594 Praelical ChriftiaTJiiy, fulnefs therefore proceeds not from their Weaknefs, but from their W1Hulal'fs. And llhall endeavour by fomc Arguments to convinceSinners, that they do indeed think and believe that they have this PO\\'er to work ouc their own SJlva:ion, whatever they may pretend to, and therefore they are incxcufable if they do uot fl:rive and endeavour for to do it. And, (1.) Firft, Did you never, when God hath fluken his Rod over yon, promife and refolve to work? By his Rod? l mean eirher fom7 Convictions or Affiidions; have not thefe made you to enter Into lngagements wtth God that you would obey him, and walk more holily and fhittly fo r the future? And did you not really thus rcfolvc to do? Few, 1 believe, there are but have fame time or otbcr,uuder fomeFit of Sicknefs or fome pang of Confcieuce, thus done. And what, did you refotvc- all this, and yet at the fame time think and believe you could do nothing at all? Did you only mock God? Did you only dally and play with your own Confcicnces? No certainly, Confcicnce was too much provoked, too much inragc:d, and too bro3J awaken'd to be fo jdl:ed withal. We find this very Temper in the Ifra~/ires, when they were affrighted with the terrible Voice of God from Mount Sinai in the stb of Dwreronomy. See how confidently under rbat ConviCtion, they promif<:d and D::uc. S· refolved, Speak thou unto ru what the Lord our God /hr11l {tty unto thee, and we wili do it. 27. And fo the: 'Jew; alfo, when thc:y were in great Diftrcfs and Calamity, when the \.Vhip and the Rod was over them then they take up large Refolutions, and make: Jer. 42 . :z.. great Promifes what they will be and do, 1-vlmher it be good or whtthtr ir,be r'vil, fay they, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God. And oh! how many piQus·Purpofes and holy Refolutions have the Dangers, Fears and fick Beds of many Men been Witneff'c:s unto? Have they not heard Sinners cry out, Lord.. [pare a little, give m fomt fpace, try tU once more, Lord, and we will reform our {infui Live;, and perform negletled Durie;; never mort will return to Folly. And are not thefc: Refolutions and _tiromifes evident ConviCtions, that you thought you had Power to do what you thus refolved to dot Who is there but hath fome time or other, under fome Trouble and Affiiction, taken up fuch Refolutions ofObedience as thefe? And cer tainly you dare not fo much mock God, and dally with your own Confciences under fuch Convitl:i· ons, as to make fuchPromifes, but that you think you cim performwhat you promife. And that is one Argument. / (2.) Secondly, Did you never in your whole lives perform a Duty to God? Did you never pray to him? Are there any fo defperately Prophanc, fo utterly loft as to any fhews and appearances of Goodnefs, as not to have prayed or performed one Duty unto God in his whole Life:? Why now to what end have you prayed and performed thefeDuties that you have done?· Was it not for Salvation? And did you work for Salvation and at the fame time believe you could not work? No,this is impoffiblc that ever any Man's Practice fhould maintain fuch a contradiCtion. What ever Mens Opinions are, yet their Works fhew that thn think they have Power; for fomething muft b.e done, though it be but formally, J;hough but a flight, cold, heartlefs, Lord, have Mere} on me, or a cuftomary, Lord, forgive me; yet famething Confciencc requires, and this Men ,s·~ck())l and account the working out Salvadon. (3.) Thirdly, Wherefore is it that you truft to :1nd rely upon your Works, if-in~ deed you think you have no Power to work out your own S1lvation by them?Would it be fo hard and difficult to take Men off from leaning too much upon their Works, if they did not believe they had a Power to work out their own Salvation by them? Men do apprehend fome worth, fame value and fufficiency in what themfelves do in order to Eternity, For, bid them forego and renounce their own Works, their own Righteoufnefs; this is a hard faying, and they,can as ea lily renounce and fore .. go all Hopes of Happinefs and Salvation, as cenounce their own Works. Now whence is it thatMen -are fo difficuldy brought unto the rei)Ouncing their ov;nWorks? Why, it is bc:caufe by them they Hope .to Obtain Salvation. And can tiH~rf be fuch a Principle in Men, and yet at the f<Vne time believe and think that they cannot work out their own Salvation? It is very evident therefore, whateyer Notions Men may take up to ftop the Mouth of a clamOrous Confcience when it _calls them io working and labouring, yet they do not themfelves be1ieve what they.f.\8'• concerning their impotency, but do really think they have a Power to work, ou~!t~h: own Salvation. · ··. \!1' · (4.) fourthly, Did you never when the Spirit of God bath been dealillg with your
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