EL EC T. 293 is wholly in him ; and the Almighty only ftands by (as it were) and looks on, waiting and depending upon his Creature, when or whetherhe (hall confirm this felf ele&ion or not. If Man can go thus far ; there can be no Reafon afligned why he may not go quite through, and be as independent on the Merit and Grace of a Sa- viour, as though no Saviour had ever come into the World. Indeed, he might as foon fave himfelf entirely, and fly to the Courts of Heaven upon the Wings of his own Righteoufnefs and Strength; as choofe the Good and avoid the Evil by his own Will, and thereby be- come the meritorious Caufeof his Eleétion to Life eter- nal. It feems allo extraordinary, that Perfons fhould treat ofChrift's Work as a fini/hed Work, and of his Salvation as a perfetl Salvation ; while they neglect CO confider, that the Obje&s of this Salvation muff neceffarily, for that very Reafon, beperfect as to their Number, and de- termined as to their Enjoyment of it.. They talk well of nothing to be added to render the Work complete; yet fpeak but poorly of nobody to be added to make the Number certain. Chrift indeed (as . hath been obferved already) is to be held forth, and his Gofpel openly preached, to every Creature; yet, not fo, as to leave any Creature in the Perfuafion, that by his own Power and Will he can return to GOD, or that Almighty Grace waits upon him for his Acceptance of it. This would be a dangerous Error ; becaufe it tends to obfcure the Agency of the Holy Spirit, without whom, not only Sinners in general, but the greateft and the oldeft Believers upon Earth, can do nothing. And there is this further Blafphemy in the Opinion : It re- prefents Man, fo far as the Principle goes, independent of GOD ; and defcribes the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Grace as bending to the corrupt and uncertain Affec- tions of a helpiefs Creature. Either way; fuch an Opinion, or Conduf formed upon it, will find eventu- * V. P. U 3 ally
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