444 The Nature, Van(J'er, and Cure ______________ b~------------ cion in it; char which Men r::~ke in plotting and contriving of it , is mccr ly rhe Delight of a Dream ~nd F~mcy ; and herein lies rhc exceeding \VrcrchednefS of wicked Men, rh?.t rho' Providence almightily hinders them in the Execution of Sin, yer Juflice will juftly punifi1 their Intention and Plotti ng of it. Secondly, TbiJ Jhould teach tu to r.tlore and magnifie thil Sin-prev enting Pr(Yt)idmce of God. Our Lives, our Eft:tres, yea, whatever is dear and preci ous ro us hitherto . have been fecur'd eo us only by his powerful Hand, which ha rh curb'd in rh~ unruly Lufts of Men, and kept them from breaking forth into Violence and Dlood, and Rapine. Sl19uld God Oack•the Reins, lhould he rh row them'upon rh~ Necks of ungodlY. Men, how would Uproars, and Confufions, Iv!urders, and Slaughters, overfpread the Face of the whole Earth, and make the World a Hell above-ground. Redemptio~t and PrO'Videnceare tWo wonderful \Vorks of Gcd · by the one, he pardons Sin that is Committed; and by the other, he pr~ vent~ Sin, left it be committed; both of them are Contrivanq::s of infinite Wifdom, and both of them are unfearch~1ble, and paft finding our; and therefore we ought to afcribe the Glory of both umo God·, that bath laid bath the Defign of Redempt io1J and of Provitlence for Man's Good, and for Man's Salvation. Thirdly, I/ at any time we um recalto mind, as indu d who is there that cannot? That God bath thus bJ hil Providence prevented us from the Commiflion ofSin, htnJJ jl1ould this oblige tu thankfu/Jy to own this Mercy of God to us? Mav not all of us fay, had not God taken away our Power, had he not taken a\Vay rhe O bjects of our Lufts, had he nor diverted us fomcocher way_, we had now been deeply engag'd in thofe Sins, that the merciful Providence of God hath diverted us from ? He it was that hedg'd up rhe broad Way with Thorns, that fo he might t urn us imo the narrow Way, rhat leads unto Eternal Life and Happinefs. Fourthly, Hath God's Providence [o manJ Wap and Methods to hinder the Commjjfirm of Sin? Why then we may beajfur'd that be will never permit it,but 1vhm it Jhallredound to his o1vn Praife ant! Glory. It is an excellent Saying of St. Auftin, He that is moft good, wiU never {ufj'er evil, unlefs he were al.(o moft 1vi[e; whereby he is able to bring good out of evil. And therefore when we fee wicked Men alone to accomplifh their helliih Defigns, we may then quiet our fdves with this; God knows how ro make his own Advantage our of their Wickcdnefs; he knows how from fuch Dung and Filth to reap a moii fruitful Crop of Glory to himfelf. The Rage of Man, fays the Pfalmift, thot~ 1vilt reftrain, and the refidue thereof j11all turn to thy praife; that \Vickednefswhich God doth nor reftrain, he will make redound to his own Praife and Glory. Fourthly, and Laftly, This may eftablifh our Hearts itJ Peace, 1vhen 1ve fee the Wickednefs of Men moft raging and violent, why they cannot jin, unle{s God gives them a. .Pvwer; as Chrift cold Pilnte, Thozt haft no power over me, in John 19. 10. except it be given thee from abO'Ve. And certainly that God, that gives them a Power to fin, ftill keeps a Power in his own hands to limit them in cheir Sins; and when their Lufts are moft unruly, he can fay to them, hitherto fhall ye go, and here fhall your proud \Vaves be ihy'd : He !tints them, and bounds them ; and he alfo can cocally refhain them when he pleafeth, and when ir ihall be moft for his own Praife and Glory. Now as God cloth thus keep Men back from rhe Cornmiffion of prejiJmptuous Sins by a ftrong Hand of Providence, fo fometimes he doth by his Grace; and this Grace is either meerly reftraining, or elfe it is fanCl:ifying and renewing; both of them are of very great Force and Efficacy; by the one he holds Men back from Sin, and by the ocher he turns them againft Sin. You have doubtlefs How re- heard much concerning Sanctifying and Reflraining Grace; but yet that your firaining Nocions and Apprehenfions of them may be_ more dear and diftinct, I fuall ~;r~ew· give you the Difference chat there is betwixt thefc two in feveral Particulars; ~~ dijea;,e they differ in their SubjeCt, they differ in their Eifence, and in their Manner of Operation. in their Firfl:, They ,Jiffer in Re[pea of their SubjeB. Refiraining Grace is but common,. Subjd f. and it works upon wicked Men and Reprobates, as well as others : But SanENfying Grace that is fpecial, and belongs only to thofe, who belong themfelvesto the EleCtion of Grace. E[au, whom the Scriptut>e notes as the great Infiance of Reprobarion, comes out againft Jacob with a Troop of four Thoufand Ruffians, incending doubrlefs to revenge himfelf upon him, for the LofS of his Birth-
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