The Afmofi-Chriflian Difcovered. cope with Temptation~, loth to djfoblige the World, and would not proceed further than fpurred on by naturalConfcience,and therefore wilfully fell fhort through th rir own Sloth and Negligence, of Grace here, and of Glory hereafter. FolH thly, The Ltft General propounded, was to fhew you the Folly and ex· treme i\1ifery of thofe who proceed thus far as to be .Almojl-ChnjJ-ians, and yet will not be pct:fwaded to be fuch Altogether. The Apoftle fectns to be very paffionatc, Gtrl. 3· 1 1 5· 0 foolif/, Galatians, JVho h.1th bewitched you, that you/hould not obey the Truth, before tvhofe eyu ']efus Chrift bath bern evidently [et forth, crucified among you, • &c. Vcrfe 3· Arc ye fo foolifh, ~'Ving begun in the Spirit, are ye now made per[t[f by_ the Flcjh? \V hat are you mad? Are you befotted? Are you bewitched out of your common Re:.tfon and underftanding; that having begtm in the Spirit, and made fo far progrc fs in the Ways and Knowledge of Chrift, that after au this, you fhould fall back again to carnal, flefhly Rudiments? Why, the fame may I fay to many: You that arc ProfefiOrs, Why, who bath bewitched you? Why are you fo foolilh, as when you have not only begun, but proceed far towards Holinefs and true Grace, that yet you fhould give over and fit down in a ftate of Nature a nd Unrcgeneracy fhort of it; Confider but your Folly and Mifery in thcfe par• ticulars . Firft, Con fide r, Is it not extreme folly, madnefs, and mifcry, wilfully to fall Ihort of thlt which you have already taken fo much pains to attain? What, af{er all the labotn· and hardfhips, and difficulties that you have already gone through to obraio Grace, now to fit down fhort of it, and lofe all? Will you wilfully lofe all your Prayers and all your Tears? All your ConviB:ions and all your Confii~h? Shall all thcfe be fo much labou r in vain? Is not this much below the ingenuouf. ncfs of your Rcfolutions in inferior matters? Do not you ufe to quicken your endeavours by fuch Arguments as thefe, I have rpent fo much upon it, I have ta.. ken fo much pains about it, therefo re I will fee the end of ic, and go throuoh with it. Do yon think much to lore your labour in any thin ~ but Salvation, b~t in working out the Salvation of your precious Immortal Souls! What though it be hard and d ifficult to go further: Confider, was it not hard and difficult to arri ve at that which you have already attained unto; and are you fo foolirh as to be willing to lofe the fruit and benefit of the difficulties you have already paft, only for fear of difficulties that are ;ret to come? If Chriftianity be not worthy your pains, why did you ever engage in it? And if it be, why do you fit frill? You wm be guilty of extreme Folly either in this or that. For you enter upon Cbri· ftianity without fitting down, and reckoning what it will coft you; Chrift himfelf there brands you for Fools, LuRe q .. 22, 29. For which of you intending to buj[d a Tower, fttuth not dawn firft , and counteth the coft, whether he have fujficier.t to ftnifh ir, Left haply after he h~tth laid the Founhtion, and is rrot able to ,finifiJ ir, all that behold it begin to mock hiw, {aying. This Man began to build, arrd w.u uot able ro finijiJ ir. If it was not worth your pains, what a Folly was it to attempt it? If yCJu thought it worth all and more, what a Folly then was it to flag? And could you before you came fo nigh to Grace, and fo nigh to Glory, could you fee that beauty, and that defirablencfs in it at fo great a difrancc, at to perfuade yon to come thus far, and now when you are much nearer, and can fee much more of its excellency and comelinefs; D.1re you now defpife and contemn it? When you have not only the promife of God to be your lncourageme nr, but you have alfo given Earnefi: too for ihat Profcffion, and thofe Endeavours, and thofe Duties which you have already paffed through, they are all (as it were) the Earneft of yonr further pror,refs; this Earneft· you lore, Profeffion, Endeavours, and Duty, and al1 comes to Nothing, if after a11 you reft any where fhort of Grace, you lore your E:trneft which yen give, if you be but almoft Chri!tians, and reft any where fhort of trqc Chriitianity. Well, what extreme Folly is this for Men todifquiet themfelves in va in, and take fo much pains to pray and hear, and to keep them· felves from many Sins, and perform many Duties; and yet becaufe they will do no· more, they lofe the Benefit of all this? Why, whJt is it that you do all this for? ls it not to obtain Grace and Glory? And will you do fo much for fuch an Excellent End, and yet wilfully fall fhort of ic? You may remain Gracelefs without all this Labour; if you are fully refolved for Hell, ·why do yo.u do any thing? To Hell you may go without Praying or Hear... Bhbbbb ing, 745
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