There is a season, when by the fresh impression of some ordi- nance or providence of God, men's hearts are awakened, and their affections stirred. It is now with the souls of men as it is with fruit trees in the spring, when they put forth blossoms ; if they knit and set, fruit follows, if they be nipt and blasted, no fruit can be ex- pected. For all convictions and motions of the affections are to grace, much the same thing as blossoms are to fruit, which are but the rudiments thereof, fiuctiis imperfectus et o?'dmabilis, somewhat in order to it ; and look, as that is a critical and hazardous season to trees, so is this to souls. I do not say it is in the power of any soul to make the work of the Spirit effectual and abiding, by adding his endeavours to the Spirit's motions ; for then conversion would not be the free and arbitrary act of tlie Spirit, as in John iii. 8. neither would souls be born of God, but of the will of man, con- trary to John i. 13. And yet it is not to be thought or said, that men's endeavours and strivings are altogether vain, needless, and insignificant; because, though they cannot make God's grace effec- tual, his grace can make them effectual ; they are our duty, and God can bless tliem to our great advantage. Now there are, among others, five remarkable essays, efforts, or strivings of a soul under the impression and hand of the Spirit, that greatly tend to the fixing, settling, and securing of that great work on the soul ; and it is seldom known any soul miscarries in whom these things are found.
1. Deep, serious, and fixed consideration, which lets conviction deep into the soul, and settles it, and roots it fast in the heart, Psal. cxix. 59. " I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto '' thy testimonies." There are close and anxious debates in those souls in whom convictions prosper to full conversion : they sit alone, and think close to their great and eternal concerns: they carry their thoughts back to the evils of their life past, then smite on the thigh, and cry, What have I done? They run their thoughts for- ward into eternity, and that to a great depth, and then cry, " What shall I do to be saved .^" They deliberate and weigh, in their most advised thoughts, what is to be done, and that speedily, for esca})ing wrath to come: thus they fix those tender, weak, and hazardous motions, which die away in multitudes of souls; and, in the loss of them, the seasons of salvation are also lost.
% The first stinings and motions of the Spirit upon men's hearts, do then become a season of salvation to them, when they are accompanied with spiritual, fervent, and frequent prayer : so
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it was with Paul, Acts ix. 11. " Behold lie prayeth." It is a good sign when souls get alone, and effect privacy and retirement, to pour out their fears, sorrows, and requests unto God. It is in the espousals of a soul to Christ, as it is in other marriages ; a third person may make the motion, and bring the parties together, but they only betwixt themselves must conclude and agree the matter. Prayer is the first breath which the new creature draws in, and the last (ordinarily) it breathes out in this world. This nourishes and maturates those weak, tender, and first motions after God, and brings them to some consistence and fixedness in the soul.
3. Then do those motions of the Spirit on men's hearts make a season of salvation to them, when they remain and settle in the heart, and are in them per modum quietus, by way of rest and abode, following the man from place to place, from day to day ; so that whatever unpleasing diversions the necessities and incumbrances of this world at any time give, yet still they return again upon the heart, and will not vanish or suffer any longer suspension : but in others, who lose their blessed advantage and season, it is quite con- trary ; James i. 23, 24. " They are as one that seeth his natural '' face in a glass, and goeth away and forgetteth what manner of *' man he was :"' He sees some spot on his face, or disorder in his band, which he purposeth to correct ; but by one occurrence or another, he forgets what he saw in the glass, and so goes all the day with his spot upon him. This was an evanid light purpose, which came to nothing for want of a present execution ; just so it is with many in reference to their great concerns : but if the im- pression abide in its strength, if it return, and follow the soul, and will not let it be quiet, it is like then to prosper, and prove the time of mercy indeed to such a soul.
4. An anxious solicitude and inquisitiveness about the means and ways of salvation, speaks an effectual door of salvation to be set open to the souls of men. Acts ii. 37. and xvi. 30. " Sirs, what *' must I do to be saved ? Men and brethren, what shall we do ?'''' q. d. we are in a miserable condition : Oh, you the ministers of Christ, instruct, counsel, and shew us what course to take ! Is there no balm in Gilead ? no door of hope in this valley of Achor ? Alas ! we are not able to dwell with our own fears, teri'ors, and presages of wrath to come. Oh for a messenger, one among a thousand, to teach us the way of salvation. Thus the Lord rivets and fixes those motions in some souls, that vanish like a morning mist or dew in others.
5. Lastly, That which secures and completes this work, is tlie execution of tiiose purposes and convictions, by failing, without delay, to the work of faith and repentance in good earnest, dally-
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ing no more with so great a concern, standing no longer at shall If shall I? when mean while time flies away, and opportunities may be lost : but bring their thoughts and debates to a peremptory resolution, as the Lepers at Samaria did ; and seeing themselves shut up to one only door of hope, there they resolve to take their station, lying at the feet of Jesus Christ, and casting their poor burdened souls upon liim, whatever be the issue. When the Spi- rit of God ripens tlie first motions to this, and carries them through that critical season thus far, there is an effectual door of opportu- nity opened indeed : this is an acceptable time, a day of salvation : but oh ! how many thousands miscarry in this season, and like trees removed from one soil to another, die in the removal !