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SERM. but in a Method fuitable to a reasonable and IV. free Nature.

So that the true Meaning of these disputed Paffages must be, that a Man cannot believe the Gospel, unless God by his holy Spirit dif poses and puts his Mind into a fit Temper seriously to weigh and examine the Evidence on which Christianity is built, and by Grace prepares his Heart to embrace it.

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BUT if this be neceffary, it may be asked, Why all Men should not be thus prepar'd ? The Rejection of Chrift's Religion is as penal as any Offence can be; for he that believeth not shall be damned (a). And if no Man cometh to our Saviour, and by Faith is made his Difciple, but fuch as are dif pofed and prepared by the inward Motions of the Holy Ghoft, does it not seem a very juft Conclufion, that God, who is no Respecter of Persons, can overlook none and leave them to be unprepared?

THIS Objection may be cleared up by obferving, that tho' God will infallibly do whatever is right and equitable, towards all his Creatures, yet many may not by his Grace

(a) St. Mark xvi. 16.

be

be effectually influenced to receive and be- SERM. lieve the Gofpel: The Reafon is, becaufe IV. they have their own Will ftill to govern them; and notwithstanding Life is offered to them, and placed within their Reach, they may however thruft it from them, and choose Death by refifting and quenching thofe gracious Impreffions, which would otherwise be available to Salvation. The Spirit will not, and is not bound to, ftrive always with Man; neither does he work in fo commanding a Manner, as to overpower the Perverse; and his merciful Condefcenfion in making repeated Tenders of Affiftance will abundantly vindicate his fevereft Refentments of the Refufal.

THE like may be urged in Relation to Repentance. This is reprefented to be the Gift of God, as well as Faith. Him, i. e. Jefus, fays St. Peter to the Jews, bath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give Repentance unto Ifrael (b). And in Meekness, fays St. Paul' to Timothy, inftruct thofe that oppose themfelves, if peradventure God will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth (c). But then these Texts must not be underfood

(b) Acts v. 31.

(c) 2 Tim. i 25.

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SERM. ftood in the utmoft Latitude to which the IV. Words may be extended. By God's giving Repentance is meant no more than his af fording Mankind Grace fufficient and other Means requifite to bring them thereto; by which, after all, many may be, and are, not brought to fo happy a Change.

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AND agreeably the Goodness of God is faid by the Apostle to lead them to Repentance, who were yet not actually prevailed on to repent; being fuch as after their Hardness and impenitent Hearts treasured up to themfelves Wrath against the Day of Wrath, and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God (d), as the neceffary previous Steps were taken by him towards the Conversion of those incorrigible Sinners, fo very properly may he be faid to give them Repentance by making them the Offer and yielding them all reasonable Affiftance to close with it, though he did not perform the whole Work for them, nor difcharge their Part together with his own. If the expected Reformation was not at last actually produced, this arose not from any Deficiency of Grace, God having wrought in them whatever was fufficient on his Side to fo defireable an Effect

(d) Rom. i. 4, 5.

Effect, had their own honeft Endeavours SERM, concurred with his gracious Energy: And IV.

that he fhould do more for wicked Men, whilft they will do nothing for themfelves, it must be the Height of Info lence to think and require.

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ALL needful Help and Support does God) likewife afford to Men proceeding in their Christian Obedience, in order to their fi nifhing it with Joy. He imparts more: Grace to thofe, who have made a good Ufe of what was before vouchfafed them; though from him that hath not, i. e. who improves not the Measure of Divine Aid which he has obtained, shall be taken away even that, which he bath (e). The Spirit quickens us to good Works, and the more we advance in them, the more we grow ins Grace and encourage him to fix his Abode. with us. To obtain this Mercy was the End of St. Paul's Prayer for the Philippians, That their Love might abound more and more in Knowledge and in all Judgment, that they might approve the Things that are ex-. cellent, being filled with the Fruits of Righte oufnefs (f). And the Ground of his Interceffion was, his being confident of this very..

Thing,

(e) St. Matth. xxv. 29.

(f) Philipp. i. 9, 10, 11.

SERM. Thing, that he, which had begun a good IV. Work in them would perform it until the Day of Jefus Chrift (g). He was perfuaded, that they and all other Chriftians might, if they would, fo run, as to win the Prize, which however was not to be obtrued upon them, without their moving one Step in the Race fet before them; and that God would with-hold nothing proper for him to do in order to fecure it to them, provided they ceafed not to push on with Vigour and perfifted in their Chriftian Courfe under his Divine Guidance.

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THIS is what the Supreme Difpofer of all Things pofitively demands in fome Degree or other from every one of us; we muft do our utmost at all Times and in all Circumftances; God therefore ties it down as an unalterable Rule for his Conduct towards Mankind, that the Servant which knew bis Lords Will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his Will, fhall be beaten with many Stripes. But he that knew it not fo perfectly as the other, and did commit Things worthy of Stripes, according to his Proportion of Knowledge, fhall be beaten with few Stripes (b). And the Reafon given by our Saviour

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