3o6 The Nature and Influence of the Vol. I. would think could not fail of its Efficacy upon us, to put all Temptations to Sin out of countenance, and to bear down before us all the Difficulties and Di(. couragements in the way of our Duty. And if this make no Impretfion upon us, if Heaven and Hell be of no weight with us, it will be in vain toufeany other Arguments, which in Comparifonof this, are but al the very fmall duff upon the balance. For if on the one hand the hopes of perfeft Comfort, and Joy, and Felicity, perpetual in duration, and vaft beyond all Imagination, fuch as eye bath notfeen, nor ear heard, nor hath entred into the heart of Man to conceive: And if on theother hand, the dread of the terrible Wrath ofGod, and of the Venge- ance of Eternal Fire, together with the infupportable Torments of a guilty Con- fcience, and the perpetual flingsof bitterremorfe and anguith for the wilful Fol- ly of our wicked Lives, and the rage of horrible Defpair of ever getting out of fo miferable a State ; If neither of thefe Confiderations, if both of them will tot prevail upon us to ceafe to be evil, and to refolve to be good, that we may obtain one of thefe Conditions, and may efcape the other ; there is nohope that any Words that can be ufed, any Arguments and Confederations that can be offered, thould work upon us, or take Place with us. He that is not to be tempted by fuch Hopes, nor to be terrified by fuch Fears, is Proof againft all the force ofPer- fwafion in the World. And thus I have done with the two Things which I propofed to confider frota thefe Words; the Nature of thefe Promifs, and the Influence they are apt, and ought to have upon us, to raite us to the Perxettion of Virtue and Goodnefs, which the Apoftle here calls our being .Partakersof a Divine Nature. All that now remains is, to make Come ufeful Reieetions upon what hath been difcourfed upon thefe twoHeads. Firfl of all, if we expeû the Blef ìngs and Benefits of thefe exceeding great and precious Promifes of the Gofpel, we mutt be careful to perform the Conditions which are indifpenlibly required on our Parts. It is a great Miftake, and of very pernicious Confquence to the Souls of Men, to imagine that the Gofpel is all Promifes on God's part, and that our part is only to believe them, and to rely upon God for the Performance of them, and to be very confident that he will make them good, tho' we do nothing elfe but only believe that he will do fo. That the Chriltian Religion is only a Declaration of God's Good Will to us, without any Expeftation ofDuty from us; this is an Error which one could hardly think could ever enter into any whohave the liberty to read the Bible, and do attend to what they read, and find there. The Three great Promifes of the Gofpel all arevery exprefly contain'd in our Saviours firft Sermon upon the Mount. There we find the Promife ofBleffednefs often repeated ; but never abfolutely made, but upon certain Conditions, and plainly requiredon our Parts; as Repentance, Humility, Righteoufnefs, Mercy, Peaceablenefs, Meeknefs, Patience. Forgivenefsof Sins is likewife promifed; but only to thofe that make a Penitent Acknowledgement of them, and ask Forgive- nefs for them, and are ready to grant that Forgivenefs to others, which they beg of God for themfelves. The Gift of God's Holy Spirit is likewife there promifed ; but it is upon Condition of our earneft and importunate Prayer to God. The Gofpel is every where full ofPrecepts, enjoyning Duty and Obedience on our Part, as well as of Promifes on God's Part, affuring Bleflings to us ; nay, ofter- rible Threatnings alfo if we difobey the Precepts of the Gofpel. St. Paid gives us the fum of the Gofpel in very few and plain Words, declaring upon what Terms we may expeft that Salvation which the Gofpel offers to all Men, Tit. 2. I I, 12, 13, 14. The grace of God which bringeth Salvation bath appeared to all Men ; teaching us, that denying Vngodlinefs and worldly Lulls, we /hould live foberly, and righteoufly, andgodly in this prefent World, lookingfor that bled hope, and the glo- rious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour lefts Chrf; Whogave himfelffor us, that he might redeem usfrom all Iniquity, and purify. to himfelf a peculiar People, zealous ofgood works. And then he adds, Thefe thingsfpeak and exhort, and re- buke'with all Authority; Intimating, that tho' Men were very averfe to this Do- äríne,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=