The Alf!loft-Cbriftian Diftovercd, not he dcfervc Eternal Death who had a Power in his hand to make himfelf aChrifr i· an, ~nd yet would not? Certainly you will all conclude, this Man is very equally and JUftly dealt with, if fentenced to Eternal Mifery, fince he had a Power to avoid that _mifery, and to lay hold on Eternal Life and Happinefs ; l1i s condemnation lies on his own hea.d for his willful contempt of Sal vation, which he had a Power to work out, and by a diligent improvement of the means tendered to him, to make fnrc C?f it; every carnal Man i f he had power to convert himfclf, yet through his willtu I ncglefr and ob!tinacy he would no~ do it; and this appears, becaufe there is not one of us that doth as much as he m1ght do. There is not 0~1e natural Man that cloth as much as he might do: Will not he now do what. he can do to prepare and difpofe his heart for Grace, then much lcfs wonld he work Grace in his heart, though he had a Power to do it; and tla;rcfore ~he whole default of Men's falling fhort ?fGrace, lies in thc;ir ~ ill ful neglcds. Men Indulge themfdyes Ill carnal flot_h, and If they can but mamtam the pace and rate o~ common ordinary Profeffors m a forma~ courfe of Duty, or abftain from grofs Sms; 0 t hen they are contented! And will be drawn on no further. Could not th~Y. comma~d their t hm1ghts to dwell more fixedly, and more abidingly upon Spmtual ObJeCts? Cannot they be oftner in Meditation, and medi tate more rcrvently , and with more affect ion? In both had they not Power to refufe Temptatio~s and finful Motions? Doth t he Devil ufe any force or violence upon them? D1d t~1ey ever find, when they threw themfelves upon their Knees iu Prayer, that he !bffened t hem that they could not bend ? Or t hat the De\'il !topped t heir Mouths from fpeaking, or lheit Hearts from think ing? Had he a Power to ftrike Men lame when t hey fhould come to the Ordinances, or !hike them deaf whrn they fhould hear, or dumb when they fh.ould fpeak, then there were fame fhew and colour of Reafon, why Men attcndeO no more fr equently, why they heard no more attentively, why they did not ponder more confiderately, why they prayed fo feldom and heartlcfiy; did but the Devil compel them to this, the Sinner might have fome excufe ; but when he muft woe their confent and allowance, and wa it their pleafurc and Ieifure, it is meerly a wretched neglect or willfulnefs, that they yield to the Commiffion of auy Sin: Can you do all this and more, and yet will you not? Know that if you pcriih,it is only your own fault,you your own felves are the bloody Murtherers of your own Souls. lt will be in vain for you to plead, that you had no Power to make your [elves Chriftians; why, you never went fo far as to make a trial, whether you had a Power or no; for aMan not to do t he utmoft that he might do towards Chriitianity, though he bath no Power to make himfelf a Chriftian; yet it is the fame as if he had a Power, and yet will not make ufe of it. 0 let this that I have faid prevail with you, to be not only Almo.fl, bul altogether Chri!tians, and to put forth all the powe r and might, and ability, that you have in the ~ork.ing out your own Salvation. Is there not infiniteReafon, why you fhould fpeed1ly [et about this important \\fork, while you have time and opportunity for the doing of it ? Is it not a matter of the greateft n'loment in the World, and not to be delayed one · moment? Be pe rfuaded then to the fpcedy praCtice of it. ObjcU. 1 . Some defperate Wretches may think indeed, t ha t .Arguments to perfwade Men to work out their Salvation, may be of weighty import to inforce the Duty upon thofe that do expeCt Salvation; but for my pa~t 1 pretend not fo high; let me but enjoy now the Sins which I ferve, and the Pleafi1res which I purfue, and for the State of my Soul hereafter, 1 commend that to the Mercy of God, and if I mufl: perifh, I will peri!h with as much eafe and con[ent as I may. It is hard to alter an irreverfible doom, and if it be to Perdition, it is but tOlly to hang down the head, and blubber the Eyes,and break the Heart for that which cannot be alttrtd. Ifl muft go to Hell I may as foon be carried down thither in a flood of tears, as in d?ing un~ godly Actions : Why lhould 1confpire with God's Deem to make my felf nuferable. If he bath H:ntenced me to Hell hereafter, lrnay as well fentence my felf to an Hea· ven here; my future torments are in his Hands, but my prefent delights are in my own; therefore if Salvation and Happinefs te fuch nice Points I forego them, and will embrace;: more eafy and more obvious plcafures. .Anfw. 1 know no pious heart here, but fhiv.ers with horror at fuch Languag_e, though it be but perfonated; methinks rather it reprefents the Spc:ech of a Dev~l, whO is whhout all poffibility of Happinefs, than of Men who are Ill the way to Ul. Indeed it iSihe Speech 9f th~ Devil, b~l il i~ likewife in the hearts of Men, when · they
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