Judge for themselves, yet they have fome Prejudices and Erroneous Principles, that they have Received as Fundamental Maxims, which Set a Biafs upon their Understandings, and Influence them in all their Judgments.

But when Men are willing to be Satisfy'd, as they commonly are on the Fleshly Side, that goes a great Way in Favour of the Argument, and the Point is more than half gain'd. Thus we often see that the Slightest and most Frivolous Reasons, or mere Sophiftry of Argument, that has hardly fo much as the Colour of Reafon; any Thing that does but ferve the Ends of our Intereft, our Humour, or our Pleasures, and Chimes in with our Inclinations and Defires, does cafily overfway our Judgment, and paffes with us for Demonftration: But when any Thing is offer'd that Croffes our Inclinations, all goes Hard, as against the Grain; and then how many little Cavils and Objections are rais'd against it, and the most Trifling of them hard to be got over? For Men are so train'd up, and generally fo wedded to Worldly Objects and Senfual Pleasures, and their Hearts and Affections are fo Engaged to them, that the Confiderations of Religion, and Pleasures of the Mind, have Comparatively little Relish with them. Which brings me to Confider

4thly, The Faintness and Laziness of Men's Refolutions and Endeavours for Virtue and Religion; while I mention as another Disadvan→ tage that the Principles of Reafon and Reli

'gion have, which helps to render them lefs Effectual, whilft it makes them go on faintly and inconstantly, with a Double Heart; a Heart Divided betwixt the Sense of Duty, and the Love of Sin; as St. James fays, A Chap. i. S. Double-minded Man is Unftable in all his Ways; And therefore can make no Progress.

They think very well of Heaven, and can heartily wish for it, if Wishes will carry them thither. Nay, There are very Few that Think at all, who can fatisfy themselves without Defigning at least to Do fomewhat in Religion. "Hitherto indeed, they muft Confefs, "they have not Lived as they ought to have "done; They have been but too Careless of "their Duty, God Forgive them, and have "too often been drawn afide; but they have " often Thought of it, and they will take a "Time seriously to Confider, and will Lead "another fort of Life, God willing." And thus they go on from Year to Year, Hanging betwixt Heaven and Hell; Fluctuating betwixt their Confcience and their Lufts Sinning and Relenting; Doing what they would not, and not Doing what they would Defire to Do; ftill Purpofing well, but Doing Nothing to any Purpose: Their Lufts are ftrong, and their Resolutions and Strugglings fo faint and weak, that they get no Ground at all.

;

And all the While Life is Running on, and the Reforming Time does not yet Come,

C 3

Come, till a Fit of Sickness, or some Sharp Affliction, does make them Confider in good Earnest, and then without farther Delay, they will forthwith Lead a New Life. And And prefently they make Great Refolutions, They will no longer Dally with their Souls, They will no longer Live unto Sin; it fhall from that Time no more have Dominion over them. And fo they become Grave and Serious, and perhaps for fome Time hold up their Refolution; but fuch is the Bewitching Nature of Senfual Pleasures, that they foon infinuate themselves again, and then, as the Devout Temper wears off, and Nature Recovers Strength by Degrees; and Old Companions return, and Old Temptations, They prove too hard for New Refolutions, and, either by their Strength, or continued Importunity, do again Prevail: And then, because they cannot all at once, upon the first ferious Tryal, wholly Conquer the Confirmed Habits of Many Years Contracting, They are Difcourag'd, and grow weary and faint in their Minds; and are foon ready to give over the Defign, and Conclude, That the Rules of Religion are Impracticable, Made for Angels, not for Creatures of Flesh and Blood. So All that they have gain'd by the Encounter is only This, Vice by its Conqueft gathers more Strength, and Confirms its Dominion over them; And their Faith is fo Weakened by the Defeat, that they

have little Heart ever after to Renew the fame Attempt. They have had a Struggle for their Liberty, and find it is All in vain; Therefore (like a Difcomfited Band, that upon One Rout prefently gives up all for loft, and will no longer be perfuaded to keep the Field,) they'll give it over, and strive no more, but make a Dishonourable Retreat, fit down Contented Slaves, and let their Lufts and Paffions again take the Reins, to govern them at their Pleasure.

And it is well if they are not left now in a much worse Condition than Ever. For as, Weak Phyfick only Stirs and Disturbs, and Ferments the Humours, but is not able to Conquer and Expel them; fo fuch Weak and Languid Attempts, that only Alarm and Awaken Sinners, and Disturb them for the Time, do but Heighten and Aggravate the Sins which they proved too Weak to Reform. Befides that the Devil thereby gets great Advantage to increase his Power and Dominion over them. For fo our Saviour plainly tells us, Mat. xii. That when the Unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man, if he be again fuffered to re-enter, he taketh with him Seven other Spirits more wicked than himself, and they Enter in, and Dwell there; And the Laft State of that Man is worse than the First.

Alas! When Men have once loft their Liberty, and are enflaved to Sin, it is not a

C 4

Slender

1

Slender Refolution, nor a few Cool, Heartlefs Attempts that will do their Business, to Recover them out of the Snares of the Devil, and make them of Old Sinners become New Men. No, It is Another Sort of Work, to be a Good Man and a Christian. It requires Patience and Courage; and a Refolution, and Spirit, and Sincerity of Mind, like That of the great St. Auftin, to be a True Convert. I particularly mention St. Austin, becaufe in his Pious Books of Confeflions (efpecially in the Eighth Book) he has in a moft lively Manner, peculiar to himself, Describ'd this whole Cafe, (the Cafe of a Carnal Heart, Labouring under, and Struggling with its own Convictions,) in his own Example; An Example fit to be fet before All, that foolishly Trifle away their Life in Faint, Irrefolute Withings and Wouldings, Deceiving their own Souls.

He tells us how long, and with what Gal.iv.19.Pangs, He was travelling in the New Birth, till Chrift was formed in him. When he came to have a Senfe of his own Condition, he foon had Good Defires and Intentions, but brought them not of fome Time to any good Effect; They all prov'd Abortive, for Want of Strength of Refolution to bring. forth. "He was Convinced (he tells us) "of the Evil of his Ways, and of the Ne

ceffity of Changing his Courfe of Life, "but that he wanted Refolution to Live up. "( to