II. Effect Which is humiliation, and contrition of heart for sin; those threats of scripture against sm and sinners, which were wont to be slighted, are now trembled at ; those Jews, Acts ii. 37. to whose hearts Christ spake in Peter s sermon, as soon as ever they heard his voice, sounding conviction in their consciences, they were presently pricA'^cZ at the heart ; no sword or poniard can make such a wound, and put a poor creature into such pain, as a sight of sin will do ; therefore^ Zech. xii. 10. they are said to mourn for Christ, as for an only son. Now this is the glorious prerogative of Jesus Christ, to be able to reach and wound the heart with a word : The voice of man cannot do it ; but the spirit of a man lies naked and open, both to be wounded and healed by a word from the mouth of Christ. No sooner hath a poor sinner heard the awful voice of conviction spoken to his conscience, by the Lord Jesusj but he feels himself sick at heart ; home he goes from that sermon by which Christ spake effectual conviction to him, crying, O sick ! sick ! my soul is distressed, because of sin ! There is, indeed, a great difference in the depth and degrees of this contrition and humilia- tion ; it penetrates deeper into some hearts than others, and holds
them longer under it : But certain it is, who ever hath heard the con^dncing voice of Christ, he feels so much sorrow for sin, as for ever separates him from the love of it.
III. Effect. This voice of Christ rouses and awakens the careless and sluggish mind to the greatest soHcitude and thoughtfulness after deliverance, and escape from the danger that hangs over it ; Acts xvi. 30. " Trembhng and astonished, he cried out, Sirs, what " must I do to be saved .^" All the powers of the soul run into solicitude and care about deliverance. You shall generally observe in convinced and humbled sinners, three evident signs of extraor- dinary solicitude about salvation. (1.) There is a strong intention of their minds and thoughts, they stand night and day like a bow at the full bent ; their thoughts are still poring upon this matter, their sleep departs, for their sin and danger is ever before them. (2.) It appears by their searching inquisitiveness about the way of escape ; the question they still carry Avith them from company to company, where they meet with any whom they judge .ible to re- solve or direct them, is this : What course shall I take ? What shall I do .^ Is there any hope for such a one as I ? Did you ever know a soul in my condition ? (3.) It appears by the httle notice they take at this time of their outward troubles and afflictions ; which, it may be, are strong and sharp enough to overwhelm them at another time : but now they take little notice of them. Sin lies so heavy, that it makes heavy afflictions he light.
IV. Effect. A fourth effect of the voice of Christ, is encourage- ment and hope, putting the soul u}:>on the use of means in order to the attainment of Christ and salvation ; for, it is an inviting as well as a convicting voice : and this is a remarkable difference betwixt the voice of Christ and the voice of Satan, with respect to sin. Satan labours to cut off all hope, and strike the soul dead under the despair of mercy ; as m ell knowing, that if he can cut off hope, all emotions and endeavours of the soul after Christ are effectually stopt, and at a dead stand : But how much convincing terrors soever there are in the voice of Christ, there is always something left be- hind it upon the heart to breed and support hope. And truly the soul amidst these sad circumstances, hath gi'eat need of some en- couragement ; but the Lord usually, after sharp convictions, sets home upon the soul such a word as' that, John vi. 37. " Him that '' Cometh to me I will in no wise cast out : For I came down from '• heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent •' me."' Wherein Christ offers the most rational satisfaction, and greatest encouragement imaginable, that a poor convinced sinner, if he be made willing, shall certainly find a hearty welcome and zurceptation with Christ. For mark how he argues it on purpose for the satisfaction of such souls ; " I came not down from heaven
*• to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me,'" The force of the encouragement lies here, " I and my Father are one,'' one in will, and one in design, our wills never did, nor possibly can jar and clash one with another ; that would be utterly repug- nant to the perfect unity that is betwixt us. Now, saith he, / came down from heaven, not only to do mine own will,) which must ne- cessarily be supposed to be intently set, and strongly inchned to receive and save all convinced and willing sinners, this being the very end of my incarnation and death) hut also to do the will of my Fa- ther, who hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, and anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, Isa. Ixi. 1. And there- fore no such soul can rationally doubt of a welcome reception with me. And because the fears and jealousies of a convinced conscience are great and many, and the devil sets in with them to aggravate them beyond the hopes of mercy ; therefore it is usual with the Lord, at such a time as this, to airect the convinced and trembling sinner to such a scripture as that, Heb. vii. 25. " Wherefore he is " also able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by " him," &c. Making the fulness of Christ's saving power to shine Avith a cheerful beam into the dark and distressed soul of a sinner, from such a word as that.
V. Effect. A fifth effect or consequent of Christ*s powerful voice, is an attractive efficacy, or sweet alluring of the soul to Christ by that power and efficacy which it communicates to the soul, John vi. 44, 45. " No man can come unto me, except the Father which " hath sent me draw him. Every man, therefore, that hath heard " and learned of the Father cometh unto me."" Mark it, this voice speedily puts the soul into motion after Christ ; coming follows hear- ing ; when once the soul hath heard the voice of God, away it comes from all sinful engagements in the world ; all bonds and ties betwixt the soul and sin break asunder and give way ; nothing can hold it from Christ. There is a strange restlessness in the spirit of man, nothing but Christ can centre and quiet it.