And this is the change I am here pressing you. to ; and until this change be made, you cannot find yourselves within the compass of any covenant-promise, Eph. ii. 12. but if you will turn to Heb. xii. 14. you may, the very next minute, find yourselves barred out of heaven by a scripture threatening. Let no man, therefore, impose so great a cheat upon his own soul, as once to imagine, that any thing short of sound conversion can ever put him out of the danger of damnation.
§ VIII. Ever?/ man might do more than he doth, towards his own
JLT is not in any man's power to convert himself; but yet because every man might do more towards it than he doth do, and doth it not, he is justly chargeable with his own damnation. We are bid, and bound to strive to enter in at the strait gate, Luke xiii. 24. It is true, a man in his natural state, can do nothing that is spiritually, or supernaturailygood; yet he can do, and forbear to do many things, the doing or forbearing of wliich, have a true (though remoter) ten- dency to his conversion; and not doing, or forbearing of them, his destruction is of and from himself
You can, if you will, forbear to swear, and blaspheme the name of
5i0 THE POSSIBILITY AND NECESSITY OF CONVERSION.
God. Who can, or does compel, or force your tongues to it ? The devil can tempt, but not compel them : you can, if you will, stop, when nature is duly refreshed. Your wicked companions can pro- voke, but not force you. You can, if you please, shun lascivious books, and company, and keep your bodies chaste, at least from the external acts of uncleanness.
And why cannot you (if you please) perform, as well as neglect, the external acts of religious duties ? The same feet that carry you to a tavern, can carry you lo your closets, if you please to have them do so. Nor do I know any reason why you cannot compose yourselves^ when engaged in God's public or private worship, to a close and se- rious attendance to those d uties. The application of the mind to what is spoken is of great concernment to you ; and if an unsanctified mi- nister can apply his thoughts to compose a sermon, and preach it : I see no reason why an uksanctified hearer may not also compose, and apply his mind to hear it. And I am past all doubt, that something may be done beyond all this. You have some power certainlv to re- flect upon, and consider what concernment you have in the things you read or hear ; and how they agree, or disagree with your expe- rience.
Now, if men would but do this, (which certainly they have a power to do) though they cannot convert themselves, yet hereby they ivould lie in the hopeful way of converting grace ; which is more than they could ever yet be persuaded to do. And though there be no positive certainty, or assurance, that conversion and salvation shall follow these acts ; yet hope and probability are engagements enough. Hope sets all the world on work, without assurance. The plough- man ploughs in hope, and the merchant ventures in hope. Do but as much for your souls, as these do for their bodies.
§ IX. Temptation and discouragements in the xcay of conversion.
-tSUT here I expect to be encountered by all the policy and powev of hell. Satan, and your own lusts, are in confederacy, to turn a- way your minds from such counsel and persuasions as these. They will tell you, this is no proper season to mind your conversion ; it is either too soon, or too late ; you have not yet had pleasure enough in sin, or so much as hath put you beyond all hopes of mercy : That religion is a melancholy thing, and if once you look that way, you will never have a merry day, or hour more ; with a thousand such dam.ps and discouragements.
But pray, gentlemen, do so much, at least for your souls, before you turn away your ear from the instructions of life, as to hear these matters examined : If they are not worth that, they are worth nothing.
I will suppose you in the flower and vigour of your youth, and this dangerous season now nicked with a more dangerous temptation ; that
THE rOSSIBIHTY AND NECESSITY OF COXVEIISION. 54)1
k is too soon to mind such serious matters now : You have not yet had your full pleasure out of sin.
Need I to spend a word, to refute and baffle such a temptation as this ? I doubt not, but you yourselves can easily do it. Ask your- selves, Sirs, if sentence of death were passed upon you by men, (as it is by God, John iii. 18. " He that believeth not, is condemned already,'') would you think a pardon could come too soon .? Be as- sured, every bit of bread you eat, is the bread of the condemned ; you are in danger of hell every day, and hour : There wants nothing but a sword, a bullet, a shipwreck, or disease, (of which multitudes wait on you every day) to put you beyond mercy, and all hopes of mercy. And can you get too soon (think you) out of this danger and misery ? O why do you linger any longer ? The danger is too great and imminent, to admit one hour's longer delay.
And it is as strange and strong a delusion on the other side, to fancy it is now too late : The vanity and groundlessness of this, hath been evinced in the second section, to which I refer you for full satisfaction.
And for the loss of your pleasures, by conversion to God, that is the thinnest and silliest pretence of all the rest : That is the same thing, as to imagine it is to a thirsty man's loss, to leave the puddle waters of a broken cistern, to enjoy the crystal streams of a flowing fountain ; for the pleasures of an ale-house, play-house, or whore- house, to be sweeter than the light of God's countenance, the com- forts of his pardon, or the lively hopes of glory with him in heaven; of which you read, 1 Pet. i. 8.
Poor men ! O that you did but once know what the life of holi- ness, and dedication to God is ! what the seals, earnest, and first-fruits of his Spirit are ! How willingly and joyfully would you trample all the sordid pleasures of sin under your feet, to enjoy them !
§ X. Motives and considerations persuading to conversion,
X HIS short discourse shall wind up itself in motives and consi- derations, to prevail with you, not only to make the first step out of profaneness to civility ; but the other necessary and happy step too, for the Lord's sake, gentlemen, that blessed step beyond mere civility, to serious godliness.
O that I knew what words to choose, and what arguments to urge, that might possibly prevail with you ! My witness is in hea- von, I would do any thing within my power, to procure your tem- poral and eternal happiness. I beg you, in the bowels of Christ Jesus, as if I were upon my bended knees before your feet, tura not away your eye nor car from these discourses : Ponder and con- sider, once and again, what hath been rationally debated in the first part, about your reformation, and what hath, and shall be offered, jn this second part.
0 my God ! thou that hast counted me faithful, and put me into
542 THE roSSIUlLITY AXD NECESSITY OF CONVERSION.