730 The Almofl-Chriflian Difcovered. changeth it by the power of his irriiiftible Grace, And yet that this irrififtible Gr11ce, may not violate t1le liberty of the Will, wt!ich is its natural privilege he perfuadcs it by fuch naturalArgumen.rs; ~hat it could not aa freely if it fuould,diffent from them, though God ufeth mfimre power, yet he ufeth no violence he fubdues the Will, but doth not compel it. This is that viCtorious Grace, that doth not more overcome a Sin~er's refiftance, than it doth his prejudice; it overcomes all oppofition by its own urefiftable Power, and overcomes all its prejudices by its attraCtive fwcetnefs: And whenever it brings him to fubmit to .God, it makes him to apprehend, that his chiefeft happinefs and joy is to do fo. And it is the fame that doth afterwards preferve a Chriftianfrom total Apoftacy, for though there be fuch a conftant fupply of Grace to keep them, that they lhall never draw back to Perdition; yet withal, t~eir own freedom is fuch, that they may if they will, but when the \V' ill ccafeth Its freedom, it never inclines but to that which is moft pleafing, and nothing is pleafing to a renewed, fantl:ified Will, fo much as that So'Vertign good, which comprehends in it all other good. Thus you fee, how God difpofeth of the Will of Man, changing it without conftraining of it, turning it not forcibly, but infallibly to himfclf, when Pe d~aws it by the fwcet and efficaciousolJeration of his Grace; Thus I difpatched the firft thing, and fhewed how God works the renewing change upon the Will of a Sinner. The fecond particular is to fhew you, what other Change may be wrought upon the Will; whick yet falls lhort of true Grace, and may bring a Man almoft to Chrifrianity, and yet leave him in a natural ftate and condition. Firft, An unrezenerate Man may have many faint and velleities, and wifh.. ings, and wouldings after Grace; when he hears fo much fpoken of the Beauty and Excellency of Holinefs, he is convinced in his judgment that thofe things are true that without Holinefs no Man lhall fee the Lord, and that though while he hi; Carnal, fpiritual Duties arc tedious and a burthen to him; yet were he fpiritualized, they would become ~nore delightful to him than thofe very Pleafures of Sin, which keep him from clofing with Grace: Were he ~encwed, thofe very pleafures of Sin would become unfavoury to him, that which now he is afraid to lofe if he would turn. to Confcicnce he would not value the lofs of it. \Vhen an unregenerate Man, I fay, is thus convinced of this, it wifl make him to break out into pangs of .AjfeCfion wi01ing for Grace. 0 that I were holy and gracious ! I wifi1 my Heart were changed and renewed : I wifh I were better and could do better; I appeal to every Man>s CoD.fcience, when he hath been convinced of the excellency and defirablenefs of Holinefs, whether they have not breathed forth fuch wifhes as thefe are. When you have feen a Chriftian that is eminent and exemplary for Piety; have not you wilhed your felves in his Condition, not only in refpea of his future Reward and Glory, but alfo in refpett of his prefent Grace. Have you not wifhed that fuch had been your Comelinefs and Beauty, have you not wilhed not only with Balaam, to die the death of the RighteoU&, and that your /aft end might be like hu; but alfo your Life by living righteoufiy; and yet frill etJntinuc in the fame courfe and·finful State as formerly? Why now fi.tch em· pry Vclleities, and idle Wifhes an unregenerate Man may poffibly have; he may wifu he were a Saint , even as a fond foolilh Man, according to his idle fancy, may wifh that he wrre an Angel; but fuch willies do not put them upon a conftant attempt and ufe of the Means whereby they might become fuch, their wi· Jhes and their fighs vanifh away together, the one retaining no longer an impref· fimr upon their Hearts, than the other in the Air; he runs into the COiiuniffion of that Sin, which with his Mouth he wifhes he might not commit, and lives in the negleCt of Holy Duties, and yet can wifh that he had performed them; fuch contradiCtory wi!hes have unregenerate Men; they wilh themfelves Holy, and yet arc wilfully Sinful; they wifh that they were better, and yet will not endeavour their own amendment. Secondly, An unregenerate Man, he may not reft in thefe Wi01es, but he may rife to a Refolution; I fay, to fomc degree ofRefolution: They refolve many things; That their Lufts fhall no longer enfiave them; That the Pleafures of the \Vorld fhall no longer bewitch them; That the difficulties of Religion lhallno longer af~ fright them; but that they will break through all, and alt like Men: And fuch generous and mgenuous Refolu tions as thefe a Man in his natural E!bte may fortifie hhnfelf with. Grace they know they mult have, elfe lhey are eternally undone; they
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