(INDWELLING SIN, 5°3 all the filth and uncleannefs ; all the enmity to God and his ways that is in the world, is fruit growing from this root alone. 2. It evidences its efficacy in keeping men off from believing under the difpenfation of thegofpel. This evidence mutt be a little further cleared. (I.) Under the difpenfation of the gofpel, there are but few that do be- lieve. So the preachers of it complain, Ifa, liii. I. Who bath believed our report ? Which the apoille interprets of the paucity of believers, Job. xü. 38. Our Saviour Chrift himfelf tells us, that many are called, the word is preached unto many, but few are chofen. And fo the church complains of its number, Mie. vi. I. Few there bewho enter the narrow gate, daily experience confirms this woful obfervation. How many villages, parifbes, yea, towns may we go unto, where the gofpel, it may be, bath been preached many years, and perhaps, fcarce meet a true believer in them, and one who thews forth the death ofChrift in his converfation. In the belt places, and moll eminent for profellion, arenot fuch perfons like the berries after the (baking of an olive-tree, two or three in the topof the up- sooft boughs, and four or five in the higheft branches ? (a.) There is propofed to men in the preaching ofthe gofpel, as motives unto believing, every thing in conjunlion, that feverally prevail with men to do whatever elfe they do in their lives. Whatever any one dotb with confideration, he doth it either becaufe it's reafonable and good for hire fo todo, or profitable and advantageous, or pleafant; or laftly, neceifary for the avoidance of evil i whatever, I fay, men do with confideration, whe- ther it be good or evil; whether it be in the works of this life, or in things that lead to another they do it from one or other of the reafons or mo- tives mentioned. And, God knows, Oftentimes they are very poor and mean in their kind, that then are prevailed upon by. How often will men for a very little pleafure, a very little profit, be induced to do that which (hall imbitter their lives, and damn their fouls. And what induftry will they ufe to avoid that whichthey apprehend evil or grievous to them: And any one of thefe is enough to oil the wheels of men's utmoft endea- vours, and fet men at work to the purpofe. But now all thefe things centre in the propofal of the gofpel, and the command of believing; and every one of them in a kind, that the whole world can propofe nothing like unto it. [s.] It is the matt reafonable thing that can be propofed to the under- ftanding of a man ; that he who through his own default bath loft that way of bringing glory to God, and faving his own foul (for which ends he was made) that he was firll placed in, (hould accept of and em- brace, that other blet%d, eafy, fate, excellent way, for the attain- ing of the ends mentioned, which God in infinitegrace, love, mercy, wif- dom, and righteoufnefs bath found out, and doth propofe unto him. And,, [a.] It is the profitableft thing that a man can poflibl y be invited unto ; if therebe any profit, or benefit, any advantage in the forgivenefs of fins, in the love and favour of God, in a blcffed immortality, in eternal glory. And, [g.] It is moft pleafant alto ; furely it is a pleafant thing to be brought out of darknefs into light, out of a dungeon unto a throne; from capti- vity and flavery to fatan and curled lufts, to the glorious liberty of the children of God, with a thoufand heavenly fu-eetneffes not now to be mentioned. And, [4.] It is furely nece fry, and that Pot only from the command of God, . who bath the fupreme authority over us, but alto indifpenlibly fo for the avoid-
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