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shew them the necessity of that conversion which they have. As if a Christian begin to grow covetous, you may say, except you be a man converted from earthlymindedness to heavenlymindedness, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven; which doth not deny him to be already converted. Though as to our present purpose the matter is not great which of these be taken for the sense, because they all afford us that doctrine that we shall gather: for if there be no salvation without a particular conversion from a particular sin, much less without a conversion from a state of sin. But the plain sense of the text I doubt not is this; as if he should say,' You strive for pre-eminency and worldly greatness in my kingdom; why I tell you my kingdom is a kingdom of babes; it containeth none but the humble that are small in their own eyes, and look not after great matters in this world; and though nature be proud, yet except you be (now or hereafter) converted men, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' By the kingdom of heaven is here meant, both the estate of true grace, and so of glory. Not as if conversion were a preparation to their entering into this kingdom as begun on earth, but it is their very entrance itself, and so the beginning of it. The doctrine we shall hence handle, shall be given you in no other but the words of the text, lest I seem to force them.

Doctrine. It is a most certain truth, protested by Jesus Christ, that except men be converted and become as little children, they cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The order which we shall observe in handling this, is,-
I. To shew you what this kingdom of heaven is.

II. What it is to be converted, and particularly what to become as little children.

III. Confirm the doctrine from other Scriptures.

IV. I shall give you the reasons why no man can enter into the kingdom of heaven that is not converted.

V. We shall make use of all, and therein shew you the hindrances of conversion, the marks of it, the motives to it, and the Directions for attaining it; as the Lord shall enable me.

I. The kingdom of heaven is taken in Scripture both for the state of grace and glory. As all men are by nature in

VOL. VII.

the kingdom of satan here, by a willing obeying of him, and hereafter to be tormented by him; so all the converted are by grace in the kingdom of Christ, by a willing submission and obedience here, and hereafter to be glorified by him for ever. This is all one kingdom, because there is the same king and the same subjects; yet they are diversified in this, that one is the way or means to the other, and that the laws and duties which belong to us in the way, are not all the same as those that shall continue at the end. It is called the kingdom of heaven, both because the king is from above, and not a mere man as earthly kings are, and reigneth in heaven invisibly, and not as earthly monarchs whom you may see; and because it is heaven which all grace and means, and duties do tend to, and it is heaven where is the end and full felicity, and the most glorious part of the kingdom. The Guide and Sanctifier of the church also is from heaven, even the Holy Ghost: the law is from heaven by the inspiration of the Spirit: the hearts of the subjects are heavenly, and their lives must be heavenly: it is herc in the seed, it will be hereafter in the full tree. The difference between the egg and the bird, the acorn and the oak, is not near so great as the difference between the kingdom of grace and of glory. And yet a man that had never seen or known the production of such creatures would little believe, if you should shew him an acorn, that that would come to be an oak. And it is no marvel if a carnal heart will not believe that the weak, despised graces of the saints, do tend to such an inconceivable glory. When a poor Christian that is dead to this world lieth praying and panting after God, and looking and longing after glory, little doth the unbelieving world think, what a blessed harbour it is that by these gales he is moving and hasting to; they now see him praying, and shall then see him possessing and praising; they now see his labour and suffering, but they will not believe his blessedness, and perfection, till they see it to their own sorrow who have lost it.

Before I proceed to open the nature of conversion, I shall say somewhat more of the word: and I shall shew you the difference between Conversion, Repentance, Regeneration, Sanctification, Vocation.

1. The truth is, all these five words are used in Scripture to express the same work upon the soul: only they have

some respective and other smaller differences, which I shall now manifest to you. And the first word Vocation is taken often for God's act of calling when it hath no success, and this is called uneffectual calling. So it is used Prov. i. 24. Because I called, and ye refused, I have stretched forth my hands and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof." So Isa. lxv. 12. Jer. vii. 13. "I called, but ye answered not:" and many other places. 1. Sometimes it is taken for the act of God when it is successful; as 1 Thess. ii. 12. and many more places. 2. This success itself is termed our calling in a passive sense and it is twofold. (1.) Common; when men are brought but to outward profession and common gifts; and so the word is used often. (2.) Special; when men are savingly converted to Christ: the former is Common effectual Calling; the latter is Special effectual Calling. And this last is the same with conversion: only these two differences are observable. 1. As to the name, it is metaphorically taken from the outward call of the Gospel, and so applied to the effect on the soul. 2. It hath usually in Scripture a principal respect to the first effect on the soul, even the act of faith itself above all other graces, and following obedience; yet not excluding the latter, but sometimes plainly comprehending them. So that some divines conceive that Vocation is a work different from Sanctification, because they conceive that it is only the Spirit's causing the first act of faith in the soul, and by that act a habit is effected, and therewith the seed of all graces, which they call the work of sanctification. And indeed the word Vocation hath special respect to the Gospel-call, to the act of believing in Christ, and the proper effect of that call, even our actual belief. But sometimes it comprehendeth the whole Christian relation and state, as Heb. iii. 1. and 2 Pet. i. 10, &c.

2. Repentance is the same thing as special effectual calling; so we take not calling in the most narrow sense of all, for the bare act of faith; only this difference there is: 1. The word Repentance doth specially denote our motion from the terminus à quo,' even that sinful state from which we turn, and which we repent of; yet including essentially also the state to which we turn. Whereas the word Voca

tion doth principally express the state to which we are called. 2. Also the word Repentance doth principally respect our turning to God from whom we fell: but the word Vocation doth as much or more respect our coming to Christ the Mediator as the way to the Father. There is a twofold repentance; (1.) One is our turning from a state of sin and misery, such as the unconverted are in, and this is it that we mean now, as the same with conversion from the same state. (2.) There is also a particular repentance, which is a turning from a particular sin, and this must be daily renewed while we live. Repentance signifieth and containeth two things. The first is a hearty sorrow that ever we sinned; the second is a change of the mind from that sin to God. Indeed the former is but part of the latter: the changed mind is changed in this part, and manifestcth its change in a special manner, by remorse for former sins: though all remorse is not from such a change.

3. The word Regeneration also signifieth the same thing with Conversion, but with this small difference; 1. The term is metaphorical, taken from our natural generation; because there is so great a change, that a man is as it were another man. 2. The word is in Scripture-sense, I think more comprehensive than Conversion, Repentance or Vocation; for it signifieth not only the newness of our qualities, but also of our relations, even our whole new state. This is not ordinarily acknowledged, but if we view the places where the word is used, it will prove so: for as Paul describing the thing though he useth not the word, 2 Cor. v. 11. saith, "He that is in Christ is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new:" where relations must needs be a part of that all as the context will shew. So Tit. iii. 5. it is called "the laver or washing of regeneration ;" and is distinguished from renewing of the Holy Ghost; at least as the general, comprehending that as a part. 1. Most expositors think that the word hath reference to baptism, and expresseth its effects or consequents and no doubt baptism is for remission of sins, and therefore the laver of regeneration is for remission of sins. 2. The very text maintaineth plainly that grace by which we are saved; by free grace, and that is our free justification as well as free sanctification: and our divines

commonly cite that text against the Papists upon that account, as pleading for free justification: "Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." Is not saving from the guilt of sin a part of our salvation? What reason to restrain saving here to sanctification only? Doubtless if there were reason to restrain the word Regeneration to either, it would be to justification only; because the giving of the Holy Ghost is next mentioned by itself, but justification is not mentioned at all, if regeneration comprehends it not. And it is certain, that the apostle intendeth not only to tell us, that we are freely sanctified without works, but also that we are freely justified by grace without works. So John iii. 3. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God;" where he at least hath some respect to baptism, as most suppose, and baptism is for the remission of sins: to be born of water therefore must needs include remission of sin. And this regeneration maketh a man a new creature, and as Paul saith, "in the new creature all things are become new," and not the qualities only. But in the main, Regeneration is the same with Conversion.

4. The word Sanctification also signifieth the same thing for the main, as Conversion doth, only with these small differences following: 1. The word is more comprehensive, for it signifieth our whole state of dedication or devotedness to God, which comprehendeth in it these four things: 1. The change of a man's qualities, whereby he is made fit for the service of God, having his heart bent towards him, and set upon him. 2. The actual dedication or devoting of a man's self to God by faith and a holy covenant; especially in baptism, by solemn vow or engagement. 3. The relation of a person so dedicated or devoted to God, as he is one set apart to him for holy uses, and it is from this relation especially that the word Sanctification is used. 4. The holiness of life that followeth hereupon, in the actual living to God, to whom we are devoted. Sanctification comprehendeth all this, and so comprehends in it Vocation, and somewhat more.

But then perhaps it may be found, that the word is

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