The Almofl-Chrifliaa Difcovmd. they know that God hath not been wanting to their Endeavours, and they peremptorily rcfolvc that they will not be wanting to themfelves. We may fee the fame ftrong Refolutions of thofe ~hat cal?e to enquire of Jerrmy, Chap. 42. s, 6. They [aid, the Lord be a true and fa:thfulrvttne{s betwew UJ, if we do not accOrding to aU things for which the Lord thy God flJ~Il fend thee to m, &c. And yet none more rebellious and difobedient againft God than thefe Men that make this Remon!hance. And now notwithftanding thefe Wifhes, and thefe Refolutions, the WiO of a Natural Man falls fhort of a faving Change, and that ufually in thefe Particulars. . Firft, In that it is a fickle and unconflant Will; their De fires may be fometimes violent and paffionate, as if t~ey would take f!.eaven by force, and wrefr Mercy out of the hands of God: Then Prayers may be importunate and carnefr, as if they would take no denial ; but this violent Spirit is foon fpent, and this full bent of their ~ouls foon ftaggs, and return~ again, as for~erly, eye~ and anon into the commtffion of fome foul and grofs Sms. Such a W:/J as this 1s, though at firft it hurries them apace, yet it is foon tired, and leaves them Jhort of Grace and Heaven. The Chriftian Race is not to be run by fo many fits, but by a conftant courfe and progrefs , frill getting ground upon our Lofts, frill approaching nearer to rhe Kingdom of Heaven: But it is :with fuc~ M~n as it is wit_h the Sea when a fpring~ tide covers all the fhoar; when 1l ebbs, Jt dzfcovers nothing but Sands, which before was nothing but deep Water; fo thefe affeC!ed and flowing Chriftians, they difcover that there is nothing but barren ?ands ~t the _botto!D, that they are as unftable aJ Water. A Chriftian is not made m a Ftt, neHher Is the Work of G race wrought in a Paffion; but it is a fetled, folemn, and conftant frame of Heart that brings a Man to Chrift and Salvation. Secondly, The Wilt of an unregenerate Man is never univerfally changed; frill they refcrve to themfclves fomc Luft or other, that they will not part withal, and their Refolutions concerning their Sins, are fuch as the Refolution of Naa· man the Ajfjrian, 2 Kings ~· t8. In thisthing the Lord p.trdon thy Servant, that when my Ma{fer goeJ int~ the Houfe of Ril~mon, to Worjhip there, and he le~ncth on my hand_, and I bow my [elf m the Houfe of Rtmmon, &c. The Lord pardon thy Suvanr in thu thing. So Men may be peremptory in their Refolutions to forfake their Sins, yet frill there may be fome one dear Luft or other that makes them cry with N'-aman, Lord, pardon thy Ser'Vant in thU thing. Now they will be willing to receive Chrift if they may be al1owed in one DarlingSin; now the partition that any one Sin makes between Chr.ft and the Soul, rnuft needs hinder the Soul from ciojing 111ith Chrift; as, if you throw but any little thine between the Branch and the Stock that it is ingrafted into, the Sap will neTer be communicated to it, aud fo it will never grow up to be a Plant. . Thirdly, The lVi/1 of an unregenerate Man is ufually Irr!itional; it would obtain the End, and yet not ufe the Means. Grace poffibly they would have, but they cannot bring their averfe Wills to clofe with the performance of thofe unpleaGng and irkfome Duties wherein God ufually beftows Grace, and by wh ich he conveys Grace to the Soul. Could they be Holy with a wilh, and a fudden fancy that enftames them, then none Jhould be better Chriftians than themfclvcs; could they enter into Heaven by being willing, there is none thc'n ll10uld fhine above them in Glory ; but when there is fo much hard and nnpleaGng Work, firft that they muft be Born of God , and af,cr they are true Chriltians they muft cxercife every Grace, and perform every Duty that may fit and prepare them for Glory, they look upon thefe things as too difficult, which makes them fit down with idle Wilhes Ihort both of Grace and Glory; their Wi!Js are very irrational; they would have Heaven, but they fiigh~ Grace, the way to it; and poffibly they would have Grace, but they cannot bnng themfelves to the performance of thofe irkfome and unpleafing Duties in and by whi.ch Grace is ufually beftowed and conveyed. Fourthly, The Will of an unregenerate Man is ufually general, not a particular WiJl. lf God Ibould ask them, Simuri, what would you do to be favcd ? They would anfwer, Any thing, every thing. But let God bid them leave fuch and fuch a Sin, perform fuch and fuch a Duty, they anfwer with Naaman, Aoy Sin but that, any Duty but that. So it is with th~fe Men; Oh any thing in the general; but when God brings them down to Particulars to do this. or that, then they are willing to do juit nothing. Zzzzz~ Now 731
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