638 Prallical Cbnjlianity, from you, and to leave you to your own Weaknefs and lmpoLency, upon whofe influence all your Obedience doth depend. This is the Apoftlc'J A rgumrur j,1 the Text,_ Work with F(11r, for God works m you both to W~fi and to Do. ~oly dilir;encc in Ob~dtence cannot be more ftrOI~&lY enforced on an Ingenuous_Spirtt, than by ccufi... dermg all that Strength and Ab1hty that we have to work, Is received from God and therefore fhould be improved for God, left, for our Sloth, he deprives us of that we make no ufe of. (;.) ThiYdly, In working, fear God alfo, as he that will be the Judge and Rewar~er o( your Works for ever. You perform them unto him who is to pafsSe11 • tence upon th.em, and upon Y?U for them; and will you t~en d~re to do them fiothw fully and.neghgently? God w1!l try every Man's Work With Fire, and will call c~ very ACtion to a fevere and frnt\: account; every Man's Work Jhall be fcen through and through, and then it fuall be known who hath wrought the Works of God and who hath fulfilled the W ill of Satan; and the final Doom and irreverfible Sen~ Rom, 2.. tence fhall then be pronounced acco~ding t? Mens Works. God wiU, fays the A7, 8, 9. poftle, render unto C".Jtry Mt11t accordmg to hu Works, to them who by patient continuance in well doingfeek fot Glory and Immortality, to them he will render Eternal Life· bur to them that are contentioru a'f/d obry not the Truth, but obey Vnrighteoufiufs, he will'render unto them Indignation and I.Vrath, Ttibularion and ~riguifh, upon every Soul th"t dotiJ E1;1il. Now would you but thus ~ear Go~ as an upught and impart~al Judge, that wlll render unto every one accordmg to his Works, How would tlus prevail wich you fo to work that at laft yon mi?,ht be found of God in well doing and receive the blefied Reward and Sentence of the diligent and faithful Servant,' To enter iTJto your Mafter's joy? ( 4 .) FouYihly and Lajlly, If you would work for Salvation fuccefsfnlly, then wOYk fpeedily without delay, and csnftantly without cejfation. ( 1.) Firft, Work fpeedily without delay. Delays in all Affairs are dancrerous but in Soul Affairs ufually they are damnable. For, 0 ' ( t.) Firft, The lunger you procraftinate and delay, the greater and more difiicu1t will your Work be at laft; Corruption will be grown more tough, ill Humours will be grown more ftubborn, your Heart will be more hardned, your AflCCUons being more habituated wi\1 be more firmly engag'd to Sin, the Devil will plead right to you by Prefcription, and it is hard keeping an Enemy ouE that bath had long Polfeffion. . . . (2.) Secondly, Confider what a defperate Folly tt IS to put off yonr Work till to Morrow; you are not fure that you iftalllive to fee another Day. And oh! What Hazards do thofe Men run, whofe hopes of Heaven depend upon no better a bot~ tom then their hopes of Life; and whofe eternal Savation is fubjcCt to as many Ca· fualt ies and Accidents, as their prefent Beings in1this World arc fubjeCl: to. Man's Breath is in his Nofi:rils; and yet how do Men fuffer their Souls and their everlaft· ing Happinefs to depend upon nothing furer than their Breath, that Breath that every moment goes forth from them, and they know not whether evc:r•it fhall re.. turn to them again ? But fuppofc: your Life and D3.ys fuould continue, and you fhould reach unto that time whereof you have boafted and promifed to mind the concernments of your Soul's eternal Happincfs in; yet confider., (3.) ThiYdly, The Grace of God is not at your difpofal; for then either, (1.) Firft, The outward Call may ceafe or it may grow more faint and low; you may not be fo daily importun'd and folicited for Heaven as now you are: OrdinancLs and Opportunities may ceafe, or you for your contempt may be given over to a con~ tempt and neglett of them· (2.) Secondly, The inward Dictates of your own ~onfcienccs, and che motions of the holy Spirit may ceafe: Confcience may be brtb'd to 3 file nee, and the holy Ghoft may be commiffionated to depart atter this prefent opportun~C_}', and ne\·er more may you have its Breathings and Movings upon your Hearts, 1f ~ou do not: now liften to them. (3 ) 'ThirdlJ, If inward Motions do continue, are you fure after this moments refufal that you Jhall obtain that Grace from God that may mak_e you willing to clofe with thofe Motions? Leave not therefore the eternal Salvation of your pre.. cious and immortal Souls at fuch Hazards and Delays.~ Norv U the acceptable rime, mw is the dt~y of Snlv,;iorl; tfJ day therefort if yr;u !Pill hear his voice, even iflhile it i.s '""'"
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