The way of the Spirit in bringing souls to Christ set forth in X sermons on John 16:7, 8, 9, 10 and chap 7:37 / by Mr. Thomas Allen, late pastor of a church in ... Norwich.

Answer.

Briefly; for I must not inlarge, The Gospel is a Means of Conversion and Salvation (namely) part∣ly by discovering or convincing People where they are out of the way of Salvation; as in the Text, I will send the Comforter, and he shall convince the World of Sin, of their sinful Estate, and how they are out of the Way of Salvation, and doth discover and convince them, and shew them the right way; and also the Gospel is a means to open and enlighten the Understandings of People, to open their blind Eyes; as Christ told Paul, when he sent him to preach the Gospel, Acts 26.18. Go, saith he, I have sent thee to open the Eyes of them that are blind, and to turn them from Dark∣ness to Light; that is, by the Ministry of the Gos∣pel. The Gospel is a Means to open peoples Eyes, to turn them from Darkness to Light, to make them see that they are in a state of Darkness, to make them see that there is a glorious Light held forth in the Gospel: as the Apostle speaks, 1 Pet. 2.9. Who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous Light; This is that the Gospel is a Means of, and so it brings to a state of Salvation. And again, the Gospel is a Means to deliver peo∣ple from the power of the Devil; every one natu∣rally is in the power of Satan, he rules and works

in all the Children of Unbelief; Now the Gos∣pel is a means to bring Souls from under the power of Satan; and so Christ told Paul in that 26th of Acts, I have sent thee (saith he) to turn them from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan to God. The Gospel is a Means of that; therefore saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 10.4. The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, to beat down the Batteries, and Castles, and For∣tifications that Satan builds; it is mighty to pull down the power of Satan, and so by that means to bring a Soul into a State of Conversion and Sal∣vation. And also the Gospel is the Means to work faith in the heart, to cause a Soul to believe on Christ, 'tis a means of that, and so by that means the Soul comes to be justified, and freed from the guilt of Sin. Faith, saith the Apostle, com∣eth by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Rom. 10.17. Faith cometh by hearing the Gospel preached; God is pleased to make use of the preaching of the Gospel to work Faith in the Souls of poor Sinners, and by working Faith in their Souls, drawing them unto Christ. Now by be∣lieving in Christ they come to have remission of Sins, as Christ told Paul in that of the Acts, To turn them from Darkness to Light, from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive Forgiveness of Sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified, and all by Faith in Christ: So that I say, the Gospel is the means ordained and appoin∣ted of God for the Salvation of Souls; and there∣fore let no body think that the Ministry of the Go∣spel is a needless thing, as many are ready to think

in their minds, that of all the Callings in the World the Ministry of the Gospel may be best spared. Truly, if so be that the Salvation of Souls be not necessary, then the Calling of Ministers to their Office, and their preaching of the Gospel, may be spared, but you see Christ hath appointed it to be the means of Conversion and Salvation; and therefore, whatever people may think secretly in their minds that we may edifie our selves by reading a Chapter, and meditating upon it, by reading of good Books, and what need we to trouble o••r selves to wait upon the Ministry of the Gospel? Truly know this, That the Foolish∣ness of God is wiser than the Wisdom of Man: God hath pleased to ordain and appoint the Ministry of the Gospel to be the means of Conversion and Salvation, and therefore if the Conversion of Souls be necessary, then the preaching of the Gos∣pel is necessary; therefore let us take heed we do not neglect attending upon the Gospel, and the preaching of the Gospel as we would be loth to neglect our own Salvation. That is the first, That the Gospel is the Means of working a sa∣ving and converting Work upon the Souls of Men.

2. The second is, That the Gospel alone of it self cannot work a saving and converting Work upon any Soul; no, there must be the Operation of the Spirit of Christ, that must go along with the Gsopel, or else the Gospel will never be able to work any saving converting Work upon any Soul; 'tis true indeed, the Gospel is the Word of Salvation; Ay, saith the Apostle, Rom. 1.16. It is the Power of God to Salvation; Ay, where

the power of God goeth along with it, it works Salvation by the power of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 13.4. The Weapons of our Warfare are mighty through God, saith the Apostle; not mighty in themselves. The Weapons of our Warfare, what is that? The Ministry of the Gospel, the Preaching of the Gospel is mighty, but it is migh∣ty through God to the pulling down of Strong Holds. Alas! of it self it cannot, the Gospel of it self is but a weak Letter; but where the Power of the Spirit goes along with it, it is mighty, mighty through God, mighty to con∣vince, and mighty to convert, and mighty to save; therefore the Gospel is compared to a Sword, and it is called the Sword of the Spirit, Eph. 6.17. Take to you the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; It is a Sword that cannot do good, except it be wielded by the hand of the Spirit of God: It is not now as a natural cause to effect any thing; as now our Food is a natu∣ral cause, sanctified and ordained by God as a natural cause of nourishment. Physick is ordained as a natural Cause of health; but 'tis not so with the Word, the Ministry of the Word is but as a Tool or Instrument in a Workmans hand, in a Carpenter or Joyners hand; the Tool of it self cannot work, the Word of it self cannot work, but as it is in the Workmans hand, so it works. Truly so, the Sword of the Spirit, in the hand of the Spirit, that will work to the convincing and converting, and saving of a Soul, other∣wise it cannot do it; no, it is but weak in it self; even as a Sword that cannot move or lift up it self: but now in the hand of the Spirit

the Spirit, the Gospel is mighty to open the under∣standing, to open the heart. We read the heart of Lydia was opened when she heard Paul preach, but it was not Pauls preaching, but the Spirits go∣ing along with it, that did open her heart, and she attended to what was spoken by Paul; and so the Spirit with the Word is mighty to draw a Soul to Christ, not the Word alone; no, saith Christ, John 5.44, 45. No man can come unto me, except the Father draw him; that is, there must be the mighty Power of the Spirit of God con¦curring, to work with the Word, to draw and perswade and convince by the Word, and then it works. And so the Spirit with the Word will cause a Soul to grow and encrease in a Spi∣ritual Estate. Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is the Lord must give the encrease to make the growth. So it is, one may preach, and another may preach, but still there must be the concurrance and work of the Spirit, or else all our preaching will be but like the watering of a dead plant; but the Spirit of the Lord must come and be present, and then our preaching, our planting and watering may be blessed for those ends for which God hath appointed it: And the reason is this, That without the Spirit of God, the Word, though it be ordained of God to be a Means of Conversion and Salvation, yet the Word alone without the Spirit cannot do it, because the Ministry of the Word is too weak to make an Impression upon our hard hearts.

Take a Seal, and set it upon a Rock or Stone, it makes no Impression, Why? Because there is

no pliableness in the Rock or Stone to receive the Impression: Thus it is with our hearts; our hearts are naturally like so many Stones; therefore see what the Lord promises, To take away the heart of Stone, and to give a heart of Flesh; a soft heart, the hardness of it shall be taken away; that when the Word comes as a Seal to make an Impression upon the heart, the Spirit doth change the heart, and makes it pliable to receive the Impression, which othewise it could not do. You may as well make an Impression upon a Rock or Stone, as upon any Heart, till the Spirit come and soften the heart, and make it pliable to receive the impression of the Word; and therefore hence you may observe, That sometimes, when divers hear the same Word preached, there are diversity of effects in the same hearers hearing the same Word, some are con∣verted, and others not; some believe, and others not. As Acts 17. When Paul had been preaching to them, Verse 32, 34. When they heard of the Re∣surrection of the dead, some mocked, and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter: Howbeit certain clave to him, and believed. Ay, some recei∣ved the Gospel, and others not; some believed, and others not.

As I remember, 'tis said, Acts 28.24. Some believed the things that were spoken, and some belie∣ved not; And, What is the Reason? The Spirit doth work effectually with the Gospel upon some hearts, but not upon others; that is the reason that some believed, and some believed not. And hence it is again, that sometimes some are more hardned by the very word of the Gospel: So far from being converted and brought into a state of Salvation,

that they are more hardned and set further off, nearer to their damnation. What is the reason? Because there wants the presence of the Spirit, and therefore you shall see Isa. 6.9. saith the Lord to the Prophet (he was an Evangelical Prophet) Go, (saith the Lord) make this peoples heart hard; go and harden their hearts, that they may hear, and not understand, that they may not be conver∣ted and saved; Let their hearts be more hardned, saith God, by hearing the Gospel preached: nay sometimes, what is the reason that the most emi∣nent ablest Preacher of the Gospel in the World; that their Ministry is sometimes less efficacious than the Ministry of them that are far inferiour to them? what is the reason? Because the Con∣currence of the Spirit goeth along with the one and not with the other. You shall see Christ him∣self▪ the most eminent Preacher that ever was un∣der Heaven, John 22.36, 37. He preaches there; and though he did Miracles before them, yet they believed not on him; that the saying of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, Lord, who hath believed our Report? and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed; And therefore they could not believe, because, Isaiah saith again, He hath blinded their Eyes, and hardned their hearts — These things, said Isaiah, when he saw his glory and spake of him; when he saw the glory of Christ, when he was most Evangelical in his Mi∣nistry, then he spake these Words, whereas Pe∣ter now, that was far inferiour to Christ, having the presence of the Spirit mightily poured down upon him, Acts 2. (where the Holy Ghost fell down upon the Apostles like so many fiery cloven

tongues.) Peter preached to them, and he con∣verted three thousand Souls at one Clap, because of the powerful presence of the Spirit together with the Word. Therefore, Brethren, still let us not satisfy our selves with hearing the Gospel preached, though we had the most eminent preach∣er that ever was in the World, though we should have heard Christ himself, but look for the Con∣currence of the Spirit, the breathings of the Spi∣rit, wait upon God for the communicating and giving out of his Spirit, that they may make the Gospel to be the Ministration, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit, for it is the Spirits Work to make the Gospel effectual and operative for the Con∣version and Salvation of Souls.

3. In a Word, that, As the Preaching of the Gospel of it self cannot convert, or save any Soul, So neither will the Holy Ghost without the Concur∣rence and preaching of the Gospel. You heard before that the Preaching of the Gospel cannot do it alone; But cannot the Spirit? will not the Spirit do it alone? It can do it alone indeed, But mark I pray, the Spirit will not ordinarily convince and convert effectually and savingly any Soul without the Ministration of the Gospel: To give you but a Scripture or two for this, Acts 9. You see there Christ himself speaks to Paul; you know how he met with him as he was going to Damascus, to persecute the Saints, and Christ spake immediately to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? well, who art thou, Lord? saith he; I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest; Well, Verse 6. You shall see, saith Paul, Lord, What wouldest thou have me to do? Mark now,

Christ doth not preach the Gospel immediately himself, but he sends him to one to preach to him; Go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee what thou shalt do; and there Christ sent Ananias to preach the Gospel to him; Christ himself would not preach the Gospel from Hea∣ven to him, nor he would not convert nor save his Soul without the Ministration of the Gospel. And look into Acts 10. See there concerning Cornelius, there was an Angel from Heaven sent to him, he had been fasting and praying, and that hour there came an Angel of God to him to tell him that God had heard his Prayers, and accepted his Alms, but why may not the Angel preach the Gospel immediately? No, the Lord would have the Gospel dispensed in an ordinary way of preach∣ing, not by an Angel from Heaven, therefore Verse 5. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose Surname is Peter, and he shall tell thee words whereby thou and thy house shall be saved, he shall preach the Gospel effectually to you; and you shall see afterwards, Verse 33. Im∣mediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast done well that thou art come: now therefore are we all here present before God to hear thee; and Verse 44. Whilest Peter spake these Words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word. Why did not the Angel himself preach the Gospel to Cornelius? Why was not he an Instrument of his Conversion and Salvation? no, the Holy Ghost will not work alone without the ordinary concurrence of the Ministration of the Gospel, and therefore look at it as a delusion of Satan, if so be that upon any pretence whatsoever, any shall endeavour to take

you off from attending upon the Ministry of the Gospel upon pretence of the Spirit, that the Spirit shall anoint us and teach us all things —. Well, look upon it as a Delusion of Satan, if it be to take you off from attending upon the Ministery of the Gospel which is the ordinary way that God hath appointed; and take this for an universal Rule, That whatever it be that tends to take any people off from any Ordinance of God, or any In∣stitution of God, look at it as a delusion of Satan, let it be under any pretence whatsoever; as now, to take one off from Duties and Ordinances, to wait till the Spirit come immediately to inspire — look upon it as a Delusion, because it tends to take you off from the ordinary Institutions that God hath appointed. So, you see the Gospel is the Means of Conversion and Salvation, the Gospel without the Spirit cannot do it, and the Spirit without the Gospel will not do it.

4. The fourth thing is this, That it is a matter of unspeakable Joy and Consolation to the faithfull Servants of Christ, that their dispensing of the Gos∣pel through the Concurrence of the Spirit is made ef∣fectual for the Conversion and Salvation of any Soul. Ay, saith Christ here; this shall be instead of my bodily presence with you, and it shall be as com∣fortable to you. You are now troubled and sor∣rowful because I am going away from you, but I will send the Comforter to you, and the Comfor∣ter shall assist you in your Ministry, and make it successful to convince and convert and save Souls, and Christ would have them, to look upon it as equivalent to his own bodily presence, and would be matter of greater Joy and Consolation to them.

Look into Verse 12, 22 of this Chapter, saith Christ, You are now sad and sorrowful, but I tell you, (saith He) the time is coming that your sorrows shall be forgotten: The sorrows that you have upon my departure shall be forgotten, they shall be swallowed up with Joy and Consolation: Look, saith he, as it is with a Woman when she draweth near the time of her Travail, when her pains begin to come upon her, then she is sad and sorrowful, but, saith he, when she is delivered, she forgetteth her sorrow, for Joy that a man-child is born —: so shall it be with you. Thus Christ comforts his Disciples against his going a∣way, they should have such matter of rejoycing that should swallow up all their sorrows, they should have the presence of the Spirit, and their Ministry should be efficacious and successful for the converting of Souls, and Christ did speak it from his own experience, John 4. When he was speaking to the Woman of Samaria, he sent his Disciples into the City to buy food, for he was hungry, and when he sat down weary on the Well, he asked a little water of the woman, and so fell a discoursing and convincing of the wo∣man that she lived in Adultery, and converted the woman, and when his Disciples came, Master, say they, here is meat to eat: Meat, saith he, I have that which is better than meat, I have meat to eat which you know not of; my Meat is to do the Will of my Father; here is my joy and rejoycing to convert Souls. Meat is matter of great joy to an hungry man, if you give him all the World, if he have not meat it is nothing; saith Christ, I take more joy and delight in converting of Souls,

than I do in eating when I am an hungry. And you shall see how the Apostle Paul doth rejoyce in this, that he was an Instrument in converting and saving of Souls, he writing to the Thessalonians, 1 Epist. 2.19, 20. For what is our Joy, or Hope, or Crown of rejoycing? are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? for ye are our Glory and our Joy; ye (saith he) are the Top of my Joy, the Crown of my Joy; Paul had been an Instrument to convert them by the preach∣ing of the Gospel, and, saith he, ye are the top of my glory and rejoycing; So, 2 Thess. 2.13, 14. We are bound to give God thanks always for you, my Brethren, and Beloved in the Lord; because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto Salvation, through the Sanctification of the Spirit, and Belief of the Truth, whereunto he called you by my Gospel, to the obtaining the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ: Saith he, we are always bound to give thanks to God for you; Ay, here is matter of Joy and Re∣joycing. And truly so, though Paul did meet with Afflictions, Tribulations, and Persecutions for preaching of the Gospel, yet notwithstand∣ing he made nothing of all his troubles, sufferings and sorrows, in regard he did but finish his Course with Joy. If he have but this Joy and Con∣solation, I care not, saith he, what troubles or afflictions do abide me, Acts 20.24. The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City, that bonds and afflicti∣ons abide me; but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto my self, so that I may finish my Course with Joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus. If I can but preach the Gospel, saith he, and be an Instru∣ment

to convert Souls, this is the Joy of my heart, let my life go for it. And it is a very high expression which the Apostle John hath Epist. 3. Verse 4. saith he there, I have no greater joy, (mark) the Apostle John that had such Communion with Christ; Yet saith he, I have no greater joy than to hear that my Children walk in the Truth; Those that he had been a means and Instrument to con∣vert by his preaching, now to see that their con∣version was true and real by their continuing in the truth: I have no greater Joy in this world, saith he; And why so, I pray? Why should this be such a matter of Joy and rejoycing to the hearts of the faithful Servants that their Ministry is made effectual for the Conversion of Souls?

1. Upon this Account, because, Here is a Sign and Token that God hath blessed their Ministry, that the Blessing of God from Heaven hath been upon their labours: and I pray let me appeal to your selves, is it not matter of Comfort Joy and Rejoy∣cing to you that you find your labours and in∣deavours to have any Success, to be blessed of God? As now, take a Nurse that brings up a Child, and she sees the child begins to thrive by her suckling of it, and it is the Joy and Rejoycing of her heart; as on the other side, if she see the Child pine a∣way, and doth not prosper, 'tis the grief of her heart, when she takes all this pains and no good comes of it. When you plant and sow seed, if you take any pains in your Orchard or Garden in grafting and the like, and you find that your la∣bour is made fruitful, is it not a Comfort to you to go into your Garden, and see the seed that you have sown flourish and come up? It is rejoycing

to you; and much more is it to the hearts of the faithful Servants of Christ that their labours in the Ministry are blessed and made fruitful and suc∣cessful; because now here is the more immediate presence of God upon their labours, here is the blessing, the blessing of God doth more immedi∣ately appear in their labours. Now in sowing of Seed there is instrumental means and causes of its growing, there is Dew, and Showers, and Rain from Heaven, there is the influence of the Sun, the fatness of the Soil, that concur to cause it grow; but now there is much against the Mi∣nistry of the Word to work upon the heart; there is the corruption of the heart, and the temptati∣ons of Satan and the World, and all to hinder the Gospel from taking effect, but now when the Lord makes the Gospel to take effect, to become effi∣cacious to the Conversion of Souls, of poor Creatures, here is now the blessing of Heauen up∣on his labours, and now he hath cause to rejoyce greatly that God is with him, and hath blessed his labours, and now God doth own him as a Fellow-Labourer together with himself, We are Workers together with God, saith the Apostle, We are Gods Husband men, and we are planting for God, and God goes along with us and co∣operates with us; what a mighty cause of rejoy∣cing is this? that we have the presence of God with us, and the blessing of God upon us; nay, it is an argument and token that God owns their Ministry and labour, and he seals their Ministry and Labour, as the Apostle saith, Ye are the Seal of our Ministry; this is I say matter of great Joy and Consolation in regard it is a Sign

and Token that God hath blessed the Labours of his Servants, and owned their Ministry.

2. 'Tis a matter of great Joy and Consolation, because now, Here is a Testimony that Jesus Christ in Heaven and in his Glory is mindful of his poor Servants here below in the World, he doth mind and remember such a poor Servant of his, that labours in his Name, and doth send down the Spirit to accompany him in his Labours; as Christ said here to his Disciples, I will send the Comforter and he shall assist you, and I will remember you, when I am in Heaven, I will not forget you. Thus Christ now sends down the Comforter, the Spi∣rit from Heaven to assist such a poor Minister in his labours and endeavours; what matter of Conso∣lation is this to think that Christ from Heaven sends down his Spirit to co-operate with him in his indeavours? What matter of Joy and Conso∣lation is this? Take but one more.

3. It must needs be matter of great Joy and Consolation to the faithful Servants of Christ, to think that the Lord should please to make use of such as they are to be Instruments in his hands to pull down the Kingdome of the Devil, and to inlarge the Kingdom of Christ; That the Devils Kingdom and power should go down, and that Souls should be drawn out of his Kingdom by the Labours of his poor Servants, what Joy is this? When Christ sent his Disciples to preach, Luke 10.17, 18 it is said, They returned again rejoycing, saying, The Devils are subject to us: Ay, saith Christ, I beheld Satan fall down from Heaven like Light∣ning. Where the Gospel comes, there goes such a Presence of the Spirit with the preaching thereof

that Sathan goes down, and poor Souls are brought out from under his power and Dominion; as you know Christ told Paul, that he should be instrumental to turn people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; though they be under the Kingdom and Power of the Devil, yet by the preaching of the Gospel, when the Spirit concurs and goes along with it, poor Souls are translated from the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Col. 1.15. Now what Joy and Comfort must this needs be to the hearts of the faithful Servants of Christ? that the Lord should please to make them Instru∣ments in his own hands to pull down the King∣dom of the Devil and to inlarge his own King∣dom, that such shall be added to the Lord as shall be saved? I say it must needs be matter of Joy and Rejoycing: But I would hasten to an end. Briefly therefore by way of Application.

Application. And here I might in the first place take occasion to speak a Word of Direction to the Ministers of Christ, if it were a fit place and sea∣son, namely, to direct us how we may so preach that we may have most Joy and Consolation. The faithfull Servants of Christ have more Joy and Consolation by being instrumental for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls, than by all that ever the People of their Congregation can do for them; If they may be instrumental in the Lords hand for their Conversion and Salvation, this is more Joy and Consolation to them, than any thing in the World can be. Christ tells his Disciples that this would be matter of Joy and Rejoycing to their Hearts when he was gone from them,

therefore we should seek to convert and save Souls, we should do, as the Apostle saith, I seek not yours, but you; we should seek the Conversion and Sal∣vation of Souls, and therefore we should be preach∣ing of Faith and of Repentance, as the Apostle Paul saith of himself, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Repentance towards God, whereby poor Souls may be converted and saved: And we had need be much in pleading with God for the Spirit, that the Spirit of the Lord may go along with our Ministry: Our Sermons had need to be watered and soaked in earnest prayer for the Spirit.

2. Here is now a mighty Word of Encourage∣ment unto poor Souls to be ready to entertain and receive the Gospel, and the Ministration of it; to be ready so to receive it into your hearts as it may be a good Word of Conversion and Salvation to your Souls. Ay, this would be matter of Joy and Rejoycing to the Servants of Christ more than all that ever you can do for them, if they may be but instrumental for the Conversion and Salvation of your Souls, it will be more Comfort and joy to them than all the World besides; Joy to them, Ay, it will be Joy to the very Angels in Heaven, Luk. 15.10, 11. There shall be Joy in Heaven over one Ein•••••• that repents — The Angels of Heaven observe how you come into the Congregation, they observe your Carriage, and how you take the Word, and what impression it makes upon your hearts to Co••v••ction and Conversion, and Sal∣vation, it is the Joy and Rejoycing of the Angels in Heaven to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a poor Soul brought in by the Ministry of the Gospel••; and do not you think, you your selves will have as much cause of Joy

and Rejoycing? Whereas on the other side, if so be the poor Servants of Christ do come and take pains; they study, and labour, and hold forth the Word of the Gospel to you, and people come and receive it into their ears, and not into their hearts; no good done upon them, but they remain as carnal, as worldly and unbelieving as before, and they see no fruit of their Ministry; this is the grief of their hearts and Souls, they labour and labour and question whether the Lord doth own their Ministry or no; they have cause to complain as the Prophet Isa. 49.6. I have laboured in vain, I have spent my Strength for naught and in vain. So the poor Servants of Christ go with a dead heart into their Studies, and come to preach with a sad heart, when they see no good done, no sa∣ving Work wrought; this is a very Cut to their hearts and Souls, and they would rather (if they might have their wills) cease mentioning of the Name of Christ to people. Therefore let it be the desire, and endeavour, and care of people so to hear and receive the Word into their hearts that it may become effectual, and an Instrument in the Lords hand for the Conversion and Salvation of their Souls.