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.

I Answer briefly, Ʋpon manifold accounts and regards. I shall name some,

1. Convincing of sin is necessary in order to salvation, Because except a soul be convinced of sin, it will hardly ever come to Christ. And, that is necessary, for a Soul to come to Christ, that is necessary for salvation. Now a Soul that is not convinced of sin, will hardly ever come to Christ, he will make any shift in the world before he will come to Christ, Luke 8.43.44. It is said of the Woman that had the Issue of Blood, At last she came to Christ; but mark, she made all the shift she could, before she would come; she had it twelve years, and she spent every penny she had, she spent all her Living on Physitians, to cure her distemper, and when all was gone, and there was no other way to help her, then she came to Christ: So, till a Soul be convinced of sin, it will never come to Christ; this is the course of sinners, until they be convinced of the necessity they will not come, John 5.40. Saith Christ, Ye will not come to me, that ye might have Life. No, the soul will look to

find the Life in its own hands, by its own works and endeavours, by its Prayers and Duties —: He will not come to Christ that he might have Life; And therefore when Christ doth tender grace and mercy to sinners, Alas! they slight it and despise it, because they have not been convinced. You shall see there, John 8.32, and so on, Christ is directing of the Jews how they might be freed from sin, how they might have their freedom, Saith Christ, If the Son therefore make you free, you shall be free indeed. Now mark, What do they account of Christ's freedom, or directions to come to him, to be made free? Verse 33. Say they, We are Abrahams Seed, and were never in Bondage to any man, we are free enough; they were never convinced of the bondage of sin, therefore now the offer of Christ to free them, is of no account with them. The soul that is not convinced of sin, cares not for Christs tenders and offers of Grace, John 9.39, 40. Christ is there directing the Jews to come to him to have their blind eyes opened, they were spiritually blind, and saith Christ, For Judg∣ment am I come into the World, that they which see not might see, and they which see might be made blind. Well, those Jews they were not convin∣ced of their spiritual blindness, and therefore they make a tush at it, What? Dost thou come to cure our blindness? to make us see? Are we blind also (say they), they scorned his words; because they were not convinced of sin, they cared not for coming to Christ for any grace or any mercy, and therefore when Christ would have a Soul to come to him for any grace or mercy, he takes this course with them, namely, first to convince them of their

sinful estate, Rev. 3.17, 18, 19, 20. Christ doth counsel them there to come to him for Eye-salve, that they might See, and for Gold, that they might be rich, and for white Raiment, that they might be clothed; but now before Christ doth make this tender to them, he doth first take a course to con∣vince them of their sin; Thou saist, (saith he to the Church of Laodiced) that thou art rich, and wantest nothing; but I tell thee, saith Christ, that thou art poor, and miserable, and wretched, and blind, and naked; and therefore now I counsel thee, to come and buy Eye-salve of me, and Gold, and white Ray∣ment. So that this is the way that Christ takes when he would have a soul to come to him, he convinces him first of sin. Therefore this is one ground or respect why conviction of sin is so ne∣cessary in order to salvation, because else a Soul will never be willing to come to Christ.

2. Because, Ʋnless a Soul be convinced of sin, Christ is not willing to come to that Soul, to save that Soul. I say, Christ is not willing to save a soul that is not convinced of Sin, and therefore saith Christ (mark I pray) The Whole need not the Phy∣sitian, but those that are sick. Mat. 9.12. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance: Christ came not to call them that are no sinners to repentance, And who are these? Are not all sin∣ners? Is not every one a sinner? There is not a Just man upon the Earth, that liveth and sinneth not; But who are these that are Righteous here? I came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners. Who are Sinners? By sinners here, he meanes those that are convinced of their sinful estate; and those Righ∣teous, that are not convinced; they look upon

themselves as Righteous, though they are as sinful as any others; yet notwithstanding they not be∣ing convinced, they look upon themselves as just and righteous; Now, saith Christ, I come not to call the Righteous, but I come to call Sinners to re∣pentance: Sinners, those that are convinced of sin, that are sinners indeed, and know themselves to be sinners; I come to call them to repentance, to life and salvation; and mark, saith Christ again, Luke 19.10. I am come to seek and to save that which is lost; I am come to them that are lost, I come not to seek and to save them that are not lost; lost, you will say, Is not every sinner lost? saith the Apostle, If our Gospel be hid, 'tis hid to them that are lost. Is not every sinner a lost Crea∣ture? a dead Creature? What, doth Christ come to seek and to save every sinner in the World? No, saith he, I am come to seek and to save them that are lost, who are they that are lost? 'tis true, all sinners are lost in respect of their state and Con∣dition, but every Sinner is not lost in respect of their sense of their lost condition. I pray when do you look upon a Man or Woman to be lost? When may one be said to be lost? I pray, mark, you may observe these three things in it.

1. When he is gone out of his way, when he hath missed his way whither he intends to go, then he is lost, but not only so, But

2. When he hath not only missed his way, and he is out of his way, but also when he doth not know the way, how to return into the right way, he doth not know the way back again; you will say, now the man is lost. But

3. Further, when a man comes to be sensible

of this, that he is gone out of his way, and he doth not know which way to return home again, and he is ready to sit down because he doth not know which way to take, only saith he, if I go this way or that way, I may go further out of my way, therefore he is fain to sit down, and knows not what to do, nor which way to take, such a man is lost; but if a man be out of the way, and know the way back again, he is not lost; he may find the way, or if so be he be not sensible he is out of his way, he is not lost; but when these things con∣cur together, then he is lost. Thus it is wi h a sinner, when he comes to be convinced that he is out of the way of Salvation, and he knows not how to come into the way, and he knows he is like to perish in this state he is now in, now the sinner is lost; Now saith Christ, This is the poor Crea∣ture that I am come to seek and to save; when a poor sinner is convinced of his sinful Estate and is so lost, now Christ comes to seek and to save him. Now if a man or woman be not lost, Christ will not come to seek & to save them That are lost, that is, those that are convinced of their being in a lost Estate. And that is the second Reason or Ground why convincing of sin is necessary in order to Sal∣vation, Christ else will hardly come to seek and to save such.

3. Convincing of Sin is necessary in order to Salvation, Because unless a Soul be convinced of sin, if Christ should come to save it, it will not be willing to accept of Christ, and receive Christ and Salvati∣on by Christ, he will not be willing withall; no, Christ came to his own, and his own received him not; He came to the Jews that were (as it were) his

own Country Men, but they would not receive him: Why? they were not convinced; One that is not sick, will not care for receiving the Physici∣an, or for having the Physician to come at him, he hath no need of him: The Whole need not the Phy∣sician (saith Christ) but they that are sick. Tru∣ly, untill a Soul be convinced of Sin, it is whole and sound in its own Apprehension, and that Soul doth not need the Physician: Let Christ come and offer himself, and tender Life and Salvation, he doth not accept of it, he hath no need of it; and hence it is that Christ tenders and offers himself in the Gospel, and offers Salvation therein to poor sinners; and People, because they are not convin∣ced of their need of Christ, receive him not: Christ comes near to them, and offers himself, and Life, and Salvation to them, through himself, and by believing on himself; Ay, but they will not accept him, nor receive him, they will not close with him; they will not own him though Christ come so near to them: 'Tis true, Christ doth not come so im∣mediately to save those that are not convinced, but he will first convince them, and then save them. That is the third Argument upon which account Conviction of Sin is necessary in order to Conver∣sion and Salvation.

4. If a Soul be not convinced of sin, that Soul will be hardly taken off from its sins; it will not part with its sins, and if it do not part with sin, it cannot be saved; no man can be saved with his sins. I say, a Soul that is not convinced of sin, will not really part with his sins; 'tis true, a Soul may possibly be restrained sometimes, that it dares not venture upon those sins that it did before, as

possibly through some dread, or terror, anguish, or fear: possibly the Soul hath been amazed, through some eminent danger which he hath been in; pos∣sibly he hath been sick to death, nigh to the grave, and hath seen the door of Eternity to stand open to receive him, he hath been amazed, and now, if the Lord please he may have his life, he will turn a new man, and forsake those evil ways and courses he formerly lived in; or if he be in some sudden danger, or accident, that he is amazed and affrighted: O now, he will never do as he hath done, but now, when the danger is over, and the fear is vanished, he is the same man he was before. I could give you a sad story of this, but that I would not take up time that way now, you know how it was with Balaam, when Balak sent to him to curse Israel; Balaam met with a message from God to the contrary, Do not go with him, saith he, for it will cost you your life, when the Messenger came; saith Balaam, If Balak would give me his house full of gold and silver, I cannot go beyond the Commandment of my God; yet Balaam had an eye to the wages of unrighteousness, and he would try to go, and at last ventures to go, he might be restrained a while, but he was not really convin∣ced of Sin, and on he would go, he would venture at last. Just as it is with two Lovers, two young people fall in love, and their Parents are against their proceedings, and their Parents threaten them, and charge them to come no more at one another; but so long as their affections hold, they will find some way or other to come together, and though they may for a time be restrained, yet they will take some occasion or other to come together

again. Thus it is with a sinner, so long as his affections are not taken off from sin, and till a Soul be convinced of sin, his affections remain to it, and though it may be affrighted, and restrained for a time, yet it will return again: Just as it is with a Bowl, it will run on so long as the force of the hand remains, but it will return again to its natural Bias; so it is with a sinner, possibly he may be under some restraint through some fright and amazement, by some eminent danger it is in: but when that fear or fright is over, as long as the affections hold, and were never disingaged and broken off from sin, the sinner will return and be as eager and as violent upon his sins as before; but when a Soul comes to be really convinced of his sin, and hath it set home upon him, as suppose it be the prophanation of the Sabbath, or suppose it be disobedience to Parents, or suppose this or that sin, if a Soul come to be really convinced of it, its affections towards it are broken off, and then it will be ready to say with Ephraim, Hos. 4. ult. What have I to do any more with Idols, he had been convinced of it, and now, What have I to do any more with Idols? This is the fourth Argument, whereby it doth appear, that this work of Con∣vincing of sin is necessary in order to Conversion, and Salvation.

5. Convincing of Sin is necessary in order to Salvation, Because unless a Soul be really convinced of sin that Soul can never love Jesus Christ, never prize Jesus Christ: Ʋnto them that believe, saith the Apostle, he is precious, 1 Pet. 2.7. That is to you who have been convinced of Sin, and brought off from Sin by the power of the Spirit, convinced of

Sin, and drawn to Christ, by faith and be ieving through the Spirit; now to you Jesus Christ is precious. O, when a Soul comes to be sensible what a lost creature it is, how undone it is in it self, it will think how much it is engaged, and beholden to Christ! O, this is he that I am bound to love for ever; this is he that hath done so much for me; if it had not been for Christ, I had pe∣rished for ever! The Soul when it hath been con∣vinced of Sin, and brought off from the love of Sin, and brought to lean upon Christ by Faith, now Jesus Christ is lovely and precious to him; and hence you may see, what is the reason that many Professors that have made a great shew in the world, and a great noise in the Churches, and yet they have little love to Christ, and Jesus Christ is not very precious to them. And possibly many complain of it, O that I could love Jesus Christ more (and it is a good complaint I confess)! O that he were more precious to me! and what is the reason that Jesus Christ is more precious to our Souls? and that the Soul can love the Lord Jesus Christ no more? O! here is one great reason, possibly the Soul was never really and truly con∣vinced of Sin, the more really the Soul hath been convinced of Sin, the more dear and precious will Jesus Christ be to that Soul.

6. And lastly. The last Ground and Respect, for which it is so necess••ry, that a Soul should be convinc••d of sin in order to Salvation; Because, else if a Soul be n t really convinced of sin, that Soul notwithstanding all his Profession, will be very unsta∣ble in its Faith and Comforts: It will be tottering and wavering, that Soul will never be rooted and

grounded, but its Comforts will be up and down: it will be like a house that is built upon a sandy foundation, a light foundation, that hath no depth, and you see the danger of that house that is built upon the Sands, that hath a shallow slight foun∣dation, it is in danger to tumble, especially when storms come, and great Winds blow, as Christ speaks, Mat. 7. to our present purpose, saith he, He that heareth my Words and doth them not, I will liken him to a Builder that built his house upon the Sands: And, saith he, When the Wind blew, and the Rain beat upon the house, it fell, because it wan∣ted a good Foundation. Truly, so a Soul that hath no sure Foundation, that is, that was never real∣ly convinced of sin, of his need of Christ, that Soul will be like a house without a Foundation, it will meet with temptations, storms and tempests to try what ground it stands on; and hence it is, that it comes to be so often tottering and shaking. I remember a speech of a holy eminent Servant of Christ, to set out the necessity of Conviction of sin, saith he, The less Fine a man pays for his house, when he enters, the more Rent he must pay afterward. He meant thus, the less Conviction a man hath of sin at first, that is the Fine, the less his Fine is, the more Rent he must pay afterward, his meaning was this; the more he will be subject to Troubles, and Doubts, and Scruples afterwards. A Soul that hath not a real conviction of sin upon him, that Soul will be unstable, its Comforts will be unstable, and though he may hold up his head, so long as all is calm, and clear above him, but when the assaults of the Devil come, and the powers of Hell are let loose upon it, to try its Foundation;

if the foundation be not deep rooted, all the build∣ing will come to nothing; it is like a Plant or Tree that is planted but shallow in the Ground, and will be apt to wither, so Christ compares it, Mat. 13.21. The Seed that fell upon the stony ground, sprang up for a while, but when the Sun did rise, when temptations came, scorching temptations, and tribulations, and tryals came, they withered away, because they wanted depth of earth for the root; they had no rooting, they were not humbled and convinced of sin, they took up a Profession, and confessed Christ, and professed Christ, but ne∣ver were truly convinced of sin; and this is the great reason why Professors are subject to so many doubts and scruples about their condition, when they come into sickness and dangers, then they are ready to question their condition; What is the reason? why possibly this may be one, Because they were never convinced truly of sin by the Spi∣rit of God. And therefore you see now, upon all these accounts, That Conviction of sin is very ne∣cessary for sinners, in order to their Conversion and Salvation.

So now, I have finished the second Thing pro∣pounded, I should now have come to the third Thing, to shew you, That convincing of sin, is the Work of the Spirit of God. But that and some other things, I must leave till another oppor∣tunity.