THE WAY STEP by STEP To sound and saving CONVERSION, With a clear discovery of the two states, VIZ: Nature, & Grace: AND How to know in which state one is, and the way to come out of the one into the other.  
OR, The ready and right pathway for the first Adam's posterity to get out of their fallen estate accompanied with sin and misery, into the relation and Family of the last Adam, which estate is attended with Grace and Glory, etc. With many weighty questions answered, and cases of Conscience resolved, for the clearing and confirming the truths asserted.  
By ROBERT purnel.  John 3. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Matt. 18. 3. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Luke 13. 5. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 
LONDON, Printed by T. Child, and L. Parry, for Edw. Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1659.   

An Epistle to the Impartial Reader.  
THough it be not expedient to be always laying the Foundation, yet it is of absolute necessity, that the Foundation be at first firmly laid: that so the building, notwithstanding the Floods, Wind, and Storms, may stand, etc. There are many ways to Damnation, and there is but one way to Salvation, & that is straight, and the Gate narrow; so that although the Runners are many, yet the Obtainers are but few: for except a man be born again, converted, regenerated, renewed and quickened, he cannot be saved; for we are by Nature Children of Wrath, and such a one as this, even just such a one, and no other, is a man, yea every man by Nature, such a one was I, and you, and each of all the Sons of Adam, that have been, or shall be, and that universally without any exception or reservation, we are all gone out of the ways, we are all become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one: yet there is a way if we could light on it, how to possess what we want, and to live long in a little time, and to have one foot as it were in Heaven whilst the other is upon the earth: to point out that way was my endeavour in this Treatise. Reader, this small piece is the birth of many Prayers, and a Description of many choice Experiences, and the sum and substance of many solid and sweet converses, and the judgement of many precious Christians; wherefore I would entreat the Reader, to weigh things in the Balance of Righteousness, and then I am almost confident, that there will be few or none that have the work of Grace upon their hearts, unless they be under some violent fit of Temptation, or re-insnared and entangled in a state of Backsliding, but in the main will cordially own the ensuing Treatise; wherefore let the Reader rather amend what I have done amiss, than to carp, catch and bark at what he may suppose to be unsound, let him rather put pen to paper and correct the faults, and supply the defects, if he find any, that so this Book may be of great worth, though but of small price. I am sure this subject is the most seasonablest, and the most needfullest, that can be offered or presented, Conversion being a most blessed work, and the day of Conversion the most blessed day that dawns, on this side Heaven itself. It is true nothing is more common than for men to write of this subject, on the by, and by parts and pieces, but purposely on this subject, and alone, I know none, nor as yet could ever hear of any, besides Mr. Whatleis' New Birth, & Mr. Baxters' Treatise of Conversion, so that a man may almost say, there is nothing more rare than to find Books, that are wrote purposely & alone on this subject, & those few that are, are either so voluminous on the one hand, or scolastick on the other, that the Reader for want of Learning, and a better Memory, gains not altogether that benefit thereby, as otherwise he might. To draw towards a close, Let me acquaint the Reader, that the best and chiefest Authors that I have consulted withal, in the asserting and compiling the ensuing Discourse, are the Prophets and Apostles mentioned in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, next unto them, not as infallible but as fallible men, knowing but in part. I have perused the writings of Mr. John Wollebius, Mr. Sam: Boulton, Mr. Christopher Love, Mr. William Jenkin, Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, Mr. John Norton, Mr. Francis Roberts, Mr. Thomas Brooks, and many others; but chief and principally. I have perused and made use of Mr. Whatleis' New Birth, and Mr. Baxters' Treatise of Conversion, finding my Spirit witnessing the same, before I ever saw their Books, for a great part; I have sometimes named them, and sometimes omitted it, and so do here recite it in general; I have not step by step followed the method of neither, but here and there where I found things fully proved by Scripture, and my own Conscience bearing me Witness thereto, those and such like things I have taken, as helps in the compiling the ensuing piece, and no otherwise, etc.  
Reader, I doubt not through the Grace of God, and his blessing upon thee in the reading this Book, but Faith may be wrought in thee if thou hast it not, or strengthened if thou hast it: and if so, I have my end, and thou wilt have the benefit. Let a man's sin be never so great, if he believe, he shall be pardoned, if his Sin be never so small, if he believe not, he shall be damned: the very sin against the Holy-Ghost est is not unpardonable for want of Grace in our Saviour, but for want of Faith and Repentance in the sinner, the cause of condemnation according to the Law is all sin, but the cause of condemnation under the Gospel is Unbelief, and as Unbelief contains in it all manner of Disobedience, so Believing containeth all Obedience; therefore this one Act of Faith is more acceptable unto God than all our Sins are unacceptable. Here thou art presented with the means for the obtaining this grace of Faith, and all other graces of the Spirit, and for the growing in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whose protection I leave thee, and subscribe myself thy Servant for his sake,  
ROBERT purnel.   

A Table of the principal Heads in General, and the conexion of these things together, and dependency of the one upon the other.  

OF the Creation of Man. page 1  
Of the pleasurable and delightful condition he was placed in. 1, 2  
The manner of his fall, and the subtlety of Satan therein. 4  
The sad and miserable estate he fell into. 5  
Man can never be saved, unless born again. 8  
There be four Gates shut against him. 8, 9  
There be 18 sorts of persons that shall not enter into Heaven. 11, 12  
There be four reasons why the Lord will not save them. 14  
Man is both unable and unwilling to help himself out of this miserable estate. 20, 21  
There is a fourfold Change, and but one saving Change. 

1. a Moral,  
2. a Partial,  
3. a Formal,  
4. a Spiritual,   Change. 16, to 26  
The preparations and qualifications that we are to find in ourselves before we lay hold on Christ and the promises. 26, 27  
How Conversion, Regeneration, Vocation, and Repentance agree or differ. 28, 29  
Of the way step by step wherein the Lord doth lead a Soul out of a state of Nature into a state of Grace. 29 

1. The first step to Conversion is Illumination. 29, 30  
2. The second step is Vocation, which is accompanied with 

1. The Faith of Assent.  
2. Repentance.  
3. Conversion.  
4. Regeneration.   35, 36, 37  
3. The third step to Conversion is to trust or believe, which is accompanied with 

1. A looking unto him.  
2. A coming unto him.  
3. A receiving of him.  
4. Laying hold on him.   37, to 43  
4. The next step for the carrying on, and completing this blessed work, there is dropped into the Soul, the Spirit of prayer, which causeth the Soul chief to pray for these three things. 

1. For more Illumination.  
2. For pardoning Mercy.  
3. For purging Mercy.   45, 46  
5. The fifth and last step that I shall name is this, the Lord doth cause the Soul secretly to give itself up, and surrender all the supposed interest that it had in its self, to God that made him, and Christ that bought him. 49, 50    
Of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting Ordinances, which are, 

1. Hearing the word preached.  
2. Reading the Scriptures.  
3. Frequent and e●●nest prayer.   51, to 54 

2 Dwell much upon Grace-breeding, and Soul-converting promises. 54 to 57  
3. Frequent the company of Grace-begetting, and Soul-converting companions. 57, 58, 59  
4. Call to mind and meditate upon Grace-begetting considerations. viz. 

1. Consider what Christ hath done for us.  
2. Consider how God hath dealt with other sinners.  
3. Consider what relation thou hast to him.  
4. Consider what engagements you have from God.   59, to 62 

5. Consider in whose name you come before him. ibid.    
5. Means to gather and treasure up a stock of Grace-begetting, and Soul-converting experiences. 62, 63, 64, 65    
Of the means to be used, that is more especially appointed for the confirming, sealing and assuring the Soul of Salvation. In the use of means take these four cautions▪ 

1. Be sure they be means of Gods own appointment.  
2. It is not the means alone, but God's blessing upon the means, that doth help us.  
3. His Blessing is not dispensed so much according to the means, as according to the uprightness of the heart, in the use of them.  
4. Yet we are to wait upon God in the use of means, as it is God's way of Conveyance, etc.   65, to 73  
The want of Conversion is not in God, but in ourselves 73, 74, 75▪ 76.  
Some of the principal hindrances of Conversion. 

1. Ignorance of our own misery, and God's mercy.  
2. Men think it to be either a needless, or an easy work.  
3. A total neglect, or careless use of means.  
4. men's not considering the joys of Heaven, and the torments of Hell.  
5. False conceits of themselves.  
6. Too deep a familiarity with bad company.  
7. Ignorance of the grounds and principles of the Christian Religion.  
8. And last hindrance is delay.   76, to 81  
Of the sad condition of all that are not converted. 81  
Of the privileges and benefits of all that are converted. 82, 83 

1. They are Chists Servants.  
2. They are his Friends.  
3. His Brethren.  
4. His Jewels.  
5. His Sons and Daughters.  
6. His Bride and Spouse.  
7. They are Coheirs with Christ.   ibid.  
The trials of Conversion, by which a man may know whether he be converted, yea, or no. 83, 84 

1. He that is converted doth desire the word, and means of Grace.  
2. He is willing to be made willing to do, whatsoever the Lord doth command him.  
3. He is brought unto an unfeigned hatred of the whole body of Sin.  
4. His greatest conflict is against in ward pollution.  
5. He mourns for the sins of of others, and the want of more grace in himself.  
6. He doth delight to be speaking of those things which his heart hath taken in in the work of Conversion.  
7. He doth begin to keep a watch over his own heart.  
8. He makes Conscience of keeping every known Command.  
9 He is willing to put himself upon the trial.  
10. He hath his Soul renewed in its faculties and virtues.   85, 86  
Cerrain Objections answered, which some out of weakness, and others out of prejudice, may be apt to make against the foregoing Discourse. 100   

The Objections or Queries that are clearly answered are as followeeh.  
Q. IF a people or a person refuse to embrace the Doctrine, and practise the Discipline of the true Religion, whether they are not to be forced to receive the one, and practise the other, yea or no? 100  
Q. Whether liberty of Conscience be, as some say, a cursed toleration, or of Divine institution, yea or no? 101  
Q. What is or aught to be the ground of Communion and Fellowship in the Church of Christ? 102  
Q. Whether there be any preparatory work required of men and women before Conversion? and is so, what it is? ibid.  
Q. Whether there be not a free will remaining in all the posterity of Adam, yea or no? 103  
Q. Whether Adam by his fall did totally lose every good thing that there was in him, yea or no? ibid.  
Q. How came the sin of Adam being but one, to become the sin of so many, yea of all mankind? 104  
Q. How could Christ being but one make satisfaction for the sins of so many? ibid.  
Q. What are we to understand by election and reprobation, which so many contend about? 105  
Q. Whether Election be the cause of Salvation, and Reprobation the cause of Damnation, yea or no? 106  
Q. Whether Christ hath died and tasted death for every man, yea or no? ibid.  
Q. How can they have hope to believe▪ whom God hath decreed shall not believe? 107  
Q. Why doth the most just and righteous God command all men to believe, and promise salvation to them that do believe, and threaten damnation to all that do not, seeing it is not in man● power to believe. 108  
Q. Whether there be not a Light in every man, which if improved and walked up to, would lead us to the Gate of Heaven, if not into Heaven, yea or no? 109  
Q. How doth it plainly appear, that our Acceptation, and Salvation is only of Grace and nothing else? 111  
Q. If Salvation be only of Grace without works, in what respect are good works necessary? 111, to 116  
Q. How shall a man be able to do what is required, seeing he is not sufficient of himself so much as to think a good thought? 116, 119  
Q. What is, or who is the Object of Faith? 120, 121  
Q. What encouragements or grounds are there to provoke or persuade a people to believe in God? 122, 124  
Q. In what way are we to concelve of God when we pray unto him? 124, 125  
Q. How, or in what order are we to direct our prayers to the Trinity? 125, 126  
Q. How can there be three, viz. Father, Son, and holy Ghost, and yet but one God, seeing they are all called God? 126, 127, 128,   
To each of these Questions there are clear and full Answers, which will satisfy all sober, enquiring teachable people.   

READER,  
BY reason of the Author's absence from the Press, through the distance of his Habitation from the City, some faults have escaped the Press; wherefore I pray thee do me the favour as to correct the greater faults that appear at first view, and pass by in love the lesser, and weigh these things in the Balance of Righteousness, Love, and Impartiality, etc.   

Of the Creation of Man, and the love of God to Mankind therein.  
THe Great and Glorious God who is infinite in knowledge, wisdom and love, having finished the glorious Frame of Heaven and Earth, according to his divine will, he calls a Council, even the operations in the Deity, to build that excellent Tabernacle, Man: whom he made of the lowest, and impurest Element, Earth, and calls his Name Earth or Earthly, that the excellency of the work might appear so much the more glorious and wonderful; the Lord having breathed into him the breath of life, he became a living soul, the man was now wholly good, just and righteous, & his Lord having such a tender, entire and endeared affection towards him, would not put him into a vast world, but planted a garden of pleasure and delight for him, the flower of earth's treasure, it being enriched with variety of fruits pleasing to the eye, sweet to the , and decked with flowers and walks sweet to smell to, pleasant and delightful to walk in, and beautiful to behold, the pleasant fountains and filver streams, gliding before him to water the garden, the sweet drops of dew hanging upon the leaves and grass, like Jewels glittering, the tender branches and fruitful trees, continually clad in Summer's livery, the Birds ringing out chiriping peals of melody, straining forth their several notes, the nimble footed Beasts leaping and sporting in their fruitful pastures, the Sun, Moon and Stars, as it were smiled upon him; here was no scorching heat, or freezing cold to distemper him, no sickness or pain to afflict him, no filthy or venomous thing to annoy him, no such labour as to weary him, no contradiction or combustion to molest him, but a sweet harmony and Concord amongst all creatures etc.  
Yet though all creatures were good, delightful and loving, man did so far exceed them all, that there could not be found amongst them any one fit or meet 
●●n. 2. 21, 22.  to be a companion for the man, that he might have society with, So the Lord God caused ● deep sleep to fall upon Adam, & he slept, & took one of his Ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof, and the Rib which the Lord God had taken from Man, made he a Woman: ●o that no sooner did the Man awake from his sleep, but God presented him with a lovely Companion, a Wife meet for him: the Man being now enriched with such a singular Ornament of Beauty, as to creatures composed of love, purity, and innocence. Now had the man one Jewel more precious than all the rest, one Flower more in his Garden, exceeding all others in beauty and delight, etc. they might now discourse of the goodness of God, and the excellency of the Creation, etc.  
But lest they should in this Paradise of pleasure and plenty grow too high in their own conceits, and so forget the Lord their God, he gave them a righteous Law, that they might know they were but Creatures, and though they reigned as Lords and Kings on earth, yet they ought to be in subjection to their Creator: so the Lord leaves him in the hand of his own counsel, under a strict command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, with a Promise of Life upon obedience to it, and threatening Death upon disobedience of that righteous Command.  
So Adam and Eve being in Paradise, and looking upon themselves, as indeed they were, the most excellent Pieces of all the Creation, bearing the Image of their Creator, This excellent estate did not long continue, for they both soon cast off their Lords Precepts, by giving more credit to the words of the Serpent, than to the Word of their Creator, and so fell by transgression, in the manner following, viz.  
The Devil being a fallen Angel, envying 
The manner of Adam's fall.  God's glory, and Man's happiness, comes to the Garden, in the form of a Serpent, and first he board's the Woman thus, viz. Hath God said, Ye shall not ●at thereof? as if he should have said, it is a likely matter, that the Lord cares what you eat, what do you think, that he stands upon an Apple? hath he created all things for you? then do ye use them? this is the first Assault, which the Woman weakly resisteth, beginning at the first to yield: whereas God had said, Thou shalt die, she answereth doubtfully and saith, Lest ye die; then the Devil perceiying the Woman to stagger, and the ground of her saith to shake, the word was no sooner out of her mouth, Lest ye die: but he replies, Ye shall not surely die; what, die, with eating so fair an Apple? can there be any hurt in it? O silly Woman, Ye shall not die at all.  
God he affirmeth, Ye shall die certainly, Gen. 2. 17.  
The Woman saith, Lest ye die, Gen. 3. 3.  
The Devil that old Serpent saith, Ye shall not die, Gen. 3. 4.  
Well, who shall we believe? we see our Mother believed the Devil, for he had said, Ye shall not die, but be as gods knowing good and evil, etc. wherefore behold, O silly Woman, saith he, What a goodly Tree is this, how pleasant to the eye, delicate to the taste, divine for use? Can it do you any hurt, would any but Fools abstain, eat and fear not? then the Woman, seeing it was good for meat, pleasant to the eyes, and a Tree to be desired after to get knowledge, she took of it and did eat. And by these or the like Reasons she persuaded her Husband, and gave him and he did eat, and hereby he brought himself and all his 
The misery that Adam & all his posterity fell into.  posterity into an estate of death, sin and misery. So those who were created in the Image of God, and were told by the Devil, that by eating the Apple, they should be as gods, by this one act of transgression, he and all his posterity, (he being the Head and Root of all Mankind,) were transformed into the Image of Satan, being filled with pride, envy, anger and discontent, mischief and cruelty; so that,  

1. The Devil is said to be his Master, Rom. 6. 16.  
2. The Devil is said to be his Father, John 8. 44.  
3. The Devil is said to be his Prince, John 12. 31.  
4. The Devil is said to be his God, 2 Cor. 4 4.   
And so man thus fallen bears the Image of Satan, which doth not consist in any bodily shape, as some do foolishly imagine; but in a likeliness of all manner of wickedness, The understanding by this fall was darkened, and filled with vanity, Psal. 94. 11. and 2 Cor. 4. 4 The will depraved, the affections disordered, the memory misimploied, the conscience benumbed. In a word, the wretched soul is so desormed with filthiness, outraged with passions, pined with envy, overcharged with gluttony, boiling with revenge, transported with rage, that the Image of God in Man is transformed into the ugly shape of the Devil, Gen. 6. 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil, and that continually. And this fallen heart, not only evil, but desperately wicked, Jer. 17. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? O Sirs, there are but few that doth know the plague of their own hearts, etc.  
So that Man in this fallen estate, is become a lump of sin, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness. And so all the posterity of Adam have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, and are now become Satan's conquest, captives and slaves, being under the curse, and subject to bondage and misery, Isai 63. 6. So we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness as filtby rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. Mr. Baxter in his Treatise of Conversion, p. 71. affirms, that even our children, by nature, considered as finfull and unsanctified, are as hateful in the eyes of God, as any Toads or Serpents are in ours, etc. See 1 John 3. 10. Nay further consider a little by what names and titles all men and women, thus fallen, and so remaining, are 
The names & Titles given in Scripture to fallen man.  known by in the Scriptures of truth, Sometimes they are called filtby dreamers, defiling the flesh, Jud. 8.  
Raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame, Jud. 13. Natural bruit beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, that shall utterly perish in their own corruptions, 2 Pet. 2. 12. Wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever, 2 Pet. 2. 17.  
A generation of vipers Mat. 3. 7.  
Ye serpents how can ye escape the damnation of hell, Mat. 23. 33. The Scripture calls them Lions for their fierceness, and Bears for their cruelty, Dragons for their hiddiousnesse, dogs for their filthiness, and wolves and foxes for their subtlety, in a word, the Scripture styles them Scorpions, vipers, thorns, briers, thistles, brambles, stubble, dirt, chaff, dust, dross, smoke, scum, and a cage of every unclean Bird, Rev. 18. 2. And if all this be not enough we are said to be Satan's slaves or captives, 2 Tim. 2. 26.  
Man can never be saved, unless he be regenerated, 
No salvation without regeneration.  born again, and converted, and have the image of God renewed, which was defaced in our fall in the first Adam, Hence it is that Christ tells us, Mat. 7. 13. 4. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it, There being four gates shut, and five exceptions made by Christ against their entering in; First there are four gates shut.  

Mat. 25. 12.  
1. The gate of hope,  
2. The gate of grace,  
3. The gate of mercy,  
4. The gate of comfort,   
Secondly, there are five exceptions, made by the Lord Jesus Christ against their entering into heaven.  
The first exception is that in John 3. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, be cannot see the Kingdom of God.  
2. Exception is that Mat. 18. 3. Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  
3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish, Luke 13. 3. 5.  
4. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you, John 6. 53.  
5. Except your righteousness, shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven, Mat. 5. 20.  
But most of the world will be apt to say, 
Object.  we grant all this. But what is this to us? we have confessed our sins, we have prayed, we have repent of our sins, and in some good measure reform our lives:  
Beware of temporary faith, partial obedience, 
Answ.  messionary love, pretended zeal, legal sorrow, and feigned humility, these may have the form, and yet want the power of godliness, except thy righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees, thy sacrifice▪ that of Cain's, thy confessing of sins, that of Pharaoh's, thy weeping that of saul's, thy fasting that of Abab's, thy reformation that of Jehu's, thy restitution that of Judas, thy believing that of Simon Magu●, thy fear and trembling that of Felix, these were castawaies notwithstanding these were seeming good things; Hast thou never read of Pharaoh desiring the prayer of Moses? Balaam desiring to die the death of the righteous, Saul condemning of himself, Ahab humbling himself, Ninive repenting▪ Felix trembling, Herod hearing John Baptist joyfully, and did many things, Mark 6. 20. All this mayst thou do and more, thou mayst live rejoicingly, and die peaceably, and yet perish eternally. Consider if thou wert cursed in the womb, born a child of wrath, what art thou now having lived so long in sin, but the child of hell? far more than thou wast before, Psal. 58. 3. Job 20. 11. Again, if for one fin all the curses of the Law do lie upon thee, as Gal. 3. 10. James 2. 10. what is due to thee for all thy sins? If single sins deserve death, what do thy double and triple sins deserve? Consider thy often backsliding, sins against knowledge, conscience, covenants, purposes, promises, protestations, etc.  
Do● not all these deserve double and deeper damation? viz. Not knowing of God he will not have mercy upon thee, Isa. 27. 11. compared with 2 Thess. 1. 8. Not repenting thou shalt perish, Luke 13. 3. Not believing in him thou shalt be damned, John 3. 18. Not loving him thou art cursed, 1 Cor. 16. 22. Not being zealous according to knowledge, he will spew thee out of his mouth, Rev. 3. 16. Not being meek, thou art abomination to the Lord, Prov. 3. 32. Not being merciful, thou shalt have judgement without mercy, Jam. 2. 13. Not being holy, thou shalt never see the face of the Lord, Not washing thy heart from wickedness, thou canst not be saved, Jer. 4. 14.  
Therefore ground this in the bottom of thy heart, That without true conversion, there is no hope of Salvation, Mat. 18. 3. John 3. 5 Sin was that which fetched the dearest blood from the heart of Christ, and will have thine too, if thou gettest not an interest in him: if thy sin doth not die, before thou dost die, thou art in danger of 
18 Sorts of men & women that shall never enter into heaven.  perishing eternally. Read seriously but these four Scriptures, and thou shalt find at least 18 sorts of men and women that shall never enter into heaven, unless before they die, Christ be form in them, and they restored and renewed, born again and covert●d, etc.  
1 Cor. 6. 9, 10.] Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, be not deceived:  

1. No Fornicators  
2. No Idolators  
3. Nor Adulterers  
4. Nor Effeminate  
5. Nor abusers of themselves with mankind  
6. Nor Thiefs  
7. Nor Covetous  
8. Nor Drunkards  
9 Nor Revilers, or envious persons  
10. Nor Extortioners:   
These shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Rev. 21. 8.] 11. Nor the fearful and unbelieving.  

12. Nor murderers: See Rev. 22. 15.  
13. Nor sorcerers, or those that use witchcraft  
14. Nor Liars, all these shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire, which is the second death,  
Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21.] 15. Nor he that is given to hatred, variance, and strife,  
16. Nor he that is given to seditions & heresies, they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God,  
2 Thess. 1. 8.] 17. Nor ignorant persons.  
18. Nor those that refuse to practise what they know, being disobedient.   
These persons being shut out of heaven, makes good the words of Christ, Mat. 7. 13, 14. Enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which enter in thereat, because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be which find it, Rom. 9 27. Though the number of the children of Israel he as the sands of the Sea, a remnant shall be saved.  
Well, the holy nature of God will not permit the unclean and unholy soul to come into his presence, Rev. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it, any thing that de●ileth, or whatsoever worketh abomination, Ps. 5. 4. Neither shall evil dwell with him, the foolish shall not stand in his sight, it is true you may call him Lord, Lord, till the last, Mat. 7. 21, 22. But he will tell you, he doth not know you, if thou hast not something of the image of that Spirit, that holy nature; whatsoever thou mayest think of thyself, he will never take thee for his child, thou art wicked, and the wicked as Psal. 9 17. shall be turned into hell, and all they that forget God: and surely God in the execution of the curse, doth the sinner no wrong; nay he should do wrong unto himself, and (with reverence so to speak) be unjust, if he should not execute Justice upon the sinner, either in himself or in his Surety: There are four strong reasons for it, viz.  

1. To manifest the majesty of him who is offended,  
2. And the goodness of the command that is transgressed.  
3. The evil of sin that is committed.  
4. The vildness of the sinner for sinning etc.   
I had once thought to have spoken something to each of these four heads, but shall not at present, but desire the Reader to consider, that every sin puts God upon complaining, and Christ upon bleeding, and the Spirit upon grieving; Every sin doth cast a triple dishonour upon God,  
1. In its malignity, as being most contrary to the pure, unspotted, and perfect nature of God,  
2. In its obstinacy, it opposeth the command of God, slights the will of God, and contradicts the design of God.  
3. Sin doth cast a dishonour upon God in its choice: a sinner in sinning, chooseth a base lust, a venomous sin, a crooked way, before the glorious, precious, and most desirable good, the Lord himself: So that man in the state of nature, lives upon the earth as a condemned creature, under guilt, curse and death, being conceived in sin, and brought forth into the world in iniquity, having lost that Image of righteousness, holiness, and saving knowledge of God, in which Adam our father was at first created, and so remains, till born again, converted and regenerated, the children of wrath by Nature, dead in sins and trespasses, Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, Satan's captives, servants, and slaves, and these men in this estate of Nature differ much one from another, one seems nearer unto, the other farther from the Kingdom of God, Mark 12. 34. compared with Psal. 119. 155. They  
1. Have such hardened hearts and seared consciences that they commit all manner of wickedness with greediness, glorying in their shame, and so making themselves (as the Scripture saith) sevenfold more the children of wrath than they were before, guilty of original sin, but now they are become guilty of original and actual transgression, having been filling up the measure of their iniquity, and fitting themselves for the day of slaughter, Matth. 23. 32, 33. compared with James 5. 5.  
2. Others walk more evenly and usefully, being in a measure civilised by education, custom, fear of punishment, good Examples, wholesome counsels: So was the young man, Matth. 19 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up: What lack I yet? etc. So was the Scribe we read of, Mark 12. 32, 33, 34 he answered discreetly, and Christ told him, he was not far from the Kingdom of God.  
Let the Reader consider, that although Man is so fearfully and shamefully fallen, yet there remains some footsteps, marks and impressions of that righteous and eternal Law at first engraven in his heart by the finger of the Almighty, by which many Naturalists have acted wisely and prudently as to worldly affairs and humane concernments, as may at large be safely gathered from many Scriptures: there may be a change and yet not The Change. Some of the Lord's people upon good ground doth observe that there is a sou● fold change.  

Change.  
1. A moral  
2. A partial  
3. A formal  
4. A spiritual   
A man by improvement of the light and gifc in Nature, may obtain to the three former, as to instance:  
1. There is a moral change, when a person or a people changeth from sinful notorious ways, to temperance, justice, equity, patience, when ignorance is taken away by illumination, and boldness in sinning is abated by fear of punishment, and sticks there, and goes no farther, and here thousands stay and live quietly, and perish eternally.  
2. There is a partial Change, when men forsake some sins, and yet live in the love and liking of other sins; Christ sets this down in the Parable of the unclean Spirit, (as to some sinful courses) is cast out for a time, but afterwards returns with seven spirits, worse than himself, and so his last end proves worse than his beginning, Matth. 12. 43, 44, 45.  
3. There is a formal Change, when men will do that which is commanded, but not as it is commanded, of these St. Paul speaks, 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, they will be doing of good, and forsaking evil, because the eye of the creature, and the ear of the creature, the applause of the creature, the rewards of the creature, or the fear of the creature, prevails with them; notwithstanding this threefold change, these people with the former are in an estate of estrangement to God, and liable to condemnation: for though the lives of some are less sinful than others, yet the hearts are alike, these men do but walk in new practices, with an old heart, Acts 7. 51. Heb. 6. 4.  
Consider, O thou that readest, if thou and I had committed in all our lives but one sin, and that only in thought, this makes us subject unto, and leaves us in danger of eternal damnation thereby, James 2. 10. Gal. 3. 10.  
The Law must have a perfect, personal, universal, perpetual obedience, or else we remain under the curse; according to the rule of moral righteousuess between God and Man, it followeth that the demerit of sin receiveth its nature, measure and limits from the will of God, according as he hath revealed himself in the Moral Law. So that the damned in Hell suffer not more, nor less than they deserved; yea, had God pleased to have inflicted a greater punishment for sin, yet had he been still just: the object offended being God, the person suffering being but a Man, the evil of punishment cannot exceed the evil of the offence; neither can any thing relieve us, but that which is answerable to the evil of sin: now there is no righteousness in the world that is proportionable to the evil of sin, but the righteousness of Christ only.  
1. Our own righteousness is too short, & is called a monstrous rag; a rag, and therefore cannot cover us, monstrous if it should cover us, it were but to cover filth with filth, as the Prophet speaks, Isa. 30. 1. They cover but not with the covering of my Spirit, that they might add sin to sin, dung to dung.  
2. Nor will the righteousness of the Law be large enough, if a man could keep it, it will not acquit us for former disobedience, Gal. 3. 21. If the Law could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Law. See Rom. 8. 3, 4.  
3. It is not the righteousness of all the Angels that can do it, because this also is a created righteousness, a finite righteousness, and no way proportionable to the evil of sin.  
4. If we should weep as many tears as the Sea holds drops, and humble ourselves as many days as the world hath stood minutes, all this were too short to purchase the pardon of one sin; if the stung Israelites had made a Medicine of the best Herbs in the Wilderness, and a Plaster of all the sovereign Ingredients in the whole World, and applied it with Mountains of Prayers, Seas of Tears, this would not have helped them, if withal they did not look upon the Brazen Serpent; for all these cannot purchase the pardon of one sin, nothing but infinicen●ss can deal with sin, it must be infinite Wisdom to find out a Way, it must be infinite Mercy to pardon, infinite Power to subdue, infinite Merit to purge and cleanse, and infinite Grace to destroy sin. Look about thee, whosoever thou art, that readest these Lines, this is or was thine estate and condition, which is attended with these two Miscries, viz.  

1. Thou art unable to help thyself out.  
2. Thou art unwilling.   
First of the first:  
1. Thou art unable to help thyself out, Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, and the Leopard his spot, then may they do good that are accustomed to do evil? There is no power below the power that raised Christ from the dead, that can turn the heart of a sinner to the Lord, he is as well able to turn a Flint into Flesh, as to turn his own heart to the Lord, he is as well able to raise the dead, and to make a World, as to repent, for Repentance is a Flower that grows not in Nature's Garden; as the Birth of Isaac was not by the strength of Nature, like Ishmael's of Hagar, but by virtue of the Promise, after a supernatural manner, upon sensibleness of barrenness, so seemeth it to be with every one that is born of the Spirit. Johnsaith, that Believers were born not of the will of the Flesh, nor of the will of Man, but of God.  
2. Thou art as unwilling as unable, thou hast wilfully pulled upon thyself just misery, and art apt wilfully to reject free mercy: there is a special enmity in the heart against Conversion and Believing, John 5. 43. I am come in my Father's Name, and ye receive me not, if another should come in his own name, him ye would receive. Acts 22. 4. I (saith Paul before conversion) persecuted this way unto the death. Rom. 10. 3. They would not submit to the righteousness of faith: Here are proud hearts indeed! that it should be matter of submission, for a condemned man to take a Pardon, a wounded man a Plaster, a sick man a Cordial, a naked man Clothing, a lost sinner a Saviour; ls not this the case of the Men and Women of the World? Consider, wouldst thou not account him a Fool, that will refuse Physic because he is sick, a Cordial because he is faint, Meat because he is hungry, Money because he is poor, Clothing because he is naked, and Freedom because he is Satan's Prisoner? I could almost say to the Reader, as once Nathan said to David, Thou art the Man, 2 Sam. 12. 7. There are amongst many others these four things that keep most Men and Women from being converted,  

1. Most think it to be a needless work, or an easy work, when as it is a needful work, and a hard work, Jer. 13. 23. compared with Matth. 18. 3.  
2. Or because he is not able to pay that which God requires.  
3. Or because he thinketh he shall be able to discharge all himself in time.  
4. Or else because he doubts of the truth of him that promiseth to help him.   
So much shall serve to speak of the  

Change.  
1. Moral  
2. Partial  
3. Formal   
It remains now that we come to the fourth, to wit, the Spiritual change: and here I shall fix, all that is written before is but an Introduction to this, I have been showing the Malady, let us now come to the Remedy, the sum whereof is; that God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost hath sent forth Jesus Christ, God-Man into the World, to seek and save sinners, and commandeth every one that heareth these glad tidings to believe in him whom he hath sent; and promiseth that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved, for God when the fullness of time (by him appointed was come) sent his Son, him that is God over all, blessed for ●ver, equal with the Father in being, majesty and glory, him in whom his Father 
See Mr. R. F. in his mystery of godliness. pag. 7.  delighted from all eternity, his own and his only begotten Son, promised before to Adam, Gen. 3. 15. preached to Abraham, Gen. 12. 3. typified in the legal Sacrifices, Gal. 3. 18. and prophesied of by Moses and all the Prophets, Gen. 18. 18. and Gen. 26. 4. and pointed at by John, the Lord sends his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to condemn sin in the flesh, him we are to hear, and to wait upon in a  and diligent use of means, until we be made partakers of his free saving grace, etc.  
And although in this great work, I shall, I fear, rather lisp, than speak plain, yet I trust I shall not darken counsel by words without knowledge. It is true, sometimes a child of light doth walk in darkness, as to the footsteps of the Lord: Psal. 77. 19 Thy way is in the Sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known; compare this with John 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst n●t tell whence it cometh, and whether it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit, saith our Lord Christ, etc. From these and other Scriptures it doth appear, that God doth not work in the same measure and method upon all in the work of conversion; some are sanctified▪ from the womb, Jer. 1. 5. as Jeremiah was sanctified before he came out of his mother's womb, and John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb, Luk. 1. 15. Some are converted by a small still voice: See 1 King. 19 11. 12. some must have a great and strong wind, renting the mountains of sin in their hearts, others must have an Earthquake to awaken them, some must be brought through the fire to burn up their dross, some men● flesh is harder to heal then others, so some men's hearts; a needle may do that to one, which a lance will not do to another; a frown to one, which a blow will not do to another; some men are of greater parts, of greater places, who are not so easily humbled; some men are of crabbed and untowards spirits, and knotty blocks had need of hard wedges: some men have longer scores, and greater rekoning, have been greater sinners than others, and though not always, yet ordinarily God doth proportion the sorrow to the sin. Again, upon some the Lord doth intent to bestow a greater measure of grace, than upon others, and so he layeth a proportionable foundation; some he intends to use as one of a thousand. To comfort others therefore he doth exercise them with difficulties of higher nature, that they may experimentally comfort others, 2 Cor. 1. 4. and some he intends for great service, great employment, either in Church or State, and therefore he doth humble them the more at the bringing in, as we may se● and read, in the conversion of Paul, Luther, Augustin; It is true, all God's people are soldiers; but all his people are not Champions: all are brought home, or shall be; but all are not brought home equally alike in every thing; and though the conversion of a sinner be a great work, yet when the Lord sets about it, it is soon done; 
Though conversion be a great work, yet it is soon done.  Vocation, regeneration and conversion, is many times wrought in an instant; God in saying, Awake thou that sleepest, arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee life, makes the soul to awake, arise and live, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else. Christ tells us in few words, and the Apostle in as few, John 3. 14. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved, Rom. 10. 9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, etc. But to proceed, consider these three things.  

1. What preparations, conditions, or qualifications should a man or woman find in themselves, before they lay hold on Christ and the promises?  
2. How Conversion, regeneration, repentance and vocation, agree or differ?  
3. The way step by step, which the Lord in his ordinary dispensation, in these Gospel days, doth lead a soul, as it were by the hand, out of a state of nature, into a state of grace, & c?   
1. What preparations, conditions or qualifications, should a manor woman find in themselves, before they lay hold on Christ, and apply the promises? For answer hereunto, take these considerations, Viz. I know no qualifications & preparations that are so required, as that without it we should not come, but there be some, without which we will not come, we must buy milk and wine, although it be without money and without price, Isa. 55. 1, 2. By preparatory work, we understand certain inherent qualifications, according to the ordinary dispensation of God: and so the soul is made sensible of sin, death, and curse due to it; before it pass through the new birth, he must be convinced, that the Law is holy, just and good, the precept holy, the promise good, the curse just; a man must acknowledge himself a lawful captive, before the Lord will set him free; all the preparations required in God's ordinary way of dispensation before conversion, may be reduced to these four heads.  
1. Revelation of Jesus Christ dying for the sins of the people, according to the Gospel of free grace, and so tenders pardon of sin to all sinners that are sensible of sin, sinners that are broken hearted, Isa. 61. 1. broken and bruised, Luk. 4. 18. that are weary and heavy laden, Mat. 11. 28. poor sick sinners, Mar. 2. 17. sensible of their misery, and necessity of a remedy, without which they perish eternally.  
2. After this sense of misery and want of mercy, there will be an enquiring after a remedy, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved? Rom. 16. 30. So Paul, Lord, what wil● thou have me to do? Rom. 9 6.  
3. There will be a waiting upon God in the use of means, for the obtaining of mercy.  
But let the Reader consider, that whatsoever preparations and qualifications there is required in any before conversion, they are wrought in us by the singer of God, who worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure, Phil. 2. 13. So than it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy, Rom. 9 16. how was Paul disposed, and affected when Christ calls him? Acts 9 had not Paul's calling depended upon God's choice at that time, he had never been called; here may we behold the downfall of all natural preparations, and meritorious dispositions.  
Quere 2. How Vocation, conversion, repentance, regeneration, agree or differ?  
For answer to this, let me give the Reader Master Baxsters' judgement, to which I fully assent and consent; All these particular expressions, saith he, are used in Scripture to express one and the same work upon the soul, only they have some small difference, Viz. The word Vocation, is taken for God's act of Calling, and is twofold. First, Common; when men are brought to an outward profession. Secondly, Specially; when people are savingly converted to Christ; this last calling is the same with conversion, only this difference; Calling hath usually in Scripture a principal respect to the first act on the soul, even the act of faith itself, or at least the habit of faith, is effected in the heart, and therewith the seed of all graces in the soul; this is that Vocation, or special effectual Calling: next, Consider that Repentance is the same thing as special effectual Calling, only this difference, the word Vocation, doth principally express the state to which we are called; but the word Repentance, doth principally respect our our turning to God, from whom we fell, and the word Vocation doth as much or more respect our coming to Christ, the true and only way to the Father; the word Regeneration is more comprehensive, than Conversion, Repentance and Vocation: because there is so great a change, that a man is as it were another man, 2 Cor. 5. 11. He that is in Christ is a new creature. And yet the word Regeneration signifieth the same thing as Conversion, Repentance and Vocation, only observing a small difference, as before mentioned.  
Quere 3. The way step by step, which the Lord in his ordinary dispensation, in these gospel-days, doth lead a soul, as it were by the band, out of a state of nature, into a state of grace.  
1. The first step to Conversion, is Illumination.  
2. The second step to accomplish, or at least to carry on this work, is effectual Vocation, which hath many branches.  
3. The third step to get out of a state of nature, into a state of grace, out of a state of death, into a state of life, is to trust or believe in the Lord, which hath many branches.  
4. The fourth step; for the completing, and carrying on this work, there is usually dropped into the soul and heart the spirit of grace and supplication, by which the party goes unto God, with confessions and petitions.  
5. The fifth step; to effect and complete this great work, the Lord doth cause the soul secretly to give itself up, and surrender all the interest that it had in itself, to God that made it, and Christ that bought it.  
1. The first step to Conversion, is illumination, as doth fully appear by these Scriptures, Acts. 26. 18. I send thee, saith Christ to Paul, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. So Psal. 119. 130. The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding unto the simple, lob. 33. 30. to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living, Men are not born with this saving light in their hearts, as they are born with tongues in their mouths; for the best knowing men under heaven, until born again and converted, are in darkness, Ephes. 5. 8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, being born again, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This illumination is acompanied with (1) A renewing of the mind, Rom. 12. 2. Eph. 4. 23. (2) A conviction of sin and guilt, he doth acknowledge himself a lawful captive. (3) There are the seeds, or roots of all saving grace, infused into the soul at once, if the soul be enlightened with a special saving light, but the soul doth not presently, & sensibly exercise them all; the first part of saving grace is illumination, the opening of the eyes, causeth the opening of the heart.  
2. The second step to accomplish or at least to carry on this work of conversion, is Vocation; this effectual vocation, is the first or second act of Election, saith Master Norton; Calling is the first act of Divine mercy, in recovering miserable man: Doctor Twiss saith, effectual calling is the first mercy, etc. But let the Reader consider, that if these four words, Vocation, Conversion, Repentance, Regeneration, agree in one, and are used in Scripture to express the same work upon the soul, having but a small difference, as hath been proved before; then now in speaking to this word Vocation, let the Reader take notice, that though Conversion, Repentance, Regeneration, be not expressed, yet they all are included and contained; and if so, then Vocation seems to be a second work upon the soul, rather than the first, Jer. 31. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repent, and after that I was instructed I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth; the way that the Lord doth take for the recovering of a backslider, and the conversion of a sinner, doth in many thing; if not in all, go hand in hand together, he calls upon the one, and so he doth upon the other, he enlightens the one to see from whence he is fallen, and so he doth the other; he gives repentance to the one, and so he doth to the other, etc.  
There are principally these three things, to be considered in this Vocation,  

1. The principal cause of Vocation is Gods free mercy, 2 Tim. 1. 9 Titus 3. 3, 4, 5.  
2. The instrumental cause is the preaching of the Gospel, 2 Thes. 2. 14.  
3. The end of Vocation is God's glory, and the salvation of his elected ones, Ephes. 2. 1. And you hath he quickened, when you were dead in sins and trespasses, Col. 2. 13. And you that were dead in your sins, hath he quickened, Eph. 1. 12. that we should be to the praise of his glory.   
There be certain steps at first in a souls coming to Christ, or preparatory accesses, like that we read Psalm 6. 2, 4. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord heal me, for my bones are vexed; Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercy's sake. Matt. 9 20. Bebold a woman diseased, though she came not presently to look God fully in the face, though she dare not come to touch Christ and lay hold on him, yet she was sensible of her own misery, and want of mercy, she knew there was virtue to come from him, and she came as near that as she durst, she had a desire to speak, but she went no farther than to speak to herself; she saith to herself, if I may but touch his garment, I shall blowhole; then Christ spoke to her, though she would not speak to him, to overcome her bashfulness, he called her daughter, and to overcome her unbelief, he bid her be of good comfort, he had healed her. From how little a spark, how greata fire! from how little a beginning, how great a proceeding! she desired but the hemm of his garment, and had himself. See John. 3. 2. Nicodemus he came to Jesus by night, who was so weak, as being either afraid or ashamed to own Christ in the day, he cometh to him by night; One would have thought, that Christ would have said to him, Nicodemus, is thy desire after me so saint, as that thou fearest to come to me in the day time? Or am l so unworthy as not to be owned, but out of fight? Hast thou either so low an esteem of me, or bearest thou so little love to me? Go return as thou camest, I will not accept of thee in the dark, who wouldst not acknowledge me in the light. No, no, Christ hath not one syllable of this, he knew that Nicodemus was but a beginner, and therefore entertains him, and instructs him in the new birth, John. 3. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God etc. Consider there is none effect of election, before illumination and effectual vocation; the el●●t themselves are said before, to be children of wrath as well as others. Ephes. 2. 3.  
Some affirm, that in this act of Vocation, the seeds or root of faith, is wrought in the heart, which may be true, only, (under correction) I do verily think it is not exercised, but in part; the Soul doth exercise but little more, than to give credit to what is written, which some call the faith of credence, giving credit, to what is written, which others call the Faith of assent; this undoubtedly is wrought in the heart, either in the work of Illumination, or in estectual Vocation: now effectual Vocation, or special effectual Calling, is attended or accompanied with, Viz.  

1. The Faith of assent.  
2. Repentance.  
3. Conversion.  
4. Regeneration.   
Now most of these words are used in Scripture, to express the same work upon the soul, as Mr Baxster affirms, or rather as the Scripture teacheth us, etc.  
1. That special effectual Calling is attended or accompanied with the Faith of assent, or credence, See Mat. 8. 2. The Leper did assent to the power of Christ, that he was able to cleanse him, saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; surely Vocation is accompanied with a bare naked assent to every truth revealed by God.  
2. It is accompanied with Repentance, which containeth two things. The first is, a hearty sorrow that ever he sinned. The second is, a turning from that sin to God, or there is a turning from a state of sin and misery, unto God our only remedy; this Repentance is wrought, by the Ministry both of Law and Gospel; the thunders of the Law terrify, and the dews of the Gospel mollify: there is nothing breaks the heart more than mercy, nothing melts a man more than the mercies of God, which he hath abused; the consideration of this, opens all the springs in thee, the soul is not able to stand stubborn under it, 2 Cor. 7. 9, 10, 11.  
3. This special effectual Calling, is accompanied with Conversion, which is a work of the Spirit of Christ in a sensible lost undone sinner, by the Doctrine of Christ, by which he effectually changeth the mind, heart and life, from the creature, to God in Christ; the parts of this Conversion are these three:- First, it is a change of the mind: Secondly, of the heart: Thirdly, of the life, etc. In the moment of Conversion, God works that blessed work, which shall never be undone; In a word, that is wrought in an instant, which shall remain for ever.  
4. This effectual Calling is accompanied with Regeneration, which doth make so great a change, that a man is as it were an other man, so that this word Regeneration, is more comprehensive, than Conversion, Repentance, or Vocation, 2 Cor. 5. 17. He that is in Christ, is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new; Mark, every man that is in Christ, that is, thus converted, every true Christian then is a new creature, not in substance but in quality, all things are become new; a true converted man, he hath new love, new desires, new sorrow, new delight, new resolution, and a new conversion, Vocation, Conversion, and Regeneration, is wrought in an instant, God in saying live, makes the soul to live; as it is in the first, so it shall be in the second Resurrection, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, whiles God speaks the word, the dead shall rise, 1 Cor. 15. 52, etc.  
3. The next step to get out of a state of death, into a state of life, is to trust or believe in the Lord. I know there be many that doth make this the first step to salvation, which I hear them say, but not prove; sure I am, no man can have grace without knowledge; for who can hate sin till he knoweth it, and the evil of it? and who can love God or believe in him, till he know him to be merciful, able and faithful? who can do the duty that he understandeth not, or go the way to heaven that he is ignorant of? so that illumination must needs be the first step, but withal it is granted, that the Spirit of God, either in Illumination or Vocation, doth cause the first act of faith in the heart, and by that act a habit is effected, and therewith the seed of all graces; For the habit of faith, saith Master Norton, seemeth not to be infused alone, before the other habits of saving grace. The universal frame of saving grace is infused into the soul at once, as one general habit; so that the infusion of life, into the heart or soul, hath its being all at once, and is uncapable of division into parts; and so the habit of faith seemeth not to be infused alone, before or after the other saving graces, so that I am not speaking of what comes into the soul first, but what the soul doth put forth and act first, in order to its coming out of a state of nature into a state of grace.  
Two things are here of an absolute necessity to our salvation; the one is to believe unfeignedly that Christ is the Redeemer of the world, and that there is no other way of salvation, but by him, Acts 4. 12. john 14. 6. john 10. 1, 7, 8, 9 The second is, to accept of him as he is offered to us in the Gospel, and so faith instates a soul in the possession of heaven, whilst the body remains on the earth; Now in this third step, of trusting in God or believing in him, the soul and heart doth in some measure, exercise these four things.  

1. It doth look unto him.  
2. It doth come unto him.  
3. It doth receive him.  
4. It doth believe in him, and lay hold on him.   
1. It doth look unto him, Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else, Zach. 12. 10. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son; The soul looks upon an humbled Christ, with an humble heart, upon a broken Christ, with a broken heart, upon a bleeding Christ, with a bleeding heart, upon a wounded Christ, with a wounded heart; in a word, this is such a look, as sends a man away with another heart, Psal. 34. 5. They looked unto him and were lightened; there is no change of the substance of the soul and body, nor of the faculties of the soul and body, but the qualities of the faculties are clearly changed, so that men and women become as children in humility, teachableness, and beginning the world a new; he hath a new heart, and a new tongue, new inclinations, new intentions, new desires, new content, and discontent, new delight, new anger, new courage, new fear, new hope, new thoughts in his heart, and new work to do, and yet, as before, there is no change of the substance of soul and body, nor of the faculties of the soul, but the qualities of the faculties are clearly changed, etc.  
2. The soul doth not only look unto him, but it doth come unto him, Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,, John 6. 37. Him that cometh to me. I will in no wise cast out. Some affirm, that in the Greek, this word hath three negatives, thus, I will in no wise, no wise, no wise cast out, and if so, Let the Reader consider these three things.  
1. The Lord doth call thee three times in one verse, Isa. 55. 1. come, come, come; So in Rev. 22. 17. And the Spirit and the Bride say, come, and let him that heareth come, and let him that is athirst come.  
2. As there are three calls, Come, come, come; so there are three sorts of persons invited to come, and all couched in the latter words of the 17th verse of Rev. 22. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.  
1. What person soever he be, Jew or Gentil, Barbarian or Scythian, Acts 10. 34. 35. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth, I perceive, that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him.  
2. What finner soever he be; he despiseth not the weeping Mary, the begging Canaanite, the entreating Publican, the confessing Thief, the adulterous Woman, the denying Disciple, the persecuting Paul, Isa. 1. 18. though your sins be as scarlet they shall be cleansed etc.  
3. What time soever a sinner doth come; so it be before the sun is set, the glass out, and the golden sceptre taken in, if it be at the eleventh hour, or as the Thief upon the Cross, at the last gasp, it may be thou mayst obtain mercy.  
4. Lastly, he doth assure those that come, he will in no wise, in no wise, in no wise, cast of: Now lay all these together, the Lord calls, Come, come, come; the persons that he calls are of three sorts, (1) what person soever, (2) what sinner soever, (3) what time soever he come; if he indeed come to me, I will in no wise, in no wise, in no wise, cast off.  
3. So there is not only a looking upon him, and a coming to him; but there is a receiving of him, John. 1. 12. but as many as received him, to them gave he power, to become the sons of God; by the habit of faith the soul doth passively receive Christ, but by the act of faith, the soul doth actively receive Christ. In the first, the soul is passive; but in the second, he is active; there is a twofold receiving of Christ, a passive and an active; passive, wherein the spiritual principle of grace is ingenerated, or infused into the heart or soul, and so we are received of Christ, before we do receive Christ; so that Christ in working the grace of faith receiveth us, and by the act of faith we receive him; so that Christ taketh the soul, before the soul taketh him.  
Now he that hath thus received the Son hath life. 1 John. 5. 12. he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. Collo. 2. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ the Lord, so walk ye in him. He that truly receiveth Christ, receiveth him in all his offices, as a King, Priest and Prophet, this receiving of him, is not an act of the understanding, but an act of the will, embracing him, and trusting on him.  
4. The heart doth believe in him, and the soul lays hold on him, so that forementioned place, John 1. 12. they and they only becomes the Sons of God, that doth believe in his name; when the Jailor Acts. 16, 30. would know what he must do to be saved? the apostles answered him and said, Vers. 31. believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved; so when the people asked Christ, what they should do that they might work the works of God, John. 6. 28. Jesus answered and said unto them, Vers. 29. this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. So 1 John. 3. 23. This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ. 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know, saith the apostle, whom I have believed; there is the first act of faith of reliance, and I am persuaded, that he is able to keep, that which I have committed to his trust; there is the second act of trust.  
When the soul is brought over to assent unto that great truth, that Christ is a Saviour, and a Mediator, it doth roll and rest itself upon him, and so trusteth on Christ for justification, and consequently for salvation, Psal. 37. 5. Commit thy way to the Lord, trust also in him, Prov. 16. 3. Rowl thy works upon the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, Psal. 28. 7. The Lord is my strength, and my shield, my heart trusteth in him. The Lord is the Author and Finisher of our faith, he doth command us to believe, he doth enable us to believe, and then commends us for believing: so the Lord commends Nathaniel, for his faith, which was only the faith of his own powerful working, so he commends David for his uprightness, Hezekiah for his perfectness, Moses for his meekness, Cornelius for his devotion, the Publican for his compunction, the poor Widow for her liberality, and the woman of Canaan for her faith and importunity; all which was only the work of his own grace in them▪ O how may this encourage us to stir up ourselves, and take h●ld of God See Isa. 64. 7. Isa. 27. 5. Let him take hold of my strength, and he shall make peace within me. As there is no promise to us, till we believe; so if once we believe, all the promises are ours; he hath promised to be a tower, a rock, a refuge, a covert from a storm▪, and hidden place in time of danger; he hath promised to hear us when we pray, to answer us when we call, to open to us when we knock, Psal. 50. 15. Mat. 7. 7. Ground this in the bottom of your hearts, that without faith in Christ, and obedience to Christ, there is no promise of life and salvation, by Christ, no coming to the Father but by him, no coming to Christ but by faith, no getting of faith but by waiting upon him in the use of means, etc. And so to close up the fourth head, let the Reader consider, that this looking unto him, coming unto him, receiving of him, and believing in him, is spiritually to be understood, and spiritually to be performed.  
4. Step; for the carring on, and completing this work, there is dropped into him, or her, the Spirit of grace, by which he is at length emboldened to go unto God, with confessions, and petitions, he puts on the resolution of the King of Ninive, Jonah 3. and saith within himself, I will cry mightily unto the Lord, who can tell, but that he may have mercy upon me? He principally praye● for these and the like things.  
1. He prays for more light, that he may see his sins, and the vildness of them more fully, that he may arraign, accuse, and judge himself for them.  
2. He prays for pardoning mercy; Pardon my sin, saith David, for it is wondrous great.  
3. He prays for purging mercy.  
1. He prays for an increase of light, that he may see his sins more fully and clearly, that he may abhor, arraign, accuse and judge himself for them, That which I see not, teach thou me, saith the Prophet. Again, Job. 13. 23, How many are mine iniquities and my sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin. Job 40. 4. Behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee? once have I spoken, yea twice, but I will proceed no farther.  
2. He prays for pardoning mercy: Rom. 8. 15. We have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father; As a little child at first saith Dad and Mam: so doth a Christian; the evidence that the Lord gave Ananias of Saul's conversion, was this, Acts 9 11. Behold he prays! He that hath not this breath of Prayer, is either a dead man, or in a dangerous swoon, Psal. 25. 7. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions, but according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness sake.  
3. He prays for purging mercy, Psal. 19 12. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Psal. 79. 9 Purge away our sins for thy name sake: the soul is not satisfied with pardoning mercy, unless he may have purging mercy also; so that pardoning mercy is so great a belly-mercy, that it hath many mercies in the bowels of it; 2 Cor. 5. 19 it brings reconciliation with God, and admission into his favour, and adoption of children, whereby the soul hath access to God as a Father, with childlike boldness, and acceptation of our services, and sanctification of every condition to us, and supportations under trials and crosses; and last of all, peace, joy, comfort, which are not so much fruits of pardon, as fruits of purging, and keeping down of sin, that it reign not in our mortal bodies. He freed me from the guilt of fin, and shall I love the filth of fin? He made me a member of Christ, and shall I be a filthy member of so holy a body? He hath made me a branch, and shall I be a polluted branch of so holy a stock? the Lord forbidden.  
Let the Reader consider, that although we have brought Prayer under the fourth Step, or head, yet this is to be understood, that the habit or root of this grace or gift, was infused or conveyed into the heart and soul in the first step, to wit, illumination: but it lay there, as fire under ashes, or sap in the root of the tree, it was still and dumb, it did not open the mouth, nor enlarge the heart, until Vocation and Believing had made way; If we did consider what order and method the Lord doth take to unveil his love to man, and what order and method man should take to apprehend and apply this love, it will make much for our satisfaction: Viz. God's order is, he goes downward, from the Cause to the Effect, and we must go upward, from the Effect to the Cause; he goes from Election downward, we must go from Illumination, Vocation, Regeneration and Believing upward: and thus God and we at last shall meet in the middle way: we must prove our selves to be called, and he will acknowledge us to be elected. Let us consider that golden chain, Rom. 8. 29, 30. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate; moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified, etc. Here is a golden chain indeed, no link thereof can be unlinked, because the fastening thereof, is from and by the Lord, First whom he fore-knew for his own, as the word is taken, John. 10. 14. 27. those whom he marked out, as it were, out of all other men in the world, and set his affection upon, (2ly.) he also did predestinate, that is, ordained, to be conformable to Christ their head in part, both in grace and glory, (3ly.) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called to the obedience of faith, by the outward preaching of the word, and the inward and effectual operation of the spirit, and whom he called, them he also justified; that is, God merely of his own grace and free will forgiveth our sins, and pronounceth us just: justice and mercy doth both meet in this justification; justice, in that he will not justify a sinner without a perfect righteousness; and mercy, in that he will accept of such a righteousness, that is neither in us, nor done by us, but by our surety for us; all eminent acts, as justification, regeneration, sanctification, are but one act in God, as we have proved before; but because of our darkness and unteachableness, the Lord doth speak to us after the manner of men, and so doth make out things gradually to us, leading us from step to step, from things more plain, to things more and more hard, as we are able to hear, and understand and practise them.  
5. The fifth and last step that I shall name, for the carrying on, and completing this work, is, the Lord doth cause the soul secretly to give itself up in an everlasting Covenant, and so to surrender all the interest that it had in itself, to God that made it, and Christ that bought it; and so his soul is carried forth to a secret resting, relying, leaning, staying, and hanging upon the mercy of God, in Christ alone, for life and happiness: Now he looks after, and endeavours to be found in walking in the way of sanctification, he reads and finds, 1 Pet. 1. 2. that if he be elected to life, it is through Sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and 2 Thes. 2. 13. God hath chosen a people from the beginning to salvation, through Sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth: He labours for holiness as well as happiness, he reads and findeth that the word of God hath a purifying faculty in it, John 15. 3. Ye are clean through the word that I have spoken to you, Ps. 119. 9 Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way, but by taking heed thereto, according to thy word, Ps. 119. 11. Thy word-have I bid in mine heart, that I might not sinne against thee.  

Of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting means for all heedfully to attend upon, that hope to enter into Heaven.  
THere are springs of Grace, or pipes of conveyance, which if cut off, or neglected, we may live in sin, and die in sin, and at last go to hell; but if we heedfully and frequently make use of them, we may live in the fear of the Lord, and die in his favour, and enter into heaven; these means are for the increasing holiness, as well as for the attaining it, and therefore we are not to satisfy ourselves with making use of them now and then, but frequently and willingly; for the same means that doth work the work of Illumination, doth also work the work of Conversion, Vocation, Regeneration, Faith and Repentance, etc. And not only work and beget these in us, but increase it, and cause it to flourish, and grow up from one degree of grace to another, until we come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; the means follow.  

1. Keep close to Grace-begetting and Soul-converting Ordinances.  
2. Dwell much upon the meditation of Grace-begetting Promises.  
3. Frequent the company of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting companions.  
4. Be frequent in the cherishing of Grace-begetting Considerations.  
5. Gather and treasure up Grace-begetting, and Soul-converting Experiences.   
1. Keep close to Grace-begetting and Soul-converting Ordinances, and they are these three,  

1. The hearing of the word preached.  
2. Reading of the Scriptures.  
3. Frequent and earnest Prayer; First, of the First,   
1. Hearing of the Word preached, Acts 2. 37, 41. it was by hearing Peter preach, that the Jews were pricked at the heart, and converted, and three thousand added to the Church at once, So Acts 26. 17, 18. God sent Paul to preach, for the opening of men's eyes, and turning them from darkness to light, by teaching sinners the way of God; David assured himself they shall be converted to him, Psal. 51. 13. the word of god is the seed of life, which is sown and takes root in th● hearts of them that God will save, 1 Pet. 1. 23, 25. It is the word of God which is the incorruptible seed, by which we are born again; it was those that had ears and heard▪ not, that were not converted and born again. Mark. 4. 12. etc. as we should hear the word preached in order to conversion, so for the begetting of faith in our hearts, Luke. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing, Ephes. 1. 13. in whom also ye trusted after ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of our salvation, Isai. 55. 3. hear and your souls shall live. Now in the use of this blessed means, observe these four rules, and thou shalt never miscarry, but get something by every Sermon thou hearest.  
1. Try the doctrines preached, by the Scriptures, Act. 17. 11. they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so.  
2. Receive what thou findest agreeable to the word, as from the Lord, 1 Thess. 2. 13. for this cause also thank we God, without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it, not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God.  
3. Keep in memory as much of it as may be, James 1. 25. Being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer, Heb. 2. 1, 2. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest bead to the things which we have heard, le●t at any time we should let them slip: vers. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?  
4. Endeavour to practise it thyself, and communicate it to others, Mat. 7. 26. Every one that heareth these say of mine, and doth them not, is like unto a foolish man that built his house upon the sand. James 1. 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed; therefore be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls.  
2. The next Faith-begetting, and Soul-converting Ordinance, is, reading the Scriptures, many a soul hath had happy experience of the benefit of reading the Word, Psal. 19 7. for the Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, Acts 8. 28. The Eunuch was reading in Isaiah; and in the 37th verse, we read he was converted and baptised. 1 Tim. 4. 13. Till I come give attendance to reading, Rev. 1. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Prophecy, Acts 17. 11, 12. They searched the Seriptures daily, whether those things were so, and many of them believed.  
3. The next Grace-begetting and Soul-converting Ordinance, is frequent and ●arnest prayer▪ prayer is a fruit of faith, and yet prayer is a means for the begetting of faith; as the Spirit is the fruit of prayer, so prayer is the fruit of the Spirit, Luke 11. 13. Compared with Rom. 8. 15. In the former place, the Spirit is said to be the fruit of prayer; in the latter place▪ prayer is said to be the fruit of the Spirit, whereby we cry Abba Father, etc. Isa. 55. 6, 7. Seek the Lord whilst he may be found, call upon him while he is near, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, etc. James 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and ●pbraideth not, and it shall be given him, Joh. 4. 10. Jesus said unto her, if thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is, that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.  
2. Dwell much upon Grace-breeding, and soul converting promises, there are promises of direction, and supportation, and promises of protection, and promises of justification, and sanctification, and promises of acceptation; there are promises to settle us when we are wavering, and to support us when we are falling, and to recall us when we are wandering, and to comfort us when we are fainting; surely, as the lamp liveth upon the oil, and a child upon the breast; so doth faith upon the promises. All these and suchlike promises, are reduceable to these two heads, either absolute, or conditional promises; The conditional promises runs thus, Believe, and thou shall be saved, John 3. 16. Repent, and thy sins shall be forgiven thee. The absolute promises are such, as are without condition, or such wherein the Lord hath promised to give the condition, I will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and iniquities I will remember no more, Heb. 8. 12. So Isa. 43. 25. I, even I am he, that blotteth out thy sins for mine own sake, etc. These, and such absolute promises, are Grace-breeding, or Faith-begetting promises. To these promises we must go for faith, to the conditional promises we must bring faith, without which we cannot apply them, but to the absolute promises; we are not to bring our penny to the promises, but go to them, as to the means of working faith in us, such promises as these, Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not departed from me, Ezek. 36. 25. I will sprinkle water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness, vers. 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. Vers. 27. And cause you to walk in my ways, Heb. 8. 12, For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities, I will remember no more. Now let the Reader take one promise, and charge that upon the heart, and if the heart be stubborn, and will not yield, then take another, and if that will not do, take another, and lay that home upon the heart, and never leave this work, till you have gotten at least some small measure of faith. viz If thou dost doubt, and canst not believe the pardon of thy sins, then take this promise, and charge it upon the heart, Isa. 43. 25. I, even I am he, that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins: If the heart remain stubborn, and will not yield, then take another promise and charge that upon the heart, Mich. 7. 18, 19 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of his people? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because be delighteth in mercy, he will subdue our iniquities, and cast all our sins into the depth of the Seas. Now if the heart will not yield to believe this, then take that portion of Scripture, 1 Pet. 2. 24. and bring it to the 53. of Isaiah, that whole Chapter, and charge that upon the heart, and there thou shalt find, that our sins were laid upon Christ, and the stripes due unto us for them, by which the Father is satisfied, the Law fulfilled, and by his stripes we are healed. Let us then believe and apply this, and we are saved; wherefore live much in the haven of the promises, feed upon the freeness, sweetness and fatness thereof, etc.  
God hath so far condescended to our weakness, for our establishment, that he hath not only given us his promise, but promise upon promise, and assured us by the mouth of all his Prophets and Apostles, yea and Christ himself, that he is faithful, mindful, able and willing, and to this he gives us his covenant, his oath and his seal, and all to assure us he will never fail nor forsake us, but make good every tittle of his promise to us, How then can we look so many sweet promises in the face, and harbour so many misgivings in our hearts?  
3. The next means followeth, frequent the Company of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting companions, where we shall hear how God hath wrought grace in them, and how the Lord doth usually work upon the hearts of unbeleivers, as a man that cometh into a shop of perfumes, will carry away some of the sent with him, so we with conversing with the godly shall be the better, Pro. 13. 20. he that walketh with wise men, shall be wiser, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed; vain talk and vain practices, enticeth the minds of men to vanity, the noise of their foolish laughter, and ungodly discourse, will drown the voice of conscience, remember grace is hardly got, and hardly kept, and more hardly increased in such company, Prov. 10. 20. 21. The tongue of the just, is as choice Silver, but the heart of the wicked is little worth, the lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for want of knowledge, Prov. 14. 7. Go from the presence of foolish men, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge▪ Oh why should we not strive to live among those companions on earth, that we must live with in heaven, if ever we come there? Nicodemus came to Jesus for counsel, and Christ thereupon did give him advise in the great work of the new birth, So Math▪ 19 16. Another came and inquired what he should do to be saved? so the Eunuch desires instruction of Philip, Acts. 8. and Paul of Ananias, Acts. 9 12. 13 17. and Cornelius inquired of Peter; so the Jews that were pricked at heart, asked Peter and the rest of the Apostles, what they should do to be saved? Acts 2, 37. and the sailor asked Paul and Silas, what he should do to be saved? To close up this point, consider this, that a man never goes in the company of wicked men, but he comes away, less a Christian than he was before, Joseph by this began to swear, by th●, life of Pharaoh, and Peter being in bad company but a little, began to swear and lie in one breath; therefore let us resolve with David, Psal. 119. 63. to be a companion of all them that fear the Lord and keep his statutes, etc.  
Let us then, if it be possible, frequent the company of the most sober, serious, spiritual, heavenly professors, that will be drawing us heaven-ward, and opening to us the riches, freeness, fullness, and everlastingness of God the Fathers, and of the Son's love, and of the Holy Ghosts love, one Lord blessed for ever.  
4. The next means for the begetting of grace, and converting the soul, may be this, let us meditate upon, and call to mind grace-begetting considerations, which may be reduceable to these few heads,  

1. Consider what Christ hath done for us,  
2. Consider how God hath dealt with other sinners, as bad as we are.  
3. Consider what relation we have to him.  
4. Consider what engagements we have from him.  
5. Consider in whose name we come before him.   
1. Let us consider what Christ hath done for us. Viz.  
1. Christ by the will of God, gave himself a ransom for our sins, a sacrifice of a sweet smelling favour, acceptable unto God.  
2. Consider that the Father accepted of this sacrifice, in full satisfation for all our iniquities, transgressions and sins.  
3. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the preaching of the Gospel, doth make Proclamation with open mouth to all the world, that he, the Lord of Glory, is fully satisfied, forasmuch as the debt, by Christ our surety, is fully paid; and the bond or hand writing that was against us, canceled; and so much for the first Consideration, of what Christ hath done for us.  
2. Consider, and that seriously, how God hath dealt with other sinners as bad as we are, who have come to him, viz. The Lord did not despise the weeping Mary, the begging Canaanite, the entreating Publican, the confessing Thief, the adulterous, Woman, the denying Disciple, the persecuting Paul, etc. And if he refused not these, but shown mercy to them, converting and healing them, he will not reject me, if 1 arise and go to him, Psal. 119. 59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet to thy testimonies, I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.  
3. Consider what relation we have to him, he is our Creator, we are his creatures; in a word, we are his by right of Creation, Redemption, and now we begin to be his by right of Regeneration, Vocation, Marriage, and Covenant etc.  
4. Consider what engagements we have from him, viz. he hath promised to pardon our sins, to purge our natures, Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your Idols will I cleanse you.  
5. Consider in whose name we come before him, not in our own, neither in the name of any, but only his own dear Son, in whom he is well pleased, and for his sake he hath promised, that whatsoever we ask in his Name he will give it unto us. 1. We have his prayer to the Father, to subdue and conquer our lusts, John 17. 17. 2. We have his promise, I will subdue your iniquities, Micah. 17. 19 Sin shall have no more domin ion over you, Rom. 6. 14. 3. He is not only a Redeemer, but also a Refiner, a Purifier, he gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to cleanse and purify us to be his peculiar people, zealous of good works. 4. We have his merits, as a Sanctuary to fly unto, as to a fountain set open to wash us, from all fin, filthiness and uncleanness, Zach. 13. 1. Sure these are grace breeding considerations, consider them over and over again and again.  
5. The fifth means is, gather and treasure up a stock of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting experiences; viz. We have had some experience of the riches, freeness, fullness, and everlastingness of God's love, and we have a little taste of the sufficiency and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ, Gen. 30. 27. O friends, shall Laban, a natural man, make use of experience which he had treasured up, and shall not a true Christian, in carrying on the work of grace, began in his soul, make use of it much more? It is the duty, and it should be the practice of all in converting, and also of those converted, to treasure up experiences of God's goodness to them, even from their cradles, that God made them men, and women, and not toads and serpents, that he hath hitherto preserved them, when he might have destroyed them, that they have as yet the means of grace, whilst others in the world want, that they have liberty, sight, limbs, food and raiment; these and such like are the blessings of his left hand, and he tenders to thee also the blessings of his right hand, Psal. 63. 7. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice, 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver us, in whom we trust be will yet deliver us, See Psal. 116. 2. Because be hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. It is good to hear, better to hear and understand, better to enjoy, and best of all to have blessed experience of what we hear, understand and enjoy; the Saints of old could say, that they had such experience of the faithfulness of the Lord, that he made good every thing that he had promised to them, no one good thing failed, Josh. 21. 45. There failed not any good thing, that the Lord had promised to the house of Israel, all came to pass, Josh. 23. 14. Not so much as one thing hath failed, etc.  
In the use of these and the like means, the Lord usually scattereth some little seeds of grace in the hearts of those that he will bring unto himself, which seeds being sown, do afterwards by degrees put forth, and act towards God, as we may see in Lydia, the Jailor, and Zacheus etc. God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy, gracious, long-suffering, pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin, and so offers himself to be reconciled to us, though we have rebelled against him, promising to be a Father unto us, and to accept of us in his beloved, as his sons and daughters, and thus is the difference made up between God and man; the soul gins now to say, at least in its self, I that was an enemy, he hath now reconciled unto himself; I that was in times passed without God, without Christ, without promise, without covenant, without hope, yet now I have God for my God, he is become my salvation, Christ is become my Redeermer, the Holy Ghost my Sanctifier. O blessed, thrice blessed be Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! O how often did he call, how earnestly did he knock, how powerfully did he strive, how long did he wait upon me, before my stubborn hard heart would yield? if he had never loved me, I had never loved him; if he had never drawn me, I had never come; if he had never sought me, I had been yet straying in the wilderness of iniquity, and feeding in the fields of vanity; now I see that God keeps open house, invites, entreat, beseecheth us to believe, and come in, O every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, come buy ye that have no Silver or Gold, come buy milk and wine without money, Isai▪ 55, 1. and he that comes to me. John 6. 37. I will in no wise cast out. Let him that will, come, whosoever hath a mind let him come, let his sins be what they will be, for nature, number, and for continuance, yet come, I will in no wise cast thee off, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, & passeth by the transgression, of the remnant of his heritage, thou retainest not anger for ever, for thou delightest to show mercy, Micah 7. 18, 19   

Means to be used for the confirming, sealing, ratifying, and increasing of Grace, where it is began.  
We are to take notice, that the same means for the most part, that doth beget or breed grace in us, doth build up, nourish and increase the same; these forementioned means, are both the begetters and the nourishers, both the breeders and feeders of grace, viz. Hearing the Word preached, reading the Word, prayer, promises, good company, considerations, and choice experiences; all these are full to nourish and strengthen grace; also the Sacraments were instituted and set up for this end, to increase our grace, and assure us of the pardon of our sins, and the salvation of our souls; Baptism is a seal of our entrance into the Church of God, the Supper of the Lord is a seal of our continuance in the same; the former is a seal of our new birth, the latter is a seal of our spiritual growth●; in Baptism, some of our senses are exercised, in the Lord's Supper, all our senses are or aught to be exercised; this Ordinance is to be used often, baptism but once; for these is but one entrance into Christ, but there are many degrees of growth in him. Again, Consider that we are to wait on God in the use of means frequently; as we must not forsake our meals for our bodies, so we are not to neglect our meals for our souls, cut not off religious exercises too short, turn not these holy duties into matter of fashion or form, but come with an hungry appetite; and that thou mayst so do, dip thy morsels often in the sharp sauce, and sour herb of humiliation; look back and consider what once thou wast. Now, though we grant that the Ministry of the Word, whether Law or Gospel, is but as it were a dead letter, and profiteth little without the Spirit, 1 Cor. 3. 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase, We cannot prevail with the blind to see, nor with the deaf to hear, or with the dead to live; yet are we with diligence to attend upon God in the use of means, for though the means cannot work without the Spirit, the Spirit ordinarily will not work without the means; Man is a reasonable creature, therefore God proceedeth with him by way of arguments or means; but because man in some sense, is a dead creature, therefore he must work in him, that which he persuades him to; he commandeth us who are unwilling, to be willing, and then by the powerful efficacy of the Spirit, changing the will of unwillingness, he makes us willing; By the first he stands at the door and knocks, Rev. 3. 20. By the second, he opens the door, and comes in, and sups with us; He in his Word calls upon us, to will and to do; the Spirit of Christ worketh in us, both to will and to do; God in the Creation spoke the word, that such a creature should be, and therewithal sent forth a ●ower causing that creature to be according to his word. So whilst the Angel revealeth unto Mary the conception of Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowed her, whence it was with her according to his word, Luk. 1. 35, 38. So also whilst Jesus cried with a loud voice, John 11. 43, 44. Lazarus come forth; there proceeded from him a power whereby he came forth. So Luke 5 24. He commanded the man that was sick of the palsy, to take up his bed and walk, and conveys a power together with the command, whereby vers. 25 He did immediately arise, took up his bed, and went to his house and glorified God, So again, Ezek. 2. 1, 2. And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet▪ and I will speak unto thee, and the Spirit entered into me when he spoke, and set me upon my feet, and I heard him that spoke unto me, etc. But in the use of these and the like precious means, observe these cautions.  
1. Be sure that the means you make use of, be means of Gods own appointment, of his own providing, to which he hath annexed his promise.  
2. Consider, it is not the means singly that helps, but God's blessing upon the means, without which, the most likely means, bringeth nothing to pass.  
3. Consider his blessing is dispensed, not so much according to the means, as according to the uprightness of the heart, in the use of them.  
4. Consider, notwithstanding all this, we are to wait upon God in the use of them frequently, as it is God's way of conveyance; for where ordinary means may do, he will not use extraordinary.  
The walls of Jericho must fall, Josh. 6. from vers. 4. to ver. 15. but they must use the means, although but weak means, that we might not slight the means. So John 9 from the 1. verse to the 7th, when our Saviour opened the eyes of the man that was born blind, He made clay of spittle and anointed the eyes of the blind man, and bid him go wash in the pool of Siloam, and be went and washed, and came seeing. So the stone must be rolled from Lazarus grave, and Moses must sinite the rock to get water for the Israelites; all which are written for our learning, to engage us to be diligent in the use of means, and presents us with our duty, viz. that we should leave no means unattempted, for the accomplishment of what God hath promised; for the means are Gods pipes of conveyance; which if we cut off, how can we expect the things we want, which God hath promised to give? Christ did not discharge us from the debt of sin, to free us from the debt of service; but therefore he did pay the one, that we might wait upon him in the use of the other; he that withdraws himself from the promise, cannot long keep close to the precept, and he that keeps at a distance from the use of means, shall never attain the mercies conveyed to others therein.  
The Sacraments were instituted and set up for this very end, to increase and strengthen, seal and establish us; the Lord knew he had to deal with doubting, staggering, misgiving persons, and therefore he doth not only give the promise, his covenant and oath, for the confirmation of us, but to all these he annexeth his seal, the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper. Here I shall give the Reader a brief account of the sum and substance of what hitherto in this Treatise hath been presented, and so proceed, etc.  
We have begun with man's creation, and of his estate before he fell, & of the manner of his fall, and the subtlety of Satan therein, and of the miserable estate he fell into, and how he can never be saved, unless born again, renewed and restored; there are four Gates shut, and five exceptions made against him; there be amongst the Sons and Daughters of men, eighteen sorts, that shall not either see, nor enter into the kingdom of God; there be four strong reasons, why he will execute justice upon them; there are four sorts of changes, and but one of them spiritual and saving; Man is in misery, and unable and unwilling to help himself out, etc. Of the preparations or qualifications that we are to find in ourselves, before we lay hold on Christ and the promise; Conversion and Regeneration, Vocation and Repentance, are but four words to hold forth, as it were, one and the self same thing: Of the way step by step how the Lord in his ordinary dispensation in these gospel-days, doth lead a soul, as it were, by the hand, out of a state of nature into a state of grace; First, by enlightening the soul; Secondly, by calling him effectually; Thirdly, by enabling him to believe; Fourthly, by giving him the spirit of prayer, by which he prays for more light to see his sins, and then for pardoning mercy, and for purging mercy; Fifthly, the Lord doth cause the soul secretly to give itself up to God, and so he comes to surrender all its own supposed interest that he had in himself, unto God that made it, and unto Christ that hath dearly purchased it; then there follweth the mean● to be used, to breed and beget grace, and to convert the soul; First to keep close to grace-begetting Ordinances, viz. hearing the Word preached, reading the Scriptures, and frequent and earnest prayer; Secondly, to dwell much upon grace-begetting promises; Thirdly, to frequent the company of grace-begetting and soul-converting companions; Fourthly, to call to mind, and meditate upon grace-begetting considerations; Fisthly, to gather and to treasure up grace-begetting and soul-converting experiences, and so to be diligent in the use of many other means, for the confirming, sealing, and assuring the soul of salvation; these and many other subordinate branches, thou hast here presented, in a little room, and a few words, etc. Now to proceed a little farther, in this great work, and so to draw towards a close, let the Reader consider these things following, viz.  
1. If we remain in an unconverted estate, let us blame ourselves only; for the want of conversion is not in God, for he makes use of all means, and ways to convert us.  
2. We shall present the Reader with some of the principal hindrances of Conversion.  
3. Consider the sad and miserable condition of the unconverted.  
4. The trials of conversion, by which a man may know, whether he be converted, yea, or no  
5. The privileges, and benefits of all that are converted.  
6. Certain Objections answered, which some out of weakness, and others out of prejudice, may be apt to make against the foregoing discourse, and so I shall close up this Book.   

The want of Conversion i● not in God, but in ourselves, he makes use of all means and ways to convert us.  
1. Our conversion and salvation is not a thing impossible, for a new and living way is consecrated for us by Christ, through the vail, his flesh, and by his blood we may have boldness to enter into the Holiest, he hath borne our burden, he hath removed the impossibilities, and nailed to his Cross the hand-writing that was against us, Coll. 2. 14, 15. So that if any of us perish, it is for want of grace in us, not for want of satisfaction by the Redeemer: salvation is brought even to our doors, and thrust in as it were into our hands; we have Christ himself offered us, and pardon, life and salvation with him, we have God himself waiting to be gracious, and beseeching us to be reconciled to him, 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20. We have the Lords Ambassadors entreating us in his Name and stead; the Lord hath provided excellent and plentiful means, with promise upon promise of his presence with, and blessing upon us in the use of them, and if the Spirit make not these means effectual, it will not be long of him, but of ourselves, God himself presents and offereth us mercy, Prov. 1. 23. and continues his Ordinances; the Angels waits for the joy that is due to them upon our conversion; Ministers are preaching and praying for our conversion, godly friends and neighbours are praying and longing to see this work wrought in us, See Mr. Baxters Call to the unconverted, in the Preface; We study plainness of speech to make them understand, we come with serious piercing words, to make them feel, but they will neither understand nor feel; if the greatest matters would work with them, we should awake them, if the sweetest things would work, we should entice them, if the most dreadful things would work, we should affright them, if truth and certainty would take with them, we should soon convince them, if the God that made them, and the Christ that bought them, might be heard, the case would soon be altered with them, if Scripture might be heard, we should soon prevail, if the best and strongest reason might be heard, we should speedily convince them, if experience might be heard, even their own experience, the matter would soon be mended; yea if the conscience within them might be heard, the case would soon be better with them than it is, but if the dreadful God of Heaven be slighted, who then shall be regarded? If the blood of a Redeemer be made slight of, what then shall be valued? If the joys of Heaven is not worth the desiring, and the torments of Hell the avoiding, what shall we do for such souls as these & c? Now if after all these and the like means Man will not turn, it is not long of God that they are not converted, but of themselves; so that Man's destruction is of himself, James 1. 15. So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners, that he doubleth his commands and exhortations Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, Ezek. 33. 11. Again, it is the promise of God, that the wicked shall live, if they will but turn, nay, the Lord hath confirmed it to us by an oath, That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, See the forementioned place, Ezek. 33. 11. Nay farther, the Lord condescendeth to reason the cause with all unconverted sinners, as to ask them why they will die in their sins, See the forementioned place, Ezek. 33. 11. Compared with 2 Pet. 3. 9 The Lord is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, etc.   

Some of the principal hindrances of Conversion.  
1. The first Hindrance, is ignorance both of their own misery, and God's mercy; the kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of darkness, and himself the ruler of darkness, and the mist and blackness of darkness is reserved to him and his servants for ever, Judas 6, 13. compared with John. 3. 19 this is condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light: So that if the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world, hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them; but those that are converted, can truly say, we were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord, Ephes 5. 8.  
2. Hindrance of conversion is, men think it to be either an easy work, or a needless work.  
1. It cannot be an easy work: Jer. 13. 23. Can the Aethiopian change his skin, and the Leopard his spots, then may they that are accustomed to do evil, learn to do well.  
2. It is not a needless work, but one of the most needfullest works, without which we perish everlastingly in Hell, John. 3. 3. 5. Mat. 18. 3. except a man be born again, be cannot see the kingdom of God, and except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven:  
3. Hindrance, is either a total neglect, or a careless formal use of those ordinary means which God hath appointed, for the breeding and perfecting the work of conversion; if we will not eat, how can we live and grow? if we will not drink, how can we quench our thirst? if we will not wear , how can we be warm? if we will not sow and plant, how can we reap? shall we be industrious and neglect no means for the obtaining of natural things, and altogether remiss in the use of means for the obtaining of spiritual, that are far better? surely we ought to leave no means unattempted for the accomplishing of what God hath promised, seeing we have more commands and promises for the latter, than we have for the former.  
4. Hindrance is, men's not considering the joys of Heaven, and the torments of Hell, that so the love of the one might win them, or the fear of the other compel them to make use of the means, and improve their talon and time, for the obtaining of life and salvation, and the escaping of Hell and damnation; surely we ought to lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and to run with patience, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame, Heb. 12. 1, 2, 3.  
5. Hindrance is, false conceits, that they are converted already; which ariseth from some seeming change in an external conformity to the Gospel, which ariseth from the souls sight of fin, and sense of punishment, which leads him so far as to confess his fins, Mat. 27. 4. and vomi● it up, 2 Pet. 2. 20. and in some good measure, abstain from the external commission of it, and so reformeth its conversation; ignorance is taken away by illumination; pleasure in fin is abated, by sorrow for fin, boldness in finning is abated, by the fear of punishment: he may know the very time, ●he sermon, the book, the chapter, the verse, that were the means of doing this work, and therefore thinks it is truly done, and that he hath a saving change, and yet it may be but common preparation, or some common works, which many partake of that perish, etc.  
6. Hindrance, is, too deep a familiarity with bad company, Oh what a dangerous thing it is to live amongst such company, as will be still hindering, but never helping in the way to heaven, who can converse with defiled ones, and not be defiled? Psal. 106. 35. the people were mingled amongst the heathen, and learned their works. Psal. 119. 115. evil doers we must departed from, if ever we keep the commands of God, these are not grace-begetting, and soul-converting, but gracehindring, and soul-condemning companions.  
7. Hindrance, is their ignorance of the principles of Religion, their not being Catechised themselves, neither catechising their Families: so that the foundational truths, are for the most part Paradoxes and Riddles to them.  
8. Hindrance, is Delay; when men intent to become new men, and to live another life, and to leave sin, and to take another course, yet they delay and put off the time till the next year, and when that is come, to the last month of that year, and when that is come, to the last week of that month, and when that is come, to the last day of that week, and when that is come, to the last hour of that day, and when that is come, to the last minute of that hour, and so in the mean while they are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, as Heb. 3. 13. and so go on from folly to folly, until they are ripe for eternal misery: Oh! say they, we are yet young, and have daylight and time enough; we are yet in health and there is no such haste: and thus many are cut off, whilst they are purposing to return; and many thousand souls are lost, as it is to be feared, that once were purposed to have turned to God before they die, and all by delaying and continuing in sinning, till they have sinned themselves into a reprobate sense, and so they must perish everlastingly, by delaying to make use of their remedy, by not calling upon God whilst he was near, and seeking him whilst he might be found: See Isa. 55. 6. compared with Prov. 1. 24. 28. I might instance in many other hindrances, as hardness of heart, unbelief, love of this present evil world, the Differences amongst Professors; but I cannot speak particularly to them all, lest this Book should swell too big.   

Of the sad condition of all that are not Converted.  
THe longer men or women stay, or go on, in an unconverted estate, the greater is their sin, the harder is their cure, and the greater will be their punishment, etc. They make void as much as in them lieth, the great Counsel of God, and all the thoughts of his wisdom, in contriving such a way to advance his own glory, in the salvation of man; Yea, they make void all the purposes of God's mercy to them, in restoring and renewing them, and sending Christ to die for them; yea they do as much as in them lieth, make void the death of Christ, they make all his sufferings, and bloodshed, to be to no purpose. You deny him that which is his own, you deny him your hearts and souls, that which he hath made and redeemed; you deny him that which none can lay claim to, but himself; again they are cursed in their going out and coming in, in their basket and in their store, and in all they put their hands unto, they can do nothing truly pleasing to God, but are servants, and slaves to Satan, and led about as his captives at his will, and so remain in a continual danger of damnation, there being but a breath between them and Hell.   

Of the privileges, and benefits of all that are Converted  
THe Lord is their portion, and they are the Lords portion, Deut. 32. 9 what ever losses, crosses, troubles and trials, they may pass through here, all shall work for their good at the present, and they shall be freed from all troubles in time to come, there was joy in Heaven at their conversion, Luke 15. 10.  

1. Christ calls them his servants, John 12. 26.  
2. Again, he calls them his friends, John 15. 15.  
3. He calls them his brethren, Mar. 3. 34.  
4. He calls them his Jewels or treasure, Mal. 3. 17.  
5. He calls them his sons and daughters, 2 Cor. 6. 18.  
6. He calls them the Bride, the Lamb's wife, Rev. 21. 9  
7. He calls them coheirs with himself, Rom. 8. 17.   
And if all this be too little to express his heart to them, than he tells them, that the Father loveth them with the same love, (for the quality of it) wherewith he loveth Christ; what shall I say more? they have the glory of God to be their aim, the word to be their rule, the spirit to be their guide, the angels to be their guard, and the blessed promises to be their support, and as by virtue of their oneness with the first Adam, his sin was made theirs; so by virtue of their oneness with the second Adam, his righteousness is made theirs; nay farther, they have by virtue of converting grace, union with Christ, and so communion with the life and Spirit of Christ, with the death and sufferings of Christ, with the merits and victories of Christ, with the privileges and immunities, as Adoption, Sonship, etc.   

The trials of Conversion by which a man may know whether he be converted yea or no.  
LEt the Reader make a curious, narrow, impartial, diligent search into his own soul, and see what humility, what self-denial, what sin-abhorrancy, what love to Christ, what delight in his ordinances, what zeal for God's glory, what contempt of the world, what desiring after the society of the Saints, what sympathising in their afflictions; and if thou findest any impressions of grace, any spiritual work, any saving, savoury distinguishing operation upon thy soul, and heart, than the Spirit hath been there with his cure, and thou art as certainly born again, as thou wast born first; but these graces thus planted in the heart, at first are full of imperfections, there is some darkness with your light, some enmity with your love, much hardness of heart with your mourning for sin, and much worldly sorrow in your purest tears, much pride with your humility, much murmuring with your patience, and therefore great care is to be taken, in the laying down these trials, or marks of conversion, for as we are to put a difference, between gifts and grace, and internal and external marks and signs, so also we are to distinguish between those that are strong in grace, and those that are weak in grace, that have but little grace, and this will be of great use to Christians that are but of a lower form; new converts, having but little grace, yet they may know that little they have, though as yet they have not attained strength of grace, yet they may know the truth of grace in themselves, although they come short of strong believers, yet they shall know they go beyond the most shining hypocrite; for the least measure of grace, is better than the greatest measure of gifts▪ But we come to the trials of the new birth, by which a man may know whether he is born again, yea or no.  

1. He that is truly converted, doth desire the word and means of grace, 1 Pet. 2. 2.  
2. He is either willing, or willing to be made willing to do whatsoever the Lord doth command him, though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood, Gal. 1. 16.  
3. He is brought unto an unseined hatred of the whole body of sin, Rom. 7. 24. compared with, Philip. 3. 21.  
4. His greatest and hottest mournings and strive is against his inward pollution, his close, spiritual and secret sins, Psal. 19 12. compared with, Psal. 90. 8.  
5. He often mourns for the sins of others, and for the want of growth in himself, Lam▪ 16. & 3. 48.  
6. He doth love to be speaking of those great and saving truths, which his heart hath taken in, in the work of conversion.  
7. He doth begin to keep a watch over his own heart.  
8. He makes conscience of keeping every known command.  
9 He is willing to put himself upon the trial, and to have any Christian search him, and sometimes he entreats the Lord to search him. Psal. 139. 23. Lam. 3. 40.  
10. He that is born again, or truly converted, ha●h his soul renewed in its faculties and virtues, etc.   
These are such flowers of Paradise, that grows not in Nature's garden, until the new man was put on, and the party renewed in the spirit of his mind, until Christ was form in him; for these are pearls that are not to be found in the world's field: wherefore we shall speak something to each of them briefly; but before I proceed further, let me give the Reader this caution: Let not every one think he is not converted, unless he find these and the like characters of a true conversion in him, if he find but something of every thing, if it be but in the budding, in the breeding, in the beginning, his state may be good; for when he is a well grown Christian, these things will more and more clearly appear, at the first conversion a man hath as it were but the root of them, etc.  
1. He that is indeed born again, and so converted, doth desire the word and means of grace, 1 Pet. 2. 2. as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. There the apostle makes it a resemblance of a spiritual man; a man spiritually new born will desire after the means of grace, that he may grow in grace; by milk, is here meant the word of God, which is compared to milk, First because of the sweetness of it. Psal. 19 10. and Psal. 119. 103. Secondly because of the purity of it, it is without falsehood, Psal. 19 18. and 119. 140, and Thirdly because of the nourishing property thereof, 2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. When the Lord begets one by the immortal seed of his word, he teacheth him to rest upon the word of promise which endureth for ever, tendered in the Gospel; indeed though whole word of God is sincere milk whereby we grow, and the old and new Testament may be called the Breasts of consolation; but if we grow not, it is because we feed not, we play with the breast, etc.  
2. He that is indeed born again, he is either willing, or at least willing that the Lord should make him willing, to observe and do whatsoever the Lord doth command him, though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood, Acts. 9 9 Lord what will thou have me to do? How willing Paul was to lay down his first commission, & to take up another: So Psal. ●10. 3, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. They are willing to hear, speak Lord, for thy servant heareth; they are willing to do, Lord what wilt thou have me to do, Psal. 119. 5. Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes. Again David sets down another character of a godly man, Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord, and Paul after conversion speaks of himself, that his delight was in the Law of God, as concerning the inward man, So again in another Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will, thy Law is in my hear●; there was a principal within him agreeable to the precept without him, this is a clear demonstration of a new creature, though he may drive heavily, sometimes under vexing and lasting temptations.  
3. He that is effectually converted, he i● brought unto an unfeigned hatred of the whole body of sin, especially his beloved sins, that did most powerfully captivate him before, Col. 3. 7, 8. But now you put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, see 1 Corinth. 6. 11. compared with Titus 3. 3, 4, 5. etc. Nay further, he hath an unfeigned hatred of the whole body of sin, as it is the greatest evil in the world; sin is worse than hell, there may be good in punishment, but there can be no good in sin, it makes God hid his face from us, and shut out our prayers, Isa. 59 2. it is the cause of all wars, James 4. 1. it is the cause of all sickness, Deut. 28. In a word, sin is the cause of all misery, both temporal, spiritual, and eternal, therefore Daniel was content to be thrown into the den of Lions, rather than to sin, the three Children in the fire, Paul and Silas into the prison, and many Christians have chosen to embrace prisons, stakes, fire, and the hottest persecutions rather than sin, a converted person comes to see the weakness and wickedness of his own heart, he knows he cannot trust any member alone without a guard.  
4. He that is indeed converted may know it by this, viz. his greatest and hottest conflicts are against inward pollution, his close, spiritual, and secret sins, that are known only to God and himself; he doth accuse himself for that which no man can accuse him, he blames himself for that which no man can blame him, he judgeth and arraigneth himself for that which no man can judge him for, he makes a through and sound search, he knows Hypocrisy is spun of a fine thread, and is not discerned without diligent search: Again, he knows that one stab at the heart, though it be with a penknife, will kill a man, one little leak in a Ship will sink it, and one secret sin unrepented of, will damn a Soul, the least sin contains in it the nature of all sin; no sooner did one sin enter into Adam's heart but he had all sin in him.  
5. He often mourns for the sins of others, and for the want of more grace in himself, we read Jer. 13. 17. that the Prophet did weep in secret places for the sins of others; so in another place, mine eyes run down with tears, because men keep not thy laws▪ etc. and as for the sins of others, so for the want of more grace in themselves, viz. Isaiah 6. 5. I am a man of unclean lips said Isaiah. I abhor myself in dust and ashes said Job, Job. 42 6 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the knowledge of a man, said Augur, Pro. 30. 2. I am less than the least of all Saints said Paul, Eph. 3. 8. nay I have so little grace, that I am the greatest of Sinners, 1 Tim. 1. 15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.  
6. He doth dearly love to be ever now and then speaking of those great and saving truths, which his heart took in the work of conversion, he feeleth most savour of life in those necessary points which were instruments of this blessed change that there is made upon him, and upon these he feeds and delighteth, even on the inward life of spiritual things, and so he feedeth his hungry Soul, in hearing and reading, praying and conversing with Christians; he endeavours to learn something from ●very thing.  
7. He doth begin to keep a watch over his own heart, eyes, and tongue and feet, etc.  
1. He keeps his heart with Solomon's diligence, Prov. 4. 24.  
2. He keeps his eyes with Jobs Covenant, Job. 31. 1.  
3. He keeps his tongue with David's bridle, Psalm 39 7.  
4. He keeps his foot with Solomon's guard, Eccles. 5. 1. In a word, we should not trust any Member, without its Keeper, for there doth and will remain, even in the converted themselves, the remnants of corruption, a body of death, a rebelling flesh, and thi● will be still tempting and draw them from God, so that the whole way to Heaven is a continual warfare; there be enemies that will dispute every foot of the way, there is no going a step forward, but as the ship doth in the Sea, by cutting its way through the waves: there is Self our greatest enemy, and there is Satan and the world, and almost all that we meet with in it, will prove hindrances in the way to Heaven, therefore keep up your watch with your loins girt, and your lamps burning.  
8. He that is truly converted makes conscience of keeping every known duty or command, in respect of the general bent and frame of his heart he doth subject himself to Christ freely, universally, and constantly, and unweariedly, at least in desire▪ if it be not so, he could wish it were so, he endeavours & prays to have it so, he considereth, that Christ did not discharge us from the debt of sin, to free us from the debt of service, but therefore did he pay the one, that we might be able to return the other. Rom. 8. 12. Therefore we are Debtors not to the flesh, 1 John 2. 5. Who so keepeth his word, in him is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him; there is no known sin but he labours to avoid, and no known grace but he longs to have, and no known duty but he labours to perform.  
9 He is willing to put himself upon the trial, whether he be converted or no, he is willing to have any Christian to search him, and sometimes he entreats the Lord to search him, he loves those company best that deals most plainly with him, he carefully and continually searcheth himself, and goes down with light into his heart, he is jealous of his own heart, he doubts of none more than himself, suspects most his own graces, and the witness of his own spirit, lest Satan shine like an Angel of light, and say it is the testimony of God's spirit, he is content to have his spiritual estate tried by any, not only by a searching Ministry in public, but by any private Friends; he opens his heart freely for others to ask, and giveth answers of his hope with weakness and fear, his ears are open to the whole word▪ he believes the threaten and trembles, he fears also the promises, lest he comes short, he hath found out the hell in his heart, and feels the flames of it in secret, he hath found an emptiness in himself, and an enmity to all good, he is poor in spirit, which appears by his continual complaints, and importunate prayers, he desireth not to be found in his own righteousness, but in Christ's righteousness, all the rest he accounts as dung.  
10. He that is born again, or truly converted, hath his soul renewed in its faculties and virtues, when the Lord made man in his own image Gen. 1. 26, 27. Gen. 9 6. which image of God in man consisteth not in any bodily shape, but in the nature of the soul, as it is a spiritual and immortal substance, endued with three faculties▪ Understanding, Will and Memory, as the Deity hath three, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, this image of God in man, by his fall was defaced, which by regeneration is again restored and renewed.  
1. In its faculties. 2. In its senses. 3 In its virtues.  

1. In its faculties,  
1. Understanding.  
2. Will.  
3. Memory▪   
1. The Understanding, that by the fall was darkened, is now again by regeneration ●nlightened, Ephes. 5. 8. Compared with Ephes. 1. 18.  
2. The Will that was enthralled, is now renewed, by which it doth choose the good, and reject the evil.  
3. The Memory, that since the fall of Man would forget the good that it should have retained▪ and retain the evil that it should forget, is now restored, so as to treasure up spiritual things, and let slip carnal things.  
The Conscience, which is God's Deputy in man, that did cease to do his Office being seared with an hot Iron, 1 Tim. 4. 2. is now awakened, and sits as Judge overall your Actions, accusing in one thing, excusing in another; now if Conscience he not a Bridle, it will be a Whip, if it be not a Curb, i● will be a Scourge, if you will not hear the Warnings you shall feel the Lashes▪ if it doth not restrain from Sin by admonition, it will put u● to pain in sin by Contrition.  
The Senses also they come to be exercised, Heb. 5. 14. to discern both good and evil▪ the Sense of Hearing is frequently exercised in hearing the joyful sound; and the Sense of Seeing is exercised in beholding the wonderful works of God; and the Sense of Smelling is exercised, smelling a sweet savour in Christ, and all his ways; and so for the rest of the Senses, they are ever now and then exercised about spiritual things.  
The Virtues of the Soul, or graces of the Spirit, they begin also to be employed about matters of great concernment, viz. Faith endeavours to believe, and lay hold on God for what he hath promised; Hope anchors upon the promise, and waits with patience for a supply of all its wants; Love is exercised in loving of God▪ his Ordinances and People, and sometimes in doing good to his enemies; Prudence i● a ver●●● whereby we foresee how things ar● to be done▪ in respect of time, place, and m●nner, and what will be the event of each business which is undertaken▪ prudence in our hearts to guide our thoughts, and in our mouths, to order our speeches; it is prudence in the evils of sin to choose none, and in the evils of punishment to choose the lesser, 2 Sam. 24. 12.  
Another Virtue which gins to be exercised, is Temperance, which moderates our desires, and brings the Appetite under a rule of reason; then Constancy or Perseverance is another Virtue, whereby a man is resolved to persevere to the end in the knowledge, profession, and worship of God; Justice is another Virtue, which giveth every man his due, it binds us to give due to God, to our Parents, and Kindred, and to exercise Verity and Equity in all that we do; lo what a wonderful change is here! yet notwithstanding all this, the Soul is the same after conversion as it was before, and so it shall be after the resurrection the same: there being the same faculties, only thus changed, the Soul, is renewed and restored to its primitive institution, and so its purity and blessedness is or shall be greater than ever it was before, etc.  
Thus the Regenerate doth partake of another begetting, of another birth, of another nature, that a man should be the same, and not the same, the same man for Body, yet as different in quality, as if another soul did dwell in the same body; he of a lion, i● become a lamb, of a wolf, a sheep, of a Saul, a Paul, of a persecuter, a friend of the persecuted; here is a blessed change indeed, Wouldst thou know whether thou art regenerated, art thou one whom God hath enlightened? art thou one whom he▪ hath called? art thou one who art washed, purged, renewed, sanctyfied? examine thy heart throughly, deceits lie low, and false evidence is the fruit of a slight search; Art thou one whose heart is taken with Christ▪ when God delights in us, thereupon we come to delight in him, God knows us, and thereupon we come to know him, John. 10. 14. God apprehends us, and thereupon we come to apprehend him, he chooseth us, and thereupon we choose him, he loves us, and therefore we love him▪ 1 John. 4. 19 his heart is taken with us, and thereupon we come to be taken with him: take thy evidences from the carriage of thy spirit, neither at the best, nor at the worst, but the middle way, which is most thy frame; for if thou look upon thyself at the worst, thou mayst be discouraged, if at the best, thou mayst be deceived, neither judge of thyself by particular actions, but look upon the universal frame and ben● of thy spirit, art thou heavy laden with the weight of thy offences? dost thou groan under the yoke and tyranny of manifold temptations, Come unto me, saith Christ, I will refresh the, Mat. 11. 28. Dost thou thirst after the ways of grace, lo I am the living spring, saith Christ, Come drinks, h●r● is my blood that was shed for many for the remission of sins? are the wounds of thy transgressions so deep, that they cannot be searched, or so old, that they corrupt and purify? lo here is the good Samaritan, that will either eind them up, or power in oil and wine: are there any seeds of true life began? is there any motion of repentance in thy soul? will thy pulse of remorse heat a little? hast thou but a touch of sorrow, a spark of contrition, a grain of faith, a drop of self denial? surely he that hath began this good work, will finish it? Philip. 1. 6. Surely he will more and more inform thy mind, conform thy will, reform thy life, and transform the whole man into the likeness of the heavenly pattern, a man that is born again may be weak in respect of life, in whom the spirit breath● though feintly, whose pulse beats but feebly, whose heart pants after Christ but weakly, in whom Christ, who is the wisdom of the father, shines, though through many clouds very dimly, who indeed receives Christ and his free g●●●●, though with a shaking hand, who hopes that Christ will not cast him off, though not sure he will take him up, he hath a desire to fear the name of the Lord: h● hath a willing mind, 2 Cor. 8. 12, and this is acceptable with the Lord, a will to obey the Lord, is all that a blessed Paul can sometimes find, Rom. 7. 18. One may be a babe in Christ though carnal. 1 Cor. 3. ●. and I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, bu● as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ; or as some rendereth the word, as unto sucklings in Christ. To closeup this, consider, one drop of water is for the quality, the same as the whole Ocean Sea, one grain of gold, is as pure gold as a whole mountain of gold, the least bud by the side of a great tree, draws sap from the same root that the greatest limb or branch doth; So the least measure of grace, is as true grace, as the greatest measure; it is as pure for the quality, though not so much for the quantity. Our salvation depends upon the truth of grace, our consolation depends upon the degree● of grace.   

Certain Objections answered, which some out of weakness, and others out of prejudice, may be apt to make against the foregoing Discourse.  
Qu. If a people refuse to embrace the doctrine, and practise the discipline of the true Religion, whether they are not to be forced to receive the one, and practise the other, yea or no?  
Ans: Religion is to be taught, not to be forced, and that for these reasons;  
1. Because Christ and his Apostles never used any force in propagating of religion; not the sword, but the Word and Prayer, were the instruments used to propagate christianity▪  
2. If it be not in our own power to believe, till it be given us from above, how can it be in the power of any other to make us believe? how can they forceus to take that which is not given, and to profess that which we have not received?  
3. Religion is the free gift of God, which as it is freely given, so it must be freely received, without constraint; for the will cannot be forced.  
4. As he is not to be esteemed an heretic, or an Idolater, that is forced thereto, neither is he to be esteemed religious that is compelled to embrace it.  
5ly. The forcing of Religion hath been the cause of much mischief, viz. murders▪ disorders and changes in States; Therefore the wise Romans, saith Mr. Woll●bius, p. 332 permitted the jews, after they were subdued, to use freely their own Religion: But men are to be warned, and exhorted to make use of the means. If the acts of hearing, reading, praying, meditation, conference, are means by which Religion is both begot and nourished, to neglect the use of these and the like means, is to neglect our own salvation, etc.  

Q. Whether liberty of conscience be, as some say, a cursed toleration, or of divine institution, yea, or no?  
An. If under a pretence of liberty of conscience, men shall own any other God, or preach any other Christ, or Gospel, than what is written for our learning, or press people to walk by any other rule, this undoubtedly is a cursed toleration, and to be lamented. But for a people that doth hold the head, and agree in the doctrinal part of Religion holding all to the essence of substantial truths, if they differ somewhat in the discipline, how, and when, and in what places this God is to be worshipped; here in the strong must bear with the weak, and give the newborn babes leave to feed upon milk, and the child to speak and think as a child, whilst the young man is grabling with gainsayers, and the old man going on to perfection; and thus, seeing the one cannot see by the others eyes, Col. 2. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; Nevertheless, whereunto ye have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same things, Phil. 3. 15. 16. If in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Uniformity in discipline, as well as in doctrine, is much to be desired, and the want of it to be lamented, and the accomplishment of it to be endeavoured, by all that are truly convicted.   

Qu. What is, or aught to be the ground of commanion and fellowship in the church of Christ?  
An. Union: For without union there is no communion or fellowship; a Christian having Christ form in him, comes by degrees to see his union with him, and from that union with Christ, as the ground and foundation, desires to join himself in fellowship with the people of Christ, that he may inquire in his temple, and behold his glory, and enjoy the communion of Saints, which is a great part of ou● comfort on earth: See Psal. 27. 4. compared with 1 John 1. 3.   

Qu. Whether there be any preparatory work required of men and women before conversion: and if so, what it is?  
An: According to the ordinary dispensation of God, the soul is made sensible of sin, and the wages thereof death, curse and hell, but all the preparatory works before conversion, may be reduced to these few heads.  
1. Revelation of its finful and lost estate, so far as to acknowledge himself a lawful captive.  
2. Revelation of Christ in some small measure, in and by whom there is a possibility of obtaining mercy.  
3. The soul is resolved to wait on God in the use of means, for the obtaining of mercy.  
But let the Reader take notice, that whatsoever preparations and qualifications there is required, they are first wrought in us by the finger of God, who worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure: man is merely passive in the first work of conversion or regeneration, he could not so much as really wish it; but in all the rest man is a fellow-worker with God, he is the instrument, though not the cause of his own salvation: viz. the Lord speaks, and he hears, the Lord calls, and he answereth the Lord draws, and he comes, the Lord commandeth, and he in some measure obeyeth; man is not like a stock when he is called, for he is the fit subject of vocation, seeing he is a reasonable creature, yet his reason helps him nothing to his vocation, till it be enlightened, and so the mind is changed, and the stony heart softened, Eze. 36.   

Q. Whether there be not a freewill remaining in all the posterity of Adam?  
An. A man's will remains free, but it is to evil only, the imagination of the heart is only evil, Gen. 6. 5 Man's will is not free, until it be by grace made free: yet poor man would be like the Spider, spinning out a thread of his own, and so think to climb up to heaven by a thread spun out of his own bowels; whereas we are not sufficient of ourselves to think that is good as of ourselves, but all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3 5.   

Q. Whether Adam by his fall did totally lose every good thing that there was in him, yea, or no?  
An: By original sin our natural gifts are corrupted, but supernatural gifts are utterly lost; but he and all his posterity retain some footsteps and impressions, though not of grace, yet of gifts, he did not utterly lose the knowledge of God, nor did his posterity, for that is learned by the things that are made, Rom. 1. 20. Nor did he utterly lose the fear of God, for Adam confessed, Gen: 3. that when he heard the voice of God, he was afraid: there remains some scraps of wisdom, by which he acts prudently, as to worldly affairs, Luke 16. 8. Again, he walks toward his fellow-creatures in the performance of certain acts of duty and charity, as they stand related to him, and his light or conscience, excusing or accusing, according to his acting.   

Q. How came the sin of Adam, being but one man, to be made the sin of so many men, yea of all, seeing they eat not the apple?  
An: The sin of Adam in eating the forbidden fruit, is made ours by participation and imputation.  
1. By participation: Adam being a public person, all his posterity was contained in his loins, and so sinned in his sinning, Rom. 5 12.  
2. By imputation: the Lord doth impute the legal guilt thereof unto his whole posterity descending from him by way of ordinary generation, Rom. 5. 18 19 compared with-1 Cor. 15. 22.   

Q. How could Christ, being but one, make satisfaction for the sins of so many?  
An: How could Adam being but one infect so many with original sin? the second Adam was as public a person as the first, and as well able to sanctify, as the first to putrify: and farther, though Christ was but one, yet he was such a one as was greater and better than all, and so able and sufficient to satisfy for all, and to redeem all, for the blood of such an one as Christ the son of God, was of such an infinite value and price, that it did surmount and surpass in dignity and worth all the souls of the world, and his sufferings and merits were a sufficient satisfaction, if intended and to that end, for to save so many worlds of men as there is men in the world; for all things besides God came from nothing, and are in themselves nothing: It is true, God calleth himself I am, Exod. 3. 14. We are but created results of God, bits of dependencies upon him, we are of yesterday, little branches budding from our mother nothing, by the alone will and pleasure of God, Isa. 40. 15. 17. Behold all nations are before him as a drop of a bucket, as the small dust of the balance, as a very little thing, as nothing, as less than nothing, even as vanity, etc.   

Q. What are we to understand by Election and Reprobation which are mentioned in the Scriptures, and so many people contending about?  
An. Gods eternal purpose according to the counsel of his will, for his own glory he hath fore-ordeined whatsoever comes to pass, voluntarily to save some through Christ: but others being left to themselves in their own fin and misery to perish eternally; and albeit God worketh most freely, and according to his good pleasure, yet neither have the Elect any just cause to boast, nor the Reprobate to complain: for to the one undeserved grace was bestowed, and on the other deserved punishment is inflicted. Again, consider, that as predestination is a part of God's providence: so is Reprobation; for as God by his providence hath ordained some to life eternal, so by that same providence, he was pleased to suffer some to fall away from that happiness: they are altogether foolish, who acknowledge election, and deny reprobation, because the Scripture reaches, that there is a reprobation as well as election, Isa. 41. 9 I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away, Mal. 1. 3. Jacob have I loved, and I have hated Esau, Rom. 9 18. He will have mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth, Rom. 11. 7. The election hath obtained it, and the rest have been hardened, 1 Thes. 5. 9 God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to salvation, 2 Tim. 2. 20. Vessels to honour, and to dishonour, Judas vers. 4. For there are certain men crept in which were before of old ordained to condemnation. So that we may learn from these Scriptures, that if Christ showeth a people mercy, it is fr●e and mere mercy, if he doth not show them mercy he doth them no wrong, Rom. 9 15, 16.   

Q. Then Election seemeth to be the cause of salvation, and Reprobation the cause of damnation?  
An. Election and Reprobation are not in any sense the causes of salvation and damnation, but Christ is the proper and meritorious cause of salvation, and Sin the proper and meritorious cause of damnation; election and reprobation, they are but precedent acts or decrees, and the causes of salvation and damnation; they come in between the decrees and the execution thereof. If it be demanded, Why the Potter out of the same lump makes vessels of such different condition? It is answered, because there be different uses of those vessels in the house. If again it be demanded, Why out of one piece of the same lump a vessel of honour is made, and a vessel to dishonour? It is answered because itso pleased the Potter. O the unlimited Sovereignty of the being of beings. how unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out, Rom. 11. 33.   

Q. Whether Christ hath died for all men, and tasted death for every man, 2 Cor. 5. 15. 1 Tim. 2. 6. as these Scriptures seem to affirm?  
An: The word all hath many restrictions in Scripture, and so hath the word every man; as to instance, the word all is sometimes restrained in Scripture to the Lords peculiar people, John 12. 32. Christ (saith he) will drsw all men to him, that is, all men that the father gave him: Jo. 6. 45. Again, we read They shall be all taught of God, not all the world sure, but all God's people. Again, Acts 2. 7. I will power out my Spirit upon all flesh, this place cannot be meant of all the wicked. Again we read, 1 Thess. 2. 15. They please not God, and are contrary to all men, that is, all good men. Again we read, Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, that is, of all wicked men: So we see the word all is taken variously: and when as it is said he tasted death for every man, it is to be taken for some of all kindreds, tongues and people. As to instance, Cant. 3. 8. Every man had his sw●rd on his thigh: So Micah 4. 4. Every man shall sit under his vine: So ● Cor. 4. 5. Every man shall have praise of God. Now let us consider, every money in the world had not a sword to wear, nor a vine to sit under, neither shall every man have praise of God: much more might be said to this, but this point is fully deba●ed, and answered by many precious Christians, whose books are extant.   

Q. How can they have hope to believe, whom God hath decreed shall not believe?  
An. We are according to ordinary dispensation to look at all living under the gospel, to be capable of believing, and in the judgement of charity, for aught we know, elected; and it is the duty of every one, to whom the object of faith is propounded, to believe: and it is the duty of every believer, to believe, that he is elected. Again, God together with the object of faith, tenders us means, so far sufficient to the begetting of faith, as leaveth us without excuse; we love our unbelief, and resist this means of believing, John 1. 11. He came to his own and they received him not. John 5. 40. And you will not come to me that ye might have life. If we look on God with a legal eye, so the least sinner is uncapable; but if we look at him with an evangelical eye, so the greatest sinner is capable of mercy. Abraham becometh a father, and Sarah a mother, by overcoming such temptations as arose from his dead body, and the deadness of her womb. Again, let us consider, though the decree be absolute, yet the dispensation of the decree in the gospel is conditional, Whosoever believeth shall be saved, John 3. 16. compared with Rev. 3. 20. Again, who dare say that God hath decreed that he should not believe? This decree is a secret thing, and secret things belong to God, and revealed things to us: a man may know he is elected, when he hath made his calling and election sure; but no man can say he is reprobated, till he is given up to a reprobate sense. We read in many places of Scripture, that it is the duty of every one to believe, and we find in many other places of Scripture, that God is the author of faith, which is wrought in our hearts by his mighty power, so that without him we cannot believe.   

Q. Now, why doth the most just and righteous God command all to believe, and promise salvation to them that do believe, and threaten damnation to all that do not believe▪ seeing it is not in man's power to believe?  

Ans For these Five Reasons:  
1. That he might by means of those promises and threats, work us unto that which by nature we are averse unto, 2 Cor. 5. 11. 20. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us, etc.  
2. That the sons and daughters of men might appear more inexcusable, when neither promises nor threatming will move them to embrace free mercy, Acts 13 46. 51. and Acts 18. 6.  
3. That the grace of God might as well appear in giving us power to believe, as in giving Christ, and in him forgiveness of sins to be believed, Rom. 9 16. Rom. 11. 5. 6.  
4. That we might apply ourselves unto God, in the use of means appointed by him for the working of faith in us, Isa. 55. 3. John 6. 27.  
5. That we might search, and by searching find in the covenant of grace, matter of free conveyance of power to believe whatsoever is required to be believed, Rom. 10. 17. John. 5. 39▪ Rom. 4. 16.    

Qu. Whether there: be not a light in every man, which if improved and walked up to, would lead us to the gate of heaven, if not into heaven, yea or no?  
An▪ God doth give to every man some talon or talents, which if people did improve, should be increased, and the party much advantaged, etc. the same Lord doth give to some natural talents, as wisdom, wealth, a●t, etc. and to others spiritual talents or gifts, as to pray, prophesy, in erpret, etc. and God may justly condemn men for not improving what he gives them, we read that the heathen that had but the very light of nature, Rom 1. and 2. chapters, their walking not up to that, left them without excuse: but withal consider, that not to mind the light within him, so as to improve that and all other talents given him, is enough to damn him, yet the improvement thereof is not sufficient to save him: the Law that every man hath broken, must have a perfect, personal, perpetual, universal obedience, or else it leaves us under the curse, and all our improvements cannot purchase the pardon of one sin; If the stung Israelites had made a medicine of the best herbs in the wilderness, and a plaster of all the soverein ingredients in the whole world, and applied it with mountains of prayers, and seas of tears, yet this would not have helped them, if withal they did not look upon the brazen serpent, and all because that was God's way of healing, etc. So now God's way of saving, is not by or for the improvement of light, but by the obedience of Christ for us, and his righteousness imputed to us: and therefore in Scripture we read, that our salvation is attributed all to grace, Titus 3. 7 Rom. 3. 24. Rom. 4. 5. Isa. 43. 23, 24, 25. All our best and choicest performances are but gilded sins, we can do nothing which is truly, really and substantially good, no not so much as think a good thought, 2 Cor. 3. 5. Neither are we able to understand as we ought, 1. Cor. 2. 14. Neither able to will any thing that is good, Philip. 2. 13. Neither able to begin a good work, Philip. 1. 6. Neither able to perfect it when it is begun, Isa. 26. 12. Rom. 7. 18. So that in all our improvements there is still imperfection, something polluted, so that our most Spiritual duties are not wound up to command they are all tainted with disproportion to rule, and be-leopard with spots, so that it is in vain to expect a bed, or rest in the bar●en wilderness of our own performances, Isa. 28. 20. This bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering is narrower than that a man can wrap himself in it. Isa. 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire, walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled, this shall ye have of my hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow; Our own righteousness is called a monstrous rag; a rag, & therefore cannot cover us▪ monstrous, and therefore if it should cover us, it would but cover filth with filth: Isa. 30. 1. They cover, but not with the covering of my spirit, that they might add sin to sin: that is, the sin of their own righteousness, to the sin of their unrighteousness, they cover a blot with a blot, add sin to sin, dung to dung.   

Q But how doth it more particularly appear that our acceptation, salvation, and glorification, etc. is purely, clearly and only of grace, and nothing but grace?  
Ans. Election is the election of grace, and according to the good pleasure of his will, Eph. 1. 5.  
Vocation is also of grace, 2 Tim. 1. 9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ▪ etc.  
Regeneration is of Gods own will, James 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth.  
Faith is also the free gift of God, Philip. 1. 29.  
Justification is freely by grace, Rom. 3. 24.  
Forgiveness of sins is according to the riches of his grace, Eph: 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace.  
Eternal life also is the gift of God, Rom. 6. 23.   

Queen If these and the like precious things be only of grace, without works, then in what respect are good works necessary?  
An. Good works are necessary,  

1. in respect of God.  
2. in respect of ourselves.  
3. in respect of others.   
1. Works are good in respect of God.  

1. to show our obedience.  
2. to glorify his name.  
3. to testify our thankfulness.  
4. to beautify his gospel.   
1. To show our obedience: Rom. 6. 16. To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. See John 8. 34. compared with 2 Pet. 2. 19  
2. To glorify his name, Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven, 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having your conversation honest among the gentiles, that when as they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. See Thess. 1. 12.  
3. To testify our thankfulness, when we consider, that we ourselves, together with the residue of mankind, lay equally in the guilt and pollution of Adam's sin: he freely gave unto us so excellent a being after his own Image, leaving our fellow sinners unto misery, from all eternity he appointed his son to descend as low as hell to fetch us from thence, and to ascend up as high as heaven to carry us up thither: this is the great and glorious cause of thanksgiving, saying in these or the like words, Psal. 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? Whatsoever we are, we are by him, whatsoever we have, we have received from him, whatsoever we are or have, we own to him, Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him are all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen.  
4. Good works are necessary to beautify the Gospel, Philip. 1. 27. Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ. And in the 2 Col. 9 13. there were a people commended fortheir professed sibjection to the gospel: surely unless we maintain and keep up good works in our conversation, we walk unworthy of God, Col. 1 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruit failin every good work, etc. Nay farther, if we are negligent in obeying, we walk unworthy of our calling, Eph. 4. 1. I beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, Tit. 2. 10. that we might adorn the doctrine of God out Saviour in all things; for indeed an holy conversation is the end of our election, Eph. 1, 4. compared with John 15. 16. Again, it is the end of our redemption, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19 compared with 2 Cor. 5. 15. Nay farther, it is the end of our vocation, 1 Pet. 1. 15. compared with 1 Thess 4. 7. Lastly, a holy conversation is the end of our new creation, Eph. 2. 10. We are created in christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained before that we should walk in them. So much for the first of these. Good works are necessary in respect of God, to show our obedience, to glorify his name, to testify our thankfulness, and to beautify his gospel, etc.  
2. Good works are necessary in respect of ourselves,  

1. As it is the way of conveyance of mercy to us.  
2. To declare and manifest our sincerity.  
3. This is the way to have a being, and a well-being.  
4. This is the way to make our calling and election sure.   
1. They are necessary in respect of ourselves, as they are the pipes of conveyance of both the apprehension and application of mercy to us: See these Scriptures, Psal. 50. 23. To him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God. Psal. 107. 43. Who so is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. John 14, 21. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 2 Cor. 1. 12. For this is our rejoicing, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation among you.  
2. They are necessary to clear and manifest our sincerity, both to ourselves and others; to ourselves, as they spring from a right principle, and are regulated by a pure rule, and done to a good end, 1 Tim. 1. 5. compared with 1 Cor. 10. 31, &c. to others, they know a t●ee by its fruits, they know where faith is by its works, and where love is by its effects, 1 John. 1. 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth, so 2 Cor. 8. 7. 8.  
3. They are necessary as to our being and well being, Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Mat. 16. 27. He will reward every man according to his works.  
4. This is the way to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1. 5. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be administered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  
3. Good works are necessary in respect of others, Titus 3. 8. they that have believed in Christ, must be careful to do good works, for these things are good and profitable to men, in these four-sold respects,  

1. To stop the mouths of wicked men.  
2. To increase the joy of the Lords people.  
3. To win others to the embracing of the Gospel.  
4. For an example of virtue.   
1. To stop the mouths of wicked men, who will condemn sin in a Professor, although they will approve of it in themselves, 1 Pet. 217. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: this made wicked Saul say to David, 1 Sam. 24. 17. Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good for evil.  
2. To increase the joy of the Lords people, Col. 2. 5. for though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. So again the second Epistle of John, vers. 4. I rejoiced greatly, saith John, that I found of thy children walking in truth. Surely it is a great encouragement to one Christian to see the forwardness of another in the ways of well doing.  
3. To win others to the embracing of the gospol, 1 Pet. 3. 1, 2. that they may be won by the conversation, whilst they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear, etc. A man doth teach by his conversation, as well as by his doctrine.  
4. Good works and an holy conversation are good in respect of others, for an example of Virtue, Joh. 13. 15. I have done this good work to give you an example, said our Lord Christ; Again we read, Thes. 1. 7. So that ye were examples to all that believe: And indeed each Officer in the Church should walk so, as to be a good example to the Flock; there is ateaching by Example as well as by Doctrine. See Phil. 3. 17. By all which we may see that good works are necessary, in respect of the Lord which doth command them, and of ourselves that doth them, and of others that behold them: although there is no man saved for his good works, yet there is none saved without them. Many other Arguments might begiven to engage us to be rich in good works: to instance in few, and so to close this Answer to this Question, consider then, (1.) That all the commands of God to walk holy, are but as so many persuasions to persuade us to be happy, Deut. 5. 29. That it might go well with us and our Children. (2.) Because Christians are the salt of the Earth, the light of the world, a City set upon a Hill that cannot be hid, Mat. 5. 13, 14. (3.) Seeing that death and judgement, and the end of this life and world is at hand, 2 Pet. 3. 11, etc. (4.) There is no condemnation to those that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, Rom. 8. 1. (5.) This is the way to have God's blessing upon all we set our hand unto, Psal. 1. 3.   

Qu. You have here presented us with our Duty and the benefits and privileges that will redound to us if we obey, but how shall we be enabled to do these things? Jer. 10. 23. the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps; and Saint Paul tells us from the Lord, that we are not sufficient as of ourselves to think so much as one good thought, and that it is God that worketh both to will and to do, etc.  
Answ. Strength to perform any duty to exercise any Grace, to subdue any Lust, or resist any Temptation, to bear any Affliction, etc. is derived only from the Lord, one of these three ways to the Soul.  
1. Consider, That either he hath already before hand, as it were, enabled us to do the thing commanded, by giving us a Talon, or Talents, 1 Cor. 12. 8, 9, 10. Rom. 12. 6, Mat. 25. 15. to 28.  
2. Let us consider, That many times the Lord conveys a power together with the command, to enable us to do the thing commanded: So when he bid Lazarus come forth of the Grave: so when he commanded the man that was sick of the palsy to take up his Bed and walk, Lu. 5. 24, 25. So again, Ezek. 2. 1, 2. And he said unto me, Son of Man stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee, and the spirit entered into me when he spoke, and set me upon my feet, and I heard him speak unto me.  
3. If we find no power already given us before the command, neither any power conveyed to us, together with the command; then in the next place, we are to bring the command to the Promise, and so to seek (for) by Prayer, the blessing of the Promise, that we may be enabled to do the Duty of the Precept. To instance in a few cases for all the rest,  
It is man's duty to believe, Mar. 1. 15. 
Precept. Promise. Prayer.   
Believing is Gods free gift, Ephes. 2. 8.  
This puts the Soul upon praying for it, I believe, help my unbelief, Mar. 9 24.  
It is man's duty to wash and be clean, Is. 1. 
Precept.   
It is God's promise to sanctify and cleanse 
Promise.  us, Ezek. 36. 25.  
The Soul seeing its duty, and God's promise, 
Prayer.  prays, Wash me, and I shall be clean, Psal. 51. 2.  
It is man's duty to repent, Acts 17. 30. 
Precept. Promise.   
The promise holds forth repentance, as the gift of God, Acts 5. 31. 2 Tim. 2. 25.  
Prayer sues it out, Turn thou me and I shall 
Prayer.  be turned, Jer. 31. 18.  
It is required of man as his duty to make him 
Precept.  anew heart, Ezek. 18. 31.  
It is God's promise to give a new heart. Ezec. 
Promise.  36 26.  
Create in me a new heart O God, and renew 
Prayer.  a right Spirit within me, Ps. 51. 10.  
It is man's duty to love God, Mat. 22. 37. 
Precept. Promise.   
It is God's promise to circumcise the heart to love him, Deut. 30. 6.  
The Lord direct your hearts into the love 
Prayer.  of God, 2 Thes. 3. 5.  
It is man's duty to fear God, Deut. 10. 12. 
Precept. Promise.   
It is God's promise to put his fear into our 
Precept. Promise.  hearts, jer. 32. 40.  
Prayer seeks for it, Psal. 86. 11. Unite my 
Prayer.  heart to fear thy name.  
It is man's duty to draw near to God, jaws 
Precept.  4. 8.  
It is Christ's promise to draw men unto him, 
Promise.  john 12. 32.  
Prayer falls in suitable herunto, Can. 1. 4. Draw 
Prayer.  me, we will run after thee.  
It is man's duty to walk in God's Statutes, 
Precept.  Psal. 119. 4,  
It is God's promise to enable men so to do, 
Promise.  Ezek. 36. 27.  
O that my ways were directed to keep thy 
Prayer.  statutes, Psa●. 119. 5.  
It is man's duty to be strong in the Lord, 
Precept.  Ephes. 6. 10.  
It is God's promise to make him strong, Psal. 
Promise.  29. 11.  
Prayer falls in, O give thy strength to thy 
Prayer.  Servant, Psal. 86. 16.  
It is man's duty to draw near to, but not to 
Precept.  departed from God, Heb. 3▪ 12.  
It is God's promise to his people that they 
Promise.  shall not departed from him, Jer. 32 40.  
O let me not wander from thy commandments, 
Prayer.  Ps. 119. 10.  
Let the Reader consider, that to each precept there is a promise, and to some precepts there are two or three promises: the one to enable us the other to reward us, and all to encourage us to do our duty: the commands in Scripture doth not so much show what the Creature can do, but what he should do, yet not by his own natural power, but by his assisting and enabling grace. In a word, Duty is the matter of God's Promise, as well as God's Mercy, as doth most clearly appear by these Scriptures, Ephes. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Acts 5. 31. John 8. 32.   

Quest. What is the best way to mortify sin that is so prevailing in us?  
Answ. The best way to mortify our flesh, with the Affections and Lusts, is, to meditate on the mercies of God, which is one of the most powerful Arguments to persuade and prevail with a Soul to leave sin, Psal. 26. 3, 4. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth, 1 John 3. 3. he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, as he is pure▪ I have read of five men that were studying, what was the best way to mortify sin; The first said, to meditate of death: the second said, to meditate of judgement to come: the third said, to meditate on the joys of Heaven: the fourth said, to meditate on the torments of Hell, which is the wages of sin: the fifth said, to meditate on the blood and sufferings of jesus Christ. And certainly the last is the strongest motive of all to mortify sin: surely it is the appearance of God's grace to us, which works a hope of glory in us, and this hope of glory doth purify, 1 joh. 3. 3. both in kind and degree, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness, both of flesh and spirit, Rom. 8. 13. And so by the Spirit we come to mortify the deeds of the flesh; he that hath the strongest Faith hath the holiest life, Sanctification ariseth from Justification; let us then make war against our Lusts in the strength of Christ, still seeking unto him for assisting grace; for as we have said before in this Treatise, strength to perform any duty, to exercise any grace, to subdue any Lust, to resist any temptation, to bear any affliction, is derived only from Christ.   

Quest What is, or who is the object of Faith?  
A. God the Father Son, & holy Ghost, is the object of saving Faith, no man was ever saved without this, for no man ever called upon God, but by the help of the holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 12. 3. As no man can say, that Jesus is the Christ, so neither can any man say that God is God, but by the holy Ghost: neither did God ever hear any man that prayed unto him for salvation, but for his Son's sake: we are in order, not in time, to believe, first in Christ, & by Christ in God, 1 pet. 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God. We are commanded to believe in Christ, 1 Joh, 3. 23. and this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ; for Christ as Redeemer is the mediate, not the ultimate object of Faith, for we believe by Christ in God, as before;  
As Christ is the object of divine worship, Acts 7. 59  
And of saving hope, Collo. 1. 27.  
And of our greatest love, 1 Cor. 16. 22.  
And of our absolute service, Rom. 14. 9 18.  
So he is the object of our divine Faith, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost; so John 14. 1. compared with Acts 20▪ 21. as God in Trinity is the object of Faith, so the Scripture seems to be the ground of Faith; First, the Lord presents us with a command to believe, 1 joh. 3. 23. and a promise of Salvation to them that believe, Mar. 16. 16. and it is the duty of all that do hear the Gospel to believe, Mar. 1. 15. john 3. 18. john 15. 22. & 16. 7.  
In the begetting or breeding of Faith in the heart, is manifested both the inability of Man and the ability of God: here appears the evil of the Spirit of corrupt nature, and the good of the Spirit of Grace; Sarah her conceiving of Isaac, whose birth was a figure of Regeneration, was a great work, a miracle; so Marry her conception of Christ, by the power, command, and blessing of the holy Ghost, was also a great work, a miracle, but for, Christ to be form in the Soul by believing, is as great, if not a greater work, see Ephes. 1. 19, 20.   

Quest. What encouragement and grounds are there to provoke or persuade us to believe?  
Answ. There are many, I will instance only in a few▪ which may be reduced to these two heads, viz.  

1. The benefits in doing it.  
2. The hurt or danger in neglecting it.   
1. The benefits that do attend those that do believe, and they are these;  
1. By believing, we honour God our Creator, Christ our Redeemer, and the holy Ghost our Sanctifier, john 3. 33▪ compared with Rom. 3. 34.  
2. By believing we come to be established, Isay 7. 9  
3. Bianca▪ believing we shall be kept in perfect peace, Isay 26. 34. compared with Rom. 5. 1.  
4. Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed, Rom: 9 33.  
5. Our naked believing in God, and cleaving to him in his free promises, will carry down all our distempers at once, and fill our Souls with joy and peace in believing.  
6. This is the way to have God take pleasure in us, Psalm 147. 11. the Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in his mercy, Psalm 33. 18. the eyes of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.  
7. Our believing doth instate the Soul in the possession of Heaven, whiles the body remains on ●arth. john 3. 36.  
8. For our encouragement to believe, consider, Christ outbids all Merchants for thy Soul, he out-bids the World, Sin and Satan; they do not present pardon, remission, redemption, salvation, but Christ doth present these, and many more such like choice things.  
2. Let us consider the evil of Unbelief, and the misery that doth attend it, it is a dishonouring of God, a denying of Christ, it (as much as in it lieth) makes void the great Counsel of God, and purposes of his mercy, viz.  
1. We do what lies in us make void God's end in sending Christ: his end was, that we might believe, and live for ever in blessedness.  
2. We, as much as in us lies, make void the death of Christ, all his sufferings and bloodshed to be to no purpose.  
3. We make void, what lies in us, the great counsel of God, and all the thoughts of his wisdom, in contriving such a way to advance his glory in the salvation of man.  
4. By continuing in a state of Unbelief, we rob Christ of the reward and fruit of all his sufferings and death.  
5. We wrong God by our Unbelief, we obscure his glory, we limit his power, we contemn his wisdom, we give a lie to his truth, we abuse his love, we slight and reject all the Precious thoughts of his mercy and grace, we proclaim the Devil a Conqueror, and lift him up above Christ himself; Iu●as did sin more by Unbelief and despairing, than by his betraying of Christ, as might be gathered from Scripture.  
6. We hasten damnation to ourselves, john 3. 18, 36▪ Were we in Adam's created innocency, than we need not to look after a Saviour, but we are all fallen, but we are broken, but we are sold under sin, but we are transgressors from the womb, but we are by nature the children of disobedience and wrath. What shall I say more? Unbelief is the greatest sin in the world, because it is a sin against the greatest love, john 3. 16. compared with Rom. 5. 8. it is a sin against the only remedy; the sentence of the Law may be repealed by the Gospel, but the sin against Gospel remedy, there is no repeal of; it is a sin that makes void and vain all the covenant of grace, turning all the sweetness thereof into bitterness, and all the truth of it into a lie, 1 John 5. 10. Therefore God is more severe against Unbelief than any sin, because Unbelief is most severeto God, God hath no greater Enemy's in the world than Unbelievers.  
7. Let us consider, that a man without Faith is like a naked man in a storm, or like an una●med man in a Battle, like a ship unanchored, and unballanced in a storm, he is like a Sea without Banks, a world without a Sun, or a ship without a Pilot, he is under the command of all his passions and enemies, etc.   

Qu. In what way are we to conceive of God when we pray to him?  
Answ. We are not to conceive of him under any shape or resemblance, Deut. 4. 12, 15. we are not to think that the Godhead can be resembled to any thing, Acts 17. 27, 29. compared together; for unless we should equal God to any thing, how can he be likened to it? Isay 40. 18. 25.  
Who can by searching find out the Almighty to perfection, job 11. 7, 8, 12. We are to conceive of him, as one not to be fully conceived by us, and so pray to him▪ with such apprehensions of him; yet we are to believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him, Heb. 11. 6. namely, that he to whom we pray, is such a God, which seethe and knoweth all the secrets of our hearts, and all our thoughts, that he is present with us wherever we are, & comprehendeth us, though we cannot comprehend him, he is most holy, most wise, most mighty, who is ready to do for us above what we are able to ask or think, Ephe. 3 18, 19, 20. This is to conceive of him in the glorious and precious dimensions of his love, so shall we comprehend with all Saints the height and breadth, length and depth, and know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge: in this sense may we see him that is invisible, Heb. 11. 27. For the true God is invisible, as appears by these Scriptures, Coll. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 1. 17. & Tim. 6 16. The divine essence is not visible to bodily eyes in this life, the essence simply considered cannot be seen by the Soul in this Life, Exod. 33. 20. In the life to come though it be seen apprehensively so far as the spirits of just men made perfect are capable, yet not comprehensively and fully, Job 1. 1. 7▪ 8, 9, 10.   

Q. How or in what order are we to direct our prayers to the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, namely, to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?  
A. In our Prayers we ought not to fix our ey● or minds so upon one in the Trinity, as not thereby to be led to the other, the Father being in the Son, and the Son in the Father, and the holy Ghost in them both, john 14. 10. we cannot look at one▪ but we must eye the other; they that look on Christ as their Mediator, must see and eye the Father, as giving of him so to be; yea and at the holy Ghost, as one with the Father, sent and consented to his designment to that office, as the Lord Christ himself sayeth, Isay 48. 16. and now the Lord God and his spirit hath sent me, etc. we cannot look aright to the Father, but we must look to him through the Son, neither can we look upon the Son but by the Spirit. It is true, that in order we are first to direct our Prayers to God the Father, yet not as first or chief in honour above the other two; for even the Son, who albeit as man and as Mediator he be inferior to the Father, john 14. 28. yet as God, as the Son of God, he is equal with him, john 5. 18. Phill. 2. 6. and the Son is to be honoured as equal with the same honour as the father, john 5 23. Albeit, as was said, the holy Ghost be not excluded but included; so are we to pray unto God, through Christ, by the help of the holy Ghost, john 16. 23. we are to ask the Father in the name of the Son, by the help and assistance of the holy Ghost, Rom. 8. 26. Again, we are baptised in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, and therefore we are to pray unto and worship Father, Son, and holy Ghost: we are to believe in the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; and therefore we are to pray to the Father, Son and holy Ghost; so that in all external worship of God, one in the Trinity being named, the other are understood, and are not to be excluded.   

Q. How can there be three, and yet but one God?  
Answ. God is one in essence, one Jehovah, one God, and no more, and therefore God calleth himself, I am, Exod. 3. 14. all besides himself are but created results of God, bits of dependences upon him; all Nations are before him as a drop of a Bucket, as the small dust of the Balance, as a very little thing, as nothing, as less than nothing, as vanity, Isay 40. 15 17. This one God in essence, saith Mr. Thomas Cobbert in his Treatise of Prayer, pag. 542 (to which I assent, viz.) is in personal properties three, subsistences really distinct, yet we are not so to let our thoughts feed themselves in musing upon the blessed persons, as distinct in personal properties, but with an apprehension of them as one in essence, one Jehovah, one God and no more; the property of begetting is applied to God the Father, and not to the Son, or the holy Ghost: he to whom the Scripture giveth the property of the only begotten Son of God, he is Jehovah, God the Son, and no other: and so he to whom the Scripture applieth the property of proceeding, he and only he is God the holy Ghost, the Scripture applying to none other that property of proceeding, or being as it were breathed forth from the Father, & therefore is called his Spirit, Num. 8. 11. & from the Son; & therefore is called the Son's Spirit, Gal. 49. yet the holy Scriptures never mention but one Jehovah, even when it mentions him in personal distinction three, yet essentially but one, 1 John 5. 7. There be three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost, and these three are one; the Dvine essence subsisting in three relative properties, Father, Son, and holy Ghost.  
The personal property of the Father is to beget, Ps. 2. 7. The personal property of the Son is to be begotten, John 1. 14, 18. The personal property of the holy Ghost is to proceed from the Father and the Son, John 14. 26. & 15. 26.  
What shall Isay more? As God for the helping of us to understand his essence, is pleased to take unto himself certain names and attributes, by the help of which we may the better understand his essence, so also is he pleased to take unto himself certain names & appellations to help us to the better understanding of his subsistence, etc. yet there is but only (one) living & true God, who is infinite in being & perfection▪ a most pure Spirit, invisibly without body, parts or passions, immutable, eternal, incomprehensible, working all things according to the counsel of his own will, he is the alone Fountain of all beings, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, in his sight all things are made manifest, his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent, he is most holy in all his Counsels, in all his Works, in all his Commands, etc. But if any demand farther, How can there be three, and yet but one God? I answer, great is the mystery, the Son in the Father, and the Father in the Son, and the Spirit of truth, which is by the Father and the Son, John 14. 11. John 15. 26. & 14. 26.  
So that in this mystery a Christian is to believe, what reason cannot comprehend; the Father sent forth his Son, the Son sent forth the holy Ghost, yet Father, Son, and holy Ghost, was never separated one from another; Take a candle burning and there is substance, light and heat, and yet not three candles, but one candle; Look upon the good man of a House, and you shall find that he is a Husband to his Wife, a Father to his Children, a Master to his Servants, and yet not three men, but one man; so in the unity of the God▪ head, there be three of one substance, power, and eternity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost; the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, the holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son, etc.    
FINIS.