A25466:779
Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /
Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume / by several ministers in and about London, preached in October, 1689.
London: printed by James Astwood for John Dunton, 1690
Sermon 9: Quest. What's the danger of a death-bed Repentance? SERMON IX.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. They cannot work repentance in themselves, not make the means effectual for the enlightening of their minds, the changing, softening, spiritualizing their Hearts, or working a vital principle in them. If they say they can, either they must assume to themselves a Creating power, a power of making themselves new Creatures, or creating this grace in their own Hearts, there being nothing of it in them by nature, and antecedently to their making such a change: Or they must say that there is some seed of grace in them beforehand, some root or stock which being watered and cultivated by outward means, diligence and industry may be made fruitful; so that the working repentance in them is not the infusing a new principle into them, but a correcting of the old one: Conversion, not the giving or creating in them a new nature, but only a freeing the old one from its former impediments, and setting it at liberty to its proper actions. But this is
4. They cannot work repentance in themselves, not make the means effectual for the enlightning of their minds, the changing, softning, spiritualizing their Hearts, or working a vital principle in them. If they say they can, either they must assume to themselves a Creating power, a power of making themselves new Creatures, or creating this grace in their own Hearts, there being nothing of it in them by nature, and antecedently to their making such a change: Or they must say that there is some seed of grace in them beforehand, some root or stock which being watered and cultivated by outward means, diligence and industry may be made fruitful; so that the working repentance in them is not the infusing a new principle into them, but a correcting of the old one: Conversion, not the giving or creating in them a new nature, but only a freeing the old one from its former impediments, and setting it at liberty to its proper actions. But this is
1. Contrary to the whole current of Scripture, which affirms Mans will since the fall of Adam to be void of all saving good, and impotent to it till renewed by grace, John 15.5. Without me ye can do nothing,