74'2 1hc Almoft-Chri~ian. Di[covered, . itians? \Vhat force is the_re upon. you? J?oth the Devil sk\cw open the Drunkard's Mouth, and pour down h1s exccfln•e <'l.nd unemperate Cups whether he will or no? Doth the Devil violently move the Tongue of the Swearer and Blafphcmer to revile the holy and reverend Name of God? Doth he fh·ike Men dumb when they fhould pray, or deaf when they fhould hear, or fenfelefs when they fuould underfraud? Is there any fi1ch force or conftraint laid upon you? May you not avoid the ·one, and do the other if you your felves pleafe? Yes, you can, but you will not . therefore neither would you work out your own Salvation if you could. Is ther~ any hope that you that will not do the lefs that God requires from you, that you fhould e~er ~e mclnced to perform r.he gr~at~r? Let your Weaknefs and Impotence ~e what It wtll, yet your Condemnation Will he l!pon you fo long as your Wilfulnefs IS much greater than your VVeakncfs. No, Stnners, your precious and immpnal Souls will eternally perilh now for want of VVill to favc them. Pity your felves · will youlofe your felves for ever only out of Sloth? Will you fiecp your fclvc~ into Hell, and go drowzily into Dcltructiol1? Shall one end of your Souls lie al· ready burning as a Brand of Hell·fire, and you not put forth a hand to fnatch it out? Is it more painful to work the Works of God, than it is to perilh for ever under infupportable Torments? Therefore do you what you poffibly can, labour and fwe-ar at Salvation, rather than fail of it: Let this never grate nor fret your Confciences in Hell, that they lie there burning for ever, merely for your wilful Neglells. When a Man is gone far towards Chriftianity, there are feveral things that make him neglect a further progrefs :. As, Firft, His groundlefs fancying of Difficulties and hard Encounters in the Ways of God . Oh, were it but as eafie to be holy as finful, he were wretched that would refufe to be a Chriftian ; or were Chriftianity but one hard pull, or difficult pang, that would foon be over, there were fame encouragement for them; but when they have already ftruggled, and wreftled, and waited againft the fi:ream thus far, and yet fee no end, Duty to be performed upon Duty, and Temptatio~ upon Temptation to be n:fifted, ftill to be combating with Devils, frill to be crof· fing and vexing of our fclves, no refpite, no breathing-time allowed them. This takes off their Wheel£, and though they are able to do this, yet they will rather fit down quire fhort of Grace, than run thorow fuch hard!hips to attain it, and fo they come up in the mid-way, neither holy, nor prophane ; but pleafe themfelves with a mediocrity, and middle rank of Religion, and dare not go further for fear of difficulties ; nor yet they dare not fall further back for f~ar of Confciencc ; and fo they lie hovering between Heaven and Hell. Now this is merely from wilful Sloth. Frov. 26. 13. Tht jlothful Man faith there is a Lion in the way, a Lion in the jheets. Here the Wife Man brings in a drowfie Sluggard dreaming of dangers and difficulties, to excufe his Sloth; 1 dare not ftir abroad, for there is a Lion in the ftreets : A likely matter that there fhould be a Lion in the ftreeu; hut yet fee how this Fancy works with him: Any thing is an excufe for the Sluggard. In ver. 14· As the do6r rurrmh upon the hinges, fo doth the Slothful upon his Bui. A Door is often in motion to and fro, but it ga ins no ground, makes no progrcfs, fi:ill hangs where it did; fo it is with flothful Profeffors; thJt which they h:1.ve attained to, is that they move to and fro like a door upon the hinges, ftill the fame motion over and over again, no new progrefs, no new attainment, and that merely becaufe they are fiuggifu and lazy, and fanfie difficulties to themfelvcs, and ftrJnge ap· pofitions in the \Vays of God that makes them ftand at a fi:ay where they arc, and dare not make one ftep forward. As it was with the lfraelitu, who came to the very Borders of the Land of C.maarr, Nurnb. 13 . 32, 33· When the Searchers had brought reports to them, that the Land iudeed was good and fruitful, but the Walls of the City were built up to HeAven, and that there were many Giar.ts; and that they fuould be beaten and eaten: They were not fo much allured with the goodnefs of the Land, ai they were deterred by the thoughts of the difficulties;. and though God himfelfbad them rife, and enter, and go on fo difficult an enterpuzc: So there are maoy forward Profeffors who are come to the very Borders of the Land of C!anaan, to the very enterance into the Kingdom of Heaven, wJ~o,_ w~en.they fee what ftrong holds of Iniquity they muft c.aft down, what Pnnclpalttes and Powers they muft fight with, and what gigantick Lufts, a-s the Sons of rAnak, they mull; fubdue aud dellroy, this frif,!;hts them from attempting any further. Secondly,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=