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CXXIXth. And there is no doubt but he had the fame thing in his view in the words of the text, I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou fhalt enlarge my heart; which strongly infinuate, that he could not run the way of God's commandments except God did enlarge his heart. The fame truth is inculcated upon us in the new testament: which tells us, that without Chrift we can do nothing; John XV. 5. that it is God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure; Phil. II. 13. that it is through the spirit that chriftians do mortify the deeds of the body; Rom. VIII. 13. and that love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance, are the fruits of the Spirit; Gal. V. 22.

IV. I will now make fome improvement of what hath been faid, in the following particulars.

1. Let thofe of us who have enter'd upon a religious course, and made any progrefs in it, give praise and glory to God. God is not, nor can be the author of evil; and therefore when we do any thing that is wicked, we are not to impute that unto God, but unto ourfelves but he is the author of all good,

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and therefore when we do any thing that is good, we ought to afcribe it unto God, and not unto ourselves. For according to the apoftle James, every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor fhadow of turning; of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. It is but just and equitable that he who hath the chief hand in any work, fhould have the chief glory of it. Therefore inafmuch as God is the principal agent in a christian's fanctification, he fhould in all reason have the principal glory of it. There is indeed a praise which is due to men, when they perform any good. and virtuous actions; otherwife they cannot be free agents: for if a man is not to be commended when he doth a good action, it can be for no other reafon but because he did not do the action voluntarily and freely, but was under a neceffity of doing it; which is to deny that he is a free agent, and confequently to deny that he is accountable to God for his actions. For how can a being which acts neceffarily, and cannot posfibly do otherwise than it doth, be entitled either to reward or punishment?

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So that the argument runs thus: "man is an accountable creature,then he is free but if he is free, then he is "worthy of commendation when he forbears a wicked action, or practises a good one." Nor doth this contradict what I faid before, concerning the glo ry that is due to God on account of any good actions which we do: for after all, the greatest praise is due to him, becaufe he puts us upon doing any thing that is good, prevents us with his grace, excites holy difpofitions within us, and communicates ftrength unto us, to enable us to perform our duty.

2. If we cannot run the way of God's commandments except God doth enlarge our hearts; then let us pray for this enlargement. Tho' I am as firmly perfuaded of the neceffity of a fupernatu ral aid, in order to a religious life, as any man in the world; yet I am very loth fuch a truth as this should be per verted to the encouragement of the floth and idleness of men. There are some lazy wretches, who, from a pretence of their own weakness and inability to that which is good, fit down quiet and contented under the dominion of their lufts; and abufing the apostle's

expreffion, Eph. II. 1. concerning perfons dead in trefpaffes and fins, pretend they are as incapable of any spiritual acts, as they would be of any natural ones, fuppofing they were naturally dead; and accordingly wait for fome fudden manifeftation of God's power in their converfion, fome miraculous change to be wrought in an inftant, without any concurrence of their own. But be not deceived: tho it is true, that God worketh in us to will and to do; yet it is as true, that he worketh in the use of means, at least ordinarily; and no man hath reafon to expect that he should go out of the ordinary way for him, leaft of all fuch men as thefe. Tho God is very ready to bestow favours; yet he will be fought unto for them as appears from the XXXVIth of Ezekiel. From the 25th verfe of that chapter to the end of the 36th, there are promises of many great bleffings to be bestowed upon the Jews: notwithstanding which, it is added in the 37th verse, thus faith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Ifrael, to do it for them. And fo our bleffed Saviour affures us, that our heavenly father will give the Holy Spirit to them who afk him; Luke XI. 13. Therefore let us not make ourselves weaker than we

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are. Our Lord hath commanded us to afk, and feek, and knock: therefore, if we can do nothing elfe, we may pray; unless we will fuppofe that Chrift hath commanded an impoffible thing. And for our encouragement hereunto, we are affured of a gracious anfwer: afk, and it fhall be given, &c.

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God will encourage the most faint efsay towards goodness, provided it be finWe read concerning the prodigal fon, that being upon his return to his father, when he was yet a great way off, his father faw him, and had compaffion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kiffed him; Luke XV. 20. This is a lively image of God, who takes notice of the first beginnings of good in men, the first rudiments of virtue, if I may fo call them; is pleased with them, will affift their growth, and help them onward to perfection. In the account that we have of Saul's converfion, his praying is mentioned with a peculiar force, as it was a fign of fome eminent change being wrought in him. Wherefore let us be very earneft in our addreffes to God for the aids of his grace, and never reft till we have obtained the Holy Spirit from him. We may exceed in importunity O 2

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