The Neceffity of Vol. II- general, or any particular Sin or Vice ; and fo often as we perfwade toHolinefs in general, or to thePerformance of any particular Duty ofReligion, or to the Exercife of any particular Grace ; for Repentance includes the forfaking of Sin, and a fincere Refolution and Endeavour of Reformation and Obedience. And we preach Repentance fo often as we infift upon fuch Confidérations and Argu- ments, as may be powerful to deter Men fromSin, and to engage them to Holi- nefs. And we preach Faith towards oar Lord yefus Chrif1, fooften as we declare theGrounds of the Chriftian Religion, and infift upon fuch Arguments as tend to make it credible, and are proper to convince Men of the Truth and Reafonable- nefs of it ; fo often as weexplain the Myftery ofChri(t's Incarnation, the Hiftory of his Life, Death, Refurre&ion, Afcenfion, and Intercefüon, and the proper Ends and Ufe of thefe ; fo often as weopen the Method of God's Grace for the Salvation ofSinners, the Nature ofthe Covenant between God and its and the Conditions ofit, and the way how a Sinner is juftified and bath his Sins pardo- ned, the Nature and Neceffity of Regeneration and San&ification ; fo often as we explainthe Precepts ofthe Gofpel, and the Promifes and Threatnings of it, and endeavour to convince Menof the Equity ofChritt's Commands, and to af- fure them of the Certaintyof the Eternal Happinefs which the Gofpel promifes to them thatobey it, and of the Eternal Mifery which the Gofpel threatens to thofe that are difobedient ; all this is preachingFaith in our Lord 7efus Chrift. III. This may corre& the irregular Humour and Itch in manyPeople, who are not contented with thisplain andwholefom Food, but nmft be gratified with fub- lime Notionsand unintelligibleMyfteries, with pleafant Paffages of Wit, and ar- tificial Strains of Rhetorick, with nice and unprofitable Difputes, with bold In- terpretations of dark Prophecies, and peremptory Determinations of what will happen next Year, and a pun&ual Rating of the time when Anti-Chrifi [hall be thrown down, andBabylon (hall fall, and who (hall be employed in this Work. Or if theirhumour lies another way, you muff apply your felf to it, by making (harp Refle&ions upon matters in prefent conttoverfieand debate, you mull dip your Stile in Gall and Vinegar, andbe all Satyr and Inve&ive againft thofe that differ from you, and teach People to hate one another, and to fall together by the ears ; and thisMen call Gofpel preaching, andfpeaking ofSeafonable Truths. Surely St. Paul was a Gofpel Preacher, and fuch an one as may be a Pattern to all others ; and yet hedid none of thefe; hepreached what Men might underfland, and what they ought to believe and pra&ife, in a plain andunaffe&ed and con- vincing manner; he taught fuch things as madefor Peace, and whereby he might edi- fie and build up Men in their Holy Faith. The Do&rines that he preached will ne- ver be unfeafonable, that Men (hould leave their Sins, and believethe Gofpel, and live accordingly. And ifMen mull needs be gratified with Difputes and Controverfies, there are thefe great Controverfies between God and the Sinner to be (fated and determi- ned ; Whether this be Religion, to follow our ownLufts and Inclinations, or to endeavour to be like God, and to beconformed to him, inGoodnefs, and Mercy, and Righteoufnefs, and Truth, and Faithfulnefs ? Whether Jefus Chrift be not the MeffiasandSaviour of theWorld? Whether Faith and Repentance and fin- cere Obedience be not the Ternis of Salvation, and the neceffary Conditions of Happinefs ? Whether there (ball be a future Judgment, when all Men (hall be fentenc'd according to their Works? Whether there be a Heaven and Hell ? Whether good Men (hall be eternally and unfpeakably happy, and wicked Men extremely and everlaflingly miferable? Thefe are the great Controverfies of Religion, upon which we are to difpute on God's behalf againft Sinners. God afferts, and Sinners deny thefe things, not in Words, but which is more em- phatical and fignificant, in their Lives and A&ions. Thefe are pra&ical Contro- verfies ofFaith, and it concerns every Man to be refolved and determined about them, that he may frame his Life accordingly. And fo forRepentance ; God Pays, Repentance is a forfaking of Sin, and a tho- row change and amendment of Life; the Sinner fays, that it is only a formal Confefüon, and a flight asking of God forgivenefs : God calls upon us fpeedi- ly
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