SER M. have heard, left at any time we should let XIV. them flip, Heb. ii. 1.

III. THE Third thing I proposed to confider in the Text, was, what is meant by God's working in us

both to will and

to do of his good pleasure. Now the plain and full meaning of This, is;

If, THAT God is to us the only Au thor of all thofe Powers and Faculties, which we vulgarly call Natural. In Him we Live, Move, and have our Being. From Him we are indued with Reafon and Understanding, with the Faculty of dif cerning between Good and Evil, with the Power of Willing and Choofing what is Right. We are not fufficient of our felves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our Sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Weak therefore is That diftinction fo often found in the Writings of Divines, between Nature and Grace; as if One was not equally the Gift of God, as the Other

.

2dly, Gop's giving us both to will and to to do, fignifies his affording us moreover Supernatural Helps. Such is, the Revelation of the Gofpel; which is therefore frequently

frequently in Scripture called, The Grace SERM, of God; Tit. ii. 11. The Grace of God XIV. which bringeth Salvation, hath appeared Col. i. 6.

to all men.

UNDER which general Grace, are included more particularly, the following Supernatural Helps. A clear and diftinct Knowledge of our Duty, more diftinct than could be discovered by the Light of Nature alone. A more plain and exprefs bringing of Life and Immortality to Light, by the particular Revelation of a judgment to come. Exceeding Great and precious Promifes; by the Faith and expectation of which, we are enabled to overcome the World, to quench all the Fiery darts of the Devil, and to become partakers of the Divine Nature by perfecting righteousness and true Holiness. An Af furance of the Forgiveness of paft Sins upon Repentance; which is what the Scripture emphatically calls Grace; The Law came by Mofes, but Grace and Truth came by Jefus Christ. The Alftance of the Divine Spirit in the conftant and ordinary practice of out Duty; by which we are renewed, juflified, fanctified, and have Y 2

the

SER M. the Love of God shed abroad in our
XIV. Hearts. Not that the Spirit of God acts

upon us by way of neceflary compulfion,
forcibly and irrefiftibly; (for the exhorta-
tions given us, not to quench and grieve
and drive him from us, evidently fhow
the contrary;) But he helps our Infirmi-
ties in the way of Moral Affiftance, Per-
but
fwafion, Direction and Concurrence ;
will not always firive with men who ob-
ftinately refist his good Motions. Wifd.
Into a malicious Soul Wisdom Shall
not enter, nor dwell in the body that is fub-
ject unto Sin; For the Holy Spirit of Dif
cipline will flee deceit, and remove from
Thoughts that are without Understanding,
and will not abide when unrighteousness
cometh in.

i. 4.

Laftly, UNDER Extraordinary Trials, the Gofpel affures us of ftill more particular and extraordinary Supports: that God will never leave us, nor forfake us; but will with the Temptation always make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it; and particularly, that in time of great Perfecution, it fall be given us in that

3

fame

Fame Hour what we shall speak and what S ER M. we shall do.

THESE are, over and above our natural Powers and Faculties, the Supernatu ral Helps and Affiftances afforded us by the Gospel: Both of which are included in the Affertion in the Text, that 'tis God which worketh in us both to will and to do.

THE laft words added in the Text, Üreg Tñs Eudoxías, of his good pleasure, do not fignify, as Some have imagined, that God works all these things arbitrarily, without any regard to the Difpofitions and Qualifications of Men. But the True meaning of the words is, that he does all these things through his Goodness; That is the Sense, of the word which we render good pleasure. 'Tis God's Goodness which moves him to work in us both to will and to do; to give us both the Faculties of Nature, and the Supernatural Affiftances of the Gospel, to lead us unto Life and Happiness.

IV. THE Fourth and Last thing I propofed from the Text, was, to fhow How This confideration of God's working in us both to

X 3

will

XIV.

m

SER M. will and to do, is an Argument or Motive
XIV. to Us to work out our own Salvation.

Work out your own Salvation, For it is
God that worketh in you both to Will and
to Do of his good pleafure, The Meaning
plainly is; not, that God does All for us;
For then the Contrary confequence must
needs have been true, that we could do
nothing for ourselves: But God, of his
great Goodness gives us Power; therefore
We may and ought to Act.
depend alfo, that if we be

And we may fincere in the Ufe of the Powers he has given us, our Endeavours fhall not be in vain. For, Greater is He that is in Us, than He that is in the World; and if God be for us, who can be against Us? The Exhortation therefore in the Text, is of the fame Import with that in Eph. vi. 10. Finally, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the Power of his might.

THE Inferences proper to be drawn from the whole of what has been faid,

are:

I. FROM hence we may observe, how little Foundation there is in Scripture for thofe Men's Opinion, who understanding