722 The Almoft-Chriftian Difcovcred. upon. him, Believeft thou the ProphctJ! 1know rl~t~ belit11ejl-. The refult of an is this That he was but almoft perfuaded,not fully perfuaded of the Truth of what St. Paul fpeaks concer ning Chrifl:, concer ning himfelf, and concerning Chriftians . yet for all that he was but almoft perfuaded to be a Chriftian. Hence likewife obfe;ve, Doe!. 2.. That Pcrfons who are full t'.nd truly convincd, are many times but dmoft tmd h<tlf-p"fu•ded. T~ere m~y be a p~wcrful perfuafion in _the Judgment and the Confcience concerntn_g Chnfr and h!s waxs, wh:n there IS bu~ half a perfuafion in the Will and Affedtons to clofc with hm_1. 1 hefe Obfervat10ns I r,ather up as they lie !hewed in my p;tlfage. . l fua\1 not 1nfift upon ~hem bu_t only as they are fubfcrvient to t he fuller Profecutiorl. of the General Do(tnne, whtch you may take thus, Dofr. 3· TIMt thofe who never roere in CH RIST; Jft may be almoft Chriftians. I need no~ here fbnd to tell you, that Chriftianity may be taken either · . Firft, For an outward Pro{effion.of Chrift, as it is oppofed ~o. all other Religions m the World, whether Hcathcnifh Idolatry, Mahometan Stupidity, or ']ewijh Ceremony: Or, _ s_econdly, For m! inward and cordial embracing of ']e(us Chrift, thus profeffed, as it ftands oppofed, either to the Prophanenefs or Hypocrifie of carnal Gofpellers. Evident it is, that the Ch.riftianity that .Agrippa ':?as aimoft perfuadcd into, was of the firft fort, not excluding the fecond. Nay, tt was feldom feen that in thofe Primitive Times, wherein no carnal Refpec-t or outward Advantage could commend the Go_fpel to the Interefts of Men. W~en the reward of profeffing Chrift was Perfecuuon and Martyrdom ; then I fay It was feldom feen that any would take Chrift by Profeffion, who would not alfo take him by Faith and Adherence. Fe'Y th~re were th~t would take up Religio.n, even upon thisCondit ion, to lay down ~he1r Ltves for Chr1ft, who yet through thetr ?wnProphanencfs orHypocrifie, were to receive no Benefit from the Death of Chnft. So that to perfuade Metl then to be Chrifl:ians,in Profel11on, it was the fame with perfuading them to be Chriftians in reality. ' ' But now, when the Name of Chrift is fo much courted, when the " denying of Chrift would be repaid with the fame punifhment, that formerly the ' ' owning of Chrift underwent, you need not fo much perfuafion to take upon you ' ' the outward Profe111on of Chriftianity. For you are not only almoft, but altogether Chriftians in the external Garb; but our perfuafion to you, muft be, that as you own Chrift in an outward Profeffion of him, fo that you would cleave to him by a true Fa ith in him, and Obedience to him. We are not then to fpeak to Pagans, to convert them to a new Religion; but ( if I may fo fay) we are to fpeak to Chriftian Infidels, to convert them to a new Life and Converfation. Nor yet among thefe doth my Subjea lead me to the prophane and loafer fort, wbofe beiag called Chriftians doth not more l1onour them, than they difgrace and' reproach that holy Name; but to thofe who are more elevated, and more refined, who go far in Chriftianity fo as to be near the Kingdom of God. In a word, fuch as are Almoft Chriftian ; and yet are Strangers to Chrift, and remain in their finful State and unregenerate Condition. Now in the P'rofecution of this Point, I fhall enquire into thefe following Parti~ culars in this Method. r. What Progrcfs Men may make towards Chriftianity, and yet fall fhort of it. 2: Whence they arc enabled to proceed fo far, and what it is that carries them out to all their Attainments. 3 . What it is that hinders them from proceeding further; q.nd when they are almoft Chriftians, wbat keeps them from being fuch c.ltogether. 4 • To !hew you the folly and mifery of thofe who proceed thus far only, as to bcalmoft Chriftians, and no farther. Firft, Let us fee rohat Progrefs a natural Man may make towards Grace a'nd Chrifti3.. nity, and yet remain in a finful ftate. Before 1 can come in particular to determine this, 1 muft premifc thefe t wo or three Particulars : Firft, That when we enquire what Progrefs an unregenerate Man may make towards Grace, this fuppofcs that there is a tendency in what fuch a Man doth, or may do towards the obtaining of Grace. Or how elfe can he make any progrefs towards ir, if that which he doth bath .uo tendency to it? Let us therefore enquire what
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