Education, the difpenfation of the word, and con verfe have begot fome notions of fin in every body's mind: but for any clear difcoveries of fin in its nature, few have them. The thoughts of men about fin, are, for the moft part, like the thoughts of a man who never faw a toad with a full light: if any man fhould tell him how lothfom a creature it were; and withal, in the twilight fhew him one, when he could not diftinguish it from a piece of curious jet lying by it, he would not be much affected with the account, nor would his thoughts of its deformity and uglinefs anfwer the thing itfelf: but if the Sun fhould dart down a beam of its light upon the lothfom creature, the man would fee it, and it may be then his flesh would begin to fhrink, and it would fill him with averfion. Juft fo is it with unconvinced finners: they fee fin, but it is only in the twilight of reafon, education, or the external difpenfation of the word; therefore they are not affected with it, nor do they fee any peculiar deformity in it, until the Spirit of God let in a ray of fupernatural light, and then this very quickly fills the foul with a view of its exceeding finfulness, which makes the heart begin to fhrink at it, and entertain it with averfion. The cafe is juft the fame with refpect to that mifery that is the confequent and companion of fin. Till once the Lord make bare his arm, in the finner's view, and caft in fome drops of wrath into his foul, with a certification that these are but drops, he will never be duly affected with it. (2.) The Spirit of God in conviction not only prefents fin and mifery to the foul in their own nature, but likewife in their connection. God has linked fin and hell together. It always was fo but finners do not always think fo. Groundless

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Part II. apprehenfions of God, as if he were all mercy, his patience in forbearing the execution of fuch as deferve double deftruction, the fubtil reafonings of Satan, the world and deceitful lufts, either beget a perfuafion that fin and wrath may be separate, or elfe a fufpicion that it is not certain that they are fo linked together, as the word fays, and minifters aver. But the Spirit of God presents the two in their dependence and connection, in fuch a light to the finner's mind, that he cannot but believe that there is no parting them. (3.) The Spirit of God discovers to the finner how deeply he is concerned in fin, and confequently in that wo that is linked to it. He not only lets him fee the toad crawling at a diftance, but upon his very clothes. He not only tells him that a certain man has finned, as Nathan did in the parable; but applies the parable, and fays, Thou art the man. He not only lets the finner fee hell and fin linked together; but also lets him fee the one end of the chain, fin, faftened to himfelf: and all this he dif covers with fuch clearness, as obliges the finner to notice it.

2. We premife this, That there are different degrees of conviction, and that both as to its clearneis, extent and continuance. Upon fome perfons, fome faint rays break in, and open their eyes fomewhat above nature's power, letting them fee a little more clearly. Upon others there come in full beams, difcovering all diftinctly, like the Sun fhining in his ftrength. Again, fome difcover only a few; others get under their view many fins: the light that fhines upon fome, is only like a flath of lightening, that fills the house with furprifing light, and is prefently gone again; or like the warm blinks of the Sun before a fhower, which

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are prefently gone, and the fky filled with dark clouds. So various are convictions, as to their degrees of clearnefs, extent and continuance. Thefe convictions which are only faint, and reach only to a few fins, we are not here speaking of, when we speak of a finner that is throughly awakened or convinced.

3. The iffues and confequences of conviction are no less various. Thefe fainter discoveries of fin, which many meet with in the difpenfation of the word, or by awakening providences, ufually carry people the length of fome faint defires after deliverance; or if they rife higher, it feldom goes further than good refolutions, and there they die. The great flashes of light, which dart into the minds of fome, very often mifcarry, and turn to nothing. It is much with the perfons who fall under them, as it is with a man that is awakened by a flash of lightening that darts into his bed: the noife of a thunder-clap that comes along with it, may make the man ftart up before he is well awaked; and the light unexpectedly discovering many things, occafions a great confufion in his mind; but presently the noife is over, and the light gone, and then the natural temper of his body, the softness and ease of the bed he lies in, do invite him afresh to fleep; and though by the light that came in, he might fee the room full of enemies, he is easily perfuaded that all was but illufions of fancy, and therefore he lays himself down gain,and falls faft afleep. Thus it is with many: they hear the thunderings of the law in the preaching of the word, and fometimes the Spirit of God lets a beam of light into the heart with them, that fills all the foul with fear, difcovering the deadly foes that are lodged and fecretly entertained there; this

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makes finners start up, and it may be cry out; they are awakened out of their fecurity, and raife themfelves out of their beds. Now, one would think thefe perfons in a great forwardness, and very well; but ere ever ye are aware, they are falt afleep again, They return with the dog to the vomit, and with the fow that was washed, to the wallowing in the mire, they fall in with their own fins. Why, what is the matter? No degree of conviction can change the heart; and, convictions of short continuance do rather fright than foundly awaken therefore when the natural inclination of the heart presles on to a little more sleep, and Satan joining iffue with this frame of the carnal mind, contributes his part, and endeavours to lay the foul afleep again, it cannot choose but fall afleep; for the flath of light is gone, and the voice of the minister, or providence, by the noise of thefe folicitations, are banished his mind: and here ends the religion of a great many, who at communions, and fome other occafions, appear to be fomething.

4. When we fpeak of a perfon's being foundly and deeply convinced, and of abiding convictions, we do not mean that there is any one degree of conviction that all come to, who are faved; nor do we mean, that there is any degree of convicti on which is always followed with faith: for these who are moft deeply convinced, may one way or other mifcarry and be loft. They may fall into despair, or they may fall in with falfe.remedies; or they may wear out from under convictions, as fome have done, and then turn openly profane, Nor do we intend that every one who believes, be 'fore he do fo, muft ly a long time under conviction; for we see the contrary in the jaylor, who

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fently believes and rejoices, and fo was very foon out from under his convictions. In fine, we only fpeak of deep and found conviction, in opposition to these fainter ones, which feldom raise the perfons that have them above the fluggard's defires, or fome ineffectual refolutions: and when we fpeak of abiding conviction, it is in opposition to thefe flashes, which are prefently gone, and have no other influences than to make half awakened finners ftart up, and cry out of their fears, but presently their fears are hushed, and they ly down and fall as faft asleep as ever.

5. Our doctrine muft only be understood of those who are yet in time; for damned finners are indeed fufficiently awakened, yet cannot be faid to put this enquiry, because they are abundantly convinced, that falvation is not to be expected. And the fame is to be faid as to thefe who have split upon the rock of defpair, who, though they be not yet in hell, do judge notwithstanding their escape impoffible. Our doctrine is not to be understood of these perfons.

6. We fay not in our doctrine, That convictions, however deep, or distinct, or abiding, issue in falvation, but in a serious concern about it. A perfon may be concerned, and put enquiries about that which he may never attain. He may ask, What shall I do to be faved, who fhall never be faved. The young man in the gospel asked, What muft I do to inherit eternal life? yet for any thing the fcripture makes appear, he did never inherit it. These things being laid down for clearing the doctrine, we now proceed to the

II. Thing propofed, which was to enquire, what that falvation is, which awakened finners are concerned about, and which they feek after. Sal

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