Seflln, LXXV. ivifer than the Children of Light., 56" we are not yet fo degenerate, but if we would fet our felves ferioufly to it, and earneflÿ beg:the Aflitlance of God's Grace, we might come to know our Duty; and our Wills might be engaged to follow the dire&ions of our Underflandings and our Affections to obey theCommand of our Wills, and our A&ions to follow, the Impulfe of our Affe&ions. Much of this is naturally in our Power ; and what is wanting, the Grace of God is ready to fupply. We can go to Church, and we can hear the Word of God, and we can confider what we hear, we can pray to God, and fay we believe, Lord help our unbelief, and enable pus to do what thou requirefl of us ; and we can forbear a great many Sins, which we rafhly and wilfully run into ; a great prefent Danger will fright us from Sin, a terrible Storm will drive us to our Devotion, and teachus to pray ; a Tharp fit of the Gout, will take a Man off from drinking ; the Eye of a Mailer or Magilrate will reflrain Men from many things, which they fay they cannot forbear. So that we do but counterfeit, and make our felves more Cripples than we are, that we may be pitied ; for if Fear will refirain us, it is a figs that we can for- bear if the Rodof AfiFfion willfetch it out of us, and make us do that, which at other times we fay we.are unable to do, this is a demonfiration that it is in us, and that the thing is in our Power. It is true, we can do nothing that is good without the Afìïflance of God's Grace : but that Aflifance which we may have for the asking, is in effed in our own Power. So that if the matter were fearched to the bottom, it is not want Of Power that hinders us from doing our Duty ; but Sloth and Negligence ; for God bath given us exceeding great andprecious Promifes, whereby we may be made Partakers of a Divine Nature ; and by Virtue whereof, if we be not wanting to our felves, we may cleanfe our felves from all ftlthinefs of Flefh andSpirit, and perfect Holinefs in the Fear of God. ;dly and laffly, What a Shame and Reproach is this to the Children of Light! Our Saviour fpeaks this by way of upbraiding, as we may judge by the terms of comparifon which he ufeth, that the Children of this World Mould be wifer than the Children of bight, that is, than Wifdom's own Children ; and that they fhould be wifer in their Generation, that is, for the concernments of a fhort and inconfderable time, than the others are for all Eternity. How fhould it make our Blood to rife in our Faces, and fill us with Confufion, that the Men of this World fhould be more prudent and skilful in the contrivance and management of their little Affairs, more refolute and vigorous in the profe- cution of them ; than we are about the Everlaíling Concernments ofour Souls ! That a worldly Church fhould ufe wifer and more effe&ual Means to promote and uphold Ignorance, and Error, and Superflition ; than five do to build sip the true Church of Chrifl in Knowledge and Faith and Charity ! That the Men of the World fhould toil and take more Pains for the deceitful Riches ; than we do for the true; and be contented to hazard more for a Corruptible Crown, than we for an incorruptible l That they fhould love Pleafure more, than we do God, and mind their Bodies and Temporal Eflates more, than we do our Souls and our Eternal Happinefs ! Do but obferve the Menof the World, what a Pace they go, what large ind nimble Steps they take in the purfuit of Earthly Things ; do not feels Riches,as if theyfought them not, and love the World as if they loved it not, and enjoy the prefent Delights of this World, as if they po Jfed them not ; tlio' the Albion of this World pe/feth away : but we feek Heaven, as if wé fought it not, and love God as if we lovedhim not, and mind Eternity and the World to come, as if we mindedthem not ; and yet the Fafbion of that World loth not paf away. But to all this it may be Paid, you have already told us, that the Childì-eiï /f this World have fo many advantages above the Children of Light, that it is,po wonder if they excel and out-Grip them ; and it is very true, that in many fpecls they have the Advantage of them. But if the Children óf Light vciifd look about them, and take all things into confideration, they might fee fonie- thing very confiderable to balance the Advantages on the other fide. It is frtié ' the things of this World are prefënt and fenfible : but fb long as we have fu ficient Aflûrance
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