o8 The Danger of Impenitence Vol. II, the Neceffty ofIrrefiftible Grace to the Converfionof every Man, it is evident, that Tyre and Sidon neither could, nor would have repented, withoutan irrefr4i- ble degree of God's Grace,accompanying the outward Means ofRepentance which heafforded to them ; becaufe filch a degree of Grace is neceffary to Repentance, and without it, it is impofiible for any Man to repent. But then it is as plain on the contrary, that if Chorazin and Bethfaida had had the fame irrefftible de- gree of God "s Grace, together with the outward Means of Repentance afforded to them, that they would have repented as certainly as Tyre and Sidon. Where then i; the reafon of upbraiding the Impenitence of the one, more than of the other ? Where the Aggravation of the one's Guilt above the other ? Where the Juflice of punifhing the Impenitence of Chorazin and Bethfaida, more than theirs of Tyre and Sidon ? For upon this Suppofition, they mutt either bave re- pented both alike, or have been both equally Impenitent. The Sum of what I have Paid, is this, That if no Man does, nor can repent, without Inch a degreeof Gods Grace as cannot be refifted, no Man's Repentance is commendable, nor is one Man's Impenitence more blameable than anothers ; Chorazin and Bethfaida can be inno more fault for continuing Impenitent, than TyreandSidon were. For either this irrefiftible Grace is afforded toMen or not : if it be, their Repentance is neceffary, and they cannot help. it ; if it be not, their Repentance is impoffible, and confequently their Impenitence is neceffary, and they cannot help it neither. V. I obferve from the main fcope of our Saviour's Difcourfe, That the Sins and Impenitenceof Men receive their Aggravation, and confequently (hall have their Punishment proportionable to the Opportunities and Means of Repentance, which thofe Perlons haveenjoyed and negle&ed. For what is here faidofMiracles,, is byequality of R.eafon likewife trueof all other Advantages and Meansof Repentance and Salvation. The Reafon whyMi- racles will be fuch an Aggravation of the Condemnation of Men is, becaufe they are foproper and powerful a Means to convince themof the Truth and Divinity of that Do&rine which calls them to Repentance. So that all thofe Meanswhich God affords to us, of the Knowledgeof our Duty, of Conviction of the Evil and Dangerof a finful Courte, are fo many Helps and Motives to Repentance, and con- fequentlywill prove fo many Aggravations of our Sinand Punishment, if we con- tinue impenitent. The VI. And laß Obfervation, and which naturally follows from the former, is this, That the Cafe of thofe who are impenitent under the Gofpel, is of all o- thers the moil dangerous, and their Damnation shall be heavieft and moil f vere. And this brings the Cafe of thefe Cities here in the Text home to our felves. For in truth there is no material difference between theCafe ofChorazin and Beth- faida and Capernaum, and of our felves. in this City and Nation, who enjoy the clear Light of the Gofpel, withall the freedom, and all the Advantages that any People ever did. TheMercies ofGod to this Nation have been very great, efpe- daily in bringing us out of that Darknefs and Superftition, which covered this Weftern part of the World; in refcuing us from that greatCorruption and Dege- neracy of the ChriftianReligion which prevailed among us, by fo early and fo re- gular a Reformation; and in continuing fo long this great Meiling to us. The Judgments of God have been likewife very great upon us for our Sins: God bath manifefled himfelfby terrible things in righteoufnefr; our Eyes have Peen many and difmal Calamities in the fpace ofa few years, which call loudly upon us to repent and turn to God. God bath afforded us the moll effe&ual Means of Repentance, and bath taken the most effe&ualCourfe of bringingus to it. And thoour Bleffed Saviour donot fpeakto us in Perlon, nor do we at this day fee Miracles wrought among us, as the yews did; yet we have the Do&rive which our Bleffed Saviour preach'd, faithfully tranfmitted to us, and a credible Relation of the Miracles wrought for the Confirmation of that Do&rine, and manyother Arguments to perfwade us of the Truthofit, which thofe to whom our Saviour fpake had not, norcould not then have, taken from theaccomplifhing of our Saviour's Predi- ¿fions, after his Death ; the fpeedy Propagation and wonderful Succefs of this Do&rine in the World, by weak and inconfiderable Means, againft all the Power and Oppofition of theWorld ; the DeIru&ion of yerufalern, and the Difperfion of
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