Conversion frequently and fatally mistaken,
The Poſſibility and Neceffity of Converfion. whowas a blafphemer, a perfecutor, and injurious ? ITim. i. 13. andwho, among allthe fervants of Chriſt, loved or laboured for him more than he ? How did he rather fly, than travel up and downthe world, in a flame of zeal for Chrift ?
As you have beenringleaders in fin, ſo youwill notendure to comebehind any in zeal and love to the Lord Jeſus : Yet not thinking this way to make him a requital forthe injuries you havedone him ; (that would be the moſt injurious act of all the reſt) but to teſtify this way the deep ſenſeyou have of the riches andtranſcendency of his goodness and mercy to you, above all others.
B § IV. Conversion frequently andfatally mistaken.
UT here I muſt warnyou of ſomecommon, but moſt dangerous mistakes, committed in the world, with reipect to converfion unto God: Except theſe be ſeaſonably prevented, or removed, none of you will ever ſtir, or move further than you are towards Chriſt.
Amongst others, be. ware eſpecially of theſe three following fatal mistakes; that of,
1. Baptifmal regeneration.
2. Common profeſſion of Chriſtianity.
3. Formality in religious duties.
1. There is a notion ſpread among men, and almoſt every whereobtaining, that the ſcriptures meannothingelseby converſion, but to be baptized in our infancy into the viſiblechurch ; and that this ordinance having paſſed uponthem long ago, they are ſufficiently converted already; and that men make but a needleſs ſtirand bustle in the world, aboutany other, or further converfion.
But, firs, I beſeech you, conſiderhowdangerous a thing it is, to takeyourown ſhadow for a bridge ; and venturing upon it, drown yourſelves.
If baptifm be converfion enough, why doth Chrift ſay, Mark xvi . 16. " He that believeth, and " isbaptized, ſhallbe ſaved ; buthe thatbelieveth not, ſhallbe
" damned ?" Baptifm, without faith, ſignifies nothing to falvation ; but faith, without baptifm, (where it cannotbehad) ſecures ſalvation. Andwhy doth the apostle ſay, Gal. vi. 25.
" Neither circumcifion, noruncircumcifion availeth anything, " but anew creature ?" Or what needed Chrift tohave preſſed andinculcated the indiſpenſible neceffityofregeneration upon Nicodemus, as he doth, John iii. 3, 5, 7. who had been
! many years a circumcised Jew ? This yourdangerous dependance upon your baptifmal regeneration, is what hath given fuchdeepoffence, andprejudice tomany (though withoutjuſt
The Poffibility and Neceffity of Converfion.
cauſe) againstthat ordinance. Ilamentit as much asthey, that menſhouldturn it into ſuchadeadly ſnare to their own fouls, yet will ſtill honour Chriſt's abuſedordinance.
2. Some think, the common profeffion of Chriftianity makes men Chriſtians enough ; they are no Heathens, Mahometans,or idolatrous Papiſts ; but Proteftants, within the pale ofthetrue church ; that is,profeſſedreformed Chriſtians .
But, friends, I beg you to confider that convictive text, 1 Cor. iv. 20. " The kingdom of God is not in word, but in " power." Manythere be, that in words confeſs Chrift, but inworks theydenyhim. And why were the foolish virgins
(that, is profefſed reformed Chriſtians)ſhutoutofthe kingdom ofGod ; ifthe lamp ofverbal profeſſion,without theoil ofinternal godliness, were enough for our falvation ? Mat. xxv.
3, 12. Believe it, firs, many will claim acquaintance with Chriſt upon this account, and expect favour from him in the great day, ofwhom he will profeſs he neverknew them, Mat. vii. 22. Chriſt need nothave put men upon ſtriving, as in an agony, to enter in atthe ſtraitgate ; if baptifm in our infancy, or verbalprofeffion of Chriftianity, were allthe difficulties men had to encounter intheway to heaven.
3. Formality in external duties of religion, is another fatal mistake of converfion.
Have not theſe been the inward thoughts ofyour hearts ? As bad as we are, though we take liberty to ſwear, be drunk, and unclean ſometimes ; yet we fay our prayers, keep our church, and hope for heaven and falvation, as well asthoſethatare more precife.
Buttellme, gentlemen, ſerioufly, what do you ſay, or plead foryourſelves more in all this,than thoſe convicted hypocrites did, Ifa. lviii. 2. " Yet they ſeek me daily, and delight to " know my ways, as anation that did righteouſneſs, and for- " fook not the ordinances oftheirGod: They ask of methe
" ordinances of justice, theytake delight in approaching to " God."
Or to come nearer yet to your cafe, and cut off, at one ſtroke, for ever this vain plea of yours, read and ponder
God's own cenſure of it, in Jer. vii. 8, 9. 10, 11 , 12. " Bes " hold,ye trust inlying words, that cannot profit. Will ye
" ſteal, murder, commitadultery, and ſwear falſely, &c. and "comeand stand before me inthis houſe, which is calledby
" myname, and fay, We are delivered todo all theſe abomi- " nations ? Is this houſe, which is called by my name,be- " come aden of robbers in your eyes ? Behold, even I have
" ſeenit, faith the Lord; but go ye now to my place, which
The Poſſibility and Neceffity of Converfion.
" was in Shiloh,where Iſet myname at the firſt, andfee what " Ididto it, for the wickedness ofmy people Ifrael."
Y V. Of the nature oftrue coverſion.
OU have heard, that converfion does not confiſt in theſe external things; at your eternal peril be it, ifyou trust inthem : But trueconverſion is theturning ofthe whole man toGod, Acts xxvi. 18. it is nothing leſs, thanthe total change ofthe inward temper, and frame of the heart, and the external courſe of the life, Ifa. lv. 8. It is not the cool confeffion, but the real forſaking of fin, inwhich we shall find mercy,
Prov. xxviii. 13. Thy heart and will,love and delight, muſt turn fin out, and take Chriſt in, or thou art no gofpel-convert.
A true convert loaths every tin, and himself for fin, Ezek. xxxvi . 31. but general confeffions of fin are confiftent with the fulldominion of fin.
Moreover, in all true converfion there is a poſitive turning unto God, a whole heart-choice of him, for your fupreme and ultimate happiness and portion, Pfal.
Ixxiii. 25. and of the Lord Jesus Chriſt, as your Prince and Saviour, Acts v. 31. And anſwerably, it will devote your whole life to his ſervice and glory, Phil. i. 21. And thus itbringsforth the newman, andthe wholeframe ofyour heart and life is marvellously changed and altered, 2 Cor. v. 17.
" Old things are paffed away, behold,allthings are become " new ."
It may be, you will think ſuch achange as this impoſſible tobe made upon you. Andſo it is indeed, until the day of God's power come, Pfal. cx. 3. What ! to forſake with leathing yourold companions, and courſes, which you have ſolong lived with and delighted in; and to embrace with highest pleafure, ſtrict godliness, which you have ſo loathed, and ridiculed ! This would be a ſtrange alteration indeed:
But as ſtrange as it seems to be, it will be effected in a moment, whenGod fulfils that gracious promiſe (as I hope he is now doing) to you, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. "A newheart alſo will I give
" you, and a new ſpirit willI put within you."
Operations follownature: Whenthe heart of a beaſt was given to that great king Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. v. 21. his dwelling was with thewild affes; theyfed him with graſs, like oxen. But letthe fpirit ofaman returnto him again, and he'll blush to think of his brutish company, and way of life ; and ſo will you of yours alfo. As marvellous a change as this, has paſſed upon as eminent and notorious ſinners as yourſelves, Gal. i,
22. theGod ofthe ſpirits ofall fleſh can with eaſe and ſpeed