444. e Sins of Mennot chargable upon God ; Vol. I, teed to habits; for this could not be, if we did not after we come to are able to difcern between, and to chofe good and evils voluntarily coñfent to Iniquity, and by wilful and deliberate Pra&ice of known Sins, improve the evil inclinations of our Nature into vicious habits : but if inftead of mortifying and fubduing the evil propenftons of our Nature (which is no very difficult work tomolt perfons, if they begin it betimes ) we will cherifh and give new Life and Power to them, we forfeit the Grace which we received in Baptifm, and bring our (elves again under the Power and Dominion of Sin; and no wonder then, if our Lufts feduce us, and make us ready to comply with the temptations of the World and the Devil. Nay, and after this it is HI our own fault, if we do not mortify our Lulls 3 for if we would hearken to the Counfel of God, and obey his Calls to Repen- tance, and fincerely beg his Grace and Holy Spirit to this purpofe, we might yet recover our felves, and by the Spirit mortify the Lull, of the Flelh ; for thewe have left God, he hath not quite forfaken us, but is ready to afford his Grace again to us, tho' we have neglected and abufed it, and togive his Holy Spirit to thofe that ask him, tho' they have forfeited it; fo that tho' our Lufts fpring from fomething which isNatural, yet that they live and have dominion overus, is voluntary, becaufe we might Remedy it if we would, and make ufe of thofe Means which God in the Gofpel offers to us. Secondly God bath put it in our power to refift thefe temptations, and overcome them; fo that it is our own fault, if we yield to them, and beovercome by them. It is naturally in our power to refift many forts of temptations ; and the grace of God, if we do not negle& it, and be not wanting to our (elves, puts it into our power to refift any temptation that may happen to us. Firff, Iris naturally in our power to refift many forts of temptations. If we do but make ufe of our Natural Reafon, and thofe Confiderations which are com- mon and obvious to Men, we may eafily refit( the temptations to a great many Sins. Some Sins are fo horrid in their Nature that when we have the ftrongett temptations to them, we cannot but have a natural averfion from them; as deli- berate Murder, the danger and guilt whereof, are both fo great, as make it eafy for anyconfiderate Man to refit the ftrongeft temptation to it, even that of re- venge. A plainaa of injuftice, whether by great fraud, or by downright opprefiion, is fo bafe and difgraceful, fo odious and abhorred by humane Nature, that it is not difficult to a Man that hath but a commonunderftanding, and commòn in- clination to be hone((, to overcome the greateft temptation of gain and advan- tage nay he muft offer considerable violence to hisNature andKeafon, to bring himfelf to it at firft. Prophanenefs and contempt of God and Religion is fo monftrous a fault, and of fo dreadful an appearance, that every Man that will but ufe his Reafon, can have no temptation to it, either from gratifying his hu- mour or pleating his Company, or [hewing his wit, that can be of equal force with the Arguments which everyMan's Mind and Confcience is apt to fuggeft to him againft it. Nay, there are many Sins much inferiour to thefe, the temptations whereto may by the ordinary Reafons and Confiderations of prudçnce and intereft, be baffled and put out of Countenance. To inftance in common Swearing, to which I think there is no temptation, eitherfrom pleafure or advantage, but only from fafhion and cu(tom. Now this temptation is eafle to be cone/ner'd, by con- fidering that every Man that profelfeth to believe the Bible, muff acknowledge it to be a Sin ; and if any Man be convinc'd that it is a Sin, I dare undertake to convince him that he can leave it. He that can chufe at any time whether he will Speak or not (which it is certainly in everyMan's power to do) can chufe whether he will Swear when he fpeaks. If he fays he does it by cuffom and ha- bit, and when he does not think of it; a very little Care and Refolution will in a fhort time cure any Man of that Cuftom ; fo that it is naturally in every Man's power to break off' this Sin. Secondly, TheGrace ofGod puts itinto our power, if we do not negle& it, and benot wanting to our felves, to refift any temptationthatmay happen to us; and what
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