For we are God's creatures, and hold of him; from whence it follows, that we ought to ferve him, and to do his will, and to be at his command: for he created us, and doth maintain us; and this being our tenure, we owe duty and obfervance to him ; and if we fail in our duty to him, in that case, we ought to deprecate his displeasure, and to condemn ourselves. In that cafe we owe humble acknowledgments, and we are to repent and revoke what we have done amifs. The performance of obedience and duty to God, that is the first right; but to repent and ask forgiveness, that is the fecond. Now, that repentance shall have a good effect, and take place, that depends upon evangelical revelation: but the obligation to repentance, that is natural. I fhould, in the use of fober reafon, think, that if I had failed and were mistaken, and wanting in my duty to God, that I ought to humble myself before him, acknowledge my offence, and ask him pardon, and doing this, I fhould imagine (in the use of fober reason) that God was placable. But this fuppofition is put out of all doubt and question by the gofpel; which gives us affurance of pardon and remiffion of fin, if we do repent and ask God forgivenefs, and renounce and difclaim what we have done amifs. 'Tis true, we are obliged to repent whether God will pardon or not; because we owe duty and obedience to God, as we are his creatures; and if we do not repent, we do, upon account, fin again. For this take for granted; whofoever hath done amifs, and doth not repent of it, and revoke it he lives in that fin that he hath committed. For

he

he is in fuch a frame and disposition, that had he the like occafion and temptation offered him, he would do it again. So that both nature and grace do meet here, and fhew the indifpenfable neceffity of repentance, in cafe of contracted guilt, and a wounded conscience.

But because I am to give you encouragement; in the

II. Place I will haften to that: and that which I fhall fay upon this head is, to give you affurance, that through the grace, which God doth afford, and his affiftance of the powers and faculties of his creatures, we may repent of all evil done, and make application to God, and deprecate his displeasure, and leave off to fin, and return to our duty, and fo obtain his pardon. It is therefore advisable, that fince we are, all along in this life, in a state of weakness, and imperfection; that we be always in the motion of repentance, and exercife of faith in God, by Jefus Chrift. And this exhortation and advice I ground upon the word of God, which tells us, That if the wicked man turns from his wickedness, and doth that which is lawful and right, he shall save bis foul alive.

Neither let any man say, that these words fignify no more, than if one should say to an impotent man, remove this mountain, and thou fhalt have fuch or fuch a reward: or to bid a man to comprehend the ocean in the hollow of his hand, and it fhall fo or fo be done unto him. These are ludicrous ways of speaking: and fuch as must not be put upon God, nor in any case attributed unto him.

God

God doth not mock and deride his poor creatures, when he doth invite them to him. This were to reproach one that were impotent, to bid him come to him, when as he knew he could not stir a step. Therefore, when God faith to the finner, repent and turn from your wickedness, and you shall fave your foul alive; it doth fuppofe, that either he is able, or that he will make him fo. It being madness and folly to take into confideration, things that are impoffible: all motion towards fuch things is to no purpose.

But here fome may be ready to interpose, and fay: furely God is not in good earnest, because he might if he would; for who can refift the divine will? This is a confiderable objection, and doth require an anfwer. For fome men put all upon God, and fay when he pleases to come, with irrefiftable grace, the work will be done; and the man fhall be converted; for who hath refifted his will? And till then, the work will not be done, for they cán do nothing. But to this I anfwer.

It doth not follow, that because God doth not inforce, that therefore he doth not enable. That God fhould force agrees neither with the nature of God, nor with the nature of man; but that God fhould enable, this is natural to the relation we stand in to God, who is original to our being. And to make this out; this notion is verified throughout the whole creation. For there is not to be found in the whole creation of God, in any part of the world, any thing that is a procurant cause, but is also a confervant cause, till the thing be fettled in a state of fufficiency,

fufficiency, and fubfiftency. Even this dull earth that we tread upon doth maintain all the plants that do grow out of it. Take a view of the irrational creatures, and you fhall find, that every creature that is original to any thing, doth certainly pursue its firft production, by after confervancy, and ready maintenance, and never leave off, till it be fettled in the state of fufficiency, and able to fubfist of itself.

Now thus I argue if this be an impreffion of God upon all creatures, and a perfection which he hath placed in them, is not this much more in God? I therefore take this to be a certain propofition that he which doth give the first being, gives farther strength for continuance. But force agrees not, either with the nature of God, or with the nature of

man.

I. It

tellectual

agrees not with the nature of God. An inthat hath all knowledge and powagent, er, ufeth neither fraud nor violence. This is the

neceffity of those that are indigent.

He that hath all power, and all wifdom is never put upon the ufe either of fraud or force. This (as I faid) belongs to indigent causes, and cannot be fuppofed of God, who is infinite in power, and wifdom. Then

2. It doth not agree with the nature of man. For fuch is the nature of man, that if he do not mean and confent, it is not reputed a human action; for nothing is a human act, but what proceeds from the judgment of reafon and the liberty of the will, we are always bound to make use of our reafon, for our guidance, and then to exercise liberty in pur

fuance

fuance of the dictates of our mind. 'Tis true, in this compounded ftate of flesh and spirit, we are so addicted to fatisfy the inferior appetite, and so averse to the dictates of fober reason and the guidance of the divine Spirit; that had we any thing material to alledge to the contrary, it would certainly make us let all alone, come of it what would. And this would be the greateft difcouragement in the world: if we could allege that we were impotent, and infufficient; and that though the grace of God were abfolutely neceffary; yet we were not fure of it. "Tis therefore neceffary for us to believe, that through the grace and affiftance of God, we may be able, and that we shall not fail thereof. For God is prefent with us, and puts good thoughts into our mind, and will promote them into execution if we be not wanting to ourselves. We are here

in a state of contest and fight against great variety of enemies abroad; and there is inclinations of the fenfitive powers within, and the allurements and provocations of objects: and against all these it is too little, to oppofe nature's ftrength. For nature is divided, flesh and spirit, and flesh in oppofition to spirit. Now the only foundation of certainty and ground of encouragement, is from the grace and af fiftance of God: and this we are affured of, if we duly apply ourselves to God. For the infinite, wife and good God doth not call us to that, which he doth not enable us to perform. This were to put that upon God, which neither fcripture nor reason doth allow. For this were in effect to say, that God had not a mind we fhould do that, which he

calls