81 / 504
M
G'$
Ground
of
Sts
Perfeverance
examined.
CAP.
T.
4i
40.
i.
Firft,
it
is
all
along
Magnificently
fuppofed,
that
there
is
the
faine
Power
25
and
Ability in
a
Rationall Inlightened
man
to
Deliberate and Conclude
of
things in
reference
unto the Pradicall Condition
of
his Spiritual)
Eftate,
as
there
is
of
his
Natural!,
and
that
this Ability
is
conftantly refident
with
him
to
make ufe
of
upon
all occafions,
what
ever
our
Saviour
lay
to the
con-
trary viz.
That
without
him
we
can
doe
nothing.
7oh.
i
5.5.
2.
Secondly,
(to
make way for
that,)
that
fuch
a
one
is
able
to
know,
ri.
119.144.
and
to
defire
the
things
of
his
Peace
in
a
Sprirituall
and
ufefull manner,
not-
r
CO2.
r.
r4.
withstanding
the vanity
of
thofe many feemingly fervent Prayers
of
the
Saints
in
the
Scripture,
that
God
would give
them underftanding
in thefe
things,and
his
manifold Promifes
of
that
Grace.
3.
Thirdly,that
upon
fuch
deliberations men
are put into a capacityand li-
berty, or
are inabled
to
worke themfelves
to
what ftrength or degree
of
de-
fire
and inclination towards
that
Good confidered,they
pleafe,
and according
as
the good
is,
that
men apprehend,
(as abiding
with God
is
the greateft
Goód)
fuch
will
be
the
ftrengh and
the
vigour and power
of
their in-
clinations
thereto.
That
they
have a Lam
in their
members, rebelling
againß
the
Rom.
9.:8,9;
Law
of
their
minds,&
leading them captive
under
the Law
offinne,needs
not
to
iqu,
&c.
be
taken notice
of.
This
fnfficiency
it
feemes
is
of
themfelves:
He
was a
weake
2
cor.3.5,
unfkilfull
man, who
fuppofed
that ofour
felves
we
could
not
think
a
good
thought,feeing we
are
fuch perfe&
Lords
and Matters
of
all
good thoughts
and
a&ings
whatever.
4.
Fourthly, the
whole fumìne
of
this
Difeourfe
of
the
means
afforded
Believers
to
finable
them
to
Perfevere, amounts
to
this,
that
being
rationall
men, they
may,
Firft
confider
that
fonte kinds
of
finites will
deftroy
them,
and
feparate them from God, and
that
by
obedience
they
shall
come
to
the
Greateft Good Imaginable ,
where
upon
it
is
in
their Power
fo
strong-
ly
to
incline
their
hearts
unto
Obedience,
that
they
!hall be in no
more dans
get
of
departing
from
God, then
a Wife
and Rationall
man
is
of
killing
or
willfully destroying himfelfe:
The
firft
part whereof
may
be
performed
by
them who are no
Saints;
the latter
not
by
any Saint whatfoever. And
is
not
this
noble
Provifion
for
the
Security and
Affurance
of
the
Saints, enough
to
make them
cast
away with fpeed all
their intereft
in
the
unchangeable
purpofer
Gracious and Faithfull
Promifes
of
God,
interceon
of
Chrift,
Sealing
of
the
Spirit, and
all
thofe
Sandy
and
triviall fupports
of
their
Fai
th,
which
hither-
to
they have rejoyced in. And
what
ever experience
they have,
or.
Teftimo-
ny from
the Word
they doe recieve,
ofthe
Darkeneße,and
Weakenefe
of
their
Minds,
the
flubborneJfeof
their Wills,with
the
ftrong inclinations
that
are in
them
to
finne
and
falling away,
what
ever
be
their
Oppofitions
from
abone
Ephe(.'6.
12
:
them,
about
them,
within
them,
on
the right Hand,and
on
the Left,thatthey
Heb.r2.r.1
have
to
wreftle
withall; let them give
up them
felves
to
the hand
of
their
Rom.9.
19.
owne
manlike confiderations
and weighing
of
things, which will fecure
them
againft all
danger
or
Probability
offalling away;
For
if
they
be but
capable
(Firft)
of
feeing
and knowing, (Secondly)
of
pondering and confidering,and
that rationally,(it
matters not,whether
thefe things are Fruits
ofthe
Spirit
of
Grace
or no,
nay 'tis cleare
they
mutt not be
fo)
that fuch,
and
fuch
evill
is
to be avoided, and
that
there
is
fo,
and
fo
Great
a
Good
to
be
obtained by
continuing in
obedience, they may
raife
and
worke
inclinations in
themfelves
anfwerable in
ftrength,vigour, and power,to
any
degree ofgoodneffe, which
they apprehend,
in
what
they fee
and ponder.
The
whole
of
the
Ample
fuicient
Meanes
afforded
by
God
to
the
§,
4,
Saints
to
finable
them to Perfevere, branching
it
felfe
into thefe
two
heads,
(Firft)
The
rational!
confrdering
what they have
to
doe, (Secondly)
Their
vigorous
Inclination
of
their
Hearts,
to
a&
fuitably and anfwera-
E
bit