A SAVING CONVICTION AND THE CONVICTION OF HYPOCRITES

OBJECT. HYPOCRITES and reprobates have great stirrings of conscience, and deep convictions about sin, setting them on work sometimes, and I do suspect any preparatory work of the law I ever had, to be but such as they have.

ANSWER. It will be hard to give sure essential differences between the preparatory work in those in whom afterwards Christ is formed, and those legal stirrings, which are sometimes in Reprobates: If there were not some gracious result of these convictions and wakenings of conscience in the Lord’s people, and other marks of which we shall speak afterwards, it were hard to adventure upon any difference that is clear in these legal stirrings. Yet, for Answer to the Objection, I shall offer some things, which rarely will be found in the stirrings of Reprobates, and which are ordinarily found in that law-work which hath a gracious issue.

I. The convictions of Hypocrites and Reprobates, are usually confined to some few very gross transgressions. Saul grants no more but the persecuting of David, I Sam. 26:21. Judas grants only the BETRAYING OF INNOCENT BLOOD, Matt. 27:4. But usually those convictions, by which the Lord prepareth his own way in the Soul, although they may begin at one or more gross particular transgressions, yet they sift not, but the man is led on to see many breaches of the law, and innumerable evils compassing him, as David speaketh in the sight of his sin, Ps. 40:12. And withal, that universal conviction, if I may call it so, is not general, as usually we hear senseless men saying, that in all things they sin: but in particular and condescending, as Paul afterwards spake of himself; he not only is the CHIEF OF SINNERS, but particularly, he was a BLASPHEMER—A PERSECUTER, I Tim. 1:13.

II. The convictions which HYPOCRITES have, do seldom reach their corruption, and that body of death, which breeds an averseness from what is good, and strongly inclineth to what is evil. Ordinarily where we find HYPOCRITES speaking of themselves in Scripture, they speak loftily and with some self-conceit, both as to their freedom from corruption, John 9:34. The Pharisees say to the poor man: “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?” As if they themselves were not as corrupt by nature as he; they speak of great sins, as Hazael did, II Kings 8:13. “Am I a dog, that I should do this great thing?” And also in their undertakings of duty, as that Scribe spake, Matt. 8:19. “Master, I will follow thee whither Thou goest.” See how the people do speak, Jer. 42:2,3,4,5,6. They undertake to do all that God will command them: So that they still go about, in any case, to establish their own righteousness not submitting unto the righteousness of God. Rom. 10:3. But I may say, that convictions and exercise about corruption, and that body of death, inclining to evil, and disenabling for good, is not the least part of the work where the Lord is preparing His own way. They use to judge themselves very wretched because of a body of sin, and are at their wits end how to be delivered, as Paul speaketh when he is under the exercise of it afterwards, Rom. 7:24. “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

III. It will ordinarily be found, that the convictions which are in Hypocrites, either are not so serious, as that some other business will not put them out of head before any satisfaction be gotten, as Cain, who went and built a city, and we hear no more of convictions, Gen. 4. Felix went away until a more convenient time, and we hear no more of his trembling, Acts 24:25. Or, if that work become very serious, then it runneth to the other extremity, and despair of relief, leaving no room for any outgate. So we find Judas very serious in his convictions, yet he grew desperate and hanged himself, Matt. 27:4,5. But where the Lord prepareth His own way, the work is both so serious, as the person cannot be put off it, until he find some satisfaction; and yet under that very seriousness he lieth open for relief: both which are clear in the jailer’s words, “What must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30. This serious enquiry after relief, is a very observable thing in the preparatory work which leadeth on to Christ. Yet we desire none to lay too much weight on these things, since God hath allowed clear differences between the precious and the vile.

OBJECT. I still fear I have not had so thorough a sight of my sin and misery, as the Lord giveth to many whom he effectually calleth, especially to great transgressors, such as I am.

ANSWER It is true the Lord discovereth to some great sights of their sin and misery and they are thereby put under great legal terrors: but as all are not brought in by that sensible preparatory law-work, as we shewed before; so even those who are dealt with after that way, are very differently and variously exercised, in regard of the degrees of terror, and of the continuance of that work. The jailer had a violent work of very short continuance; Paul had a work continuing three days; some persons are in bondage through fear of death all their days, Heb. 2:15. So that we must not limit the Lord to one way of working here. The main thing we are to look unto in these legal wakenings and convictions of sin and misery, is, if the Lord reach those ends in us, for which usually these stirrings and convictions are sent into the soul; and if those ends be reached, it is well, we are not to vex ourselves about any preparatory work further. Now, those ends which God driveth ordinarily with sinners, by these legal terrors and wakenings of conscience, are four.

FIRST. The Lord discovers sights of men’s sin and misery to them, to chase them out of themselves, and to put them out of conceit of their own righteousness. Men naturally have great thoughts of themselves, and do incline much to the Covenant of Works: The Lord therefore doth discover to them so much of their sin, and corruption, even in their best things, that they are made to loathe themselves, and from the Covenant of Works, to seek refuge elsewhere, Heb. 6:18. They become dead to themselves and the law, as to the point of justification, Rom. 7:4. Then have they no more confidence in the flesh, Phi. 3:3. This is supposed in the offers of Christ, coming to seek and save that which is lost, Luke 19:10. and to be a Physician to those who are sick. Matt. 9:12.

The second great end is, to commend Christ Jesus to men’s hearts above all things, that so they may fall in love with Him, and betake themselves to that Treasure and Jewel, which only enricheth, Matt. 13:44,46. and, by so doing, may serve the Lord’s design in the contrivement of the gospel, which was the manifestation of His FREE grace through Christ Jesus in the salvation of men. The sight of a man’s own misery and damnable estate by nature, is a ready way to make him prize Christ highly, who alone can set such a wretch at liberty; yea, it not only leadeth a man to an high esteem of Christ, but also of all things that relate to that way of salvation, as grace, the new covenant, faith, etc. and maketh him carefully to gather and treasure up his blessings or golden Scripture, for the confirmation of his interest in these things.

The third great end is, to deter and fear people from sin, and to make them cast out with it, and to consent to put their neck under all His yoke. God kindleth some sparks of Hell in men’s bosoms by the discovery of their sin, as a ready mean to make them henceforth stand in awe, knowing how bitter a thing it is to depart from the Lord. Jer. 2:19. So we find rest offered to the weary, upon condition they will take on Christ’s yoke, Matt. 11:29. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” And God offereth to own men, as their God and Father, upon condition they will allow no peaceable abode to “Belial,” II Cor. 6:14,15,17,18. “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean things: and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

The fourth great end is, to work up men to a patient and thankful submission to all the Master’s pleasure. This is a singular piece of work, Ezek. 6:63. “Then shalt thou remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord.” The sight of a man’s own vileness and deservings, maketh him silent, and to lay his hand on his mouth, whatsoever God doeth unto him, Ps. 39:9 “I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because Thou didst it.” Ezra 9:13. God hath punished us less than our iniquities deserve. Micah 7:9 “I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned.” The man careth not what God doeth to him, or how He deal with him, if He save him from the deserved wrath to come. Also any mercy is a large mercy to him, who hath seen such a sight of himself; he is less that the least of mercies, Gen. 32:10. Any crumb falling from the Master’s table is welcome, Matt. 15:27. He thinks it rich mercy that he is not consumed, Lam. 3:22. This is the thing that marvelously maketh God’s poor crossed people so silent under, and satisfied with their lot; nay, they think he deserveth Hell who openeth his mouth at any thing God doeth to him, since He hath pardoned his transgressions.

So then for the satisfying the Objection, I say, If the Lord hath driven thee out of thyself, and commended Christ to thy heart above all things, and made thee resolve, on his strength, to wage war with every known transgression; and thou art, in some measure as a weaned child, acquiescence in what He doeth unto thee, desiring to lay thy hand on thy mouth thankfully; then thy convictions of sin and misery, and whatsoever thou dost plead as a preparatory work, is sufficient, and thou art to debate no more anent it: Only be advised to study new discoveries of the sense of thy lost condition every day, because of thy old and new sins; and also to see fresh help in Christ, Who is a Priest for ever to make intercession; and to have the work of sanctification and patience with thankfulness renewed and quickened often: For somewhat of that work which abaseth thee, exalteth Christ, and conformeth to His Will, must convey thee throughout all thy life-time in this world.

ANNO 1645

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen