Serr.CX -3X.- in order to a Chriflian Life. afhft .them to all good Purpofes; is -ftronger than that evil Spirit which is in the world, andgoes, about like a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour. Fourthly,. This fùpernatural grace and affiftance does not exclude, but fuppofe the concurrenceof ourown Endeavours. TheGrace ofGod does not do all, without any concurrenceon our part. It ftrengthens and afifts us ; but does not produce the whole effe&,, without any a&ivity or endeavour ofours. Whenour Saviour fays, Without rile,ye can do nothing, he does imply, that by the affiftance of Grace, we may perform all the duties of the Chriftian Life, we may bear fruit, and bring forthmuch fruit. And to keep to the Metaphor in the Text, thebran -. ches of a Vine are not meetly paflìve, but contribute their part to the produétion ofFruit, though they derive continual fuppiies of fap and virtue from the Vine. When the Apoftle fays, I can do all things through Chri/f flrengthningof me, he does not think it a difparagement to the grace of Chrift, to fay he could do all things by theaffiftance of it. Heacknowledgeth his own impotency and weaknefs, and glories in the ftrength and affiftance of Chrift. But an acknowledgment of impotency does not excludeendeavour; for impotency does not lignifie an utter want ,ofpower, bat the weaknefs and infufficiency of it, that it is difproportioned to the work and duty requir'd. So that tho' weare not fufficient of our felves for any thing that is good; yet being aflifted by God, we may co-operate with him to the killingof fin, to the cleanfingof our felvesfrom all filthinefs of flefb and fpi- rit,.and!to the perfeiling of holinefs in the fear of God. As the Apoftles were wórkers together withGod, in the falvation of others, 2 Cor. 6. r I. We then, as workers together with God, befeechyou, that ye receive not thegrace ofGod in vain; I fay, as they wereworkers together with God in the falvation of others, fo may webe faid to be, in working out our own falvation, nay, we are commanded to be fo, Phil. 2. 12, 13. Work out your ownfalvation with fear and trembling : for it is Gad that worketh in you both to will and to do. So that God's preventing and af- filling Grace, his working in us both to will and to do, is fo far from excluding our endeavours, that it is ufed by the Apoftle as a ftrong reafon and argument to the contrary, Work out your own falvation: for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do, ofhis own good pleafure. And if this were not fo, all the exhor- tations of Scripture were to no purpofe, our preaching were vain, and your hear- ing vain: for nothing can be vainer, than to perfuade Men to do their duty, if this be true, that God does all, and we donothing. Fifthly and Wily, This Grace and Aflìftance is derived tous from our union with Chrift. So foon as we believe in him, and heartily embrace his Do&rine, we are united to him ; and if we continue in this Faith, we abide in him, andhe in to; and by virtue of this union, the influences of his Grace, the aids and affi- iances of his Spirit are derived tous, toall thepurpofes ofholiyefs and obedience, to enable us to do the will of God, and patiently to continue in well-doing, and to preferve as to his.beavenly kingdom. There is no other myftery in this Union, than that which I have plainly told you, That it is effected by our becoming the Difciples of Chrift, and fincerely em_ bracing his Do&rine; that it is continued by our bringing forth the Fruits of Ho- linefs and Obedience:, By this webecome Branches of that true Vine ; and being fo, derive fap and virtue fromhim, thevital influences of his Grace andHolySpi- rit, to affift us in our Duty, and to make us to befruitful in everygood work, and to abound in all the fruits of righteoufnefs, which are by jefus Chrift to thepraife and theglory of God, But when I fay this Grace and Affiftance is derived to us fromour Union, I do not intend to exclude the neceflity of God's Grace and Holy Spirit to the conver- fion of a Sinner, and his firft planting into Chrift: but when we fay that Chri- ftians derive the influences of Grace and Afliftance from their union with Chrift, this fuppofeth them to be Chriftians already, and planted into Chrift, and that this likewife is the work ofGod's Grace. For if we cannot bring forth fruit, without theaid and affiftance ofhis Grace, much lefs without that could we be planted in- to him, and unitedwith him. T t 2 I !hall 323
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