The Nature, 'Danger, and Cure, &c. U01V a-tlap i.J v ery rife in the 1--Vorld, that afcribeJ our Pre{ervation i" our Standing tJot fo much to the Almighty Grace ofGod, aJ to the Liberty andFreedom ofour O'Ui nWij[: Truly this is an Opinion that proceeds much from the Pride and Stomach 0£ ~~eh \~ho we~e loth to be mo ~uch beholden to the ~race of God for their :::>alvatton. lr JS true, no Man Sms, nor no Man abftams from Sin but it is wirh his Will; but yet ftill there is an Almighty Influence from God' an In flu. ~ ence of common Providence to the Wicked, without which they ~ou1d nor fO much as Will, and an Influence of Special Grace eo the Godly, without which they could net abftain from Sin : It ir God, faith the Apoftle, thtit workr in w both to wili atUl to do of his own good plea[ure; lr is nor, whether or not the IViU be free in abftaining fmm Sin that is acknowledged, but whethenhe Motion of rhc \Vill be principally and primarily from God, or from ic fclf · and this theApoftle concludes to be from God: From him it is that we both will and do; He gives the firfi Bcginning,he adds the Progre!S,and he concludes. He firft begers the Grace, thenheencrcafech,and atlafthccrowns ic: All is from God. Secondly, This may inflruEf u.~ to whom we ought to afcribe the Praifo and the Glory of otrr Pre{er'l.llltion from tbo{e foul and horrid Sins that 1vejee others daily fait into. Not Unto us, 0 Lord, not umo us, but unto thy Name be all tbe Pr~ti{e and Glory. We have Natures as finful as the worft ofMen ever had! and that fuch finful Natures fhould not produce as wicked Li\•es; whence proceeds this, but only from the lrtliracle of Gods G1·ace? For it is a Miracle, that when the Fountain is as birccr, when our Hearcs are as bad ?.sthc Hearts of others, yet the Screams 1hould not be fa ? Whence is ic, fince we have the fame corrupt Hearts with Cain and Judas, and all the wicked Rabble in the World? \Vhence is it that we have nor committed the fame lmpieties with them, or worf~ than they have done ? Why, God harh either Reftrained or Sanctified us; but fanttifying Grace is nor enough ; for whence is it that we have not been Drunken with Noab, Adulterers or Murderers with David, AbjurerJ of Chrift with Peter? Arc we more Holy -than they ? Or are we more Sanctified than they? No, it is only our gracious God's vouchfafing to us a conftant Influence of exciting Grace, that hath thus kept us from thofc Sins into which he fuffcrs wicked Men to fall; and not only them_, but fomerimes his own dear Children too : It is not a Dif. ference in our N3turcs; it is not a Difference from inherent Grace within us, that makes this Difference in our Lives; but it is only a Difference from rhe unaccountable cxcidng influencing Gntce of God; there lies the Diffefcncc. \Vell then, let not the ftrong Mt~n gkry in his Strength, but let him that g/()rieth, glor1 in the Lord, for he is our Strength and our Deliverer. What hr:ve we that we ha'tle not receiv~d? And if we have received, why do we bonff as though 1ve h:td not received? It is not what we have of our felves, bur iris whac we have received from God, and what we do daily receive in a way of fpecial Inftu- , ence, that makes us to differ from the vileft and moft profligate Sinners in the \Vorld; and therefore let us afcribe the Glory of all to the Almighty Powerful Grace of God. Lafily, To fhut up all, If our Prefervation jromSi1,be from God, bnvare then how you provoke him to withdraw and {ufpend the Influence of his Grace, whereby you have been preferveJ, and ftill are: Indeed if we belong to him, he will ne\'·er fo. far depart from us, as utterly to f01fake us; but yet he may fa far depart from us, as that we may have no comfortable Senfe of his Prefence, nor no vifiblc Supports from his Grace; we may be left a naked and dcfticute Prey to every Temptation, and fall into the Commillion of thoff.: Sins out of which we may never be able to recover our felves to Our former Strength, Comfort, and $rability: We may fall to the "Breaking of our Bones, and we may rife again poffibly, but it will be to the Breaking of our Hearcs. So much for this Time, and for this Subject. Of
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