Recommended from Phil. 2. 12, 13. that they have ~ow to do, ~s but to labour f01: more affurance, to Prai~e God, and to Sing HallelUJahs unto hun. And fo alfo It conduces much to their abundant Comfort; does it not? To tell them, that God fe~~ "?Sin in them, nor requires aoy Duty from them? That Repentance and H u!TII ltatlon are leg~ I things belonging only to younger Pcrfons, and not to the Hetrs of the Promtfes? Oh ! Who could t:hink it poffiblc that fuch Dreams and Fantafl:ick Delufions could poflCfs fo many Mens Hearts that ever heard the Scripture fpeak in its own Language, or that ever read what Chrift himfclf, the Holy Ghoft, or the Blcffed Apoftics have written, who bid us to work the worA!s of God? To give all Diligence, to abound in all the Fruits of Righteou{rttfs? Is it poffiblc that thefe Notions fuould be difperfed by fame, and entertained by others, but becaufe it always hath been the policy of the Devil~ wherein he hath fped fo well, frill to vent thofe DoCtrines that in~ dulge the Flefh, under the Name and Patronage of Free Grace and Gofpel Attainments? But of this more hereafter. Let us now confider the Rea[on1 of this Truth. And Fi;ft, Wherefore is it that we are commanded, to fl:rivc that we may enter in at Reafon r. the frrait Gate? So to run that we may Obtain? So to wrefi:le that we may be able Luke 13. to Stand? So eo Fight that we may lay hold on Eternal Life? Not to faint in our ~'t Minds? Nor to grow weary of well doing? Do not all thefe Expreflions imply 22 • or. 9 • great labour and pains? Can you il:rive, and run, and wrefrJe and fight, and all Epher. 6. this by doing nothing? Or were it needful to be taught ROt to grow Faint, nor to ••, .•2. be weary, when we have no work to do? Therefore it is the genius and fum of the 1 Tlm. 6. Scripture to excite Men to be always aCtive and laborious in the ways of Holinef' and ~2e.b.t:z.;. Obedience. Gal 6. s. Secondly, Confider, wherefore is it that Salvation is fet forth to us under the Reafonz. notion of a Reward; is it not to imply that we muft work fer it ? A Reward not indeed merited by onr works; but yet a Reward meafured out to us, and conferred upon us, accordi~g to ou~· works_; God wi/~ reuder to every one nccording to his works; Rom. 2 , to them who by pamnt contmunnce m rtell domg, feekfor Glory and Immortality, he wilt 6, 7• render Eternal Life. And indeed it were very frrange, if that God, who will reward us with Eternal Life, according t@ our works, fhould yet lay a check upon the ingenuity of the new Creature, thereby to account Eternal Life too low a Motive to excite unto Eternal Life. Thirdly, Confider, is it not to this end, that God bath implanted fuch -an Active Reafon 3·~· Principle of Grace in the Hearts of his Servanti~ that thereby they might be ina- · bled to work out their own Salvation? If God would fave you without working, why then hath he given you fuch an operativePrinciple that you might work? Nay, I might affirm it, he might as well Save yo_u without Grace, as without Works; for that is not Grace that doth not put forth 1t felf in working. Grace if it be true it will be working,it will rife in the Thoughts, it will work in theAjfeflions, it will breath in DefireJ, appear in good Works, and be very at\:ive and bufie in the whole Life and Converfation. Now not to work, is that which puts a check and reftraint upon this at\:ive Principle; it js to curb it in, when it would freely break forth into ACtion upon every occafion given to it. , Fourthly, Why bath God fo often promifcd us Affiftance, if it be not that there- Reafon4; by we fhould be incouraged to work? He frauds by us to c.onfirm our Hearts, to ftrengthen our Hands, to help our Weaknefs, to quicken our Deadnefs, to recruit our Graces by continual Supplies; and wherefore is all this but that we might work? God rather than we fhall not work, he himfelf will fet us at work; nay, he will maintain us at our work, and in our work upon his own coft. He gives us Aid, and promifes Affiftance only for this end, that we might work out our own Salvation. We are not fu.fficient of our felves, fays the Apoftlc, a,· of our Jtlves to think 2Cor. 3 . ~. anything: What then? Muft we therefore fit frill, becaufe we are not fufficicnt? No, fays he, for God who finds us Imployment, will alfo find us Strength; our Jufficiency is of God: And therefore it is that God gives in Affiftances and Supplies, that we might work the Works of God. And thus { have confirmed the DoUrine, why we ought to work, and that we ought to work. But here, before l can proceed any further, there are fome Obj<lli•n•that mufr be an[wmd, thatfeem to oppo.fe the Truth of thil DoClrine. Firfr,
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