5(s¢ TÍ.IeNATUttE Cl1ZllPoWER avoidance of eternal ruin of body and foul, Mrtth. xvi. 16. It is con- flantly propofed under thefe terms, believe, or you perifh under the weight of the wrath of the great God, and that for evermore. But now notwithftanding that all thefe confideratians are preached unto men, and prepped upon them in the name of the great God, from day to day, from one year to another, yet, as was before obferved, very few there are who fet their hearts unto them, fo as to embrace that which they lead unto. Tell men ten thoufand times, that this is wifdoin, yea, riches, that all their profit lyes in ir, that they will affuredly and eter- nally perifh, and that it may be within a few hours, if they receive not the gofpel, affure them that it is their only intereft and concernment, let them know that God himfelf fpeaks all this unto them ; yet all is one, they regard it not, fet not their hearts unto it, but, as it were, plainly fay, We will have nothing to do with thefe things ; they will rather perilh in their lufts than accept of mercy. (3.) It is indwelling lin that both difenableth men unto, and hinders them from believing, and that alone. Blindnefs of mind, ftubbornnefs of the will, fenfuality of the affedions, all concur to keep poor perifhing fouls at a diftance from Chrift. Men are made blind by fin, and cannot fee his excellencies, obftinate, and will not lay hold of his righteoufnefs, fenflefs, and take no notice of their eternal concernments. Now certainly that which can prevail with men wife and fober, and prudent in other things, to neglelt and defpife the love of God, the blood of Chrift, the eternal welfare oftheir own fouls, upon weak and worthlefs pretences, muff be acknowledged to have an aftonifhable force and efficacy accompanying it. Whofe heart, who hath once heard of the ways ofGod, can but bleed to fee poor fouls eternally perifhingunder a thoufand graci- ous invitations, to atcept of mercy and pardon in the blood ofChrift? And can we but be aftonifhed at the power of that principle from whence it is, that they run headlong to their own deftruelion? And yet all this befalls them from the power and deceit of fin that dwelleth in them. 3. It is evident in their total apoftacies. Many men not reallyconverted, are muchwrought upon by the word. The apoffle tells us, that theydo clean efcape them that live in error, z Pet. ii. 18. They feparate themfelves from idolatry and falfe worfhip, owningand profeffing the truth; and they alfo efcape the pollutions of the world ; ver. an. that is, the corruption that is in the world through lull, as he expreffeth it, chap. i. ver. 4. thofe filthy corrupt and unclean ways, which the men of the world, in the purfuit of their lulls, do walk and live in ; thefe they-efcape from, in the amendment oftheir lives, and ordering of their converfation according to the convicti- ons which they have from the word. For he fo tells us, that all this is brought about, through the knowledgeofthe Lord andSaviour 7efses Chr ; that is, by the preaching of the gofpel ; they are fo far wrought upon, as to forfake all ways of falfe worfhip, to profefs the truth, to reform their lives, and to walk anfwerable to the convidions that are upon them. By this means do they gain the reputation ofprofelfors, They have a name to live, Rev. iii. t. and are made partakers of fume, or all of thofe privileges ofthe gofpel, that are numbred by the apoftle, Heb.vi. 4, 5. It is not my prefent bufinefs to Phew how far, or wherein a man may he cffe&ùallywrought upon by the word, andyet not he really wrought o- ver to chofe with Chrift ; or what may be theutmoft bounds and limits pf a common work of grace upon unregenerate men : it is on all hands con- felled, that it may be carried on fo far, that is verydifficult to di,feern be- tween
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