Recommended from Phil. 2. I 2, I 3· But may Jome fay, Hath God obliged himfolf to convert andfove thsfe that do to the ut· Object. 1Jilofluh.lt Nature mableJ tJ 011 to dD in deftring ~tdvation, and in JuRing to ohtain it? To this l .Anfrm ; God hach not boqnd h1mfelf, but ufually he doth fo; God is A <[w. neither beund to give Grace upon the Endeavours of Nature,. neither is he wont to deny it. 'Can you fav that ever you knew or heard of any careful, confcief!tious, indufrrious Soul, that.diligently arid confcientiouOy excrcifed it !elf in performing of Duties and in a\•oiding of Sins, that was not at !aft truly converted and eternally faved; and why then fhonld you doubt or think that you fhall be the firrt? Cafl: your felf therefore upon God, trufting to his rich and free Grace, doing the utmofl: of your Endeavours. · However, fuppofc the worft, that thou art never converted nl)r faved, which Suppofition i> very dreadful and terrible; and if thou art careful and confcientious to improve thy Abilities to the utmoft, it is altogether improbable; but fuppofe the worft: (1.) Firft, Thou liveft here then more according to the Rule of Nature and Rea.. fan than others do; for when others wallow in Sin, thou fheweft thy felf to be more like a rational Man., thou art fenfible thou haft a Soul of more \Vorth than to be loft for want of Care and DiliQence. And then, (2..) Stco~uily, Thy Pains and Puntlhments hereafter ihall be greatly mitigated . Poffibly thou mayeft flight this, becaufe at beft it is Damnation; yea, i)ut confider there are fe\'eraldegrees of Tcrmmts in Hell: Now thy Working and Endeavours may free thee fr0m many degrees of Torment, and therefJ>re they free thee from many HeiiJ; aud is not this worth thy Labour? Nay, and nOt only fo, but it is very probable you may altogether e[cape thofe Torments, if you be confcientious in doing your.utmofl: Endeavours. And now, methinks, every one that h~th but Reafon to judge, and a Soul to Job.6. 20. fave, mufl: needs fee fa much fl:rength and force in the Arguments that have been j)ropounded, that the next fZ.!!eftion fhould be, Wh.zt muft we do to work the Worlu of Gocl ? In every Trade and Profenion there is fame kind of Myfl:ery, that gives to tbcm that have attained to it, a quicker difpatch in their Bufincfs than other Men have. And fo is it in the Work and Profeffion of a Chrifl:ian, there is an Art and Myftery~ that he that is M after of !hall make good difpatch in this great Work, and poffibly we may bave fome in fight into it by thcfe following DireJ:ions. Fir1t, If ;•ou would work out your own Salvation, then digcfl nnd difpofe your' Work Dircfl. 1 • into a right Order and .11-lcthod. Immethodicalnefs breeds Confufion, and makes that a Tumult and a heap of Bufinefs, that would otherwife become a Trade in ChriItianity; one attainment makes way for and opens into another; and to attempt any thing in Chriftianity by Leaps and Jumps as it were, is frnitlefs, unprofit:1blc and vain. No wife Man wil1 try to mount up the higheft Round of a Ladder at the. firft ftep. But ·yet many fuch prepofterous Endeavours there are found among ,Men in the working out of their Salvation. In refpeCt of DoCl:rinals St. Pa~J tells us, fame built Hay and Stubble upon a Foundarion of Gold, 1 Cor. 8. But in refpea of Pratl'icals, it is frequent that many Men enf}eavour to build Gold upon a Foundation of Hay and Stubltle: Thefe Mens Buildings will foon totter, fall, and come to nothing but Ruio, Shame and Difappointment. Now the right difpoling of your ereat Work lies thus. Firft, You arc to work from Nature for Grace, and then from Grace unto the holy and fpiritual performance of Duty, by which Grttce is much confirmed and ftrengthned; and fa continuing in Duty, to arrive ..at AJTurance; and from this the next ftep is Salvation. Fr01a Nature to Gra,ce, and from Grace to Duty. See this Method laid down by the .Apoftle, Let us, fays .. he, h41Jt Grace whereby we may. ferve God acceptably, with Revercr;ce and godty 1:-"'tar. ~eD. 12 • This is the Ladder of Heaven, whofe bottom ?tep is below Grace in Nature, ,_ • and whofe utmoft Step is above it in abfolute Perfe8:ion and Glory. Firft, There muft be Grace before any Duty can be performed acceptably unto God. But now moft Men pervert and difturb this Method ; and the ordinary way of Difl:urbance is this, they are .frequen.t in Duties, but they perform them not etther for Grace, or from Grace ; neither that they may attain Grace by them, nor that they may e..xercife Grace in them: And yet, notwitb!tand ing , the~e Men think and hope to work out Salvation by fuch Duties as thcfc arc, makmg a Leap from Duties to Salvation, negleCting to obtain that Grace th:a · can
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