The SECOND PART: Evincing the Poſſibility
The Poffibility and Neceffity of Converfion.
ground or colour; but if you cannot, (asyou know you cannot) then neverblame yourown reaſonsnor mine, fordealing rigorouſly or injuriouſly with you.
Iamwilling to hope, and perfuade myſelf, that I shall at leaſt obtain areformation oflife from many ofyou.
Ihave ſtrove hard for itwithyou here: Iwill strive harder withGod in prayer, toobtain itforyou.
Butyet, gentlemen, Imust tell you in the cloſe,that though anexternal reformation of theſe evilcourſesmaymakeyour lives more healthy, happy, and durable inthisworld, andwill greatlyconduce to thepublic as wellas your perſonal and private intereſt ; yet if you expect completeand perfect happineſs intheworldtocome, youmust advance one step further beyond reformation, unto ſound converfion. The firſt makes you comparatively happy here; but thefecondwillmake you perfectly happy andbleſſed for
ever hereafter.
The firſt frees you frommanytemporal miſeriesuponearth; buttheſecond,frometernal miſeries inhell.
And this brings you to the other bleſſed ſtep, byconverfion; which istheſecondpart.
THE SECOND PART :
EVINCING THE
POSSIBILITY, NECESSITY, and EXCELLENCY
CONVERSION TO GOD ;
TheonlyThing thatmakes Men truly happy, andperfectly bleffed, in the World tocome.
§ I. Convictionsupposed, and grace admired.
EASON and confcience havingbeen ſhamingmenoutof R their profaneneſs, in the former part of this diſcourſe, freegrace invitesthem tothe life of holiness, and thereby to thelifeofbleſſedneſs,inthisſecondpart.
Thereyou fee what it isto live like beafts; hereyou may feewhat it isto live like Chriſtians.
The Poſſibility and Neceffity of Conversion.
My charity commands me to ſuppoſe, that fome readers ſtand, by this time, convicted in theirown confciences, both ofthe extreme wickedneſs, and the immediatedanger ofthat. profane courſe theyhave hitherto purſued, and perfiſted in; andthatby this timethey beginto interrogate them in the apoſtle's clofeand cutting language, Rom. vi. 21. "What fruit- " hadyethen in thoſethings, whereof ye are now afhamed?
" Forthe end oftheſethings is death."
Itis hardto imagine, that ſo many cloſe debates and reaſonings, as you haveheard. inthe former part, ſhouldnot leave many ofyou under convi-s
Etion and trouble ofſpirit.
You see, yourown reaſons and conſciences have condemned you: "And ifour heart con- " demn us, (faith the apostle) God is greater than our heart,
" and knoweth all things ;" I John iii. 20. It is folly to imagine, you shall be acquitted at God's immediate bar,who are already caſt and condemned at yourown privy ſeſſions.
Ifthis be the happy effect, as I hope it is, ofallthe former cloſeandfolemndebates with yourconfciences, it will naturally and immediately caſt thy foul, reader, intogreat admiration of, and aftonishment at, the patience and long-fuffering of God, that hath borne with thee, under a life ofprodigious and reiterated provocations untilthis day. And his goodneſs will beas admirable to thee, as his patience ; in that he hath not onlyfuffered thee tolive till thisday,butmade itthedayofthy conviction, the firſt neceſſary ſtep towards thy converfion ;and thevery firſt things he entertains thy convinced and troubled foulwith, tobethe poſſibilityand probability ofthy converfion toGod.
The greatneſs of his patience ſhews his almighty power, Rom. ix. 22. Nahum i. 3. buthis willingness topaſs by all the wrongs you havedone him, and to be at peace with you, difcoverstheimmenſe riches ofhis grace, Tit. iii. 3, 4.
ThatGod ſhould be ſo quick inthe executions ofhis wrath uponyour companionsin fin, andſo patientand long-fuffering towards you, that have out-finned them all ; is ſuch a comparative confideration ofhis bounty, as ſhould even overwhelm the man that beholds it. Rom. xi. 22. " Behold the " goodneſs and feverityof God! onthem that fell, ſeverity;
"but towards thee, goodness ."
Ifthou be that very man, whointhe past courſe ofthy life haſt been a profane ſwearer, a beaſtly drunkard, a lafcivious perſon, an hater and perfecutor of good men ; and after all this, the Lord hath brought an offer ofmercy to thy foul, and
fhall convince thee it is notcome too late,but that the door of.
The Poſſibility and Neceffity of Conversion.
hope ſtands yet open to thee ; my advice to thee is, thatthou caftthyſelfdownat the feet of mercy, and afterthis manner pour forth thy laments and defires before the Lord.
And is there yet a poſſibility of mercy, O Lord God, for ' ſuch a vile wretch as I have been! can the arms of free grace yetopenthemſelves to embrace ſucha monsterofwickedneſs
، as I am ? Who then is aGod like unto thee ? And what patience, mercy, and goodneſs, is like thine ? I have farexceededothers in ſin ; Ihave lived the life ofa beaft, yea, of a devil.
I have dared thydreadful, and glorious name, with ' thousands of horrid blafphemies ; trampled all thy glorious
، ' attributes under my feet, challenged thee, to thyvery face, ' todo thy worſt, even todamn meto the pit ofhell : I have yielded upthis foul, with all its noble faculties and powers, as inſtruments offin unto the devil ; andmade this body,
• which ſhould have beenthe hallowed temple of thy Spirit, to be the noiſome fink (or common-ſewer) for all unclean
' and abominable lufts, to run and ſettle in.
I have hated, reviled, and perfecuted thoſe that lived more strictly, ſoberly, • andgodly, than myſelf; becauſe their convincing examples diſquieted, checked, and convicted my confcience, in the eagerpursuit ofmy lufts and pleafures.
• I have lived inthe profane neglect of prayer, meditation, ſelf-reflection, and all other ſpiritual Chriſtianduties ; think- ، ing tomake anatonement for all, bya few hypocritical, external formalities .
To accomodate my carnal intereſt inthe world, I have ' come reeking hot out of an ale-houſe, or whore-houſe, to the table of the Lord ; where, with unhallowed hands, and ' a more unhallowed heart, I have crucified again the Lord
' ofglory, and given the vileſt affront and deſpite to that moft facred and precious blood, which now muſt ſave me, or I am loft for ever.
Thus have I done ; and " becauſe thou " keepest filent,I thought thee to be altogether fuch an one
" as myſelf: but this dayhaft thoureprovedme, and ſetmine " abominations in orderbefore me."
' I have tempted and ſeduced many others into the ſame • impieties with me, of whom, ſome are already gone down
⚫to thedead, and others ſo fixed, and fullyengaged in the pur- • fuit of their lufts, that there appear no figns ofrepentance,
• or recovery in them.
Thy wrath, Lord, foonbrake forth againstthe angels that ⚫finned inheaven; yet hitherto haft thou forborn and ſpared me, who havebeenhighly provoking thee ever fince Iwas
The Poſſibility and Neceffity of Converfion.
' born, by a life ofunparalleled wickedneſs upon earth. Vile • wretch that Iam! Ihavedeſpiſed the riches of thy goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering ; not knowing that thegoodness ofGod leadeth me to repentance. And after all, here
• I am told, thatthere is yeta poſſibilityofpardon, mercy and • falvation for me. The news is ſogreat and ſo good, that ⚫that I am zealouſlyconcernedto examine the grounds and • evidences of it.
And ifit ſhall appear to be as true, as it ⚫is astonishingly ſtrange, and ravishingly ſweet ; Ihope, it
• ſhall effectually lead me to repentance, anddiffolve for ever • the strongestties betwixt me andmy luſts.'
T § II. Conversion of the vileftfinner poſſible.
HAT it is poſſible forthe greatest andmost infamous ſinner tobe recovered by repentance and converfion, andthereupon to find mercyand forgiveness with God; isa truth asfure and firm as it is ſweet andcomfortable.
Three things willgive fullevidenceof it.
} 1. That their fins do not exceedthe power and ſufficiency ofthe causes ofremiffion.
2. That ſuch ſinners are within the calls and invitations of thegoſpel.
3. Thatfuch ſinners are found among the inſtancesand examples of pardoning mercy, recorded inthe ſcriptures.
Andif the cauſes ofpardon be fufficient, and able to produce it ; if the goſpel-invitations do take them in, and ſuch finners as theſe, every way as vile and wicked, have not been ſhut out, but received to mercy; then it is beyond alldoubt thatthere is(at leaſt) a poſſibilityof mercy for ſuchfinners as youare.
I. It is paſt rational doubt, that the causes of remiffion areeveryway ſufficient, and able to produce the forgiveness of fuch fins as yours are. Forconfider with yourſelves,
1. Theimpulſivecauſe.
2. The meritorious cauſe.
3. The applying cauſe.
1. The ſufficiency and ability ofthe impulſivecauſe of pardon, which is noneotherbutthe free grace ofGod, the immenſe riches and treaſures whereof, do infinitely exceed the accompts and computations both ofangels and men. Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. "And the Lord paſſedbybefore him, and pro- " claimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and graci- " ous, long-fuffering, and abundant ingoodneſs and truth :
" keeping mercyfor thouſands, forgiving iniquity, andtraufThepowerof{
The Poſſibility and Neceffity of Converfion.
«greffion, and fin." Mic. vii. 18, 19. "Who is aGod lika "untothee, thatpardoneth iniquity, and paffethby thetranf
" greffions of the remnantof his heritage ? He retainethno " his anger forever, becauſehe delighteth in mercy. He
" will turn again, he willhave compaflionupon us ; he will " ſubdue our iniquities, and thou wilt caſt all our fins intothe
" depths ofthe fea." Once more, Rom. v. 20. " Where fint abounded, grace didmuch moreabound." Sothatwhate verthy fins have been, they do not, they cannot exceed the ability and power of the grace ofGod, the all-fufficient, impulſive cauſe ofremiffion. That infiniteabyſs, orſeaofmer cy, can ſwallow up, and cover ſuch mountains of guilt, as thine have been.
2. Nor do thy ſins exceed the ability and power of the me ritorious cauſe of remiffion, namely, the blood of the Lord Je fus Christ; for thatblood is the blood ofGod, Acts xx. 28.
Heis the Lamb of God, whoſeblood is ſufficient to take a waythe ſins ofthe world, John i. 29. There is butone finin theworldexempt from remiſſion by this blood, and if thy heart be now wounded withthe ſenſe of fin, (as I here ſupe poſe ittobe) that is none of thy fin, how heinous ſoeverthy other finsbe.
3. Nor dothy ſins exceed the abilityandpower of the applying cauſe ofpardon, namely, the SpiritofGod. For though
Iſhould ſuppoſe thy mind to be clouded, and overshadowed with groffeft ignorance, thy heart tobeas hard as anadament, ornether-milftone, thywill ſtiff and obſtinate, thy affections enchanted and bewitchedwith the pleaſures of fin ; yet this
Spirit ofGod, in a moment, can makea convincing beam of light to dart intothy dark mind, make thy hardheart relent, thy stubbornwill tobow, and allthe affections of thy foul to comply, and open obediently to Chriſt. John xvi. 9, 10. i " The Spirit whenhe cometh, he ſhall convincetheworld of " fin," &c.
Thus you fee, whateveryourguiltbe, it does not exceed theabilitiesofthecauſes ofremiſſion. Owhat an encouragementisthis ?
II. And there is yet further encouragement in this, that if you will openyourBibles, you may find yourſelveswithin the calls and invitations ofthe goſpel. And nomancanfay, that man is without hope, that is within agoſpel-invitation. Confider Ifa. lv. 7, 8. " Let the wicked forſake his way, and the " unrighteous manhis thoughts ; and let him returnunto the
VOL. VIII.
Fff
The Poffibility and Neceffity of Converfion.
" Lord, and he willhave mercy upon him, and to ourGod, " for he will abundantly pardon ; for my thoughts are not " yourthoughts," &c. Here you have the nature of converfion deſcribed negatively and poſitively, by forſaking your ways andthoughts, and turning to the Lord.
Theway notes the external courſe ofthe converſation ; the thoughts denote the internalframe andtemperofthemind: both theſe must be forfaken. Andturningto the Lord, denotesthe fincere dedicatingof the whole mantoGod ; all which is poffible, and eafyfor the Spirit ofGod to do; and this being once done, abundantpardon is affured.
Ifyou say, you cannot think it; God tells you, inthe very next words, that his thoughts are notyour thoughts ; but as far above them, as the heavens are higher than the earth. Read tothe ſame purpoſe, Ha. i. 18.
Rev. iii. 20. John vii. 27.
III. And to make the poſſibility of remiffion yet clearer, know, for yourencouragement, that as vile, infamous, andprodigious ſinners as yourſelves, are recorded, andfound amongst the inſtances and examples of forgiven finners in ſcripture.
Paul was once a fierce and cruel perfecutor and blafphemer, yetheobtained mercy, 1 Tim. i. 13,14. That finful woman, recorded, Luke vii. 37, 38. was an infamous, and a notorious ſinner ; yether fins which were many,were forgiven her, ver.47. Manaffeh was amonster of wickedneſs, as youmay read, 2 Chron. xxxiii. yet found mercy. And if you view that catalogueoffinners, given in 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. you will ſeem to find among them the very forlorn hope of deſperate finners, advanced nearest tohell ofany menupon earth ; yet ſee, ver. 11. what is faid of fome ofthem : " Andſuch were
" ſomeof you ; butye arewashed, butye are justified."
All theſe things plainly ſhew (I fay not the certainty that you ſhall be, but) the poſſibility thatyou maybe pardoned; which is amercy and encouragement unspeakable.
§ III. The conversion ofprofane ones highly probable.
A ND becauſe Satan labours todiſcourage them that are gone in finfo far as you are, by cutting offallhopes of mercy from them, and bringingthemto this deſperate conclufion; damned we know we ſhall, and must be; and therefore as good bedamned for more, as lefs.
Ifwe had lived fober, and civil lives, we might have had fome hope ; but becauſe we have no hope, it is as good for us to take our full ſwing in fin, as tothinkofreturning by repentance and converfion, fo late intheday as this is.
The Poſſibility and Neceffity of Converfion.
To obviate this deadly ſnare of Satan, I ſhall here further add, That there is not only a poſſibility ofyour recovery, but, in ſome reſpect, a ſtronger poſſibility, that ſuch as you may be converted and faved, than there is for those who have led a moother, and more civil life in the world, and wholly truſt totheir own civility for their ſalvation, instead of the imputed righteouſneſs of Chrift.
This plainly appears, by that convictive expreſſion ofChrift to theScribes and Pharifees, Matth. xxi. 31. " Verily,
I fay " unto you, that the publicans and harlots go into theking- "dom ofheaven before you." Publicans, the moſt infamous among men ; and harlots, the worst ofwomen ; yet theſe are fooner wrought over to Chriſtby faith and repentance, than the more civil, and ſelf-righteous Scribes and Phariſees.
And indeed, it is far easier to come at the confciences of ſuch ſinners by conviction, than at the others ; they having nothing to ward offthe ſtroke ofconviction, it must falldirectly, and immediately upontheir confciences.
The moſt ſmooth, and civil part ofthe world, truſt to theirown righteouſneſs ; andthis ſelf-confidence, like armour of proof, refifts all attempts to bringthem to Chrift for righteoufneſs.
Nothing fixesmen in a ſtate of evil, more than astrong conceit that theircondition is good.
Butſuch as youare,whoſewhole liveshavebeenpollutedwith profaneneſs, andallimpiety,your confcienceswill more eaſily receiveconvictions ofyour preſentdanger, and of the neceffity ofa ſpeedy, andthorough change. You cannotthink, as others do, thatyou need no repentance, or reformation.
In this refpect, therefore, you lie nearer the door of hope and mercy, than other finners do.
Iftherefore it ſhall pleaſethe Lord,(whoſe grace is rich and free to the vileft ofſinners) topluck out ſuch as you, as brands out of the burning, by thorough converfion to Chrift ; you willnotonlybecome real Chriſtians, (as all trueconverts are) but the moſt excellent, uſeful, and zealous amongst allChriſtians. Asyou willbe moſteminentinſtancesofhisgrace,ſo you will be themoſt eminentinſtrumentsforhisglory.Asyou have gone beyond other finners in wickedness, so you will strive to exceedthem all in your love to Chriſt. Luke vii. 47. " She
" loved much, for much was forgiven her."
You will never think you can do en'ughfor him,who hath done fuch great things for you.
Whe more fierce, and vile, before converfion, than Paul, Fff2