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CHA P. III.

Of the steps by which this change is accomplished.

WE pro

E proceed now to confider by what steps, and by what means, this change is brought about. I am deeply fenfible how difficult a part of the fubject this is, and how hard it will be to treat of it in a diftinct and precife, and at the fame time, in a cautious and guarded manner. It is often complained of in thofe who write on this fubject, that they confine and limit the HOLY ONE, and that they give unnecellary alarms to those who have not had experience of every particular which they think proper to mention. There is no doubt but God acts in an abfolute and fovereign manner in the difpenfation of his grace, as in every other part of his will. As he cannot be limited as to perfons, fo neither as to the time and manner of their reformation. To this purpofe, and in this precife meaning, our Saviour fays, "The wind bloweth "where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but "canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: "fo is every one that is born of the Spirit."†

Sometimes it pleaseth God to fnatch finners from the very brink of the pit, to raise up fome of the most abandoned profligates, as trophies of his victorious grace and mercy; while he fuffers others, far more moderate and decent, who are "not far from the kingdom of God,"

It will be proper to inform the reader, that the word “abfolute" used here, and in fome other places of this difcourfe, is by no means to be understood as fignifying the fame thing with "arbitrary." He who acts arbitrarily, acts without any reafon at all. To fay this of the divine procedure, would be little lefs than blafphemy. When we fay that God acts" in "an abfolute and fovereign manner," the meaning is, that he acts upon the best and strongest reafons, and for the nobleft and molt excellent ends; but which are many or most of them beyond our reach and comprehenfion; and particularly, that there is not the leaft foundation for fuppofing that the reafons of preference are taken from comparative human merit.

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finally to fall short of it. He fometimes glorifies his pow. er and mercy at once, by converting his most inveterate enemies, and making them the most zealous, active, and fuccefsful advocates for his caufe. Such an inftance was the apostle Paul, who from a perfecutor became a preacher. Sometimes converfion is fpeedily and fuddenly brought about, and the times and circumftances of the change may be easily ascertained. This was the cafe with the jailor recorded in the history of the Acts of the Apostles. The fame may be faid of the apostle Paul; and there have been particular examples of it in every age. Sometimes, on the other hand, the reception of the truth, and renovation of the heart, goes on by flow and infenfible degrees; nor is it eafy to say by what means the change was begun, or at what time it was compleated. This was perhaps the cafe with moft, if not all, the difciples of our Lord, during his perfonal ministry.

Sometimes the change is very fignal and fenfible, the growth and improvement of the spiritual life speedy and remarkable, the greatest finners becoming the most emi. nent faints; like the woman mentioned in the gospel, to whom many fins were forgiven, and who loved her Redeemer much. Sometimes, on the other hand, the change is very doubtful, and the progrefs of the believer hardly difcernible. Some of this fort are reproved by the apoftle Paul in the following words, which are but too applicable to many profeffing Chriftians of the present age: "For "when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need "that one teach you again, which be the first principles "of the oracles of God, and are become fuch as have need "of milk, and not of ftrong meat."*-Sometimes the convert hath much peace and fenfible comfort, rejoicing with joy unfpeakable and full of glory; and fometimes, on the other hand, he is diftreffed with doubts and fears, and made to walk in darkness. Once more, fome finners are brought in by deep and long humiliation, and are almoft diftracted with legal terrors, while others are power. fully, though fweetly, constrained by the cords of divine love. All these "worketh the felf fame fpirit, who divi

Heb. v. 12.

"deth to every man feverally as he will." I defire, that what has now been faid, may be still kept in mind; fo that if the evidences of a faving change can be produced, there need be little folicitude about the time or manner of its being wrought.

What I propofe to offer on this part of the subject, is not to be confidered as in the leaft degree contrary to, or inconfiftent with, thefe truths. Nay, I am not to lay down a plan and fay, this is the ordinary way in which finners are brought to the faving knowledge of God, leaving it to him, in fome few, uncommon, and extraordinary cafes, to take sovereign steps, and admit exceptions from the ordinary rules. This is a way of speaking common enough; but though it may be very well meant, I apprehend it hath not in it much, either of truth or utility. The falvation of every child of Adam is of free, abfolute, fovereign grace: and the actual change may be wrought at any time, in any manner, by any means, and will produce its effects in any measure, that to infinite wisdom fhall feem proper. Neither ought we to pretend to account for the diversity in any other manner than our Saviour does: "Even fo, Father, "for fo it feemed good in thy fight."* Therefore what I have in view, is to speak of such steps in the changes as are, in fubftance at leaft, common to all true converts. It will be a fort of analyfis, or more full explication of the change itself, and ferve, among other uses, further to dif tinguifh the real from the counterfeit. Too much can hardly be faid on this fubject: "For what is the chaff to "the wheat? faith the Lord." It will alfo illuftrate the divine wisdom, as well as fovereignty, by fhowing how that diverfity of operation, fo remarkable in different fubjects, produces in all at last the same blessed effect.

SECT. I.

There must be a discovery of the real nature of God.

N the first place, one important and neceffary ftep in bringing about a faving change, is that the finner get

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*Luke x. 21.

a difcovery of the real nature, the infinite majefty, and tranfcendent glory of the living God! Perhaps fome will be surprised, that, as ufual, a conviction of fin is not mentioned first, as the preliminary step. I enter into no quarrel or debate with thofe who do fo; but I have firft mentioned the other, which is but feldom taken notice of, from a firm perfuafion, that a difcovery of the nature and glory of the true God lies at the foundation of all. This alone

can produce falutary convictions of fin; for how can we know what fin is, till we know him against whom we have finned. The fame thing only will point out the difference between real conviction, and fuch occafional fears as never go farther than a fpirit of bondage.

In fupport of this, you may obferve, that in fcripture, those who are in a natural or unconverted state, are often defcribed as lying in a state of ignorance or darkness. They are faid to be fuch as know not God: "Howbeit then "when ye knew not God, ye did fervice unto them which "by nature are no gods."* See alfo the following def cription: Having the understanding darkened, be"ing alienated from the life of God, through the igno"rance that is in them, because of the blindness of their "hearts." Agreeably to this, the change produced in them is reprefented as giving them light or understanding, in oppofition to their former ignorance; "to open "their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and "from the power of Satan unto God. But if our gospel "be hid, it is hid to them that are loft, in whom the god of "this world hath blinded the minds of them which be"lieve not, leit the light of the glorious gofpel of Christ, "who is the image of God, fhould fhine unto them. For "God, who commanded the light to fhine out of dark"ness, hath fhined in our hearts, to give the light of the "knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jefus

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Chrift." In this way is the matter reprefented in fcripture, much more frequently than is commonly obferved; and, as the understanding is the leading faculty in cur nature, it is but reafonable to fuppofe that the change

* Gal. iv. 8. † Eph. iv. 18. Acts xxvi. 18. || 2 Cor. iv. 4,

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fhould begin there, by a discovery of the nature and glory of God, as the foundation of all that is afterwards to follow.

This will be further evident, if we reflect upon the account formerly given, and fufficiently fupported from the holy fcriptures, of the nature of this change, That it confifts in a fupreme regard to the glory of God, and an habitual prevailing defire of his favor. To this it is abfolutely neceffary, as a preliminary, that there be a difcovery of the real nature and tranfcendent glory of God. How can any man have that as the chief and leading motive of action which he doth not understand? How can any man have that as the fupreme object of defire, which he doth not know? Neither of thefe is poffible; there muft, therefore, be fome fuch discovery as I have mentioned above. It is true, this is but imperfect at firft; there will be in the truly regenerate a growing difcovery of the glory of God, as well as a growing delight in him, as its confequence: yet there must be fome view of his nature, as the beginning of the change, and the ground-work of every holy difpofition.

This discovery of God implies two things, which, as they are both neceffary, fo they deferve our particular attention; and it is not improper to diftinguifh carefully the one from the other. 1. It must be a difcovery of his real nature. 2. A difçovery of the worth and excellence of his nature, which is, properly speaking, the glory of God.

1. It must be a difcovery of the real nature of God. He must be seen to be just fuch a Being as he really is, and no falfe or adulterated image muft be placed in his room, or adored in his ftead. He must be feen in his fpiritual nature, as almighty in his power, unfearchable in his wifdom, inviolable in his truth; but above all, he muft be feen as infinite in his holinefs and hatred of fin, as impartial in his juftice, and determined to punish it. Such is the fcripture reprefentation of God, as "glorious in his "holinefs-Evil cannot dwell with him, and finners can"not fland in his prefence." It is the error of the wicked to fuppofe the contrary; and, indeed, it is the very fource of wickednefs to deny the being, or to deny the ho

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