We acknowledge in like manner, a child of God justified at once in his conversion, when he is fully and freely estated in God's favour. And yet seeing every daily sin by him committed is an aversion from God, and his daily repentance a conversion to God, his justification in this respect, may be conceived entirely continued all the days of his life.

TIM. What is the difference betwixt the first repentance, and this renewed repentance?

PHIL. The former is as it were the putting of life into a dead man, the latter, the recovering of a sick man from a dangerous wound; by the former, sight to the blind is simply restored and eyes given him; in the latter, only a film is removed, drawn over the eyes, and hindering their actual sight. By the first, we have a right title to the kingdom of Heaven; by our second repentance, we have a new claim to Heaven, by virtue of our old title. Thus these two kinds of repentance may be differenced and distinguished, though otherwise they meet and agree in general qualities: both having sin for their cause, sorrow for their companion, and pardon for their consequent and effect.

TIM. But do not God's children after committing of grievous sins, and before their renewing their repentance, remain still heirs of Heaven married to Christ, and citizens of the new Jerusalem?

PHIL. Heirs of Heaven they are, but disinheritable for their misdemeanour. Married still to Christ, but deserving to be divorced for their

adulteries. Citizens of Heaven, but yet outlawed, so that they can recover no right, and receive no benefit, till their outlawry be reversed.

TIM. Where doth God in scripture enjoin this second repentance on his own children? PHIL. In several places. He threatens the church of Ephesus (the best of the seven) with removing the candlestick from them, except they repent and Christ tells his own disciples, true converts before, but then guilty of ambitious thoughts, that except ye be converted ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Here is conversion after conversion, being a solemn turning from some particular sin; in relation to which it is not absurd to say, that there is justification after justification; the latter as following in time, so flowing from the former.

DIALOGUE VII.

Only Christ is to be applied to Souls truly contrite.

TIMOTHEUS.

UT suppose the person

in the minister's ap

prehension heartily humbled for sin, what then is to be done?

PHIL. No corrosives, all cordials; no vinegar, all oil; no law, all gospel must be presented unto

* Rev. ii. 5.

+ Mat. xviii. 3.

*

him. Here, blessed the lips, yea beautiful the feet of him that bringeth the tidings of peace. As Elisha, when reviving the son of the Shunamite, laid his mouth to the mouth of the child. So the gaping orifice of Christ's wounds must spiritually by preaching, be put close to the mouth of the wounds of a conscience: happy that skilful architect that can shew the sick man that the head stone of his spiritual building must be laid with shouts, crying, Grace, grace.

TIM. Which do you count the head stone of the building, that which is first or last laid?

PHIL. The foundation is the head stone in honour, the top stone is the head stone in height. The former the head stone in strength, the latter in the stature. It seemeth that God's Spirit, of set purpose, made use of a doubtful word, to shew that the whole fabric of our salvation, whether as founded, or as finished, is the only work of God's grace alone. Christ is the alpha and omega thereof, not excluding all the letters in the alphabet interposed.

TIM. How must the minister preach Christ to an afflicted conscience?

PHIL. He must crucify him before his eyes, lively setting him forth; naked, to clothe him ; wounded, to cure him; dying, to save him. He is to expound and explain unto him the dignity of his person, preciousness of his blood, plenteousness of his mercy, in all those loving relations, wherein the scripture presents him: a kind

* 2 Kings iv. 34.

+ Zecha. iv. 7.

father to a prodigal child, a careful hen to a scattered chicken, a good shepherd that bringeth his lost sheep back on his shoulders.

TIM. Spare me one question: why doth he not drive the sheep before him, especially seeing it was lively enough to lose itself?

PHIL. First, because though it had wildness too much to go astray, it had not wisdom enough to go right. Secondly, because probably the silly sheep had tired itself with wandering; Habakkuk ii. 13. "the people shall weary themselves for very vanity," and therefore the kind shepherd brings it home on his own shoulders.

TIM. Pardon my interruption, and proceed, how Christ is to be held forth.

PHIL. The latitude and extent of his love, his invitation without exception, are powerfully to be pressed; every one that thirsteth, all ye that are heavy laden, whosoever believeth, and the many promises of mercy are effectually to be tendered unto him.

TIM. Where are those promises in Scripture?

PHIL. Or rather, where are they not? for they are harder to be missed than to be met with. Open the Bible (as he who drew his bow in battle) at a venture. If thou lightest on an historical place, behold precedents; if on a doctrinal, promises of comfort. For the latter, observe these particulars; Gen. iii. 15; Exo. xxxiii. 6; Isa. xl. 1; Isa. liv. 11; Mat. xi. 28; xii. 20; 1 Cor. x. 13; Heb. xiii. 5, &c.

* 1 Kings xxii. 34.

TIM. Are these more principal places of consolation than any other in the Bible?

PHIL. I know there is no choosing, where all things are choisest. Whosoever shall select some pearls out of such a heap, shall leave behind as precious as any he takes, both in his own and others' judgment; yea, which is more, the same man at several times may in his apprehension prefer several promises as best, formerly most affected with one place, for the present more delighted with another and afterwards, conceiving comfort therein not so clear, choose other places as more pregnant and pertinent to his purpose. Thus God orders it, that divers men (and perchance the same man at different times) make use of all his promises, gleaning and gathering comfort, not only in one furrow, land, or furlong, but as it is scattered clean through the whole field of Scrip

ture.

TIM. Must ministers have variety of several comfortable promises?

PHIL. Yes, surely such masters of the assembly being to enter and fasten consolation in an afflicted soul, need have many nails provided beforehand, that if some for the present chance to drive untowardly, as splitting, going awry, turning crooked or blunt, they may have others in the room thereof.

TIM. But grant Christ held out never so plainly, pressed never so powerfully, yet all is in vain, except God inwardly with his Spirit persuade the wounded conscience to believe the truth of what he saith.