It is noted by* Melchior Adams, in thehfe of Junius, how very an atheist he was grown in his younger years ; but in order to his conversion to God, first a wonderful preservation of his Hfe in a tumuk in Lyons in France must make way, which forces from him the acknowledgment of a Deity. Then his father sends for him home, and with much gentleness persuades him to read the scrip- tures : he lights upon the first of John, and with it he sensibly feels a divine supernatural majesty and power seizing his soul, which brought him over by a complete conversion to Jesus Christ. Thus, as the woman of Tekoa told David, " Doth God devise means to '' bring back his banished.""'
Lavater tells us, tliat many Spanish soldiers going into the wars of Germany, were there converted to Christ by falling into the cities and towns inhabited by godly ministers and pious Chris, tians.
Mr. Robert Bolton, though an excellent scholar, yet in his younger years was a very irreligious person, and jeerer of holy men ; but being cast into the company of godly Mr. Peacock, was by him brought to repentance, and proved a famous instrument in the church of Christ.
A scrap of paper, accidentally coming to view, hath been used as an occasion of conversion -f-. This was the case of a minister in Wales, who had two livings, but took little care of either. He being at a fair, bought something at a pedlar's standing, and rent off a leaf of Mr. Perkin's catechism to wrap it in, and reading a line or two in it, God set it home so as it did the work.
The marriage of a godly man into a carnal family hath been or- dered by providence for the conversion and salvation of many therein. Thus we read in the life of that renowned English wor- thy Mr. John Bruen, that in his second match it was agreed that he should have one year's diet in his mother-in-law's house. Du- ring his abode there that year (saith Mr. Clark), the Lord was pleased, by his means, graciously to work upon her soul, as also upon his wife's sister and half-sister, their brothers, Mr. William and Mr. Thomas Fox, with one or two of the servants in that fa^
The reading of a good book hath been the means of bringing others to Chriiit. And thus we find many of the German divines converted by reading Luther^s books : yea, and what is more
* Melch. Adam's Vitee Theol. part 2. p. 194. f See Firnoin's Real Christian, p. 119.
THE MYSTERY OF PROVIDENCE. 579
strange, * Mr. Sleidan in bis commentary tells us, that Vergerius, though he were present an eye and ear-witness to that doleful case of Spira, which one would think should move a stone, yet still continued so firm to the Pope's interest, that when he fell in some suspicion among the cardinals, he resolved to purge himself by writing a book against the German apostates : but whilst he read the Protestant books, out of no other design but to confute them ; whilst he is weighing the arguments, is himself convhiced and brought to Christ. He finding himself thus overcome by the truth, imparts his conviction to his brother^ a zealous papist also. This brother deplores the misery of his case, and seeks to reclaim him. But Vergerius entreating him to weigh well the Protestant arguments, he also yields ; and so both immediately bet(K)k them- selves to preach justification by the free grace of God through the blood of Christ.
Yea^ not only the reading of a book, or hearing a minister, but, (which is most remarkable) the very mistake or forgetfulness of a minister, hath been improved by providence for this end and pur- pose, f Augustin once preaching to his congregation, forgot the argument w^hich he first proposed, and fell upon the errors of the Manichees, beside his first intention ; by which discourse he con- verted one Firm us his auditor, who fell down at his feet weeping, and confessing he had lived a Manichee many years. Another I knew, who, going to preach, took up another Bible than that he designed, in which, not only missing his notes, but the chapter also in which his text lay, was put to some loss thereby : but, after a short pause, he resolved to speak to any other scripture that might be pre- sented to him, and accordingly he read that text, 2 Pet. iii. 9. " The *' Lord is not slack concerning his promise,'" &c. And though he *' had nothing prepared, yet the Lord helped him to speak both methodically and pertinently from it : by which discourse a gracious change was wrought upon one in the congregation, who hath since given good evidence of a sound conversion, and acknowledged this sermon to be the first and only means thereof.
The accompanying of others in a neighbourly civil visit hath been over-ruled to the same end. Thus many of the Jews accom- panied Mary unto Bethany designing only to manifest their civil respect ; but there they met Chiist, saw the things which he did, and beheved on him, John xi. 45.
Mr. Firmin, in his Real Christian^ p. 97, 98. tell us of one who had lived many years in a town where Christ had been as clearly and as long preached as in any toivn in England ; this man, when
* Sleidan's Comment, p. 479.
f Possidonius in vita Augustini, cap. 1.^.
5S0 DivixE conduct; or,
he was about seventy-six years of age, went to visit a sick neigh- bour : ^ A Christian friend of mine (saith mine author) came to < see him also, and finding this old man there, whom he judged to
* be one that lived upon his own stock, civility, good works, &c.
* he purposely fell into that discourse, to shew how many persons ' lived upon their duties, but never came to Christ. The old man *• sitting by the bed-side, heard him, and God was pleased to con-
* vince him that he was such a person, who had lived upon himself
* without Christ to that day ; and would say afterwards. Had I ' died before threescore and sixteen, I had perished, for I knew not
The committing of a godly m.an to prison hath been the method of providence to save the soul of a poor keeper. So Paul, Acts x\4. 27. was made Si prisoner to make his keeper a spiritual yr^^maw. The like success had Dr. Barns in queen INfary's days, who after- wards celebrated the Lord's supper in prison with his converted keeper.
The scattering of ministers and Christians by persecution from cities and toicns, into the ignorant and barbarous parts of the coun- try, hath been the way of providence to find out and bring home some lost sheep that were found there to Jesus Christ, Acts viii. 1, 4. The like signal event hath since followed upon the like scat- tering of godly ministers, whereof there are many pregnant in- stances this day.