The Nature and Nece_ffity . Vo1 I. ftrongly byaffed againft them. For a Man that bath this prejudice upon his Un- derftanding, and this byafs upon his Will, it is to all intents and purpofes as if he were deftituteof thefe Faculties. But thenwe are not to underftand this Itn- potency to be abfolutely natural, but accidental; not tobe in the firft Frame and Confutation of our Souls, but to have hapned upon the depravationof Nature. It is not awant of natural Faculties, butthe bindingof them up and hindring their Operations to certain purpofes. This Impotency proceeds from the Power of evil Habits. And thus the Scripture expreffeth it, and comparesan Impotency arifing from bad Habits andCuftoms to a natural Impoffibility; nothing coming nearer to Nature, than a powerful Cuftom. Can the Ethiopian change his Skin, or the Leopard his Spots? Then may ye alto, that are accufiomed to do evil, learn to domelt. But now God by the Gofpel bath defigned the Recovery of Mankind from the flavery ofSin, and the Power of their Lufts ; and therefore, as by the death of Chrift he hath provided a way to remove the guilt of Sin, fo by the Spirit of Chrift he furnifheth us with fufficient Power to deftroy the Dominion of Sin. I fay fofficient, if we be not wanting to our felves, but be workers together with Ord, and be as diligent to work ont our own falvation, as he is ready to work in us both to willand to do. So that when we perfwademen to repent and change their Lives, and to refolve upon a better Courfe, we do not exhort them to any thing that is abfolutely out of their Power, but to what they may do; tho' not of themfelves, yet by the Grace of God, which is always ready to affift them, unlefs by their former grofs neglects and long obftinacy in an evil Courfe, they haveprovoked God to with- draw his Grace from them. So that tho' confidering our own ftrength ahftc &- edly, and feparately from the Grace of God, thefe thingsbe not in our Power ; yet the Grace of God puts them into out Power. And this is fo far from derogating from the Grace of God, that it ishighly to the Praife of it. For if theGrace ofGodmakes us able torepent and refolve upon a newLife, be that afferts this does not attribute his Repentance to himfelf, but to the Grace of God: nay he that fays that God's Grace excites, and is ready to affift men to do what God commands, reprefents God immenfely more good and gracious, than he that fays that God commands men todo that which by their natural Power they cannot do, and will condemn them for not doing it, and yet denies them that Grace which is necefï'ary to the doingof it. Let this then be eftablith'd as a neceflary Confideration to prevent difcourage- ment, that to refolve upon the changeof our Lives, is that which by the Grace of God we are enabled to if we with Refolution is no ftrange and extraor- dinary thing; it is one of the moft common Aets that belongs to us as we are men ; but we do not ordinarily apply it to the belt purpofes. It is not fo ordi- nary for men to refolve to be good, as to berich andgreat; not fo common for men to refolve againftSin, as to refolve againft Poverty and Suffering. It is not fo ufual for men to refolve to keep a good Confcience, as to keep a good Place. Indeed ourcorrupt Nature is much more oppofite to this holy kind of Refolution. But then to balance and anfwer this, God bath promifed greater and more im- mediate afliftance to us in this cafe than in any other. There is a general blef- fing andcommon affïftance promifed to Refolution and Diligenceabout temporal things , and God's Providencedoth often advance fuch Perfons to riches and ho- nour. The diligent hand, with God's blefìng, makes rich, as Solomon tells us, Prov. TO. 4. and 22. 19. Seeft thou (fays he) a Man diligent in bufneft ? He fhall (land before Princes, he frail notfand before mean Perfons. Now diligence is the effeIt ofa great and vigorous Refolution. But there is a fpecial andextrordinary blotting and afüftance, that attends the Refolution and Endeavour of a holy Life. God bath not promifed to firengthen men with all might in the way to Riches and Honours, and to affift the ambitious and covetous defigners of this World, with a mighty and glorious Power, fuch as railed up jefus from the Dead : but this he bath promifed to thofe, who with a firm Purpofe and Refolution do engage in the ways of Religion. Let us then flakeoff our (lothand liftlefnefs, and in that ftrength
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