Praflical Cbrijiianity, nothing, or that which is worfe than nothing? What Force or Reftraint is laid upon you? Is ther~ any Violence ufed to you? Ca~ you not think ? And if you can, can you not th1nk of God as wel1 as of the Th1ngs of the World , or think upon your Lufts ? Caft you not Speak? And if you can, can you not fpcak of God, of Heaven, and the Concernmcnts of another Life, as well as of your Trade and Bargainings, and other trivial Matters, which are below a Man, much mar~ below a Chriftian? What force is there put upon Sinners? Doth the D1vil fcrew open the Drunk~trd's Mouth, and pour down his intemperate Cups whether he will or no ? Doth the Devil violently move the black Tongue of the JJl•fpemer and Swearer to rend and tear the holy Name of God, by horrid Oaths and Blafphe... mies? Doth the Devil ftrike Men Dumb when they fhould Pray, or Deaf when they fhould Hear, or Senfelefs when they Jhould underftand and ponder? Is there any fuch force and violence: ufed unto any? Can you not avoid the one? And can you not do the other if you will ? Yes, you can, but you will not ; and therefore neither would you work out your own Salvation if you could do it. Is there any hopes that you would ever willingly do the greater, who will not do the lcfs? Let your Impotency and Weaknefs be what it wilJ, your DAmntttion lies not upon it, but upon your Wilfulnefs, fo long as your Wilfulnefs is greater than your Weaknefs? No, it is not ~p~n your Impotency that. your :precious and immortal Souls perifh eternally, but Jt Is only for lack of a Wtll to ptty them, and to fave them. Sinners! Wherefore then will you perifh? Why will you fleep away your Souls into Hell? Will you go on drowzily to Deftrultion? Shall your Souls be ready to burn as a Brand in unquenchable Fire, and will you not ftretch forth your Hand to fnatch it out? Is i.t more painful for you to Work, than to be Damned? Endeavour therefore to do what you can ; labour and fweat at Salvation rather than fail of it : Let it not grate and·fret your Confciences in Hell, that you lie there for a wilful Neglect. . Objelt. B11t jhould 1/ttbour, /hou/d I tndeavour,/hould 1 WDr~ to my utmoft, fl;,u/d I do All that I am able to do, I cannot work Gr11C1 in my ftlf bJ AD this, to what purpofo then /hould 1 work l '.AnjJPer. However, try God in this P~trticu/,.,. : Did you ever know any who thus labour• ed, and thus wrought, thal did not give very . good Evidence of a Work of Grace wrought upon their Hearts I And why then Jhould you fufpett that you fhould be the firft? What reafon have you to think that God lhould make you the firft Example of • Soul that did endeavour, ftrive and work for Salvation, and yet came fhort of it ; when you never heard or read of any that put forth themfelves to the utmoft for the obtaining of Grace, and yet fell Jhort of Grace or Glory/ • Thus in thefc fix Particulars put together, you hne a full and an abundant Anfwer and SatisfaCtion to this ObjeEHon, concerning our Impotency to work out our own Salvation. Obj. l. Secondly, Another Obje'Uion againft this DoCtrine is this. Thus to prefs Mm to Obe- ,Jience and Workin:, is prejuJici,tt 11nd derogat~ry unto Chrift's Merits, by which 4 Jone we Art Saved, aJJd not by our on;n Worls. Httth not Chrift airt~tdy done all for us l Hath not he fini/hed Anti wrought qut our Salvation hitnfelf! .And is not this to rmder his Work 111 infufficient, ttJgo And piece it out by our Obedience! Is not this to fit up our Works 1 u .Anti~ chrift, in flat oppofitiln and defiance to thegratil11is VndertAling And perfeU .Accomplijhment of 'Jefus Chri.ft, when all that we ha'Ue »MP to do is to believe in him, and to get a .Righr And Title to him, and faving lntereft in him! .An[1m. To this lAnfwer, the Merit of jefus Chrift and our Working are not inconfillent, but there is a fweet Harmony and Agreement betwixt them in carrying on rbe Work of our Salvation. And to make this evident, I Jhall lay down the due Bounds and Limits of each of them, that fo it may appear what Chrift hatb done for us, and what he cxpells we fhould do for our felves. Chrift therefore bath done Two Things in order to the carrying on of our Salvation. I. Firjl, He bath purchafed and procured Eternal Happinefs to be conferred upon us hereafter. 11. Secondly, He hath merited Grace to be conferred upon us here to prepare Ui for that Happinefs. ( 1.) Erfl, He bath purcbafed Happinefs and Eternal Life, for all that do Believe
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