_____________7_h_e__ D_a~ng~e_r_o~{_P_,~-~~Te_r_i~:~·----------~305 many *Flan:crcrs, and few ~rien~s. _Fc:v or none ~a:e faithfully rcErcfcnt their Sins and ttJ:;:~n;;;.';;. Danger letl: the fight of thctr Gutlt m ItS true reHeChon; lhould offCnd them. i\s LO\"C ntlui o:m. ' is blind' w others fo cfpeciaily to one's felf; and n~erccnary Wretches, by t.hc mofr ~noci?n An~ vile Flattery, end~avour to make them believe of t~1emfc~vcs, what is plq!!ing t? rhem r,patn. to believe. Such, to ingratiate, will commend the mere fhadows of Vcrtue, as (ul>~antial Vcttuc; and excufe real gtofs Vices, as but the Jhadows of Vice. By dq:c1.tfnl Arcs they colour and conceal the native uglincfs of Sin, under a thin appcara~1cc, aud name of *Vertue. The arrogant and revengeful, rhcy ..caU g~n~rous; the cover~us, •N:~llit111:ii; ~r;/~;~~~~~h~r~~ffl~v:dsfe~~;:~elou~:~i~;~dig~\~e~C~7:f::f:C/oJ~11~~~}~1~h1~~~'in1fi~freJ;1~~~;:~~ :t:;a:n;,~t:. ro~1s and corrupting: for und~r rh~ difgu~fc of Friendfhip they are rhe mofr deadly Ene-: nues. What greater danger of bemg y01!0n'-d qn _ th~rc be, tha1_1_whcn by i\rt t!re tafl:c of Poifon is taken away from the P01fon, an~ there IS no fufptcwn of the Tratror that gives it.? Thus 'ris further evident, that Profpenty is very dangerous to tl~c So\lls.of Men. 4· The Profperity of Sinners ufually renders the Means of Grace llleffectual, that ihould reclaim and reform them, and confequendy their DefiruCl:ion is remed1lefs. The Means of Grace -arc Internal or External: Internal, the Motions of the Holy Spirit, and the Convictions and Excirations of Confcience: External, theMihifiry ofrhe Word; and the Counfcls of faithful Friends; all which arc ufually made fru!hate and inefficacious by the Vices and Lulls of the Profperous. . . the 1 S~~~t~p:~~Job~~~:r;ii1~1;;r~rn°~~~~~~~~~~~~s~!,~:~~~.ng.~~~ t;,~;~~dI;~~r~~~~: a~; Gal.1. contrary: And accor~ingly ~s the ca:nal Appcnt~ has d~mmtoJ~ and over-rules in Men, 1i.tch is dteir Oppofi~wn to Ius Reftramrs from Evtl, or Ius Motions to what is holy and good. The fenjiwl bave nOt the Spirit. They wilfully tefufc to give admillion to him, J"d' when by i1~ ward impltlfes !te folltctts :hem; and have a ftubborn ~nd aCbvc Contrariety to his Armbnres and grac1?us Operauons. He is fl:iled tbe Spirzt of Power, and LO'Ve, anti a.found Mind. He comnn.tnicarcs a facred Sovereign Vcrruc to rhe Soul, whereby the irregular Pa~i~ns ~re rcduc'd to the Obtdie_nce of the fandified Mind, and the reign~ ing Power of SmiS ddTolv'd. ~c ;s a free svuit, and refl:ores the Soul to true and Rerfcct Liberty, by inlarging rhe Will, and makmg it commenfurarc with the Divine Wlll: and from hence ir is the infeparable CharaCter of a converr.ed_Perfon, he i_s \tilUng to do what God will have him do, and to be what Go.d will have. him be. But fenfual Perfans, by the pleafanr infufions of f~r_viliry ~rom the Tempter,_ and ,carnal O_bjeCrs, have · . loft their Power and* Defire of_ fpmtual Liberty,_ ~n? refifl: . dte_ Holy Spinr,_ wh_en he fl ·e~:~:'~~ offers to b~eak the Bands of rheu Lufts. The_Spmt m._ converrmg the Soul, mfptres it lim. ~~~~~ ~~:~~~~ ~~:~et~t~f~ef~~~~~'~,e;~~~t~~;(~,~~v?t1:\~~in,0~n1~~e~~!~~~~~}:e;:;~ot~~ and his gracrous dcfcents to the Soul : bur the Senfual are f.1fined m the Mire of their fordid Pleafures, and can take no heavenly Flight, and relilh no divine Comforts. The ~pirit produces a.found Mind, to judge: fincercly of things as they are. And from hence the corr_upting Van~ri es of the \Vorld lofe their attraCtive Charms,_ and erern:al things appear m their rcahry and exce_llcncy, and are chofen and fOught With perfevering Diligence. But the fenfual Heart ts a perpetual Furnace, whofc Smoke darkcns the Mind, that it cannot difcover fublimc and heavenly Excellencies; and whofe · impure Hear fires the Will, that 'ris earneO: io rhe purfuit of flef11ly Pleafures. BricAy, nothing does more CJl!Cnch the Spirit in his illuminatilig, quickning, and attraCtive Operations, than Senfualu:y: and nothing more heightens fenfualiry, and inctcafes rhc averfi1cfs of carnal Men to the holy Law of God, and makes their Converfion more dil!icultthan Profpcrity. In 0 deed, the Spim of God can by effectual Grace convert the moll unprepared habituate Smner, rhe mofl: obfiinate Enemy of Holinefs; he can melt the mofl: rocky fl:ubborn He~rr, into a holy fofrnefs and compliance with its Dutry; for creating Power is of infallible Efficacy ; and there are fome Objects and Miracles of Divine Grace, that are the eve~lafting Monuments of its ~lorious Power in fubduing the mofl: fierce violence of rebel~tous Sinners. Bur the Sprrit of God does nor work as natural Agents, rhar are ~Cl:tve ~o the exr~nr of their Power. The Winds blow with all their force, and r1re Sun Jnl!ghtens the A1t with all its Lu!l:rc. The holy Spirit is an intelligent and voluntary Agent, whofe Powct in workmg IS regulated by his Will, and directed by his Wifdom. There arc fame things repugnant ro the Dtvine i\ttnbures, that 'ris impofftble God fhould d? them:_ the Apo~le faith, ~/;~~God _cannot lye, for 'ris contrary ro his Truth, one of Ins effcnnal Petfectwns. And us as 1mpollible that he Jhould do any thing unbecoming Ins W1fdom. He thrcatned the fenfual Wodd, lJ1y Spiritjhallnot nhvaysf/rivewitbllian, Gw. 6. for be zs Fkjh; that IS, corrupt and indulgent to his Aefuly Appetites, and a!way oppoS f > • fing
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=