them let you alone, and take no care for you, because you shall answer for yourselves, this will not satisfy them to stand still, and see you run into damnation, if they knew how to help it. Alas! it is not because they love to be meddling with other folks' matters, or take pleasure in reproving and controlling other men. If it were not for your sakes and the glory of God, it is easier for us to let you alone. We have work enough of our own to do, and dangers enough of our own to prevent. It is small pleasure to any man that is well in his wits to meddle needlessly with other men's matters, and to contradict wilful sinners, when he knows how little thanks he is like to have for it. What do you think we long to have men hate us and fly in our faces? Is it a pleasure to us to vex men, and make them our enemies? No. Alas! it is so great a displeasure, that it becomes a strong temptation to us to be unfaithful or negligent in our duty. Many a minister is so loath to get the ill will of his people, that he lets them alone in their sins, or only telleth them of it in public, or at the most but in an easy, ineffectual way, and so falls in danger of perishing with them for company. Nothing makes more negligent, unconscionable ministers, (next to the unfaithfulness of their own hearts,) than people's hating their instructions and reproofs, and impatiently bearing the means that should recover them. Carnal ministers will not cast themselves upon the people's displeasure, but rather let them alone and venture them. They that dare venture their own souls to escape the ill will of men, will venture other men's too. And so it is also with private Christians. The reason why so few will be brought to deal plainly and faithfully for the saving of others, is because it is commonly so ill taken. Alas! sinners, what ease, what profit, what good is it, think you, to other men to trouble you in your sins, if it were not for your good, and for the command and glory of God? But what man that is not a tyger, or hath not a heart of stone within a little of damnation, and let them alone? Who can be so cruel as to hold his tongue, while he seeth men in the highway to hell? If we were yet in our unbelief, and did not believe that the word of God is true, or that unconverted men shall certainly perish, then we might well be silent; for who would go to make men sad with melancholy fancies or fearful dreams that have no truth in them? But O! do not blame a man that hath been in the same condition himself, and is mercifully delivered by converting grace, if he look back to those he hath left behind, and tell them of their danger! Do not blame a man that hath his eyes opened by faith, and seeth hell-fire a little before you, if he should call to you, and call again, and call with tears and greatest earnestness, to entreat you to stop, and go no further. I dare say, if you did but see what he seeth, you would be of the same mind, and would be as loath to go on in an unconverted condition, as any one would be to suffer you. When the eyes of sinners are shut that they see not their own condition, nor what a storm is rising in heaven against them, they are content and quiet at the gates of hell! But when either grace or torments have opened their eyes, the case will be quite changed with them. Well, this is certain, that whenever God converteth the soul, he maketh men very desirous of other men's conversion, and very compassionate to them that are yet in darkness and in bondage by their sins. Not only Paul and the preachers of the Gospel say, Necessity is laid upon me, and woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel;" but every Christian in his place doth find a necessity upon him to endeavour the good of others; and he findeth an earnest desire to it, and a delight in that which God hath made so necessary. And it is not in this matter of conversion only, but in all other things also, that a true Christian hath a special inclination to do good. As he that is evil, delighteth to do evil; so he that is good, delighteth to do good Though he be not perfectly good, for so is none till he come to heaven; much less primitively, and of himself good, for so there is none good but God'. Yet hath he a derived, an imperfect goodness, and in that measure as he is good, he must needs be prone to do good; for every thing will work according to its nature. It is a death to wicked men to do that which is a godly man's delight. A man or beast cannot fly in the air, but a bird can do it as easily as we can walk on the earth. A good man is never in his own element, but when he is doing some good. His mind runneth on it he studieth how he may effect it; and he is not content to do good, unless he do much good. : y Matt. xix. 17. He knoweth what Christ hath said; "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit." He findeth by experience that which others will not believe, that doing good is either a receiving of good, or inseparably conjunct with it. The more a man giveth to the poor or to other good uses, with right intents, the more he receiveth. Whatever others receive by his endeavours, he is sure that he shall not lose his labour or cost, as to himself. "He that giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord;" and look what he layeth out, it shall be paid him again. A carnal man is ever selfish, and draws all to him, as if there were no one but himself that he cared for: but a gracious man is in his place and measure like God, a communicative good. As "God is good and doth good a," so is he. That which a man's nature inclineth him to, he cannot forget. A good man forgets not in the main to do good, for he knoweth that with such sacrifice God is well pleased. Mark this all you that profess more zeal for God than others: believe it, true conversion will appear in good works. The true servants of Christ do as much exceed the world in a contempt of earthly things, and in compassion to the miserable, and in readiness and bounty, according to their ability to those that want, as they do exceed them in praying, or other duties. Other men part with the world as their treasure, and almost as their blood, but the heavenly Christian parteth with it as his superfluity, or at least as that which he can spare. Faith teacheth men to do good; and good works are part of the riches of a saint. Doing good is so excellent and necessary a thing, that even an enemy must be made partaker of itd. And want of thankfulness or requital from men, is no excuse to them that neglect it. Some works of piety may be forborn for doing good to others f. So much for that part of the change. z John xv. 8. a Psal. cxix. 68. b Heb. xiii 16. c 1 Tim. vi. 18. CHAPTER II. I HAVE spoken of the work of conversion, as it containeth the change of the judgment, and of the heart, and of the life, and so have finished the third particular promised: which was to shew you what conversion is, and wherein it doth consist. By what is said, you may easily see that it is a great change that is made on the soul and in the life, by this renewing grace of Christ. Methinks now all those men that know, or may know, that never such a work was wrought upon their hearts, should see that it is time to look about them, and to lay to heart the sad conclusion, which Christ hath here protested in my text. What! have all the people of this congregation found all this change upon judgment, heart, and life, as I have here spoken of? O that it were so well. What a joy were that to us, to angels, to Christ himself! And what everlasting joy would that be to themselves! But, alas! their conversations and careless lives do tell us, that with too many of them it is far otherwise. And what keepeth such guilty souls in peace? Can so many men hear such a text as this; that except they be converted they cannot be saved, and yet not look about them, nor be awakened from their security? Yet it is too evident by sad experience, that they that read this and know, or might know, that they are not converted, are yet as careless as if they could endure damnation well enough. And what is the matter? And how comes this to pass? Doubtless, because they do not thoroughly believe the truth of what is said. IV. I shall therefore come now to the next thing promised briefly to shew you from the word of God the certain truth of what we have in hand, that you may see it is a matter past all doubt and question. 1. And first, What need you any more than the very words of the text? Do you need further proof, where you have the words of Christ himself? But you shall see yet more, John iii. 3. He telleth Nicodemus, "That except a man be regenerate and born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven:" that is, as a child is as it were a new creature that lately received life, which had none before, and newly entereth into the world; so must every man that will be saved, as it were receive a new spiritual life, and enter into the world of grace, even into the church of God, and begin his life as it were again; "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new." See here both the necessity, and the nature of this change. It is not one or two, but every man that is in Christ, that is thus converted. And he that is not in Christ, is not a Christian, and he that is not a Christian cannot be saved. Every true Christian then is a new creature; not in substance, but in quality and in life; "old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new!" What are these all things?' but those that I have before expressed to you? A true converted man, hath not the same ends and intentions that he had before: he hath a new hope and happiness, new love, new desires, new sorrow, new delight, new resolution, and a new conversation: all is become new. He entereth a new covenant with Christ, and so he hath a new master, a new head, and husband and Lord and is now a member of a new society, and entereth into a new kingdom and family. He hath a new work to do, he hath a new company to converse with, he hath new thoughts in his heart, and speaks a new language. He leadeth his life by a new law: and thus all things are become new. Even relations are here included, as well as physical qualifications. For he hath a new Father, a new inheritance, and so of the rest. It must needs be a great change indeed, where all things are become new. If it were but one or two of these, it would make a great alteration; much more when it is in all. So in 1 Pet. ii. 2. The apostle likeneth them to "new born babes, who must therefore desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may live and grow by it." And in Gal. vi. 15. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. The world must be crucified to us, and we to the world, that we may live anew to God." ver. 14. And I told you before out of Ephes. iv. 22-24. That in conversion we "put off the old man, which according to the deceitful lusts, is corrupt; and are renewed in the spirit of our mind, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." And Tit. iii. 5. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing 66 |