A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

But perhaps some of you will think to excuse your selves for want of Free-will, and say, How is it in our choice when God must give us to will and to do? and we can do nothing of our selves? have we free-will or power to choose the better part? You must not set up the power or will of man too high.

But perhaps some of you will think to excuse your selves for want of Free-will, and say, How is it in our choice when God must give us to will and to do? and we can do nothing of our selves? have we free-will or power to chuse the better part? You must not set up the power or will of man too high.

Answ. No: its you that would set up your wills too high, in making us believe that you are not wilfully ungodly and impenitent, but omit all the good and do all the evil that you do, because you cannot help it. You cannot but know that he is the sinner to be blamed and punished, that Can and Will not, rather then he that would but cannot do good, and forbear the contrary. You know that it is wilfulness, and not unwilling impotency that the venom of malice and naughtiness lieth in; and therefore you are excusing your wills, and laying all upon your Impotency, which is but to excuse your faults. I would make you know the baseness of your wills, and that it is long of your badness that you are like to be undone, if grace prevent it not by your through Conversion. I do not say that you have any power, but what you have from God; but I say you have the Natural and Legal Power, and more then Power, even a Grant and Offer of such a mercy from God: You have humane faculties, and leave, and offers, and entreaties, and you may have Christ and life as he is offered if you will. When I say, It is in your choice, I do not say that you have the wit or the heart to make a right choice. No: if you had but so much wit and grace, I need not use all these words to you, to persuade you to choose the better part. Your Wills are free from any force that God puts upon them to determine them to sin; or from any force that Satan or any enemy you have, can use to determine them to sin: All they can do is morally to entice you. God do•• •ot make you sin. If you choose ur death, and forsake your own mercy, it is not God that determineth your Wills to make this choice. Yea, he commandeth, and persuadeth, and urgeth you to make a better choice: And though Satan tempt you, he can do no more. You have so much power, that you may have Christ if you will: you cannot say, I am truly willing to have Christ and cannot. Thus much free-will undoubtedly you have.