some space: try us once more, Lord; and we will reform our sinful lives, and perform neglected duties: never more will we return to folly." And are not these resolutions and promises evident convictions, that you thought you had power to do what you thus resolved to do? Who is there, but hath, some time or other, under some trouble and affliction, taken up such resolutions of obedience as these? And, certainly, you dare not so much mock God, and dally with your own consciences under such convictions, as to make such promises, but that you think you can perform what you promise.

And that is one argument.

(2) Did you never, in your whole lives perform a duty to

God?

Did you never pray to him? Is there any one so desperately profane, so utterly lost as to any shews and appearances of goodness, as not to have prayed or performed one duty unto God in his whole life? To what end have you prayed and performed these duties, that you have done? Was it not for salvation? And did you work for salvation, and at the same time believe you could not work? No: it is impossible, that ever any man's practice should maintain such a contradiction. Whatever men's opinions are, yet their works shew that they think they have power: for, something must be done, though it be but formally; though but a slight, cold, heartless, "Lord, have mercy on me!" or a customary," Lord, forgive me:" yet something conscience requires; and this men reckon and account the working out of salvation.

(3) Wherefore is it, that you trust to and rely upon your works, if indeed you think you have no power to work out your own salvation by them?

Would it be so hard and difficult to take men off from leaning too much upon their works, if they did not believe they had a power to work out their own salvation by them? Men do арprehend some worth, some value and sufficiency, in what themselves do in order to eternity. For, bid them forego and renounce their own works, their own righteousness, this is a hard saying; and they can as easily renounce and forego all hopes of happiness and salvation, as renounce their own works. Now, whence is it, that men are so difficultly brought unto the renouncing their own works? It is because, by them, they hope to obtain salvation. And can there be such a principle in men, and they yet at the same time believe and think that they cannot

work out their own salvation? It is very evident, therefore, whatever notions men may take up, to stop the mouth of a clamorous conscience when it calls them to working and labouring, that yet they do not themselves believe what they say concerning their impotency, but do really think they have a power to work out their own salvation.

(4) When the Spirit of God hath been dealing with your hearts and consciences, when it hath been persuading you to enter upon a course of obedience, did you never procrastinate and use delays?

Did you never stifle the breathings and resist the motions of the Holy Spirit, thinking it time enough to do what it puts you upon hereafter? "What need I begin so soon to vex flesh and blood? What! deny the pleasures of my life, as soon as I come to relish and taste them! When sickness and gray hairs admonish me, and tell me I am near eternity; when old age promiseth me, that the severity and strictness of religion shall not last long to trouble me; then, will I repent and believe, and work out my own salvation." Speak truly, and deal plainly with your own consciences: have not these been the foolish reasonings of your own hearts? have you not often thus promised God and your own consciences? and doth not all this imply, that you thought you had a power to do it? why did you delay and put it off, if you thought you had no power to do it at last? Wherefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whoever thou art that wilt not work: it is in vain to plead thou wantest power: God will confute thee by thyself, and out of thy own mouth. What! wilt thou say, thou hadst no power? why thou thoughtest that thou hadst power, and yet wouldst not work, nor endeavour so to do; and therefore thy ruin, if thou perishest, is as wilful, and thy condemnation will be as just, as if thou hadst power and wouldest not work.

And this is the Fourth Answer to this objection: men do really believe that they have power to work, and therefore they are inexcusable if they will not endeavour to put it forth.

Answ. 5. Men will not plead so foolishly; no, not in matters of far lower concernment, than the salvation of their souls is.

Would a master, when he commands his servant to work, take this as a sufficient excuse for his sloth and idleness, that he hath no power to work, till God acts and moves him? Why this is a truth, that he cannot do it unless God enable him; and, it may as well be objected by your servants to you, and with more rea

son too, than by you unto God. Pray tell me, what power have I to speak one word, or you to hear one word more, unless God concurs to it? nay, we are not sufficient to think as of ourselves: yet we do not make this an excuse to forbear those actions, that are necessary. Do we therefore resolve to do nothing, because it is impossible for us to do any thing unless God concur? What stupid and dull folly is this! No: but we put it plainly and hourly to the trial: and never could any one produce that man, that could ever say, God was wanting to him in his concurrence, when he would have done an action. What a miserable ridiculous task would it be, if, in every action of our lives wherein we can do nothing without God, we should still be questioning God's concurrence with us! When you sit, do you dispute whether God will enable you to arise? when you walk, do you, every step you take, question whether God will concur to another step? no men put these things to the trial: and, though it be impossible that they should live, move, or stir, till God act and move them; yet this hinders not men's endeavours, no nor is it any matter of discouragement to them. Now why should we not do so in spirituals, as well as in temporals? are they not of greater concernment? do they not more deserve the trial? It is true, we can do nothing without God's concurrence; yet, let us put it to the trial, whether or no God will not concur when we endeavour. Certainly, that man must be for ever nameless that can say, he was truly willing and did sincerely endeavour to do any good thing, and God did not enable him.

Answ. 6. Although wicked men had power to work out their salvation, yet they would never do it and therefore it is a vain and most unreasonable pretence for sloth, to plead want of power; for, had wicked men power, they would never obey. "But how can any one tell that? What! not obey, if we had power!" No: and the reason is this: because there is no wicked man in the world, that hath done so much, or that doth so much, as he is able to do; no, not so much as he is able to do without special grace and assistance: and, therefore, it is not inability, but wilful sloth, that destroys men. Sinners, ask your own consciences these questions: Was there not one duty more that you could have performed? was there not one temptation, nor one corruption more, that you could have resisted? could you not have prayed, and read, and heard, and meditated more upon heavenly things; even then, when your hearts and thoughts

have been vain and worldly, yea sinful and devilish? might not that time have been spent in holy converse, that you have trifled away in idleness and in doing nothing, or that which is worse than nothing? What force, or restraint, is laid upon you? Is there any violence used to you? Can you not think? and, if you can, can you not think of God; as well as of the things of the world, or upon your lusts? Can you not speak? and, if you can, can you not speak of God, of heaven, and the concernments of another life; as well as of your trade, and bargainings, and other trivial matters, which are below a man, much more below a Christian? What force is there put upon sinners? doth the Devil screw open the drunkard's mouth; and pour down his intemperate cups, whether he will or no? doth the Devil violently move the black tongue of the blasphemer and swearer, to rend and tear the holy name of God, by horrid oaths and blasphemies? doth the Devil strike men dumb, when they should pray; or deaf, when they should hear; or senseless, when they should understand and ponder? Is there any such force or violence used unto any? Can you not avoid the one, and can you not do the other, if you will? You can: but, you will not; and therefore neither would you work out your own salvation, if you could do it. Is there any hope, that you would ever willingly do the greater, who will not do the less? Let your impotency and weakness be what it will, your damnation lies not upon it, but upon your wilfulness, so long as your wilfulness is greater than your weakness. No, it is not upon your impotency, that your precious and immortal souls perish eternally; but it is only for lack of a will, to pity them, and to save them. Sinners! wherefore then will you perish? why will you sleep away your souls into hell? will you go on drowsily to destruction? shall your souls be ready to burn as a brand in unquenchable fire, and will you not stretch forth your hand to snatch it out? is it more painful for you to work, than to be damned? Endeavour, therefore, to do what you can: labour and sweat at salvation, rather than fail of it: let it not grate and fret your consciences in hell, that you lie there for a wilful neglect.

"But, should I labour, should I endeavour, should I work to my utmost, should I do all that I am able to do, I cannot work grace in myself by all this: to what purpose, then, should I work ?"

However, try God in this particular. Did you ever know any, who thus laboured and thus wrought, that did not give

very good evidence of a work of grace wrought upon their hearts? And why then should you suspect that you should be the first? What reason have you to think, that God should make you the first example of a soul, that did endeavour, strive, and work for salvation, and yet came short of it; when you never either heard or read of any, that put forth themselves to the utmost for the obtaining of grace, and yet fell short of grace or glory?

Thus, in these Six Particulars put together, you have a full and an abundant answer and satisfaction to this Objection, concerning our Impotency to work out our own Salvation.

OBJECT. ii. Another Objection against this doctrine is this: "Thus to press men to obedience and working, is prejudicial and derogatory unto Christ's merits; by which alone we are saved, and not by our own works. Hath not Christ already done all for us? Hath he not finished and wrought out our salvation himself? And is not this, to render his work as insufficient, to go and piece it out by our obedience? Is not this, to set up our works as Antichrist, in flat opposition and defiance to the gracious undertaking and perfect accomplishment of Jesus Christ; when all, that we have now to do, is to believe in him, and to get a right and title to him and saving interest in him?”

To this I answer: The merit of Jesus Christ, and our working, are not inconsistent; but there is a sweet harmony and agreement betwixt them, in carrying on the work of our salvation.

And, to make this evident, I shall lay down the due bounds and limits of each of them; that so it may appear, what Christ hath done for us, and what he expects we should do for ourselves.

Christ, therefore, hath done Two things, in order to the carrying on of our salvation.

He hath purchased and procured Eternal Happiness, to be conferred upon us hereafter.

He hath merited Grace, to be conferred upon us here to prepare us for that happiness.

1. He hath purchased Happiness and Eternal Life, for all that do believe in him. I give unto them eternal life, says he