'lbe fure I'ria f of VprigbtJJe(s. 393 Enemies, but always to cleave to our Dmy, notwirhilanding all the Allurcme_nrs or Terrors of d1c W~rld to lUpplant our Inrcgrir,r, and iilrpriiC_our Confbgcy. David t~l~s _usJ 1 ~ ll;avefworn an~. w~fi;erform it, that I wdl J.:eep thj ngbteous'Judgme~tts. The -~tymc Pfai. JJ9 IQ6 Law bincls Us amecede_nrly to our confent, but havmg taken the Oath of Fidc~tty rq God, thc're is iitPcriliduccd a new Obl i g~tion ro fa_fien us to his Service. _After this,, tQ revolt from our Duty,_is Rebellion hetghmcd \Vtth the Guilt of Pcdidwuii1ciS. B~~ fides, folcmn Engagem~nrs .again11 part icular Si ns ar~ n,ccelf.1ry _: Ephraim Jb.. rl! fa)' ~ What bave I to -do 41') .more ll!itb !dots ? He had been mchantcd Wlth the . lo_yc of Idols, which he r~_nou~_Jccs ~v1~h Ijldignanon.. A p~actical_Dccrcc, a fieadfat~ RcfOlution to forfake our Si1.1, \\·11l produ~c a diqgc_tit ufc of Means m ordc_r to th~r . En?.~ .. . . , .. . In ~cfolving agam~ Sin, we mu!l: .dcpcnd lipon the prefc~tt and perpetual A1liqrmcc of . the D1vinc Grace, wtthout which our RcfOlunons will neither be fi.nc~re nor efl~Cl:ua-f. Carnal Men under Judgmems? do oftcq . rci:.n~ a_hcJ. rcfolvc againfi. thCir $ins_; fr~~l tha convinced Mind, tranticnr W dhes, anJ Aoatu~g PUrp9fcs of Rcformario~t an!C :.. but .ci.ll ~h~ Heart be renewed by Divine Grace, tl1e ~vill is incomplcar: There arc iCcret and iOme... times undifccrn'd Al{<;~.io_f!.S ... JQ S~ .n, that by new_Tet~lptationsare drawntOrthaqd.bctray. ~t~: ~,;~}:l'Bo~~i~h~~1~~f~~g,fff~~i~Jl:~ ~~}~~b~~~~ ~~~~~~~ P~~~i~te~;e 0~;::-(:adi~&;~;~ the Mark: fometimcs after the Carnal Faculties have been fa~cd , wid1 the grofs Fruition, Men_rcnounce d_teir Si~s, and promiiC they wi~lnever retttnz more to Fol'J: butthofcRefoluuons arc as 111fuffictcnt to forti fie th,em agau1!l: the pew fncurlion of tempting Objects, as a ·wall of GlafS to reli!l: rhe Bartcry of Cannon; for there is. no permanent over-ruling Principle in the Heart, that makes the Rc!olurion ileadfa!:l: againil: -?in. But fttppofe th~ Refoluttons be fineerc, and proceed from a full bent of the Heart agawfi S1n, yet if Divine Grace do not ratific them, ~ !lrong Temptation wil_l bre~k them, as a gufr of Winn breaks. rhe Str ings of a Cobweb. St. Peter conlitlttng Ius Affection, · not hi~ Strength, ptefitmptuoufly ingag'd to his Mallet, l}ouzb all Men forfal<e tbee, I will no< forfake tbe< : , but m the time of Trial, futptiz'd wtthiollrong a feat, that precluded feti·· ous Recollectton, and di!h:acted his Miqd ft;pm the delib\'rat.e compa1mg of the evt! .of Sin with the in!lant Danger, l]e moll unworthily denJ:d his M:Ul:ct, and is a fad In!lancc how_ weak and wtv_e~i1lg . tl~c befi. Men are, wt~ho_ur the-~<?nFmual InAu~nc7~ of_ eh~ Jiply Spint to determine thetr W tlls, and make them W1th unfamtmg Courage perfcvere in their D~;cre is avail diffc~ctice between the fight of a Stot~; at Sea, .a~ci a Sl;ip it; violent Agitation by the Winds at:il Waves , and the mi!crable Paifcngers with .pale affrighted Countenances, expcCbng prcfe_nr D~ath,.. 111 a lively Pictu_r:e ;. ~1~9 being. m a reaJSlup, in the midll of a real Tempefl:, anq .it\ real D•ngcr of being 1\vallowed up, by tl)C Ocean. The fight of fuch a Spectacle wtthoutf~ar, JS bttt pamtcd Cot\rage, as the Object is up- ·~n which 't~s excrcis'd: if one fhould prefi.lJllC that hts Heart were impcnetr;:J.blc eo Fear, bccaufe he fC~s rh~ ~cprefcntation of extrcat_n Danger "':ithout Fear, it were egregiou') ,Yolly. ~n~h~ould be 10on c~nfuted if h: ;vcrc1 adually in extrca~ Danger of pcrifl1ing in the_ ra~111g S~a . Thus_ there t 1 S a great Dtffercnce, perween Tcmptattons re_p~efented in Ol~r Thoughts, and whentmmedutcly and reaUy before us : and be.cwecn tc1Igtous Ref Olun~ Ot1S when Tcmptat"ions arc at a Difl:ance, and when actually incumbent on us. There ~uy be. fitch RdOlmions concc iv'.d in the Mind in the AbiCnce of Temptations, that we ~nay think our fclvcs guarded i?tfely ag:1inil: our Sins; and yet at the firil: enc;ounter of a flrong Temptation, our ReiOlution~ !)lay cool and faint, and our Vows of Obedience fnay vanifl1 as the morning Dew bifore theluat of the Sun : There is fuch a Levity and Fea4 ~licrinc~s in our Mind~, 1iteh a ~utability and Inconfi~ncy in our. Heairs. Therefore thcScftpturcdoth 10 frequently meulcare rhc Duty of continual .rr.un in God, .. to affiil: vs by his Strength to overConle m!r Spiri tual Enemies. Divine Grace rai fc: our Thoughts 1 ~1to Jlcdf.1fl Rc10lurions. againfi Sm, turns our ReiOlucions into. holy .A.ttwns, ,our Actions lllFO pcrman_ent HabitS. God wor!.:r in us, to will andto do _of his g.ood Pleafure. .. 4 · If upon 111tcrmitti1 ~g our Watch , we fall into the Sin that we arc prone. to, fpee- ~y and deep Repentance IS :1ecetTary to recover the Favour _of Qo~, and to prei1:rve u.s for tiw future againfl: it. Sms of Relapfe more eafily prevm_I than m the firfi . Tempt~tibn ; bocau!C the Tendemefs and Reluctancy of Confctence IS le!Tene.d by rhe Commtllion of Sm : they aie more pemicious to the Soul, . for befidq die inhancing of Guilr, the tmclcan Spmt returns with more tmpcrioulitefs from IndignatiOn that he was eXpell'd. !f we have been effectually tempted to Sin, let us . prefently retraCt it by Repentance , ' 1 here Wtll be a Sufpenfion of God's Favour, whilil we continue without a due .fen!c ()f our Si!~; Let not tbe Suugo down upon God·s Wrath,but with Praye r~ and Tears, fueout hi~ p:trdonwg Mercy. The negleCt of prefenr Repentance isa ilep tO finalimpenitenoe; that F ff i is
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