Practical Chrijlianity, Num'l. ditatc and Difcourfe of rhe. Things of God; others have done fo formerly and 2 4· 1 7· t herefore they may and can do fo now. Indeed heretofore there were ,pecu~ liar Gifts beftowcd t!pon. w icked Per~ons immediately from God, as Ba/a 11 m was made to prophefie of Cimft, and the hke : But thefe a re now ceafed and all unregenerate Perfons now, have the fame Power and Faculties in them, o~e as well as another, and may be able to do one as much as another in the performance of fpiritul Duties if they themfelves will. · ne 'f..owu (3.) Thirdly, .'There if no wicked 'J4ttn what~vcr but may, by the meer Power of 0'-1r~ r ure Nature, rr:ftram h:mfrl( from the commiffion of Sm : I fpeak not of Sins collective.. ~~J,/J-?il ly take.n, for uo Man can fo fay his Heart or Life is clean and pure; but he may ft~ndJ;:;:: keep out of net.orious :~n d fcandal~us Sins: There is no Sinnc~ that bath given Sun. hiJ!lfelf llp to Ius Lurts, .but may, 1f ~e wtll for the future, live molfenfively, that netther the World nor bts own ConfcLence may have much toaccufe him of befides .common ~ nfinnh~cs: ~ar~ the Reafon ?f t_his; becaufe .wicked ~en commonly make chotee of Sm, th ts Stn they wil l live Ill, and that Sm they w11l not live in: The Drunkard is not Co'Vetom, and the Covetom Man is not a Drunkard, and fo l may fay of other Sills. Now it is frOm the Power of Nature that wicked Men refrain from the commiflion of any one Sin, and not from the Power of Grace : And therefore if one Si nner hath Power to keep from this Sin, and another Sinner bath Power to keep from the commiflion of another, and a third from a third Sin, chen every Sinner may, by the Power of Nature, keep from all thofe Sins that any of thofc Sinners do deep themfelves f rom, becaufe there is the fame Power in each Sinner to lay the fame refrraint upon this or that Sin, that olhers keep from. (4.) Fourthly, Tlure is·no ~.m, h"~gr~at a Sin~t}' foevr:, but if he will he may with mJJ&on- conftanty,yca, to rhr (fld .wd pc:tod of hu Life, contmuc thU6 m th~: performance of Dutiu ~;:~~;~~· and in the avoidiug of Sim by tbe Power of' N~w;·e onLy: For if it be poilible that Me~ rb~p~rfor- fhould do it at any time, then it is poffible for them to do it continually: No more maneeof Power is required to enable them this Day, than was required the Day palt; nor Duf.J. no more Power is rc~uin.:d for the Day t<;> come, than ~as for _this pay now prcfent ; therefore havmg Strength t? avord them one ttme, they mrght alfo avoid them another time, yea, and contmually perfevere in fo doing, if they would keep a daily conftant Watch againft them. S inners 1hrougb Fifthly, There is no A1an but through this perfe'Ucrance and continuance may attain to Perfr:ve~ Habituainefs, and thereby to a faciLity and eajinefl in performance of Duties, and in a'Voidra-nce sm. ing of Sim. When Men are accuftomed to a ro1d and round of Duties, it is a trou- ;,e;;i;r? ble to them t? omit them: So if Men ~ id but fet themfelves to their utmofr to perb:biru;~l. form Duties in a more hearty and cordtal manner, thofe Duties would become ea fie n.:f~ ~d. to them; and if Men would but ingage themfelves perfevcringly to oppofc their f aerluy m Corruptions this would bring them to that pafs, that it would be their Delight to DufJ. keep from Sin and to perform Duty; and all this the Power .of Nature would bring them to. Now Sinners, you fee what a large Tenor you have; you are not ftaked down faft that you can do nothing; no, it is much, yea, very much that you may do in order to your Salvation. . But here fome may poilibly fay, We hope that thefe Words are not true; for they would not be able to do fo much as all this com~s to, .becaufe they are willing to do nothing at all: But let fuch know, that that whtch wt!l Condemn them at the laft Day, will be. that they have not done what they might have done, in performing of Duties and in oppofingof Sins, and therefore they wilfully falllhorc of Happinefs and Salvation. Object. But may fome {ay, If we Jhould put forth to out utmoft the .Power of Nature, 1Phat lJiould that a'Vail m ? We cannot (hereby work Grace in our felves, and without G•ace no Salvation is to be had. Anfw. To this I Anfwer; Confider you do not know but, w hilft you are thus doing what you can, God may come in, and by his Grace enable you to do what you cannot do: God is not wont to be wanting in this particular unto any ; He is found of thofe that f eek liim not ; and much more will he be found of thofe that feek him and ·enquire after him, though it lx: but by the weak Endeavours of Nature. · But
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