222 Of Inability to do Good S E x M, it inevitable, and if that light breaketh ira VIII. upon him whether he will or not, the cullo- mary commiffion of fins and the frequent re- petition will make them appear the higheft aggravation of his guilt, becaufe he cannot help being confcious that they were always his own voluntary ads. Hit be fo, the con- fequence is, that the impotence to good, con - traCted by vicious habits, is not equal to a na- tural impotence, nor is to be fo underftood by us. Let-us never entertain a thought fo in- jurious to the honour of Almighty God, the fupreme ruler and judge of the whole earth, as that he requireth of his creatures, what it is abfolutely impoflible for them to perform, or that he will punifh them for what they were utterly unable to do. This unjuft imputation is reprefented by our Saviour in his parable of the talents, as caft upon his proceedings in judgment by the flothful and wicked fervant, that he is au/'ere, reaping where he did not few, and gathering where he did not firaw. Eut the wicked, who maketh fuch an impious pretence, fhall be condemned out of his own mouth, his plea (ball be turned upon him, and he fhall be forced to witnefs againft hirnfelf: particularly, men muff be felf-con- demned in alledging that they are excufable from the impotence contra fed by bad habits, becaufe
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