Serm. CXIV. of Holy Refolutaon. Firfl, I {hall propound fome Arguments to perfwade mento take up this Re- folution ; and they are there. r. Confider that this Refolution ofRepentance, is nothing but what under the influence of God's Grace and holy Spirit, whichare never wanting to the fincere endeavours of men, is in your Power. And it is neceffary to premile this for unlefs this be clear'd, all the other Arguments that I can uíe will fignifie nothing. For nothing in the World could be more vain, than to take a great deal of pains to perfwade men to do a thing which they cannot do, to intreat them to attempt an Impoffibility, and to urge and folicite themwith all earneftnefs and importunity to do that which is abfolutely and altogether out of their Power. All the Commands of God, and the Exhortations of his Word, and all the Pro- mifes andThreatnings, whereby there Commands and Exhortations are enforced, do plainly fuppofe, either that it is inour Power todo the thing which God commands orexhorts usto : or elfe, if it be not (which I grant it is not) that God is ready by his Grace and Strength, ifwe be not wanting to our felves, to affill and enable us to thofe Ends and Purpofes. For the Gofpel fuppofeth a Power going along with it, and that the holy Spirit of God works upon the Minds of Men, to quicken and excite and affift them to their Duty. And ifit were not fo, the Exhortationsof Preachers would be nothingelle, but a cruel and bitter mocking of (inners, and an Ironical infulting over the mifery and weaknefs of poor Creatures ; and for Minifters to preach, or People to hear Sermons, upon other Terms, wouldbe the vaineft expence-of time, and the idleft thing we do, all the week; and all our Diffwafves from Sin, and Exhortations to Holinefs and a good Life, and vehement Perfwafsons of men to (irìve to get to Heaven and to efcape Hell; would be juft as if one fhould urge a blind Man, by many, Reafons and Arguments taken from the Advantages ofSight, and the Comfort of that Seule, and the Beauty of external Objects, by all means to open bis Eyes, and to behold the delights of Nature, to fee his way, and to look to his fleps, and fhould upbraid him, and be very angry with him for not doing fo. Why, if Refolution be abfolutely impoffible tous, and a thing whollyout of our Pow- er, it is jut"( the fame Cafe. But then we ought to deal plainly and openly with men, and to tell them, that what we fo earnefily perfwade them to, is that which we certainly know they cannot do. So that it is neceffary, if I intend that the followingConfiderations fhould do any good, to affure men, that it is not impoffible for them to make a Refolution of leaving their Sins, and returning to God. It is a Power which every Man is naturally inverted withal, to Confider, and judge, and Chufe. To Confider, that is, to weigh and compare things together. To Judge, that is, to determine which is belt. And to Chufe, that is, to refolve do it or not. And there is nothing more evident andmore univerfally acknow- ledged in temporal Cafes, and in the Affairs and Concernments of this Life. In there matters Refolution is a thing ordinary and of frequent praaife ; it is the Principle of all great and confiderable A&ions. Men refolve to be great in this World, and by virtue of this Refolution, when they have once taken it up, what induftry will they not ufe ! what hazards will they not run in the purfuit of their Ambitious Defigns! Difficulties and Dangers do rather whet their Cou- rage, and fet an edge upon their Spirits. Men refolve to be rich; the Apo(lle fpeaks of Come that will be rich, r Tim. 6. They that will be rich : and rho this be but a low and mean Defign, yet there Perlons, by virtue of this Refolution, will toil and take prodigious pains in it. Andas toSpiritual things, every Man hath the fame Power radically, that is, be hath the Faculties of Underftanding and Will , but there are obflrnûed and hinder'd in their exercife, and ftrongly byaffed a contrary way by the Power of Evil Inclinations and Habits ; fothat as to the exercife of this Power and the ef- fell of it in Spiritual things, menare in a fort as much difabled, as if theywere de(tituteof it. For 'cis in effeet all one, to have noLlnderftanding at all to con- fider things that are Spiritual, as to have the Llnderflanding blinded by an in- vincible Prejudice; to have noLiberty as to Spiritual things, as to have the Will ftrongly
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