S4 7%e. Cofpel-Myflery Meet. V. to the law of God, and to abftain, not only horn fomne fine, b'it from all known fins, and to perform every known duty of the law with their whole heart and foul, as they thirk; and are fo aEfive and intent in their devout praEice, that they over-work their natural ftrength, and fo fervent in their zeal, that they are ready even to kill their bodies with fallings anal. other macerations, that they may kill their ñn- fu:lulls I hey are lIrongyconvincec!, that holinefs is ábfolutely neceffmry to falvation, andare deeply of e t- ed with the terrors of damnatiòn; and yet they were never fo much enlightened in the myftery of the got.. pel, as to know that a new ftate in Chrift is neceffa ry to a new life ; therefore they labour in vain to reform their natural ftate, inilead of getting above it in Chrift. And force of thefe, when they have rnif fpent manyyears in ftriving againft the ftream of their lulls, without any fuccefs, do at laft fall mife- rably into defpair'of ever attaining to holinefs, and turn to wallowing in the mire of their lufts, or are fearfully fwallowed up with horror of confcience. There are feveral falfe opinions whereby fuch igno- rant zealots encourage themfelves in their fruitleff endeavours. Some of them judge, that they are a- bie to práEtife holinef=, becaufe they are not compel- led to fin, and may abftain from it, if they Will To this they add, that Chrift, by the merit of his death, bath reftored that freedom of will to good, which was loft by the fall, and hath fet nature upon its legs again ; and that, if they endeavour to do what lieth in them, Chrift will do the raft, by afl'ifling therti with the fupplies of his faving grace ; fo they truft upon the grace of Chrift to help them in their en. deavours. They plead further, that it would not con- fill with the juftice of God to punifh them for fin, if they could not avoid it; and that it would be iu vain for the miniftersof thegofpel topreach to them, and exhort them to any faving duty; if they cannot perform it. They produce examples of Heathens,
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