PART II. to dftingUijb .ff'e ions. 6 r a fair Account of their Experiences, and have feem'd t5 be converted according to Rule, i. e. with Conviaions and Affeétions, fucceeding diffinéfly and exaeily, in that Order and Method, which has been or- dinarily infiffed on, as the Order of the Operations of the Spirit of God in Converfion. And as a Seeming to have thisDiftinanefs as to Steps and Method, is no certain Sign that a Perfon is converted ; fo a being without it, is no Evidence that a Perfon is not converted. For tho' it might be made evident to a Demonftration, on Scripture Principles; that a Sinner can't be brought heartily to receive Chrift as his Saviour, who is not convinced of his Sin and Mifery, and of his own Emptinefs and Helplefnefs, and his juff defert of eternal Condemnation ; and that therefore fuch Conviaions muff be fomeWay implied in what is wro't in his Soul ; yet nothing proves it to be necefTary, that all thofe Things which are implied or prefuppofed in an Ac`t of Faith in Chrift muff be plainly and diffinhtly wrought in the Soul, in fo many fuc- ceffive and feparate Works of the Spirit that (hall be, each one, plain and manifeff, in all who are truly converted. On the contrary, ( s Mr. Shepard obferves) fotnetimes the Change made in a Saint, at firft Work, is like a confufed Chaos ; fo that the Saints know not what tg make of it. The Manner of the Spirit's proceeding in them that are born of the Spirit, is very often exceeding myfferious & unfearch able : \Ve, as it were, hear the Sound of it, theEffea of it is difcern- able ; but noMan can tell whence it came, or whither it went. And 'tis oftentimes as difficult to know the Way of the Spirit in the new Birth, as in the firff Birth : Eccl. i i. 5. Thou knowe/1 not what is the Way of the .Sprit, or how the Bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child : Even fo thou knowefl not the Work ofGod, that worketh all. The ingenerating of a Principle of Grace in the Soul, feems in Scrip- ture to be compar'd to the conceiving of Chrift in the Womb: Gal. 4. 19. And therefore the Church is called Chrift's Mother, Cant. 3. i i. And fo is every particular Believer, Matth. 12. 49, 50. And the Conception of Chrift in the Womb of the bleffed Virgin, by the Power of the holy Ghoft, feems to be a defigned Refemblance of the Conception of Chriff in the Soul of a Believer, by the Power of the fame holy Ghoft. And we know not what is the Way of the Spirit, nor how the Bones do grow, either in the Womb, or Heart that conceives this holy Child. The new Creature may ufe that Language in Pfal. 139. 14, 15. I amfearfully and wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy Works : /lard that my Soul knoweth right well. lily Sub/lance was not hidfrom thee, when I was made in fecret. Concern- ing the Generation of Chrift, both in his Perfon, and allo in theHearts of his People, it may be faid, as in Ifai. 53. 8. Who can declare his Generation. We know not the Works of God, that worketh all. 'Tis the Glory of God to conceal a thing, (Prove 25. 2.) and to have his
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