The gro oit Self - murder. 15 you can, you do voluntarily hinder your own felves from doing. that Which you cannot ; 7ofuah could not Hand be- fore Ai, nór'hinder a clofe Aclsàn from taking thegolden wedge but when it was taken and known, he was able to make him an example. yo/huah faftetl and cryed unto God all day until night, that the Lord would mercifully five him and all Ifrael ; Now hear what anfwer theLord gives him,Get thee tsp faith.he,why !yen thou here? af..7.i o. Ifrael bath Gnned,go and,execute J uftice,go and do that firth, and then I will anfwer thee aboutsAi ; for if ?oj uah would not have done what he could, the Lord would never have help'd him to do that which he could not.. So thou prayft for mercy and grace, oh that God would convertthee and pardon thee ! Get thee up, fays God,; :doff thou Rand praying for mercy as long as fuch things, and fuch things are not reformed? thou haft drunkenneffe in thy houfe, go and reform that ; thou art in league-with a fort of bate lulls, go and re- forme them ; if thou wilt not do that which thou canif, how canft thou be fore God will helpe thee to do that which thou canfì not? no ; thou fticklt at a will not, as long as thou refufeff to do that. 3. Confider, Ifa marowill not do that which he can, `O neither will he do that which he cannot, if he could 1; the fervant that will not go five or fix miles in a day which he can, for his Mailer, neither would he go a hundred miles for his Mailer, if he could; you that can reforme outwardly, at leaft if you would, and yet will not, neither would you reforme more ifyou could ; Ye have money in your purfes, cannot you fpend it bet- ter then upon fwilling, and drinking, and gaming ? ye can well enough, butye will not. So ye woulddo, had you that true riches, Luke 16.1r. Ye have naturali abilities ; if ye will not be faithfull in them, fo it would be,if fo be you had better ; ye that have moral and civili endowments, if ye will not be faithfull in them, neither would you, if God Mould lend you more, a/c. ye are able 3 Confd.
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