£10 TDB MANNER OF CONVERSION EXPLAINED them. This fills them with afflictive perturbations of mind, with dread and terror, consternation and hum- bling of their souls thereon. And what befalls the minds of men on this account, is handled by some distinctly under the names or titles of, " Dolor legalis, timor ser vilis, attritio mentis, compunctio cot-die, humiliatio animen;" " Legal sorrow, servile fear, attrition of "' mind, compunction and humiliation, and the like." And-as these things have been handled, most of them by modern divines, and cast into a certain series and de- pendence on one another, with a discovery of their na- ture and degrees, and how far they are required, in order unto sincereconversion and sound believing; so they are all of them treated on in their way by the schoolmen, as also they were before them by many of the fathers, The charge therefore of novelty which is laid by some against the doctrine of these things, aris- eth from a fulsome mixture of ignorance and confidence. Whether therefore all things that aredelivered concern- ing these things be right or no, sure enough I am, that the whole doctrine about them, for the substance of it, is no newer than the gospel, and that it hach been taught in all ages of the church. What is needful to be received concerning it, I shall reduce to the ensuing heads. Sect. 31. (L) Conviction of sin being ordinarily by the law, either immediately, or by light and truth thence derived; there doth ordinarily accompany it a deep sense and apprehension of the eternal danger -which the soul is liable unto on the account of the guilt of the sin where. of it is convinced. For the lawcomes with its whole power upon the mind and conscience. Men may be partial in the law, the law will not be partial. It doth not only convince by its light, but also, at the same time, condemns by its authority. For what the law speaks, it speal-s unto tIení that as-e linden the law. It takes men under its power, and then shutting them un- der sin, it speaks unto them in great severity. This is called the coming of the commandment, and slaying of A sinner, Rom. vii. 9. (2.) This apprehension will ordinarily ingeneratedis- quieting and perplexing affections in the minds of men; nor can it be otherwise where it is fixed and prevalent. As, (I.) Sorrow and shame, for and of what they have done. Shame was the first thing wherein the convic- tion of sits discovered itself, Gen. iii. 7. and sorrow al- ways accompanieth it, Acts ii. $6. Hearing these things asevuvsm, sn zagó,a, they were pierced with perplexing grief in their heart. Their eyes are opened to see the guilt and sense of sin, which pierceth them throughwith dividing sorrow. (2.) Fear of eternal wrath. This keeps the soul in bondage, Heb. ii. 14. and is accom- panied with torment. The person so convinced, be- lieves the threatning of the law to be true, and trembles at it. An eminent instance whereof we have in our first parents also, Gen. iii. 16. (3) Perplexing unsat- isfactory inquiries after means and ways for deliverance out of this present distress, and from future misery? What shall we do? what shall we do to be saved? is the restless inquiry of such persons, Micah vi. S. Acts ii. Acts xiv. (3.) These things will assuredly put the soul on many duties, as prayer for deliverance, abstinence from sin, endeavours after a general change of life; in all which, and the like, this conviction puts forth, and variously exerciseth its power. Sect. 32.(4.) We do not ascribe the effects intend- ed unto the mere working of the passions ofthe minds of men, upon the rational consideration of their state and condition, which yet cannot but be grievous and afflictive. These things may be so proposed unto men, and pressed on them, as that they shall not be able to avoid their consideration, and the conclusions which naturally follow on them; and yet they may not he in the least affected with them, as we see by experience. Wherefore we say, moreover, that the law, or the doc- trine of it, when the consciences of men are effectually brought under its power, is accompanied with a secret virtue from God, called a spirit of bondage, which causeth a sense of the curse of it to take a deep impres- sion on the soul, to fill it with fear and dread, yea, sometimes with horror and despair. This the apostle calls the spit'it ofbondage untofear, Rom. viii. 15. and declares at large how all that are under the law, that is, the convincingand condemningpower of it, are in bondage, nor doth the law, in the administrationof it, lead or gender unto any thing else but bondage, Gal. iv. 22, 23, 24. Sect. 33.(5.) The substance of these things is or- dinarily found in those who arc converted unto God, when grown up unto the use of reason, and capable of
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