204, T11E MANNER OF CONVERSION EXPLAINED ..' hardness, and the ran of their souls. But in some of them he is graciously pleased to renew his work, and, by more effectual means, to carry it on to perfection, as shall be afterwards declared. Sect. 16.Now, there is scarce any of these instan- ces of the care and watchfulness of God over the souls of then, whom he designs either to convince or convert for the ends of his own glory; but the holy person, whom wehave proposed as an example, gives an account of them in and towards himself, declaring, in like man- ner, how, by the ways and means mentioned, they were frustrate, and came to nothing. Such were the warn- ings which he acknowledged that God gave him by the persuasions and exhortations of his mother, lib. 2. cap. 2. Such were those which he had in sicknesses of his own, and in the death ofhis clear friend and companion, lib. 4. cap 5, 6, 7. And in all the several warningshe had from God, he ehargeth the want and guilt of their non -improvement on his natural blindness, his mind being not illuminated, and the corruption of his nature not yet cured, with the efficacy of evil society, and the courseof the world in the places where he lived. But it would be tedious to transcribe the particular accounts that he gives of these things, though all of them singu- larly worthy of consideration. For I must say, that, in my judgment, there is none among the ancient or mo- dern divines unto this day, who either in the declara- tions of their own experiences, or their directions unto others, have equalled, much less out-gone him, in an accurate search and observation of all the secret actings of the Spirit of God on the minds and souls of men, both towards and in their recoveryor conversion. And, in order hereunto, scarce any one, not divinely inspir- ed, bath so traced the way of the Serpent, or the effec- tual workingoforiginal sin inand on the hearts of men, with the efficacy communicated thereunto by various temptations and occasions of life in this world. The ways also whereby the deceitfulnessofsin in compliance with objective temptations, doth seek to elude and frus- tratethe work of God's grace, when it begins to attempt the strong holds of sin in the heart, were exceedingly discovered unto him. Neither bath any man more lively and expressly laid open the power of effectual and victorious grace, with the manner of its operation and prevalency. And all these things by the guidance of the good Spirit of God, and attendance unto theword, did he exemplify from his own experience in the whole work of God towards him. Only, it must be acknow- ledged, that he declareth these things in such a way and manner, as also with such expressions, as many in our days would cry out on as fulsome and fanatical. ' Sect. 17. Secondly, In the way of calling men unto the saving knowledge of God, the Holy Spirit convin- ceth them of sin; or he brings them under the powerof a work of conviction. It is not my design, nor here in my way, to handle the nature of the work ofconviction, the means, causes, and effects of it. Besides, it bath been done at large by others. It is sufficient unto my purpose, (I.) To shew the nature of it in general. (2.) The causes of it. (3.) The ways whereby men lose their convictions, and so become more and more hardened in sin. (4.) How the Holy Spirit doth carry on the work in some unto complete eonversion unto God. Sect. t8,(1.) For thenature ofit ingeneral; it con- sists ina fixing thevain mind of a sinner upon a due con- sideration of sin, its nature, tendency, and end, with his own concernment therein; and a fixing of a due sense ofsin upon the secure mind of the sinner, with suitable affections unto its apprehensions. The warnings before insisted on, whereby God excites men to some steady notices of him and themselves, are likecalls given unto a man in a profound sleep, whereas, beingstartled, he lifts up himself for a little space, but, oppressed with the power of his deep slumber, quickly lays him down again, as Austin expresseth it. But this work of con- viction abides with men, and they are no way able speedily to disentangle themselves from it. Sect. t9.Now, the mind of man, which is the sub- ject of this workof conviction, bath two things distinct- ly to be considered in it: (1.) The understanding, whiclt is the active noetical or contemplativepower and faculty of it. (2.) The affections, wherein its passive and sensitive power cloth consist. With respect here. unto, there are two parts of the work of conviction: 1st, The fixing ofthe mind, the rational contemplative power of it, upon a due consideration of sin. Idly, The fix- ing of a due sense of' sin on the practical, passive, sen- sible part of the mind, that is, the conscience and af- fections, as was said before. Sect. 20.-1. It is a great work to fix the vain mind of an unregenerate sinner on a due considerationof sin,
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