53o The Parable of the Vol. I, and by a due courfe of Confeflion and Abfolution, may quit fcores withGod for all their Sins from time to time. Or if they have negleáed all this, they may, after the moll flagitious courfe of Life, upon Attrition (that is, upon Come Trou- . ble for Sin, out of fear of Helland Damnation) joined with Confefflon and Abfo- lution, get to Heaven at laf ; provided the Prieft mean honeflly, and do not for want of Intention, deprive themofthe faving Benefit and Effeét of this Sacrament. But is it poffible Men can be deluded at this Rate ! as to think that Confidence of their own good Condition, and want of Charity to,others, will carry them to Heaven ? That any Church hath the Priviledge to fave impenitent Sinners ? And theyare really impenitent, who do not exercife fuch a Repentance, as the Go- fpel plainly requires ; and if Men dye in this (late, whatever Church they areof, the great Judge of the World hath told us, that he will not know them, but will bid them to depart from him, becaufe theyhave been Workers of Iniquity. 6thly, Others think that their Zeal for God and his true Religion will certain- ly fave them. But Zeal, if it be not according to Knowledge, if it be miftaken in its Objeêt, or be irregular and exceflive in the degree, is fo far from being aVir- tue, that it may be a great Sin and Fault ; and tho' it be for the Truth, yet if it be deftitute of Charity, and feparated from theVirtues ofa good Life, it will not avail, us. So St. Paul tells us, that tho' a Man jhall give his Body to k burnt ; yet if he have not Charity, it is nothing. 7thly, Others go a great way in the real Practice of Religion, and this fure will do the bufinefs. And it is very true, and certain in experience, that Religion may have a confiderable Awe and Influence upon Men's Hearts and Lives, and yet they may fall fhort of Happinefs. Men may in many confiderable Instances perform their Duty toGod and Man ; and yet the retaining of one Luft, the practice of any one known Sin, may hinder them from entring in at the firaight Gate. Herd did, not only hear John gladly, but didmany things in Obedience to his Dàtrine ; and yet he was a very bad Man. The Pharifee thankedGod (and it may be truly) that he was not likeotherMen, an extortioner, or unjufi, or an adulterer ; and yet the penitent Publican was juflifted before him. The young Man who came to our Sa- viour to know what he fhould do to enter into Life, and of whom our Saviour teflifies, that he was not far from the Kingdom of God, and that he wanted but one thing; yet for want of that he mifcarried. And St. James ail-tires us, that if a Man keep the whole Law, and yet fail in one point, he is guilty of all. If we be workers of Iniquity in any one kind Chrifl will difown us, and bid us depart from him., 8thly, Others rely upon the Sincerity of their Repentance and Converfion; whereby they are put into a Elate of Grace, from whence they can never finally fall. They did once very heartily repent of their wicked Lives, and did change their Courfe, and were really reformed, andcontinued a great while in that good Courfe. And all this may be certainly true but it is as certain that they are re- lapfed into their former evil Courfe : And if fo, the Prophet hath told us their Doom, that if the righteous Man forfake his Righteoufnefs, his Righteoufnefs (hall nit be remembred ; but in the Sin that he bath finned, in that /hall he die. So that a Righteous Man may turn from his Righteoufnefs, and commit Iniquity and dye: in it. For the Prophet doth not here (as fome vainly pretend) put a cafe, which is im- poffible in Fa&fhould happen, unlefs they will fay, that the other Cafe which he puts together with it, of the wicked Mans turning away from his wickednefs : anddo- ing thatwhich is lawful and right, is likewife impoffible, whichGod forbid. And that Men may fall from a flare of Grace is no matter of Difcouragement to good Men ; but a good caution againfl Security, and an Argument to greater Care and Watchfulnefs; according to that of the Apoflle, Let him that flandeth take heed Zell he fall ; which Admonition were finely to little purpofe, if it were impofii- ble for them that (land to fall. Laflly, Others venture all upon a Death-bed Repentance, and their Importu- nity with God to receive them to Mercy atfail. This indeed is only to feek and not to firive to enter in ; and thefe perhaps are they whom our Saviour reprefents asJZanding without, and knocking atthe door, flying, Lord, Lord, open unto us ; Oran St.
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