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"Strength (a)." Hear what it fays. The Flefb is weak (b): The Flesh lufteth against the Spirit (c): The carnal Mind is Enmity against God, and is not fubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be (d): And they that are in the Flefb, cannot pleafe God. So far from any fuch Power of turning to God, that we are not fufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves (e); and that, because the Im ginations of Man's Thoughts are only evil continually (f). And what, will you imagine that you are able to fubdue the Power which Sin hath in your Soul, and to put on a Purity of Heart which will make you every way fit to fee God; when he tells you fo exprefly, that you are infufficient to the very leaft Part of it, so much as to defire or even think of it?

OR if GOD'S Declarations do not convince: you, at least let your own Obfervations perfuade you. Have you ever known or heard of fo much as one in all Ages, that was re-turned to his Duty with a complete Victory over his evil Difpofitions warring within him? Hath there been one fuch righteous Perfon; in the whole World fo much as one? Where is that Man that liveth and finneth not (g)? Juft the contrary; Sin hath been ever the Complaint of the Good, and

(b) Matt. xxvi. 41. (c) Gal.. (e) 2 Cor. iii. 5,

(a) Article x.
(d) Rom. viii. 7.

v. 17.

(f) Gen. vi. 5.

(g) Ecclef. vii. 20.

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the Practice of the Bad. And have there been none think you at all Times; Do you not verily judge there are many, in the reach of your Knowledge, who would be rid of Sin and put on the Difpofition of Creatures, if they could? But none have been able.

OR finally, if you will obftinately contend that you are able; that you can at your Pleasure extirpate the Pride, Worldli nefs and Luft that now dwell in you, leaving not any Traces of them in your Heart; that you can raise your Soul to a perfect fpiritual Purity, and ftand in GoD's Sight clean and holy as the Angels of his Prefence: If you will needs cherish this fond Opinion of your Sufficiency; try your Strength, you have no other Concern which equals the Moment of this to you, to have a new Heart and a right Spirit. Go, root out of your Soul the Lufting you find there after Indulgence and Eafe, that you may be no more affaulted with vicious Thoughts: Rid yourfelf of all worldly Refpects that at present fway you; even of all the undue Regard your Heart pays to Intereft and Honor, to Mens Opinion and Favor. Take down the Pride and Defire of Self-pleafing, which have poffeffed themselves of you, giving Direction to all your Conduct; and together with them, banish for ever the Troop of their Attendants, Unbelief, Wilfulness, Impatience, Murmuring, Averfion towards God; Boafting,

Boafting, Malice, Envy, Hatred, Haughtinefs, Stubbornnefs, Anger, Refentment, Peevishness towards Men. Let neither Pride nor any of thefe its ugly Iffue and odious Train evermore appear in your Mind: And then put on Love of GOD in all your Heart, and of Man even as of yourself. To mention no more, effay your Strength upon thefe Experience will foon tell you, if the very Sight of your difficult Undertaking hath not prevailed, that you are not fufficient for thefe Things. By and by, you will join the univerfal Cry of Man impotent to Good: Miferable Creature that I am! Who fball deliver me?

THUS you may be affured that you are unable to frame your Heart again to the Temper of a Creature. And yet, if this be not done, you must remain unfit for God, and incapable of Happiness. Miferable Creature indeed! Sorely befet with Evils! A Dishonorer of God, and incapable of rendering back his injured Glory! An Alien from him, in whofe Prefence is Life, through the Defilement of thy Soul; and yet unable to recover that Purity which can alone make thee meet for his Prefence, were he disposed to remit to thee all the Demands. which his forfeited Honor hath upon thee! Miferable Man! What will the End of these Things be? Almoft I know not how to aggravate thy Mifery any more. What will

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the End of these Things be? Thou Difhonorer of God, thou Slave of Sin, how wilt thou escape the Wrath to come? How avert that Punishment which the Glory of the Heavenly Majefty is concerned to inflict; a State which the perverfe Wickedness of thy Heart makes thee only fit for? Both the one and the other, the Dishonor done of thee to God, and the Unfitness of thy Soul for his Prefence, alarm thee with Apprehenfions of an everlafting Condition of Mifery, under the divine Displeasure. And now therefore I add,

Thirdly, IF you will heal the Breach made by your Sins between GOD and you, you muft fatisfy the Demands of his infinite Juftice: But this you cannot any other Way than by enduring his Vengeance. You know how exprefs and abfolute GOD's Juftice is; it claims the laft Mite, either in Obedience or Punishment. Curfed be be that confirmeth not all the Words of this Law to do them (b). The irreverfible Decree of GOD through the Univerfe is, The Wages of Sin is Death. In Confequence of this immoveable Purpose of the Almighty, Angels have been cast down to Hell and delivered into Chains of Darkness to be referved unto Judgment (i). Sinners and Authors of Sin as they are, they are unable now for-ever to render (b) Deut. xxvii. 26. (i) 2. Pet. ii. 4.

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back to God the Glory they have defpoiled him of, ever unable to regain the angelic Purity of Nature they have forfeited; they remain for-ever the Objects of Vengeance, and are fet forth for an Example of Justice. And tell me, my Brother, thou and I have ftricken Hands with Sin; wherewithal shall we fatisfy Justice, and avert a like Suffering of Vengeance? We have finned, we have done wickedly, and we cannot undo what we have done. Our Sins that we have committed ftand fast for-ever, and for-ever are the Objects of that infinite Justice and Wrath, which doth not let Sin go unpunished. We cannot avoid Juftice, because we cannot recal our Days and undo the Sin that we have done. What thinkeft thou, didft thou not forget GOD, and fet up to please thyfelf? This thou ownest. But may not what is now faid of thee, be equally alledged against thee ten thousand Ages hence, that thou didst fin against God by this very Forgetfulness and Apoftafy from him? That God created the Heavens and the Earth, is as true now, and will be fo eternally, as it was on that glorious Moment when God spake the Word and they were made, when he commanded and they were created. Juft fo of thy Sins: Now and eternally they lie against thee, and evermore call for Juftice and Vengeance. One of these two Things remains, either to undo

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