holy Apoftles accom- 
 pliftied their Warfare, and iiniihed their extra- 
 ordinary Million in propagating the Doftrines 
 of Chrift to the World, many monilrous Here- 
 ticks, Inftruments of Satan arofe, who prefump- 
 tuoufly perverted and oppofed the Chrifliaa 
 Faith and Do6lrine, as is manifeft from their 
 Epiftles. The Appftle John, m his firft Epiftle, 
 (called by fome, i\^ Epiftle to the Parthlans) 
 
 labour;? 
 
Faith and Jiiftificatlon, ir 
 
 labours to confirm the Chriftians in thofe Parts, 
 in the great fundamental Do6lrine of Chriiiia- 
 nity; namely, that our Lord Jefus was the Mef- 
 fiah, againft diverfe apoflate Chriftians ; par- 
 ticularly the G?zo//V/^j-,.whoprerumed they knew 
 more than all others, whofe Followers have ever 
 fmce vexed the Church of God, even unto this 
 Day : The fame Apoftle in the Revelations 
 made to him by Chrift the Angel of the Cove- 
 nant, and Head of his Church, mentions the Nv- 
 colaitans with Abhorrence and great Deteftation. 
 The Apoftle Peter in his firft Epiftle directed to 
 the jewilli Chriftians, fcattered throughout Pon- 
 tiis, Galatia^ Cappadociay Jfia^ and Bytbinia, (harp- 
 ly reproves the Folly and Perverfenefs of fome 
 pf thofe Tim.es in feparating Faith from Holinefs^ 
 and their doubting whether Peter & Paul tTiught 
 the fame Do6trine. He endeavours to confirm 
 the Saints in the Belief of theGofpel ; and ex- 
 horts them to be always ready to defend and 
 juftify their Faith againft all Objeftors, and to 
 Ihew how reafonable their Hope of Salvation 
 is, and on how fure a Foundation it is built, i Pep. 
 3. 15. And the Apoftle Paul intimates, that" 
 there were many Hereticks, Obfcurers of the 
 Light of the Gofpel in his Day ; fince in his 
 Letter to the Romans he hath furniftied th6 
 Church of God with fo great a Treafure of 
 fcriptural convincing Arguments againft Here*- 
 ticks, that it may be truly faid, there are 
 few either heretical Pofitions, -or more lately- 
 broached Errors, which if they-^ be propounded 
 plainly, may not be confuted out of this Epiftle. 
 Iris lb c;i:cellent a Piece of facrcd Canon for 
 B 2 Matter^. 
 
12 A Trcatife of Comerfion^ 
 
 Matter, and Manner of handling it, that it may 
 juftly be efteemed a compleat Body of Divinity, 
 {<^, we have the principal Points of Election^ 
 Reprobation, Redemption, Fahhy and Jiiftification 
 by Faith fc admirably herein handled, that it is 
 defervedly call'd by fome ( Claij'u Theologice ) 
 the Key of Divinity, and ( Methodiis Scripturce ) 
 the Method of Scripture. This is abundantly 
 manifeft to any that will duly confider the Scope 
 of this Epiftle, efpecially the Chapter which 
 contains mvText: In the firfl Part whereof is 
 recorded tlie glorious Effe6ls and fweetefl: Pri- 
 vileges of jiijlijication by Faith, viz. Peace ivith 
 Cody which no Tribulation can hinder. Thea 
 in the fecond Part there is Rejoicing in God, as 
 reconciled thro' Jefus Chriil the fecond Adairt,, 
 who doth abundantly tranfcend the firft Jda?n 
 in many Particulars ;' as is inferted in this Chap- 
 ter fi'om Verfe ii to the End thereof, Again, 
 the Apoflle in the firfl Verfe of this Chapter, 
 declares what it is whereby Men are juftified, 
 viz. by true Faith alone in Jefus Chrift accord- 
 ing to the Grace of God, as the only inflru- 
 niental Means whereby Jew and Gentile can be 
 iuftified. There are alfo herein three impor- 
 tant Points held forth by the Apoflle, viz. The 
 Grace ofGod the Motive, or Impulfive, Chrift's 
 Blcod the Material, Faith the inflrumental Caufe 
 of Juftification. Next iuflifying Faith is ex- 
 plained by the Fruits or Effefts enfumg there- 
 iiDon ; viz, Peace with God, Joy in Hope of the 
 Glory of God, which Amiclion and Tribulation 
 cannot prevent, but rather indeed promote. 
 : 'tlievers find and feel that God hath delivered 
 ■ ■ them 
 
Faith and Jiijlificatlon. 13 
 
 them and doth deliver thein^ and m him they 
 hope and truft, that he will M\ dehver them, 
 kno-wing that TribulatiGU ijoorketh P at knee y anchPa- 
 tience Experience y and Experience Hope^ and Hope 
 viaketb not afMnied ; that is, it doth not difap^ 
 point or deceive us. They cried unto thee and 
 <ix)ere delvoered : they tnifced in thee, and ivcre not 
 confounded. Pfal.22.5. 
 
 My Text is either rendered as a Reafan of 
 all that went before, therefore the juflified hy 
 Faith have Peace with God, Accefs to him by 
 Faith, Hope of Glory, Joy in Tribulation, &c. 
 Becaufe the Lo-je of God is fjjed abroad in their 
 Hearts- Or elfe it is a Reafon of what immxe- 
 diately prececded ; therefore Hope inaketb not; 
 a fJjamed, becaiije the Love of God is foed abrvad,&c. 
 Underftand it either aclively of ourLove toGod* 
 or rather paffively of his Love to us, of which he 
 fpeaks Verfe 8^ Shed abroad, i. e. is greatly m.a- 
 iiifefled, or abundantly poured forth : ,A fre- 
 quent Metaphor both in the Old and New- Tef- 
 tament, vid. Ifa, 44. 3. Arts 2. 17, &c. By the 
 Holy Ghofl which doth not exclude the Father 
 and the Son, it is the more peculiar Work of 
 the Spirit, both to make us feel rhe Love of 
 God, and to fill our Hearts with Love to him. 
 Love referred to God, fignifieth his divine Ef- 
 fence infinitely delighting himfelf in his Son 
 Chrift, who is his Wifdom, and in his Soirit 
 \vhich is his Power: Alfo in his Creatures! It 
 fignifieth alfo his Purpofe and Decree tochoofe 
 fome unto^Salvadon by Chriil, Rom. 9., ig. ^.a-' 
 cob hnve I loved. This Love is called the good 
 Pleafui'e of his WilJ, and Fore-knovdege of 
 
 God, 
 
X4- ^ Treat! fe of Converjion, 
 
 Gcdy Rom. 8. 26. It fignifies the Fruits andEf- 
 fe6ls of that loving Purpofe in the Regeneration 
 of the Eleft^ their .Sanclification in the Grace 
 of Perfeverance, in the Hope of Glorification, 
 as in the Text. He hath fJjed abroad his Love in 
 our Hearts ; that is, abundantly witnefTed. To 
 filed, fignifieth to impart. * Our merciful God 
 and Father from his own Bowels freely yern- 
 ing upon us in our miferable Condition by Na- 
 ture, hath put us into a State of and given us 
 a Right to erernal Salvation, waihing us in Re- 
 generation as in a Laver, the Pledge and Sign 
 of which is inBaptifm : the Holy Spirit chang- 
 ing and renewing our Nature, which he flied 
 on us abundantly thro' Jefus Chrifl our Savi- 
 our f ;. Which Holy Spirit, as well for the 
 renewing of us, as for the Collation of more 
 common or extraordinary Gifts, God pour- 
 ed upon us abundantly through the Merits 
 and Mediation of Jefas Chrifl: our Saviour. The 
 Heart is the fleflily Part of Man's Body which 
 is the Seat of the Affeftions ,* but it is to be 
 imderfbood in a more extenfive Senfe in our 
 Text, viz. The Soul with all the Faculties of 
 the Underfl:anding, Reafon, Judgment, Will, 
 &c : Becaufe the Soul keeps Refidence in the 
 Heart, and there fnevv s itfelf moll prefent, (as 
 it were, in her Chair of State. Hence it is 
 that the Heart is put for the Soul with her Fa- 
 culties, Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thy Heart. 
 Pfal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean Heart. 1 Pet. 
 3. 15. Sanctify the Lord in your Hearts, and give 
 
 * D Aunot. t Tit. 3. 6. 
 
Faith and Jiijlijicatlon. 15 
 
 him the Honour of all his glorious Perfeclions* 
 Power and Wifdom, Goodnefs, P^aichfuhiefs, 
 &c. by believing them & depending upon 
 his Proniifes for Defence and Affiflance againft 
 all the Evils your Enemies may threaten you 
 with. Now the San6lification of the Heart, 
 and all the faving Fruits and Benefirs enfuing 
 thereupon, is not for our own Worth nor by ou^r 
 Strength, but is the Gift of God, and is free, 
 and purely by Grace, it is ilied abroad in our 
 Hearts by the Holy Ghoil, which is given un- 
 to us. O ! admirable Power and Grace which 
 is put forth in the whole of our Salvation, from 
 fii'fi: to laft, which the mighty God will work, 
 not only in raifmg usupatlaft, and finally fav- 
 ing us, but hath wrought in begetting Faith in 
 us, and doth work, in ftill preferving that Faith, 
 and carrying us on in the Way of Salvation. Sui- 
 table Reflections hereon would naturally and 
 eafily lead us to fay with Paul, Eph. 1. 19. And 
 -johat is the exceeding Gr eat nefs of his Pozver to us- 
 ward ivho helmey according to the working of his 
 mighty Power. 
 
 The Terms in the Text being thus f^Dmewhat 
 opened, the Doftrineneed not vary much from 
 them : It may be framed and propounded in 
 this Manner, namelv, 
 
 DOCTRINE. . 
 
 That the bringing of Men from a State of Na^ 
 
 ture into a State of Grace, is t he Effect_j if the 
 
 Love of God, tvrou^ in their Hearts by the 
 
 HolyGhoft. ~^^ • ^ 
 
 I need not tell you, that Converfion, and the 
 
 Reports made of the extraordinary Eifufions of 
 
 the 
 
i6 A Treat if e of Cwuerfiony 
 
 the blefTed Spirit of Goc?, both abroad and at 
 honie^ is now become the 6Libje6l of moft Men's 
 Converfation : Nor are we ignorant of the va- 
 rious Shapes in which that important Point is 
 now held forth to the World. I have therefore 
 eileemed itmy Duty, (for Neceffity is laid upon 
 me, yea, wo is unto me if I preach not the 
 Gofpel ) and neceflary for you alfo, to lay 
 before you the Nature of that grand Subje6l> 
 as I find it delineated in tliefac red Pages ; main- 
 tained by the Confeffions of Faith of the belt 
 reformed Churches : and the Writings of the 
 c. lefl, and mofl; learned Proteflant Divines ; 
 tha. ^ach as are real Converts might enjoy the 
 Comfo. - -^that happy State, & by the Bleffing 
 of Almighty »o^-V- "^^'^emoreefta'bliihed there- 
 in : and that others that are in a vravering and 
 unfettled State as to their fpiritual Condition, 
 might be prevented from yielding to the Delu- 
 fions of a falfe Spirit, and kept from imbibing 
 and following after the common Errors of the 
 Times. And as I hope in this Day of great 
 Commotion, and Convulfion in the Church of 
 God, as well as in the Chriftian World, fome 
 are, and more may be favingly brought home, 
 and ingrafted into the Head Jefus Chrill the 
 true Vine ; And fearing many are captivated 
 under the Delufions of Satan, and led by a Spi- 
 rit of Error, I muft excite you to a mofl earned 
 Care over your felves, left any Perfon among 
 you fliould'fail of Grace offered in the Gofpel, 
 or apoftatize from the fteady and regular Pro- 
 feilion of it. Looking diligent ly^ lejl any Man fail 
 of the Grace of God^ kfi any Root of Bitternefs 
 
 ffringiug 
 
Faith and jtuftification. 17 
 
 fpringing up trouble you, and thereby many he de^ 
 filed, Heb. 12. 15. the Apoitlejntehding hereby 
 the hindring the fpringing up, and growing of 
 Errors, Herefies or Immoralities, which are apt 
 to infedl Churches, and as they fpread, to mo- 
 led, trouble and difturb them, and to keep them 
 from purfuing Holinefs, left by but one fuch 
 poifonous Root, a whole Church of Chriflians 
 may be infecled and poifoned, their Sin being 
 as apt to fpread and diffufe irfelf as Leaven. 
 And how early even in the Apoflle's Time, for 
 want of obeying this Caution^ were the primi- 
 tive Churches corrupted, both in Doctrines and 
 Morals, by loofe^ fikhy Heredcks among them j 
 hath been already hinted. 
 
 Before I enter upon the handling of the Doc- 
 trine in its feveral Branches ; I fhall pave my 
 Way to them by obferving fundry Points oi 
 great Importance. Our mod celebrated Divines 
 tell us, that the Sum of all Chriftian Duties is 
 briefly comprifed under thefe tvv^o Heads, viz. 
 Agenda et credenda, doing and believing : Some 
 add a third, viz. Fetendj, i. e. asking. The Apo- 
 ilie Faul makes thefe the main Pares of whole- 
 fome Do6lrine, Hold^fqfl the Form of found JVordi 
 ^inch thou hafi heard of me, in Faith and Love, 
 "cchich-is in Chrijijefus, 2 Tim. i. 13. The Epi- 
 tome of Love is ihQ Moral Law contained ia 
 ten, more briefly in two Precepts. Thou floalt 
 love the Lord thy God ^ith all thine Heart, and 
 thoujbah love thy Neighbour as thy felf 'The 
 Sum of Faith more at large delivered in the 
 ■ ' Wrmngs of the Apodles, is iliortly drav.m ia 
 ti:at excellent Compendium, which is called, 
 C The 
 
i8 A Treat'ife of Cofrjerfion^ 
 
 The Apoftles Creed, containing the Subflance of 
 evangelical Do6liine. Both thefe, viz. Faith 
 and Lo'oe are continually alTaulted by Satan ; 
 and corrupted and abufed by his Inflruments 
 in the World. And when the Accufcr of the 
 Brethren is purpofed to give a Shake to the In- 
 terefl and Kingdom of Chrifl in the World, he 
 had rather enter upon the Church by under- 
 mining the Faith with Herefie, than at open 
 Breach upon good Manners ; ill Manners are 
 obnoxious toPunifhmentsfromthe Law ; they 
 lie open to the Reproof and Hatred of all moral 
 Honefly ; they expofe to Shame and Difgrace, 
 and thefe for the mofl Part hinder the publick 
 Allowance and Entertainment of them. But 
 Herefie enters almoft unobferv'd, and quickly 
 fpreads abroad ; finds prefently a great Number 
 of Favourers and Friends ; having Advantage 
 of Men's common Infirmity, itching Ears, and 
 Aptnefs to entertain Novelties ; taking Pride to 
 be fingular ; being painted over with Colour 
 of Truth. Moreover, it aims at the fureft 
 Mark, the Leaders of the Flock whofe Autho- 
 rity and Example fpeedily infefts the refl. With 
 this Weapon hath the Dragon made War with 
 the Woman, raifing up even of her own Chil- 
 dren, fuch as have fought againfl her by deilroy- 
 ing Herefies againfl all the Articles of Faith : 
 which have their Spring in the Romifli Syna- 
 gogue, whereto all Herefies almofi: of former 
 and later Times have made their Confluence: 
 of v/hich you have a Hint in the Sequel of this 
 Difcourfe. As for our felves let it be our Care 
 fo to fpeak and judge of our Converfion and 
 
 Faith^ 
 
Faith and Juftificatlon. .19 
 
 Faith, as that mofl precious Grace which is 
 freely given us to enrich and inflrumentally fave 
 our Souls, not exercife our Wits in difcerning 
 and judging of others, (as the Manner of fome 
 is) the Kno^yledge whereof by Contemplation 
 is mod empty and vain, without the real Inha- 
 bitation of it within our felves. It fhall be my 
 befl Endeavour by the Help of God*s Affiftance, 
 to give you the Knowledge thereof, fo far as 
 the "Word in manifold Precepts, with the Pains 
 and Induflry of the learned and mofl judicious 
 Chriflians have difcovered it to my poor Un- 
 derflanding. Thus you fee I pretend not to 
 new and extraordinary Light, or novel Difco- 
 veries ; but intend to iliew you the good old 
 Way plainly held forth in the facred Pages, to 
 travel into thofe Manfions of Glory, which are 
 already prepared for the Children of God above. 
 The Text and Do6lrine will lead me naturally 
 into the Examination ofmany important Points 
 in Divinity ; which are fo interwoven and 
 Imked one with another,that without the Know- 
 ledge of all, we fliall not clearly difcern any a^ 
 lone; efpecially ^o^^f fo;2. Faith md^^ujiification; 
 all of them being plainly implied in the Text 
 and Do6lrine ; as is explained by the Apoftle 
 Paid in that golden Chain of Salvation which he, 
 lets down, Rom. 8. 30, mj07n he did predeftimte^ 
 them he alfo called; and vjhom he called, them he 
 ajo jufiified; and ivhom he jujiified, them he alfa 
 glorified. 
 
 In the Profecution of our Doclrine, thefe 
 following Points fall in naturally to be difcourf- 
 ed upon ; viz. 
 
 C 2 Firfl. 
 
20 A Treatife of Converfwn^ 
 
 Firfl, Converfiou. 
 Secondly, Faith. 
 Thirdly, Juftification. 
 
 Fourthly and laflly, the Application of thefc 
 briefly and plainly in their Order. And 
 
 Firfl, Of Con'-jerfun . Many eminent Divines 
 have treated accurately and favourly on this 
 grand Subje6l in the lail Century : I could fill 
 up a whole Page with the Names of thofe Wor- 
 thies of the Lord. Doubtlefs fome of you have 
 ■fome of their excellent Treatifes in yourHands, 
 as Jlkine'sAhnV y Shepard's Sincere Cpnveit, and 
 others,'who wrote of Converlion with becoming 
 Candour and f^-riptural Skill ; but alas ! I find 
 in Converfation and Print that the Occafion and 
 Scope of thefe great IMen,and their good Works, 
 is much perverted and abufed by the Gnofticks 
 ' of this Age ; which ( with many other Confi- 
 : derations) moved me (the lead of all Saints) to 
 / employ my Pen andfmall Talent in Defence of 
 I fovereign Grace abundantly manifefted in the 
 ' Converfion and Sanftification of rebellious' 
 Sinners, which I fear hathfuffered at this Day 
 much Violence and Reproach from many who 
 feem to boafi: of their great Preheminence in 
 Grace above all others; fuch Boafting is exclu- 
 ded, Rom. 3- 27. It is probable that the vari- 
 ous Acceptations of Converfion in the facred 
 Texts is an Occafion ,of many's mifi:aking the 
 true Notion of real Converfion, as feems of 
 late ; I fiiall therefore endeavour to remove 
 fuch Mistakes by fliewing the differentMeaning 
 pfit as it is applied in the holy Scriptures. Thofe 
 of the ancient Church thm are reformed in her 
 
 of 
 
Faith and Jujlification. 2i 
 
 oFtheirevil Courfes, are termed Gcnverts. Zion 
 fiall be redeemed -ivith Judgment y and her Converts 
 ^ith Righteoiifnefs, Ifa. i. 27. Again, It fignifi- 
 eth a turning from fome parricuJar Sin or Sins, 
 whereby we have offended God or Man. Luk! 
 ^2. 32. TVhen thou art coivcerted Jtrengthcn thy 
 Brethren. Jer. 31. 18. Convert thou me and 'l 
 fJjall be converted ; this is an a6live Converfion 
 performed by Men already regenerate, wiio 
 being already renewed by Grace, do work 
 together with his Grace ; converting Grace 
 Grace being accompanied with affiiling and fup- 
 porting Grace. God converteth a Sinner by put- 
 ting Grace of Repentance into his Soul. A 
 Sinner converteth himfelf, when he endeavour- 
 eth his own Converfion, diligently and con- 
 llantly ufmg all good Means, ptiblick& private. 
 Agam, There is a Converfion when one that be- 
 ing out of the Church is bro't into the Church 
 Eph. 2. 12, 14. Or being in the Church is turned 
 from fmful Ways, that he is a new Creature 
 
 2 Co;-. 5. 1 7. Is changed into the fame Ima^e from 
 Glory to Glory. 2 Cm-. 5. 18. Hath Chrifl^-ormed 
 m him. Gal 4. 18. And is tinned to ferve the 
 true and living God. i The/. i,g. Again, Itf^P-- 
 nihes the turning or total Change of an elecl 
 Sinner from Sm to God: and in this Significa- 
 tion IS comprehended both Faith and Repen- 
 tance, even the whole Work of Grace. Jnd 
 Sinners Jlall be converted unto thee, Pfal. 51. jo 
 This is a paffive Converfion, wherein we fuffer 
 God to work upon us ; but cui frlves by our na- 
 tural Power work nothing, unlefs it be to hin- 
 der the Work of Grace, what we may. This 
 
fl^ A Treat'ife of Converfion^ 
 
 is efpecially intended by rhe Apoil'e in our 
 Texcj and* is the Meaning of tiie Point now 
 under Confideration. For the more diflincb 
 Knowledge whereof, w e (hall briefly confidgr 
 Man in his threefold State, viz. 
 
 i^iritri n^he Statejjf lnnocency and Upright- 
 nefs. JNlan was creaiteTupright. Eccl. 7. 29. 
 God made Man upright; but they have fought out 
 inany Inventions. He was made very good. Gen. 
 i.idt. Other Creatures were his Footlleps, but 
 Man was his Image. Gen. i. 26. Let us niake Man 
 in our Image, after our Likenefs : Which tho* it 
 feem.s to imply no more in that Place, than an 
 Imiage of his Dominion over the Creatures, yec 
 theApoftle raifes it aDegree higher, and gives 
 us a larger Interpretation of ir. Col. 3. 10. Jnd 
 ha'ce put on the new Man, ivbicb is rene'xed in 
 Knozolcdge after the Image of him that created binn 
 Making it to confifl in a Refemblance to his 
 Righteoafnefs. Image (fay fome) notes the 
 Form, as Man was a Spirit in Regard of his Soul, 
 Likenefs notes the (Quality implanted inhisfpi- 
 ritual Nature: The Image of God was drawn 
 in him, both as he was a rational, and as he was 
 a holy Creature. Man was endowed with fuch 
 Strength and Integrity in all Parts, as did wholly 
 difpofe him to all Operations conformable to 
 God's Will ; his Underfcinding fo far as was 
 needful before his Tranflation, had a clear Ap^ 
 prehenfion of the Deitv, in his Nature, Attri^ 
 butes and Worfliip; as'alfo of the Creatures in 
 their EiTence and Qualities. His WiH embrac- 
 ed and clave fad to God, whom ^'^y?;: knew to 
 be Author of his Keeping and Happinefs. His 
 
 Afteft'' :is 
 
Faith and Jitjlificatlon, S^ 
 
 Affeftions and ail inferiour Faculties, obeyed 
 tvichoLit aii Refiflance the Rule of Reafon, knd 
 Motions of the ianftified Will. This.iiniverfal 
 HolinefsandPex^-fedioil in the w^oieMan, was 
 tiiat Image of God, or original Juftice wherein 
 Adam was created, but continued not. For in 
 SeQond Ylzcz; After his Fall fl'om his origi- 
 ral Reaitide and Oprightnels7 for a Punifli- 
 ment of his wilful TranlgreiTion and Apoftacy, 
 his Maker removed his Image, and flript him 
 naked of th.t Habit of Grace and Flolinefs 
 wherewith he was univerfally qualified ; having' 
 left him only feme fmall Remainders of his ex- 
 cellent Chara6ler un blotted out. God himfelf 
 gives us the Defcripcion of Man's Nature. Gen,^ 
 ^^5- That he hath not one good Imagination aC 
 any Time. And the Apoflle from the Pfalmifl: 
 dilates and comments upon it ; There is none 
 righteous, no not one ; their Mouth is full of Curl^ 
 ing andBitternefs, their Feet are fv^ift to Jloed Blood, 
 -&c. Rom. 3.10. &c. This Corruption is equal to 
 all, natural to all ; it is not more poyfonous, or 
 niore fierce in one Man than in another. Man 
 in his fallen Ellate contrafted an Alienation of 
 his Underilanding from knowing God, and of 
 his Will fromlovmg him: a Debauch of all his 
 Faculties ; a fpiritual Adultery ; in preferrinff 
 not only one of God's Creatures, but one of 
 his defperafe Enemies before him ; thinking 
 mm a wjfer Counfellor than infinite Wifdomt 
 and imagining him poflefled with kinder Af' 
 f edtions tp him, than that God who had newly 
 created hira. Thus he joins in League with 
 kidl againil Heaven, with afallen Spirit ggainfi: 
 
 his 
 
24 A Trcatife of Converfwn, 
 
 his bountiful Benefactor, and en-ters into So- 
 ciety with Rebels, that juil: before com'Tienced 
 a War againft his and their common Sovereign; 
 he did not only falter in, but caft off the Obedi- 
 ence due to his Creator; endeavoured to purloin 
 his Glory, and aftually murdered all thofe that 
 were virtually in his Loyns. Sin entred into 
 the World by him, and Death by Sin, and paifed 
 upon all Men, Rom 5. 12. And this univerfal 
 Corruption of Man's Nature is that which we 
 call the Image of Satan, to whom Jdam by his 
 Fall became like. And in Scripture it's term'd. 
 The FlefJj, the old Man, the Sin that dwelkth in us, 
 the Sin of the World, the Lam of Sin, the Lave in 
 . our Members, the Body cf Death, Cone upifce nee or 
 Luft ; alfo the_f. r[l Death of the Sm iLj^jAi 
 Al mii died imnie diatelyupo n^his Sin ;_ in which 
 Death im d SeparaxJoifo r^Gr'ic e from the Sou k 
 £lL^^'i'gj?sPQilerity rem ain dead and rot.ten 't ill 
 thcY be cjuickned again by Chrif}-. And the 
 , Soul being oFa lively and active Subflance, wor- 
 •keth altogether by and according to its inhe- 
 rent Qiialities; where they are only good, all 
 the Actions thereof are regular; where naught, 
 all iti Operations mud needs be crooked and 
 incongruous ; as in Men unregenerate, of whom 
 the Apoflile faith, and fets it down as their pe- 
 culiar Charafter, They that dre in the Flejh can- 
 not pleafe God, Rom. 8- 8. And out of this Root 
 groweth that Fruit which we properly call Man's 
 Averfion or turning from God to himfelf, to 
 Satan, to any Creature, yielding Service and 
 Love to any but to God^ to whom only h^ 
 owes i:. 
 
 Tliirdly, 
 
Faith and j^ujlifi cation, ijj 
 
 Thirdly, There is a third Ellate of Mail, and 
 th*at IS me^ State of G race. In this Condition 
 there are KSBits ot JKlgfiteoufnefs, and Sin mix- 
 ed together ; a Quality of Holinefs implanted 
 in the Soul, and the corrupt Quality in.part done 
 away : This is the Work of the Holy Ghoft in 
 the Heart of a Sinner : enlightening the Mind 
 fpiritually and favingly to underfland the Things 
 of God ; taking away from them whom he effec- 
 tually calls, the Heart of Stone, and giving unta 
 them the Heart of Fleili, renewing their Wills, 
 and by his almighty Power, determining them 
 to that which is good, and effeftually drawing 
 them to Jefus Chrifl. And this Work of the 
 Holy Ghoft upon us, is fet forth in Scripture by 
 fandry Appellations ; all fignifying but divers 
 Gircumflances of one and the fame Thing. Ig 
 is called, the Spirit, Fbcation, our Converjion, the 
 firfi ReJurre^io7i from the Dead, the Law of our 
 Minds, viz. renewed, our Renovation^ or renewing, 
 our Renafcentia, or new Birth, our Regeneration^ 
 the new Man, the new Creature ; and in one Word, 
 our Sandtificatiofi, which comprehendeth and ex- 
 plaineth all the reft, which is nothing but that 
 Image of God, which we had loft in Jdam, 
 reftored to us again by the fupernatural Work 
 of God's Spirit, creating Holinefs and Grace in. 
 our unholy and gracelefs Hearts. Ail the Fa- 
 culties of the Soul are renewed. If any ' Man 
 he in Chrijt, he is a new Creature: old Things are 
 fafi away ^hehold, all Wngs are become new, 2 Cor. 
 5. 17. Converfion is no lefs than to be born over 
 ^g^n, ^ohn 3. 3. or from above; fee the Mar* 
 gin, Jnoih^n oSzQn fignifieth from above, as V. 
 D 31. 
 
:^6 A Treatife of Converjioriy 
 
 2i',Ja7nes 1. 17. &c. Which may teach us that 
 the new Birch miifl: be wrought in the Soul from 
 above by the Power of God . 'Tis ufual by the 
 civil Laws of Countries^ that none enters into 
 the PoiTeirion of an earthly Kingdom but by 
 the Right of Birth: And for the obtaining the 
 Kingdom of Heaven^ there mufl be a new Birth, 
 a heavenly Renovation ofthe whole Man, Soul, 
 Eody and Spirit, to give him a Title by the 
 wife and unchangeable Conflitution of God in 
 the Gofpel, and to qualify him for the Enjoy- 
 ment of it : And then only are we renewed, 
 being made new Men, and new Creatures, then 
 only begotten and born again by the Spirit, 
 then railed to Life, efpecially called, and turn- 
 ed fromDarknefs to Light, when we are fanc- 
 tified throughout by the new Quality of Grace 
 brought into us, rectifying and repairing every 
 Part of our whole Man. In which State the 
 Operations of the Soul are mixt, neither fimply 
 good as in the State of Innocency, nor fimply 
 evil as in the State of Corruption and natural 
 Depravity ; but partaking of both Qualities, 
 according to the different Habits of Corruption 
 and Grace, whereby the Soul is depraved or 
 xeftified in her working. From which renew- 
 ed Grace, as the proper Fruit thereof flows our 
 Converfion, or returning unto the Lord. When 
 once the Holy Ghofl hath given us the fpiri- 
 tual Life and Grace, we begin again to own 
 and pay Homage to our Creator, and forfake 
 our Lulls, Satan, the World, and Self-righte- 
 oufnefs, to fallen our Love upon the Lord that 
 made our Souls, verily efteeming that he hath 
 
 the 
 
Faith and JiiJitficaUon, 27 
 
 the befl Right to, and befl deferves our Ser- 
 vice. In the new Birth, or Converfion, there 
 are two Things to be a little more cleared, 
 and diflinguiilied, viz. 
 
 1. The Habit of Grace. 
 
 2. The Operations procee ding fronij hat 
 Habit. ^'^''' 
 
 I. Th fiJHabit of Grace. This is a fuperna- 
 tural Quality oFTTolinefs, poured into ail the 
 Powers of the Soul at once. As no Part was 
 left untainted by Corruption ; fo every Part 
 and Faculty of the Soul is fanftified by the re- 
 newing of the Holy Ghofl. The}- are walhed, 
 they are ran6lified, they are juftified in the Name 
 of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. 
 iCor, 6. II. Regeneration, and Sanclification, is 
 the proper EiFe6l of the Spirit, creating in the 
 Soul new Habits and Diipolidons, by which its 
 enabled and inclined, as to die unto Sin, fo to 
 live unto God. For by the Grace of Regenerati- 
 on, there is at once an habitual Renovation of e- 
 very Part,* to illuflrate fomewhat this Implanta- 
 tion of Grace, or the New-Birth ; Divines draw 
 one or two Similitudes, or Comparifons, as when 
 Grace cometh into the Soul, it is like Light com- 
 ing into the Air, which before dark, is in all Parts 
 illuminated ; or as Heat into cold Water, that 
 fpreads itfelf through the whole Subftance. Or 
 as the Soul into the Body o^ Lazarus ^ or the 
 Shunamite's Child, not by Degrees, but all at once 
 infufed, and giving Life to every Part. So is 
 our New-Man born at once, tho' he grow 
 by Degrees ; That is, the Soul in our Con- 
 verfion is re-in veiled with the Image of God, 
 D 2 iu 
 
28 A 'Treatife of Comer fion, 
 
 in all its Faculties ; and altho' the Aftions of 
 Grace do not prefently appear in each one, yet 
 the Habit, the Seed, the Root of all divine Vir- 
 tues, is firmly re-implanted in them, and by the 
 Strength of this Grace given, they are difpofed 
 to all fanftified Operation. Now the Operati- 
 ons flowing from this blefled Habit of Grace 
 are many. Grace like the Ocean is one Ele- 
 ment ; but takes diverfe Names according to 
 the feveral Regions and Parts of the Soul which 
 it waflieth and fan6lifieth, according to the fe- 
 veral Objefts about which they are employed; 
 and alfo according to the feveral Occafions that 
 ftir them up to A6lion. One Inftance or two 
 of this may eafily be propounded ; as Grace in 
 the Underflanding is termed fpiritual Wifdom 
 in the Knowledge of heavenly Things ; Gr;ice 
 in the Willis are6lified Choice, and embracing 
 its right Objeft, God and his Goodnefs ; Grace 
 in the Affe6lions are their pure and fanftified 
 Motions towards their proper Objedls ; Grace 
 in the outward Man, is its proper and ready 
 Obedience in doing the Commands of a fan6li- 
 iied Soul, Now in all thefe Parts, altho' the 
 Seed of renewing Grace be fo deeply fown and 
 rooted, that as i John 3. 9. it remains within 
 OS ; yet the aftual Operations of this Grace ap- 
 pear neither perfeftly nor equally in every Part, 
 but fhew themfelves fooner or later,more ftrong- 
 ly or weakly, according as the Strength of flnful 
 Corruption abates, more or lefs, or as there is 
 greater Occafion and Ufe of one Grace more 
 than another. Some beloved Lufl, fome cor- 
 rupt Cuflom, Company or E:?cample inclining 
 
 fome 
 
Faith and Juflificatlon, 29 
 
 fome or other of the AfFe6lions of the Soul a- 
 nother Way. But yet notwithftanding hereof, 
 Grace is intire in all the Powers of the Soul. 
 For as the reafonable Soul in Infants hath all its 
 Faculties intirely, tho' the Exercife of each of 
 them appear not, bu: in Time by Degrees ; fo 
 in Regeneration, Grace is intire even in its In- 
 fancy and firfl Birth, tho' the Operations of it 
 are more or lefs according to our Growth in 
 Chrifl. Now as our other Graces, fo Faith is 
 a Part of our Sancliiication ; Faith is wrought 
 in the Soul then, when we' are regenerated by 
 the Infufion of the Habit of Grace into our whole 
 Man. And this leads us naturally and neceffa- 
 rily unto that Diflin6lion of the Grace of Faith, 
 unto the Habit of Faith, and the A61 of Faith. 
 Ti:e Habit of Faith is the renewed Quality of 
 the Soul, whereby it is made able to difcern, 
 yield Aflent unto the Truth of God revealed in 
 his Word. The A61 of Faith is when theUnder- 
 ftanding and Will do a6lually know and relie 
 upon God's Truth and Goodnefs. Wherefore 
 we are not to imagine that Faith is infufed ei- 
 ther before, or vvdthout other Graces, or that 
 the Soul is not at the fame Time, and as foon 
 difpofed to love and fear God, as to believe in 
 him, or to Humility, to Patience, to Charity, 
 to Repentance, as to Faith. The Seed of all 
 thefe Graces is fown at once; and in their re. 
 fpedlive Habits they are co-equal Stems of one 
 common Root of inherent Sanftity : Tho' yet 
 fome flioot up fader, and bear Fruit foonerthan 
 others. Thofe that do are the two principal 
 Graces^ of Faith and Repentance. From thefe 
 
 Premifes 
 
30 A Treatife of Comerfjon^ 
 
 Premifes, this Conclufion may very fairly be 
 drawn, viz. that Faith properly is not the Root 
 of all Graces, (as hath been faid by feme) f nor 
 the firfl Degree of our Sanftificadon, and fpi- 
 ritual Life. Ic is the true and general Doftrine 
 of all Divines, and it is a trueDodlrine, that ac- 
 tual Faith is never wrought in the Soul, till be- 
 fides the fupernatural Illumination of the Under- 
 {landing, the Will be alfo changed, and freed 
 in Part from it's natural Perverfenefs ; for 'till 
 this be done it is utterly impo ITible itfliouldever 
 embrace the Promife. And this is done by the 
 Grace of Sandtification implanted in the Soul ; 
 by which 'tis fweetly and |^eely inclined to all 
 heavenly Things. It is certain, to believe is 
 an A6lion of a Man's living by Grace, not dead 
 in Sin. And there can be no Reafon given, 
 why in our Regeneration itfhouldbe neceilary 
 firfl to have Faith before we can have any o- 
 ther Grace of San6lification, no more than that 
 it fliould be needful to have fome other Grace, 
 before we can have Faith : or why we are 
 more fit being unconverted, to receive the 
 Grace of Faith rather than any other Grace, as 
 of Repentance, &c. Having thus briefly, and 
 I think plainly fliewed the Nature of our Con- 
 verfion or San6lification, there remaineth three 
 material Things to be confidered, which are 
 manifeflly held forth in our Text and Doftrine: 
 And they are thefe, viz. 
 
 1. The Caufe whereby. 
 
 2. The Manner how. And 
 
 f Tilcn Sinag. Part 2. Difp. 45. Thef. 41. 
 
 3. The 
 
Faith and Jiiftification, 31 
 
 S.The Siibje6l whereinConverfion is wrought, 
 I. The Caufe whereby: which may be thus 
 diflinguilhed. viz. 
 
 1. The impulfive or moving Caufe. 
 
 2. The efficient or working Caufe* 
 
 I. The impuhive or moving Caufe ; this is 
 God's free and fpecial Grace alone, and not any 
 Thing at all forefeen in Man. There is not 
 one good A6lion in all his Carriage that can 
 plead for a Re-admiflion of him to his former, or 
 better State. There is not one good Quality- 
 left in the natural Man that can be an Orator 
 to perfwade divine Goodnefs to fucha gracious 
 Procedure ; there is no moral Goodnefs in Man, 
 that can be an Objeft of divine Love: What is 
 there in an unfan6lified Man, but is rather a 
 Provocation than an Allurement ? Nay, it might 
 well be expe6led that all the Perfe6lions of the 
 divine Nature fliould enter into an Aflbciation 
 eternally to treat rebellious Man according to 
 his Deferts ,• fo that nothing in Man can be 
 fuppofed to move God to bellow the Grace of 
 San6lification upon him, but his free Love to his 
 Ele6lin Chrift, which Love of God is from Eter- 
 nity, before the Foundations of the "World was 
 laid ; and the' it be revealed unto the Eledl in 
 Time ; or at their Converfion ,• yet doth it not 
 then begin, when it begins to be manifefled. 
 When we yet lay in the Shadow of Death and 
 Darknefs, being alienated from the Life of God, 
 that Life which God commands and approves, 
 and whereby God lives in Believers, and they 
 Jive in him : Having the Underjtanding darkned^ 
 bmg alienated from the Ufe of God^ through the 
 
 Ignorance 
 
32 J Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 Ignorancs that is in them hecaiife of the Blindnefs cf 
 their Hearts, faith the Apoftle of the Ephefians^ 
 Chap. 4. 18. When we were call out, wallow- 
 ing in our Blood, when there was none to pity 
 us, yea, when we did not pity ourfelves; God 
 Icokt on us, with tender Compaffions, he pitied 
 us, he loved us as chofen VelTels prepared for 
 Giory,as Heirs of Grace and Life; and becaufe 
 he thus loved us, he faid to us, Live, hecover- 
 -ed our Nakednefs, and clothed us with Righte- 
 oufnefs. God eternally loved, and is reconciled 
 to the Ele6t before they are born, much more be- 
 fore they are regenerate, a full Atonement and 
 SatisfaClion for all Offences is made by Chrifl, 
 and accepted on God's Part. Whereupon ac- 
 tual Reconciliation mufl needs follow, and this 
 the Scriptures moil evidently fheweth, Chvifl 
 being the Lamb flain from the Beginning of the 
 JVorld; and God teflifying of him at hisBaptifm, 
 long before his Death, in that Speech of admi- 
 rable Confolation, This is my beloved Son y in ixjhoni 
 i am 'V:ell pleafed ; well pleafed with him for the 
 unfpotted Holinefs of his Perfon, well pleafed 
 %vith us in him for his invaluable Merits. Ele6li- 
 on, Converfion and Faith, all are Fruits and Con- 
 fequents of God's a6lual Love unto the Eleft. 
 Which Graces and Favours he therefore beflows 
 upon them, becaufe he loves them. And there- 
 fore it is vain to fay, Deus eligitHomines diligendoSy 
 non dile&os ; or that Faith and San6lity are be- 
 fiowed on us, only to make us capable of God's 
 Love, when indeed the beftowing of them is a 
 Fruic of our God's great i\lercy and Love unto 
 us. 'And as liis Purpofes^ fo is hisLove unchange- 
 able 
 
Fajtb and JuJlificatio\;, 33 
 
 tVile from all Eternity ; for God's Love to the 
 }s|£geDerate is not a Thing of y elterday ,as them- 
 fe'lves are ; but one of thofe ancient Favours 
 laid up for us in the Treafury of his ever- 
 lafting Counfeis, Our Juflification, long be- 
 fore we were born, is purchafed for us by 
 Chrifl; and therefore 'tis vain to think with the 
 Arminians, that Chrift's Merits have made 
 God only placabileiUy not pJacatum, procured a 
 Freedom that God may be reconciled if he will, 
 and other Things concru.but not an adtual Re- 
 conciliation. A filly Shift devifed to uphold 
 the Liberty of Man's Will, and Univerfali- 
 ty of Grace. It is not our Faith that works 
 God's Reconciliation with us, but Chrifl believ- 
 ed on by Faith : And his Merits are aot there- 
 fore accepted of God, becaufe we do beheve ; 
 but becaufe they of themfelves are of fuch 
 Worth and Sufficiency as do deferve his moft fa- 
 vourable Acceptance of them for us. And what 
 Reafon have we then to think why they have 
 not always procured as well as defer ved God's 
 Love and aftual ReconciHation for the Ele6t, 
 not only before their Faith, as in all, but alfo 
 without their Faith, as in Infants ? I pafs 
 now to the 
 
 2d. Caufe of our Ccnverfion: viz. The ef- 
 ficient Caufe which really produceth it, and 
 that is the Ploly Ghoft, in whofe Perfon ( not 
 excluding the Father and the Son, as noted in 
 the Explication of our Text) this Work of Sanc- 
 tification is peculiarly terminated. The Apo- 
 flle P^«/ calls all the Graces of God the Fruits 
 of the Spirit, Gal. 5-2,2. Buube Fruit of the 
 E Spirit 
 
34- -^ Treatife of Corfoerjion, 
 
 Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fiffering, Cc^p^ 
 tienefe, Goodnefs, Faith. So Epn. 5. 9. For r -^ 
 Fruit cf the Spirit is in all Goodnefs, and Righi-e- 
 oufnefs, and Truth. This is the Work of the 
 Holy GholL by whom we are made Light in the 
 Lord, To walk as the Children of Light, i^ to 
 manifefl in the Courfe of our Chriflian War- 
 fare,all Goodnefs and Righteoufnefs and Truth, 
 Meeknefs, Temperance, againil fuch there is 
 no La'w. It is true, that many of thefe which 
 the Apoftle enumerates Gal 5. are moral Vir.- 
 tues, as Forbearance of Paiiion, rafli Anger, and 
 Haftinefs of Spirit, a fober Ufe of Meats and 
 Drinks, Apparel, or any Thing wherein our 
 Senfes are delighted, and fuch as fome have 
 attained to by moral Difcipline, the cultivating 
 of their Natures by Education, and moral Fhi- 
 iofophy : Yet they are alfo the Fruits of the 
 Spirit of God ; fuch as it doth always work in 
 the Souls wherein it dwelleth,(tho' indifferent 
 Meafures and Degrees) only the moral Man, 
 thus comporteth himfelf from Principles of 
 Reafon, fliewing him the Beauty and Come- 
 linefs of fuch a Converfation, & aims no higher 
 in it, than an Happinefs of Converfe in this 
 life, his own Honom* and Reputation. But 
 thefpiritual Man doing the fame Things, aim- 
 eth at an higher End: (The glorifying God, 
 and faving his own Soul) and doth thefe Things 
 from a Fear of God, out of Love to him, and 
 out of Faith, ( as feeing in them the Will of 
 God) againil: fuch, faith the Apoftle, there is 
 no Law, no Law to accufe or condemn them ; 
 for thefe are Things which ;he Law com- 
 
 mandeth 
 
Faith and Jujlificatlon, 35 
 
 mandeth to be done, and are A6ls of Obedi- 
 ence to the Law. So as thofe who do thefe 
 Things are led by the Spirit, and are not un- 
 der the condemning Power or Curie of the Lavv\ 
 The blefled Spirit are thofe two golden Pipes 
 through which the two Olive-treed^ or Branch- 
 es empty out of themfelves the golden 0\ls 
 of all precious Graces into the Candleflick the 
 Church, as it is Zech. 4. 2, 3. which is open-- 
 ed Verfe 6. faying, AV by MJght,norby Foiver, 
 hut by my Spirit, faith the Lord, The Spu'ic of 
 God garnilhed the Heavens, and can and doth 
 only beautify the Church, which moved upon 
 the Darknefs in Creation, and brought forth a 
 beautiful and mighty Stru61ure, and can doaS 
 much now ,• the third Ferfon in the Trinity is 
 engcijed In building the Church pure and pre- 
 cious as Gold, full of Knowledge in the Doc- 
 trines of God, as that Candieftick with feven 
 Lamps, full of Holinefs from abundant Mea- 
 fures of Grace, perfevering in it by continual 
 Supplies from the Spirit of Grace in Ordinan- 
 ces. In Regard of this Operation which theho- 
 ]y Ghoft hath in fanclifying the Ele6l ; he is 
 inScripture held forth under adoubleSimilitude 
 of Water and Fire ;f which ra"e Elements moffc 
 apt to cleanfe. The Similitude is from the 
 Cuflom of the levitical Purifications vWiich v/ere 
 done by the Ufe of both Elements. So what- 
 ever 'Filthinefs cleaves unto us, or hew deeply 
 foever incorporated into our Natures, the holy 
 Ghoil by his mofl: blelTed Virtue, as bv Water 
 
 t Heb. ic. 22. 
 
 E 2 walhech 
 
36 A Treatife of Comerfiony 
 
 waflieth away, and as by Fire, confumeth. 
 Then will I pour clean Water upon youy and you 
 fhall be clean from all your Filthinefs, and front 
 your Idols mil I cleanfe you, faith God unco the 
 Church, Ezek. 36. 25. And what this JVa- 
 ter is, the Lord fhews us Ver. 27. And / 
 mil put my Spirit within you. For that other 
 Appellation of Fire, we have it expreffed in 
 Matth 3. II. He will baptize you with the holy 
 Ghofi, and with Fire. With the Holy Ghoft, 
 inwardly wafliing away theirSins with his Blopd, 
 and fan&ifying their Hearts, the Holy Ghoft 
 working in their Hearts like Fire, purging out 
 their Lulls and Corruptions, warming and in- 
 flaming theirHearts with the Senfe of his Love ; 
 changing and renewing the Hearts of thofe 
 that believe in him, by the Operation o£ the 
 Holy Ghofl, and confuming and deflroying o- 
 thers, that will not believe, as with Fire. 
 
 Thus Grace is of a divine Offspring, the im- 
 mediate Effe6l of the powerful Vertue of God's 
 Spirit, whereby he replants inherent Holinefs 
 in our Souls, fitting us thereby for the Service 
 of God's San6]:uary. Now this Work of the 
 Holy Spirit, is by Divines lliled Donatio Spiritus 
 San^i, the giving of the Holy Ghofl. 
 
 The Holy Ghofl is faid to be given two 
 Ways, viz. 
 
 I. In his EfTence and Graces both together. 
 Thus he was given to Chrifl : The Fulnefs of 
 the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily ; he was an- 
 ointed with the Holy Ghoft, and with Power, 
 above all his Brethren : he received the Spirit 
 witliout Meafure, 
 
 2. In 
 
Fahb and JuftificaUon, 37 
 
 2. In his Graces and Vermes only ; thus he 
 is given to the Church the Body of Chrifl; 
 His Sons and Daughters begotten by the Ho- 
 ly Ghofl, proceeding from the Father, and the 
 Son, unto a Life of Grace here, and of eternal 
 Glory hereafter ; enjoy his gracious replen- 
 ifhingthem with all heavenly Vertues andCon- 
 folations. Now this Gift of the Spiric, in his 
 Graces and Vertues is to be underflood in a 
 twofold Refpe6l. As 
 
 I. In Refpe61: of the public Good, v/hen a 
 more than ordinary Meafure of Gifts and 
 Graces beilo wed upon fome Men for the great- 
 er Benefit of the Church in common. This 
 was more pecuhar to the Time of the primi- 
 tive Church. Of this the holy Scripture gives 
 abundant Evidence : See John 7. 39. Acts 2. 
 and Acts 19. 2, 6. Ephef. 4. 8, 11. &c. And 
 ecclefiaftickHiflory affords us fomeMonuments 
 hereof, in that we are aiTured, that there were 
 many Things in the primitive Times, for the 
 firfltwo or three Centuries that did very much 
 recommend Chollrianity to the World, 'and in 
 divine Providence did tend to the happy Pro- 
 grefs thereof : viz. the miraculous Powers be- 
 llowed upon the Members thereof, as ap- 
 pears from thefirfl: Chriflian Writers,which are 
 yet extant, as Jujiin, Ireneus, TertiiUian and o- 
 therswho tell us that very many who had been 
 vexed and pofFefFed with Daemons throughout 
 the World, whom Exorcifts and Conjurers were 
 not able to relieve, have been cured by Chri- 
 flians, through the Name of Jefus Chrill, who 
 was crucified imder Pontius Pilate. We know 
 
 that 
 
38 ^ Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 that Miracles are the credential Letters, toflg- 
 nify the divine Authority of any Perfon fent 
 upon any newDifpenfation by God : As when 
 Mofes was fent to deliver and give a new Law 
 to the Ifraclitesy he attended him with a mira- 
 culous Power, to teilify it to be his Will, that 
 what Mofes deliver'd iliould be entertained. So 
 it was^ with our Saviour, and in the primi- 
 tive Times, at the firil Promulgation of the 
 Gofpel in feveral Places ; but when and 
 where the Gofpel Doctrine is fettled, and the 
 Chriftian Churches are eftablifhed, God for- 
 bears thofe extraordinary AVorks, as he did 
 the raining down Manna after the Ifraelites 
 Entrance into Canaan, where they might have 
 Provifion in an ordinary Way of Providence. 
 So now inthefe lafl Days, God having revcdl- 
 ea his Will to us, once and entirely ; no new 
 Pvevelation of his Will is now to be looked 
 for, or Miracles to confirm it ; Chrift having 
 fettled in the Church that Religion which muffc 
 remain unalterable to the End of the World. 
 This the Author of the EpiilI^''to the Hebreivs 
 aillires us of, in a very plain and pofitive Man- 
 ner, Chap. 12. 28. Wherefore 1)06 recerohig a 
 Kingdom which cannot be vwoed, let us have Grace 
 ^joherehy vje 7nayferve God acceptably , with Reve- 
 rence and godly Fear, 
 
 2. In Refpedl of the private Good of every 
 ele6i: Child of God. Unto fuch the Holy Ghoft 
 is given, effeftually to call, convert and fan6li- 
 fy them : And this only is the giving of the 
 Spirit of God intended in our Text, and which 
 we are now to confider j by which the Seed of 
 
 Grace^ 
 
Fmth and jujmpcation, 39 
 
 Grace, the Principle of new Life, is implanted 
 in the Soul, which frames in us the New-Many 
 created according to God, in Righteoufnefs^ and 
 Holinefs. The manner how the new Life is 
 created in us,' is a very difficult Search ; as is 
 hinted in that Part of our Saviour's Difcourfe 
 with Nicodemiis, recorded John 3.8. The Wind 
 bloweth 'vjhere it Ufteth^ and thou heareft the Sound 
 thereof y but canjl not tell ivhence it comethy and 
 "Vjhither it gceth: fois every one that is born of the 
 Spirit. We can Ipe^ fomething phylofophi- 
 cally to the Caufe of the Wind, and can tell whi- 
 ther it bloweth, from the Eaft, Weft, North or 
 South ; but the original of it's motion is to us 
 imperceptible : We cannot tell the Particular 
 vvhere or from whence it rifeth. So every one 
 wiio is regenerated from the working of the 
 Ploly Spirit of God, is changed and renew- 
 ed, fo as we can give our felves or others no 
 Account of it in all Points, as to the inward 
 Operation, tho'in theEffedls it be difcernable. 
 There are indeed certain Chara6lers whereby 
 to difcern it ; hMt to give a Definition or De- 
 fcription of it, is not fo eafy. The Scdpture 
 difcovers it to us, under the Terms of the New 
 Creature, a new Heart, a Law put into us, the 
 Lnage of God, a divine Nature ; Thefe, tho* 
 Scripture Terms, are difficult to explain. A- 
 gain, it is difficult to defcribe it, becaufe it is 
 vifible not in it felf ; but in its Effefts. We 
 know we have a Soul, yet it is hard to tell 
 what the Soul is, and in wh^at Part it doth 
 principally refide. We know there are An- 
 gels, yet what Mortal can give a Defcription 
 I. cf 
 
AQ A Treatife of Comerfion^ 
 
 of their glorious Nature ? There is not, I fup. 
 pofe^any mortal Man not infpired with fpeial- 
 Revelation, that can declare unto us this Way 
 of the heavenly Spirit, any more than the skil- 
 fuleflAnatomift: the Way of the earthly Spirit, 
 nor bo'iv the Bones do gro^w in the JVomh of her 
 that is with Childy as Solomon fpeaks,Eccl. 11.5. 
 The Mechods of Grace are obfcure, as thofe 
 of Nature. The Manner of the Formation of 
 Chriil in the Soul, is as undifcernable as the 
 Formation of a Child, or the Manner ofChrifFs 
 Conception in the Womb of the Virgin; both 
 which are fearful and wonderful, as it is faid 
 of the firil, FfaL 139- I4- Who can declare his 
 Generation 1 Ifa. 53. 8. i. e. the Generation of 
 Criu, either in his Perfon, or in his People. 
 It is therefore a Doclrine without Groui^d in 
 the Scripture, Reafon and Experience, for any 
 to afferc, that even one that is converted can, 
 or that none is converted who cannot upon 
 Examination, give an Account of the Time 
 and Manner of their Converfion. For to tell 
 the Ivlonth, Day, or Hour, 'therein they are 
 converted, is in mofc Converts impoilible, m 
 all of exceeding difficult Obfervation; but we 
 fhall freelv acknowledge the Time may be in 
 fome of lenlible Mark. But then, for thetn, 
 or others, to Ihew by which Way the Spirit 
 went out from God to fpeak unto their Hearts, 
 how and in which Partj the fan6lifying Ver- 
 tue gave Life, andFieat unto them, is nofmall 
 Peice of fuperditious Curiofity to expetl it 
 from thofe who have not Power to obferveit ; 
 but then th;s I hope, that through the Grac 
 
 c 
 
Faith and Jujlification* j^^ 
 
 oF our Lord Jefiis Chriil you and I may fay 
 with the blind Man in the Gofpel, Joh. 9. 25. 
 One Thing we know^ that we were blind, but now 
 we fee ; we were dead, but now we are alive ; we 
 we were lojiy but are now found ; we were Dark- 
 nefsy but are now Light in the Lord. Although 
 how we were enlightened, how we were re- 
 covered from our .ftraying in the Vale of Death, 
 we are not able in every Particular exadtly to 
 defcribe. Happy is he^hat experienceth this 
 blefled Change in himfelf, which is not a Spi« 
 rit of Pride and Bitternefs in quarrelling about 
 the Time and Manner of the Holy Ghofl's 
 implanting a Principle of fpiritual Life into 
 the Soul, as is too much the Manner of manv 
 at this Day ; with whom if I leave the Cen- 
 fure of the learned Moulin * I doubt not but 
 the truly Judicious will excufe me, viz. Are 
 themfeivesled by a reprobate Spirit, whilftcap- 
 tioully and carnally they enquire after the 
 working of God's Spirit. 
 
 I Ihall here obfe'rve to you two Things ef- 
 pecially m the Manner of Grace's Plantation in 
 us, which the facred Scriptures difcover to m. 
 
 1. 1 hat the planting of Grace in our Hearts 
 IS meerly lupernatural. 
 
 2. When once it is planted it is durable and 
 cannot ^be rooted up again. 
 
 I. The planting of Grace in our Hearts is 
 meerly fupernatural.That is above theStrength, 
 Without the Concurrence of our corrupted 
 ^ature. ^is Doftrine we hold and maintain 
 
 t ^nat. Jrmin. ~~ 
 
 ^ agalnft 
 
4^ A Treatlfe of Converfim^ 
 
 c£gainfl Pelagians^ SefnipelagianSy Papifis, Armu 
 nians, or other Sedlaries however named: And 
 a^ert that as the Efficient, of Man's San61:ifi4 
 cation is meerly fupernatural, viz. the Holy 
 Ghoft, fo is his Manner of working aItogethet% 
 divine^ beyond the Power, and without th© 
 Help of any Thing in Man. The Scripture^ 
 and common Experience will eafily fhew us^ 
 this Truth. Let us then without Pride, and 
 with due Attention read and impartially con- 
 Cder thefe Sayings of the Holy Ghoft, viz, 
 T6at e'uery Imagination of the Thought ^ of Man's 
 Heart Is only Evil continually. That of the 
 Children of Men, There is none that undrrftands 
 and feeks. after God, that they are become altogether 
 filthy.^ none that doth Good no not one., That wd^ 
 are blind 'till God open our Eyes, that Vieare deaf^ 
 'till God bore our Ears ; that we are Darknef s, ut- 
 terly dejlitute of all fpirltiial Light, it is God which 
 iji)orketJ? in us both the Will and the Deed of his 
 goodPleafure : That in our Converfion we are nein 
 begotten, new born, new Creattires, a'eatedinChrifl 
 Jefus to good Works : In a Word, that we are 
 all dead vi Trefpajfes and Sins, and that our 
 Sanctlfication is the firfi Refurred;m from Death, 
 wrought in us by the fame, almighty Power which, 
 God nianifefied in raifing Chrifl from the Gru^ce. 
 Did we gravely and ferioufly weigh thefe fa- 
 cred Paifages ; and maturely confider our na- 
 tural Inability and Weaknefs ; and were not 
 too much in' Love ^^ath ourfelves, we fliould 
 with the utmofl Readinefs, Chearfulnefs and 
 Alacrity, give God all the Praife of his redee- 
 ming Love and Grace in our Salvation : fay- 
 ing. 
 
Falthy and Jujlificat'ion, 4 j 
 
 Jng, l>!ot unto iis^ Lordy not unto us, but unto 
 thy Name we give the Glory for thy loving Mercy ^ 
 and for thy Truth Sake, Plkim 115. i. And if 
 we do bun impartially examine our own Hearts,* 
 and recoiled our Experiences of the wofal Ef- 
 fe6ls of that Body of- Death which we carry 
 about us, what violent Oppoiition it makes a- 
 gainft Grace ; with what Slacknefs and Cum- 
 ber we profecute a Motion from the Spirit of 
 God to A61ion"and full Accomplifhment, and 
 how paGTmg flow our Courfe toward Heaven 
 is, when we have all Helps of Nature and 
 Grace to carry us forward. If we deal truly 
 with our own Hearts, we fliall find juftReafon 
 freely to confefs, that if God had not donej 
 for us more than we could do for our felves, 
 we had utterly perifhed in our Sins. Oh then 
 let God have Glory, and every Man Shame ; 
 and fay with the Church, Ifa. 26. I2. Thou O 
 Lord hafi wrought all our JVorks in us. In our- 
 felves we are nothing, we have nothing, can 
 bring forth nothing fpiritually good and accep- 
 table to God. In our natural Eflate we are no 
 better than a Heap of Enmity to Good, and 
 Propenfity to Evil ; every Way miferable un- 
 lefs infinite Companion relieve us ; we are fafl 
 in our Chains like Galley Slaves, 'till Chrift re^ 
 deem us, and utterly deftitute of all fpiritual 
 Strength 'till Chrifl raife us up. We cannot 
 fo much as rife up in one holy Thought with- 
 out the Grace of God. 
 
 2. When once the f)")ecial Grace of God is 
 planted in the Heart, it is durable, and can- 
 not be rooted up again. In Converfion the 
 
 Habit 
 
44 -^ Treatife of Converjiony 
 
 Habit of Grace is fo firmly wrought in us, as 
 it fhall never be aboliflied again. For thofe 
 whom God hath accepted in his beloved Son, 
 efFeftually called, and fanclified by his Spirit, 
 cannot either totally or finally fall away from 
 the State of Grace. The Saints are built upon 
 the Rock, and not upon the Sand : therefore 
 when Temptations of any Kind aflaults, they 
 can never fall, nor can the Gates of Hell pre- 
 vail againfl them. Mat. 7. 24. & i6. i(5,i8. The* 
 the Hope of a Child of Grace may befometimes 
 aflaulted with Fears, Doubts, Temptations, 
 which are like the AfTaults of an Houfe builded 
 on a Rock, by Winds, Floods, and Storms^ yet 
 it fliall not fail, becaufe it is truly founded on 
 Chrifl, according to the Revelation of hisWill. 
 He that hath begun a good Work in the Saints, 
 will finifh it, until the Day of Jefus Chrifl, 
 Fhil. r. 6. The ApofllePjw/ feems to make a 
 holy EoaH and Triumph, in the Eflablifliment 
 of the Ele6l in the Love and Grace of Chrifl:. 
 Let Confcience, carnalReafon^LaWjSin, Hell, 
 and Devils, bring forth all they can, it won't 
 be fufficient to their Condemnation ,* and that 
 becaufe of Chrifl:'s Death and Satisfa6lion. The 
 Apoftle beats a Challenge, Rom. 8. 35. ^ho 
 fhall feparate us from the Love ofChriJl ? Where 
 the Spirit of God comes, he makes fure Work: 
 WHiat he hath built none flTall pull down: Where 
 he opens none can fliut : His Gifts and Gra- 
 ces are without Repentance. Here is a fweet 
 Cordial to refrefti and comfort, and a fure 
 Anchor for the Soul to ride upon ; yea, it is a 
 Nail fadned in a fure Place, for the gracious 
 SjuI to hang upon. The 
 
Faith f and Juftificatmu 45 
 
 The Work of the Spirit of God, in r ei^ea 
 of Time, may be ''coniidered m .a double Re- 
 IpeS: 
 
 I. I n Regard of the Q uality o f HolinejV, 
 an dPrihciple of ipirituaTLite intEFSoul : liiis 
 Work is termed by Divines, prevenun^ Gra ce; 
 wh^ich without our Atllflance worRs m us"na« 
 bituaTGrace, herein we are paffiv^ ^"?il he- 
 jig q uickHed,and renewed by theHolyGHoIT ^ 
 a'fe' tlTei^by enabled to embrace the Grace oi- 
 fered", and conveyed in t his p owerful Qper ati" 
 o5ir^uO"^Xs_,tQ,..Ag^h ferved, that w h enTTay; 
 a^Ia n is paffive in his Conyer fion, 1 do not 
 think~ Ee is phyiically paffiv e, as a'ScQclTQr 
 Stonerwftiie an Artiit i s about to malce a^ta- 
 tue of jHem ; but morally, or rather Tpiritu* 
 ally,_as a "Man is fpiritu ally dead, whicli^^a 
 true_and^ r'earT3eath,7tKougIiJie_be n at Lirajly 
 living., TEIs Truth might eafily be cleared 
 froiti many Scriptures, bud think fuificient on- 
 ly to obferve what the Apoffcle lair.h to this 
 Purpofe, £/)/;f/. 2. 8, 9. And efpecially the 10 
 Verfe : For "voe are his Workmanfloip created in 
 Chrift Jefus : &c. We are God's Workman- 
 fliip, not only as Men, but efpecially as Saints; 
 we are formed by him e're we can do any 
 good Work , and his forming us in our Re- 
 generation is a Part of our Salvation by Chrifl:, 
 who as our Head enlivens us, as Members u- 
 nited to him by Faith. As the firft Creation 
 was by Chii{l,as the fecondPerfon in the Tr"- 
 nity ,* fo the fecond Creation and by the fame 
 Chrift as Mediator, the Lord and Head of rhe 
 new Creation^ in whom we live and move, and 
 
 have 
 
4<5 A Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 have our new Being, and not in ourfelves. 
 We receive our new iieing that we may bring 
 forth new Works, and have a Carriage futable 
 to our new Principle : EnJightning our Minds 
 to know God's Will, difpoling and inclining 
 our Wills, purging our AiFeelions, that we 
 iliould glorify God in an holy Converfation a-' 
 greeable to that divine Nature whereof we are 
 made Partakers in the new Creation. 
 
 2. The fecond is in the Concurrence and 
 Help of the blefled Spirit in all Actions flow- 
 ing from the Habit of Grace, by powerful and 
 effe6lual Co-operation oi nis Virtue, together 
 with the Strengch of our renewed Faculties. 
 This Work is called b\ DiVines Gratia fiibfe- 
 qiiens co-opsransy or AiTiifers, and the Proceeds 
 of it are all thofe holy A6tions, which we ex- 
 ert & accomplifli by its Help. And this fecond 
 Work of the bleffed Spirit muft needs be thank- 
 fully acknowledged : For although he can and 
 doth work Vv^thout our Help in making us 
 good Trees, yet we mull co-operate and con- 
 cur with him in bearing good Fruit : And this 
 is beyond all Doubt, when we mud needs grant 
 an immediate Concourfe of God's ordinary 
 Power in all Aclions natural, even to the mo- 
 ving of one Finger ,* it would therefore be ab- 
 furd in Divinity, to deny the Aid of God's fpe- 
 cial Grace in every fpiritaal Aftion. Our A- 
 bility to do good Works is wholly from the 
 Spirit of Chnfi:, and not at all from ourfelves. 
 And that we miay be enabled thereunto, be- 
 fides the Graces already received, w^e need the- 
 aclual Influences of the fame Holy Spirit, t^ 
 
 won 
 
Faith and Jujilficatlon,. 47 
 
 . fuoork in us both to will and to do of his good Plea- 
 Jure. Phil. 2. 13. The Lord workecti withia 
 his Children powerfully and efFedltially, carry- 
 ing on the Work through all Difficulties and 
 Obflacles with vi6lorious Efficacy 'till it be 
 wrought ; he works not only by Suafion to 
 gaia AfTent, but by fpecial Energy effedling 
 what he would have us to do. This Do6lrine 
 our Saviour himfelf taught his Difcipies ; I 
 a?n the Fine, ye are the Branches : he that abid- 
 eth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth 
 much Fruity for mthout me ye can do nothings 
 John 15. 5. Chrifl is as the Vine, Believers 
 areas the Branches ; without the continual In- 
 fluence of the Vine upon the Branches, they 
 bring forth no Fruit ,* but that Influence con- 
 tinuing no Plant is more fruitful than a Vine 
 is : So without the continual Influence of the 
 Spirit of Grace upon us, we fhalibe altogethq: 
 barren and unfruitful ; but if you have that 
 Influence, you will not be fruitful only, but 
 very fruitful ; and without the continuing Irt- 
 fluence of Chrift's Spirit, Tve fliall not only be 
 able to do httle, but will be able to do nothing 
 that is_ truly and fpiritually good and accepta- 
 ble iR the Sight of God. 
 
 It is written in the Prophets ( faith our Savir 
 our) And they /JmU be all taught of God, every 
 Man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned 
 of the Father, comet h unto me, John 6. 45. All 
 they whom the Lord hath chofen, fnall be 
 taught of God. God by his Spirit doth open 
 the Underilandings of theEle(Si, to underfland 
 the holy Scriptures, the Types and Prophecies 
 
 of 
 
^8 -^ Treattfe of Converjion^ 
 
 of Chrift, and what the holy Prophets have 
 fpoken of him, both as to his Perfon and Offi- 
 ces. God having in his Word revealed his 
 Will, fofaras he hath plainly revealed it, Men 
 may know it ; ''but there are deep Things of 
 God, Adyfteries in Scripture, which till the 
 Spirit of God harh revealed unto Men, they 
 know not, nor underftand ; for none knoweth 
 them originally, but the Spirit of God, who is 
 himfelf God, and fearcheth the deep Things 
 of God. This is alTerted by the Apoftle 
 Paul, I Cor, -s. lo, ii, £fc. but his Scope and 
 Meaning is very different from the abufive In- 
 terpretation of Enthufiajh\ in this and former 
 Ages, who monopolize to themfelves, and their 
 Spirit, the Senfe of facred Scripture. TheApo- 
 flle explains the Scope of his fubfequent Dif- 
 courfe in the 9th Verfe ; But as it is vjritten, 
 £ye hath not feen, nor Ear heardy neither have en- 
 tred into the Heart of Man, the Things whichGod 
 hath prepared for them that love him. This he 
 quotes out ol Jfai. 64. 4. which is plainly the 
 lame with what the Apoflle fpeaks in this 
 Place ; the greatefl Difference is, the Apoflie 
 faith, thofe that Jove him ; the Prophet, thofe 
 that ijoait for him^ which is the certain Produ6l 
 and Effect of Love. The whole 64th Chap, 
 of Jfaiahy and fome Chapters following, treat 
 concerning Chrifl:, and fo doth this Text, and 
 many of thofe following. Chrift and his Be- 
 nefits are to be underftood by the Things that 
 God hath prepared for them that love him ; 
 which are fee out as Things not obvious to 
 Senfe not to be comprehended by Reafon. It 
 
 could 
 
Fahb and Jujiificatlon, 49 
 
 could never have entred into the Heart of Men 
 to conceive, that God fhoiild give his only be- 
 gotten Son, out of his own Bofom, to take up- 
 on him our Nature, and to die upon the Crofs ; 
 or that Chrifl fliould fo far humble himfelf,and 
 become obedient unto Death. This is the 
 confentient Judgment of the bell Expofitors 
 on thefe Paflages of Scriptures. And they do 
 not warrant any to expe6l new Revelations of 
 God's Will now from Heaven, as fome now do 
 ignorantly dream of. I ihall therefore, nexc 
 acquaint you how the fecond Aid, the fubfe- 
 quent Virtue of the Holy Ghofl about all good 
 Works v/hich we do, is to be looked for. 
 
 1. It ftirs us up to good Aftions, by infpir- 
 ing into our Souls, after a fecret and unper- 
 ceptible Manner, holy Thoughts, heavenly 
 Motions, Defires, Porpofes, and Refolutions 
 tending to Godlinefs : And this AiTiflance of 
 the Spirit of God, is called by Divines, Gratia 
 Excijiam, exciting Grace. 
 
 2. The Spirit of God guides and helps for- 
 ward the Strength of each Faculty when it ap- 
 plies it felf to the real Performance of any Ac- 
 tion ; and this is very properly called by the 
 Learned, Gratia adjuvans^ or co-operans, helping 
 Grace. 
 
 We fliall now examine wherein the Conftan- 
 cy of Grace confifts, and wherein it feems 
 changeable. As_to the Habit of Grace in the 
 Regenerate, we affirm and maintain that i t is 
 cmnEant, an?~cann Qt^be r ooted"u p again : He 
 who .is~bhce converted can never lo Ihake off 
 the -firft, as to undergo ;he fecond and third 
 G Con*- 
 
so A Treatife of Converfton, 
 
 Converfion: A Sinner once raifed from Death, 
 through the Infufion of fpiritual Life, like 
 onto Chrifl, he dies no more, but lives 
 forever to the Glory of God. This is mofl 
 ftrongly and convincingly argued by theApo- 
 file Peter i Pet. i. 23. Being born again not of 
 corriptible Seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of 
 God, which liveth and abideth forever. It is im- 
 poiTible that the incorruptible Seed of Grace 
 iliould periih in the EIe6l, not in Refpe6l of 
 the Will and Power of the Eled themfelves, 
 but in Refpe6l of the Immutability of God's 
 Decree concerning them, and of his Purpofe of 
 keeping them powerfully againft Seduftion, ac- 
 cording to his Promifes of which he cannot 
 repent. See John 10.28. And I give unto them 
 eternal Life, and they poall never perifhy neither 
 jhall any pluck them out of my Hand, This is 
 plain then, that this quickning Power of God*s 
 Spirit, whereby we be regenerate, lives for- 
 ever, not only in itfelf but in us alfo, fupport- 
 ing and fuflaining our Souls forever in their 
 fpintual Life of Grace, once infufed into them. 
 And it is not to be thought that any fhall in 
 the leafl:, cavil and go about to deny thisTruth, 
 Vv^hen they have feriouflyread and confidered 
 that,iJohn3.9.^/;/7/b^'u^r is born of God doth not 
 vonwiit Sin ; for his Seed remaineth in hirUy and 
 he cannot fin, becaufe he is born of God, Thus 
 of the durable Nature of the Habit of Grace. 
 Next a Word of the Operations of Grace, 
 wherein it feems to be changeable. And here 
 there is not fuch Conftancy as in the former : 
 the Operations performed bv the Aid of the 
 
 Spirit 
 
Faith and Jujiificatlon. 5X 
 
 Spirit often meet with Interruptions, and Pull- 
 backs, and the Holy Ghofl doth not at all 
 Times alike, either ftir up the Faculties of the 
 Soul by holyMotions, or affid: their Endeavours 
 in Performance of good Defires. There are 
 many Rifings in the Heart contrary to the In- 
 terefl: of the new Creature, there are Stirrings 
 of corruptive Buds growing on the old Stock 
 from Seafon to Seafon : There are alfo thofe 
 Evils of Pride, vain Glory, Ambition and fpe- 
 culative Wickednefs, fubje6l daily to the Af- 
 faults or Temptations of Satan, who inceflant- 
 ]y, and outragioufly envy's their Happinefs. 
 And fometimes Temptation breaks in upon the 
 regenerate Soul, makes a Gap, yea mafters it ; 
 fome prefumptuous Sin againfl Confcience. 
 fome Pride in our own Strength, fome negle(T 
 of pious Duties, efpecially Prayer and fpiritu- 
 al Meditation, fome carelefs Entertainment of 
 the blefledMotionsofGrace,fome Security thro' 
 long enjoying of heavenly Com/orts ; fome 
 fuch or other Offence, may quench the Spirit!, 
 and caufe him to withdraw from our Souls all 
 Senfe of his comfortable Prefence and Affift- 
 ance for a Time. 
 
 This Interruption of the Operations of the 
 Spirit of Grace in the regenerate, comes to 
 pafs three Ways. 
 
 I. The Devi] who in general is a profeiTed 
 Enemy of Mankind, is more fpitefuily fet a* 
 gainfl thofe who have believed thro' Grace, 
 lie feeks, as Chrifl faid to Peter^ to mnno'-jj 
 them as Wheat ; and like a roaring Lion he 
 bath them in continual Chafe. Pie leaves no 
 
 Means 
 
52 , A Treatife of Comer fion^ 
 
 Means uriattempted, by whicli he may work 
 them to fome Evil, thereby to hazzard their 
 Souls, impair their Comforts, and to bring 
 Difgrace upon their holy Profeffion. He is 
 continually laying Baits and Ginns in their 
 Way, and in every Thing they undertake, or 
 go about, he feeketh to enfnare them : In a 
 Word, his main Bufinefs in which he is in- 
 ceffantly imployed is to interrupt and deflroy 
 the Kingdom of Chrifl and his Grace in the 
 World. 
 
 2. Thofe that are truly converted, are not 
 yet wholly fanctified. They have Flelh as 
 well as Spirit, and there is a continual Conflift 
 between the Flefn and the Spirit, betv^^ixt Na- 
 ture and Grace. The Condition of the rege- 
 
 «era^e,is as in a State where there are two Clai- 
 niers of the Crown, each of which driving to 
 make his Party flrong againfl the other, fome- 
 times the one hath the upper Hand, fome- 
 times the other ,• fo thefe two Flefli and Spirit, 
 are at a perpetual Variance, fometimes the 
 good Motions of the Spirit prevail, fometimes 
 the flefnly ^ffeftions get the Afcendant. Sa- 
 tan is diligent to obferve the Caufe which 
 Men take, and from hence he gathers what 
 is their Difpofition, and make his Advantage 
 of thofe Things to which their natural Cor- 
 ruption feems mod to incline, and draws them 
 to Mifchief and Reproach. 
 
 3. Godin his Wifdom fufFers them nowand 
 then to takeaFoyl in their Combat with Satan, 
 the World and the Flefli ; yea, in fuch aMea- 
 fure, as that Satan may even fe^m to triumph 
 
 in 
 
Faith, and Juflification, 53 
 
 in their Conquefh, and the Inftruments of Satan 
 rejoice greatly in their Failings and Imperfec- 
 tions. Thus doth God often deal with his dear 
 Children to humble them for their natural Pride, 
 and for their greater Good, by bringing them 
 to a better Underftanding and S^snfe of their 
 own Weakneifes. The Thorn in the Fleili of 
 the Apoftle Paul, whether it; was an outward 
 Temptation, or inward Corruption, kept him 
 upon his Level from being lifted up above 
 Meafure. The very furring of one Sin is 
 fometimes the Ruin of another. The Devil 
 tempted Chrifl, to conquer him, and God or- 
 dered it for fitting of our Saviour to reUeve us 
 with more CompafTion from an experimental 
 Senfe of his Subtilty, and our Mifery. Jo- 
 fepos Slavery in Egypt ^ by his Brother/s Sin 
 IS the Prefervation of the Church in Canaan. 
 And the crucifying the Son of God the Re- 
 demption of the World. An infinite wife 
 God can ufe the Sins of Men to clear up the 
 Way of Salvation, both to themfelves arfd o- 
 thers. And while they are under AfSlclions 
 and Chaftifements for their Sins, he continues 
 his Love to them. He may chaftife them with 
 the Rod ; but will not fiixFer his Faithfulnefs 
 to fail. He will as a tender Mother raife them 
 when they fall, but whip them for falling, to 
 caufe them to take more Heed., Thisr is evi- 
 dent in the Cafe of Afaph, Pfaf. 73. Who af- 
 ter a flrong-Confiidl; with Sin, had anAlTurance 
 that God would guide him by his Coimfel to Glo- 
 ry, V. 24. And he makes this lillie and Ufe 
 fi^ it, it quickens him to a Refolve, that it was 
 '^ ' - good. 
 
54 ^ TTeatife of Converfion, 
 
 good, and good for him too to draw nigh to God. 
 Ver. 28. The plain State of the Cafe is this, 
 when the Soul is left deflitute of the aftuai 
 Concurrence of the good Spirit of Grace, it 
 foon falis a la ngii idling, prefently difcovers its 
 natural Weaknefs, like hot Water taken off 
 the Fire, begins to return to its firfl Coldnefs ; 
 and for a lime Corruption prevails againft 
 Grace, that which is natural, againft that 
 which was but accidental. Such Ceflations 
 as thefe are, all Men grant, and all good Men 
 feel :^ Neverthelefs albeit the Aft fail, 
 the^ Habit ceafeth not, nor is the Ground 
 flraightway barren becaufe it mifleth a Seafon 
 or two ; they are but Chaflifements for Neg- 
 ligence pafl, and Admonitions to enfuingCare, 
 Watchfulnefs, and Indullry^ which again will 
 bring in an Increafe of Comforts, when upon 
 unfeigned Repentance and Submiffion the Lord 
 is intreated to make the Light of his gracious 
 Countenance and loving Favour fnin'e upon 
 them. I pafs next to the 
 
 3. Third Circumflance to be confldered in 
 the Point of our Converfion, and that is, the 
 Subie£l; in which it is wrought; Thefe are the 
 Elefl and they only ; thofe whom he waspleaf- 
 ed to approve of, and to pitch his free Love 
 and Favour upon: and whom he fevered from 
 the common Lump and Mafs of Mankind, thefe 
 he appointed to be conformed to the Image of 
 his Son ; that is, to be conformied to him in 
 Holin efs and Sufferings here, and in Glory 
 hereafter. There is Proof enough hereof in 
 that golden Chain of Sah'ation recorded^ Rom. 
 
 8. .so. 
 
Fahhy and Jujtification. 55 
 
 g. 3c. Moreover^ ^vohom he hath predefiifiatedy them 
 alfo hath he called ; whom he called, thsm he alf9 
 jujiified, &c. There is no Defe6l in the Chain 
 of Salvation here fet down by the Apoille ; 
 of which Sanftification (tho' not here exprefTed) 
 is one fpecial Link, and which is included in 
 effe6lual CalHn^, and alfo hinted in the 29th 
 Verfe. The Links of this precious Chain are 
 fo furely knit together, that no Power of Hell, 
 no Wit of Man is fufficient to break them. 
 Whom the Lord hath chofen before all Time, 
 thofe in due Time he calls, or converts, thofe 
 he juftifies, thofe he glorifies. Therefore 
 Sanftification, Jufbification, and Glory are 
 bounded within thofe Limits which God's Pre- 
 deflination or Ele6lion hath prefcribed unto 
 them, extending to no other Perfon, but fuch 
 only as have their Names written in the Book of 
 Life. The Ele6l in this Life are of two Sorts. 
 
 1. Infants, who have not the Knowledge of 
 Good, or a6luai Pra6lice of Evil. 
 
 2. Adult, who are of Age, who may both 
 know and do, either Good or Evil. Infants 
 and adult Perfons are both the Subje6ls ofSanc- 
 tification, but there is fome Difference in the 
 Manner of working it in them. Our Vocation 
 unto the State of Grace is double. 
 
 1. Inward in the Work of the Spirit of Grace 
 upon our Hearts, regenerating and fandlifying 
 them by the Infufion of Holinefs. 
 
 2. Outward, in the preaching of the Word, 
 calling us to Faith and Repentance, whereto 
 the Spirit joins his fecret Vertue to make ic 
 effeftual in whom he pleafeth. This Diflindli- 
 
 on 
 
56 A Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 on of inward and outward Vocation is as ne- 
 tefTary^as it is ancient; and is a Truth fo clear 
 that I need not fland to juftify it. Thofe of 
 theEIe6l that die Infants are fan6lified or con- 
 verted before they are capable of external Vo- 
 cation. Thofe of the EJeft that live to ripe 
 Age, are called both inwardly by the Work of 
 the Spirit, and outwardly by the Voice of the 
 Word. In both Sorts Converfion is the fame, 
 and Infants have it the fame in Subftance as 
 others. And here we may lay down this fure 
 Rule, namely, that the Graces of San6lificatioii 
 may be, and are infufed into manyof theEle6l 
 in their very Infancy. Several Grounds may 
 •be alledged for the Juftification of this Con- 
 clufion: As ( i. ) That Infants are as capable 
 of the Habits of San6lity as Men are. (2.) That 
 their Souls may as well be now landlified by 
 infufed Grace, as if Jdam had not fell, they 
 fhould have been holy even from the Womb, 
 By original Juftice propagated unto them, and 
 inherent in them. (3.) I'hat the Humanity of 
 Chrifl was in this Manner holy even from the 
 •Conception, which was therein by fpecial Privi- 
 lege, hke unto that Courfe which fliould have 
 been ordinary in our Conceptions and Births, 
 if we had not finned. (4.) It mufl be acknow- 
 ledged that John the Baptijt w^-; fanftified by 
 the Holy Ghoft, even from the Womb ; which 
 is convincingly evident from his extraordinary 
 Motion upon the Salutation of Mary the Mo- 
 ther of our blefled Saviour, Luke i. 41, 44. A 
 pregnant Inftance and Proof of this, is that 
 whidi the Lord faith of Jeremiah^ Chap. i. 5. 
 
 Before 
 
Faith and Jiijlification. 57 
 
 Before I formed thee in the fFo?nb, I knew thee; 
 and before thou cameji out of the IVomb^ Ifancti- 
 fied thee, and ordained thee to be a Prophet unto 
 the Nations, It is true, this may well be iin- 
 derflood of his Defignation unto the prophe- 
 tick Fiin6i:ion, no lefs than a Preparation of 
 him thereto by the Infufxon of fuch Qtialities 
 as might make him meet for the Difcharge 
 thereof ; as excelling Wifdom, Courage, Pa- 
 tience, &c. in which Senfe the Word fandlify 
 is fometimes taken: As If a. i3-3- When God 
 called the Medes and Ferfians, prepared and 
 deligned for the Deftruftion of the Babylonians^ 
 his fanctifisd ones : That is, fet apart for his 
 own Service in that Bulinefs. And to the 
 fam6 Purpofe Paul fpeaks of himfelf, Gal. i. 
 i^. That fcparated me to the Apofilefoip. 
 
 There are two or three Things which na- 
 turally fall in here, and are worthy of due No- 
 tice and Conllderation, viz. 
 
 I . A Refolution to thofe who have the Care 
 of their Souls, and Salvation in highefl Efleem^ 
 who frequently doubt of their Converfion be- 
 caufe they know not the Time and Manner 
 of their real Change from a State of Nature 
 and Naughtinefs, to a State of Sanftification 
 and Vertue. They are fatisfied in it, that 
 their Birth hath been of religious Parents, they 
 have alfo had a religious Education, they have 
 been careful to attend upon religious Duties 
 both in publick and private : They find fome 
 Goodnefs in themfelves, and alfo love what 
 is good : And yet know not how fuch Difpo- 
 fitions have been wro't in them : And there- 
 
 H fore 
 
58 -^ Treat if e of Converjion^ 
 
 fore are apt to queflion the Truth and Good^ 
 nefs of their State, becaufe they cannot find 
 that in all their Lives they have obferved fuch 
 an Alteration wrought in them as they hear 
 and fee to be in forne others. To thefe we 
 fay, that doubting doth not imply a Want of 
 Grace and Faith, but a Weaknefs of Faith. 
 Chrifl acknowledgeth the fewGrains of Peter's 
 Paith, when he reproves him for doubting. 
 Mat. 14. 31. O thou of little Faith, <uoherefore 
 didfi thou doubt ? Marys Queflion upon the 
 Angel's Meffage to her of conceiving Jefus, 
 who ihould be called the Son of the highefl, 
 Luke I. 34. H01JO /hall this be feeing I know not 
 a Man ? was not a Queflion of Unbelief, 
 but of a Defire of clearer Information in the 
 Manner how this fhould come to pafs : Nor 
 are ftrong Motions of queflioning the Being 
 of a God, the Truth of Redemption, and Faith- 
 fulnefs and Fulnefs of the Promife, Teflimo- 
 nies of Infidelity, provided they be abhorred, 
 and repelled with an holy Indignation ; nor 
 thofe which fometime aflauk flrong Believers, 
 as when Afaph doubted whether there were 
 any Mercy left in God, when he imagined God 
 had barred up any Motion of his Bowels to- 
 wards him : This was a Start of Paflion, 
 it was his Infirmity as he acknowledged Pfal. 
 77. 10. This is my InfirtJiity, It is alfothe Infir- 
 mity of fuch, if they are forry that they have 
 not been fo bad as fome others. They ought 
 rather to rejoice, and be very thankful,that their 
 good God did fo early flop up in them theCourfe 
 of fmful Nature, which hath fliewed itfelf in ma- 
 ^... ny 
 
Faith and Jiiftification, 59 
 
 ny others, in whom for many Years it feemed 
 to be incurable. That he bowed their Hearts 
 when they were young and tender, before they 
 grew llifF and old in Sin, that he hath prefer- 
 ved their Youth from thofe Corruptions which 
 others in their Age have dearly repented of. 
 Let fuch who from their Infancy have, with 
 Jfaacy Samuel and Timothy and otfier the Chil- 
 dren of God, been brought up and educated 
 in Piety and Vertue, and grown as in Stature, 
 fo in Favour and Grace with God and good 
 Men, let fuch not doubt to fay, it was in my 
 Mother's Womb, at my Birth, Baptifm or non 
 Age, that God hath dealt fo gracioufly with 
 me, fandlifying me with the Spirit of Grace 
 which then was given me, and hath graciouf- 
 ly afforded me from Time to Time thofe happy 
 Dilpofitions to vertuous and religious Courfes. 
 2. It is without any Ground to fupport it, 
 that thofe of the romifh Communion, deny 
 the Salvation of Infants dying before Baptifm. 
 Elect Infants may be clean and holy before 
 Baptifm, whether we refpe6l the Guilt of Sin, 
 or the Corruption of it. They are clean from 
 the Guilt of original Sin by the Death of Chrift: 
 which God hath accepted to their perfect Juf- 
 tification long before they were born. They 
 are likewife made clean in Part from the Cor- 
 ruption of original Sin, by the Infufion of ha- 
 bitual San6]:ity into their Souls. For being juf- 
 tified by Chrifl from the Guilt and Puniiliment 
 of Sin, what fnould hinder why they may not 
 be fan6lified by the Holy Ghofl, in Part while 
 they live, and perfectly upon the feparatinx^ 
 
 of 
 
^o A Treatifi of Converfion, 
 
 of the Sou! and Body, when original Corrup- 
 tion is in a Moment done awav, and the Soul 
 invefled in the Robes of Righteoufnefs fit for 
 its Entrance into Happinefs and Glory ? The 
 Work of Sandlification may be wrought in 
 Infants Ele6l, before as well as after Baptifm ; 
 for it is not Baptifm, but the Holy Ghoft is 
 the EiBcient thereof, whofe Work is free, and 
 not fo to be tied to that Ordinance ; but that 
 he may fan^ify the Eleft fometime before, 
 fometime after, and not always at the prefent 
 Celebration of it. And the facred Scriptures 
 do abundantly teftify, that eledl Infants dying 
 in Infancy are regenerated and faved by Chnfl 
 through the Spirit, who worketh when and 
 where, and how he pleafeth. ^ohn the Baptijt 
 was filled with the Holy Ghofl, even from his 
 Mother's Womb ; Luke i. 19. The Prophet 
 Jere^mah was fanftif^^'d from his Mother's 
 Womb, Jer. i. 5. The Promife is made to 
 believing Parents, and to their Children con- 
 junctly, Gen. 17. 7. Acts 2. 39. Chrift faith, 
 Cf fuch is the Kingdom of Heaven y Mat. 19. 14. 
 T'he Apcflle Faul calls Children, which are 
 defcended but of one Parent in Covenant 
 with God, holy, i Cor. 7. 14. And God hath 
 promifed in the fecond Commandment, that 
 he mll/heiv Mercy unto Thoufands, that are de- 
 fcended of believing Parents, Exod. 20. 6. It 
 is true, that they areuncapable of aftual Faith, 
 but it is as true they may have the Habits of 
 Faith and Repentance, and of all other fpiri- 
 tpal Graces infufed into them, which if they 
 lived v/ould alfo appear by the aftual Opera- 
 tions. 
 
Falth^ and Jujtification, 6i 
 
 tions. The Cafe is extraordinary, and God as 
 before they were, hath pardoned them of their 
 original Unrighteoufnefs by the Blood of Chriil, 
 fo can he as well beflow Holinefs and Happi- 
 nefs on them without any a6lual Faith of their 
 own coming between as an Inftrumen:: to re- 
 ceive both. And as this may be faid of In- 
 fants ; fo it may be apphed to fach as are deaf, 
 or Fools, having fuch natural Defe6ls a^ make 
 them uncapable of Difcipline. 
 
 3. Children are to be baptized. That which 
 is fignified by Baptifm, is our Juftification by 
 the Blood of Chrifh, our San6liiication by the 
 Spirit of Chrifl. Baptifm is the Seal of both 
 unto us: and Infants may be Partakers of both, 
 being waihed from the Guilt of Sin, by the 
 Blood of Chrift, in whom they are reconciled 
 to God, and adiually juflified before him ; and 
 alfo purified in Part from the Unclean nefs of 
 Sin by the Infufion of Grace from the Holy 
 Ghoft. What then fliould hinder, why the 
 Infants of one or both beHeving Parents, be 
 baptized, or waflied with the Water in the Sa- 
 crament ? The Scriptures afford many cogent 
 Arguments for our Practice herein. This Seal 
 of the New Teftament belongs to covenanted 
 Ones, ( of which Number the Infants of Be- 
 lievers are no lefs than their Parents, Gen. i;^. 
 y, 22. Jcls 2. ^Sy39' Jets '^.2S. Rom. 11. i6.&ci) 
 And they being capable of this Seal of the Co- 
 venant, it is not to be denied to them. The 
 outward Sacrament of Water cannot be denied 
 to fuch as have received the Spirit of Chrifl:, 
 and to whom the Promifes of the New-Tefla- 
 
 meat 
 
62 A Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 ment fealed up in Baptifm do belong ; but to 
 fome Infants of Believers as well as to others 
 come to Age, the Spirit of Chrifl hath been 
 given ; bath which have been already proved. 
 Again, The Infants of Believers are Members 
 of the Churchy which is fanclified and cleanfed 
 with the waihing of Water by the Word, Eph. 
 5. 25, 26. Again, the Children of Believers 
 were by a divine Right circumcifed under the 
 OldTeftament : therefore the Children of Be- 
 lievers under the New Teflament ought to be 
 baptized, becaufe the one hath fucceeded to 
 the other. That Baptifm fucceeds to Circum- 
 cifion is evident, becaufe they both feal up the 
 fame very Thing. And as Circumcifion was 
 the initiating Seal under the Old Teflament, fo 
 is Baptifm under the New. And the ApcfUes 
 did adminifler it fo early to the Difciples as 
 the firft appearing of their new Birth, and In- 
 tereil in the Covenant. 
 
 If it be objected (as we have heard more than 
 once) that the Lord's Supper may be given to 
 Infants as well as Baptifm.; fince Infants may 
 m'-ike as muchUfe of one as of the other, being 
 .alike infenfible of both : To this we anfwer. 
 That our blefied Lord hath made a plain Dif- 
 -ference in the Manner of their Inftitution ; 
 namely of the Perfons that are to partake of 
 them ; the Ceremonies of Adminiflration are 
 diverfe ; as in Baptifm they require nothing but 
 Paflion in the baptized, and fo may be admi- 
 niftred to Infants; but in the Lord's Supper 
 they requirefuch Actions as cannot be perform- 
 ed but by fuch as are of Years of Difcretion, 
 
 viz. 
 
Faith^ and Jiijlification. 6^ 
 
 viz. Self-Examination, difcerning the Lord's 
 Body, thankful Remembrance of his Death,&cr 
 The full difculTing of this Point, (which hath 
 been often done by many abler Hands ) 
 belonging more properly to the Do61rine of 
 the Sacraments,- I fhall no longer fland upon 
 it ; but pafs to the 
 
 Next Sort of eledl Perfons, and they are 
 thofe of Age, with whom the Lord deals ac- 
 cording to the Counfels of infinite Wifdom, and 
 Methods of fovereign Grace and Love, fome 
 he calls fooner, others later, fome he fufFers to 
 go aftray a great while, and at length are bro't 
 home to the Obedience ofChrifl, the Shepherd 
 and Bifhop of Souls. The Lord prevents many 
 fuch without any Motion or Defire of their 
 own. What is faid of the Remnant of Jacobs 
 as a Dew from the Lord, as the Showers upon the 
 Grafs y thatittanieth not for Man, nor wait eth for 
 the Sons of Men, Micah 5. 7. may be faid of the 
 Grace of God, it waits not for the Preparati- 
 ons and Difpofitions of the Creature, but pre- 
 vents them : Tis a pure Gift : tho' we are ac- 
 tive with it, yet we are wholly indifpofed for 
 it. We can no more prepare our felves to 
 fhine as Stars in the World, than a Dunghill 
 can to fhine as a Sun in Heaven. The Apo- 
 llle's Rule will hold true in the whole Co mpafs 
 oftheWork,"Rom.(5.ii. If it be ofmrks, then 
 it is no more Grace. In the Regeneration of 
 Perfons come to Years of Difcrecion, fome have 
 a more gentle and fweet PalTage from Morali- 
 ty to Grace, whofe Lives have been under ver- 
 tuous Education and ftriiier Difcipline : O- 
 
 thers 
 
€4- -A Treatife of Converfioriy 
 
 thers who have led difTolute Lives are conver* 
 ted with more bitter Plunges, and Terrors, and 
 experience the Throws of the New-Birth with 
 greater Anguifh of Confcience : Some are 
 furprifingiy changed as in a Moment upon the 
 reading of a Portion of Scripture, or hearing 
 the Word preached, and deeply laid hold on, 
 and others are wrought upon with more La- 
 bour, and longer Time ; in aVVord, thisWork 
 is fecret and therefore difficult to be defcrib- 
 ,ed. The Methods of Grace are obfcure as 
 thofe of Nature, Ecclef. ii. 5. Who kno'ws 
 the IVay of the Spirit, or hoo) the Bones do 
 grozv in the PFomb of her that is zvith Child ? 
 £ven fo thou knowefl not the Works of God 
 who makes all. So various is the Difpenfati- 
 on of God's Grace in our Converfion, that 
 as ChriO: fpeaks of his coming in the Flefh, fo 
 •may we of this in the Spirit ; the Kingdom of 
 'God Cometh not mth Obfervation. And it is that 
 exceeds all human Skill to prefcribe a general 
 Rule that will hold in all Converts. But tho' 
 the Manner is not within the Ken of any Man, 
 yet the Means are ever uniform and conflant ; 
 viz, the Spirit of God the chief Worker. And 
 the Word of God the fubordinate Inltrument 
 by which it works our Converfion. 
 
 The whole of this mighty W^ork is moft ex- 
 cellently and emphatically fet down by the A- 
 poftle Paul, 2 Their. 2. 13, 14. But we eiig/jt 
 to' give Thanks alvoays to God for you^ Brethren^ 
 beloved of the Lord, becaufe that God hath from the 
 Beginmng chofen you to Salvation, t^,ough Sanctis 
 fication of the Spirit^ and Bslief oj- the Truth : 
 
 JVhereuntQ 
 
Faith, and jFuJiification.^ 6s 
 
 fFhereunto he called you by our Go/pel to obtain the 
 Glory of our Lord Jefus Chrifi. 
 
 I mufl neceflarily obferve here, that there 
 are two Things which are ordinarily wrought 
 in Men hving under theMiniflry of theWord: 
 Namely, 
 
 1. Illumination of the Underflanding. 
 
 2. Motions of the Will and Affe6lions ? 
 Thefe are the Fountain of all outward Aftions:^ 
 And each of them of two different Sores. 
 
 I. Illumination. And this is either 
 I. Common and natural. Molt Men know 
 fuch and fuch A6lions to be finful, they know 
 Unbelief to be a damning Sin, God to be a 
 righteous God, Chrift the only Saviour. A 
 Man in hearing or reading conceives the li- 
 teral Senfe and Meaning of the Scripture in 
 mofi Points of Chriftian Religion, fo that he 
 is able to difcourfe, difpute,and write of them; 
 this Divines call Knowledge common, becaufe 
 it is bellowed on Reprobates as well as others. 
 The Light v/hich the Spirit affords to fuch a 
 one, is but fome more em.inent Degree of chat 
 common Affiflance which he gives to all that 
 feek after Knowledge in any Learning, for the 
 Good&Benefit of Mankind. It is aPoint of com- 
 monExperience, &granted by theLearned,that 
 a learned Scholar unregenerate knows and flu- 
 dies Divinity in the fame Manner and Method 
 as he doth any other Art and Science. And 
 as in the one, fo in the other, he may obtain a 
 fuperior Degree of Knowledge, by a fpecial, 
 but no fan6lifying Gift of the Spirit ; which 
 doth much adorn his natural Reafon^ but not 
 I make 
 
66 A Treatjfe of Con'cerjion, 
 
 make it fpiritual. A Man may know an Arti- 
 ficer by the Excellency of his Workmanlliip, 
 without any Affe6tion to his Perfon, Rom. i. 
 21. They glorified him not as Cody jior lure thank- 
 fiil The Man that had a Spirit of an unclean 
 Devil, did profefs his Knowledge of Chrift, 
 when fcarce any upon Earth well underftood 
 what he was. Luke 4. 34. / knoi\) thee who 
 thou art, the holy one of God ; but this was only 
 a fpeculative Knowledge, without a fpiritual 
 Principle, which is necelTary to a fa ving Know- 
 ledge. As 
 
 2, Illumination is fpiritual, when a Man by a 
 fmgular Gift of the Spirit of Grace is enablec 
 to judge of heavenly Things, in a fpirituai 
 Manner, according to their Truth and Good- 
 ntfs, reprefented to theUnderflanding in their 
 native Beauty and Excellency, i John 5. 20. 
 He hath given us an Underjlamling that ijie may 
 know him that is true ; and we are in him that is 
 true. The Speculations of Gcd may fill the 
 Head, and the Heart be empty of a Senfe x)f 
 him, and the Life barren of an Imitation of 
 God. This is PVifdom efitring into the Soul, 
 Truth in the inward^ Parts ^ Pfal. 51. (5. That is 
 fie Teaching of God, when the Truth is lear- 
 ned as it is in Jefus Ephef 4. 21. Powerfully 
 dire6tivc, conforming the Soul as it did the 
 human Nature of Chrifl: to the Will and Mind 
 of God. When the Will is conformed to the 
 true Notions of an enlighten'dUnderflanding, 
 fuch Illumination ravillieth their Mind, quic- 
 kens the Prayers, feafons the Converfe, and 
 fortifies agairifl Temptations. It gives a Re- 
 
 iiih 
 
Faitb and Jiiflificatioru 6f 
 
 lifli of good Things, and therefore one calls 
 it well {Gujtus Sfiritnalis ^tidicii*) 'Tis a Wit- 
 nefs of the Truth in us, i ^ohn 5. 10. Such 
 Knowledge as this is belongs only to the E- 
 le6l, and may well be called fpiritiial, becaiife 
 the fanftifiedUnderftanding judgeth ipiritually 
 of God, and heavenly Things. 
 
 2. Motions of the Will and Affe6lions: Thefe 
 are likewife double : viz. 
 
 I. Natural : Inhere is reflraining Grace as 
 well as renewing Grace, but they are two dif- 
 ferent Things. God told Abimelech^ I withheld 
 thee fromfmnlng againft me, Gen. 20. 6. Jbi- 
 melech had foine natural Integrity in his Con- 
 fcience, not to nneddle with another Man's 
 Wife, which' God acknowledges, I knoiu that 
 thou dldjl this in the Integrity of thy Heart : for 
 I alfo with-held thee : Men may love that 
 which they do not acl, at leaft they may love 
 it in others, tho' not in themfelves, for fome 
 extrinfick Confiderations ; and wifli they had 
 as fair a Way to commit it, as others have. 
 They may hate what they . pra6life. Do all 
 that hear the Word love the Word, hide it iii 
 theirHearts, and let it fink down into the Bot- 
 tom of their Souls? There is often in the un* 
 regenerate a ti'anfient Pang, and a fudden Af- 
 feftion, a working Imagination, a melancholly 
 Vapour, a Flafii of Joy and Love, which may 
 quickly be removed. Such Aife6lions may a- 
 ■rife rather from the Conftitution of the Body, 
 than Alteration of the Soul, they are but a^ 
 
 * Junius. \ - 
 
 Tafle 
 
68 A Treatlfe of Converjion, M 
 
 Talleof the heavenly Gift, and the goodWord 
 of God. Heb. 6. 4, 5. A Tafle and no more 
 and ic is bat a tranfient Work, The Objeft 
 about which the AflFe£lions are ftirred may be 
 divine ; yet the Operation but meerly natural. 
 Natural Affeftions may fometimes be ftirred 
 up, even to a great Degree, at the hearing 
 the SujBFerings of our Saviour pathetically ex- 
 preft, yet only out of a natural Compaflion, 
 from an agreeable Impreflion upon the Fancy ; 
 The Story of ^ofeph in the Pit, and Chrift up- 
 on the Grofs, may be heard with the fame 
 Wo kings of Paflion, and all the while no 
 other than the working of natural Spirits ; 
 which quickly vaniiheth away. Some AflFec- 
 tions are as movable as Quick- Silver, upon the 
 leaft Touch ; they fweat like Marble in moift 
 Weather, but refemble it alfo in Hardnefs. 
 Thofe in Mat. 13. 20, 21. that received the 
 Word with a fudden Joy, were as fuddenly of-^ 
 fended for Want of a Root : anon with Joy 
 teceives it, by and by he is offended. Upon 
 the Und^rftanding of Threatnings or Promi- 
 fes, the unregenerate Will is often touched 
 with fome Kind of Affeftions towards thofe 
 Things, as they which are naturally hurtful or 
 beneficial to it ; as to Love, Hope, Defire, 
 Pear, or Platred, fuch or fuch a good or evil 
 Thing fpoken of in the Word : For when an 
 unregenerate Man (hall hear it plainly and am- 
 ply declared, what Happinefs belongs to the 
 Saints, what Comfort is in God's Favour, 
 what Glory in Heaven, what Horror in HelJ, 
 !ind 4 bad Confcience, he will be eafily 
 
 ftirred 
 
Faithy ani Jujltfication. 6g 
 
 ftirred up with many Defires of enjoy- 
 ing the one, and efcaping the other. But this 
 he doth in no OtherManner than as every Maa 
 by Inflinft of Nature will wiih and feek for 
 thatGood which heknoweth to be proportion- 
 able to his Nature, and alfo fliLn the contrary. 
 2. Spiritual : The Motions of the Will, and 
 the AfFeftions of the Soul, rife according to the 
 Elevation of their Knowledge of God in Chrifl 
 more or lefs. There is futable AiFeftions to 
 whatfoever is known of God in Chrifl ; a Trem- 
 bling at that Jufticewliich drank fuch Draughts 
 of precious Blood in the Puniflimentof Sin, an 
 Apprehenfion of every Tranfgreffion in its 
 utmofl Demerit. There are as ftrong AfFe6li- 
 ons of Love and Joy, as the Devils by their 
 Knowledge of God in Chrifl, have of Horror 
 and Hatred. There is a beholding of God in 
 Chrifl, a tender and condefcending Father. 
 There is anExcellency in the newCreature above 
 that of the greateft Moralifl under Heaven. All 
 Life hath Motion proper to the jPrinciple of 
 it: Rational Life is attended with rational Ac- 
 tions. Senfitive Life with Afts proper to 
 Senfe. It is as impofTible then that a fpiritual 
 Life fhould be without A6ls confonant to it, as 
 that the Sun fhould appear in the Firmament 
 without darting forth its Beams. 'Tis as natural 
 to this new Habit to produce new A6lions, as 
 for any Thing to engender according to its own 
 Likenefs, and Species, as for a living Tree to 
 fpring out in Leaves and Fruits. A renewed 
 Man whofe Seed is within him, brings forth 
 fruit after its Kind, as well as the Herbs and 
 
 the 
 
fo A Tre'atife of Converfion^ 
 
 the Trees, Geru i. 12. Good Works are the 
 End of God's new creating us, that we fhoiild 
 walk in them, Eph. 2. 10. We are h'u Workman- 
 fh'ip^ created in Cbriji Jefiis to good Works. There 
 is both fach a Nature, and fuch a Choice, that 
 as the Apoflk faith, 2 Cor. 13..8. We can dono-. 
 thing againji the Truth, but for the Truth. The 
 Xiew Creature puts by the Temptations • of 
 thc'i^lefh, and of the World, to make its Way 
 into the Bofom of God, the Center of its Reft, 
 and the boundlefs Limit of it's Soul, "jchere the 
 Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty^ 2 Cor. 3. 
 :i 6, 1 7. The Vail is taken a\vay ; it beholds as 
 inGlafs the Glory of the Lord. The newNature 
 hath a thorough Apprehenfion of both fpiritual 
 Good and Evil, known and believed by Faith ; 
 the W^iil is ftrongly inclined with all conftant 
 and vehement AiFections of Love and Hatred, 
 earneft to embrace the one, & detefl the other, 
 ■above allThings elfe whatfoever. Thus you may 
 fomewhcit fee the Difference there is between 
 thefellluminations&Motions in the Regenerate 
 and Unregenerate. As a State of Nature confifls 
 in the Prevalency of a corrupt Habit, which 
 leavens the whole Man, fo tJie Scate of Grace 
 in a Predominancy of a gracious Habit, which 
 fpreads it felf over the whole Soul, ilriving 
 with the powerful Oppofite, which in Part re- 
 fides there ftill : 'Tis a Habit put in to match 
 and dedroy that Habit of Sin which v/as there 
 before ; the Soul by it is made ali\'e from the 
 Dead, Rom. 6. 13. Tield yottr fehes to God, as 
 thofe that are alive from the Dead. No Man then 
 is CO conclude himfeif a ii<^w Creature, hccaufc 
 I of 
 
Fahb and Jiijlificatm. yi 
 
 of his moral Honedy ; Men may have fonie 
 Virtues, and yet not true Grace ,• but if they 
 are new Creatures, and have Faith ao'd Love, 
 they have all Graces in the Root ; and they 
 will appear in Time, tho' they may lie hid a 
 while in their feminal Principle. The Certain- 
 ty hereof the Apoftle Paul aflerts, Rom. 8. 38, 
 39. / mi prfwaded that neither Death y nor Life^ 
 ■nor Angels, 6cc.?ior any other Creature, fmll be 
 able tofeparate us from the Loije of God, ^vhicb is 
 in Chrijtjefiis our Lord. Now from what hath 
 been faid above, thefe two certain Conclufions 
 may very fairly be drawn ; Namely, 
 
 1. That the common Illuminations and the 
 natural Movings of the Will confequent there- 
 upon, are Fruits of the ordinary Grace of the 
 Spirit, in the Miniftry of the Word preached. 
 
 2. That proper and fpiritual Illumination 
 with the fpiritual AiFeftions flowing therefi'om, 
 are the Effeas of the fpeciai Vertue and In- 
 fluence of the Spirit of God in the Minillry 
 of the Word renewing the Soul. The prin- 
 cipal Agent in the Work is the Spirit of God. 
 the Word is the Inflrument only ; and that 
 palTive, not moving and woridng on the Soul 
 by any inward Force of it felf : The ouick- 
 ning, changing and renewing Vertue comes 
 properly and only from the fanaifying Power 
 of the Holy Ghoft ; yet, by a common Me- 
 tonymy it IS afcribed alfo to the Word : And 
 
 ^ therefore we are faid to be born again by the 
 IVord, I Pet. I. 23. It is faid to be Fire and 
 a Hammer to break the Rock, Jer. 23. 29. To 
 gee Faith by hming, Rom. 10.- ij. To be 
 
 fandlified 
 
72 A Treatife of Converjiorif 
 
 fanftified by the Truth i. e,the fVord^ John 17. 
 17. And hence fuch Properties as thefe are 
 .afcribed to the Word, that it is the Power of 
 God to Salvation, Rom. i. 16. That it is migh- 
 ty in Operation, fl^arp as a two-edged Sword, 
 Heb. 4. 12. And in many other Places : buc 
 the Word works nothing of itfelf ; but hath 
 its EflFe6t and Efficacy by the only Power of 
 God working upon the Heart. And in this 
 Cafe the Word is truly the Voice of God, not 
 of Man ; which is not a bare Sound but ef- 
 fe6luates that which it commands to be done. 
 It raifes us, when it bids us arife ; it awakens 
 us, v/hen it bids us awake ; it makes us holy, 
 when it commands us to be fo. See the apt 
 Character given of it, 2 Cor. 10. 4. The Wea- 
 pons of our Warfare are mighty^ &c. Thus I 
 have given you the.Sentiments of the bed re- 
 formed Churches, and the moft celebrated Di- 
 vines, touching the Nature and Diftinftion of 
 the two CalHngs, inward by the Work of the 
 Spirit, outward by the Voice of the Word. 
 
 Next I {hall offer to your ferious and impar- 
 tial Conlideration the proper Signs and diftin- 
 guifhing Marks of true and real Converfion ; 
 in the Enumeration of which, I fhall not trou- 
 ble you with negative Signs, and external E- 
 vidences, as (of late) have been the Manner of 
 fome Writers, fcribunt do^i indoSiique^ they in- 
 deed might eaiily fill up Volumes with fuch, 
 from daily Obfervation, and perhaps Experi- 
 ence : But I will venture to fay, that Thou- 
 fands of them are little to the Purpofe, in the 
 prefent Cafe ; unlefs there could be the Ef- 
 
 fefts 
 
Faith y and Jiijlification, 73 
 
 .fefts, and Iflues of a Principle of fpiritu^I Life 
 in the Soul. Let us therefore attend to the 
 imore proper Indications and Evidences of the 
 Work of God upon the Heart, in its Conver- 
 fion and San6lification, in the Habit and na- 
 tive fpiritual Exercifes thereof. Take them a^ 
 follows ; and Oh that each of you may find 
 fome, at lead of them, in himfelf. 
 
 1 . Love to God above all Perfons and Things, 
 is a Sign of true Grace in the Soul. If any 
 Man love God the fame is known of him. It 
 is of much mjore Advantage and Comfort to a 
 Soul to be known of God, owned and acknow- 
 ledged and approved, than to comprehend 
 much of the Things of God in his Notion : 
 Some Eoafl of their Knowledge, fome of their 
 outward Deportment, and external Devotion; 
 that they know much of God, and exceed in 
 outward A6ls, to many fuch God will one Day 
 fay. Depart from me^ I know you not, you fVorkers 
 of Iniquity : But if any Man love God, that Man 
 is beloved of God. No Man can be fuch a 
 Stranger to his own Soul, if he look into it, 
 but he may know the Objedl of his Inclinati- 
 ons. • It is an eafy Task to tell, whether you 
 are the fame Man as before ; whether you love 
 what before you hated, and hate that which 
 before you loved : You may know if God be 
 the chief Obje<5l of your Love or no ; a true 
 Child of God will be able to appeal to him for 
 the Truth of his Love, as Peter to our Saviour, 
 Job. 21. 17. Lord^thou kiio'vxji that I lo^oe thee. 
 
 2. What Operations there are fuperior to a 
 Life of Nature ? Where there is a faving 
 
 K Change, 
 
74 -^ Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 Change, the old Building is not only in feme 
 Meafare taken down, but alfo one of a new 
 Mould flruck up. The new Creation hath its 
 EfFe6ls and Properties : OldPrincipIes, Aims^Cuf- 
 toms, AfFe6lions are diilodged; &newPrinciples, 
 Aims&AfFe6lions are fettled in theirRoom. The 
 inward A6ls are the furefl Evidences, the pro- 
 per A6l:s of the new Creature are to be fought 
 for in the proper Seats of them ; which are 
 chiefly and principally, the Mind, the Heart,the 
 Will,the Confcience, the Aife6lions. Outward 
 A£ls are noSign at all ,* i.e. no certain diflinguiih- 
 ingMark of the Work of the Spirit of God upon 
 the Heart ; no Man can perfectly judge of a- 
 nother by them ,* nor any Man of himfelf. As 
 the Strength of Sin, fo the Strength of Grace, 
 the new Creature lies at the Heart. And from 
 hence is the true Paflage Way and Mean to 
 Life and Happinefs ; agreably Solomon exhorts 
 to the Sanclification thereof, and the Prefer- 
 vation of its fpirituai Integrity, as a fure Evi- 
 dence of real Sanftity : Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy 
 Heart mth all Diligence, i. e. (as in the Margin) 
 abo'oe all keeping ; for out of it are the IJfues of 
 Life. ^ ^ 
 
 ■ 3. Where real Converfion is wrought, there 
 is a Contrariety in the Heart to what it was 
 before. The new Man, the Image of God 
 is his Law in the Heart, and it muil principally 
 bedifcerned in its Motion to God, in itsRefpe6l 
 and Reverence of God : The gracious Habit 
 is diredlly contrary to the finful Habit. None 
 can pretend to be mere expert in the Know- 
 ledge of a Refurre£lion from a fpiricualDeath, 
 
 CO 
 
Faith and Jujlification, 75 
 
 to afpiritualLife, thanP^w/ was : Nonefpeak^ 
 fo much of the New-Creatiire as he doth : and 
 he was quite another Man after his being in 
 Chrifl, than he was before : even while he 
 was in a State of Nature, it feems in the ex- 
 ternal Obfervation of thofe Things which the 
 ceremonial or moral Law did prefcribe, he was 
 in the Eye of Man of a blamelefs Converfati- 
 on, refembling Zechar'ias Tund Elizabeth y Luk. i. 
 6. Men could not tax him, he had behaved 
 himfelf fo confcientioufly, ^£^123. i.Yetwhen 
 he had his Eyes opened, he found here was 
 no fuch Matter of Confidence for him before 
 God ,* this external Performance he found 
 when enlightened, was farfhort of internal and 
 perfeft Obedience ; Rom. 7. 7. When the 
 Scales fell off his Eyes that he could difcern 
 the Truth, he was fo far from accounting them 
 ■profitable, that indeed he accounted them pre- 
 judicial, fo far from an Advantage, that they 
 "were a Damage to him, looking for Salvation 
 from Chrifl: alone. He was before an Ad- 
 mirer of his own Righteoufn efs, a Perfecutor 
 of Chrifl: and his Members. But after his ef- 
 fe6lual Calling and Regeneration, he lay down 
 all his Righteoufnefs at the Feet of Chrifl:, he 
 abhors that which before he delighted in, and 
 his whole Bent and Dialect is, AVdJ, Lord what 
 wilt thou have ?ne to do ? Obferve in him now a 
 quite contrary Strain ; be careful to try your- 
 lelves by this. 
 
 4. The Soul with all her Powers and Facul- 
 ^'.esj is engaged in every inwai'd and fpiritual 
 
 Duty. 
 
7 5 A Treatife of Convey- fioity 
 
 Duty. The Heart is without Referve in every 
 Piece of fecret Service. The new Creature is 
 bafe in his own Eyes becaufe of Sin ,* and 
 nioufns for the leaflMifcarriage. If Pride be 
 dying daily, and Humility reviving and flreng- 
 thening it is an excellent Sign. Nothing up- 
 ?olds the old Man like Pride, and nothing fo 
 helpful and affifting to the new, as Humility. 
 Daily converfe with God in fecret Prayer and 
 Meditation is a mofl fure Evidence of the 
 Truth of Grace in the Heart. The Spirit of 
 Grace there can never be a dumb Spirit. The 
 Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Supplications, and 
 this is promifed to, and prophefied efpecially 
 of Gofpel Converts, Zecb, 12. 10. This is aa 
 early, infeparable Fruit of the Spirit of Grace ; 
 by the Spirit we cry Abba Father, Gal. 4. 6. God 
 hath fent forth the Spirit into your Hearts^ crying 
 Abba Father, What was- the convincing Ar- 
 gument our Saviour made Ufe of, to afllire A- 
 nanias that Taul was changed, and become an- 
 other Sort of Man than he had been before, it 
 was this, Behold he prayeth. And Paul from 
 his own Experience, declares it as the Fruit of 
 a pure Heart, 2 Tim. 2. 22. Peace be ^joith them 
 that call on the Lord out of a pure Heart ; he al- 
 fo gives it as a diflinguifliing Badge of the 
 Saint, I Cor. i. 2. Called to be Saints, 'voith all 
 that in every Place call upon the Name of Jefus 
 Chrijl our Lord, 
 
 5. A Relifli and Sweetnefsr in the Word and 
 Inftitutions of Chrifl. A fpiritual Appetite de- 
 fires and reliflies fpiritual Food. Both the 
 cleanfing of the Heart and the progreflive 
 
 Sanftification 
 
Faith and Jujlification, 77 
 
 SaniSlification of it, -is wrought by the Word, 
 Eph. 5. 26. That he might Jan^ify and cleanfe it 
 mtb the "imflnng of Water by the JVord, The 
 fpiritual Palate proves, and approves ix>hat is 
 good, lohat is the good, acceptable and perfect Will 
 of God, Rom. 12. 2. The Preaching of the 
 Gofpel is cotinted Foolifhnefs by the World ; 
 but the Sincerity of the new Man accounts it 
 Wifdom, I Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit ^joe fpeak Wif- 
 dom amongji them that are petfect ; not abfolute- 
 ly ; for fo there is no Man perfecl, but com- 
 paratively, that isPerfons who have theirSenfes ex- 
 ercifed to difcern betwixt Good and Evil, Heb.5. 14. 
 Such as are of a found Judgment, an;i are able 
 to difcern what is true Wifdom. To fuch 
 faith the Apoflle, ^ive fpeak Wifdom : And it 
 needs muft be fo ,* for Wifdom being an Ha- 
 bit dire6ling Men to ufe the bell: Means in or- 
 der to the befl End, the Salvation of Men's 
 Souls, being thebeft End, that Do6lrine v/hich 
 dire6ts the befl Means in order to it ; mufl 
 neceffarily beWifdom, and the purefk and high- 
 eft Wifdom. And here we Ihould frequency 
 try ourfblves thus ; ask our own Hearts what 
 Conformity and Agreement, is there between 
 them and the Word. What Excitements of 
 Grace in the Exercifes thereof ? What Ufe 
 we make of it, and what Good wb gee 
 by it ? Do you defire it that you might 
 be in the Society or Fafhion of thofe that at- 
 tend upon it ? that you might be better fur- 
 nifhed for Difcourfe or Difpute "? Or that you 
 might make further Proficiency in Grace, and 
 Holinefs : Agreeable to that Exhortation of 
 
 the 
 
78 A Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 the Apoflile, i Pet. 2. 2, As new-bornBahes de^ 
 fire the fincere Milk of the PVord, that you may 
 grow^ thereby. How do you find it operate up- 
 on your Hearts ? What Impreffion doth it 
 make there ? And are there ardent, and ftill 
 more earnefl Defire of more familiar Acquain- 
 tance with it ? In a Word, Is it to thy Judg- 
 ment more excellent than Gold ? PfaL 19. 
 10. and to thy Tajte fiveeterthan Honey, Pfalm 
 119. 103. If fo it is a good Sign of a good 
 Heart. Therefore, 
 
 6. Try theHolinefs of your Heart and Life, 
 there is a certain Connexion between a Heart 
 of Fleili^ and walking in God's Statutes Ezek. 
 36. 26 y 27. Audi icUl give you an Heart of 
 FJeflo. And I will put my Spirit within yoUy and 
 caufe you to walk in iny Statutes, and ye (hall keep 
 my Judgments and do them. Where God takes 
 away the flony Heart, and gives an Heart of 
 Flefn in the Room of it, this now hearkens to 
 God's Law, trembles at his Threats, and by 
 gentleft Providences is framed to a Compliance 
 with his Will ,* to forbear, do, be or fufFer what 
 God will, receiving the Imprefs of God, as 
 foftned Wax receiveth the Imprefs of the Seal ; 
 For our Spirits framed by God's Spirit to a 
 Difpofition futableto the Spirit's Holinefs, rea- 
 dily concurreth, and fo worketh. The Princi- 
 ple of new Life fprings up in holy Motions ; 
 Holinef^s is the conflant Companion of the di- 
 vine Nature ; and this confifts in efcapiug the 
 Tolhtions that m-e in the World through Luft, 2 
 Pet. I. 4. Efcaping this Corruption agrees 
 well with being Partakers of the divine Na- 
 ture, 
 
Faitb^ and Jujlification, 79- 
 
 lure, which rejoiceth to have the blefled Spirit 
 point him to thofe Ways that are moil confor- 
 mable to the divine Will. This Holinefs is not 
 ftrained, but natural, and arifeth from the Fear 
 of God in the Heart, Jer, 32. 40. There is 
 great Carefulnefs both to make our Peace with 
 God for our former Violation of his Law, u- 
 fmg all Means he hath prefcribed, and directed 
 thereunto, and alfo to preferve our Peace, by 
 avoiding the like Breaches for the Time to 
 come. Behold^ faith the Apoille, What Care- 
 fulnefs it wrought in you^ 2 Cor. 7. 11. Purity 
 of Heart is ordinarily joined with a Zeal for 
 Goodnefs. Tit. 2. 14. Purify unto himfelf a 
 peculiar People zealous of good Works, i. e. 
 fhudious to do, 'and warmly purfuing all fuch 
 Works as are acceptable to God, and profita- 
 ble to ourfelves and others. Purity and Zeal 
 in good Works go Hand in Hand, as being both 
 the Ends of our Saviour's Death, and both the 
 Works of the Spirit. 
 
 7. A continual Struggle and Combat between 
 the new Man, and the old ; the Fleih and the 
 Spirit are two contrary Principles, and work 
 contrarily in their Notions and Inclinations. 
 The rational as well as the fenflcive Appetite, 
 oppofeth it felf to the divine Rule ; and to 
 the Di6lates and Motions of the Spirit of God : 
 And the Holy Ghofl: dwelling in the Saints, 
 moveth as potently againfl the Propenfions and 
 Inclinations of the Flefti.- For the Fieflj liijleth 
 agamft the Spirit ^ and the Spirit againft the FIcj% 
 andthefe are contrary the one to the other ^ Gal. 5. 17. 
 Obferve carefully how the Confli*^ goes oti, is 
 
 there 
 
8o A Treatjfe of Converfion, 
 
 there a friendly Compliance with the Didlates 
 of the old Nature ; or a lively Abhorrence and 
 Deteftation of them, iiTuing from the new ? 
 It is impoffible there can be a friendly Neigh- 
 bourhood between thefe two irreconcileable 
 Oppofites. Grace cannot endure the leafl Mo- 
 tion of Sin without Oppofition, where there is 
 a Senfe of the flirrini^ of the fmful Habit, it 
 is a Sign of fpiritual Life in the Soul ; Senfi- 
 biiity is a Sign of Life, a dead Man complains 
 BOt of Blows, or Toffings and Cutting, you may 
 take out his Bowels, fevere him Limb from 
 Limb, and there is no Complaint : but a living 
 Man will flart at the Prick of a Pin or a Pinch : 
 Lay what Lead you will on a dead Man, and 
 there is no Refiftance, or Murmuring ; there 
 is neither feeling nor fenfe, and nothing is noi- 
 fome to him : There is a mute Compliance 
 with the Motions of Sin until they have bro'c 
 forth Fruit unto Death. Rom. 7. 5. For when- 
 we "ixere in the Flejh, the Motions cf Sin ivhich 
 were by the Law, did work in our Members to 
 bring forth Fruit imto Death. But thofe who 
 are fan(51ifiedby the Spirit of God, are in Arms 
 at the Motions of Sin, and itudious to flifle 
 ifs curfed Brood, and hinder its further Pro- 
 grefs. For they with holy Da^jid, efteem all ths 
 frecepts of God to be right ^ and hate every falfe 
 Way, Pfal. 119. 128. Where there is then 
 no Antipathy to that which is contrary to the 
 Life and Being of a Chriflian, 'cis a fure Sign 
 that, there is nothing of ^ divine Life. 
 
 8. Watchfulnefs againfl fpiritual Sins : Some 
 Sins are of a more refiuedNiiure than others. 
 
 There 
 
Faith y and Jiijlification. 8i 
 
 There are fpiritual Sins, and more fleflily, and 
 fenfual Iniquities ; ^ the one and the other is 
 to be watched againil, and oppofed : IVe 
 *Viy)'eftle not, faith the Apoflle, againfl Fle/h and 
 Blood, but againfl the Rulers of the Darknefs of 
 this pForldy againfl fpiritual J^FickedneJfes in high 
 places : Ephef. 6. 12. The Seat of thofe Sins 
 is the Heart, and for the moft Part efcape the 
 Obfervation, and Refiitance of natural Con- 
 .fcience. How many feem to hve the Lives 
 of Saints, while their Hearts are the Hearts of 
 Devils, and have no Spots of the Fleili up- 
 on their Garments ; but a World of them 
 upon their Souls. TheApoftle concludes ma- 
 ^ iiy pofitive. Duties which he prefcribed to the 
 Thejfalonians v/ith a general Precept which he 
 leaves with them at the Clofe of his Epiftle, 
 iiaving dehorted them from many Evils, now 
 he exhorts them to Jhiin the Appearance of them. 
 I ThefT. 5. 22. The regenerate Soul Itarts at 
 the Appearance of a Temptation, it oppofes 
 Enticements to a Departure from the Lord, 
 and gives them no civiller Entertainment, than 
 get you behind 7ne, Satan. Chrifl in the Flefli 
 did to, and Chrifl formed in the Heart will do 
 fo likewife. And if at any Time, he come in 
 the Way of evil Men, he is careful to pra6life 
 the Advice of the wife Man, he will awid it, 
 fafs not by it, turn from it, and pafs avoay, Prov. 
 4. 14, 15. ^ 
 
 9. Examine what Delight you find in God, 
 and his Ways. This is one of the fureft Evi- 
 dences of a fan6lified Heart. For if the Law 
 of Grace be in the Heart it will delight to do 
 L tlie 
 
82 A Treattfe of Converfion, 
 
 the Will of God : Pfa. 40. 8. Thy Law is mtb- 
 in my Hearty I delight to do thy JVill^ 7ny God. 
 There is a Confenc to the Holinefs and Good- 
 nefs of the Law : A voting with it and for k, 
 as the only Rule of Righteoufnefs ; Rom. 7. 
 16. I confent unto the Law that it is good. Cer- 
 tainly to delight in the Law of God is an in- 
 feparable Property of the New-Creature ,* the 
 Apoflle exprelly fhewethitfpeaking in thePer- 
 fon of a regenerate Man, or of himfelf as re- 
 generate. Ver. 22. / delight in the Law of 
 God. after the inward Man. 'Tis then when we 
 have God's Light and Truth fent forth into us, 
 we can go to the Altar of God with exceeding Joy^ 
 Pfahn 42. 3, 4. This only gives a warm 
 Frame in evangelical Duties. A Spirit of A- 
 doption,andRegeneration, only can make us de- 
 light to come to our Father, and to cry Abba 
 to him. Solomon faith, that it is a Joy to a jufe 
 Man to do Judgment, Prov. 21. 15. The Delight 
 of an Heart feafoned with Grace are more ra- 
 vifhing than all the Pleafures of Senfe, be- 
 caufe they arife from an Habit planted in the 
 Soul by that Spirit which is a Spirit of Joy as 
 well as of Grace : The Services of God's 
 Houfe, are his Delight ^ and he is refrefhed 
 with a River of Pleafure in every A61 of Wor- 
 Hiip. They P^all be abundantly fatisfied with the 
 Fatnefs of thy Houfe ^ and thou fJjalt make them 
 drink of the Riuers of thy Pleafures. Pfalm 36. 
 8. In keeping thy Commandments there is great 
 Reward. Pfal. 19. 11. The Duties of Religi- 
 on, Communion with God in them is the fane- 
 Soul's delightful Element. As ic is an Argu- 
 ment 
 
Faith and Jujlificatkn. 83 
 
 inent that Seneca gives of the divine Original 
 of the Soul, that it is moftpleafed with divine 
 Speculations : So it is a very cogent Argu- 
 ment of the new Creation, when it is delight- 
 ed not only with the fpeculative, but with the 
 pra6lical Contemplation of God, when the Soul 
 that triumphed before in the Pleafures of Sin, 
 can burn with an ardent Love to God, and fo- 
 lace itfelf in Communion with him : And in 
 the feveral Periods of Duty, be ready to pro- 
 nounce of divine Grace, as Solomon doth of 
 Wifdom, Her Ways are Ways of Pkafantnefsj 
 and all her Paths are Peace ^ Prov. 3.17. Thefe 
 are all of them fpiritual Evidences : And fuch 
 only are the diflinguiihing Marks of a real 
 Convert, and of the fpiritual Man. And this 
 will abundantly appear, if we take a fhort Sur- 
 vey of what the Scriptures teftify of a State 
 of Nature before ConverOon ,• and of a State 
 of Grace by Converfion. In a State of Na- 
 ture, we are dead in Sins, Ephef. i. 2. Col 2. 
 13. Ephef. 5. 14. That we are blind and ve- 
 ry Darknefs in Regard of fpiritual Knowledge, 
 Jdts 2(5. 18. I Cor. 2. 14. Eph.^.i-j. Rev. 3. 
 
 18. That our Hearts are flony, deftitute of 
 all Senfe and Motions of Goodnefs, Ezek. ii. 
 
 19. and 3(5. 26. Again, that God's Work in 
 our Converfion is a raifing from the Dead, j^ob. 
 5. 2, 25. Ephef 2. 5. CoL 2. 12. Rev. 20. 6, 
 A refloring of Sight to the blind, Luke 4. 18. 
 A new Generation and Birth of a Man, J^ohtz 
 I. 13. ^ohn^.2' Another Creation of him, 
 PfaL 51. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 17. GaL 6. 15. The 
 giving of a new Pleart of Flefh, and taking 
 
 away 
 
84 A Treatije of Conveifwn^ 
 
 away of the old ftony Heart. EzeL ii. ,i$i. 
 Being thus made free from Sin, i. e. The Servi- 
 tude of Sin, lu^^^fowf the Ser'-cants of Righteoif- 
 f2efs,Rom.6.iS. The Grace and Comforts of 
 the Spirit of God in this Life are Pledges 
 to us of that Abundance and Fulnefs of Joy 
 v/hich we fhall partake of in the Life to come, 
 as the firfl Fruits of the ^eivs were an Evi- 
 dence to them of the enfuing Crop. Let 
 lis while we here mourn under the Burden of 
 the Sins that do fo eafily befet us, fend up fre- 
 -.queht Wiilies and Prayers to the God of all 
 Grace, for the full Accomplifliment of our Re- 
 demption : waiting to be delivered from the 
 Bondage of the Remainder of Corruption ia 
 us, into that glorious Freedom of the Sons of ^ 
 God ; and be poiTefTed of his everlaffing Far 
 vour, and never-failing Inheritance which he 
 hath prepared for his Children. I come now 
 to treat of the 
 
 2. Second Point propofed, viz. Faith. The 
 Grace of Faith is a Work of the Spirit of Chrifl: 
 in the Hearts of the Elecl, whereby they are 
 enabled to believe to the faving of their Souls. 
 Faith is a Part of our Sanctification, being an 
 inherent gracious Quality infufed into the Soul 
 at our effe6tual Calling orConverfion : There- 
 fore as to its Original it is divine, being wro't 
 in us by an immediate Aclion of the vSpirit of 
 Grace, and not any Way fpringing from the 
 Liberty of our Wills or Strength of our cor- 
 rupted Nature. I take this to be included in 
 the Words of our blefled Lord Jefus Chrifl, 
 John 6. 44. No Man can come unto me except 
 
 the 
 
" Faith and Jiijlificatm, *85 
 
 the Father which hath fent me, draw hm. Which 
 I think fignifies a divine Power put forth upon 
 the Soul of Man, by which it is made oljedi- 
 ent to the heavenly Call, and wilhng to clofe 
 with the Offer of Chrift in the Gofpel, for tho* 
 no ftich can neceiTarily be concluded from the 
 Word, draw, yet it is eaiily concluded from the 
 Nature of the Motion, in coming to Chrijt, which 
 is the Soul's Motion to a fublnne fpiruual Ob- 
 je6l, to which no Soul hath any Power of it 
 felf ; fuch is the Darknefs of the human Mind, 
 the Obftinacy of the Will, the Depravatk)n of 
 the Affeftions, unlefs it be illuminated and 
 drawn by the Spirit of God. No Soul is able 
 of it felf to difcern fpiritual Things, fo as to fee ^ 
 that Goodnefs and Excellency that is in them, 
 muchlefsto move towards the Participation of 
 them. No Man hath evangelical Faitii byVer- 
 tue of his own Strength, that any believe Chrift, 
 and believe on him, is not from any Power of 
 their own but of God's free Gift : And as the 
 Grace itfelf is given fo alfo is the Exercife : 
 Phil. I. 29. For unto you it is given in the Behalf 
 ofChriJi, not only to believe in him, but alfo toff- 
 fer for his Sake. An Inflance of this the Fhi- 
 lippians had among them in Lydia and others, 
 unto whom was this vidlorious Grace of Faith 
 freely given by hearing of the Word, which 
 was not unto many others* that heard : Our 
 bieiTed Saviour himfelf makes a manifefl: Dif- 
 ference between the News of Salvation reach- 
 ing the Ear, and touching the Heart, Mat. 13. 
 •J I. Becaife it is given to you to know the Myjie- 
 pes of the Kingdom of Heaven, -but to them it is 
 
 not 
 
8^ A Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 not ghen. God, according to the good Pleafure 
 of his Will, giveth to fome Perfons to know 
 the Myfteries of the Kingdom of God more 
 than to others. There is a more general and 
 confufed Knowledge of a Thing : And there 
 is a more difhinft, clear, particular Knowledge. 
 There is a meer notional Knowledge, and there 
 is a more affeftive, experimental Knowledge. 
 To them who are Heirs of eternal Life, their 
 heavenly Father gives to know, more clearly, 
 di{lin6lly,particu]arly the Things that concern 
 the Kingdom of God, to know and believe in 
 Chrifl who is the Saviour of the World ; he 
 hath no fuch fpecial and particular Kindnefs 
 for the Generality of People, and therefore he 
 hath not given to them the fame Aids and Af- 
 fiftances. Many Men have Civility, Sobriety, 
 external Devotion and Profeflion ; that have 
 not evangelical Faith which purifies the Heart, 
 and worketh by Love, and brings forth the 
 A6ls of Obedience to all God's Commandments; 
 and that we may be delivered from unrejtfon- 
 able and wicked Men ,* for all Men have not 
 Faith, 2 Their. 3. 2. Faith is reckoned up a- 
 mong the Fruits of the Spirit of God, Gal. 5. 
 22. Love, Joy^ Peace, Long-fufferingy Gentknefsy 
 Goodnefs, Faith. The very Defire of believing 
 is from God, and not from ourfelves, in "work- 
 ing out our own Salvation^ the very beginning 
 in the Will, as well as the Perfeftion is afcrib- 
 ed to the Efficacy of God : His good Pleafure 
 is the procreating and helping Caufe of this 
 Work on the Will, and not the AVill's good 
 Pleafure. PhiL 2. 13. The Lord Jefus is the 
 
 great 
 
Faith, and Jujlification. 8? 
 
 great Inflrudler of, and chief Leader in the 
 Chriftian Race, and Perfefter of them in run- 
 ning it. The Difpofition, Grace, AbUicy and 
 Succefs, which they have for running, it is all 
 from him ,* from the Beginning of the Work 
 of Faith unto the End of it, to the finifhingof 
 the Courfe, he doth infufe, affifl, ftrengthen 
 and accomplifh the Work of it to the \2S\.,Heb. 
 12. 2. Looking unto Jefus the Author^ or Begin- 
 ner, and Finijloer of our Faith, 
 
 Thefe are fome Scripture Defcriptions of 
 Faith, freely given from the Father, through 
 the Son to the Heirs of eternal Salvation : 
 but for the better Underflanding of the Mean- 
 ing of the Word Faith, we mud neceflarily con- 
 fider it. 
 
 1. Firfl, As the Word is taken in its largelt, 
 and mod extenfive Senfe in Reference to all 
 civil or natural Things. 
 
 2. Secondly, In its more limited Senfe in 
 Relation to divine and fupernatural Things de- 
 clared to us in the Scripture. 
 
 I. Firit, As the Word Faith is taken in its 
 largeft and moft extenfive Senfe in Reference 
 to all civil or natural Things. 
 
 Integrity of Life, Faithfulnefs and Conflan- 
 cy in Word and Deed, is intended by the' 
 Word Faith, 2 Tim. 2. 22. But follow Righte- 
 oufnefsy Faith, Charity, &c. It is alfo fometimes 
 taken for that Faith ' which is common to all, 
 not proper to the Ele6l, being either extraor- 
 dinary or ordinary: Extraordinary (commonly 
 called a miraculous Faith) which is a Belief that 
 fome extraordinary and miraculous Thing fhall 
 
 fall 
 
'8-^ ^ Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 fall out ,• givenbut at fome fpecial Times,to fome 
 fpecial PerfonSjOn fome fpeciaJOccafions. Such 
 a Faith the Centurion had, coming to Jefus on 
 his Entrance to Capernaum^ and addreflinghim 
 in thofe Words, Mat. 8.8. Speak the Word on- 
 ly and my Servant fljall be healed : Hereby in- 
 limacing that he believed, Difeafes were as 
 inuch at Chrifl*s Command, as his Servants were 
 Bt bis Command. That they came at God's 
 Command, wrought according to their Com- 
 iniffion from God, and went ofFwhen God com- 
 manded them off. Hence it is moft certain that 
 the Centurion had a true Notion of thePower of 
 thetriieGod,andit looks very probable, that he 
 had a Revelation of Chrifl, \s the true MefTiah 
 and Son of God. Which our Saviour's Words 
 pronounced concerning him doth mod il* 
 luftrioufly evince : When hefaid to thofe that 
 followed him, Verily ^ I fay 'unto you, I have not 
 found fo great Faith ^ no not in IfraeL Ver. lo. 
 That is in the Generality of the IfraeliteSy for 
 as to particular Perfons, both Jofeph and Mary^ 
 had fliewed a greater Faith. And under this 
 Head the Faith of the Difciples, by which they 
 believed Chrifh fo far, as that by his delegated 
 Power, they were able to do the like Miracles, 
 Mat, 17. 20. and 21, 22. And we read John 
 6, 24. That the People came to Capernaum 
 feeking Jefus, not out of any Love to his Peri* 
 fon orDo61rine, but out of Curiofity to fee fur* 
 ther Miracles wrought by him. 
 
 Ordinary, being either that which refleth 
 cn'iy in the Mind of Man, or elfe draweth and 
 moveth the Will alfo. Sometimes it is taken 
 
 for 
 
Faith J and Jufiification. 89 
 
 -''for Fidelity and Truftinefs, as when a Thing 
 -is done or fpoken bona fide ^ faithfully or trufti- 
 ly ; fometimes for Arguments, or Proofs from 
 Reafon, or Authority brought to creed Belief 
 in another, which Acceptions is ufual in Rhe- 
 toricians. Sometimes for the fincere, diligenc 
 and careful Difcharge of the Duties of Men's 
 Calhngs for the Good of others, as Judges, Am- 
 baiTadors, WitneiTes, Stewards : And io others, 
 as Husbands and Wives, Parents and Children, 
 Maflers and Servants, &c. ought to be right 
 honeft,true, trufty, faithful each to other ; One 
 which doth in every Point according to the 
 Trufl: and Charge which God in his Providence 
 in veils him with, negle6ling nothing which 
 God commandeth him. In a Word, one which 
 fiiandeth to his Word, keeping Truth, without 
 Failing or Falfliood. 
 
 To lead us further into thedidinft Meaning 
 of the Word Faiths we muft dillinguifli be- 
 tween three Sorts of Knowledge : The 
 
 1. Firft, is Knowledge properly fo called, 
 which is bred in us by the evident Certainty 
 of Things prefented unto our Reafou orSenfe : 
 
 ' "When we know fuch Particulars as come under 
 our Senfes when they are rightly difpofed. 
 
 2. The fecond is Opinion, which is an im- 
 perfect Knowledge of Things not clearly pre- 
 fented to our Reafon or Senfe, when we ap- 
 prehend Things in Part and obfcurely, fo that 
 we cannot abfolutely fay it is this, or it is that. 
 
 3. The third is Belief, which is a Knowledge 
 , grounded upon Tedimony and Authority of 
 ^•"Others, when we affent to thofe Things where- 
 
 M ' ©f 
 
po A Treattfe of Converfion, 
 
 of by our own Senfe and Reafon we have no 
 Certainty norEvidence, only we believe them, 
 becaiife fiich and fuch hath told us they are fo. 
 Thefe three diverfe Apprehenfions of Things 
 we exprefs in Forms ofSpeech agreable : The 
 firfl, when \ve fay, I know this to be : The 
 fecond Things I think it is fo : The lad in 
 this, I believe icisfo. A great Difference there 
 is between thefe three Apprchenfions of the 
 Underftanding as every one may eafily difcern. 
 It is proper to mention here the four Kinds un- 
 to which Faith is divided by learned Men, viz. 
 of Miracles, hiftorical, temporary, and j unify- 
 ing Faith. That of Miracles hath been ex- 
 plained above. Hiftorical, or dogmatical Faith, 
 is fo termed, becaufe thereby Evidence is yiel- 
 ded to the Hiflory of God's Word, that is all 
 Things which are written therein are believ- 
 ed to be true, jam. 2. 14. 19. 
 
 Temporary Faith is that whereby fuch an 
 AfTent of the Mind is given to the Gofpel,and 
 to the gracious Promifes thereof, as the Heart 
 is aiTe6led with them, and rejoice th in them, 
 for a Seafon, 2 Tifu. 2. 18. Such was that 
 o^ Simon Magus, Aits 8. 13. This is hypocri- 
 tical and deceitful. Tho' it may appear both 
 to him thathath tt, and others to be found and 
 good, yet it, is Nought, as by the Unprofita- 
 blenefs thereof "will m the End moil manifefl- 
 ly appear, to the great Difcomfort of him that 
 hath relied thereon, juilifyingl'^aith (of which 
 we fliall treat fomewhat more largely in the 
 Sequel of this Difcourfe) its principal Acls are 
 accepting, receiving, and refting upon Chrifl 
 
 , alone, 
 
Faith^ and Jiijiification. 91 
 
 alone, for Juflificatior!, Sanftification, and eter- 
 nal Life, by Vcrtue of rhe Covenant of Grace. 
 Thus much briefly of the Meaning of the 
 Word Faich, in its largefl and moffc extenfive 
 Senfe. Pafs we next to the Confideration of 
 the Word P'aith in its n:ore limi«ted Meaning, 
 as'ic isChridian, and relates unto divine and fa- 
 pernatural Matters revealed in the Scripture, 
 and here the Word Faich hath a doubleAccep- 
 tion : viz. improper and proper. 
 
 I. Improper, and fo it is taken in the Scrip- 
 ture Stile three Ways. As, 
 
 I . For the Obje6l of Faith the Things believ- 
 ed, either 
 
 1 . Generally for the whole Do6lrine of Faith 
 delivered in the Scriptures, as i Tim. 4I i. 
 Some (hall depart from the Faith, and floall give 
 Heed to Spirits' of Erroi^, and Doilrines of Devih. 
 See many other Placdk I Tim, 3.9. Gal 3. 2. 
 Ms 6. 7. 
 
 2. Specially, for Chrifthirnfelf the chief Ob- 
 je61: of Faith : Gal 3. 23. Before Faith came, 
 th.2t is Chrifl : Compare with V. 19, 24, 25. 
 
 2. For the external Profefiion of Faith and 
 Religion, as Rom. 1.8. Your Faith is publilli- 
 ed throughout the whole Wolrd. See j^cts 14.22. 
 
 3. For that Vertue which we call Fidelity 
 or Faithfulnefs in Words or Deed, whether it 
 be in God, Pvom. 3.3. Shall their Unbelief make 
 the Faith of God of none Effect, or in Men that 
 they may fhew all good Faith, Piftin agatheen. 
 
 This of the Word, taken improperly : the 
 next Acception of it is 
 
 2. Proper, 
 
92 A Treatife- of Converfion, 
 
 2. Proper, and here the Defcription of it,- 
 may be this; i.e. aBelief of all that God hatli 
 rev-esled ,* or an AfFent given by the reafona- 
 ble Creature to the Truth and Goodnefs of all 
 divine Revelations. Herein are obfervable, at 
 lead three Things, viz. 
 
 1. What is to be believed, viz. divine Re- 
 velations ? 
 
 2. Who are they which believe, the reafona- 
 ble Creature ? 
 
 3. The Kind or Nature of Belief, viz. Aflent. 
 
 1. What is to be beheved, divine Revelati- 
 ons ? W^hatfoever the Lord ispleaied to make 
 known unto the reafonable Creature. Thefe 
 Revelations are of two Sorts, viz. Some im- 
 medial:e from God himfelf, by Vifion, Dream, 
 or other Secret, but infallible Suggeftion. Such 
 Revelations of divine Things were made unto 
 the Prophets, Apoflles,' and other holy Men of 
 God : Who as they' believed certainly the 
 Thing revealed, fo they knew infallibly the 
 Truth of the Revelation itfelf that it was from 
 God, and not anillufion of Satan or their own 
 Brain : To defcribe the Manner of fuch Re- 
 velations is altogether above the Power of 
 any mortal Man, unlefs himfelf had been ac- 
 quainted with the like Revelations ; and it 
 would be needlefs to attempt it, fince in thefe 
 'J/imes, this fpecial Direction ceafeth and al- 
 fb the Ufe of Miracles (unlefs for Converfion 
 of a Country where theGofpel harh never been 
 preached) is alfo ceafed. 
 
 2. Some mediate, delivered from God by o- 
 thers unto us. Such were the Dircourfes,and 
 
 Anfwers, 
 
FaitJy, and Jujlification. 93 
 
 Anfwers which the Prophets and Apoflles made ^ 
 by- Word of Mouth unto the People : Such 
 is now unto us the whole written Word of 
 God, which is now the only ordinary Obje6l 
 of our Faith. The holy Scriptures are given 
 of God, to be the Rule of Faith and Life. 
 For the whole Counfel of God, concerning all 
 Things neceflary for his own Glory, Man's 
 Salvation, Faith and Life is either exprefly fet 
 down in Scripture or by good and neceflary 
 Confequence may be deduced from it. For 
 the rich Treafury of the holy Scriptures con- 
 tain Precepts and Declarations of the Doc- 
 trines of Religion whether in higher Myfberies 
 thereof, as of the Trinity, Incarnation of Chrift, 
 &c. or in other inferior Points of San6lifica- 
 tion, Piety, and moral Pra6lice. Hiftories of 
 Matters of Facl paft and gone, as of the Cre- 
 ation, Fall of Man, Flood,&c. Predictions of 
 Things to come hereafter, whether they be 
 meerly prophetical, or withal, do contain fome 
 fpecial Promife or Threatning concerning thofe 
 to whom the Predi6tion is made. 
 
 . 2. The Subje6]: of Faith, or they which be- 
 lieve viz. the reafonable Creature, in them on- 
 ly this Quahty of Faith is inherent. And here 
 we include all created Underftanding, whether 
 of Men or of Angels. Of living Men there 
 is no Queftion, not of the befl of Men that 
 ever were, Jdam in his Innocency and Chrifl. 
 Who can doubt that Jdmn had Faith, if we confi- 
 der that the Caufeofhis Fall, was his not con- 
 tinuing fledfafh in the Belief of that 'Ilireat- 
 i.ing, In the Day that tbou eateft tbou Jljalt die: 
 
 As 
 
94 A Treat! fe of Converfion, 
 
 As for the Humanity of Chrift, what was in 
 innocent Adam^ was alfo in him, as is apparent 
 by thofe Prayers and Supplications, wnich in 
 the Days of his Fleih he offered up -with ftrong 
 Crying and Tears unto him that v^as able to Jaije 
 him from Death, Heb. 5. 7. And that Com- 
 plaint upon the Crofs in his greatefl: Agony. 
 My God, my God why hafc thou forfaken me 1 
 Mat. 27.46. Tiiofe Prayers were madeinFaith ; 
 and fo he was heard in that which he feared : 
 And though Chrill, as the Son of •Man, was ig- 
 norant of the Time of the End of the World, 
 yet no QLieftion, but he did perfeclly beljeve 
 the Article of the laft Judgment. As to An- 
 gels, we have the Apoflle James's Teftimony of 
 evil Spirits, Jam. 2.19. I'hey believe thatChains- ■ 
 and everlafting Torments will be increafed at 
 the Judgment of that great Day. And there 
 are many otherParticulars which byRevelation 
 of Scriptures they know will fall out. And 
 they believe the l^ruth of the Scriptures which 
 they know well enough to be of God. This 
 is clear enough, becaufe of their Spite and Ha- 
 tred againfl them.. If curfed, much more the 
 bleifed Angels have Faith : For as their Know- 
 ledge of many Things is more clear and exacl 
 than it is in the Devils, f3 is their Faith 
 imto others much more frm and refolved. 
 Hence it is that though they knovv^ not the 
 Day and- Flour of the End of the World, il/^r. 
 13. 52. Yet they believe it with Joy, long- 
 ing for the Addition of Happinefs in the Ac- 
 compliflimenc of the Church's Glory. Nor 
 do the Spirits of juft Men who lived by Faith - 
 
 in 
 
FaftJj and Jujlificatioyu 95 
 
 in this Life, utterly ceafe to live by Faith after 
 their Tranflation into Heaven, for even 
 there they yet ffill beUeve, many Things, 
 both pall and to come, as the Refurreaion of 
 their Bodies, and everlading Life, &c. And 
 that Prayer whicli the Saincs m Heaven make 
 for the Puniflinienc of their Blood (bed upon 
 the Eartn, {Ho-j) long, Lord, holy and true, dojl 
 not thou judge and re'uenge our Blood on them that 
 dwell on the Earth) Kqv. 6. 10. Here is mod 
 certainly a Prayer made in Faith. Wherefore 
 you fee that every Part of the World hath 
 Faith in it, Faith on Earth, Faith in Heaven, 
 and Faith in Hell too. As the Creatures knows 
 but in Part ; therefore it mufl: in Part be al- 
 vvays bound to believe whatfoever the Creator 
 fliall reveal unto it. And in which Faculty of 
 the reafonable Creature, Faith is refident, is 
 next to be examined. In every inteileaual Na- 
 ture there are ufually made too diftina Facul- 
 ties : (r) The Underflanding. (2) The Will. 
 We mud fee in which of thofe faculties Faith 
 IS Refident, or -whether in both. We affirm 
 the AiTtnt of Faith is an Aa of the Under- 
 Handing and of the Will, both together appro- 
 vmg and allowing theTruth, and Goodnefs of 
 divme Things ; but then it is to be remarked 
 that we do not make the Habit of Faith to be 
 inherent in two diverfe Subjecl:s, nor this AQ: ^ 
 of Aflent to come from two diverfe Principles 
 or two feveral Faculties of the Mind : but we 
 fay theSubjea is but one, the intelleaual Na- 
 ture ; and this according to the Judgment of 
 moil of the Divines of the Proteftanc Comma- 
 
96 A Treatife of Con^ceffion, 
 
 nion ; it is alfo according to the Sentence ef 
 the Scriptures, that feat Faith in the who'e 
 Heart ; as Rom. lo. lo. With the Heart Man 
 believeth unto Rf^hteoufnefs. And A6ls 8. 37. 
 If thou telieveft imth all thine Heart, Now it is 
 a Thing manifeil, that in the Scripture the 
 Heart is taken for the whole Soul with all it's 
 Powers and Operations, as of Underllanding, 
 I Kings 3. 9. Solomon asketh of God an un- 
 derllanding Heart, of willing and chufingjAfts 
 7. 39. In their Hearts they ^-joent back to Egypt , 
 I Cor. 7. 37. He that ftandeth firm in his 
 Heart, i. e. in his Purpofe and Refolution. A- 
 gain, of the Affections, Mat. 6. 21. IVhere the 
 Treafure is, there is the Heart alfo, i. e. Love for 
 Luft. Rom. I. 24. Of the Memory, Luk.i.i6, 
 They hid thofe Words in their Hearts, {oLiik. 
 21. 14. Thus you fee the Scriptures fpeak of 
 the whole Soul as that in which the Grace of 
 Faith is refident. Here two Queflions may 
 be put and briefly anfwered, viz. 
 
 1. Firft, What is the Ground of the Cer- 
 tainty of this Affent of Faith ? 
 
 2. What are the Degrees, and, wherein is the 
 diilinguiiliing Differences of the Affent of Faith 
 in God's Ele6t, from all other Faith ? 
 
 I. What is the Ground of the Certainty of 
 this Ailent of Faith ? The Ground of it lies 
 in this, in that it is built on the infallible Truth 
 and Authority of divine Revelations. God is 
 the Author of them, and he is fo infinitely good, 
 holy & juft, that no Lie can come of this Truth, 
 as 'John fpeaketh, i John 2. 21. Wifdom ic- 
 felf cannot be deceived. Truth itfelf cannot 
 
 deceive 
 
Faith and Jiijlification. 97 
 
 deceive, and God is both. But then you'l ask 
 me^ how is it known certain!}^, that the Scrip- 
 tures are the very Word of God ? To this I 
 anfwer, that in old Times, they knew the 
 Writing and Preaching of Mofes and the Pro- 
 phets to be of divine Infpiration, partly by the 
 Holinefs of the Doclrine which they taught^ 
 the lively Power and Work whereof the God- 
 ly then felt : partly by the Miracles which they 
 wrought for Confirmation of their prophetical 
 Office : Partly by the certain and infallibleAc- 
 compliihments of all their Prophecies. By the 
 fame Means alfo were the Preaching of Chrifb, 
 and the Preaching and Writing of the Apoilles 
 known in their Time. And as to the whole 
 Scripture written in the Bible how do they ap- 
 pear to be the Oracles of God^ ? I anfwer the 
 Scriptures are known to be of God by them- 
 felves. We approve not, but abhor that Tenet 
 of the Romiili Church, and her Abettors who 
 maintain that we cannot be certain oftheScrip- 
 tures Divinity by any other Argument thaa 
 the Teftimony ^ of the Church, which, fay they, 
 doth infallibly propole unto us, what is to be 
 believed, and v>rhat is not to be believed. 
 To which we oppofe a better Rule than 
 any they can give, or ever have given ; 
 and it is that of thejApoflle, i Cor. 2. 5. Our 
 Faith may not /land in the JVifdom of Man^ but 
 in the Power of God I iliall not infill any long- 
 er on this Enquiry; fince the infallible Cer- 
 tainty of Scriptures is at large handled and 
 maintained by many learned, and judicious - 
 Writers of the Proteilant Communion. 
 
 N 2. The. 
 
9 8 A Treatife of Convcrfion, 
 
 2. The fecond Ground of the Certainty of 
 this Afleut of Faith, is the Greatnefs and ex- 
 cellent Worth of the Things revealed. They 
 are not Things of little Value and Concern, 
 which God propofeth to us in his Word to be 
 embraced and believed, but they are the great 
 Things of his Law that he hath written unto us, 
 Hof. 8. 12. A Lazv that is perfect cowjerting the 
 Soul^aTeftimony that is fur e^ making mfe the Jim* 
 ple^Statiites that are right yrejoicing the Heart ; Cojn- 
 mandments that are pure, enlightning the Eyes ; 
 judgments that are true and righteous altogether^ 
 more to be defiredy than what Men defire mofl, 
 than Gold, yea than vmch fine Goldy fiveeter than 
 the Hony that droppeth from the heft Honey Comb. 
 As Pfal. 19. 7. &c. In which the holy Pro- 
 phet D^^zW mofl emphatically amplifies theDig- 
 nity and Worth of that Part of Scriptures, 
 which was in his Time given unto the Church 
 of God : And fmce then, there is a large Ad- 
 dition of heavenly Trealure, the Gofpel fully 
 revealed, and written for our Benefit, contain- 
 ing in it the Wifdom of God and that in a My- 
 ftery, hid from the Princes of this World, i 
 Cor. 2. 7. The deep Things of God, Ver. 10. 
 The Riches of his glorious Myllery, Col. i. 27. 
 The lufearchahle Riches of Chrijl, Ephef. 3. 8. 
 All, both Law and Gofpel, old and new Tefta- 
 ment are ftored with excellentPerfe6tion,Good- 
 jiefs, and Amiablenefs in themfelves, and to us 
 they contain Matters'; of ^le greatefh Im- 
 portance and Concern. He that heUe\)eth, 
 Jlall be froed : he that heJiezeth not, fJjaU be 
 'damned, Mark 16. 1 6, The Matters that are 
 
 fet 
 
Faith and Jujltfication. 99 
 
 fet forth to us in the Scriptures are no lefs than 
 Bleffingand Curfmg, Salvation and Damnation, 
 Grace and Sin, God's Favour and Difpleafure, 
 Heaven and Hell. What is there then of fo 
 great Worth, and Moment as thefe Things ? 
 And how flrong a Ground is there herein, for 
 the AlTent of Faith to divine Revelations con- 
 tained in his written Word ? 
 
 3. A third Ground of the Certainty of the 
 Aflent of Faith, may be taken from the Proof 
 and Experience we have had of fome Part of 
 the Truth of thofe Things we beheve. We 
 read that Abraham believed llrongly the Promi- 
 {qs, when for a long Time, he had but fmali 
 Performances, as is to be feen in the Hiflory 
 of his Life. But generally, Faith is but weak, 
 'till it be confirmed by Experience : This gives 
 it Life and Vigour, making the Heart flrong 
 in Confideration and Refolution. Thus it was 
 with David^ as I fliall mention in twolnftances, 
 viz. (i) His Confidence in combating with the 
 Philifiine^ i Sam, 17. Where from Experience 
 of God's Help in Time pafl, defending him in 
 his lawful CalUng, againfl the Bear andj the 
 Lion," he confidently afllires himfelf of the like 
 AfTiflance and Victory in that his righteous 
 Quarrel againfb the uncircumcifed Philijline^V, 
 36. (2) He takes the fame Courfe in PfaL 77. 
 W'here as it feems he was in great Affli6lion 
 and Difiirefs ; and then he ftrengthens himfelf 
 in Expeftation of Relief, Deliverance, and 
 Comfort by the Confideration of God's Works 
 of old ; and all his Mercies and lovingFavours 
 heretofore manifefted to his People. Thus 
 
 Experience 
 
100 A Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 Experience breeds Confidence, and we readily 
 trufl him, whom we have once throughly try- 
 ed. Ufual]y the experimental Obfervation of 
 Things pad, will fill the Heart with Boldnefs, 
 and confident Expectation of the like Saccefs 
 for the Time to come : And flrongly engag- 
 eth to afTert with the Pfalmifl, as Pfal. 58. 11. 
 Vmly there is a Rei^ardfor the Righteous, verily 
 there is a God that judgeth in the Earth. 
 I come now to the 
 2. Second Point propofed, touching thisAf- 
 fent : Namely, v/hat are the Degrees ; and 
 wherein is the diflinguiiliing DiiFerences of the 
 Aflent of Faith in God's Elect, from all other 
 Faith. It hath been proved already that Faith 
 may be in all reafonable Creatures, and decla- 
 red that the Scripture tefliify that there is fome 
 Kirud of Faith in the Devils, and wicked Men : 
 We mufl therefore examine a little, What their 
 Faith is,^nd what the Faith of God's Eleftis, 
 and wherein lies the Difference ? Herein lies 
 a fubflantial Difference of this Affent of Faith ; 
 there being a great Diverfity between an Af- 
 fent unto the Truth, and Goodnefs of Things 
 taken in the general, and Affent unto the 
 Truth and Goodnefs of the fame Things par- 
 ticularly applied ; the firfl of thefeis common- 
 ly called by two Names, as (i) Hijlorical Faith, 
 becaufe it believes the Letter of the Scriptures, 
 whether Fliflories or Doftrines that are ex- 
 preffed therein. (2) Tcmf^t-ary Faith ; from 
 the Event and Iffue of it, becaufe it perfeveres 
 not to the End, but fails in Time of Trouble, 
 and Temptation. The one and the other, are 
 
 oae 
 
Faith y and Jiijlification. lor 
 
 one and the fame Degree of Faith afTenting to 
 Things in grofs, from which it flies, and of 
 which it difallows when it comes to particular 
 Application. Such a general Affent there is in 
 the Devils, who know the Scriptures to be of 
 God, and acknowledge the Things contained 
 in them, to be in themfelves true and good be- 
 caufe from God ; tho' they hate both the one 
 and the other bitterly ; and reile6l on them, 
 with great Horror. According as James faith. 
 They helieve and tremble^ Jsm. 2. 19. Many 
 Hypocrites and Reprobates have the like De- 
 gree of Faith ; who being eniighten'd and con- 
 vinced of the Truth of the Word, give a ge- 
 neral Aflent to it for the Time, as in thofe Luk. 
 8. 13. WI30 receive the JVord 'zvlth Joy^ but they 
 have no Root : JVbich for a ivbile believe, but in 
 Time of Temptation go a^c^ay. In thofe Heb. 6, 
 \y 5' U^bich iviere enlightened, tafted of the hea- 
 venly Gift, and ixsere made Partakers of -the Holy 
 Ghojl : and have tajled of the good JVord of God, 
 and of the Poivers of the PForld to come, are fal- 
 len away. In thofe many that believed in Chrift's 
 Name, but yet Chrifl would not truft them,be- 
 caufe he knew them all, that they were not 
 found at Heart. John 2. 23, 24. In thofe 
 many again that at another Time believed in 
 him, but the Lord cautions them to look to it, 
 that they be found. If ye continue in mylVord, 
 ye are verily my Difcifies. John 8. 30. 31. Such 
 a Faith was in Simon Magus, Ads 8- 13. Who 
 believed t'le Apcftie's Preaching, and was bap- 
 tized, even tvliilfl yet he remained in the Gall 
 of Bitternefs and Bond of Iniquity, that is, a 
 
 cruel 
 
X02 A Treatife of Converfioriy 
 
 cruel and out-ragious Enemy to that Truth 
 which he feemed to believe and profefs, and 
 unmoveably in Love with thofe Sins that he 
 feemed willing to leave and abandon, Ver.23. 
 The like Sort of Faith there was in Felix who 
 was fo ilirred that he trembled when he heard 
 Taul difpute of Righteoufnejs^ Temperance and 
 the Judgment to come^ A6ls 24. 25. He believ- 
 ed, and like the Devils trembled ; But never- 
 thelefs he retained another Man's Wife, was 
 unrighteous, and coveteous, and expe6led a 
 Bribe : And puts Fan! off, and his Religion to 
 a more convenient Seafon, which he would 
 take at his own Leifure, & Pleafure. Such a 
 Sort of Faith there was in King Jgrippaywho 
 when he heard PauPs Reafoning and Apology, 
 could have found in his Heart to have been a 
 Chriflian, J^s 26. 28. And it is alfo recorded 
 that Herod heard John Baptijt gladly, and reve- 
 renced him as a jufl: Man and holy, and did 
 many Things willingly, Mark 6. 20. But 
 when the MeiTenger of the Lord deals plainly 
 with Herod concerning his Incefl, he mud then 
 go to Prifon. And the Hypocrite would put 
 him (though accounted a Prophet) to Death, 
 but that he feared the People more than he re- 
 verenced John Baptifi, Mat. 14. 5. And thus 
 it is with many Men flill, as long as they can 
 dally with their Delilahs^ keep to their favou- 
 rite Sins, and carry on their main Defires and 
 Delio;hts without Controul, they affcnt to the 
 Truth of Scriptures, approve and allow of what 
 is contained in them in grofs as good and ex- 
 cellent without any fpecial and proper Appli- 
 cation 
 
Faith, and Jujlifi cation. 103 
 
 cation to their Praaife. I could here alTign 
 many Caufes of this Kind of Faith in many 
 Men. As, 
 
 1. Firft the common Grace of the Spirit by 
 which fome are enlighten'd in the Knowledge 
 of heavenly Things. God is pleafed to beitow 
 of the common Graces of his Spirit, even up- 
 on the unregenerate for the common Benefit 
 of his Churchy and for the Ufe and Inftruaion 
 of others. We read that Solomon in the Buil- 
 ding the material Temple, employed not the 
 natural Ifraelites, but the Remainder of the Ca- 
 naanites and Strangers that lived in the Land, 
 to be Bearers of Burdens, and Hewers of 
 Stones, and Overfeers of the Work, 2 Chron, 
 2. 17. So doth Chrifl in the Building of his 
 Church, ufe the Help and Miniftry even of 
 fome unfan6lified Men, who do not heartily e- 
 fteem and affcft that which they know, yet in 
 the General they believe it : And willingly 
 teach it for the Good and Benefit of others. 
 
 2. The Authority and Influence of Men in 
 highElleem and Repute forWifdom andKnow- 
 jedge. How many have been the Followers, 
 from Time to Time, of thofe who have been 
 accounted the Oracles of the AgQ wherein they 
 lived ? Was it not the Elleem that the Peo- 
 pie had of John the Baptift, to be a great 
 Prophet, that induced Herod to reverence 
 him the more ? And the high Fame that 
 went of Chrifl, drew many to hearken to his 
 poarine. Thus it hath been, and thus ic 
 is even unto this Day ; that many Hundreds 
 take up, and drop their Faith in Matters of 
 
 Religion, 
 
1C4 ^ Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 Religion, according to the highEfheem, orDif- 
 efleein they have of Men's Perfons. And the 
 Cuilom and Confent of the Times and Policies 
 wherein Men live have much the fame E£Fe6l. 
 3. A third Caufe is, feme extraordinary E- 
 vent of Providence confirming the Truth of 
 Religion. So it was in the Day of Chrift and 
 hisApollleSjtheMiracles perfwaded many to be- 
 lieve, who yet were not true Behevers, but 
 Counterfeits : It is faid, John 2. 23. That many 
 lelieved in Ms Name ^hen they faw the Miracles 
 ^vbich he did ; but their Faitli was not good, 
 who believed only upon Miracles. Wherefore 
 cur Lord ivculd not commit himfelf to the?n, asV. 
 24. So it was with Si?non the Vvitch, when he 
 fceheld the Signs and great Wonders which 
 were done by the Apollles, he believed, yea, 
 he wondred, when at the fame Time his wic- 
 ked Pleart was not right in the Sight of God. 
 Jc^s 8. 13. 21. Thus you eafily fee, that by 
 Tuch Means as are above related, and the like ; 
 Men are perfwaded unto an imperfecl: and ge- 
 neral Faith, who yet have not a Spark of in- 
 wardGrace andHolinefs, nor theRoot in them- 
 {jtWcs^ whence their Faith fpringeth, as faith 
 our Saviour, Mjf. 13. 21. Such ill grounded 
 Faith flandeth only Vv^hile the Sun ihines on 
 Religion ; but when Trouple and Temptatioa 
 arifeTh on the Account thereof, or that fuch 
 formal ProfeiTors muft forfake their beloved 
 Sins, peculiar Pleafures and Delights. Then . 
 they with the young Man in the Gofpel ilirink - 
 .away forrov/ful that they cannot have Heaven^ 
 at ihe Pvate they themfelves fet upon it, and| 
 
 infleadi 
 
Faith, and Jujiification, 105 
 
 inflead of condu6ling their much admired For- 
 mality in Rehgion unto a particular Applicati- 
 on andPra6tice ,* their hypocritical temporary 
 Faith, dwindles away to a meer Nullity. Whicli 
 notwithftanding, we ilnd that the Writers and 
 School- Men of the Church of Rorney affirm to 
 be the juftifying Faith of which the Scripture 
 fpeak. BecanuSy in the Name of the reft of 
 his Fellow-Sophiflers declares, that the Doc- 
 trine of the Cathohcks is this, that Faith be- 
 longs to the Underflanding, and is nothing elfe, 
 bat (credere five ajjentiri cis quce et Deo revelata 
 flint]) that is to believe, or aiTentto thofeThings 
 which are revealed by God. It is eafy then 
 to fee how much Faith is flighted by thefe Men, 
 when they maintain that the Faith whereby a 
 Sinner is jufrified^is nothing elfe, but anAilent 
 to Articles of Religion, becaufe of God's Au- 
 thority. They indeed pretend fome Places of 
 Scripture to juflifythis their Notion of juflify 
 ing Faith, in which there is not the leailGround 
 to fupport it. And theWeaknefs, andlncon- 
 fequence of their Arguments built thereupon, 
 have been fufficiently difcovered and expofed 
 by eminent Men in the Proteftant Churches, of 
 undoubted Integrity, and known Abilities. I 
 pafs now from that Faith which is general un- 
 to that other which is fpecial and particular. 
 This particular Affent of Faith is, when we be- 
 lieve whatfoever God hath revealed as moft true 
 and excellent inRefpe6l of ourfelves, when they 
 are particularly applied to our particular Cir- ■ 
 
 t Theol. Schol. Tom. 3. Cap. 8. Q-i. 
 
 O cumilances 
 
7 
 
 io6 A Treatife of Converjion^ 
 
 cumflances and Condition ; and compared witli 
 wjiac we wifli for, and delire to efcape ; en- 
 deavouring t5 reduce ourPraclice to that uner- 
 ring Standard. As it appears in many Circum- 
 fl'anceSjthat J^cb's Friends were too rafli and cen- 
 forious in fundry of the Charges exhibited by 
 them againfl him : So it is al lb evident, that 
 yet they were skilled in the Nature of this par- 
 ticular AiTent of Faith, as their Advice lliews, 
 job 5. 27. In which there is a very fmgular 
 Defcription given thereof. Lo this, ^u^e hai:e 
 fiarched it, fo it is ; hear it, and know thou it 
 fur thy Good. (Margenr) For thyfelf. Two 
 'Fhings come iu here neceffarily to be conu- 
 deied, viz. 
 
 1. Firfb, the Fountain whence this Ailentcf 
 Faith fioweth. 
 
 2. Secondly, that to which it tends> or the 
 Object wherero it is directed. 
 
 I. Firil, The Fountain whence this Aflent 
 of Faith flowech. The Root and Caufe there- 
 of is the Grace of San6i:iiicationv/roughtin the 
 Heart by the Holy Ghofl, renewing the Soul 
 in all the Powers thereof. The new Creature 
 being begotten by the Seed of the Word, and 
 having thereby an evangelical Frame, hath 
 therefore the prime, evangelical Grace conna- 
 tural :o it, from which fprings Faith and all o- 
 ther Acts cf the new Creature. It is not the E^- 
 fctt of common Illimiination ; for many under 
 that know and defpife the Truth, or believe ic 
 but in the FJeap, and in general. If this Vv'as 
 the Fruit of common Illumination great a-! id 
 good ilen both Prophets, Apoitles and Mini- 
 
 Ilcr., 
 
Faith y and Jttjlification, 107 
 
 fters, zealous and powerful in their Do6i:rine, 
 would not have fpenc fo muchLabour andTra- 
 
 - vei in difpenfrng the Truths of God to \h f - 
 tie Purpofe with mod Men. Nor is this AfTeni; 
 wrought by Miracles and flrange Accidents, 
 thefe were frequent among the Je'j)^^^ but yet 
 they continued in Unbelief. 'Tis only the fanc- 
 tif^dng Grace of God's Spirit that accomplifnes 
 this "Work. The Heart not waflied by the holy 
 Ghofl: in the Laver of Regeneration, but abi- 
 • ding in its natural Corruption, is not, nor can 
 be fubje61: to the Law of God : But proves el-; ^ 
 ther impudent and atheiflical to deny hisTruthV 
 or fhrangely fubtile to fliift it off from itfelf, 
 when it is preifed with it in particular. ' 'But- 
 Vvdien the Spirit of Grace is ilied abroad iU'the 
 Soul, fan6lifying all the Powers thereof t\iv-C)\ 
 out, it is wonderful to fee how it fhoops to the 
 Command of God's Word. Regeneration re- 
 ftoreth Health unto the Soul, whereby it reco- 
 veredi a true Taile of the Lord's Bounty and 
 GooJnefs : And from hence there a conilant 
 Appetite to this fpiritual Food, as much as un- 
 to any corporal Nourifliment. To this Purpofe 
 is the Apoftle's Reafoning, i Pet. 2. i, 2, 3. As 
 ne-vi -Lorn Babes defire the fine ere Milk of thefVord^ 
 tb::t ye may grow thereby : If fo be ye have tajl- 
 cd that the Lord is gracious. ^ To ivhom coming as 
 unto a living Stone, difalloived indeed of Men y but 
 chofcn of God and precious. Now the Soul 
 hath real Aipprehenfions of divine Thing",, 
 and; c<>nceives of Religion, a^> a Work to be 
 dbhej Tiot as a Bufinefs to be ta'ke.^. or. 
 
 " 5S'0W he fees himfelf under an indifpenfabie 
 
 Ob- 
 
io8 A Treat ife cf Converjion, 
 
 Obligation to pleafc God by obeying him 
 if all die World is difpleafed : And that the 
 Concerns of the Son! are principally to be mind- 
 ed, and looked mito. He clofes 'without any 
 Limitation or Reflriftion to the whole Truth 
 qf God revealed in his written Word. And en- 
 tertains all Events of Providence with a BleJJed 
 he tJjeLord ; and willingly refigns himfelf and 
 all to tlie dilpofing of his Creator, now believ- 
 ing certainly that in all Things it is bed to fol- 
 low his Counfcl ; taking his holy Word, (as 
 Bavid did) for his fure Guide and Advifer in 
 the Courfe of his frail Life. Pfalm 119. 24. 
 Thy Teji'imonies alfo are my Delight^ and my Coun- 
 fellers. Thus of the Root^and Fountain whence 
 this Afient of Faith iioweth. Next follows 
 
 2. Secondly, that to which is tends, or theOb- 
 jc8: to which it is direfted ; this is to be confider- 
 edinthe next Place. And itcomprehendsjinic 
 
 1. The whole Will of God revealed to us in 
 his Word, containing all Hiilories, Dodlrines, 
 Commands, Threamings, Promifes of what 
 Kind foever. 
 
 2. The particular Promife of RemiiTion and 
 everlafling Life by the Death of Ch rid, which 
 in one Word we call the Gofpel. For the for- 
 mer, viz. Belief of the Revelations of God, it 
 is a Diclate of Nature ; though Nature can- 
 not afcend to many Truths before a Revelati- 
 on from God, yet when the Revelation is made 
 and Reafon fees the Characters of divine Au- 
 rhorir.y upon it, or hath no forcible Arguments 
 a.^ainfh ir, to deny it to be the Mind and Pro- 
 mife of God, not to believe it is a Violation 
 
 of 
 
Faith f and Juftij: cation. lo^ 
 
 of the Law of Nature ,* becaufe the ppored 
 Reafon dilates th^ that fuppofing God hath 
 made a Declaration of his Wiii m any Pro- 
 mife, or Precept or Threatning, Man is to be- 
 lieve what God promifes or commands : Be- 
 caufe Reafon will tell him, tha: God cannot de- 
 ceive, that Truth is a neceffary Perfecrion of 
 the divine Nature, that is powerful to perform 
 what he promifeth : And confequently Manis 
 obliged to believe what he promifeth. Again, 
 the Law of Nature tells us, our Creator is to be 
 credited in any Propofition he makes ,* that our 
 Belief of him is a Carriage due to him ; that 
 it is infinite Goodnefs, he will condefcend to 
 reveal himfelf in Ways of Mercy to his Crea- 
 tures ; and that this divine Goodnefs requires 
 a futable Return ; that whatfoeveris revealed 
 ought to be entertained by all the Faculties of 
 the Soul, believed in the Under Handing, em- 
 braced by the Will, and welcomed by the Af- 
 fedlions ; for all the Faculties ofthe Soul, being 
 created by God, ought by the Law of their 
 Creation, ro rife up in due Refpe61: to every 
 Thing that fiovv^s from hini. In a Word, the 
 Law of Nature prefcribes a refting injandRe- 
 fpeft of any Thing, which we have Ground to 
 think is of divine Authority. 
 
 2. The particular Promife of RemilTion of 
 Sins, and everlaftingLifeby theDeath of Chrifl, 
 which in one Word we call the Gofpel. It is 
 proper to obferve here that Faith is diilinguifli- 
 . ed unto legal and evangelical Faith, as it af- 
 " fonts to the whole Will of God in what Kind 
 foe ver, is called legal, becaufe it is fuch aVirtue 
 
 as 
 
iiO_ A Treaufe of Ccnverjion'^ 
 
 as is immediately required by the moral Law, 
 in the fame Manner as oc»Diities of the mo- 
 ral Law are. If any flioulf be minded to dif- 
 pute whether juftifying Faith be commanded 
 in the moral Law, let them confider that it is 
 inconteftibly mianifed:, that it is enjoined, and 
 that in the firil Commandment, as a fmgular 
 Part of the inward Worfliip due unto the Cre- 
 ator, confiding principally in thofe threeGraces 
 of Faith, Love and Fear. Faith, as it alTents 
 to the Gofpel-Promife of Grace, we call evan- 
 gelical, becaufe it is fuch an Acl as is expreHy 
 commanded in the Goipd, the Objecl thereof 
 being not revealed by the moral Law. But 
 then this Promife of Grace was the Objeft of 
 the Faith of the Ancients as well as ours. The 
 Objecl of their Flope and Truft under all the 
 former Difpenfation was theMeffiah, and their 
 Faith was exprefl by waiting and trufling ; as 
 may be feen in fome Inflances. ^acob, upon 
 his Death-bed, breathes out his Soul in longing 
 for God's Salvation, orGod's Jefus, Gen.49.18. 
 I hci'oe 'u^ahed for thy Salvation, Lord. The 
 good Patriarch kept the Promife of the Seed of 
 the Woman, and Salvation by him as aDepo- 
 fitum-in his Heart, fed upon it all his Days ; 
 and makes a folemn ConfelFion of his Faith in 
 his dying Poflure. How fervent and earned 
 is the holy Pfalmid in his Expe61ation of the 
 Promife oif Grace andSalvation by the Melliah, 
 as thofe that v/atch for the Morning, tired with 
 a gloomy and tedious Night ? Pfal. 130. 6. 
 iloy Soul 'Waits for the Lord, more than they that 
 ^i^-atch for the Morning, I fay, more than they that 
 
 ivatcb 
 
Faith and Jiijlijl cation, ill 
 
 *ixiatch for the Morning, In his PFord do I hope^ 
 faith he, Ver. 5.. That is, in that firlt Promife 
 of the MCiTiah, and all the Promifes of Pardon, 
 and Propitiation built upon that Foundation. 
 My Soul waits for thatMeffiah who is to bring 
 foi th a plenteous Redemption, that Lord who 
 is to redeem Jfrael from all his Iniquities. The 
 Obje6l of their waiting was the fame with tliat 
 of Simeon y Luke 2. 25. The Confolation of If 
 rael ; and that Confolation was the LordChrilt, 
 Ver. 26. It was the Promife made to theFa- 
 tiiers that they hoped in ; that Hope of the 
 Promife, for which Paul was accufed and fee 
 before aTribunal, which was hisHopeinChrift, 
 Jcis 26. 6j 7. Waiting and Hope are the 
 Terms whereby Faith is expreft in the old Tef- 
 tament. As Chriil was the Objecl of the An- 
 cients Hope ; foalfowas he the Objecl of their 
 Faith. Faith is the Spring of Flope, for no- 
 thing can be waited for but what is believed to 
 be certainly^and infallibly to come to pafs. All 
 Believers from the beginning of the World, 
 had the fame Foundation of their Faith, it was 
 in all of the fame Tenor, upon the promifed 
 Seed it was pitched, and the bruifing of the 
 Serpent, and the removing of the Curfe by it 
 was longed for. The Church held the Mefliah 
 perpetually under all the Corruptions of Ages, 
 and the Abufes of the Watchmen, and would 
 not let him go. Cant. 3. 4. They had the 
 fame Fruits of Faith under the Law, and there* 
 fore the fame fubflandal Objeift of Faith as we 
 have under the Gofpel ; all that were jufdfied 
 and faved, had the Sentence of JufLification 
 
 p/onounccd 
 
112 A Treatife ^f Comerfioriy 
 
 pronoanced upon them, on no other Account, 
 than we have, which me Apoflle Faiil labours 
 to Ihew in many Places ; efpecially Rom. 
 4, throughout the whole Chapter, in the Ex- 
 amples of Abraham and David. Their Juflifi- 
 cation was by Faith, which Faith was imputed 
 to them for Righteoufnefs ; and what thatFaith 
 was the-Apoflle plainly defcribes ; V. 23,24. 
 It ivas iirhtenfor us, to whom h fI:aU he hnputedy 
 if "uce belie've in him that raifed up Jefus our Lord 
 from the Dead. Agreeably, Chrill as crucified, 
 was in all their Preaching propofed by the A- 
 poflies, as the Objecl of Faith, Security from 
 Puniiliment, and Way to Happinefs. Now the 
 efiential Difference between the Faith of God's 
 E]e6t & of Hypocrites lies here ; viz. Hypocrites 
 have always their Limitations & Referves ; they 
 believe fcmething, but not all, ifall,it is but in 
 theGroJs. But when it comes to a Trial,* and 
 that they miuft give Proof of it, then they flirink 
 and bid "^Farev/ell to Faith : But the Faith of 
 jGod's Elecl is fincere, fair, open, univerfal, 
 •U'ichout Diflindlions, Equivocations, mental Re- 
 fervations,or other hypocriticalTurns andShifts. 
 And although it may be ignorant in fome Par- 
 ticulars, and weak in theApplication of others, 
 yet in the habitual Refolution and Difpofition 
 of the Fleart, it yields univerfal and uniform 
 Aflent to the whole revealed Will of God. Ic 
 is true indeed that Daijid in Paflion may call Sa- 
 vniel a lying Prophet, for telling him he fnould 
 be King ; and Peter in bodily Fear deny his 
 Lord and Mafl:er, in whom he truly believes : 
 Andfo in others aviolencTemptacicnmaypulli 
 
 rhcir 
 
Faith and Jujiificatwn. 113 
 
 their Buckler of Faith afide, but yet it cannot 
 flrike it out of their Hands : If they give, yet 
 will they not wholly leave the Field ; but v/ill 
 again rally, return to the Battle and maintain 
 their Standing. But the Hypocrites partial 
 and i]l-dire6ledFaith, is the bitterRoot of Men's 
 ilpofhacy and Backfliding ; and is the princi- 
 pal Infhrument whereby the Devil caufes the 
 Downfall of many who yet feem Saints and 
 zealous ProfefTors of Religion. Thus have we 
 briefly given a Defcription of P'aith aS: it 
 regards the whole Courfe' of Religion, and 
 the whole Counfel of God revealed in his 
 Word. Next we fliall offer a Word of true 
 Faith as it refpe^ls the particular Promife of 
 Grace in Chrift Jefus : Which is a Grace of 
 San6lification, wrought by the Pfoly Ghofl in 
 every regenerate Man, whereby for his own 
 particular he trufteth entirely unto the Promife 
 of RemilTion of Sins, and Salvation byChrift's 
 Righteoufnefs, feeking for Help& Security no 
 where elfe but only in the Fountain of his preci- 
 ous Blood ; all otherThings are brokenReeds un- 
 der the mofl fplendid Appearances : And there- 
 fore true Faith in the Child of God, addreffeth it- 
 felf only to theLord Jefus to findMedicine for his 
 Miferies, & Counfel for his Troubles. He lives 
 a Life of Faith only in him as Paul did^ Gal. 2.20. 
 And the Life which I now live in the Fle/Jj, I live 
 by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and 
 gave himfelf for me. A gracious Soul lays hold 
 on every Word, on every Promife, on every 
 Particle of Chrift for the Conduct and Direftion 
 of his whole Courfv^ : He believes not for a 
 P Time 
 
J 14 A Treatife of Cowcerfion^ 
 
 Time and Spurt, by Fits and Starts, but con- 
 ilantly ,• upon allOccafions when Storms arife 
 in the World, he embraces Chrift as his Pro- 
 te6lor and Condu6lor ; when Racks appear to 
 be fet up in his Confcience, he believes in him 
 as his Peace-maker, whenCorruptions creep and 
 defiles him., he believes in him as a Refiner ,* 
 he confiders and applies him in his Perfon, in 
 his Promifes, in his Offices, in his Mediation, 
 in his Sacrifice, and in theRighteoufiiefs of alL 
 You know the Promife of Grace in Chrift is 
 made unto us in particular Terms, both in the 
 Word preached and Sacraments ; To afiTent un- 
 to this Promife, is not barely to acknowledge 
 there is fuch a Thing in the World as Remif- 
 fion of Sins by Chrift t'o be beftowed upon fome 
 we know not who ; for this is to believe the 
 Promife, not as a Promife, but as a Piece of 
 Pliftory ; but this /ifi^entis an A61 of the whole 
 Heart, in Truft, Reliance, Dependance, Adhe- 
 rence, Affiance, or if there be aty other Word 
 expreffing that Atlion of the regenerate Soul, 
 whereby it refteth and repofeth it felf only 
 upon God's Promife in Chrift, for the obtain- 
 ing eternal Plappinefs. Pie committeth him- 
 fcif to God, and is out of Doubt concerning 
 God's Ability to keep until the Day of Judg- 
 rpent his Soul, and his whole Concerns both for 
 this Life and another, which he hath byFaith 
 committed to him, knowing he is- able to fe- 
 cure them. He copies after that happy Pat- 
 tern fet liini by the ApoftJe Paul thus, / knoisa 
 ixhom I bcfcc believed, (or milled y as the Margent) 
 afid I am vcrj^adcd that he is able to keep that 
 
 ivhich 
 
Faith, and Jujljfication. 115 
 
 ijohkh I have committed unto him againjl that 
 Day. 2 Tim. i. 12. Thus of the {(^cond matn 
 Point, viz. Faith. The |||^ 
 
 3. Third follows, namely JiiJllp,cat'on. TKu 
 is a Concomitant of the former : Juftification 
 in lliort is the making of aPerfbn juu, orrigii- 
 teous in this Senfe, at leaih it is to be under- 
 llood in the Point now unHer Confideration : 
 Which may very jufl:ly be thus defcribed ; that 
 is to fay, it is an A61 of God's free Grace Avhere- 
 by he freely juftifieth thofe, whom he effectu- 
 ally calleth, not by infufing Righteoufnefs into 
 them, but by pardoning their Sins, and by ac- 
 counting and accepting their Perfons as righ- 
 teous, not for any Thing v/rought in them, or 
 done by them^ but for" Chrift's Sake alone, 
 who hath interpofed himfelfas Surety for them, 
 and in their Stead and Name to make thatSa- 
 tisfaftion for them which is required : And 
 he that pleads this Sadsfaftion is judified evan- 
 gelically by Grace, through the Righteoufnefs 
 of the bleffed Jefus the Mediator of the Cove- 
 nant of Grace imputed to him; and rxcepted for 
 ashis.By him every one that believeth is juflified; 
 he that believeth in Chrift with the Heart, by 
 his Merit and Mediation fliall be abfolved, and 
 fiiall not com.e unto Condemnation. Through 
 this Man is preached unto you the Forgivenefs of 
 SinSy and by him all that believe are jufiified from 
 all Things y from -what ye could not be jujiifiedj?v 
 the law of Alofes. A6ls 13. 38, 39. I fnall 
 not need to trouble my Reader with a Multi- 
 lude of Scripture Quotations to fnew the N:> 
 :.iire of a Believer's Juftificacion before God ; it 
 
 may 
 
ii6 ^A Treaufe of Converfion, 
 
 may be fufficient to dire6l him to a careful Pe. 
 rufal of the fecond and fourth Chapters of the 
 Epiftle to fhQ Romans, and thh'd of that to the 
 Galatiam, rniQi'Q theDoclrine thereof is direct- 
 ly handled by the Apoftle Paul ; from which 
 we may eafily learn, that by Juftification, no- 
 thing elfe is meant, but the gracious Act of Al- 
 mighty God, whereby he abfolves a believing 
 Sinner, accufed at the Tribunal of his Juflice, 
 pronouncing him jufl, and acquitting him of all 
 Punifliment for Chrifl's Sake. 
 
 Now the Queftionis, in what Manner God 
 makes a Sinner jufl, whom he in Judgment fo 
 to be ? The Solution of this Queftion is necef- 
 iary at this Day when fo many of thofe who 
 pretend to fuperiorLight and Graces, fo grolly 
 wander from the true Ground of Juftification; 
 with which I am furprized in daily Converfation 
 with thofe that call themfelves Converts ! The 
 Papifts and their Followers fay that God makes 
 a Sinner jufl, whom he in Judgment pronoun- 
 ceth fo to be, by bellowing on him the Grace of 
 Sanftification, & perfeftRighteoufnefs inherent 
 in his ownPerfon. We with the befl reformed 
 Churches, and Divines,afrert and maintain, that 
 the Manner of a Sinner's Juftification is by im- 
 puting unto him the perfect Righteoufnefs of 
 Chrift, accepting Chrift's Obedience for his. 
 Now tofhevvT how near we and our Adverfaries 
 come together in this Matter, to fhew alfo the 
 Difference there is between us in it ; and to 
 fix the Point in its orthodox or true Situation; 
 we are to confider briefly that there is inhe- 
 rent Righteoufnefs beftowed upon a Sinner, 
 
 wnerebv 
 
Faith, and Jujlification. " I r 7 
 
 whereby of unholy, impure, unjiifl, he is made 
 holy, clean and jail. We all confefs the Work 
 of the Holy Ghoft, renewing Man pi the Spirit 
 of hisMind, reftoringin him the Image of God. 
 E'ph.^.2^. In Knowledge^ Righteoufnefs, and 
 Hohnefs. Col, 3. 9. That the Holy Ghoft 
 dwells in the Eleft, as in Temples dedicated 
 to his Service, i Cor. 3. 16. "w^ich he adorns by 
 commimicating unto them his heavenly Graces. 
 That he makes them livingMembers of Chrift's 
 Body, and fruitful Branches of that true Vine^ 
 John 15. 4. That this Grace infufed is aFoun- 
 tain of living Water, fpringing up to eternal 
 Life. John 4. 14. Thefe Things we believe 
 and teach. 
 
 Yet notwithflanding popiili Doftors and their 
 Followers, afperfe the reformed Writers, charg- 
 ing Cah'm and others with denying all inherent 
 Righteoufnefs in Believers, and maintaining on- 
 ly an imputed Righteoufnefs without them": 
 but this is grofs Calumny ; and the Produce of 
 their perverfe Imaginations perverting the plain 
 Writings of our reformed Divines. For nei- 
 ther Cak'in nor any that ever maintained the 
 Truth with him.^ ever denied the Truth of 
 San6lification. See * but Gz/'uiw^ and we hold 
 upon folid Grounds of Scripture, that the righ- 
 teoufnefs which jufliiies us in God's Sight and 
 Judgment is not in ourfelves, but all in Chrifl. 
 We alfo aflert and maintain, that inherentRigh- 
 teoufnefs, or Sanctification, is the conflantCom- 
 ^^•panion of Juftification ;" they are infeparable 
 
 •'^ * Calvin Initit. Lib. 3. Cap. j.i. 
 
 in 
 
ii8' A Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 in their common Subj eft, viz. A true Believer, 
 as appears, Rom. 8. 30. But then they miift 
 not be confounded for one and the fameGrace 
 of God ; no more than as that in the Sun, 
 Light andHeat are. all one, becaufe always joi- 
 ned together. Moreover, orthodox Writers 
 affirm, that by this Grace of inherent Righte- 
 oufnefs, a Man is in fome Sort juftified before 
 God ; namely, fo far as a Man by the Grace 
 of God is becomie Duly holy and good, fo far 
 God efleems him holy and good. Our gracious 
 Father obferves, and takes Notice of his own 
 Graces in his Children. He approves of them 
 and gives Teftimony of them in Cafe it be need- 
 ful, 'ds appears by the Righteoufnefs of ^ob, 
 David, Zechmiah and other holy Men, who were 
 Good and did Good in God's Sight. And in 
 the Life to come when all their Corruptions 
 {hall be perfeftly done away, the Saints fliall 
 be invefled with Perfeclion'of inherent Holi- 
 nefs. By a Righteoufnefs of their own, and 
 not by any other fhall they then appear inGod's 
 Sight. So far is our Concord with them. But 
 then we differ widely in this, that albeit by the 
 Grace of San 61iiication infufed, God doth make 
 the Believer righteous and holy in fome Mea- 
 fure, that was before unholy and wicked ; ne- 
 verthelefs, we fay, and maintain, that by and 
 for this Holinefs, thebeft and moll eminent of 
 Saints living, never were nor fliall be juflified 
 in God's Sight, i. e. pronounced jufl and inno- 
 cent before the Tribunal of his Jnflice. For 
 no Man in this Life is made perfc6lly jufl by 
 any fuch inherent Holinefs in him, as is able 
 
 to 
 
Faith, and Jujiificathn, lip 
 
 to outfland thefevere and exa6l Trial of God's 
 Judgment, is a Truth witnefTed by the Scrip- 
 ture in many Places ; and confelTed always by 
 the mofl holy Saints of God. And therefore 
 when the Sinner is drawn before the Bar of 
 God's Judgment, accufed by the Law, Satan, 
 his Confcience, convidled by the Evidence of 
 the Fa6l, and to be now fentenced and delive- 
 red to Puniiliment by the impartial Judgment 
 of God ,* in this Cafe he hath to alledge for 
 himfelf the All-fufficient Righteoufnefs of a 
 mighty Redeemer, who only hath done and 
 fuffered for him that which he could never do 
 Bor fuffer for himfelf This Plea alone and no 
 other in the World, can flop the Mouth of 
 Hell, confute the Accufatlons of Satan, chafe 
 away the Terrors that haunt or difquiet a guil- 
 ty Confcience, and appeafe the infinite Indig- 
 nation of an angry Judge. This alone, this a- 
 lone will procure Favour and Abfolution in the 
 Prefence of that Judge of the whole Earth. 
 This and nothing q\^q brings down from Hea- 
 ven into our Confciences that folid and happy 
 Peace, which pafTeth all Underflanding, but of 
 him that hath it. By this only we reft ourfelves 
 fecure from Fear of Condemnation, having in 
 Chrifl the All-fuiriclent Saviour, a fure Protec- 
 tion and Defence that will not fail us, when af- 
 ter Death we appear before the high and fo- 
 vereign Tribunal of Almighty God. 
 
 For a further Illufcration of this Subje6l v/e 
 iliall next confider two Things, namely, 
 - I . Firil, The Condition required in them that 
 Ihall be juftiiied. 
 
 2. Secondly, 
 
120 A Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 2. Secondly. The Matter of their Jiiflifi- 
 cation. 
 
 I. The Condition required in them that^nll 
 be juftified , or are made Partakers of theGrace 
 of Juflification : And that is true Faith ,* that it 
 is fo, the holy Scriptures abundantly witnefs, 
 in a very direct, and exprefs Manner : TheA- 
 poftle Paul, after muchfolidReafoning on this 
 Subject, faith, Rom. 3. 28. I^Fe conclude a Man is 
 jiijlificd hy Faith imthout the fForks of the Law, 
 And Rom. 4. 9. For ^we fay, that Faith was im- 
 puted unto Abraham for Right eoufnefs. And, 
 Rom. 5. I. Then leing juftified by Faith, ws 
 have Peale towards God thro' ^ej us Chrift our Lord. 
 From thefe and many other Places that might 
 be added ; it is agteed on all Hands, that a 
 Sinner is juftified by Faith ,• but concerning the 
 Manner, or how he is juftified is much contro- 
 verted between the orthodox Divines of the 
 reformed Churches, and their Adverfaries *: 
 Efpecially the Papifis^ and Arminians : But I 
 Ihall not now examine the Merit and Weight 
 of the Arguments of either, but inftantly pro- 
 pound the Judgment of the reformed Church- 
 es concerning this Point, which with them we 
 liold forth and maintain in thefe two Branches, 
 viz. 
 
 I. Firft, That a Sinner is juftified by Faith, 
 not properly as it is a Quality or A6lion, which 
 by its own Dignity and Merit deferves atGod'sx 
 Hands, Remiiiion of Sins, or is by God's favour- 
 able Acceptance taken for the whole & perfeffc 
 •Righteoufnefs of the Law, which is other- 
 wife required of a Sinner, but only in Relati- 
 on 
 
Faith and Juftification. I2i 
 
 on to the Obje6l of it, viz. the Righteoufnefs 
 of Chrifl which it embraceth and reiteth upon. 
 
 2 . Secondly , That a Sinner is j uilified byFaith, 
 in Oppofition to the Righteoufnefs of Works 
 in thefulfilhng of the Law : whereby no Man 
 can be juftified. 
 
 In this Relative and Inclufive Senfe, do the 
 reformed Churches take thisPropofition, a Man 
 is juftified by Faith, &they dehver their Mea- 
 ning in the following Manner : That is to fay, 
 there are two Covenants that God hath made 
 with Man, by one of which, and by no other 
 Means in the World, Salvation is to be obtain- 
 ed ; the one is the Covenant of Works, the 
 Tenor whereof is, (do this and live) This Co- 
 venant in Refpe6l of us is utterly void, who by 
 Reafon of the Weaknefs of our finful Flelli, 
 cannot poflibly perform the compleatObedience 
 required thereby : And how then can we ex- 
 pet! Juflification and Life by this Means ? The 
 other is the Covenant of Grace, the Tenor 
 whereof is, (believe in the Lord Jefiis^ and thou 
 floalt be faved.) The Condition of this Cove- 
 nant is Faith ; the Performance whereof differs 
 from the Performance of the Condition of that 
 other Covenant. 
 
 It will not be improper (I think) here to fhew 
 briefly ; what is to be underftood by theCove- 
 nant of Grace, and the Covenant of Works. 
 By the Covenant of Works,weunderfland that 
 we call in one Word, the Law : Namely, that 
 Means of bringing Man to Salvation, which is 
 by perfe6l Obedience to the Will of God. Of 
 this there v/ere two feveral Adminiflration?, 
 (^ (i) The 
 
122 A Treatife of Comerfwn^ 
 
 (i) The firfl is with Adam before his Fall. 
 When Immortality and Happinefs was promi- 
 fed to Man, and confirmed by anexternalSym- 
 bol of the Tree of Life ; upon Condition 
 that he continued obedient to God, as well- in all 
 other Xtings, as n that particular Command- 
 ment orriot eating of the Tree of Knovoledge, of 
 Good and Evil. (2) The fecond Adminiflration 
 of this Covenant was the renewing thereof with 
 the Ifraelites at Mount Sinai : "Where (after 
 that the Light of Nature began to grow dark- 
 er, and Corruption had in Time worn out the 
 Chara^ler of Religion and Vertue, firfl engra- 
 ven in Man's Heart) God revived the Law,by 
 a compendious and full Declaration of all Du- 
 ties required of M^m, towards God and his 
 Neighbour, exprefled 'in the Decalogue, ac- 
 cording to the Tenor of which God entred in- 
 to Covenant with the Ifraelites, promifmgto be 
 their God, in beftowing upon them all Bleilinfs 
 of Life and Happinefs, upon Condition that 
 they would be his People, obeying all Things, 
 that he had commanded : Which Condition 
 they accepted of, promiilng an abfolute Obedi- 
 ence. Ail Things which the Lord hath f aid, ive 
 "will do, Exod. 19. 24. And alfo fubmitting 
 themfelves to all Punifliment in Cafe they dil- 
 obeyed ; Sd-^ingAmen to theCurfe cf theLaw. 
 Cwfedbe e'Dery one that confirrneth not all thePVords 
 cf this Law to do them ; and all the People P?all 
 fay Amen, Deut. 27. 26. By the Covenant of 
 Grace we underftand in one Word, i.he Gofpel; 
 that is, the gracious Appcintmenc of- God to 
 bring Man to Salvation by Jefas ChriO:. Now 
 
 iu 
 
Faith, and Jufiificat'wn, 123 
 
 in Regard of thi Adn^iniflration of this graci- 
 ous Purpofc of oir good GdJ, there are four 
 main Periods efpeci illy to beobferved, where- 
 inGod hath d'verQy ordc red thisMeans of Man's 
 Salvation and HippinefF. 
 
 1 . The firfl Period of Time commences from 
 Adam to Abraham, In this God made thePro- 
 mife to Aiam after his woful Apollacy and 
 Fall, and renewed it to the Patriarchs and 
 •holy Men of that firfl Age of the World ; 
 namely that, {that the Seed of the fVoman pjould 
 break the Serpent s Head) This was truly a very 
 full and compleat Promife ; for it contains the 
 whole Subftance of Man's Redemption by 
 Chrift, which was religioufiy entertained and 
 improved by the Saints of GodinthofeTnnes ; 
 who gave Teflimony of their Belief of and iu 
 the Promife by their offering Sacrifices, asGod 
 had inflrufted them, expreffing their Thankful- 
 i^fs for it, and conforming theirObedience and 
 Converfation thereunto. 
 
 2. The fecond Period of Time commenced 
 from Abraham to Mofes. In this Tract of Time 
 Men feemed to have almofl forgot God's Pro- 
 mife, and their own Obedience and DutVf : And 
 as Idolatry had crept into thofe Families in 
 which the Church of God v\^as fetled, and by 
 Succeflion contin-ied, theLord ourGod pitches 
 upon Abraham^ and calls him forth from among 
 his idolatrous Kindred ; and renev;s with him 
 the form.er Promife in Form of a Covenant, 
 which he confirmed by Word and folemn Ce- 
 remonies. Oh the one Side God promifes to 
 h the God Of Abraham and hh Scc'\ and that r>j 
 
 h's 
 
124 A Trcatjfe of Converfwn, 
 
 bis Seed all the Nations of the Earth fJooidd be hief 
 fed, Abraham for his Part believed thePromife, 
 accepted the Condition of Obedience to walk 
 before God in Uprightnefs, The external Cere- 
 monies of this Covenant with Abraham were 
 efpecially two : One of a Fire Brand paffing 
 beLv/een the Pieces of the Heifer and other 
 Beafls, which^ZY^/;^w according to theCuftom 
 of making Leagues had divided in Twain, Gfw. 
 15. the other the Sacrament of Circurrcifion 
 upon the FJefli of Abraham and his Pofteritv, 
 Gen. 17. 
 
 3. The third Period of Time is commenced 
 from the Time of Mcfs until Chrifi, Foraf- 
 much as the Church multiplied unto a Nation, 
 and m Procefs of Time, and Continuance in 
 the miafl of the idolatrous Egyptians, it began 
 to be much corrupted both in Religion and 
 Manners, now God revives and renews hisPro- 
 mife and Covenant made with Abraham^ and 
 puts the Jews in Mind of the Covenant of 
 Grace in Chrifi. i^nd now he adds to the Sa- 
 crament of Circumcifion another of the PaiTo- 
 ver, prefiguring to the Jews, the Author of 
 their Deliverance ; from the fpiritual Slavery 
 of Sin and its Puni(liment,as well as fetting forth 
 their Freedom, from the bodily Bondage of E- 
 gypt. There were alfo divers Rites and Ce- 
 remonies inllituted, touching the Priefts, Sa- 
 crifices, &c. All which were Shadows of good 
 Things to come ; &were alfo ofNecelTitv, and 
 ,irood Ufe, as Schoolmafters and Tutors to the 
 Church in her Minority to guide and direftthe 
 People of God in that obfcurerDifpenfation of 
 
 the 
 
Faith y and Jujlification. 12S 
 
 the Covenant of Grace ; to Chriil the Kernel 
 and Subftance of all. 
 
 4. The fourth and lafl Period of Time is 
 long fince commenced from Chrift's Death to 
 the End of the World. Who in the Fulnefs 
 of Time appear'd in our Flefti, and mofl ex- 
 a6lly fulfilled all the Prophecies and Promifes, 
 that went before of him ; and by the perfe6l 
 Sacrifice of himfelf, eftablifiied and confirmed 
 the Covenant of Grace anew, which fo long 
 before had been ftipulated with the Church of 
 God in him. And now the Church is reple- 
 nifiied withAbundance of Knowledge andGrace 
 fliil to continue 'till the Confummation of all 
 Things. But then it is to be well noticed, that 
 in all thefe Periods of Time, theGrace of God 
 that brings Salvation to Man was ever one and 
 the fame : The Covenant of Grace was always 
 the fame for Subftance ; and this Difcovery of 
 it truly was attended with variety of Circum- 
 ftances, as God faw it agreeable to every Sea- 
 fon. The Subftance of the Gofpel, or Cove- 
 nant of Grace, is but one and the fame thro'out 
 all Ages ; viz. JefusChrijl TeJierday^andtoDajy 
 and the fame forever. 
 
 To make the Matter now in Hand, viz. the 
 Condition of our Juftification more plain, we 
 may confider the Law of Works, either as gi- 
 ven to Mam before the Promife : Or as after 
 the Promife it remained in fome Force with ^- 
 dam and all his Pofterity. As to the Time be- 
 fore Man's Fall, it is clear enough that perfe6l 
 Obedience was the Condition required for the 
 eftablirmng Adam m perpetual Blifs, Other 
 
 Means 
 
125 A Treatife of ComcrfiGn, 
 
 Means there was not, nor needed any be pro- 
 pOicd to him : But when Man had broken the 
 Covenant of Works, and 'failed in the Condi- 
 tion ; God to repair Man's ruined Eftate, now 
 rendred incapable of ever attaining Happinefs 
 by the firfh Means ; a merciful and compafli- 
 cnate God ordains a fecond, oitering unto A- 
 dam a Saviour, that by Faith in him, and not 
 by his own unfpotted Obedience, he might re- 
 cover Juftilicarion, and Life which he had loft. 
 So that what Adam fnould have obtained by 
 Works without Chrifl ,• now he ihall receive 
 by Faith in Chrifl without Works. So that it 
 is eafy to fee that the Lavv^ hath not the fame 
 Ufe to us which it had in Man's Innocency. It 
 was not God's Intention in this legal Covenant 
 with the Tews, that any of them fhould ever 
 attain Julfif cation, and Life by that Means ; 
 as at firfL the Promife need not to have been 
 made unto Adam^ if the Lav/ could have fufficed 
 f jr the attaining of Life : So after the Promife 
 was once made, the Law was not renewed with 
 the Jews, to the End that Righteoufnefs, and 
 Life fhould be had by the Obfervation of it. 
 This is the plain Doftrine taught by the Apo- 
 ftle in his Epiflle to the Galatians in that very 
 accurate and excellent Difpute of his, againft 
 Jufliincation by the Law. The xMatter in doubt 
 and difpute with the Galatians was this ; God 
 had made a Gofpel Covenant with Abraham ^ 
 Gal. 3. 8. And the Scripture forefecing that God 
 "■jcoidd jnjnfy the Heathen through Faith, preached 
 before the Gcfpel unto Abraham, M''''^^» '" ^^'^^ 
 pjall all Nations be blefjcd. That"^ is juflified. 
 After four Ilundred and thirty Years he made 
 
Faith, and Jitjlificathn. 127 
 
 a legal Covenant with Abrahauis Poflerity,that 
 they fliould hve, that is, be juflified and faved, 
 if they did fulfil all Things written in theLaw. 
 The Matter inDebatenow was, which of thefe 
 two Covenants fliou'd fland in Force, or whe- 
 ther both could Hand together ? The A- 
 poftle anfwers that the former Covenant 
 (liould fland in Force, and that the latter 
 did not abrogate the former, nor yet could 
 fland' in Force together with the former. 
 This he exprelfeth Ven 17, ig. And this I 
 fay^ that the Covenant that zms confirmed afore of 
 God in Refpe^ of Chrifl, the Law which ivas four 
 Hundred andThirty Tears after, cannot difanull that 
 it /Jjould make the Promifeof none Effe:}. For if 
 the Inheritance (viz. of RighteoufneGandLife) 
 he by the Law ; it is not by the Promife ; hut God 
 gave it to Abraham by Promife, Here now they 
 obje6l, Wherefore then ferveth the Law ? If 
 Men cannot be juHified by keeping the Law, 
 to what End was it given Yo long after thePro- 
 mife was made ? To this the Apollle anfwers ; 
 It WHS added to the Promife, becaufe of Tranfiref 
 fions. Here is the frue U^i^ of the moralLaw 
 fince the Fall of Man ; not to juHify him, and 
 give Life ; but to prove him to be unjufl and 
 worthy of Death. It was added (becaufe of 
 TranfgreiTions) that is, (i) To convince Man 
 of Sin, that he might be put in Remembrance 
 what was his Duty of old ; and what is his 
 prefent Infirmity in doing of it, and what was 
 God's Wrath againfl him, for not doing i.e. : 
 That feeing how impofTible it was for him to 
 attain unto Life, by the old Way of the Uiw^ 
 fii'ft appointed in Paradif,,-, he might be .hu.n- 
 
128 A Treatife of Converjion^ 
 
 bled, and look after the new Way ; that isf> 
 feek to Chrifl, who is the End of the LaWy unto 
 every one that believes in him. (2) To rellrain 
 Man from Sin, that the Law might be, not the 
 Covenant of God's People, but their perpetual 
 and ftanding Rule of Holinefs, and Obedience 
 whereby Man fliould walk and glorify God, to 
 the utmoft of his Power. God gave no fuch. 
 Law as could be kept by the Jews as theApo- 
 ftle mofl elegantly proves, Becaufe all were Sin- 
 ners againft it ; and therefore we may fafely 
 conclude, that notwithftanding the giving of 
 the Law, the Promife Hands good forever, and 
 Right eoiijnefs is to be obtained only by the Faith of 
 Jefiis Chrijt. I come now to confider in the 
 
 2. Second Place, The Matter of the Sinner's 
 Juftification. The Righteoufnefs for which a 
 Man can be juflified before God is of NQCGf- 
 fity one of thefe two, viz. A Righteoufnefs of 
 his own, or of another. 
 
 1 . Either inherent in his own Perfon and done 
 by himfelf. Or 
 
 2. Inherent in the Perfon of Chrifl, but im- 
 puted unto him. What a Man hath, and doth 
 perform by himfelf, or is in another, and per- 
 formed for him is the Matter of his Juftifica- 
 ticn : The Wifdom of Men and Angels have 
 not been able to difcover unto us a thirdMeans. 
 It hath been an ancient and modern Error, and 
 is Ibecome modiih,& too common in the Mouths 
 of many of pi*etended fuperior Light, namely, 
 is God iimitted, might not he have reconciled 
 Mankind unto himfelf,abfolutely pardoned their 
 Sins, without the Intervention of any Righte- 
 oufnefs 
 
Faith y and Jiijlificathn, 129 
 
 oufnefs either in themfelves, or in Chrifl:, to 
 procure it ? Are thefe uniifual Operations of 
 the Holy Ghofl to be fought within the Rule 
 of God's Word ? Why not new and extra- 
 ordinary Revelations of God's Will now as in 
 the Day of Chrift, and his Apoftles ? Why 
 may notGod now celebrate the Funeral of fome 
 of his Saints in a Way hid from Man as he did 
 Mofes ; and tranOate others as he did Enoch 
 and Elijah ? Such Queftions as thefe are in- 
 deed very vain and curious, and are the Pro- 
 je6lions of the Brains of idle and unthankful 
 Men, who not being truly fenfible of the Rich- 
 es of God's Wifdom and Grace, in the Courfe 
 of their Redemption which God hath followed, 
 would accufe him of Indifcretion ; and would 
 teach him a more compendious Way^ than 
 by fending his own Son to die for us, Thefe 
 grofs Reflections cafl on the Wifdom of God, 
 and his wonderful Proceeding inMan's Redemp- 
 tion, we leave unto Socinus and Jnninius with 
 their Followers ; our Duty is, fapere ad fobrie- 
 tatem^ and to underftand what God hath, not 
 tell him what he might or ihould have done ; 
 fo that whatever may be ima^^ined of Poifibi- 
 lity of other Means to bring Man to Life, yet 
 now we know that, thus Chrifi ought to fifffer, 
 Luke 24. 26. And that it behoved him to be like 
 lis, that being a faithful high Friefi, he might make 
 Reconciliation for our Sins. Heb. 2. 17. Lea- 
 ving then their new fangled Way to Heaven, 
 never frequented but by Lnagination ; let us 
 proceed in the good old Ways of Juftification 
 which the facred Scriptures hold forth to us ; 
 
 R which 
 
130 A Treatife of Comerfion^ 
 
 which are two &no more : Namely, either by 
 our own Righteoufnefs and Works, or by the 
 RighteoLirnefs and Works of another, viz. the 
 Lord Jefus Chrifl. In the former of thefe, Man 
 might have obtained Juflification and Life, had 
 he not been a Sinner. But now Man that is a 
 Sinner cannot be juflified and faved, but only 
 by the Righteoufnefs of the Lord Jefus Chrift 
 the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace. And 
 here two Points are to be confidered and fta- 
 ted. Namely, 
 
 1 . Firfl, Our own Righteoufnefs is not the 
 Matter of our Juflification. And 
 
 2. Secondly, That theRighteoufnefs andMc- 
 rit of Chrifl is the fole Ground of it. 
 
 I. Firfl, Our own Righteoufnefs is not the 
 Matter of our Juflification. There is no Righ- 
 teoufnefs of our own, no Services we can do, 
 are equal in every Circumflance, to the De- 
 mands ctf the Law. The Apoftle doth more 
 than once complain of the Seducers that crept 
 into the Galatian Church, and would fow the 
 Tares of Juflification by the Law, and their 
 ,own Works ; fo that they made the Death of 
 Chrifl in vain,G^/.2. 2. And he tells them plainly, 
 Gal. 5. 4. That the Expectation €f Juflification 
 upon fuch an Account was afalHng from Grace. 
 Chrijl (faith the Apoflle) is become of no Effe6t 
 unto you ; ivbofoever of you are juftified by theLaw^ 
 ye are fallen from Grace. Here we are told, that 
 if any Man flill look for Jufi:ification by Per- 
 formance of the Law, as fuch he makes the 
 Death of Chrifl in vain, becaufe if fuch aThing 
 could have been done that Way, there liad been 
 
 no 
 
Saith and Jnfiification, 131 
 
 noNeedof Ghrifl's dying; So they alfoitiade it, 
 which was not in vain in itfelf, yec in vain,and 
 of no EfFecl to their Souls ; becaafe Chrift will 
 not be a partial Caufe in the Juitiiication of a 
 Soul., Whofoever expefteth Juftificacion by 
 the Law and Works renounceth the Grace of 
 God, exhibited in the Gofpel, and fall away 
 from the Grace of it : Not from a State of 
 Grace, from which none can fall totally and 
 finally, but the Grace of the Gofpel, viz. The 
 freeLove of God in it exhibited, olTeringChrifl 
 to Sinners for Righteoufnefs. As Works be- 
 fore Grace are infufficient for our. Juftifi cation; 
 fo all Sorts of Works after Grace are alfo ex- 
 cluded by the Apollle from having any Share 
 or Part in the Julliification of a Sinner before 
 God, Eph. 2. 8. By Grace you are faved through 
 Faith, and that not of your/elves^ not of JVorkSy 
 left any fJoouId boaft. What Works are thefe ? 
 Works after Regeneration ; for they are thofe 
 Works to which they were created in Jefus 
 Chrifl, which God ordained that we, lliould walk 
 in them,notthat wefhould be favedor juftified 
 by them. Paul did not renounce the Privilege 
 of his Birth, or ftrip himfelf of Love to holy 
 Works, but of the Opinion of any Value they 
 had with God of themfelves to Juftificatioa. 
 So Abraham was not juftified by his Works af- 
 ter believing, no more than by thofe before, 
 Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God,. and it was 
 accounted to him for Righteoufnefs. For thofe 
 Words cited out of Gen. 15. 6. were fpokcn 
 of Abraha?n feveral Years after his fall and 
 Compliance with it by Faich, and here iuigled 
 
 out 
 
132 A Treatife of Convcrjion, 
 
 out as the Caufe of his Jufbfication, with- 
 out any Refpe6l to his own Works, iiTuing from 
 that Faith ; or any Confideration of them by 
 God, in this juflifying A&:, And the holy Pfal- 
 mifh David, though a great Prophet, had noCon- 
 fidcnce in his ownWorks wrought, even asGod*s 
 Servant, out of Love to him, Fear of him, trufl 
 in him, but would not venture his Soul upon 
 them before the Tribunal of God. Pfal. 143.2. 
 Erder not into judgment mth thy Servant^ for 
 in thy Sights fl:all no Man living he jujiified. If 
 our Duties after Grace be fo corrupt that they 
 need fomethingto render them acceptable, and 
 accepted in the Sight of God ; they can ne- 
 ver then be of that Worth, as to render our 
 Perfons righteous ; for that which needs fome- 
 thing to make itfelf fuitableand fufficient, can 
 never make any other Thing fo. No Flefh 
 can be juflified in theSightof God ; and nothing 
 that comes from Flefh can be our Righteouf- 
 nefs. And this will appear very plain to us, 
 if we carefully obferve two Things. 
 
 I. Firfl:, That Men's own Confciences can- 
 not but accufe them of coming fliort of the 
 Glory of God in every Thing they do. Who 
 upon Earth can fay, that ever he did any per- 
 fe6l A6tion ? And who dare venture his Soul 
 upon fuchAftions, in thePrcfence of the great 
 God *? Who is there but his own Confcience 
 mud needs accufe him of Sin ? The Apodle^o/j/z 
 is poHtive in it that none can, i John i. 8. He 
 that faith, he hath no Sin^ hath nothifig cf theTruth 
 in him. Job^ a Man of excelling Integrity, 
 \vho had not his Match (according toGod,the 
 
 beft 
 
Faith y and jfuflification* ^33 
 
 bell Judge, his Verdicl) in all the Country round 
 about him, for theUprightnefs of his Heart,and 
 the Unblameablenefs of his Manners ; freely 
 declares that a Self-Juftification in this, would 
 be a Self-Condemnation, Job p. 20. If I juf- 
 tify myfelfy my oidn Mouth /hall condemn me ; if 
 I fay I am perfect, it /hall alfo prove me pei'- 
 verfe, 
 
 2. Secondly, If it {hould happen that we are 
 free from Accufations of Confcience, who dare 
 ftand before the Bar of God, for a thorough 
 Examination of his Works ? Our Knowledge 
 of onrfelves, and our Works is very defe6live. 
 The al-feeingEye ofOmnifciencypierceth dee- 
 per than our imperfe6l Knowledge. Davidhkh^ 
 He had more Underjtanding than all his Teachers ; 
 and iinderjiood more than the Ancients : Pfal.119. 
 99, 100. Yet he proclaims his own and others 
 Inability to iinderftand the Errors of his Ways. 
 Pfal. 19. 12. If any of our A6lions feem per- 
 fedl in our own Account, fliall we think they 
 are fo in the Account of God's unfpotted Ho- 
 linefs who is greater than our Hearts ? Who 
 can fland before fo holy a God ? i Sam, 6. 20. 
 It is certain, that however Men may boafl: of 
 fuperior Light and Knowledge, they may be 
 ignorant of fomething in their ov/n Spirit which 
 never yet reach'd their Notice, neverthelefs 
 is it known to God who knoweth all Things, 
 And therefore vv^e read, Job 9. 21. Job would 
 not know his own Soul, tho' he were perfe6t, 
 he> would not approve or boafl of himfelf in 
 the Prefence of God. Pie would defpife his 
 Life, i. e. overlook all his uprighc Courfe, and 
 
 bury 
 
134 ^ Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 bury it in Silence, when he comes to be tried 
 at God's Bar. Surely if any can compare,yec 
 can none pretend to be more excellent in good 
 Works than this holy Man ; fee then what 
 LelTon he reads to us, in Chapterp. 30,31,32. 
 Verfes. Jf I ^aflo my felf with Snow IVater, 
 and make 7ny Hands never Jo clean^ yet fjalt thou 
 plunge me in the Ditch, and mine own Cloaths /ball 
 abhor me. For he is not Man as I am that I 
 fhould anfwer him, and we fhoiild come together in 
 Judgment. The holy Pfalmifl confefleth alfo, 
 that if God Ihould be ftridl to obferve where- 
 in he and all Men do amifs, neither himfelf or 
 any other could be able to flandin hisPrefence: 
 Pfalm 130. 3. If ''thou Lord, fjjoiddefi mark In- 
 iquities, O Lord who Jloalljtand 1 Add to thefe 
 the Confeflion of the Church, {he fubmits her 
 felf to God in the Acknowledgment of her 
 Sins, and Juftnefs of his Anger againfl her : 
 The Confeffion is every Way general ; both 
 for Perfons, not one excludeci, we all are as an 
 unclean Thing, andlikewife for Works, all our 
 Righteoufneiles (in the plural Number, fee the 
 Original) are as filthy Rags. Ifa. 64. 6. But 
 we are all as an imclean Thing, and all our Righ- 
 teoufnefs as filthy Rags, and we all do fade as a 
 Leaf, and our Iniquities like the fFind have driven 
 us away. I pafs to the 
 
 2. Second Point, viz. That the Righteouf- 
 refs and Merit of Chrift is the fole Ground of 
 the Sinner's jufliflcvition. All Sin whatfoever 
 original, and a6tual, is remitted unto Sinners 
 wholly in the Fault and Puniilmicnt, as well 
 temporal, as eternal for the onlv Satisfa6tion 
 
 of 
 
Faith y and Jufiification, ^ I35' 
 
 of Jefus Chrift ; and not by any or all good 
 Works and Sati5fa6lion made by the mofl holy 
 Man upon Earth to the Juflice of God. This 
 very comfortable and mofl facred Truth is un- 
 deniably held to us in the holyScriptures ; and 
 it is alfo embraced and maintained by the bed 
 reformed Churches, as by the Churches of Chriil 
 in this Land, as I could eafily fiiew from their 
 refpe6live Confeflions of Faith : Which would 
 be needlefs at this Time, fince a venerable Sy- 
 nod of thePaftors andDelegates of thefeChurch- 
 es have long fmce declared their Harmony and 
 Communion in Doftrine and Sacraments with 
 the reformed Churches of France^ Germany, Hol- 
 land^ South, and North Britain, &c. And this 
 Do6lrine of Juflification of the Sinner by and 
 through the alone Righteoufnefs and Merit of 
 Jefus Chrifl is embraced by many of its Oppo- 
 iites and Enemies themfelves when the Ago- 
 nies of Confcience,theApprehenrion of Death, 
 and God's Judgment, clear up their Eyes a lit- 
 tle to behold the Vanity and Weaknefs of their 
 own poor Satisfa6lion. We can produce a 
 Cloud of WitneiTes from the facred Pages, in 
 Vindication of this pure Scripture Do6lrine. 
 The Spirit of God by Ifaiah the evangelicPro- 
 phet predi6ling the coming Vi6lory, and Sa- 
 tisfa6lion by the MeiTiah declareth liimfelf, not 
 in a very obfcure Manner ; but Terms fignifi- 
 cantly importing this Truth, Ifa. 63. 3. I have 
 troden the JVins-prefs alone, and of the People there 
 was none with me. And Verfe 5. And I looked 
 and there was none to help ; and I wondered that 
 there was none to uphold : Therefore mine oimArm 
 
 brought 
 
13^ -^ Treat if e of Converjion^ 
 
 brought Salvation unto rne^ and my Fury it upheld 
 me. There are indeed innumerable Teftimo- 
 nies of Scripture afcribing the Remiffion of 
 Sin only to the Mercy of God in Chrift cruci- 
 fied : As that Chrift hath born our Sin, i Fet, 
 2. 24. His Blood hath purged us of all Sin,Hcb, 
 I. 3. His Death redeemed us from all Iniqui- 
 ty. Tit. 2. 24. His Stripes healed us^ 7^/^^.53.5. 
 That he hath paid the Price of our Ranfom^l 
 Pet. 2. 24. That God for his Sake hath for- 
 given us our TrefpalTes, Col. 2. 13. Blotted out 
 our Sins, Fer. 14. Caft them behind his Back, 
 Jfa. 38. 7. Forgotten them. ^er. 31. 34. with 
 many more fuch Places, afcribing the doing a- 
 way of all Sins, to the Grace of God through 
 the Satisfa6lion of Chrift, without limiting it 
 to any Sin, or mentioning any fatisfa6lory Works 
 of ours. 
 
 For the further clearing of this Truth from 
 thofe Mifts and Afperfions caft upon it by it'sf 
 Enemies ,* we need confider two Things only, 
 JS^amely, 
 
 1. That we are juftified by a Righteoufnef^ 
 imputed to. us. 
 
 2. How this Righteoufnefs imputed, doth 
 juftify ? 
 
 I. We are juftified by a Righteoufnefs im- 
 puted to us. Chrift's Blood only cleanfeth from 
 Sin. God the Father doth actually and effici- 
 ently juftify ; Chrift's Blood doth meritoriouf- 
 ]y juftify. God the Father is to be confidered 
 as a Judge, Chrift is confidered as Prieft and 
 Sacrifice. Fie was and is a Prieft in Things 
 pertaining to God, Heb. 2. 17. To make Re- 
 
 couciliation 
 
Faith and Juftification, 137 
 
 conciliation for the Sins of the People. He is 
 the Fountain fet open for Sin, and for UncJeannefs, 
 Zech. 13. I. Chriil is to Sinners a Fountain 
 opened ; under the Law he was as the Waters 
 of the Temple, for the ^ews ; but now he is 
 opened to us Gentiles, free to all, and of eafy 
 Accefs, and of fovereign Vertue to heal. The 
 Blood of Chrift is the true Siloam which never 
 failed any that rightly ufed it ; for therein on- 
 ly they had Pardon and Peace ; becaufe For- 
 givenefs of Sin is a Fruit of Redemption thro' 
 his Blood, Col. i. 14. In ivhoni ^a)e have Re- 
 demption through Ns Blood even the Forgivenefs of 
 Sins. In the Perfon of Chrift alone God-Man, 
 deputed of his Father to die for our Salvation, 
 as we are in him made meet, we have eternal 
 Deliverance effe6led by a full Ranfom paid. 
 The Righteoufnefs which juftifieth us is not in- 
 herent in ourfeives, but runs in the Veins of 
 Chrift, the God-Man. 'Tis not phyfically or 
 corporally applied to u^% but juridically, in a 
 judicial Way, and therefore imputed to us, and 
 that for Juftification. Our Iniquities were ne- 
 ver inherent in Chrift, but imputed to him : 
 So his Blood never was inherent in us, but im- 
 puted to us for the Satisfa6lion of the Law ; 
 and fo for our Juftification from the Penalty 
 and Ciirfe of it. The Objea of Juftifica- 
 tion is an ungodly Perfon, one that hath no 
 Righteoufnefs of his own. Butfince there muft 
 be a compleat Righteoufnefs to juftify him, it 
 muft be the Righteoufnefs of another ; ^ for 
 being ungodly, it cannot be his own. 'Tis 
 therefore by the Righteoufnefs of one Ma« 
 S Chrift, 
 
138 A Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 Chrifl:, Rom. 5. 19. As we are made Shiners hy 
 one Mans Difobedience, fo we are made righteous 
 by one Mans Obedience, The Apoflle here in- 
 forms us of that which all Philofophy was ig- 
 norant of, viz. The Imputation of Adains Sin, 
 and our natural Pollution flowing from it. Yea 
 this was more than the naked Hiflory of Man's 
 Fall by Mcfes did difcover ; there indeed we 
 fee the Cau'e of Death, how that came upon 
 all Mankind ,* but ih:iC A:Ja?ns Sin was accoun- 
 ted to us, that by his Difobedience we are in- 
 volved in Sin and Mifery, that is not clearly re- 
 vealed in the Books of Mofes. We are be- 
 holding to theGofpel, and particularly for this 
 Text and Context, for the more full Difcovery 
 hereof Our being made Sinners by one 
 Man's Difobedience, was no perfonal Ad: 
 of our own, but a perfonal Act of Adaju's ; 
 fome are made righteous not by a perfonal O- 
 bedience of our own^ but by the perpetual O- 
 bedience of Chrift, which cannot be of Ad- 
 vantage to us unlefs fome Way or other ac- 
 counted ours. Thus Adam and Chrifl are as 
 two common Roots or Fountains, the one of 
 Sin and Death, the other of Righteoufnefs and 
 Life. I pafs to fliew, 
 
 2. How thisRighteoufnefs imputed doth juf- 
 tify ? The Anfwer to this Qiieflion, is double : 
 for it is done 
 
 r. By Chriil's taking Sin upon himfelf. The 
 Lord Jehovah hath gathered together and accu- 
 mulated into aHeapalltheSinsfrom all Parts of 
 the World, in all Ages of the World, yea bound 
 them up together, and laid them upon Chrift's 
 
 Shoulders, 
 
I^aith^ and Jujlification . 139 
 
 Shoulders, Ifa. 53. 6. And the Lord hath laid oi 
 him the Iniquities of us all^ or hath made the I- 
 niqaides of us all to meet on him, as in the. 
 Margin, q. d. Here feems to be an Allufioii 
 to the Manner of transferring the Sins of the 
 People, by Jarons laying his Hands upon the 
 Head of the Sacrifice : Shewing that as the 
 Scape-Goat ^mg^d the People, Christ cleanfech 
 or juftifies Men by bearing their Iniquicies, Ifa. 
 53. II. By his Knovokdge floall my righteous Ser- 
 vant pfiify many : for he /hall bear their Ini- 
 qiiities. Not by bearing of the Pollutions of 
 them inherently, but the Guilt of them, or the 
 Curfe which the Sinner had merited : For our 
 Sins could no more be tranfmitted to him in 
 their Guilt and Defilement than the Iniquities 
 of the Ifraelites could be infufedinto thQ Scape- 
 Goat, but only in their Curfe and Guilt. Chrift 
 took ourSins upon him, not thereby to become 
 fmful ; but to become devoted in a judicial 
 Manner, as a Curfe ; and therefore his being 
 faid to he made Sin in one Place, that "uoe might be^ 
 made the Right eoujnefs of God in him, 2 Cor. 5. 
 21. is to be interpreted by Gal. 3.13. in which 
 he is faid to be made a Curfe to redeem us from 
 the Curfe of the La'UJ, that is, a Perfon expofed 
 to theVengeance of God, to procure Impunity 
 for theOiTenders, that they might be abfolved 
 and treated as if they had never been criminal. 
 He is the Lamb of God that takes away the Sins 
 of the World. John i. 29. He was made Sin, 
 as if he hadfmned all the Sins of Men, and we 
 are made Righteous, as if Vv^e had not fm- 
 ned at all. 
 
 2. By 
 
140 A Treat! fe of Converfion, 
 
 2. By accouniing and efleemirg the Righ- 
 teoLifnefs and Sufficiency of Chrift's Sufferings 
 to us : If we have no other Ground and Bot- 
 tom to flandupon, but our own, wearelofland 
 undone ,* our own filthy Rags cannot cover us, 
 nor our own VVeaknefs and Imperfe6lions re- 
 lieve and fupport us. The iJcJjole JVorldy faith 
 the Apoflle, lies in Wkkednefs^ i John 5. 19. 
 i. e. The Generality of Men were under the 
 Power of Wickednefs, or in the midil of all 
 Impurity and Malignity. God is a confiiming 
 Fire, and we are combuflable Matter ; divine 
 Holinefs cannot but hate us, divinejullice can- 
 not but confume us, if we have no otherRigh- 
 teoufnefs than bur own imperfect one to pleafe 
 the one and be a Bar to the other. God in- 
 tended Chrift's Suffering as the Way of bear- 
 ing Iniquity for us, and accepted him as one 
 that bore our Iniquities, and made this bearing 
 Iniquity the Ground of the Juftification of ma- 
 ny. Ifa. 5^. II. By his Knowledge fJjall 7ny righ- 
 teous Servant jujlify many : for he /loall bear 
 their Iniquities. 1'he Righteoufnefs whereby 
 we are juftified, and which covers our Iniqui- 
 ties from the Sight of God, is inherent inChrift 
 but transferred to us. This Man, God the Son, 
 took of the Virgin Mary, the Offspring of J- 
 braham^ and united him to his Perfon, and of 
 God and this Seed united unto one Perfon, 
 becarhe our Lord Jefus Chrifl ; fo as he might 
 bring the Bleff'ng of Salvation to the Chofen 
 of God in all Nations. What doth the Apo- 
 flle mean in that Wiih of being found in Chrifl, 
 
 but 
 
Faith, and Jiiftificatlon. 141 
 
 but that he might have a Share in his.Righte- 
 Gufnefs, Phil. 3. 9. Not his own Righteouf- 
 nefs, but the Righteoufnefs of God communi- 
 cated through, or by Faith. In a V/ord, the 
 Chofen of God, have in Chrift their Head and 
 Sovereign that Compleatnefs and Perfection 
 which is reckoned and made over to them, and 
 accepted for their Juftification, fo that of his 
 Fulnefs they receive^ and' Grace for Grace, John 
 1. 16. It was not therefore without goodGround 
 that the Apoflle Paid pronounced of the Saints 
 and holy Brethren, who received Chrift, andfo 
 are m.yftically united to him, in whom dwelleth 
 " all Fullnefs, that is Chrifl, as in Col. 2. 10. And 
 ye are compleat in him, which is the Head of 
 all Principality and Power. 
 
 Here it might be eafy and proper to enter 
 upon Examination of thofe many Oppofites, 
 and Adverfaries both ancient and modern, to 
 thofe Truths which we have in this Work, I 
 hope, not only propofed, but in fome Meafure 
 cleared, both by Scripture and Reafon, but I 
 fliail wave them : Purpofmg by divine Plelp, 
 only to take Notice of, and obviate fome few 
 of thofe many lately revived, and fpreading 
 with a Avift Pace over the Land. And this 
 will fall in naturally, under the Ufe of Exa- 
 mination. I am now therefore in the 
 
 4. Place come to the fourth and lad: Part of 
 my Undertaking, namely, 
 
 The APPLICATION. 
 
 The Improvement of thij Work fhaliconrid 
 of three general Ufes. 
 
 As, 
 
142 A Treat'ife of Converjion, 
 
 As I. Information : 2. Examination aiid Ex- 
 pojlulation : 3. Exhort atien. The 
 
 I. is of Iff or mat ion : Here I fliall endeavour to 
 inform you of four very important Points^ viz. 
 
 1. The defperate and forlorn Edate of an 
 unconverted Perfon. 
 
 2. The Impoiiibility of our Recovery out 
 of this damnable Condition, by any Strength * 
 of our own, or any Creature whaifoever, 
 
 3. The admirable Gracioufnefs of ahiiighty 
 God in providing the Means, and by them ef- 
 feftually working our full Deliverance from the 
 Power of Sin and Dam.nation. 
 
 4. Laftly, iheblelTedEllate of Grace where- 
 to he hath now brought any of us, and where- 
 in he preferves us under the Hope and Expec- 
 tation of eternal Glory. I befeech you to take 
 thcfe Things daily under your humble, and moft 
 ferions Meditation. And 
 
 I. The defperate and forlorn Eftate of an 
 unconverted Perfon. It is impoffibie thatfuch 
 an one fliould ever be happy : For the whole 
 Tenor of the Gofpel declares his unavoidable 
 Mifery. God mufi: change the Covenant of 
 Grace, blot cut all his Threarnings in Scrip- 
 ture, proclaim himfelf unwife in his Admini- 
 ilrations before it can be otherwife. Know 
 you not, faith the Apofile, that the Unrighteous 
 /ball not inherit the Kingdo?n of God ? Be not 
 deceived : Some underf.and by Unrighteous, 
 11 r: righteous Nature, as well as unrighteous 
 Ac)s. Tliere can be no Fitnefs for Heaven, 
 v/here there are onlv Preparations for Hell. 
 The Apcftle Paul defcribes the miferable Con- 
 
 '•. dition 
 
Faith and Jvjfljjlcatwiu 143 
 
 dition of fuch in a very lively and emphatical 
 Manner, in Eph. 2.13. They are w'thoiit Chrijiy 
 Aliens from the Common H'^eahh of IfraeLindSt ran- 
 gers from the Covenants of Promife^ ba^^ing no 
 Hope, and without God in the World. Buc alas, 
 how apt are Men to delude theiTifcives with 
 Hopes of Mercy in a State of Sin ?• Self-flat- 
 tery is one of the ilronged: Branches, which 
 grows upon the Pride of Nature. -Men wal- 
 lowing themfelves in their Sins may with far 
 greater AfTurance promife themfelves a King- 
 dom and Crown in this World, than an Ad- 
 milTion into Heaven, with their old Man ; there 
 mud be afcripping off this before Men can en- 
 ter in at the firait Gate 'which leadeth unto Life, 
 ChrilT: the eternal Truth hath paTed his Word 
 for it ; and hisWord will ftand nrm againilall 
 prefumptuous Confidence whatfoever. For 
 Chriil muil be a Liar, and the Gofpel falfe, if 
 ever there be a Heaven enjoyed by an oldNa- 
 ture. - John 3.3. Except a Man he born again, 
 he, cannot fee the Kingdom of God. Except Fer- 
 fons be ctianged in their Hearts and Principles, 
 tliey can never have any true Sliare, either in 
 the Kingdom of Grace in this Life, or in the 
 Kingdom of Glory in that which is to come. 
 You know it isufual by the civil Liws of Coun- 
 tries, that none enters into thePoileiiion of an 
 earthly Kingdom but by the Right of Birth ;. 
 and for the obtaining of the Kingdom of Hea- 
 ven, there muil be aN^w-Birth, a heavenlyRe- 
 novation of the whole Man, Soul, Body and 
 Spirit, to give him a Title by the wife and un- 
 4?hangeab!e Contlitution of God in the Gofpel ; 
 
 and 
 
144 ^ Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 and to qualify him for the Enjoyment of it. 
 liow is it poiTiblethen for any Man, after fuch 
 an AfTerdon of our Saviour, to live under the 
 hearing of the Chriflian Doctrine, and fancy a 
 heavenly Glory belonging to him without a 
 heavenly Nature ? The Apoflle Paul reafon- 
 ing principally on the Grace of God in eiFec- 
 tual Calling : Gal i. 6. AlTerts, that this Doc- 
 trine is fo certainly true, that if an Angel from 
 Heaven fl^oiiJd declare the cofitrary^ be ojght not to 
 he believed. See V- 8. Austin faid truly when 
 he delivered his Sentim.ent to our prefentPur- 
 pofe, in the follov/ing Words, Qui Salutemciii- 
 qiiam promhtit fine Chrijlo, nefcio an ille falutem 
 foteft habere in Chrijlo. That is, whofreverpro- 
 mifeth Salvation to any out of Chrifl, 1 know 
 not if he himfelf can have Salvation in Chrifl:. 
 2. The ImpolTibiiity of our Recovery 
 out of this damnable Condition, by any 
 Siiength of our own, or any Creature whatfo- 
 ever. Man in all his Capacities is too weak 
 to produce a faving Change in* himfelf. The 
 New-Birth is not arbitrary of the Will of Man, 
 or the Refuk naturally of a religious Education. 
 All the Power of regenerate Men in the World 
 joined together cannot renev/ another. It 
 comes not of the Blood of Men and Women, 
 n^.r of the Blood of Abraham (which was the 
 BoafI: of the Jev^s^ We have Abraham fm- our 
 Father) nor from the Lufts of the Flefli, nor 
 from a Power in Man's W^ill^ or Men's free A61 
 in adopting other Men's Children ; hut of God, 
 John I. 13. The whole Tenor of the Scrip- 
 ture fet forth Man exceeding weak and un- 
 able 
 
Faith, and Jiijlijication, 145 
 
 •able to do any Thing fpiritually good : They 
 that, are in the FleJJ:) cannot pie afe God, Rom. 8.8- 
 i.e. The carnal and imregeaerace, neither they, 
 nor any Thing they do, is pleadng to God : 
 Their beil Works are dead Work, and fiikeii 
 Sins, (as one exprefTeth it) fo long as they con- 
 tinue in {\iQh a State. To be Sinners^ and to be 
 wichout vStrength, is one and the fume Thing 
 in iheApoftle's Judgment, Rom. 51(5, 8- While 
 "we were yet 'uoith out Strength ; afterwards, 'whik 
 <we were yet Sinners ; i. e. in a State of Sin, and 
 under the Guilt and Power of Sin. Believers 
 in fome Senfe are (till Sinners, i ^ohn i. 8. but 
 their Sins being pardoned and fubdiied, t"hey go 
 no longer under that Denomination. Sinners 
 in Scripture are faid to be thofe in whom Sin 
 dwells and reigns. See ^ohn 9. 31. Such we 
 were by Nature. Yea we were not only Sin- 
 ners, but Enemies to God. 'Tis impolTible we 
 can have Strength of our own, fince our firfl: 
 Fatlier was feeble, and conveyed his Weaknefs 
 to us ; by the fame Reafon that its impoffible 
 we can have a Righteoufnefs of our own, fince 
 our firfl Father finned, Ifa. 43. 26, 27. Declare 
 that thou may ft he juftified. Thy fiift Father hath 
 finned. There is an univerfal Weaknefs which 
 hath feized every Faculty : The Mind is dark, 
 Eph. 4. 18. He cannot know, i Cor. 2. 14. 
 There is a Stoninefs in the Heart, he cannot 
 bend, Zech. 7.12. There is Enmity in theWill, 
 he cannot be fubjeft, Rom. 8. 7. As to Faith 
 he cannot beUeve, John 12. 39. As to the 
 Spirit, the Worker of Faith, he cannot receive, 
 that is, of himfelf, John 14. 12. Acknowlege 
 T Chriit 
 
J 46 ATreatife of Converfioriy 
 
 Chrift he cannot, i Cor. 12. 3. As to Praflife, 
 he cannot bring forth Fruit, John 15. 4. Every 
 regenerate Man in his firil: Converfion is fully 
 fenfible of this univerfal Weaknefs in himfelf. 
 Accordingly this Poverty of Spirit, or Senfe of 
 our own Emptinefs, and Indigence, is the firfl 
 Gofpel-Grace wrought in the Soul, and there- 
 fore our Saviour puts it in the Front of allthofe 
 noble Qualifications in his excellent Sermon on 
 the Mount, as fitting Men for the Kingdom of 
 God ; BleJJed are the poor in Spirit : for theirs is 
 the Kingdom of Heaven. Mat. 5. 3. 
 
 3. Thirdly, The admirable Gracioufnefs of 
 Almighty God in providing the Means, and by 
 them effedlually working our full Deliverance 
 from the Power of Sin and Damnation. No 
 natural Privilege under Heaven can entitle us 
 to the Kingdom of Grace or Glory. TheText 
 faith, that Nicodenms was a Ruler in Ifrae!^ not 
 only born and brought up in the Church of 
 God ; but was a Man of great Authority in it, 
 yet this alone did not entide him to the King- 
 dom of God : Moreover our Lord intimxatesto 
 him, that not the choiceil Privilege of that 
 Church, viz. the Honour of having the Law 
 from God's ovm Mouth ; the Glory of an out- 
 ward Covenant ; the Treafure of the Oracles 
 of God ; the Seal of Circumcifion born in the 
 Eody, can inflate a Man into that Felicity. 
 Thele Things abflracled from the Love and 
 Grace of almighty God are infuiiicient for fo 
 ■^liraculous a Work ; and therefore the whole 
 of Redemption is wrapt up in that oneExpref- 
 fion of the Angel's Song, Luke 2. 14. Good- 
 
 ^ 'Ujilf 
 
Fait by and yuftification. ' 147 
 
 wi// towards Men. The Grace of God under the 
 Name of his Love, is rendredthe foleCaufeof 
 the redeeming Death of his eternal Son, and 
 what was there in Heaven or Earth, that could 
 in fo fingular a Manner, commend the boimd- 
 lefs Love of the eternal Father, to a perifliing 
 World as the Gift of his only Son to be a Sa- 
 crifice for Sinners ? In the Adl of infiniteGrace 
 he confirmeth his Love ; and by this certain 
 Sign he maketh it very illuflrious : And to this 
 Purpofe the Apoflle applies it, Rom. 5. 8. But 
 God commendeth his Love towards wx, in that while 
 <Ui)e were yet Sinners, Chrijl died for us. In this 
 moil dillinguiiliing Grace of providing Means 
 for Man's Redem.ption, the Lord would not on- 
 ly manifeft his Love, but afllime the Name of 
 Love. And by this Name the Holy Ghoft calls 
 him in Relation to this good Will manifefled 
 in his Son. i John 4. 8, 9. God is Love^ in 
 this is mamfefted the Love of God towards us, be- 
 ca'fe that Godfent his only Begotten into theWorld^ 
 that we might live through him. Again, the Lord 
 hath not only provided the admirable gracious 
 Means of our Redemption ,• but byihem ef- 
 fe6lually worketh our full Deliverance from 
 Sin and Damnation : It is by the Grace and 
 Power of God, we have whatfoever pertains to 
 Godlinefs as well as Life. 2 Pet. i. 3. Accor- 
 ding as his divine Power hath given us all Things 
 that pertain unto Life and Godlinefs thro' the Know- 
 ledge of him that hath called us toGlory andVertue^ 
 In thefe Words theApoflle fliews whatReafqft 
 there was to hope that Grace and Peace fliould 
 be multiplied to them, and perfe6ted in them. 
 
148 A Treatlfe of Converfion, 
 
 viz. becaufe God hath ah'eady given them all 
 Things pertaining to Life and Godlinefs. q. d. 
 He thac hath done thus much for you, will do 
 more, and finilh his Work in you. In aWord, 
 if you duly confider your changed Natures,your 
 pardoned Guilt, your fliining Comfort, your 
 quelled Corruptions, the flan ding of your tot- 
 tering and reeling Graces, thefe are iufficient 
 to preferve a Senfe, arid prevent a f'orgetful- 
 jiefs of the admirable Grace of God which 
 hath appeared in providing Means, and deli- 
 vering wretched Man from Sin, and juflly de- 
 ferved Damnation. God beQ:ows our Salvati- 
 on, and works it by his own Scrength ; and 
 therefore both are joined together in thePro- 
 phec's Song, Ifai. 12. 2. The Lord is iw^ Strength 
 and my Salvation. 
 
 4. lafl:ly,The blefled Eflate of Grace where- 
 to he hath now brought any of us, and where- 
 in he preferves us under the Hope and Expec- 
 tation of eternal Glory. It is the Happinefs 
 of the Soul, to be reduced to its true Centre, 
 to be reinflated in an unfpotted Nature, tore- 
 turn to a due Refpe6l to thofe Ends for which 
 it was made, to have the Underftanding con- 
 verfant about the lovelieft Objeft, the AVill in- 
 clined to the mofl: amiable Goodnefs, and the 
 i\ffeclions fixing m.ore and more upon it, and 
 growing up with it. It is indeed the highefl 
 Excellency to live the Life of God, to have 
 the Image of God wrought upon you, and your 
 Souls conformed to his Holinefs. As it is ex- 
 cellent fo it is honourable, it is the mofl hon,* 
 curable Relation that you can poiTibly arrive 
 * to : 
 
Faith and Jiijlificatlon, 149 
 
 to : 'Tis more Honour to be a New- Creature 
 in Rags, than a carnal Prince in Purple, tho* 
 the greatell in the World, for you wiH then 
 be fettled Heu's of a!l.thePromifes.You will be 
 more allied to Jefas ChriO:, . by the inward 
 Formation, of him in your Hearts than the blef- 
 fed Virgin by the Conception of Chrillin her 
 Womb, Luke 11. 27. She was more happy 
 by partaking of Chrid in her Heart than by 
 conferring a Flefh on Chrifh from her Body. 
 Again, there is great Pleafure in this State : 
 There is no State without a Pleafure pertain- 
 ing to it ,* Pleafures of Senfe belonging to a 
 Life of Senfe, intelle6tual Pleafures to a Life 
 of l^eafon. Divine Pleafures, to a divine Na- 
 tere. All the F/ays of PFifdom are JVays of 
 Tkafantnefs. Pro v. 3. 17. This is the Crown, 
 Glory and Sweetnefs of all other Principles ; 
 the Sons of God, not only have Grace ,• but 
 tliey are eilabliflied in it ; and therefore the 
 Allurance of this, makes Believers come to Sion 
 "vjith Songs and everlajiing Joy upon their Heads. 
 The Manner whereby we fland is different 
 from the iVl'anner of Adanis ftanding ; he ftood 
 in Dependance on his original Righteoufnefs, 
 which being once lofl, all the original Ver- 
 tues depending on that were loft with it. Our 
 State is fecured in higher Plands. Chrift is 
 made unto us, as i Cor. i. 30. fFifdom, Righ- 
 teoifnefs, Sanctification and Redemption. He is 
 made all thofe to us, not we to ourfelves. A- 
 dam's Life v/as hid in himfelf, ours v/ich Chrifi 
 in God, Col. 3. 3. Adam was uixlet a mutable 
 • CcvenanC; and we under an cverlafting one. 
 
 True 
 
ijo A Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 True Believers in this Life, fland upon as good 
 Terms as the whole Ailembly of the Firft-born, 
 and upon- a furerFoundation than any particu- 
 lar Cnurch. Pfal. 125. i. They that truft in 
 the Lord floall be as Mount Sion which cannot he 
 renwoed, bii$ abides forever. I come now to the 
 2. Ufe, viz. of Examination. In the Profe- 
 cution whereof I fliall enquire 
 
 1. What fpecial Rule or Standard the Con^ 
 verfion of a Sinner is only to be tried by ? 
 
 2. Examine the Fafts alledged by the Ad- 
 vocates of the New-Light-iMen, as fare Evi- 
 dences of their peculiar Work, as to theGood- 
 nefs thereof ; and Ihew them to be no more 
 than Hypccrices may have. 
 
 3. Examine fomeTeiiets of theNew-Scheme 
 Men, their Skill in applying feme Scripture 
 Grounds, on which they would build their Te- 
 nets, and advancing Arguments to maintain 
 the general Goodnefs of their Work. 
 
 4. In the Spirit of Meeknefs expoftulate 
 briefly with our Brethren concerning their rafh 
 and rough Treatment of all thofe, who do not 
 forthwith, take up in the grofs with whatever 
 they are pleafed to proje6l, and propofe as 
 Points to be believed ; and Matters to beprac- 
 tifetl. I fhall enquire 
 
 I. What Rule or Standard, the Converfion 
 of a Sinner is only to be tried by ? The Rtile 
 mod generally infifled on by our New-Light- 
 .Men, ( efpecjally ahe Night-Difciples) is the 
 Light which they now pretend to have within 
 themfeives ; and the Guife of their Party ; 
 ^jieir Wifdom feems to fland mugh in this, 
 
 viz. 
 
Faith and Juftification. 151 
 
 Xiz. in contemning and defpifing others inCom- 
 parifon of themfelves ; the Meafares they 
 take, for the moll Part, are thefe, they meafure 
 themfelves by themfelves ; and compare them- 
 felves amongll themfelves, that is, with Birds 
 of their own Feather, fuch as are like unto 
 themfelves, and of their own Faction and Par- 
 ty ; which no wife Men would do. When cor- 
 rupt Teachers had invaded the Peace and Pu- 
 rity of the Church of Corinth^ the Apoflie 
 throws the fame Refle6lioa upon them, and 
 purgeth himfelf from their Manners, 2 Cor. 
 10. 12. For 'we dare not make ourf elves of the 
 Number^ or compare our/elves with Jome that com- 
 mend themfelves^ &c. Thus Men fail greatly 
 in choofing the true Dire6lion. Some are gui- 
 ded by their own private Conceit, fome by the 
 Guife of the Times, fome go with the Drove, 
 are carried with the Multitude ; but I befeech 
 you to confider, that the Lord hath not pro- 
 mifed aBlefling to, but indeed curfeth the Fan- 
 cies of Men's own Hearts, and giveth a Wit^- 
 fmg only to the obedient yielding to his own 
 Ordinance. Ciirfed he the Man (faith the Scrip- 
 ture) that maketh Fleflo his Arm, and mthdrav:- 
 eth his Heart from the Lord^ Jer. 17. 5. The 
 Word of God is the only fure Rule to meafure 
 ourfelves by, this is the only impartial Friend 
 we can flick to, and therefore it ought to be 
 made our main Counfellor. The Word is the 
 Principle whereby Grace is wrought, and it is 
 the only Rule and Mean whereby Grace is 
 known. The Word is that whereby we mufl: 
 judge of Do6lrine, To the Lave, and to the Tcf- 
 
 timony 
 
152 A Treatise of Converfion^ 
 
 timony (fliith the Prophec) La. 20. If an An- 
 gel from Heaven (peaks any other Thing, than 
 what God hath delivered, heis'not to be heard. 
 'Tis alfo the Rule vv^iereby we mufl judge of 
 Graces. If Confcience fpeak any Thing for 
 a Man's Comfort, that is not according to the 
 Word, 'tis to be filenced. If Confcience pre- 
 fents us with any Thing as a Grace, that will 
 rot (land to the Trial of God's Word, *tis to 
 be rejected in that Cafe. The Word is the 
 . Touch-Stone of all religious Do61rines and 
 PraClifes, to that only they are to be brought, 
 to fee if they be counterfeit or currant Coin. 
 By this as the mod fure Rule we are to try, 
 as our own, fo other Men's Spirits. The 
 Scripture Beam is like a Sun-Beam, it will dif- 
 cover the mofi: inward, and the mofl minute 
 Ifiing. The Word of God is a moft nice, 
 exaft, and critical Judge, difcerning the Gra- 
 vity and Rcclitudc of the Thoughts, it dif- 
 covers anddiftinguiflies them as they are ; and 
 is capable as a Judge, to charge and difcharge 
 as its Author will by it. Itdifcovers the mofl 
 inward, clofe, fecret and conflant Motions, 
 both fpeculative and pra6lical, of the Soul of 
 Man infeparably united to the Heart, and one 
 -.ith another, whether they areOpinions,Con- 
 ceptions, Refolutions, or Decrees, fo fubtile 
 and fo fecret, as who can know them but who 
 made the Heart. Such is the trying and dif- 
 cerning Power of the Word, as the Apoflle ve-^ 
 rv particularly defcribes, Heb. a, 12. For the 
 Word of God is quick md poivcjful, and /harper 
 than any two-edged Svccrd^ piercing e"ccn to thedi- 
 
 •ijiding 
 
Faithy and Jufiification. 153 
 
 vld'mg a/under of Soul and Spirit, and of the Joints 
 and Alarrow, and is a Difcernei' of the Thoughts , 
 and Intents of the Heart. This Word . which 
 we preach, and you read and hear mull try us aC 
 the lafh Day ; for it is to be the Rule of the 
 lafl Judgment, to Salvation or Condemnation : 
 And therefore, what elfe can be fo good, and 
 fuitable a Rule of our felf, Judgment? It is 
 indeed a rich BlefTing to find our Hearts fea- 
 foned and filled with the Graces of the Spirit 
 of God ,* but then one Grace mufl noc be tri- 
 ed by another but by the Word. Our Hearts 
 when in the moil holy and exalted Frames, are 
 liable to infinite Miftakes ; accordingly the 
 wife Man from his own Experience proclaims ; 
 he that trufteth his own Heart, is a Fool, 
 Proz;. 28. 26 Thus of the Rule or Standard of 
 Examination. 
 
 2. Hhall examine the Fa6ls alledged by their 
 Advocates, as fure Evidences of the Goodnefs 
 of the Work of the prefent Day : and fhew 
 them, to be no more than Hypocrites, and 
 Counterfeits may have, who are not yet made 
 the Subjefts of faving Grace, nor blefTed with 
 a Principle of fpiritual Life. All the Fa6ls that 
 have been publifhed, and which we have hi- 
 therto feen ; are not more and better than 
 what hath been often obferved in many who 
 have been under the Checks of a natural Con- 
 fcience and the Principles of moral Vertue. 
 But from fuch only the fpiritual and faving 
 State of the Soul can never be determined. 
 Morality is indeed to be valued, 'tis a comely 
 Thing among Men, a Beauty to humaneSoci- 
 V eties- 
 
154 ^ Treaufe of Cofiverfion, 
 
 eties, Satisfa61:ion to natural Confcience, Secu- 
 rity to the Body, Example to others ; Men 
 are to be applauded for it, and encouraged in 
 it. But Morality is not Converfion, or the 
 New Creature ; that is moral Honefly, and 
 Freedom from grofs Vices,&c, but O how ma- 
 ny upon this Account think themfelves New- 
 Creacures, who are yet deeply under the 
 Image of Satan ; and though they have blown 
 off fome Dull from the Law of Nature, yet 
 never had a Syllable of the Law of Grace 
 written in their Hearts ? Nay the Image of 
 the Devil may be more deeply engraven in a 
 Souljwhofe Life is free from an outward Taint, 
 Prophane Men exprefs more of the Bead, a 
 civil and moral Converfation may have more 
 of the Devil and Serpent within, in fpiritual 
 Wickednefs. This being premifed, let us now 
 examine particular Fa6ls briefly. And, 
 
 I. That they are advanced to a great De- 
 gree of Knowledge in divine & fpiritualThings. 
 This may eafily be granted ,* and it ought as 
 readily be acknowledged, that as the Apoflle 
 lays down this as one of thofe Attainments 
 that an unregenerate Man may have, and yet 
 be an Apoflate, Heb. 6. 4. They may be once 
 etiUghtned, tajle of the heavenly Gift, and 7nade 
 Partakers (f the Holy Ghojl, neverthelefs re- 
 main flili in the Scare of LTnregeneracy. Per- 
 fons may come to a clearerKnowledge of Gof- 
 pe! Trurhs than before ; they may fee with a 
 rtrw Light fpiritual Things, and have the Mind 
 raifed up to fuchObjeiSls as they knew not be- 
 fore ; bLir y^: may have no new Eyes or Un- 
 der ftandingi^ 
 
Faith, and Jufiification. 155 
 
 derflanding given them, and fo are but as De- 
 vils like Angels of Light. A natural Man 
 may be raifed to a great Pitch of Attainments 
 and yet not have his Nature changed. This 
 is evident in Socrates who died for owning the 
 Unity of the Deity ; and the Scribe who was 
 near the Kingdom of Heaven, Mark 12. 34^ 
 And 'vohen Jejus /wj) that he anfwered difcreetly, 
 he /aid unto him, thou art not far from the King^ 
 dom of God. He who once rightly underftands 
 the Law of God, and hath cad off that filly 
 Fancy of thinking to pleafe God with ritual 
 Things, hath made a great Proficiency under 
 the Law asaSchool-Mafiier, who if rightly un- 
 derflood will fiiew him the Need of another 
 Righteoufnefs than his own wherein to appear 
 before God. Again, the Scribe applauds our 
 Saviour as having faid the Truth, and confefi!^ 
 ing that the fulfilling of thofe Cardinal Pre- 
 cepts, which our Lord mentioned was more 
 than all Sacrifices and Burnt- Offerings ; here- 
 in he was orthodox, agreeing with what Samuel 
 the Man of God had long fince told Saul, Thai 
 to obey 'was better than Sacrifice, and it needs 
 mufi: be fo, feeing that all the true Value of 
 Sacrifices, lay in the Obedience by them gi- 
 ven to the Will of God. Upon the Scribes 
 difcreet Anfwer, our Lord tells him, he was not 
 far from the Kingdom of God ; as if there were 
 but a Step between his prefent Frame ; and 3 
 State of Grace ; but we do not read, that I know 
 of that ever he got over that Step. That 
 
 2, There appears not only great Trouble, 
 and Concern ; but alfo alternately much Com- 
 fort 
 
15^ A Tredtife of Converjion, 
 
 fort and Peace of Confcicnce in thofe who are 
 under the Operations of the Spirit fo diffufive 
 of its Influences at this Day. But this cannot 
 be a diflinguilhing Mark of its being a Spirit 
 of fandlifying Grace, and true Converfion. 
 Thefearenot Attainments which anaturalMan 
 cannot encompafs. (i) Unregenerate Men, 
 many Times lie under the Regrets and Trou- 
 bles of Confcience. 'Tis not Trouble of Con- 
 fcience that is the Attainment wherein true 
 Grace doth confifl. By his Confcience you 
 hear C^fw that primitive Reprobate crying out, 
 my Punifhment is greater than I can bear. Nor 
 could J^udas find out any other Way to flifle 
 his Confcience, but by twitching his Neck in 
 a Halter. The Confcience of the worll of 
 Men will not always digefl Mire and Dirt, but 
 fometimes throw it up. ^udas falls intoaDif- 
 trefs of Confcience for what he had done^ he 
 repented himfelf ; and brought again the thir- 
 ty Pieces of Silver to the chief Priefts and El- 
 ders, and went and hanged himfelf. Hence 
 it is plain that all Repentance is not faving, 
 nor doth allConfeffion of Sin obtain Remiflion. 
 ^iidas repents, &confefleth he hadlinned, and 
 his particular Sin, in betraying an innocent Per- 
 Ibn. The Confcience may be defiled when it is 
 not feared ; it may be awakened when it is not 
 fanftified ; a filthy Puddle may be ftirred as 
 well as a clear running Stream, the Confcience 
 may work Terrors and Horrors, where the 
 Spirit of God never wrought true, fanftifying 
 Grace. (2) A natural unregenerate Man may 
 
 fometimes. 
 
J'aith, and Jiijlificat'ion, 157 
 
 fbmetimes, have Peace and Qiiietners of Con- 
 fcience. 'Tis not rare to meet with thofe at 
 this Day, who talk as they did, Dent. 29. 19. 
 And it come to pafs ivhen he heareth the ft^ords of 
 this Ciufe, that he hlefs' himfelf in his Heart, fay- 
 ing, I pall have Peace thoiigb I ivalk in the Im- 
 agination of my Hearty &c. It is very ufual 
 with diflracled Perfons thus to fancy tliem- 
 felves Princes and great Perfons, v/hen indeed 
 they are but wretched and miferabie Spe6lacles, 
 nay they fancy themfelves to be rich v/heii 
 they have nothing of real Riches, Hke that 
 delirious^^f/;^/zw72 daily fetting himfelf on anEmi- 
 nence to take a Profpe6t of theHarbour, pleafed 
 himfelf wich imagining that all the Ships which 
 pafTed & repafTed that Port were hi^ ov/n^fo do 
 fpiritual mad iNJen ; & as the Devil appropriates 
 to himfelf all the Glory of the Earth; ^o thefe 
 look upon Pleaven, and the Glory of it, and 
 boldly call it all their own. Thus by applying 
 Lenitives, they give themfelves fomie Eafe for 
 the prefent ; and by a fuperncial skining over 
 the Sore, while the Corruption is in it, or 
 Stupefa6lives, making themfehes fenfelefs not 
 feelifig their Paiuy faying Peace, Peace, "ujben 
 there is no Peace, Jer. (5. 14. 
 
 3. The Affeclions may be Rveedy moved, 
 and raifed to uncommon Raptures and Extacies 
 (as is to be obferved frequently, in thofe who 
 are occupied with the prefent Dav's Work) e- 
 vcn in an unregenerate Man : Therefore are 
 not to be looked upon as certain Evidences of 
 true fan6tifying Grace. Our Saviour compaif- 
 cth the natural Man to llony Ground, which 
 
 received 
 
158 A Treatife of Converfioyi, 
 
 received the Seed, fo the natural Man heareth 
 the Word, and anon with Joy receiveth it. A- 
 non, i. e. prefently as in the Original, a fud- 
 den PalTion furprizeth fuch, which is but like 
 the overflowing of a Brook which is quickly 
 down. The Word of God ( as fome other 
 Objedb) dotli often on the fudden afte6l fome 
 Perfons in whom it doth not take up any deep 
 Root. Herod (we read) is faid to have heard 
 John the Baptijt gladly. And Ahah's Humiliati- 
 on was fo great, that God takes fpecial Notice 
 of him. I Kings 21. See hisCharadter Verfe 
 25. But there was none like unto Ahab, ^vohich 
 did fell himfclf to ijoork fVickednefs in the Sight 
 of the Lord. What then ? Had he never any 
 Remorfe ? Yes, the Lord gives Teftimony 
 to it, Verfe 29. Seefi thou how Mab humbkth 
 hinfef before me ? How often are ail Sorts of 
 Perfons taken up with new Things, fometimes 
 the Novelty,and the Strangenefs of them, may 
 affecl them. And it would be flrange indeed, 
 if fome good AfFe6lions were not Hirred up in 
 Men, fometimes from the affe6ting Nature of 
 fpiricuai Objedls themfelves. Again, Affe6lions 
 may be much moved by the Art and fuperior 
 Skill and Dexterity of others, this is evidentin 
 fame that teach theWord ; they are regarded by 
 many Men as a skilful Mufician, who to a well 
 tuned Inflrument hath fung the Praifes of Ver- 
 tue, or of vertuous Men ; it pleafeth their 
 Ear, but it doth not frame their Hearts and 
 Life to Vertue. The Jews of old loved and 
 admired the Prophet Ezekiel for his eloquent 
 l.amentation, and Reproof of their Enemies, 
 
Fa'ithy and Jujlificatm. i^c) 
 
 and for foretelling that they fiiould fall, 
 and faying nothing againfl: them and their 
 Sins for three Years pail. Ezek. 33. %2., And 
 loy thou art to them as a very lovely Song : Biic 
 when he exhorts or diifwades them to Duty, 
 or from Sin, they will hear, not do. Perfons 
 may fometimes have their Judgments gratified 
 with the Learning and Abilities difcovered in 
 divine Difcourfes, and their Aife6lions (lirred 
 up with the eloquent and pertinentUtterance of 
 it ; but though the Affeclions may thereby be 
 put in Motion, yet is it not a certain Evidencfe 
 of fpiritual Affe6lions in us. ' ,. ■. 
 
 4. ^ We are told that the Spirit that is fo 
 « much, and fuccefsful in doing now, convin- 
 ' ces them of th^Dreadfulnefs of Sin, and of 
 * their^own guilty and miferable State by Na- 
 ' ture.* Thefe Things an unregenerate Man? 
 may be convinced of, when lie hears fo much 
 fpoken of the Beauty and Excellency of Ho* 
 linefs : He is convinced in his Judgment that 
 thofe Things are true, viz. That without Holi- 
 nsfs no Man [ball fee the Lord. And when he 
 is thus convinced of this, it will make him 
 break out into Pangs of Affe6lion wifliingfor 
 Grace and Happinefs. Very many ftill in a 
 State of Unregeneracy, wifli with Balaam to 
 die the Death of the Righteous y and that their lafi 
 End might be like his, Jt is not unufual with 
 very wicked and rebellious Men, to make o- 
 pen Remonflrance of Obedience to the Lord, 
 nay they are apt to promife a perfeft Obedi- 
 ence to God's Will, whether grateful, or un- 
 "grateful unto them, and thev further declare 
 
l6o A Treaufe of Converfion, 
 
 a Conviclion, if they did it, it fliould be 
 
 well with theni, according to that, Deut. 
 
 5. ig. VViiich me we til the mighty Power 
 
 of Luir-- in unregenerate Hearts, and mighty 
 
 Operation of the evil Spirit, in the Children 
 
 of DJobedience, Epef. 2. 3. That although 
 
 they be convinced that if they did obey the 
 
 Voice of God it would be well with them, yet 
 
 they will not d<i it in Things which they 
 
 have a Power to d©.' A; pregnant Exam- 
 
 ,ple hereof we have inxlipfe v/icked Men that 
 
 came to th^ Prophet declaridg 'their high Re- 
 
 folutions of Obedience, jef.'4^. 5, 6. Thc\^ 
 
 faid the Lord be a true, and faithful IVitnefs he- 
 
 t'Wi^en usy if ij^e do not according to all Things for 
 
 which the Lord thy God floalljlfend thee to us, S'c. 
 
 .••^^.'.'It is faid that there isa manifefl Change 
 
 -fwrought in the Lives of thqfe who are under 
 
 ..the Operations^f the diffufive Spirit that is at 
 
 ^Vork^at this D^y. It is, trtie;, that there feems 
 
 to be a great Change^'ft the Lives of many ; 
 
 but it is as true that even as great Change may 
 
 be in the Lives of unregenerate Perfons. Pro- 
 
 felTors may efcape, and forfake the grofs and 
 
 outward Pollutions and Defilements that they 
 
 were drenched within their Lives, but yet no 
 
 pure. Heart or divine Nature wrought in them. 
 
 2 Pet. 2. 20. For if after they ha've efcaped the 
 
 Pollutions of the World, through the Knowledge of 
 
 the Lord and Saviour Jcfus Cbrijt, they are again 
 
 intangled therein^ i^c. Unregenerate Perfons 
 
 may have fuch a Knowledge of Clirift as brings 
 
 with it an outward Reformation of Life, tho' 
 
 it do not piu'jfy the Heart. That Reformati- 
 
 cn 
 
Faith, and J'tiflification, i6t 
 
 oil of Life that only frees us from Debauch- 
 ednefs, falls vaftly fliort of a true faving 
 Change ; this is that which as in Times pad fa 
 (I fear) many at this Day footh up themfelves 
 when they look back upon the very wicked 
 Extravagancies of the former Part of their 
 Life, how monftroufly they have mifpent the 
 Prime of their Years in riotous Living, inDrun* 
 kennefs, Lhicleannefs^ and Blafphemies, and 
 now they find themfelves deadned to thefe 
 Sins, and are become Men of Chaftity, Tem- 
 perance^ Sobriety and found Speech, whence 
 they prefently conclude, that ij9 great a Change 
 cannot be made on them any other Way thaa 
 by the. effectual powerful fandlifying of the holy 
 Ghofl. But yet there may be no Work o£ 
 Regeneration wrought in them. This is very 
 evident at leaft in two Examples ; one is the 
 young Man in the Gofpei ; who in his own 
 Conceit had fo weH pef formed his Task, thaC >- 
 he defired our Lord to fet him a new otie ; 
 Mat. 19. 20. The young Man faith unto him, all 
 thefe Things have Iliept from my Youth up ; what 
 lack I yet ? Chrift told him he wanted one ^ 
 Thing,and the principalThing. i.e. Love toGod 
 above his great Poflellions. Luke 18. 22. The 
 other is that of Paul, before his Converiion^ 
 touching the Right eoufnefs 'which is in the Laljsh^ 
 *Lvas blamelefs, Phil. 3. (5. Pie was in the Eye of 
 Man, of ablamelefs Converfation : Men could 
 not tax him,- he had behaved himfelf confcien- 
 ciouily, A^s 23, I. He lived in all good Con- 
 fcience before God, even before he was made 
 ^ New- Creature by the mighty Power of God* 
 W " Thefe 
 
I ^2 ^ J Treat if e of Comer fiotij 
 
 Thefe Inflances ihew us how fdi* a Man may 
 go, that yet is a great Way ihort of a truly 
 good and fpiritual State. He may know that 
 nothing in this Life will make him perfeftly 
 happy. He may defire eternal Life and Sal- 
 vation. He may go a great Way in keeping 
 the Commandments of God, as to the Letter 
 of them. He may come to the Mhiifters of 
 the Gofpel to be further inllru6led. But here- 
 in he will fail, he will not come to Chriil, that 
 he may have Life, but fancy he fhould do fome- 
 thing meritorious of it ; and gain Heaven by 
 his own Induflry. 
 
 6.AftotherFa6t given,and held forth to us as 
 a fure Mark and Evidence of Converfion and 
 Regeneration, is that theSpirit that occupies the 
 Party, is obferved to operate in fuch aManner, 
 as to raife their Efleem of Jefus Chrift. This 
 their fure Mark of Regeneration, is equally 
 % common to all Roman Catholicks, as to fome 
 Frotejiants; mdis2is diflinguifhing aMark of the 
 Spirit that operates in them, as in any Proteftant 
 confefleth that JefusChrifl is come in ijJjeFlefh, 
 &c. I remember that I have read, not long 
 fmce of an Order of Friers ere6led in the 
 Church of Rome, about two Centuries ago,who 
 had this Rule given them, to know nothing elfe 
 but Jefus Chrift, and the Virgin Mary, And it 
 appears in the daily Deportment of thofe of 
 the Romifii Communion, that their Eileem of 
 the bleiled Jefus, is raifcd to a high Degree of 
 Superflition ; viz, in their conilant bowing at 
 the Name of Jefus ; carrying the Crucifix a- 
 boutthem, and bowing at that as often as they 
 
 come 
 
Faith and Jujlification, i6^ 
 
 come toSight of them;crofring themfelves when 
 the Name Jefus is mentioned in their Bieffings 
 before, and Thankfgiving. after Meat, carrying 
 the Hofl in Baskets exalted on Poles in great 
 Proceffion, and kneeling at the Sight of that 
 as often as they come acrofs it in their Streets. 
 7. It is alledged that the Spirit occupying 
 the noify Party, muft be the good Spirit of 
 God, in that it works in Perfons a greater Re- 
 gard to the Word. of God, andDefire of hear- 
 ing and reading of it, and other A6ls of Wor- 
 fhip. This Matter is now out of Doubt ; and 
 the Reafon given why it is fo, (as it is fre- 
 quently faid by many who now pretend to ex- 
 traordinary Infpirations, and Revelations) is 
 becaufe of the llrong Impulfes, and Suggefli- 
 ons on their Minds moving them to holy Du- 
 ties. Here I mufl: put our New-Light Men in 
 Mind of two or three Precautions, As (i) That 
 they examine their fudden Suggeflions and 
 Motions by the Word, and carefully fee what 
 Ground they have in the Holy Scriptures ; and 
 that they are not to yield Obedience to them 
 becaufe they are fuggefted into their Minds, 
 but becaufe they find that God hath comman- 
 ded them. (2) They lliould confider not on- 
 ly whether they be in themfelves good,but al- 
 fo whether they be now feafonable, and whe- 
 ther the Performance of them, will not dif- 
 turb their orderly Proceeding in the Ways of 
 Godlinefs, and difable them from Performance 
 of fome other holy Duties, which in their 
 Chriftian Prudence (weighing all Occafions and 
 Circumftances) they find for the prefentmore 
 
 neceflary 
 
1(54 A Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 neceffary and feafonable, and if they do not to 
 give Place unto them. (3) That they dili- 
 gently iludy the Holy Scriptures, which will 
 teach them not only what God requireth as 
 good, but alfo how and when it is to be done, 
 and in what Order and Manner upon dueCon-^ 
 fideration of all Circumftances. But fuch Pre- 
 cautions, alas, are little heeded by many who 
 make it now a Rule, that it is impoffible Satan 
 ihould fpur Men on to holy Duties : Not con. 
 fidering that it is notunufual with the Devil, to 
 move the Soul to Evil under the Motion and 
 Appearance of Good : All tempted Souls have 
 an Experiment of this ; for none is tempted 
 to Evil under the Appearance of Evil : Evil as 
 Evil being what a reafonable Soul cannot be 
 courted to, the Devil therefore, in all his 
 Temptations to Sin, tho' his End be to ruin 
 and deftroy, yet appeareth <is 2x1 Angel of Light, 
 o Cor. 1 1. 14. And fpurs on to Devotion, that 
 Men may do them from ill Ground, not be- 
 caufe God commandeth them, but becaufe he 
 fu2;geileth them : And he backeth thefe Mor 
 tio^is with fervile Threats and fuperflitious 
 Fears. Thus when he feeth that they incline 
 TO Prayer, he will bind them to it by fervile 
 Necefiity and fuperflitious Fear, urging them 
 to pray as much and often as he fuggefteth, 
 and in Conclufion to negleft all Duties of their 
 jreneral and particular Callings, and do nothing 
 clfebut prav, becaufe the Apoflle enjoineth, i 
 Their. 5. 17. To p-ay vyithoiit ceafing : Where- 
 as the Chriftian is bound to perform religious 
 and civil Duties in th^ir Seafon, not fuffermg 
 
Faith ^ and Jufllfication. x6s 
 
 one to jLiflle ouc another, and is required by 
 tlie Apoflle to pray, not at all Times, bat up- ^ 
 ^n every fit Occaiion, and good Opportunity. "^ 
 So if Perfons be given to the hearing of the 
 Word, then he will move to go as often as he 
 fiiggelleth, and as if they were all Ear, to do 
 nothing but hear, at the fame Time laying a- 
 fide the Duties of their lawful Affairs, andneg- 
 le6ling the neceflary Charge and Care of their 
 Families. Again, that he may move them to 
 perform religious Duties diforderly and unfea- 
 fonably, eaullng them fo wholly to pitch upon 
 one, as that being taken up with it, they may 
 be drawn to negle6l all others. Moreover, he 
 inoveth them in the Duties of God's Woriliip 
 to do himfelf Service ; fince they are done at 
 his Suggeftions, and not becaufe God hath 
 commanded them. Finally, he hereby accuf- 
 tometh Perfons to be at his Service and Com- 
 jiiand, by yielding unto and obeying him in 
 Things lawful, becaufe upon the fame Ground 
 he may move them to defifl from doing of 
 them when he countermandeth, and to do thofe 
 Things which are unlawful, and fo draweth 
 them on by thefe delicious Morfels to fwallow 
 Poyfon. But here the Queftion may fairly be 
 put, that feeing we are often Times and rnoft 
 commonly moved and excited to thofe religious 
 Duties by the Operations of the good Spirit of 
 God, how may we difbinguiili thefe from the 
 Suggeflions o'f Satan ? I anfwerthat we may 
 do it by thefe Signs & Marks : viz, (i)The Sug- 
 geflions of the Devil, do prefs us to thefe Du- 
 ties by a certain violent NecefTity^ when not- 
 
 withftanding 
 
1(55 A Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 withflanding hereof, there is no Reafon of 
 them groundedm God's Word, aH Circumflan- 
 ces duly weighed. (2) When the Performance 
 of thefe Duties is difordered and unfeafonable 
 m Refpedt of Circumflances, and wonted to 
 juftle out other Duties, in Refpeft of prefenc 
 Occafions more necefTary and feafonable : But 
 then when we are moved unto them by God's 
 Spirit, one Duty is a Help and Furtherance to 
 another. (3) When thefe Suggeflions and Mo- 
 tions prefs upon us ceremonial Circumftances, 
 as the lime, Place and bodily Geflures,as ne- 
 cefTary and eflential to the Service in Hand, 
 which are in their own Nature indifferent ; 
 and the Spirit of God ieaveth us free to Ufe, 
 or not to ufe them, as in Chriftian Wifdom we 
 find them more or lefs convenient to fit us the 
 better for the religious Duties which are to be 
 performed. Thus you fee that there is great 
 Necefl]ty to a Chrillian, of ufmg due Caution 
 and Care in diflinguifhing between the Moti- 
 ons and Suggeflions of the Devil even to holy 
 Duties, and thofe of the Spirit of God : For 
 thofe of the evil Spirit look very much like to 
 thofe of the good Spirit of God. For as there 
 is a true Spirit, that witnefTcth to our Spirits, 
 that we are the Sons of God, Rom. 8. 16. So 
 there is a falfe Spirit, jufl like the true one, 
 witnefTmg that they are the Sons of God : Of 
 fuch a Spirit, I apprehend, our blefTed Saviour 
 fpeaks, Mat. 24. 23. occ Which Ihould do 
 great Signs and Wonders, infom.uch that if it 
 were poffible they would deceive the Eleft of 
 God,- but he had prayed for them, only they 
 
 mutl: 
 
Faith, and JujUpcation. i6j 
 
 inufl alfo watch and take Heed, that they might 
 not be cheated and deceived iDy them. And 
 there is great Danger of it, which we may ea- 
 fily perceive by a fhort Collation, or Compa- 
 rifon of both together in a few Particulars : 
 
 For as, 
 
 1. The Spirit of God humbles the Soul, fo 
 before Men fuch as have the Witnefs of the 
 falfe Spirit, they are mightily caft down and 
 deje6i:ed in Spirit ; and now they are earncfl 
 Suiters for Eafe and Relief, and they refolve to 
 lead new Lives, to refifl no longer, but fubmit; 
 but their Obedience is feigned, Pfal. 66. 3 . Thro' 
 theGreatnefs of thy Power Jhall thineEnemies yield 
 themfelves unto thee. 
 
 2. The Spirit of God in the Gofpel reveals 
 Jefus Chriil and his Readinefs to fave : So the 
 falfe Spirit difcovereth Chrifl's Excellency to 
 receive the Sinner if he will come in upon his 
 Terms. Balaam prophefied the Happinefs of 
 Ifrael, and by Infpiration llieweth Balak and his 
 People the Glory of Heaven and God's People, 
 Numb. 24. 5, 9. &c. 
 
 3. The Spirit of God gives In-fight into 
 Chrifl and his Benefits, fo as the true Believer 
 is fweetly afFcfted therewith : So the falfe Spi- 
 rit by his common Devices and Collufions, af- 
 fefteth Perfons, to tafle of the Goodnefs and 
 Sweetnefs of Jefus Chrift, asthofe did,Heb.6. 
 4. And it alfo makes them breathe out pafli- 
 onate Admiration, and wonder that ther\e 
 fliould remain any Hope for fuch vile Wretch- 
 es as they have oeen, and raifes fuch Joy in 
 
 them 
 
i68 A Treatife of Coiiverfwn, 
 
 them as if they were upon the Brink of pof- 
 leffing the Glories of the upper World. 
 
 4. When the deluded Soul is thus comfort- 
 ed, after a few Days of Horror and Wound- 
 ing are paffed, he calleth God his Gcd, and the 
 Lord Jefus' his pleafant and fweet Saviour ,• and 
 now all Doubts and Fears are come to an end 
 for he is ineonteftably fure of Heaven and 
 Happinefs. And why ? Becaufe he hath re- 
 ceived much Comfort after much Sorrow and 
 Diitrefs. But let fuch know that the Lord will 
 in due Time refute their Pretence of a pecu- 
 liar Relation and Intereft in him, and tell them 
 what they may expecl, as Hofea 8.- 2, 3. If- 
 rael Poall Cry unto me, my God vJe hioix) thee, Jf- 
 rael hath caft off the Thing that is good ; theE-' 
 7temy floall purfue him. Hence it is plain and 
 evident, that mighty Pretenders to Revelations 
 and Infpirations, and proud Boafters of high 
 Attainments in Religion ; may notwithfland^ 
 ing, remain in a State of Unregeiieracy, and 
 and be miferable, deluded Creatures Hill. It 
 is therefore necelTary before I clofe this Arti- 
 cle to note the Difference there is between the 
 Witnefs of each Spirit, and this may be done 
 in two Words. 
 
 I. The falfe Spirit makes a Man believe he 
 is in the State of Grace, and fliall be faved^ 
 becaufe he hath tafted of Chrift, and fo hath 
 been much comforted : But the true Spirit dif- 
 covers to a Man his State is good and fafe, be- 
 caufe he hath not only tafbed, but hath pur- 
 chafed this Pearl of great Price, he hath not 
 got aTafte but a faying Sight of Chrift in the 
 
 Gofpel, 
 
Faith, and Jiijiification. 169 
 
 Gofpel which changeth the Soul into the I- 
 mage and Likenefs of Chrift, from Glory to 
 Glory ; carrying on the Souls of Believers from 
 one Degree of Grace to another; making fuch 
 a glorious Change in the Heart, as Ihall not be 
 blotted out until, a Soul come-th into thofe Pof- 
 feffions of Glory which God hath prepared for 
 his People. See 2 Cor. 3. 18. » 
 
 2. The falfe Spirit having given a Perfon a 
 Tafte of Chrifl, and much Quiet and Peace 
 therein, he is now come to a Stay, without 
 Quicknings to further Progrefs : but when the 
 good Spirit of God, hath made a Soul to tafle 
 of the Love of Chrifl, he moves and excites 
 him to do much for Chrill^ and to do nothing 
 againil: the Truth,, but for the Truth ; his daily 
 Addrelles are in thofe Words of Faiil^ A61s 9. 
 6. Lord, ixshat wilt thou have me to do ? Pie is 
 daily fenfible of greatWeaknefs, and manifold 
 Intirmities, and the Danger of ilrong Attacks 
 from Enemies, and therefore often cries out in 
 the Words of Nehemiah, Chap. 8. 10. The Joy 
 of the Lord is our Strength, and in thofe of Da- 
 -v/i, Uphold me with thy free Spirit, Pfal. 51.12. 
 
 Hereto I purpofed to affix, or tack a ihorc 
 Colleclion of thofe many Hereticks who have 
 appeared in the World, from the days of pannes' 
 and Jamhres,^ even unto this Day, and who ia 
 their refpe6tive Periods have poifoned a great 
 Part of the World with their Corruptions and 
 Cheats of pretended Revelations : And have 
 given my Reader a Specimen of their concor- 
 dant Motions, Agitations, Extacies, Geftures, 
 and Trancesj to diredl and caution himagainft 
 X the 
 
170 A Treatife of Converfion, 
 
 the abounding Enthufiafm of this Day : But 
 willingly iupprefs the publilhing thereof, fince 
 I have feen a Colleftion of that Nature lately 
 publillied,entitled,TheFR£NCHPROPHETs,which 
 I think is very feafonable, and worthy of every 
 one's careful Perufal, and attentive Delibera- 
 tion, that by the Blefling of God, they may 
 guard againil ihofe Delufions, that feem to have 
 flain their Thoufands in this Land. I come now 
 to the 
 
 3. Branch of theUfe of E.v^7;z/n^tf(?K, where- 
 in I am to examine briefly fome Tenets of the 
 New-Light Men ( fo called ) their Skill in ap- 
 plying fome Scripture Grounds, on which they 
 build their Tenets, & advancing Arguments to 
 maintain the general Goodnefs of their Work. 
 I am to examine 
 
 I. Some of their Tenets, many whereof ac- 
 cord with thofe of the Romifli Whore, which 
 would oppofe and deftroy thofe Do6lrines of 
 Grace which we have been treating upon.Thefe 
 have indeed been almofl; dead and buried as to 
 the Churches of the Lord in this Land, and 
 have met with but little 1 rouble from that 
 Quarter for the Space of a whole Century ; 
 but now they feem to obtain a fplendid, and 
 potent Refurreclion. I fliall cull out of the 
 Heap, and examine a few that are mod con- 
 fpicuous. As, 
 
 I. It is pretended at this Day, by fome Ne'oj- 
 Llght'Men^ that the Spirit of God in the fame 
 extraordinary Meafure is given, as in the Day 
 of Chrill, and his Apoflles : viz. by Infpirati- 
 ciis, Vifions, Dreams, by Signs, by audible 
 
 Voice 
 
Faith and Jitjiificatm. 171 
 
 Voice and the like. The World now feems 
 to be over-run wich fuch enthiifiaflical Deliiii- 
 ons ; and this is not without its Precedents, 
 and Patterns. Papids and other Hereticks, 
 have pretended the like extraordinary Gifts in 
 Ibme Ages pafl. This Afperfion cafl: upon the 
 Holy Ghoft crept very early intOr the Church 
 of Romo'y the Confequence whereof (as at this 
 Day) was a Contempt of the written Word of 
 God. Pope Leo the tenth, termed the Gofpel 
 a Fable of Chrift. It is alfo a received Opi- 
 nion of that Church, that the Scriptures of 
 God are not fufficient to infl:ru6l Mankind un- 
 to Salvation. The facred Scriptures were iike- 
 wife much traduced by the Philofophers, where- 
 of one faid of Mofes, that good Man maketh 
 a trim Difcourfe but proveth nothing : The 
 Greeks alfo counted the Preaching, of the Gof- 
 pel Foolifhnefs. The fame Opinion gave Rife 
 to theEnthuiiafts of old, Quakers, and others; 
 who maintain that the Lord hath not ceafed 
 yet to reveal his Will as he did of old ; as 
 many Exhorters fay in thefe troublefomeTime^, 
 contrary to the Holy Scriptures in many Pla- 
 ces ; fee Heb. i. i, 2. There the Apollle calls 
 the Time of the New-Teftament, the lafl: 
 Days, becaufe under the fame there is no Al- 
 teration to be expected, but all 1 hings are to 
 abide without adding or taking away, as was 
 tauglit and ordained by Chrifl until the laft 
 Day ; fee Joel 2. 28. Acts 2. 17. All former 
 Vifions, Infpirations and Dreams do end in 
 Writing. ExocL 17. 14. Which is, a mofl fare 
 and infallible Way of the Lord's revealing bis 
 
 Wili 
 
172 A Trcat'ife of Converjion, 
 
 Will unto his People. And to this the Con- 
 felTions of the bed reformed Churches give 
 Aflentjtind is as plain to every INIan and Child, 
 as Words can make it, in the i\nf\ver to the 
 fecond Queflion in the Affembly's Catc^chifm, 
 viz. The IVord of God as it is contained in the 
 Scriptures of the Old and Ne'DD-Teftamenty is the 
 tnlyRuJc to direct uSyhoiv we may glorify and en- 
 joy God. 
 
 "Now although I do upon Scripture Grounds, 
 with the pureft Churches, and moft celebrated 
 Divines of the Proteftant Communion, deny 
 Rich extraordinary Revelations of the Will of 
 God as hath been pretended by Enthufiafts of 
 former Ages, and is now flifly maintained by 
 thofe of our Age : Yet do I with all gocd 
 Men thankfully acknowledge the ordinary Co- 
 operation of the Spirit of God with his own 
 appointed Means of Grace, and the Qiialityof 
 inherent Plolinefs planted by God himfelf in 
 the Soul of the regenerate, to bepromifed and 
 given to his People, from Age to Age, and in 
 a more plentiful Manner in fome Ages of the 
 Gofpel than others. The Want of a dueOb- 
 fervation and Diflinftion of thefe Things hath 
 caufed many both Leaders and Followers to err 
 greatly. This is felf evident from the Con- 
 fufions of this Day ; of many of their Tea- 
 chers, who are now fo famous in the Opinion 
 of the In-confiderate, and In-judicious Popu- 
 lace ; and alfo of fuch of their Followers and 
 Favcurer'-j with whom 1 hitherto met both in 
 Print and Converfation ; I fay, of fuch I will 
 venture to fay as the renowned Dr. UJher iaid 
 
 of 
 
Fait by and Jiiflification* 175 
 
 of Dr. Hcilin, that f in Point of true and fo- 
 lid 'Iheology, they had Need to learn theirCa- 
 techifin. If fuch talked lefs^and ftiidied more. 
 Purity of Doftrine and Soundnefs in Principles 
 would not fufer ih much Injury as now they 
 do ; and the fimple People would not be fo 
 much in Hazzard of being captivated into fo 
 many grofs Errors and Miftakes as now they 
 are." 
 
 2. It is faid and maintained by many that the 
 Ne--jj-Li^ht within^ their inward Feeling is the 
 Rule of Faith, and dire6ls the Converfation, 
 and is equal to, yea the Interpreter of thelioly 
 Scriptures. And this grofs Miftake is boldly 
 fathered upon the Holy Ghoil : This is akin 
 to a Piece of grofs Forgery coined in the early 
 Days oftheRomilli Church : In the third Cen- 
 tury Cornelius the Pope fends his decretal E- 
 piilles to all the SonsandBifliopsof the Church 
 to rejoice with him at the lYanflation of the 
 Bodies of Peter and Paid at the Entreaty, as 
 (was faid) of that devout Matron Lucina, from 
 the Catatombs to the golden Mountain, &c ; 
 And what then ? It is all fathered upon the 
 Holy Ghoil:, the Lord being the Author. There 
 is another Afperfion call upon Heaven, to the 
 fame Purpofe : viz. Pope Pius am.ufes the 
 World" with a Piece of Forgery, namely, that 
 his Brother Hermes v/hen a Shepherd, but af- 
 terwards a learned Do^lor, had theTeilimony 
 of an x^ngel given to him concerning the Ce- 
 lebration of Eailer on the Lord's Day : and 
 all fathered upon the Lord. Many more fuch 
 iorgeries might be produced from the corrupt 
 
 Rfcords 
 
174- ^ Treatife of Converfwn, 
 
 Records of the Church of Rome, And more' 
 efpecially in the dawning of the Reformation 
 in our own Nation, there were very many mon- 
 iflrous Cheats impofed upon the People 'by the 
 Intrigues of bafe Papifts ; a flimous In fiance 
 thereof is that of the Nun of Kent ; it is plain 
 enough that generally thofe who are called at 
 this Time Neiv- Light- Men, h^rmonizi^ with the 
 Enthufiafts and Qiiakers of the two lail Centu- 
 ries, whereof fume call the Scriptures a hifto- 
 rical Rule, and a dead Letter, they call them 
 not the Fountain of Truth and Knowledge, 
 nor the firft Rule of Faith and Manners, but 
 the fecondary Rule fubordinate to the Spirit : 
 Whence as they affirm the Moly Scriptures have 
 all their true Worth and Excellency. To this 
 very IlTue tends the Notion which we com- 
 monly find in the Mouth of all thofe Ne-vy Light 
 Men that I yet met with. It is true they do 
 not care yet to treat the Holy Scriptures with 
 the fime Contempt asfome called Quakers do: 
 but this I can fafely affirm, that they rell in this 
 in all their Difcourfes^ that t\\Qj nox^r feel fome- 
 thing within them that affords to themfelves 
 conflant Light and Peace, and gives them a 
 clear and full Underftanding in all the Scrip- 
 tures ; and have in my hearing applied to 
 themlelves thofe Sayings of Da-'jidy Pfal. 119. 
 99, 100. I have more Umlerjlanding than all my 
 Teachers, I underjtaud more than the Ancients, 
 WHienwith much Alfurance andBoldnefs, they 
 verv frequently applied to me and others thac 
 Saving, I Cor. 2. 14. But the natural Man re- , 
 ceiveth not the Things cf the Spirit of Cod, And 
 
 when 
 
Faith, and Jnjlificatton, 1 75 
 
 when I often requefled fome of the Exhorters 
 and their Followers to give me the diftingiiifh- 
 ing Mark of their pretended fuperior Light 
 from the Spirit, which the Quakers would 
 obtrude upon us ,* here they have ever been 
 flruck dumb, and filently acknowledged their 
 Coalefcence and Agreement. But we are un- 
 der no Difficulty to fiiew that this their enthu- 
 fiaftical Notion is in dire& Oppofition to true Co}> 
 verfion^ and the facred Texts in many PaiTages 
 thereof : StQGal. 6: 16. There, the Scriptures 
 are called a Rule, they are indeed the otjly per- 
 fe^Ride, nothing is to be added to them, Dcut. 
 4. 2. and 42. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 19, 20. 
 And we areafllired of it, that we ought rather 
 to follow the Scriptures in this Life, than a 
 Voice fpoken from Heaven, 2 Pet. i. 19, 21, 
 And is not the Scripture written that we may 
 believe ? John 20. 31. Is not the Scripture 
 given for making the Man of God perfect ? 2 
 Tim. 3. 17. We mufl betake ourfelves in 
 the whole of Religion to the Lav) and to the 
 Tejlimony, Ifa. 8. 20. And Chrift himfelf re- 
 fers the greatefh Queftion that ever was, whe- 
 ther he -voas the Son of God or not, to the Scrip- 
 tures, John 5-'' 38, 39- Paul faith, that Faith 
 comes by hearing, and hearing by the JVord of Gody 
 Rom. 10. 14. And the ConfelTions of Faith 
 of the befl reformed Churches witnefs to this 
 Truth. And indeed the Spirits cannot be known 
 by any other Pvule than by the written Word. 
 "lis certain that the Devil transforms himfelf 
 into an Angel of Light, 2 Cor. 11. 14. There 
 is a Spirit of the f For Id, i Cor. 2, 12. J Spirit 
 
 that 
 
176 A Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 that rules in the Hearts of the Children of Dif obe- 
 dience y Eph. 2. 2. There is a lying Spirit, i 
 Kings 22. 22. And a Spirit of Error and De- 
 lufion, I John 4. 6. Now how fliall thefe be- 
 known to be fuch,or the Spirit which theQua- 
 kers obtrude upon us to be one of them ; bun 
 by the Rule. of the Word ? 
 
 3. It is airedged by many, that by this Light 
 imihin they have the Gift and Abihty of dil- 
 cerning Spirits ,* determining the State of 
 Men's Souls, and thereupon to pronounce them 
 in a State of Salvation or Damnation : And 
 they are lb mighty in their Penetration that 
 they can. accomplilli fo great and infcrutable ' 
 a Work in lefs than 2i^half an Hours Converfa- 
 tion I This fmel'S too Rank of that Corrup- 
 tion of the Romiih Church, upon which they 
 ground their auricular Confeffims, which are flill 
 in Ufe with them ; and. is contrary to the true 
 Meaning of many Scriptures, fee Jer. 17. 10. 
 and 20. 12. David is fliled a Man after God's 
 OTO72 Hearty yet knew nothing of the State of 
 ^chithopheFs Soul, he made him hisCounfellor 
 and Guide, yea his Equal, They took fzvset Conn- 
 fel together^ and zvaikcd unto the Houfe of God in 
 Company y ?fal. S5^ i-? ^3? ^^4- So it was that 
 the eleven Apoilles knew nothing of Judas^s 
 Heart Treafon again ll his Lord and Maftcr's 
 Life, before Chriil difcovered it to them. It 
 muft be acknowledged -that Flmp and the A- 
 poflles had as nuich of the true Spirit of dif- 
 cerning as any Enthfiajl of former Ages, or 
 Ke'v:- Light -Men in this, can pretend to ; but 
 Simon the Wii-^-'^i Qecci\ed them ail. liis Fol- 
 lowers 
 
Faith y and Jufiification^ i-jy 
 
 lowers declare to the World, that he ^voas the 
 great Power of God : He beheved, was bapti- 
 zed, he continued with the Chrillians ; butflill 
 in the Gall of Bitternefs and Bond of Iniquity : 
 As this Pretence, therefore of difcerning and 
 knowing the State of Men's Souls, hath no 
 Ground in the facred Text : So it is in diredt 
 Oppofition to a Spirit of true Converflon, 
 true Chriflian Experience ; and alfo the Con- 
 feffions of the bell reformed Churches. 
 
 4. It is taught, and pra^lifed by thefe Men 
 of pretended fiiperior Light ; that, as the Confe- 
 quence of fuch difcerning and judging is found, 
 whether in their peculiar Way of thinking, or 
 in the good old Way, fo the Union with, 
 or Separation from profeiTed Chriflians muft 
 be, if not judged converted; from fuch turn 
 away ; both Miniilers and People ; if Men 
 are not in their Way of thinking, they will 
 (fay they) have nothing to do with them. Well, 
 is this a Gofpei-Do6lrine ? No, 'tis a Dictate 
 cf the Myftery of Iniquity, one of the Fumes of 
 the Brains of Jezebel. Much like unto it is UiaC 
 crafty Device invented in the third, and fliitly 
 maintained in the fourth Century ; and which 
 upon the advancing & eftablifhing of the Popiih 
 Hierarchy, was univerfally embraced : Accord- 
 ingly the Popes publillied their decretal Epiflles, 
 fathering them upon the Holy Ghoft to fupporc 
 this Corruption. Pope Hildehrarid decreed and 
 commanded that no Man lliould hear Mafs from 
 the Mouth of a Prieft, that hath a Wife. The 
 Rbemifis do publifh how the Sermons of Here- 
 ticks (and fo they term all Proteftant Miniilers) 
 Y ' m.uit: 
 
178 A Treatije of Converjion, 
 
 miiftnotbe heard, tho' they preach the Truth, 
 4;heir Prayers and Sacraments are not acceptable 
 toGod,but are the howhng of Wolves, and rhefe 
 Corrupters of Gofpel-Truth ; that is, thePapifts 
 fay, that to the Perfe6lion of a Sacrament the 
 a6tual Intention of the Minifler, at leafthis ver- 
 tual Intention of doing that which the Church 
 doth, is neceflary. But this Device hath na 
 Footing in the Scriptures of Truth : For ^udas 
 who was a Thief, a Traitor, did according to the 
 Command of Chrift baptize as well as the reft, 
 John 4. 2. Yet Chrifl: never called in Queflion 
 his Baptifm. And it is plain to be feen in PhiL 
 1 . 1 6. That the Efficacy of the Word and Sacra- 
 inents doth not depend upon the Piety and Wor- 
 thinefs of the Inflrument. If it did, who could 
 be fure of his own Baptifm ? Since no Man can 
 be fure of the Intention of the Minifler. The 
 Truth is, the Operation and Efficacy of the Sa- 
 craments depend upon the Operation of the 
 Holy Ghoft, and the Word of Infhitution, Mat. 
 3. II. I Cor. 12. 13. And this is aiTerted and 
 maintained by pious, able and learned Divines of 
 our Side. 
 
 5. It is boldly declared and impudently prac- 
 tifed, that any under the Condu6l of the Spirit 
 of theprefent Day, and finds himfelf gifted, is 
 therefore authorized to preach the Gofpel ; but 
 fome of their Favourites and Followers fay they 
 do not preach, but exhort. This is a Nick-name 
 given it, as they do to many otherThings among 
 them : For the Gofpel itfelfinforms us what the 
 true Preaching of it is ; viz. Chrijl the End of the 
 Law for Right eoufnefs to fugh as believe. And fuch 
 
 is 
 
Faith y and Jujlijication: I7p. 
 
 is the Tenor of their Exhortations^ as feveral of 
 them have confeffed to myfelf. Nay, fome of 
 them have boldly affirmed in my hearing, their 
 being called to this Honour as was Jaron, that 
 is, faid one, by the Spirit. I confcfs this Intru- 
 fion upon the facred Office is not without its Au- 
 thority inthePopifli Councils: This Wicked- 
 nefs is eflabliflied by their Law, as may be feeni 
 by the feventh Canon of the feventh Seffion of 
 the Council of Trent. They take all Minifters to 
 be Wolves, Hirelings and Intruders, &c. wha 
 are not facrificing Priefts anointed by fome An- 
 tichriflian Bifhop of the Romifh Synagogue, 
 ThQSocimans, Quakers and others,have given our 
 New-Light'Men a Precedent in this monflrous 
 Delufion. They fay that the Key of Doftrine^ 
 or thepreachingof the Word, is proper to any 
 Man furniflied with futable Gifts, though noc 
 called and fent to that Employment, Such In- 
 vafion upon the facred minifteriai Office, is noE- 
 vidence of true Converfion ; but a manifefl Vi- 
 olation of the Word of Truth. We are told^ 
 Rom. lo. 14, 15. That noMan can believe in Chrifi 
 of whom he hath not heard, and how [hall he hem* 
 without a Preacher, and howfloall he peach, iinlefs he 
 he fent ? And we know that Women may have 
 futable and competent Gifis of Preaching, and 
 yet they are forbidden to f-peak in the Church, x 
 Tim. 2. 12. And the Scripture alfo blames fuch 
 as have run, and '^et have not been fent,]ev, 23.21, 
 32. And no Man ought to take this Honour to him- 
 felf, but he that is called of God as was Aaron, Heb, 
 9. 4. Moreover, the Scripture manifeftlyiliew- 
 «th that God fee apcVf C certain peculiar Minifters 
 
 for' 
 
l8o A Treat if e of Converfiojiy 
 
 for the preaching of the Word, i^o;;2. i. i. Epk 
 ^|. II. Tit. I, 3. Neverthelefs thefe Subftitu- 
 ents, Fa<5lors of the evaporating, enthufiaflical 
 Drugs of our Time, preilime to mangle divine 
 Truths in their peculiar Dialedl. Again, it is a 
 granted Cafe,that no Man take the Office of a ci- 
 vil Magiflrate, or a Deacon of the Church upon 
 him,unlefshebe called tliereunto, Luke 12. 14. 
 Jets 6. 5. I Tijn. 3.10. And therefore no Man 
 ought to take upon him, the public Preaching of 
 the Word,unlefs he be called thereunto likewife, 
 for he that taketh upon him this Office without a 
 Call, he ufurpethAuthority in theChurch, feeing 
 Preaching is an A6t of Authority, i Thejf. 5. 12. 
 And the Titles which are given to the Preachers 
 of the Gofpel are Names of Office. They are 
 called the Ambajfadors of Chii ft. 2Cor.s. 20. Ste^jo- 
 ards of the JVord^ Tit. 1.7. TheMe?i of God, i Tim. 
 <5. 1 1. And Angels, Rev. 2. i. And there is not 
 one approved Example in all the Word of God, 
 for a gifted Brother to preach without a Call, and 
 therefore feeing it is not done inFaith, it muft be 
 Sin. Accordingly the beil reformed Proteftant 
 Churches have ever avoided and rejedled fuch 
 giddy -beaded Men. 
 
 6. Another Corruption of the Romifli Church 
 imbibed by our mifguided Zealots and Obtruders 
 on the facred Office, is that when they obferve 
 upon their unwarrantable Declamations of the 
 Terrors of the Law, Hell, &c. m th^ir inconne^. 
 Harangues, Tiny of theirCompany come under the 
 Lafli of one of the feven Sacram.ents of the Ba- 
 hyloniflj Harlot, namely Penance, which they 7nif- 
 r^// their Convictions, attain to lome Relentings, 
 
 and 
 
Faith, and Jujlification. i8r 
 
 and premme to have found theLord JefasChriri:; 
 and are now rejoicing in him, as indeed they 
 might and ought, if they tafie and fee that theLord 
 is gracious. Th^ Exhorters iovthwiih pronounce 
 fuch , juJlified^fanBified,^ pardoned. Wh at elfe is 
 theMeaning of their unfoundForm of Words, viz 
 Te are incarnate DemlSy God is more angry 'with you 
 than ivith thofe that are already tormented in Hell, 
 Tour Place ftjallbe belcua all the Devils in Hell, they 
 ^ivill make Hell /even Times hotter for them, and tell 
 them that they ivill fpeedily fend them thither, ciud 
 point to the Devils round them ready to carry them 
 off by Wholefale. But as foon as they have pafTed 
 their ordinary Qtiarrantine, and the Factors 
 have extorted from poor deluded Women and 
 Children,* a Confeffion of Jefus, and have audi- 
 ted their Dreams and Viiion, &c. &c. they 
 are immediately declared tohd^ycpaffed through 
 the N'ew-Birth in all the Throws of it ! And are 
 now Vvdthout Doubt favingly in the Lord of Glo- 
 ry. I am afraid thefeDeclaimers are not fenfible 
 of the Blafphemies of their Language ; I think 
 they know not what to fay ; God grant they 
 may foon fee their Miilake. This alfo is a Po- 
 tion prepared by the Italian Conclave to infe6t 
 and enfnare the Simple and unwary throughout 
 Chriilendom^ as may be feen in the dated Rules 
 of the Church of Rome as to Pardons, viz. If you 
 "would have a Pardon for the Sins of forty Days, 
 a Biiliopmay grantit; for the Sins of one Hun- 
 dred Days, aCardinal may grant it; & for all your 
 Sins committed or id be committed, from the 
 
 * Such more generally. 
 
 Pope 
 
1 82 A Treat if e of Conmrfion^ 
 
 Pope you may have it. Pope Innocent the fecond 
 hath granted to every one that devoutly fliall fay 
 this Prayer following, 4.000 Years Pardons : The 
 Title of the Prayer is this, Hall Wound of our Sa- 
 viour s Sidcy &c. Again, whofoever ihall de- 
 voutly fay this Prayer fhall have 3000 Days Par- 
 don of criminal Sins, and twenty ThoufandDays 
 of venial Offences, granted by the Lord Pope 
 ^ohn the two and tv/entieth,as is to be read in the 
 Antidotary of the Soul. Again, whofoever de- 
 voutly will fay the Prayer following, ftiall merit 
 thereby eleven Thoufand Years Pardons. The 
 Prayer is. Hail Lady St. Mary^Motherof God^&c, 
 You fee the Mint where humane Pardons are 
 coined, they are not found in the Scriptures, 
 which fay. By his Stripes we are healed, Ifa. 53.5. 
 There is Salvation in none other : For among Men 
 there is given none other Name undenHeavenyWhere- 
 by they miijt he faved, A(5ls 4.12. Thro' Ms Name 
 ail that helieve ppall receive RemiJJton of Sins, A6ls 
 10.435&C. And to this the beil reformed Chur- 
 ches willingly yield their Aifent. 
 
 7. A feventh corrupt Dodlrine flifly maintain- 
 ed by the Exhorters of this Day and their Fol- 
 lowers, is, th^t unconverted MiniJiers,Rnd others 
 cannot underiland Scripture-Truth, orinftru6l 
 others therein. And upon thisScore haveScores 
 of them already withdrawn from the Miniflrati- 
 ons of their learned laborious & faithful Pallors;; 
 whereas they are unable at the fame Time to 
 give any Ground for fuch their rafli and unchari- 
 table Judging, but that they think fo : Or, that 
 thefe have not fallen down to worfhip the Dagon 
 of their Corruptions. What Diilimilitude there 
 is between this Flight of theirs, and the Fruit of 
 
 the 
 
Faith f and Jujlijication, ^ 183 
 
 the true Spirit of God manifeft in the Examples 
 of the Saints ; and how contrary it is to theTe- 
 nor of the facred Canon, I (liall not fland to dif- 
 cover ? But briefly obferve, what Similitude 
 there is in this Piece of New-Light to that of old 
 invented at Rome ; I mean that injurious Accufa- 
 tion wherewith the prime Men of that Syna- 
 gogue have flanderedGod and his written Word, 
 that the Bible is an obfcureBook not to be under- 
 ftood. The Scriptures are obfcure, fay they ; 
 but to whom think you ? To their illuminated 
 Do6lors and fpiritual Men ? No they can under- 
 fland them well enough, they are able to recon- 
 cile all feeming Con traditions, to reduce all 
 Tropes and Figures to their plain Meaning, to 
 note the various deceptions of Words, to dive 
 into all hidden Myfleries of the Text, and over 
 and above the juft Meaning find out many fpiri- 
 tual Senfes of it, that the Author never thought 
 on. Much fo it is with our Men of the New- 
 Scheme, they have got a clear Infight into all the 
 Myfleries of the facred Text ; as they have of- 
 ten faid to me and others. Which leads me to ex- 
 mine in the 
 
 2. Place, fome Scripture-Grounds on which 
 they would build their Tenets : And 
 
 I. iJohn^.iy2, iCor. 12. 3. Astothefirft, 
 fome in teaching from it have aimed at giving us 
 therein an Evidence of the inward Work of the 
 Spirit of God uponMen's Hearts,and not an out- 
 ward ProfQfTion, which is all that theApoflle in- 
 tends. And as to i Cor. 12. 3. No Man can fay. 
 that Jefus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghofi : The 
 i\poftIefpeaks thereof the Gifts of the Spirit, 
 
 not 
 
,i84 ^ Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 not of the inward Grace ; the aflen ting to Chrifl: 
 that he is Lord, is a Gift of the Spirit by a com- 
 mon Illumination. And it is the confcentient 
 Judgment of the mofl celebrated Divines, that 
 the Apoftle Johnin the former, gives only the 
 Note of a true Teacher as to Alatter of Do6trine 
 viz. If he aflerts that Chrifl is come in the Flelh, 
 is the true MefTiah, the Son of God and righte- 
 ous. And indeed in that Agty an Aflent to a 
 new, vilified and perfecuted Do&ine, was a 
 greater Teftimony of Faith, than the higheft ex- 
 ternal ProfeiTion can be in the Age wherein we 
 live. And an higher Efleem raifed in an external 
 Profeilionis (as you have heard) all theApollle 
 John intends in this Place. Had fuch confulted 
 good Expofitors on thefe Texts rather than pur- 
 fue their own Fancy, had they I fay confulted 
 great & good Men who have treated of i Joh, 
 4. 1 . in a more fcriptural and judicious Manner, 
 (particularly our learned an ingenious Profef- 
 ' for t) rather than purfue their own ill digefted 
 Imaginations ; they fhould not need to torture 
 that Text to lb little Purpofe. 
 
 2. I Cor. 2. 14. The natural Man receiveth not 
 the Things of the Spirit, &c.- The natural Man 
 there might better have been tranflated rational, 
 ssthe Original Word moft commonly imports, 
 agreeably, the Apoille in the whole Courfe of 
 his Argument in that Chapter makes the Oppofi- 
 tion between the rational and fpiritual Man, that 
 is, in (hort, him that is dire6ted and §pverned by 
 Keafon only ,* and him that hath quite laid afide 
 
 ■IDLfVigglef north's Trial of theSpiritS;i 1735- 
 
 his 
 
Mth, and juJiificatiojL t^^ 
 
 his Reafon, but is principally dire6led and go- 
 verned by Revelation, i.e. God's written /f^ori. 
 3 . Another Paflage of Scripture much abufed 
 by molT:, if not all the New-Schemc-Men, is that 
 I Pet. 3. 15. Be ready always to give anAnfwer to 
 every Man that asketh you aReafon oftheHope that is 
 in you -with Meeknefs and Fear. From this Text 
 they prefume to have a Warrant, to fpend much 
 of their Time in relating of Experiences, and 
 comparing Notes, after they have got thro' with 
 with their Converfion, as they fay. That this 
 Text is abufed when thus applied, may eafily be 
 feen by comparing the Original here with other 
 Places of Scripture : Which is, apologia, i. e. A- 
 pology or Defence, accordingly it isfo tranflat- 
 ed, Afts 22.; I. Men, Brethren and Fathers, hear 
 ye my Defence. See alfo i Cor. 9. 3. The Apo- 
 Itle Peter writes this Epiflle to thejfevvs, fee iPet. 
 2. 12. who had embraced the Do6lrines of the 
 Gofpel ; and here exhorts them, foto acquaint 
 themfelves with thofe Do6lrines as to make A- 
 pology,or Defence of the Faith they profelTed. 
 Agreeable to thisExpoficion,! heard above twen- 
 ty Years ago, three of the mofl: folid Divines,* 
 that ever I had theHonour andHappinefs of free 
 Converfation with, exprefs themfelves on this 
 Text. Muft we in earned fpeak of thefe Men, 
 which >Z^ doth of his Friends inDerifion ; no 
 Doubt but they are the People, andmfdom foall die 
 -Mh them. As for thofe fimple Souls, the learn- 
 ed and pious Divines, and folid Chrifliansof the 
 
 * Rev.Mei!ieurs^//f^wx o^ Hat field, miliams 
 of Deerfieldy and Breck of Marlborough. 
 
 Z Proteflanc 
 
1 86 A Treatife of Conveifwfu 
 
 Proteftatit Communion, (excepting thofe of the 
 New-Scheme, have notWit enough to underiland 
 theMeaning of plain Words. To fuch their proud 
 Contempt of God's People, we may without any 
 Fear of tranfgreffing the Rules of Modefly op- 
 pofe that of >^, Chap. 12. Begin. Even thefe 
 haveUnderftandingaswellas they, yea and are 
 not inferior unto the greatell of chem,unlefs they 
 could give the World a better Proof of their 
 deeper Wifdomthan ever yet they have done. 
 • 4. A fourth Scripture much abufed and tor- 
 tured by thtExborters,d,nd theirFollowers, is that 
 in Joel 2.8. And it fiaUcometo pa/s afterwards 
 that 1 "-ciill pur out my Spirit upon all Fie/Jo^ fcff- 
 Upon thisText they would ground much of their 
 Fifions, Infpirations, Dreams and Revelations : We 
 grant this Text hath Reference to the fending 
 the Meffiah in his Day, and the wondrous Work 
 to be done under his Kingdom ; and that in large 
 Meafures the Holy Spirit fliould be given,which 
 the Meffiah exalted did fend,>/;/z 16.7. in an 
 extraordinary Power & Gifts in theApoflles and 
 iirft Preachers of the Gofpel, but in an ordinary 
 Meafure of Gifts and Graces to all Believers ; 
 and this is all that they have Promife of ; 
 fee Eph. 4. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. And indeed 
 the main Scope of the Text is to fignity, 
 that the Knowledge of God and his Will fhould 
 abound and be more clear to all Ranks, Sexes and 
 AgesintheMeffiah's Days, and fhould furpafs 
 all that formerly was by Prophecy, Dreams, or 
 Vifions. 
 
 5. John 14. 26. But the Comforter ^hichis the 
 HolyGhoft, &c. He Jhall teach you all Things, Sc- 
 
 This 
 
Faith y and Jiiftification, 1 87 
 
 This Text hath immediate Reference to Chrift's 
 Difciples, and next to all Believers to the End 
 of the World ; but is there not the lead Ground 
 thereinto fix the Expectation of new Revelati- 
 ons of the Mind and Will of God upon. Fct 
 the Promife of the Spirit is not to make new Re- 
 velations of new Notions ; it only brings to our 
 Remembrance what Chrift hath faid, and fur- 
 ther revealeth what was before in the Word re- 
 vealed. There are no new Truths, but particu- 
 lar Perfons may have new Difcoveries of old 
 Truth, which they had before Mif-apprehenfi- 
 ons of. 
 
 6. Mat. 6. 31, 32, 33. Whence many now 
 imagine and fay, that no Matter what becom^sr 
 of temporal Affairs and Concerns, if they fpend 
 their whole Time in their religious Affemblies 
 and Worfhip : But fuch miftake our Lord's 
 Meaning in thefe PafFages of Scripture ; where- 
 in he forbids not all moderate and provident 
 Thoughts for Things neceffary, but only fuch 
 Thoughts as fliall argue our Diflrufl in God, 
 or perplex and difhradi our Minds,or be inconfif- 
 tent with our Duty, and Employment of our 
 Thoughts about higher and better Things ; and 
 that our principal Care fhould be how to get to 
 Heaven, and how to promote the Kingdom of 
 God in the World. 
 
 7. I Cor. 2.15. But he that is Jph vtual judgeth 
 all Things^ yet he hhnfelf 'is judged of no Man, 
 Hence our New-Light Men pretend to maintain 
 their Claim of Right to judge of the State of 
 Men's Souls, But this cannot be the true Mean- 
 ing of this Text, becaufe fuch a Glofswill con- 
 
 tradift 
 
J 88 A Treatife of Converjicn, 
 
 tradi6l an exprefs Prohibition of our Saviour in 
 this very Cafe ; Mat.7.1. Judge not ^ that ye be not 
 judged, duvLord mufl not be here underilood pro- 
 hibiting any Judgment, for this isin other Places 
 of Scripture allowed ; and therefore, we mufl 
 not think that the Ploly Spirit doth command 
 and forbid the fame Thing, whence it is manifefl: 
 that it is not to be underflood of political and 
 ecclefiaftical Judgments, becaufe our Saviour is 
 not fpeaking here to any fuch Perfons : It is 
 therefore to be ynderftood of private Judg- 
 ments; butnotabfolutely of them,for itis our 
 Duty to judge ourfelves, nor are we prohibited 
 to judge of our Neighbour's Opinions and A6li- 
 ons, which terminateth in ourfelves, in our Satis- 
 faction, as to the Truth or Falfhood of the for- 
 mer, or Goodnefs or Badnefsofthe latter : we 
 ought fo to prove all Things in order to our holding 
 fafi that ^dohich is good. Nor is all Judgment of 
 our Neighbour's ^dlions with Reference to him 
 forbidden. How can we reprove him for his 
 Errors or reflore him that is fallen, without a pre- 
 vious Judgment of his Aftions ? But that 
 which our blefled Lord here forbids is either a 
 rafli Judgment of his State, or a judging him for 
 doing his Duty. W herefore the Apoflle's Scope, 
 I Cor. 2. 15. Is to be underilood thus, viz. the 
 fpiritual Man difcerneth ox judgethall Things, 
 that is of this Nature, the Myfleries of God, 
 which concern Man's eternalLife and Salvation; 
 not that every good Chriflian hath any fuch per- 
 fe6l Judgment, or Power of difcerning, but ac- 
 cording to the Meafdre of Illumination which 
 he hath received. 2>r he h'mfelf is judged of no 
 
 Man, 
 
Faith and Jujlification. i'^^ 
 
 Man, that is, examined^ fearchedjor condemned; 
 the Wh'ciom that is of God is not to be llibjeclcd 
 to the Wifdom of Men. The Truth which the 
 fpiritualMan owneth and profeiTeth, dependeth 
 only upon God and his Word, and is notfubje6l- 
 ed to the Authority and Judgment of Men, nor 
 to the Dictate of human Reafon. I might eafily 
 ftretch the Difcourfe beyond my defigned Bre- 
 vity in examining many other Texts of Scrip- 
 ture, which the Party have no lefs abufed and 
 perverted from their true and genuine Meaning, 
 than thofe which I have already mentioned ; 
 but thefe few may fuffice to give theReader fome 
 Notices of their Heterodoxy in interpreting and 
 applying divine Truths, 
 
 To conclude this Article, we hope, we have 
 learned better' Things, than to bring GodinSuf- 
 picion with Man of Envy and Fraud, as if he 
 had caufed a Word to be written for In(lru6lion 
 of Men which theyfliould notunderftand, and 
 in it had laid a Snare to intrap Men's Souls inHe- 
 refy and falfe Opinions, by perverting the Scrip- 
 tures to their own Perdidon ,* no, hear what 
 Chrifl faith of his own Words, which are the 
 Scriptures. SeeProv. 8.8, 9- All the JVords of 
 my Mouth are in Righteoufnefs, there is nothing fro- 
 "ward or perverfe in them. They are all plain to 
 him that iinderjiandeth, and right to them that 
 find Knowledge. We fcruple not to fay, that 
 did the fimpleftof People ufe but half that Dili- 
 gence that they ought in attaining Chriftian 
 Knowledge ,• and would take but a? much Pains 
 to underftand the Scriptures as they do theDeeds 
 
 of 
 
190 A Treatife of Converfiotiy 
 
 of their Lands, or other Inflriiments, and the 
 Law-Books, or fuch like. Experience would 
 quickly tell them that the Scriptures are not fo 
 far above the Reach of their Underftandings as 
 our gain-faying Exhorters and their Followers 
 conceive. It is eafier to inform the Underflan- 
 ding, than to fubdue the Will and AfFe6lions : 
 The Mind may be plainly taught, whilft: yet the 
 Heart remains froward, unbroken, and untrac- 
 table : The very Heart and Life of Faith is the 
 llrong Inclination and Union of the Soul un- 
 to the Truth and Goodnefs of fpiritual Things, 
 preferring them in our Choice above all Things 
 whatfoever, which gracious Motion is the Work 
 of God's Spirit, powerfully binding and drawing 
 the Heart to embrace that Good which is offered 
 unto it : But it doth not neceflarily follow, the 
 right and clear Information of the Underfland- 
 ing. And therefore it is both polTible and eafy 
 for an unregenerate Chriftian by the Help of 
 common Illumination to go far. By common 
 Illumination 1 underftand, religious Education, 
 the Courfeof the Revelation of divine 'Truths 
 now ufual in the Chriftian World : Confifling 
 in the Knowledge of all Arts, Skill of Langua- 
 ges, Ufe of other Men's Labours in their Writ- 
 ings and Commentaries, Conference, and accuf- 
 tomed Painfulnefs in the Study of any Kind of 
 Knowledge. By thefe Means a Chriftian, al- 
 lowing the Truth of the Holy Scriptures, may 
 ^ven while in a State of Unregeneration make- 
 great Progrefs in the Underftanding of divine 
 Myfleries. He may underfland every Article 
 of Chriftiau Belief : The many Controverfies 
 
 ia 
 
Faith f and Jujlijication, 19 r 
 
 in Matter of Religion, all Duties of Piety in 
 Chriftian Prafcice, any Treatife tending to holy 
 Inflru6tion, Places of Scripture of obfcureft, 
 and doubtful Interpretation. And in thefe. 
 Things many Times San6lity goes not fo far as 
 thofe common Graces do. Thof(^ that are ac- 
 quainted with reading the various Interpretati- 
 ons of learned Men, or the Holy Scriptures, 
 may by Experience know, that the holieil Men 
 have not been always the happiefl Expofitors. 
 And doth not the Trial of every Day ihew, that 
 many a wretched Man and vile Hypocrite, may 
 never thelefs make fo good a Sermon, even about 
 the mod fpiritual Points of Chriftianity, and fo 
 heavenly a Prayer, that the mod penetrating 
 Men may deem him found-hearted. So eafy a 
 Matter it is for worldly Applaufe, Honour, In- 
 tereft and Advantage, to learn Religion byRote, 
 and to teach theTongue to fpeak what theHeart 
 doth not affect. Hiftories and Predictions are 
 known unto the mofh illuminated Underfland- 
 ings, by no Evidence of the Things themfelves, 
 but only byEvidence of theRelation. Precepts & 
 Difcourfes of dogmatical Points mentioned m. 
 Scriptures,are inPart known'by theEvidences of 
 the Things themfelves, both to the Regenerate 
 andalfo totheUnregenerate. But then there 
 are fome Points that are the more proper Doc- 
 trines of Divinity, of a higher and more fpiritu- 
 al Nature; that can never be comprehended by 
 any Evidence of Reafon, no not of the mod il- 
 luminated in this Life : Such are the M}/ fiery of 
 the Trinity^ the Union of two Natures in one Per/on, 
 ^nthePerfon ofche Logos^ but then again there 
 
 are 
 
192 -A Treatife of Con^erfion^ 
 
 are fome Points which maybe in Fare evidently- 
 known in their proper Nature, but yet only in 
 fuch as are truly ian6i:ified, by the blefled Spirit 
 of all Grace, not by the Unregenerate.This in- 
 deed makes up a greatPart of theChriftian Reli- 
 gion, as the Myflery of Regeneration, & Man's 
 Eftate inGrace in thisLife. Here are aThoufand 
 Things that are clear & evident to the fanftified 
 and fpiritual Man, which the unregenerate Man 
 knows nothing of but by Repetition, or Hear- 
 fay. As a Refurre6lion from Death to Life 
 wrought wondroufly by the Spirit of God, the 
 Power of a faving Faith, the Nature of godly 
 Sorrow for Sin, of Peace of Confcience, of Joy- 
 in the Holy Ghoil, Communion with Chriil, and 
 the whole Art of our fpiritual Warfare, contain- 
 ing the Wiles and Methods of Satan and Corrup- 
 tion in tempting, with the admirable Power of 
 Grace and fpiritual Wifdom in making Refifl- 
 ance and overcoming. Thus you may eafily 
 perceive theDifference between theKnowledge 
 of the Unregenerate and Regenerate in God's 
 holy written Word ; which is known by the 
 Plamnefs of ^ the Narration thereof, eKe the Stu- 
 dy of Divinity were a vain Attempt. Points of 
 Nature andMoraUty maybe in themfelves evi- 
 dent to all, but the proper My fleries of Divinity 
 can be in Part evident only to the Regenerate. 
 I might eafily fill up a whole Page with the' 
 Names of the mofl fage and folid Divines of the 
 ProteilantCommunion,who huve exprelTed their 
 Sentiments on thefe Points, agreeable to what I 
 have c eclared thereof. But 1 iliall only mention 
 one of thofe, viz. The worthy Mr. Flavel, "johofe 
 
 FrJfi 
 
Fdithf and Jnftification* 19-5 
 
 Traife is in all our Churches^ and his elaborate 
 Works in deferv'd Eiteem with our People. Se6 
 a late Extra6l from England's Duty * and Ap- 
 pendix.^: And having in fome Meafure, difco- 
 vered the fa'ndy Foundation on which the Fa6li- 
 on would build their unfcriptural Tenets ; and 
 Ihewed that they have no Footing in thofe Paf- 
 fages referred to by them : For according to that 
 well-known and approved Rule ; Scripture mi f- 
 interpreted and mifapplied is no Scripture. I 
 cannot but hope that upon a ferious and 
 more fedate Review of Things, our many great 
 and good Men both in our Government and 
 Churches, will no longer halt, but will bdftlr 
 themfelves in their rerpe6live Places, feafonably 
 to oppofe and fupprefs the many fpreading Er- 
 rors and Confufioris of thefe Times ; and to pre- 
 vent (as much as in them lies) our being carried 
 back again to Babylon in the Chains of Inadver- 
 tency and Credulity ; and not fuffer us thereby 
 to be made an eafy Prey to our Adverfaries. Be- 
 lieve it, my Brethicen, the doting Argument of th^ 
 general Goodnefs of the PFork of the prefent Day ; 
 which is frequent in the Mouths of its Advocates 
 and Favourers, can never make Apology for the 
 many Corruptions in their Do6lrines and Pra6li- 
 ces. For it is equally abfurd in Reafon and Di-» 
 vinity, to think or fay, that the Doctrines of free 
 Grace can long fubfilt among us in their native 
 Purity ,• if we fuffer them to be interlaced Vvdth 
 fo many grofsCorruptions of theChurch of Rome 
 and others. No, (non bene conveniiint, nee in ana 
 
 ..„.„._...„..„. 
 
194 ^ Treatife of Converfion^ 
 
 feck morantur) let Paul give iyou the Meaning', 
 and Phrafeof this, 2 Cor. 6. 15. IVljat Concord 
 hath Chrift ivith Belial ? Or what Part hath be 
 that heUevetb mtb an Infidel ? 
 
 I come now in the 
 4. Place, to examine a few of their Achillean 
 Arguments, wherewith they propofe to clear up 
 and maintain the Goodnefs^ and the general 
 Goodnefs o(tbe Work^ fo called : and here I miift 
 obferve in the firil Place, that when our blefled 
 Saviour Jefus Chrift, promifed to fend the Com- 
 forter, the Spirit of Truth, he alfo declared that 
 the Sprit will guide into all Truths John 16. 13. A 
 Set of Men, who of late have appeared in this 
 Land ; have occafioned great Trouble and Dif- 
 quietment to Minifters, and Churches of Chriil 
 throughout this Country, viz. Some wandring 
 Teachers, and efpecially thofe^ called Exhortersj 
 fome of whofe Arguments, as well as Tenets 
 -held forth by them are, I humbly think, in their 
 ownNature much inOppofition to the Do6bines 
 of Grace, of which we have treated in this 
 Work ,* and differ little from the like Shifts of 
 theDifciples of Rome : Which inCharity and due 
 Kefpe6l, I chufe rather to impute to their raifed 
 Temper, and Raihnefs than to any the leaftDe- 
 fign, to corrupt or byafs the pure Dodrines of 
 Chrift profefled & maintained in thefeChurches 
 of the Lord : Notwithftanding whereof, as we 
 find that thefe Corruptions have fpread too. 
 much already ,& infefted many ; it behoves the 
 faithful Servants of Chrift to endeavour that this 
 Leavenmay not; through their Negleft, infeft 
 
Falthy ancl Jvjllficatlon: igs 
 
 the whole Lump. This being premifed, I pafs 
 to examine a few of their mofl plaufible Ar- 
 guments. 
 
 I, One Argument for the Goodnefs of their 
 Work is taken from the Multitude of People that 
 fall in with it, and their Unity : This hath no Foot- 
 ing in, but is contrary to that Do6lrine of Chrift, 
 Mat. 7. 14. Who faith, that Strait is the Gate and 
 jiarroiv is the Way, which leadeth unto Life^ andfeijj 
 there he that find it. The Exhorters^ and their 
 Followers boall much of this Argument put into 
 their Mouths by their Superiors: But it would 
 be eafy to fhew, that it is equally cogent 
 and good for the Mahometan Im.poiture and 
 the Romifh Corruption and Superflition ; and 
 that it hath been fmce thrown out of Doors, as a; 
 Thing very detellibleby many eminent Divines 
 of the bed reformedChurches, and fo it was long 
 before- them, by the ancient Fathers : Augiift'm 
 faith,' 6*^ jujius es, noli mimerarey fed appende."^ 
 That is, if thou wouldft deal uprightly in this 
 Cafe, take not Religion by Tale or Number, as 
 though that were beft which moil receive, but 
 try it by Weight. There are many Scriptures 
 befides that of our Saviour already me^itioned, 
 which-- abundantly fhew, that Multitude in Mat^ 
 ters of Religion is no good Rule to proceed by, 
 either in Points tobebelieved, or in Matters to 
 be praftifed. A Matter may be believed and pro- 
 fefled by many, and approved by a Multitude, 
 and yet there may be neither Soundnefs in the 
 one, nor.Holinefs in the other. In the Days of 
 
 5 Jugnflin in Pfeto '39' 
 
 Noah 
 
1^6 A Trcatife of CoTfoerfion, 
 
 Noah itisfaid that God looked upon the Earth, and 
 all Flefb had corrupted his PVay^ Gen. 6, 12. fooc 
 Hundred Prophets at one Time confented toge- 
 ther in one- Thing, and when the King asked 
 their Advice touching his Expedition againft Ra* 
 vioth-Gile.ady all faid ; Go, and pro/per, i Kin. 21. 
 WhenP^zJoppofed himfelf to theldolatry of the 
 EphefianSy which worfliipped the Images ofDia- 
 'Aa^ there arofe faith the Story, a Shout for the 
 Space of almofl two Hours, of all Meii, crying, 
 Great is Diana of the EpLefians, A6ls 19.34. The 
 Spirit of God prophefying by the Apoflle ^ohn 
 of the coming of Antichrift faith. That all that 
 dwell on the Face of the Earth JImU i^orfhip him, 
 ^cchofe Names are not ^written in the Book of Life, 
 Rev. 13.8, 16. In all thefelnflances, and many 
 more which might be added, we fee great Mul- 
 titudes, even Swarms of People running one 
 Courfewith one Heart, like Men pofTeiTed and 
 ruled with one Spirit : And yet all deceived. 
 Wheremanyindeed join in the Truth, there is 
 a good Way, and a goodly Society, but not for 
 the Many's Sake, but for the.Truth's Sake. 
 
 2. Another Argument is taken from the gene- 
 ralGcodnefs of their JVork. It is generally good (fay 
 they)therefore to be fwallowed in grofsCruft and 
 Crum.b; under the Penalty of ^;2^r/3^W2^V. This 
 Sort of Reafoning reproacheth two Maxims 
 commonly known. One is. Dolus latet in ge- 
 neralibus. The other, Bonum non nifi ex intcgra 
 caufa ; Malum ex qualihit defectu. And to in- 
 fer a general Gooduefs of a Work, and its being 
 generally of the Spirit of God, from its being 
 really fo'ia fonie Lailar*ce§ ; is to argue ^ JSaculo 
 
 ai 
 
Fahh^ and Jujlijlcatm. rp? 
 
 ndJngidum ; ct a genere ad fpeciem affirmatroe^ 
 It is a Rule very early given to the Servants and 
 Meflengers of the Lord of Hoils to make a 
 Diflinclion between Truth and Errors, to put a 
 Difference between Things commanded and 
 Things forbidden. Jaroii and his Sons were to 
 put Difference between /jo/y and imholy, and be- 
 tween unclean and cleauy Le'vit, lo. lo. And ^, 
 this is no temporary but a perpetual Statute. . 
 Ezek. 44. 23. The Neglect of obferving this- 
 Ruleby the Lord's Priefls of old is given as one 
 great Reafon why he poured out his Indignation 
 upon his People y and conf tuned them ivith the Fire of 
 his JVrath : Ezek. 22. ult. I fay, this Negletl 
 of the Prieffs is given as a main Reafon for fuch 
 fe vere Proceeding, Ver. 2 6. Her Friefls ha've do- 
 lated my La-vj, and have profaned mine holy Things : 
 They ha've put no Difference het'Lveen the holy and pro- 
 faiie, neither have they fJje-zved Diff'ercnce het-iveen 
 the Unclean and the Clean, &c. And the Angel of 
 i\\Q Qhm dii 0^ Fphef us IS commended in that he 
 tried them ivbich fay thev are Apojilcs and are J20t j ^ 
 and found them Liars y Rev. 2.2. 
 
 The Man of Sin doth generally own the Doc- 
 trines of Chrift, but then he oppofeth Chrifl 
 himfclf, as hisNam.e given him by the Apoffle 
 John doth evidence,when he is calledAntichriff, 
 one that is againft Chrift; not that he openly 
 and profeffedlyioppofeth him, but disjiidas Idffed 
 his Maffer, and betrayed him. Thus thofe many 
 learned jNIcn who have treated of An tichrift, ex- 
 plain this Matter : ScQprhitaker^ Dameus, Cha- 
 mier^ Moulin^ Junius^ and others. He ferveth 
 Chrill; but it is to fcrv(^ hiznfcif of him. He ac- 
 
 knowlcdgQ-h 
 
19 8 A Treatife of Comer fion, 
 
 knowledgeth him in all his Offices, and yet dotii/ 
 vercually deny and oppofe him in them all. He 
 profefleth himfelf a Servant of the Servants of 
 God, and yet perfecutes, curfeth, profcribes,and 
 killeth them, oppofing Chrift in his Members. 
 He maketh War "Dolththe Saints, Rev. 13. 7. It 
 would be an eafier Task, further to (hew the 
 Infufficiency of this plaufible Argument of ge- 
 neral Goodnefs, by comparing it with the State 
 of the Chriilian Church infeftedwith the Jrian 
 Herefy, Pelagian Error of old, &c. and. the 
 Arminian Tenets of a later Date ; but I hope 
 what I have briefly offered may fatisfy the im- 
 partial Reader, as concerning the Weaknefs,and 
 Infignifipancy of it ,* and warn all againft thofe 
 Corruptions which fuccefsfully fpread & ingroft 
 themfelves into too many Chriilian Profeffors 
 under the Pretext of general Goodnefs. And it 
 may fairly be fuppofed that this is one Reafon 
 why thofe who long fince embraced the Pelagian 
 and Arminian Errors, &c. are fo loud in their 
 Acclamations of Praifes to the Work, and flng 
 theirSonnets in Commendation ofit. And others 
 of deeper and better Skill inDoftrine, & known 
 Solidity in Praclife and Converfation are fo filent 
 in the prefent Commotions in Religion, feeing 
 the Work like to be done to their Hand, by fuch 
 as they would never have trufl:ed,or employed, 
 3, A thirdArgument for theGoodnefs of >their 
 "Work, and its being generally from the Spirit of 
 God, is taken from a Declaration of Experiences^ 
 «ind external P^^eformation. 
 
 I fliallnot ftandto fliewthe illogical Nature 
 of this Argument^ by examining and comparing 
 
 it 
 
Fahh and 'Jiijlificatkn, i^^ 
 
 'it \vith allowed logical Rules and Canons (which 
 feem to have forefeited their Charafter, and 
 Ufe with fomeof the new Scheme) but paVs to 
 Ihew the Weaknefs of it in a Manner more in- 
 telligible to my common Reader. Verily, were 
 this made an univerfal Rule, or Ground where- 
 by to judge of Profeflbrs real Converfion, niany 
 ah honefl, gracious Soul iliould never obtain fuch 
 a Judgment upon them while they live ; there 
 being many fuch, who put them to'Declarations 
 of this Kind, could fay little or nothing. He 
 that were beil read in practical Treatifes of the 
 J>Jature of Repentance and Faith, and the Way 
 of the Spirit's Working of thefe, and had a Gift 
 of Utterance, fliould carry the faireil Sentence, 
 whatever were the real Work in his Heart, if 
 he could but carry fair outwardly in his Conver- 
 fation, as an Hypocrite may, without Scandal, 
 nay it were in Efteatoerea a Stage for Hypo- 
 crites, to exercife their Gifts upon, and to call a 
 Stumbling-Block in the Way of honed Plearts, 
 not endued with Gifts of expreffing themfelves! 
 I acknowledge that good U^q may be made of 
 drawing out of Chri{lians,v/hat Experience they 
 find of the Work of the Spirit upon their Hearts, 
 and Conferences between Miniflers and People^ 
 and between Chriflians among themfelves, may' 
 and ought prudently to be exercifed for that end; 
 butlfind Fault with m^iking Declarations oi Ex- 
 periences, d. general Riilemd Ground for judicial 
 Trial and pafTmg Judgment concerning the Re- 
 generation and Converfion of Profeflbrs. 
 
 To clear and maintain this Point let me add 
 m^o or three Particulars for your Confideration. 
 
 I. That 
 
iOo A.Treaufe of Conner fm^ 
 
 1. That Regeneration and Converfion being 
 an inward Work on the Hearty no Judgment can 
 be made thereupon by Man^ but by outward 
 A61ings. 
 
 2. That it is not the Aclings according to their 
 Matter, or the Deed done, but as they are done 
 from fuch Principles, Faith and Love ; and for 
 fuch an End, the glorifying of God and pleafing 
 hhri; that argues the Heart to be regenerate, 
 and the Doer to be in Chrift, and in thfe 
 State of Grace, and confequently that a 
 Man cannot pofitively judge of another's Re- 
 generation by them, but as they appear fome 
 Way to be done, ouc of fuch Principles, and for 
 fuch an End. 
 
 3. That A61:ings good upon the Matter, may 
 in fome Probability at leail appear to others to be 
 done from fuch Principles, and to fuch an End, 
 'tis not enough to have the Man^s own Word and 
 Allertion forit; but there mud be a good Time 
 of them, and that under fome Variety of Cafes 
 and Conditions and fomeTemptations, orTrials. 
 For to a6l right for aStart^or to aft right even for 
 agoodTime,aMan coming under noAlterationof 
 Condition, or being under fmall or no Temptati- 
 on,does not give muchAppearance toMen with- 
 out,that thefeActings are right in theirPrinciples 
 and Ends. It is Evennefs and Conflancy in Al- 
 terations of Cafes, and under Temptations af- 
 faulting, to turn off the Way, that carrieth Ap- 
 pearance of Difcoveryof this. 
 
 4. Confider, that the greatefl Part even of 
 Converts are not eminent Saints,butW^eaklings, 
 and but as Children^ and that unregenerate Civi- 
 lians 
 
Faith, and yujirficationm 20 r 
 
 Hans and Hypocrites may in Outwards go far 
 beyond 'rriany found gracious Chriflians. Let 
 thefe Things be well weighed, and tell me, if 
 there can be a general Rule whereby there may 
 and fliould be a judicial Trial and pofitive Judg- 
 tnent paffed upon all and every ProfefFor con* 
 cernihg their Regeneration or Non-Regenera-- 
 tibn '? This is no novel Opinion, for as it is a- 
 greeablc to the Word of God ; fd it is the Judg- 
 'ment of very learned and judicious Divines of 
 the Proteftant Communion, I might mention 
 thein'bY^Scores; but it may fuffice to produce 
 twp'W'orthies whole Judgment in this Point is 
 not-.tp'be flighted. - One is the famous Mr. Bax- 
 ter irtms Book ^igdnilTonibs. t '' The Rule of 
 their Judgment (faith he) is that a ferious Pro- 
 fefFor of theFaith,is tobe takeriby us foratrue 
 BeHevefj he^ie^'eth^ as a little before he ex- 
 plains himfelf, probably ; viz. That the Judg-t 
 menttb, be puffed uponaMan that he may be 
 received into the vilible Church, is not puruniy 
 that he is a true Believer, but Mo'dale, that it is 
 probable that he is a true Believer. The other 
 is the learned & judicious Mr. Norton who wheii 
 he hath laid down theRules andGrouftds where- 
 by Judgment is to be paffed upon Perfons about 
 their fpiritual State (fee his Anfwer toJpoIloni' 
 -us) there^'he faith, ive mufl: not jtidge poficively> 
 butn^ath^ely and prad:ically^'thatis, faith he^ 
 not judge Evil of them, but to carry ourfelves 
 towards them in common Duties as if the}' were 
 good, where it is clear; that as to the A61 of Judg- 
 
 ,-i.---i.i.Ji, - i... — .- ,* — 
 
 Bb aiient. 
 
2C2 J Treatfjr of Convei-fion, 
 
 niGnt. he requireth no more, but that x^e judge 
 notMenUnregenerate,viz. That in admitting 
 of Perfons unto the Fellowfhip of the vifible 
 Church, we are to look at, and take for fufficienc 
 Quahfications fuch or fuch outward ProfelTions, 
 prefcinding & abHrading (fimplki ahfira^ione) 
 from the inward fpiritual Eftate of the Man j 
 for when I do not pofitively judge a Man rege- 
 nerate or really gracious, but only judges him 
 not unregenerateand gracelefs, certainly I ab- 
 llracl from both. Thus have we briefly examined 
 a few of the Darling Fa£ts, Tenets, Scripture- 
 Grounds, and Arguments of our New-Light- 
 Managers y and their Followers, which may give 
 my Reader a Specimen of their profound Skill 
 in Matters of this Nature and Importance. I 
 will difmifs them atprefent, with that Saying of 
 the learned £;-i7//«z/i- in another Qfe, (male res a- 
 -g'ltur iihi opus efi tot .'remediis) it is certainly a.Sign 
 of an untrue Opinion, \v4ien it muft be bojfler- 
 ed up with fo many Shifts. I pafs to the 
 
 4. and lafl Branch of the Ufe of Examination, 
 Namely, in the Spirit of Meeknefs, expoflulate 
 with our Brethren, concerning their ralh, and 
 rough* Treatment of all thofe who do not pre- 
 fently take up in the Grofs^ with whatfoever 
 they are pleafedtoprojedland propofe as Points 
 to be believed, and Matters to be pra6liced. It 
 IS too common and open to.be denied, that thofe 
 who are fo exceeding zealous in promoting the 
 abounding jE;2f^///^:z//;2 of thefe Times, are very 
 
 Agitatus inliorruitaer^ the Weather be- 
 
 frec 
 
 came rough 
 
Faith, and Jujlificatm. 203 
 
 free in charging their Neighbours, who are not 
 of a Piece with them, with the Guilt, at lead 
 being in Danger of the Guilt of the greatefi 
 Sin : Pray confider that we do not oppofe 
 the good PFork of the Holy Ghofh ; but the Fall- 
 en and Contention^ Bitterne/s and Cenfomnfnefs^ 
 the Pride y and Ofientation, the Confufions and Dif- 
 crders, as alfo thofe many Corruptions in Doctrines 
 2ir\A Manners that are carried on under Colour of 
 a Work of the good Spirit of God : Far be it 
 from us to defpife or difcourage any that are 
 truly Godly fo far as Men can judge, fuch are 
 Tery dear and precious in our Eilimation, and 
 weblefs the Lord, for the Riches and Power of 
 his Grace bellowed upon them. And we ac- 
 knowledge that as it is the Duty of every Pro- 
 feflbrin the vifible Church in the Sight of, that 
 they be not bnlyfo far as Men can judge, but in 
 Truth and indeed truly gracious, having true fa- 
 ying Faith, Repentance and San6lification ; fo 
 that it is the Duty of Miniflers, and of every 
 private Chriflian according to their Station and 
 Capacity, to endeavour by all Means infhituted 
 by God, that it may be fo. But the Thing that 
 we oppofe is your rigidOpinions, and irregular Con- 
 duSt in traducing and excommunicating, as much 
 as you can, all thofe Miniflers and People who 
 are not of your peculiar Way of tJ)inklng in Mat- 
 ters of Faith and Practice, and to be call out, or 
 abandoned as Heathen. This we oppofe be- 
 caufe it hath no Warrant in the Word, is contra- 
 ry to theWcrd, is obflru6live to the Salvatiofi of 
 Souls, tendeth to theRuin of theChriftianChurch 
 and Religion. To oppofe thefe Evils„ is much 
 
 diifercnij 
 
204 "^ Treatife of Conmrfion^ 
 
 different from oppofmg a Work of the Spirit of 
 God, And mufl the Miniilers and People of 
 God,forthis, pmyZ?,berw?/^i, deftrcyed, 2ind the 
 higheft Threatnings and Curfes in the Book of God 
 come upon them ? This is too jmich the unwar- 
 rantable, and unfavory Diale(5l of the New- 
 Scheme-Party ; and what could the Jccufer of the 
 Brethren faid more boldly and more bitterly ? 
 We have not learned Chrift:fo,as to repay Evil 
 irith Evil, Bitternefs with Bitternefs ; you have 
 curfed us, we blefsyou, we wifhyou heartily a 
 Bleiling, Repentance and Forgivenefs of thefe 
 evil Thoughts of your Hearts, and the unchari- 
 table IlTue of it. And herein we know we copy 
 after the Example of Chriflour Lord and Maf- 
 ter, who being reviledrevilcd not again. And his 
 faithful Servants, of whom I fhall only mention 
 two : One the fweet-fpirited Calvin, who faid, 
 Let Luther call me Dog or Devil^ I will fay of him 
 ■neverthelefs he is a precious Ser'uant of Chrijl Jefus, 
 The other the Martyr Cranmek of whom it was 
 a Proverb (Do the Bi/Joop of Canterbury, a Dif 
 pleafure, midyoufljall esoer have him your Friend and 
 much to be admired are the parting Words of 
 that holy Man : / never had any greater Pleafure 
 in all 7ny Life, than to forget and forgive Injuries ^ 
 end to fhei^ Kindnefs to them that fought Evil to 
 we.^ And to conclude this Examination and 
 Trial, I fhall ufe almoll the Words, and join fin- 
 cerely in the ardent Wiilies and pious Breath- 
 ings of one of the faithful Sons of the Prophets. 
 Let us look to our exalted triumphing Lord,- who 
 will reign 'till all his Enemies are made hisFoot- 
 ftool, and whofe Truth wiU fin^liy triumph,, 
 
Fahhf and Jtijlification, ^Qd - 
 
 and render eternally viclorious all ferious 
 Aflerters thereof. The Power is his, the Glory 
 and the Victory. Let us together with pleading 
 with OLirMother, cry unto him the gloriousHead 
 and Husband, intreating that hearife and plead 
 his own Caufe, and haften in its Time, his final 
 Vi6lory over thedetefbible^ Antichriftian Syna- 
 gogue; and when the Vial is poured out, which 
 will light upon the Seat of the Bead, and the Pa- 
 pacy itfelf is extincl, the htigious Contendings 
 for its Legacies and Love Tokens will fall of 
 Courfe, and be at an End. We know it is now 
 near (O very near) the dawning and breaking 
 up of the eternal Day, And the Accomplilli- 
 ment of the Church's Warfare, blefied therefore 
 is that Servant, who Ihall be found vigilant and 
 fedulous in the Lord's Work when he comes,de- 
 lighting in tlv^ ierious Study of Conformity unto 
 him ,* rather than in tolling the Duft of Difputes 
 and Debates. Even fe come Lord Jefus. 
 
 3. Third and lail Uic^ namely of Exhorta- 
 tion, And, 
 
 I. To all Sorts and Sexes, and Ages that they 
 endeavour as much as in them lies to get into a 
 State of faving Grace ; and for this End let 
 them ferioufly confider the Nature and Neceffi-r 
 ty of it, as they have been defcribed in their 
 proper Places in this Work, and alfo in many o- , 
 ther excellent Treatifes of this Kind. And let 
 fuch as upon good Grounds find themfelves in 
 that blefied State, not ftop and ftay their Pro- 
 grefs ,* butbe growing and increafing : There 
 are thofe at this Day who make Monfi:ers in 
 Grace;, as there have been feme inNature ; No- 
 thing 
 
2o5 A Treatife of ConverJIoft, 
 
 thing more common in theirMouths than gettin'r 
 through, as they call it, and attaining to a State 
 of fare Peace and Freedom : But \ve know, that 
 though Grace be fown in an Inflant, it grows 
 not up fofuddenly. Chrift formed in the Heart 
 IS like Chrifl in the FJefh ; firft in his Cradle, 
 before he be upon his Legs. The new Creation 
 IS not a fudden Leap from Corruption to perfeft 
 Purity. The Day dawns in the Heart, but the 
 Light takes a Time to expel the Darknefs, Prov. 
 4. 1 8. But the^ Path of the Juft is as the /Jjining 
 Light, thatfhmeth more and more unto the perfeB 
 Day. This Duty of growing is frequently ur- 
 ged in holy Scripture, i ThefT. 4. 4. We he- 
 Jeech you Brethren, and exhort youin the Lord Jefus 
 that ye increafe more and more. 2 Pet. 3.18. But 
 gro^in Grace : Heb. 6. i. Let us go on unto Per- 
 fection. In Ezekiel the Graces of God are figu- 
 red out by the Waters flowing from theSan6lu- 
 ary, which were at thefirfl to the Ankles, then 
 to the Knees : Next to the Loins, and laflas a 
 Hiver which could not be paffed over ,• fo arc? 
 the Graces which God befloweth upon his Cho- 
 fen, though they be but as a fmall Stream at the 
 firfl,- yet they do flill like a living Spring 
 {\VQ:\\ higher and higher 'till they come to that 
 Meafure which the Lord hath allotted to every 
 Chriflian. The Children of God mufl be as a 
 Man running in a Race, who is ever in Motion, 
 and never thinks upon refting until he come to 
 the Goal, and have got the Re\vard. So the A- 
 pofde exhorts the believing //'^Z'mw, Heb. 12. 
 I . And let us run ixhh Patience the Race that is fet 
 trftre us. 
 
 2. Let 
 
Faith^ and Jiiflification. 207 
 
 2 . Let us pray and labour for the Prefervation 
 and Succefs of the Gofpel in its native Purity. 
 Let us not flight the Word^ or be afljamed of ipy 
 for it is the Fovoer of God unto Salvation^ to every one 
 that believethy Rom. 1,16. Some are got to a 
 woful Pafs at this Day, who boldly and openly 
 2iilQrt,that the Bible is noi;o needlefs,^ th^y can do 
 well eno' without it, &can fufficiently inn:ru6t 
 and dire6l others by the Spirit which now influ- 
 ences them. Oh let us (while others defpife it) 
 blefs God, that ever we had the Word of Truth 
 made known unto us. How many Millions fit 
 in a fpiritual Darknefs, without fo much as the 
 Means of a new Begetting / Millions never 
 heard the Sound of it, nor ever will ; much 
 more that it hath been fuccefsful to any of us. 
 Why hath the Word grappled with any of our 
 Souls, and T.-:>t with others ? Arrefled any of 
 you in a Courfe of Sin, and left others to walk in 
 their own Ways, to run down filently like the 
 Streams of a River, 'till fwallowed up in an O- 
 ceanof Death. How thenfliould the Law of 
 God's Mouth be better to us, than Thoufands of 
 Gold and Silver ,• ?/«/. 119.72. Let us fit down 
 at the Feet of God and receive of his Words, 
 Dent. 33.3. Beware of expe6ling Salvation in 
 any other Way ^ never did God appoint any 
 other Way but this. Miracles were never ap- 
 pointed but as Attendants upon this. Miracles 
 come after Teachings in the great Gift to the 
 Church. I Cor, 12. 7, 8, 9, 10. Firll, the Ma- 
 nifeftation of the Spirit, the Word of Wifdom, 
 
 t Some N^Vi-l^ight'Uvh 
 
HoS ^ Treatife of CnverJiGU, 
 
 and the Word of Knowledge, then Gifts of 
 Heahng and Miracles. Miracles are ceafed, as 
 being not abfolutely necelTary ; but the Mini- 
 flry of the Word will lafl to the End of the 
 World. By the Prophets God brings Souls out 
 of Bondage, and by the Prophets he preferves 
 them in a State of Grace, Hofea 12. 13. By a 
 Prophet the Lord brought Ifrael out of Egypty 
 and by a Prophet was. he preferved. Again^ 
 God never made any Promife but in this Way. 
 God promifed to circumcife their Hearts^ to lovff 
 him mth all their Soul. But in the Way of hear- 
 ing his Voice, and obferznng his Statutes^ Deut.30. 
 6, 10, II. He meets Souls only that remember 
 him in his Way, Ifa. 64. 5. And to the Preach- 
 ing of the Gofpel only our Saviour promifed his 
 Prefence to the End of the- World, Mat. 28. 20, 
 The Promife is perpetually and^lmmoveably 
 throughout all Ages of the World fixed to this 
 Command. Again, no other Way did God ap- 
 parently work by formerly in the Time when 
 God did efpecially manifeft himfelf to his People 
 bv Vifions^ Dreams, and apparitions of Angels, 
 and inthofe Ways made Revelations to them^ 
 he converted not any either from a State of Na- 
 ture, or from a particular Fall, but by the Word. 
 ManaJJes Converfion was by the Word of the 
 Seers, 2 Chron, 33. 18. Nor was Daijid reclai- 
 med after his Fall by an immediate Vifion, but 
 by the Miniflry of Nathan. Peterhj a look, which 
 •revived the Wordfpoken to him, Luke 22. 61. 
 The Angel that attended the E-unuch, At^ts 8.2<5, 
 made no Impreflions upon him, but was ordered 
 to direct Fhili]^ thither (o explain to him theMy- 
 
 ftery 
 
tahh, and ^ujlificatkn. 209 
 
 ftei^yof theGofpel; and the Spirit particularly 
 orders him to go near the Chariot, V. 29. but 
 makes no Impreffions upon him, but by the Mi- 
 nillry of the Word. An Angel is fent to direcc 
 Philip, but Philip is fent to difcover Chrifl. A- 
 gain, an Angel is fent to Cornelius^ not to preiach 
 theGofpel, but to direct him where to fend for 
 a Teacher, J^s 10. 3,5j^- God prepares the 
 Jay lor by anEarthquake,but renews him not but 
 by the Miniftry of Paul, Ad:s 16, 26, 32. In the 
 Times of the Gofpel there was firft to be a 
 teaching of God 5 Ways, before a walking in his 
 
 . Paths, i/^. 3. 3. The Gofpel is compared to a 
 ^Net, and Chrifl firll brings Souls to the Net,and 
 -by the Net to himfelf* Wifdom*s Gates are the 
 Places where to expe<51: her Alms, Prov. 8. 34. 
 Wait therefore upon the Word, wherein the 
 
 .:Spiritof God travels with Souls. 
 
 3. .Beware that you do not rafhly embrace 
 falie Dodrines, and be careful left Innovations 
 'and Inventions of Men be introduced into the 
 Worfhip of God. His own Word is to be the 
 unalterable Rule of our Devofion to God, & not 
 the Inventions and Traditions of Men. Mofes 
 though a peculiar Favourite of God, would not 
 
 ^ introduce any Thing into his Service, but by 
 his own Voice and Authority, Exod. 24. 3, 4, 7. 
 So did Davidy a Man after God's own Heart, as 
 he received from pod J i Chron. 2S. 12,13, 19. 
 Whatfoever is offered to God by theContriv- 
 ^anceand Inventions of Men, is looked upon by 
 him as jltange Fir^ upon his Jltar, and th at which 
 hath brought Vengeance upon the Offerers. 
 An awful Jnftance of it is that of Nadab and 
 C c Jbihuy 
 
2IO A Treatife of Converjion, 
 
 Jb'hUy the SonsofJarcriy^joho offered Jlrange Fire 
 cchxh he comwanded them not, and there ^ent out 
 Fire from the Lord and de'ooured them, and they died 
 before the Lord, Lev. lo. j, 2, 3. Prophaning 
 the Inflicutions of God by their own Inventions 
 and Idolatries are afligned as the chief and prin- 
 cipal Sins for which God brought Dcflrudlion 
 upon thejewilh Nation, and the Temple at y^- 
 Tufakm. The Caldeans ruined them, but they 
 were the Rod of God^s Anger, Ezek. 43. 7, 8. 
 God is always jealous and fevere againft Sins and 
 TranfgrelTions of the fecond Commandment : 
 'Tis therefore Pauls Exhortation, i Cor. 10.14. 
 lVl:erefore my dear belo'oed flee from Idolatry, If 
 once you begin in a Way of Superilition, you'l 
 never know where to flop or ftay, nor where to 
 make an End ; but you'i multiply jour Idols, and 
 increafe your Altars, and grow w'^-rfe and worfe. 
 For e\)ilMen and Seducers Jhall ^ijoax -joorfe £? wojfey 
 2 Tim. 3. 13. It is the Nature of all Sin, but 
 of this in anefpecial Manner, as it is in bodily 
 Uncleannefs, when Men are given up to that 
 Lufl they are infatiable, and work all Unclean- 
 nefs with Greedinefs, fo it is with the Sin of 
 fpiritual Whoredom, it is an endlefs Sin. Of 
 this I could give you many Inflances, ^frc^i^o^??, 
 made Ifrael to fm by fetting up the Calves in Dan 
 and Bethel : But Omri went beyond him, for it is 
 faid. He did voorfe than all that went before himy i 
 Kin. 16. 25. But his Son Jhab was worfe than he, 
 for he did fet up all the WorOiip of Baal, i.Kin, 
 ^^' 30, 31, 32, 33. Plence the faithful Servants 
 of God have been exceeding wary and watchful 
 .ngainftthe leaft Appearances and Beginnings of 
 lkL.::i^^fi^ Idolacri€i^« 
 
Faith y and Jiijlificatlom sii 
 
 Idolaries. This is evidem by two Inftances, two 
 Worthies in the Church of God. One of the 
 Ancients (viz.BASiL) when theHeathenldolaters 
 had put Incenfe into his Hand, and offered to 
 fpare his Life, if he would but thiow it in, or Jet 
 it fall into the Cenfer, he chofe rather to burn his 
 Hand and lofe hisLife than to commit that feem- 
 ing little Sin. The other is the Rev. and renoun- 
 ed Cranmer, being bro't to the Stake,'in (^ueen 
 MarysD^i^, burnt firfl his Hand, offering k free- 
 ly to theFlames, becaufe therewith he had fign'd 
 aPaper which carried in it fomeCompliance with 
 popiih Superftition. Whereforeitisnot imper- 
 tinent, but well to the Purpofeto add the Apo- 
 flle'sAdvice here, Eph. 4. 14. That 'we henceforth 
 he no more Children toJ]}d to and fro, and carried about 
 mth every IVind of Doctrine, by the Slight of Men, 
 and cunning Craftinefs, whereby they lie in ivait to 
 deceive, 
 
 4. Suffer me, I befeech you,who am the weak- 
 efl,and mofl unworthy in the facredOrder of the 
 Miniftry, to intreat both Minifters and People of 
 the New-Scheme to defifl: from invading the Pro- 
 vinces and refpe6{ive Diflricls of their Fellow- 
 Labourers and Brethren: And thereby diilurb- 
 ing the Peace, and fpoiling the good Order of 
 thefe Churches, upon Pretence oflittleDifferen- 
 ces between you and them, and fo exclude your- 
 felves their Communion, Such a Pra6lice as this 
 is was early condemned in the Chridiau Church, 
 3 ^okn 10. And the Apollle Paul feemech to re- 
 fiefl on the falfe Teachers that crept into th* 
 Church of Corinth, who had nothing to boafb in 
 but a pre:er.:b'i 2.i:lding 'ipon otha'Mcns Foim- 
 
2T2 A Treatife of Converjioriy 
 
 datmiSy and carrying on a Work made ready to their- 
 Hands ^2 Cor. to. i(5. Remember chat ordinary 
 Minifters are fixed in particular Churches and 
 Places, among whom they are to exercife their 
 Gifts, unlefs there be a fpecial Occafion in Proviiv 
 dende for their Remove ; fo faith the Apoflle,'' 
 I Cor. 7. 24. Brethren^ let every Man 'wherein he is 
 called^ therein abide with God. A venerable Maa 
 of Godjf a precious Gift of our afcended Lord, 
 to thefe Churches, was not without his Fear,that 
 'mandring Stars y blazing Stars, /educing Spirit Sy 
 would at lad be the Judgment of God upon Nevi- 
 England^ and thefe Churches : Which feem now 
 to be begun. For faithful Miniflers and Ordi- 
 nances are much interrupted ,* and indeed laid 
 afide in fome Places ; And it is evident from 
 Scripture, that when the Glory of God's Ordi- 
 nances is obfcured amongfl: aPeople, it is a Fore- 
 runner of Judgments to come upon them. The 
 Glory of God 'went up from the Cherub, What 
 then ? / "doill take aijoay the Hedge of my Vine^' 
 yard, and it floall be eaten upy and break down the 
 fVail thereof ; and it [ball be trodden down. Ifa.5.5. 
 The Ordinances of God are underllood by fome 
 Interpreters to be the Hedge aud Wall of aPeo- 
 ple,* whenGod takes away theHedge,theBreach 
 is made wide for every wild Beaffc to enter, and 
 tread it down. There are two or three Things, 
 it would be well, if the Exhorters and their Fol- 
 lowers could be perfwadedto refrain, viz, (i) 
 
 t Dr. Increase Mather's Heaven's Alarm 
 to the World; P. 35. 
 
 To 
 
Faith, and Jiifttfication: 213 
 
 To keep each of them in their proper Bufinefs. 
 J<k futor ultra crepidain, that is, blind Folks iliould 
 not judge of Colours. (2) That they no longer 
 traduce the facred Scriptures,thatis,laying afide 
 fome Parts of them as ufelefs, and efteeming o- 
 ther only neceflary as they agree with their pe- 
 culiar Sentiments. (3) Ufmg humane Compo- 
 fures in the publick Worfhip of God, in Room 
 of facred Scriptures ; I mean their ufmgHymns, 
 fo as almofl to have fuperfeded the Pfalms of 
 D^-yfi and other fpiritual Songs. This is amani^. 
 fed Violation,and Reproach of theWifdom and 
 Law of God. For he appointed Parts of Scrip- 
 ture only to be fungin hisWorlhip : See Col 3. 
 . 16. Epb.s- 19, &c. Perhaps they think them- 
 felves warranted by the feveral Appellations of 
 the fame Thing there mentioned : it is true that 
 the School-men of theRomifli Communion hav(^ 
 underflood theminfuch aSenfe : But our Pro^. 
 teftontExpofitors have generally made this Dif* 
 tindlion only, viz, That Pfalms were fuch as 
 were anciently fung with mufical Inftruments, 
 Hymns, fuch as contained only Matter of Praife, 
 fpiritual Songs fuch as were of various Matters 
 dodlrinal, prophetical hiftorical, but all the three 
 were to be Scripture, as I could eafily fhew from 
 the Nature and Matter of fundry Pfalms, and 
 other divinely. infpired Songs. And I am far 
 from thinking that the good Gentleman, t whofe 
 Hymns are mollly ufed by our giddy Zealots, 
 
 t Dr. Watts. 
 
 ' ■ ever 
 
214 A Treatife of Converfion,-^ 
 
 ever intended that any Compofureof his fliould 
 fuperfede the Pfalms of David, or any other of 
 the divinely mfpired Poems in the publick 
 Worlhip of God, And the Opinion of many 
 good Divines m this Land in this Matter, is 
 convincingly declared in the Preface to the 
 new EngliOi Verfion of the Pfalms of David, 
 &c. Singing of Hymns compofed by Men 
 uninfpired by God in his Worfliip, was no 
 Part of your Forefather's Religion. Where is 
 the Man to whom they handed it as a Part 
 thereof ? No, this fmeJls a little of that induf- 
 trious Source of all religious Forgeries viz. the 
 Church of RomCy which hath impudently intro- 
 duced into the Worfliip of God their Te Deums, 
 Anthems, & Ave Marias, &c. I'hefe Cockatrices\ 
 and their Followers, do notconfider what they 
 do, and the Guilt they bring upon themfelves ; 
 the Charge the Spirit of God brings againfl: fuch 
 is of that high Nature as is recorded, Ezck.^^. 
 55 to 9. 
 
 5. Laflly, Suffer me, my dear Brethren, (and 
 particularly thofe of you who have been moft 
 expofed to the Sufferings andCalamities of thefe 
 Times) to put you in Mind of the Apoille PauVs 
 Advice, 2 Cor. 4. 6. &c. Letiis approve ourf elves 
 as the Minifters of God, in 7nuch Patience^ in Af 
 fictions, in Necejfities, in Stripes, in Prifons, in Tu- 
 mults , in Labours, by JVatchings, by Fajiings, by 
 Purity y by Knowledge, by Long-fufferingy by Kind- 
 
 t Mr. Gilbert Tennent gave them the 
 
 Name. ^ 
 
 nefi^ 
 
Faithy and Jujlificathn. ir^ 
 
 nefsyhj the Holy Ghojijy Love unfeigned ; by the 
 JVord of Truth, by the Power of God, by the Armour 
 of Right eoiifnefs on the right Hand and on the left, by 
 Honour and Di/honour, by evil Report, and goodRe^ 
 port. In all this Travail and Painfulnefs, let 
 this rejoice our Souls, we ferve a Mafler that will 
 fee us well rewarded. We have a fure Promire 
 for it, Rev. 2. lo. Be thou faithful unto Demb and 
 I ijiiillgive thee a Crown of Life, 
 
 Sit Laus et Gloria Chrijio^ 
 
 FINIS. 
 


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