This is a voice of the narrated Puritan, a class on Christian experience and assurance of salvation. In this lesson, I want to talk about another extreme, rather than a superficial evangelism. What about those churches that make the marks of conversion so strict that very few people within their midst even have an assurance of salvation? This was really true of the denomination that Dr. Joel Beakey was a part of the Netherlands Reform Congregation, which happily Dr. Beakey was a great balance to. His doctrinal dissertation was on Assurance of Salvation and the Dutch Second Reformation. But I'll begin this by quoting Archibald Alexander on his book, Thoughts on Religious Experience, he says, Among others, doubting it is to be feared is too much encouraged, and serious Christians are perplexed with needless scruples, originating in the multiplication of the marks of conversion which sometimes are difficult of application. and in other cases are not even scriptural but arbitrary, said by the preacher who values himself upon his skill in detecting the close hypocrite, whereas he wounds a weak believer in ten cases where he awakens a hypocrite in one. I once heard of one of these preachers whose common mode was harsh and calculated to distress the feeble-minded. He attempted to preach in a very different style on this occasion. He seemed to remember that he should not bruise a broken reed nor quench the smoking flax. A person of a contrite spirit heard the discourse with unusual comfort, but at the close the preacher resumed his usual harsh tone and said, Now you hypocrites will be snatching at the children's bread. on the hearing of which a broken-hearted hearer felt himself addressed and instantly threw away all of the comfort which he had received. And though there might be a hundred hypocrites present, yet none of them cared anything about the admonition. If someone were to ask, what if I just can't figure out when I was converted as a child, because I grew up in a Christian home, there is a website I kind of was entertained by it, but some of it is quite sad, and it is called God Assurance in its doubting of salvation in the Netherlands reformed churches. I'll quote from that site. Quote, people are encouraged to look to themselves instead of looking to Christ. I've compared many of the sermons with this experience. Imagine being very, very hungry. You go to a bakery to get bread, and the baker keeps telling you how hungry you must be, and in what way you must experience a hunger, and in what way you must come to be hungry, and how many other people also have been hungry, and that they were so hungry they almost died. DeBaker keeps asking you whether you know for sure you are hungry enough, and whether you know that you are truly hungry. And he says you need to know the moment you first became hungry, and says you need to know that you have been hungry for long enough. I think you get my point by now. He then says he only sells bread to people who are hungry enough, and fulfill all the conditions he first expounded. He then shuts the door right to your face." well, sometimes authors, well-meaning, and maybe because of the time in which they wrote. put too much of an emphasis on that. That's the impression that I got when I was reading A.W. Pink on saving faith. But it's also true of some of the New England Puritans like Thomas Shepard, the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the Sincere Convert, the Sound Believer, and as well Thomas Hooker. I'm going to relate a story, it says on this site, again told to me by an ex-Netherlands Reformed Church member. He told me that his elderly mother was on her deathbed. She had been in the Netherlands Reformed Churches her whole life and had raised her entire family in this denomination. I think she had at least seven to ten children. She was by all accounts a woman who had lived a dedicated Christian life. Her pastor came to visit her while she was dying. He asked her, have you heard from the Lord yet? She responded, no. He looked back at her and just shook his head left to right. That was it. That was the comfort of the gospel that this man gave to a dying woman. I was told that story about 10 years ago and it still makes me angry to this day." End quote. Here is another letter. Hi, Phil. I've been searching for a website that went into greater detail about the Netherlands Reformed Churches and last night I stumbled onto your site. I have a co-worker who is part of the Netherlands Reformed Churches and been all of her life as well as her husband and now their kids as well. Once in a while we will get to talking about church and I always walk away feeling like I should have told her this or that. But I never do, because I just simply do not know enough about their beliefs. The one thing she shared with me that bothers me the most is that she says that there are only about 10% of the entire congregation that participates in the Lord's Supper, since those are the only ones that know for sure that they are saved, end quote. I once dated a lady from this denomination about 36 years ago, maybe a little less. And it was really interesting to me that the Communicate members consisted of only those who had the highest assurance of the reality of their faith. They were the only ones that would come forward for the Lord's Supper. And I remember at the time, prior to Dr. Joel Beekes being a pastor there, was a man named William C. Lemaine. And if you've heard me talk about assurance of salvation, In my last message, I was talking about the Protestant Reformed churches in Grand Rapids, which are at the opposite extreme. They believe assurance of salvation is of the essence of faith. And if you do not have a full assurance, you need to question whether or not you've been saved. Another website. And I am thankful for a lot of things they have published. I have talked to the founder of the website on the phone. He's published some very good things by Jonathan Edwards and so on. His name is William Nichols. But again, their emphasis is, if you have not had a lengthy law work, a time of conviction prior to conversion that you can detail. Your conversion may be suspect. And they tell these stories. This is on their website. You can check it out for yourself. International Outreach in Ames, Iowa. A letter from Yinsu Kim to William Nichols published at International Outreach. One day in the spring of 2001, and this is their typical conversion story, and it has to be something of this nature, or otherwise you probably need to doubt whether or not you've been converted. It goes on, I realized that there had not been any noticeable changes in my life since the previous struggle. I was as negligent in religious duties as before. I needed help. I started to ask myself how to live a mature Christian life, and the Puritans' lives came to my mind. By the way, I had mentioned in a previous podcast very recently. that at the age of 19, Jonathan Edwards was somewhat doubtful of his salvation because he said that he never had that law work or work of conviction prior to conversion that the Puritans had made an emphasis on. But I go on. I needed help. I started to ask myself how to live a mature Christian life, and the Puritans' lives came to mind. I wanted to learn about the Puritans. I wanted to learn about their lives and know how they lived their lives before God. It was at that time I met Bill Nichols in a very unusual manner. Although we lived in a small town and had done Bible study together years before, we had not met by any chance for a long time. However, that spring, within a week or so, I happened to meet him in a library and then in a grocery store. Each time I met him, I thought he might be a good person to guide me to the Puritans, but hesitated to ask about it until I met him a third time again in the library. At that time, I suppose it might be God who had arranged these seemingly chance meetings. So I asked Bill to help me to learn about the Puritans, and we started a weekly Bible study. At that time, Bill gave me a copy of notes from one of Jonathan Edwards's unpublished sermons entitled Persons in Seeking Heaven. should behave in like manner as valiant, resolute soldiers do, and take in a country or kingdom in which they are strongly opposed, which urged men to press forward with violence as a soldier in the battlefield to be convinced of sins. He reminded me that a seeker is a beggar who deserves hell, and he does not deserve mercy at all. And mercy was not a debt which God owed me. As Edwards pointed out in a sermon pressing into the kingdom of God, the manner of seeking was by no means an easy way. It required strong desire, firm resolution, endeavor, and much more. So I resolved to seek God with all my strength and heart. Gradually the reality of hell became more sensible to me and so did my individual sins, brought out from my memory while I was praying or meditating. Just a footnote here. It's interesting and I have narrated Jonathan Edwards' works. pressing into the kingdom the manner in which salvation is to be sought. In other works, like, God makes men sensible of their misery before he reveals his love and mercy. There's a lot of good in those sermons. It's a misapplication that concerns me. Did you know that Sarah Edwards, Jonathan Edwards' wife, may have been converted as early as the age of five, and I can guarantee that she didn't go through this prior experience and conviction before she was converted. So God's ways in leading sinners to his son are so very various. Not everybody has the same awakening. Even Christian in Pilgrim's Progress Part One, with a burden on his back, is a whole different conversion than Christiana in part two of Pilgrim's Progress, but I go on with this letter. Whenever new sin came to my mind, it caused me to meditate on my sinful nature without any truly remarkable changes. The whole winter passed away as I continued seeking God. Sometime in the spring of 2002, I began to get angry and irritated toward God as well as about trivial matters in my family life and daily works. I became very angry toward myself and hated every aspect of my being. I hated myself. I hated the sins that I had committed and those which were still a part of my daily life. My family and friends irritated me. I wanted to be alone, but they never let me be alone. I complained about these things to God and asked Him why He did not help me. I cried to God that I was seeking Him with my utmost, but He was not responding. I was so tired of seeking without improvement and ready to quit. At least I wanted a break. However, I knew I could not be the same person I was before. I could not go to church pretending I was a Christian. At this point I withdrew somewhat from seeking and tried to get some easy rest but my soul never got comfort at all. Footnote. This person is talking about their awakening prior to conversion. We must keep it in its context, but I go on. At this point I withdrew somewhat from seeking and tried to get some easy rest, but my soul never got comfort at all. I knew if I was to quit seeking I would be lost forever and be punished in hell. Furthermore, it surely never would be easy to seek again after quitting. Jonathan Edwards warned me, if a sinner hardens his heart from the warning of God, he would probably never be able to set his heart to take up sincere seeking again. End quote. Well, let's talk about the solution to this. The balance to this. I myself was under awakening for three and a half years before I had a solid assurance of salvation. I've told that story. That was between the spring of 1983 and September 18th, 1986. But it is possible that during my awakening, what I really lacked, and I could have been converted already, was an assurance that I had been brought from death unto life. But this is a difficult subject, and the concern that one has in approaching the subject is hinted at but not developed in the introduction to John Kelly's historical collections of accounts of revival. That introduction, which I have narrated, was written by Horatius Bonar. It is a statement which can easily be missed, but deserves a more detailed examination of its concern. Bonar, while extolling the virtues of them that God used in the Great Awakening, also expressed a genuine concern. He says, quote, Perhaps they, the people that were used in the Great Awakening, excelled more in the proclamation of the law and its external penalties than in the declaration of the glad tidings of great joy through him who finished transgression and made an end of sin upon the cross. There is sometimes a lack of fullness and liberty in their statements of the gospel. There is a constraint about some of their sermons, as if they feared making the glad tidings of the gospel too free. There is in their dealings with anxious inquirers that would be persons who are under awakening, asking us a Philippian jailer in Acts 16, 30 and 31. There is in their dealings with anxious inquirers a tendency to throw them upon their own acts, or feelings, or convictions, instead of drawing them out at once to what has been finished on the cross, leading them to look for some preparatory work in themselves before rejoicing in the gospel." Well, a book I often quote here, Samuel Pike and Samuel Hayward, 1755, This is a question that they answer. Is it not presumptuous for a person to hope he has an interest in Christ when he sees little or nothing in himself but reason to doubt and question it? A serious person The insensible that there is such a thing as a false vain hope is therefore very backward to embrace the glad tidings of salvation in Christ for himself, and he makes the sight he has of his own foulness, unworthiness, and inward pollution a bar in the way of his hope. because he can see nothing in himself to ground it upon. The fearful soul reasons after this manner. It is certainly presumption in all cases to believe without evidence, and no sort of persuasion can be more dangerous than a groundless belief of an interest in Christ. And since I have no ground in myself to believe in or hope for this, therefore I must never venture to apply Christ to myself until I can see and feel some solid evidences in myself of a work of true grace in my soul. And thus a serious person argues against himself and prevents himself from embracing Christ as a free Savior." Richard Baxter relates, and this is recorded by Increase Mather in his Introduction to a Guide to Christ by Solomon Stoddard. Richard Baxter relates that he was once at a meeting of many Christians as eminent for holiness as most in the land, and this would have been Puritan London in the 1600s. of whom many were pastors of great fame, and it was desired that every one of them would give an account of the time and manner of his conversion. And there was but one of them all that could even do it. And he says, I tell you from my heart that I neither know the day nor the year when I began to be sincere." Archibald Alexander wrote, Suppose That in a certain case Greece has been communicated at so early a period that its first exercises cannot be remembered. What will be the evidences which we should expect to find of its existence? To those who cannot fix any commencement of their pious exercises, in other words to those who are not sure in what day they were converted. But yet, possess every other evidence of a change of heart, I would say, do not be discouraged on this account, but rather be thankful that you have been so early placed under the tender care of the Grey Shepherd, and have thus been restrained from committing many sins to which your nature, as well as that of others, was inclined. The habitual evidences of piety are the same, at whatever period the war commenced. If you possess these, you are safe, and early piety is probably steadier and more consistent when matured by age than that of later origin, though the change, of course, cannot be so evident to yourselves or others. But tell me, how were you brought to turn from your wayward, downward course? This, as it relates to the external means of awakening, would receive a great variety of answers. One would say, while I was hearing a particular sermon, I was awakened to see my lost state, and I never found rest or peace until I was unable to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Another would answer, I was brought to consideration by the solemn and pointed conversation of a pious friend who sought my salvation. While the third would answer, I was led to serious consideration by having the hand of God laid heavily upon me in some affliction. In regard to many, the answer would be that their minds were gradually led to serious consideration, but they scarcely know how. Now in regard to these external means or circumstances, it doesn't matter whether the attention was arrested and the conscience awakened by this or that means gradually or suddenly." William Gurnall, The Puritan Around the year 1665 wrote to Christian Incomplete Armor, and he says, quote, perhaps you have not heard so much of the rattling chains of hell, nor in thy conscience the outcries of the damned to make thy flesh tremble, but have you not seen that in a bleeding Christ, which has made your heart melt and mourn, yea, loathe and hate your lusts more than the devil himself. Truly, Christian, it is strange to hear a patient complain of his physician when he finds his medicine work effectually to de-evacuating his distempered humors and restoring his health merely because he was not so sick as some others with the working of it. So, thou hast more reason to be blessing God that the convictions of the Spirit wrought so kindly on you, to effect that in you without those errors which have caused others. So, dear." Again, Samuel Pike and Samuel Hayward. You would give all the world to be certain of an interest in the atoning blood, justifying righteousness and sanctifying grace of Christ. Your hearts are set upon these things. But because you cannot arrive at this comfortable satisfaction, you therefore hang down your heads and go mourning all the day in darkness and fear. Remember, for your encouragement. You concerned souls, that if you are really desirous of and cannot be satisfied without the blood of Christ for your pardon, the righteousness of Christ for your justification, and the Holy Spirit of Christ for your purification, you may, under this concern and these desires, apply yourselves to Christ and apply Christ to yourselves without any danger of presuming. Because you may be sure the grace of Christ is so free, that if a whole Christ be welcome to you, you are welcome to Christ and all of his salvation. The difficulty drawn from these words is to this effect. The distressed soul speaks in this language. In how many things does my heart condemn me? What backwardness I experience to spiritual duty? What spiritual deadness and inactivity in the ways of God does my heart convince me of? and condemn me for. These and many, many more things have I to lay to my own charge. How then can I have any confidence towards God? Or how can I dare to hope in Him or depend upon Him for pardon and salvation? But you will perhaps still be ready to say, how can I hope or believe that I have an interest in Christ when I have no evidence in myself to prove it? I answer, this is only an abstract argument. which is urged by carnal reason, on purpose to promote discouraging unbelief and to hinder a gospel hope. Is there no such thing as hoping against hope? Is not Christ set before you as the only Savior, as the complete Savior, and as one entirely free? Look then into the proposals and promises of the gospel and in them, though not in yourselves, you will find ground sufficient to encourage your application to Christ, and your application of him to yourselves for your consolation, sanctification, and salvation." Jonathan Edwards, in his narrative of many surprising conversions, says, quote, I've been much blamed and censored by many that I should make it my practice when I've been satisfied concerning person's good state to signify it to them. In other words, somebody has been recently converted And all the signs are there, all the fruits are there of genuine contrition and brokenness for sin and embracing of Christ. Jonathan Edwards says, this has been greatly misrepresented abroad as innumerable other things concerning us to prejudice the country against the whole affair. But let it be noted that what I have undertaken to judge of has rather been qualifications and declared experiences than persons. not but that I have thought it my duty as a pastor to assist and instruct persons in applying scripture rules and characters to their own case, in which I think many greatly need a guide. And I have, where the case appeared plain, used freedom in signifying my hope of them to others. But I have been far from doing this concerning all that have had some hopes of conversion, and I believe have used much more caution than many have supposed. Yet I should have counted a great calamity to be deprived of the comfort of rejoicing with those of my flock who have been in great distress, whose circumstances I have been acquainted with, when there seems to be good evidence that those who were dead are alive, and that those who were lost are now found. I am sensible the practice would have been safer in the hands of one of a riper judgment and greater experience, but yet there seems to be an absolute necessity of it on the aforementioned accounts, and it has been found what God is most remarkably owned and blessed amongst us, both to the persons themselves and to others. Grace in many persons through this ignorance of their state or lack of assurance, and are looking on themselves still as the objects of God's displeasure. It's been like the trees in winter, or like seed in the spring suppressed under a hard clod of earth. Many in such cases have labored to their utmost to divert their minds from the pleasing and joyful views they have had, and to suppress those consolations and gracious affections that arose thereupon. And when it is once come into their minds to inquire whether or not this was not true grace, they have been much afraid lest they should be deceived with common illuminations and flashes of affection, and eternally undone with a false hope. But when they have been better instructed, and so brought to a love of hope, this has awakened a gracious disposition of their hearts into life and vigor, as the warm beams of the sun in the spring have quickened the seeds and productions of the earth. Grace, being now at liberty and cherished with hope, has soon flowed out to their abundant satisfaction and increase." William Guthrie, in a trial of a saving interest, Some are brought into Christ in a sovereign gospel way when the Lord by some few words of love, swallowing up any work of the law, quickly takes a person prisoner at the first, as He did Zacchaeus and others, who upon a word spoken by Christ did leave all and follow Him. and we hear no noise of the work of the law prior to their conversion. He means dealing with them before they close with Christ Jesus. John Owen, quote, Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is the same work, or of the same kind, and wrought by the same power of the Spirit and all that are regenerate. or ever were or shall be so, from the beginning of the world to the end of it. Mostly, God makes use of the preaching of the word, thence called the engrafted word, which is able to save our souls, James 1 verse 21, and the incorruptible seed by which we are born again, 1 Peter 1 verse 23. Sometimes it is wrought without it. as in all those who are regenerate before they come to the use of reason, or in their infancy. Sometimes men are called and so regenerate in an extraordinary manner as was Paul, but mostly they are so in and by the use of ordinary means, instituted, blessed, and sanctified of God to that end and purpose. In great variety there is also in the perception and understanding of the work itself in them, in whom it is wrought. For itself it is secret and hidden, and is no other ways discoverable but in its causes and effects. For as the wind blows where it lists, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell whence it comes and where it goes, so is every one that is born of the Spirit." H. B. Smith, quote, an adult in regeneration, is wrought most frequently by the Word of God as the instrument, believing that infants may be regenerated. We cannot assert that it is tied to the Word of God absolutely, end quote. We prefer to say that if infants are regenerated, they also are regenerated in conjunction with some influence of truth upon the mind. Dim, as a recognition of it may be. A.W. Pink. Regeneration is substantially the same in all who are the subjects of it. There is a spiritual transformation, the conformment of the soul to the image of God, that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. John 3 verse 6. But although every regenerate person is a new creature, and has received a principle of faith and holiness which acts on every faculty of its being, and is indwelled and led by the Holy Spirit, yet God does not communicate the same measure of grace, Romans 12, verse 3, 2 Corinthians 10, verse 13, and Ephesians 4, verse 16, or the same number of talents are given to all alike. God's children differ from each other as children do at their natural birth, some of whom are more lively and vigorous than others. God, according to His sovereign pleasure, gives to some a fuller knowledge, to others stronger faith, to others warmer affections. Natural temperament has much to do with the form and color which the manifestation of the Spirit takes through us." Stephen Charnock on regeneration. I believe this is in his Collected Works, Volume 3. In regard to the suddenness of it, Peter and Andrew were called when they thought of nothing but their nets, and Paul changed by a word or two, who before was not only unwilling, but rebellious. Some have gone into a church, wolves, and returned out of the church, lambs. This change comes upon some that never dreamed of it and have snatched them out of the arms of hell, upon others who have resisted with all of their might any motion that way, and were never greater enemies to any than to those that would check their sinful pleasures with such admonitions, and yet these have been on a sudden surprise. What ground is there to ascribe any of this but to a divine work? Many have dropped in onto a sermon with no intention to stay there, who have felt God's hook in their souls, have leaped like fish out of their element for a while, and God has caught them in His hand. Have you never heard of some who have gone to make sport with a convincing sermon, or to satisfy lust with unclean glances, who have been made prisoners by grace before their return? 2. The differences and the changes of men under less means. One is changed by weaker means. Another remains in his unregenerous state under means in themselves more powerful and likely. Some are wrought upon by whispers, when others are stiff. under thunders. Deninovites, by one single sermon from a prophet, are moved to repentance. Decapurnites, by many admonitions from a greater than all the prophets, seconded with miracles, are not a jot persuaded. Some remain refractory under great blasts. and others bend at lighter breathings. One may be more acute than another, of a more apprehensive reason, yet this man becomes obstinate, whilst another becomes pliable." John Flavel says, Because a work of grace is brought about by different methods and manners in the people of God, some are chained from a state of notorious profaneness to serious godliness. There the change is conspicuous and very evident. All the neighborhood rings of it, but in others it is more insensible, distilled into their tender years by the blessing of God upon religious education, and there it is more indiscernible." Sarah Edwards, also a rare example of early piety, having exhibited the life and power of religion, and that in a remarkable manner, when only five years of age, and having also confirmed the hopes which her friends and cherished by the uniform and increasing excellence of her character in childhood and youth, so warm and animated were her religious feelings, in every period of life, that they might perhaps have been regarded as enthusiastic had they not been under the control of true delicacy and sound discretion. Jonathan Edwards had known her several years before their marriage. Archibald Alexander wrote, As in nature, some children, as soon as they are born, are active and vigorous and healthy, and let all around know quickly that they are alive, and have strong feeling too, whereas others come into the world with so feeble a spark of life that it can hardly be discerned whether they breathe or have any pulsation in their heart and arteries. And when it is ascertained that they do live, the principle of vitality is so weak and surrounded with so many untoward circumstances and symptoms, that there is a small prospect of the infant reach immaturity, just so it is in the new birth. The opinion commonly entertained that the most enormous sinners are the subjects of the most pungent convictions of sin and the most alarming terrors of hell prior to their conversion is not correct. In regard to such, the commencement of a work of grace is sometimes very gradual, and the impressions apparently so slight that they afford very little ground of optimistic expectations of the result. On the other hand, some people of an unblemished moral character, and who from the influence of religious education have always respected religion, and venerated its ordinances, but when they are brought under conviction are more terribly alarmed and more overwhelmed with distress than others whose lives have been stained by gross crimes. Nate Bingham says, John Calvin remarkably says almost nothing about the circumstances of his conversion. There is one little passage in the preface to his Latin commentary on the Psalms where he simply tells us, God subdued my heart to docility, which had become hardened against the truth of the gospel. End quote. Martin Luther in his testimony. Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. I did not love, yes, I hated a righteous God who punishes sinners and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmured greatly. I was angry with God and said, as if, indeed, it is not enough that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the law of the Decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel, and also by the gospel threatening us with His righteousness and wrath. Thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience. Charles Hodge, 1797-1878 There has never been anything remarkable in my religious experience unless it be that I began very early. I think that in my childhood I came nearer to conforming to the Apostles' injunction, pray without ceasing, than in any other period of my life. As far back as I can remember, I had the habit of thanking God for everything I received and asking Him for everything I wanted." Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892 My heart was fallow and covered with weeds, but on a certain day the great husbandman came and began to plow my soul. Ten black horses were his team, and it was a sharp plowshare that he used, and the plowers made deep furrows. The Ten Commandments were those black horses, and the justice of God, like a plowshare, tore my spirit. I was condemned, undone, destroyed, lost, helpless, hopeless. I thought hell was before me. Then there came a cross plowing, for when I went to hear the gospel it did not comfort me. It made me wish I had a part in it, but I feared that such a boon was out of the question. The choices, promises of God frowned upon me, and a threatening thundered at me. I prayed, but found no answer of peace." John Noon said of his conversion, It is evident from the history of his life, as well as of his experiences afterwards, that grace existed during several years in the feeblest state of which we can well conceive. It appears so much so to himself that he warns all people from considering his experience as a model for them. As to myself, he says, every part of my case has been extraordinary. I have hardly met a single instance resembling it. Few, very few, have been rescued from such a dreadful state, and those few that have been thus favored have generally passed through the most severe convictions. And after the Lord has given them peace, their future lives have been more usually zealous, bright, and exemplary than common." Now this is the opinion which I think is taken up rather from theory than an observation of facts. I think that those people who have been most conversant with exorcised souls are those who are counseling people that are under awakening. will say that there is no general rule here, that very pungent convictions and deep distress are found as frequently in those who have been preserved from outbreaking transgressions as in those noted for their immoralities." In the experience of Jonathan Edwards, as recorded by himself, we find no account of any deep and distressing convictions of sin at the commencement of his religious course. So afterwards, perhaps few men ever attain to such humbling views of the depths and turpitude of the depravity of the heart. Well, I trust that shines a little light upon this question. Even if you don't know the day of your conversion, if you are experienced the fruits of the new birth, that should give you some encouragement. But whatever you feel, for every look within, Robert Murray McShane said, take ten looks to Christ. This is voice of the Narrator Puritan Podcast. Thank you for tuning in to this lesson.