284 .Religion, our fìrfl and great Concernment. Vol, And this difficulty is chiefly in our felves, but greatly increafed by temptation and oppoftion fromwithout: Chiefly, I fay, in our felves, from the ftrong Biais of our evil and corrupt Inclinations, and the ftrong Power of vicious Ha- bits and Cuftoms, which when they are grown inveterate, do tyrannize over us, and make us perfe& Slaves, and lead us captive at their pleafure ; fo that our Na- ture muff be quite chang'd, and as the Apoftle expreffeth it, we muff be renewed in the Spirit ofour Minds, our Souls mutt be new moulded and fafhioned, we mutt be, as it were, created, and born again, before we can enter into the Kingdom of God. In this our Saviour is pofitive and peremptory, yob. 3. 33. Verily, ve- rily, I fay unto you, Except aman be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. This Difficulty indeed is greateft at firft, but it is confiderable afterwards, 'till a thorow Change be made, and new Inclinations planted in us, and the contrary Habits of Grace and Virtue be fuper-induced. And that which increafeth the Difficulty is outward Temptationand Oppofition from the World, and the Devil; which to withftand and refift, requires great Courage and Refolution, great Watchfulnefs and Guard over our felves. But yet for our Comfort, thefe Difficulties are not infuperable to that Grace and Aflìftance, whichGod is always ready to afford to us upon fo good an Occafion, and to fo good a Purpofe ; greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the World. And this, I am Cure is Matter of great Incouragement to us, that rho' the Difficulty of working out our Salvation be great, yet if we do in good Barnett fet about it, God is ready to affì.tt and fecond our fincere Endeavours, towork in us both to will and to do of his owngoodnefs, and fo to prevent us with his gracious Favour, and tofurther us with his continual Aid, that finally by his Mercy we may obtain Eternal Life. Thirdly, Another powerful Argument toCare and Diligence, is the fatal dan- ger of Mifcarriage in a Matter offo great Concernment. Wemay domany things in Religion, and take forcePains to get to Heaven, and yet fall fhort of it. The rich Young Man in the Gofpel, our Saviour tells us, was notfar from the King- domof God, and he broke with our Saviour only upon one Point, he was, too much addi&ed to the World, and loth to part with his great Poffeftions, and di- ffribute them in Charity to the Poor, and thereupon he left our Saviour, and for any thing that we find, never returned to himagain. If the World govern and bear fway in our Hearts, if we mind Earthly things firft, and make thefeour chief Care and Defign, the Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs !hall not be added untoses; if we will not mind them in thefrrfl place, they are too good ro be Acceffaries. And if upon anyone Point, wemifcarry, either out of love to the World, or affefion toany other Luft or Vice that we are loath to part withal, our Mifcar- riage is fatal, and the Ruin which we bring upon our felves irreparable; for the Soul once loft, is loft for ever. If wehave negle&ed the opportunity of working out'órtr own Salvation, while we are in this World, it will never return into our Power again, Death will Phut the Door againft us, and we !hall never fee the KingdomofGod. Fourthly, It is a-mighty Encouragement to us to confider, that if we fincerely feek sheKingdom ofGod, and his Righteoufnefs, there is not only a fair Probabi- lity of obtaining -them, but all the Security we can defire. Menmay be in good earneft for the things of this World, may love them with all their Hearts and Sottls(aswe fee too"many do) and feek them with all their might and ftrength, and yet after all their Endeavours may be fhamefully fruftrated and difappointed of their End. There are manyExamples,of this kind daily before our Eyes, and yet Men are not difcouraged from fecking,thefe things. A fair Probability, nay, aftnüibia,Poffibility of attaining them, is enough to a Worldly-minded Man to dtttdgeand toil for them. Why the fame Affe&ion, the fame Zeal, the fame iìtWeiiied 'Endeavour toferve God, and to fave our Souls, would infallibly bring,its tot-leaven. It was a fad, but true Saying of Cardinal Wolfey, when he was-leaving the World, Had I been but as careful to pleafe God, as I have " been
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=