CIR. Do you not remember that one of the Shepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground?1 He meant by that, that we should beware of sleeping; Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober."2 1 Th. v. 6. He is thankful. HOPE. I acknowledge myself in a fault; and had I been here alone, I had by sleeping run the danger of death. I see it is true that the wise man saith, Two are better than one.' Hitherto hath thy company been my mercy, and thou shalt have a good reward for thy labour. Ec. iv. 9. To prevent drowsiness, they fall to CHR. Now then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let good discourse. us fall into good discourse. Good discourse prevents drow siness. Hopeful's life before conversion. ing, swearing, lying, uncleanness, Sabbath-break- CHR. And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction? HOPE. No, I was not willing presently to know the evil of sin, nor the damnation that Hopeful at first follows upon the commission of it; but HOPE. With all my heart, said the endeavoured, when my mind at first other. HOPE. Do you mean, how came I at first to look after the good of my soul? CHR. Yes, that is my meaning. HOPE. I continued a great while in the delight of those things which were seen and sold at our fair; things which, I believe now, would have, had I continued in them still, drowned me in perdition and destruction. CHR. What things were they? HOPE. All the treasures and riches of the world. Also I delighted much in rioting, revelling, drink in the enchanted air of this world, usually begins with one of these short naps.-(Cheever.) The Enchanted Ground may represent worldly prosperity; agreeable dispensations succeeding long-continued difficulties. This powerfully tends to produce a lethargic frame of mind: the man attends to religious duties more from habit, than from delight in the service of God. No situation requires so much watchfulness. Other experiences resemble storms, which keep a man awake; this is a treacherous calm, which lulls him to sleep.-(Scott.) 20 Christian, beware of sleeping on this enchanted ground! When all things go easy, smooth, and well, we are prone to grow drowsy in soul. How many are the calls in the Word against spiritual slumber! and yet how many professors, through the enchanting air of this world, are fallen into the deep sleep of formality! Be warned by them to cry to thy Lord to keep thee awake to righteousness, and vigorous in the ways of thy Lord.-(Mason.) VOL. 11. shuts his eyes against the light. began to be shaken with the Word, to shut mine eyes against the light thereof. CHR. But what was the cause of your carrying of it thus to the first workings of God's blessed Spirit upon you? Reasons of his light. HOPE. The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that this was the work of God upon me. I never thought that by awakenings for resisting of the sin, God at first begins the conversion of a sinner. 2. Sin was yet very sweet to my flesh, and I was loath to leave it. 3. I could not tell how to part with mine old companions, their presence and actions were so desirable unto me. 4. The hours in which convictions were upon me, were such troublesome and such heart-affright ing hours, that I could not bear, no not so much as the remembrance of them upon my heart.3 CHR. Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your trouble? HOPE. Yes, verily, but it would come into my mind again, and then I should be as bad, nay, worse than I was before. CHR. Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again? Here you see, as our Lord says, 'It is the Spirit who quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.' Jn. vi. 63. Our carnal nature is so far from profiting in the work of conversion to Christ, that it is at enmity against him, and opposes the Spirit's work in showing us our want of him, and bringing us to him. Man's nature and God's grace are two direct opposites. Nature opposes, but grace subdues nature, and brings it to submission and subjection. Are we truly convinced of sin, and converted to Christ? This is a certain and sure evidence of it-we shall say from our hearts, Not unto us, nor unto any yieldings and compliances of our nature, free-will, and power, but unto thy name, O Lord, be all the glory. For it is by thy free, sovereign, efficacious grace, we are what we are. Hence, see the ignorance, folly, and pride of those who exalt free-will, and nature's power, &c. Verily they do not know themselves, even as they are known.-(Mason.) 20 3. If mine head did begin to ache; or, 4. If I were told that some of my neighbours were sick; or, 5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were dead; or, 6. If I thought of dying myself; or, in the book uncrossed, for that the shopkeeper may sue him, and cast him into prison till he shall pay the debt. CHR. Well, and how did you apply this to yourself? HOPE. Why, I thought thus with myself: I 7. If I heard that sudden death happened to have, by my sins, run a great way into God's others; book, and that my now reforming will not pay off 8. But especially, when I thought of myself, that score; therefore I should think still, under that I must quickly come to judgment. CHR. And could you at any time, with ease, get off the guilt of sin,' when, by any of these ways, it came upon you? HOFE. No, not I, for then they got faster hold of my conscience; and then, if I did but think of going back to sin (though my mind was turned against it), it would be double torment to me. CHR. And how did you do then? HOPE. I thought I must endeavour to mend my When he could life; for else, thought I, I am sure to no longer shake be damned. off his guilt by sinful courses, then he elldeavours mend. to CHR. And did you endeavour to mend? HOPE. Yes; and fled from not only my sins, but sinful company too; and betook me to religious duties, as prayer, reading, weeping for sin, speaking truth to my neighbours, &c. These things did I, with many others, too much here to relate. CHR. And did you think yourself well then? HOPE. Yes, for a while; but, at the last, my Then he thought trouble came tumbling upon me again, himself well. and that over the neck of all my reformations. all my present amendments, But how shall I be freed from that damnation that I have brought myself in danger of, by my former transgres sions? best duties CHR. A very good application; but, pray, go on, HOFE. Another thing that hath troubled me, even since my late amendments, is, that if I look narrowly into the best of what I do His espying bad now, I still see sin, new sin, mixing things in th itself with, the best of that I do; so troubled him. that now I am forced to conclude, that notwithstanding my former fond conceits of myself and duties, I have committed sin enough in one duty to send me to hell, though my former life had been faultless.3 2 CHR. How came that about, since you were now and satisfied with mine own amendment, I had reformed? HOPE. There were several things brought it upon me, especially such sayings as these: Reformation at last could not help, and why. 'All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.' Is. lxiv. 6. By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.' Ga. ii. 16. When ye shall have done all those things, say, We are unprofitable,' Lu. xvii. 10; with many more such like. From whence I began to reason with myself thus: If ALL my righteousnesses are filthy rags; if, by the deeds of the law, NO man can be justified; and if, when we have done ALL, we are yet unprofitable, then it is but a folly to think of heaven by the law. His being I further thought thus: If a man runs debtor by the law, troubled a hundred pounds into the shopkeeper's debt, and after that shall pay for all that he shall fetch; yet, if this old debt stands still him. a 1 Not the evil of sin in the sight of God, but the remorse and fear of wrath, with which the convinced sinner is oppressed, and from which he, at times, seeks relief by means which exceedingly increase his actual guilt. Nothing but a free pardon, by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, can take away guilt; but the uneasiness of a man's conscience may be for a time removed by various expedients.-(Scott.) called him fool for his pains; but now, since I see mine own infirmity, and the sin that cleaves to my best performance, I have been forced to be of his opinion. CHR. But did you think, when at first he suggested it to you, that there was such a man to be found, of whom it might justly be said, that he never committed sin? 2 In modern editions, this has been altered to 'sin enough in one day. But in any period of time, selecting that duty in the discharge of which we have felt the most pure, there has been a mixture of sin. For there is not a day, nor a duty; not a day that thou livest, nor a duty that thou dost, but will need that mercy should come after to take away thy iniquity.'-(Bunyan's Saints' Privilege, vol. i. p. 679.) These are solemn and humbling reflections.-(ED.) 3 Thus, you see, in conversion, the Lord does not act upon us as though we were mere machines. No, we have understanding; he enlightens it. Then we come to a sound mind; we think right, and reason justly. We have wills; what the understanding judges best, the will approves, and then the affections follow after; and thus we choose Christ for our Saviour, and glory only in his righteousness and salvation. When the heavenly light of truth makes manifest what we are, and the danger we are in, then we rationally flee from the wrath to come, to Christ the refuge set before us.-(Mason.) CHR. And did you ask him what man this was, and how you must be justified by him? HOPE. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the right hand of the Most High. And thus, said he, you must be justified by him, even by trusting to what he hath done by himself in the days of his flesh, and suffered when he did hang on the tree. I asked him A more particu- further, how that man's righteousness lar discovery of could be of that efficacy to justify another before God? And he told me he was the mighty God, and did what he did, and died the death also, not for himself, but for me; to whom his doings, and the worthiness of them, should be imputed, if I believed on him. He. x. Ro. iv. the way to be suved. Col. i. 1 Pe. i. CHR. And what did you do then? IIOPE. I made my objections against my believIle doubts of ing, for that I thought he was not willing to save me. acceptation. instructed. thou art willing to bestow him upon such a poor sinner as I am (and I am a sinner indeed), Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and magnify thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen. Ex. xxv. 22. Le. xvi. 2. Nu. CHR. And did the Father reveal his Son to you? HOPE. Not at the first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at the sixth time neither. CHR. What did you do then? HOPE. What! why I could not tell what to do. CHR. Had you not thoughts of leaving off praying? HOPE. Yes, an hundred times twice told. He thought to leave off praying. CHR. And what was the reason you did not? HOPE. I believed that that was true which had been told me, to wit, that without the He durst not righteousness of this Christ, all the leave off praving, and why. world could not save me; and therefore, thought I with myself, if I leave off I die, and I can but die at the throne of grace. And withal, this came into my mind, "Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.' Ha. ii. 3. So I continued praying until the Father showed me his Son.2 CHR. And how was he revealed unto you? HOPE. I did not see him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of my understand Christ is reveal how. CHR. And what said Faithful to you then? HOPE. He bid me go to him and see. Then I said it was presumption; but he said, No, for I was invited to come. Mat. xi. 28. Then he gave me a book of Jesus, his inditing, to encourage me the He is better more freely to come; and he said, concerning that book, that every jot and tittle thereof stood firmer than heaven and earth. Mat. xxiv. 35. Then I asked him, What I must do when I came; and he told me, I must entreating, Ep. i. 18, 19; and thus it was: One ed to him, and upon my knees, with all my heart and soul, the Father to reveal him to me. Ps. xcv. 6. Dan. vi. 10. Je. xxix. 12, 13. Then I asked him further, how I must make my supplication to him? And he said, Go, and thou shalt find him upon a mercy-seat, where he sits all the year long, to give pardon and forgiveness to them that come. I told him that I knew not what to say when I came. And he bid me say to this effect, God be merHe is bid to pray. ciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see, that if his righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away.1 Lord, I have heard that thou art a merciful God, and hast ordained that thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of the world; and moreover, that 1 Pray mind this. The grand object of a sensible sinner is righteousness. He has it not in himself; this he knows. Where is it to be found? In Christ only. This is a revealed truth; and without faith in this, every sinner must be lost. Consider, it is at the peril of your soul that you reject the righteousness of Christ; and do not believe that God imputeth it without works for the justification of the ungodly. O ye stout-hearted, self-righteous sinners, ye who are far from righteousness, know this and tremble !—(Mason.) day I was very sad, I think sadder But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner. And he answered, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'3 2 Co. xii. 9. Then I said, But, Lord, what is believing? And then I saw from that The true nature of faith is to believe and rest upon the which is the gift of God leads the soul to wait upon and cry Word of truth, and wait for the promised comfort. That faith to God, and not to rest till it has some blessed testimony from God of interest in the love and favour of God in Christ Jesus. But O how many professors rest short of this!— (Mason.) 3 As I thought my case most sad and fearful, these words did with great power suddenly break in upon me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee,' three times together. O! methought every word was a mighty word for me; as my, and grace, and sufficient, and for thee; they were then, and sometimes are still, far bigger than others be.-(Grace Abounding, No. 206.) |