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of it, do plainly evince a life to come. For to what end can the mortification of the bo, dy, by abftractions and meditations, be enjoyned, if there be no life to come? What need is there of renovation, or regeneration, by the Word and Spirit of God, were there no life to come? One would think, the common end of this natural life might be well enough fecured upon the common foundation of reafon and human laws. What fhould I here add, the love of God, and the merits of Fefus? from both which we may derive many unanswerable arguments of a life to come. For though, when we reflect upon it, it appears as much above our merit, as it is above our comprehenfion yet when we confider, that eternal life is the gift of God through Jefus Chrift our Lord; what lefs than an heaven can we expect from an infinite merit and almighty dove? The love of God muft be perfect as bimfelf and the merits of Jefus must be eftimated by the greatness of his Perfon, and his fufferings. He that cannot be wrought upon by thefe and the like gospel arguments, will be found, I doubt, impenetrable to all others. 'Tis in vain to argue with fuch a one from natural topicks: and therefore I will stop here.

I fhould now pafs on to the third thing, the attainment" of Chriftian Liberty: but this chapter is grown much too big already:

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and to the confideration of the fruit of this liberty, which I have fo long infifted on, nothing more needs to be added, but the obfervation of those rules, which I fhall lay down in the following chapters. For whatever advice will fecure the feveral parts of our liberty, will confequently fecure the whole. I will therefore close this chapter here; with a brief exhortation, to endeavour after deliverance from fin. How many and powerful motives have we to it? Would we free our felves from the evils of this life? let us dam up the fource of them, which is fin. Would we furmount the fear of death? let us difarm it of its fting, and that is fin. Would we perfect and accomplish our natures with all excel lent qualities? 'tis righteousness wherein confifts the image of God, and participation of the divine nature: 'tis the cleaning our felves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit, and the perfecting holiness in the fear of God, that muft transform us from glory to glory. Would we be masters of the most glorious fortunes? 'tis righteousness that will make us heirs of God, and joint-beirs with Chrift: 'tis the conqueft of our fins, and the abounding in good works, that will make us rich towards God, and lay up for us a good foundation for the life to come.

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we ambitious of honour ? let us free our felves from the fervitude of fin.

'Tis virtue only, that is truly honourable and praife-worthy and nothing furely can entitle us to fo noble a relation: for this allies us to God. For, as our Saviour fpeaks, they only are the children of Abraham, who do the works of Abraham; the children of God, who do the works of God. These are they, who are born again: not of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man; but of God. These are they, who are incorporated into the body of Chrift; and being ruled and animated by his Spirit, are entitled to all the bleffed effects of bis merit and interceffion. Thefe are they, in a word, who have overcome, and will, one day, fit down with Chrift in his throne ; even as he alfo overcame, and is fet down with his Father in his throne, Rev. iii. 21. Good God! how abfurd and perverse all our defires and projects are! we complain of the evils of the world; and yet we bug the causes of them, and cherish those vices, whofe fatal wombs are ever big with numerous and intolerable plagues. We fear death, and would get rid of this fear, not by difarming, but sharpening its fting; not by fubduing, but forgetting it. We love wealth and treasure: but 'tis that which is temporal, not eternal. We receive honour of one another; but we feek not that which comes from God only. We are fond of eafe and pleasure; and at

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the fame time we wander from those paths of wisdom, which alone can bring us to it. For, in a word, 'tis this Chriftian Liberty that makes men truly free: not the being in bondage to no man, but to no fin: not the doing what we lift, but what we ought. 'Tis Chriftian Liberty that makes us truly great, and truly glorious: for this alone renders us ferviceable to others, and eafy to our felves; benefactors to the world, and delightfome at home. 'Tis Chriftian Liberty makes us truly profperous, truly fortunate; because it makes us truly happy, filling us with joy and peace, and making us abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghoft.

СНАР.. IV.

Of liberty, as it relates to original fin. The nature of which confidered chiefly with reSpect to its corruption. How far this dif temper of nature is curable. Which way this cure is to be effected.

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Hatever difficulties the doctrine of original fin really be involved in, or feem at least to some to be fo, they will not concern me, who am no further obliged to confider it, than as it is an impediment of Perfection: for though there

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be much difpute about original fin, there is little or none about original corruption; the reality of this is generally acknowledged, though the guilt, the finfulnefs or immorality of it, be controverted. And though here be diverfity of opinions concerning the effects of original corrup tion in eternity; yet there is no doubt at all made but that it incites and inftigates us to actual fin, and is the feed-plot of human folly and wickedness. All men, I think, are agreed, that there is a byass and ftrong propenfion in our nature towards the things of the world, and the body: that the fubordination of the body to the foul, and of the foul to God, wherein confifts righteoufnefs, is fubverted and overthrown: that we have we have appetites which clash with, and oppose the commands of God; not only when they threaten violence to our nature, as in the cafes of confeffion and martyrdom, but also when they only prune its luxuriancy and extravagance: that we do not only defire fenfitive pleasure, but even to that degree, that it hurries and tranfports us beyond the bounds that reason and religion fet us: we have not only an averfion for pain, and toil, and death; but to that excefs, that it tempts us to renounce God, and our duty, for the fake of carnal eafe, and temporal fafety. And

finally,

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