First, Christianity doth not at all destroy Reason, the faculties of man, as to their essence, are the same after Christ, union with him; which they were before he knew Christ: Now it is essential to the will, to be moved with good or evil; to choose good, to fly from evil: To have the will taken off from any thing because there is great evil attends it, this is but rational, agreeing with man as man, especially if the evil be infinitely greater than the good in that which it would choose; this is common in our practises every day, and we think him void of reason that doth not act thus: Sin moves a Christian by some good ⟨p. 297⟩it proffers. My Soul, take heed, saith the Christian, what thou doest, how thou consentest to this motion, for the wrath of God, hell and damnation attend this sin, I charge thee meddle not with it, as thou dreadest and wouldest avoid the wrath of this terrible God. Is not this rational and becoming a Christian? Is not hell, is not the wrath of God an evil for the will to fly from? I know there is another evil in the nature of sin, and a Christian can and doth make use of that also; there are likewise more Arguments, but a Christian may make use of this also. Only (which I might have premised) I would not be understood, as if this were the only Argument of a Christian, that kept him from sin, or that moved him to duty. Nor 2. that this is always an Argument actually made use of, for so do not Christians, it may be, a good while together; but I speak of what a Christian may make use of amongst other Arguments, and sometimes is forced to do, when no other Argument will prevail, against the imperious violent workings of some strong corruptions, and glad if by any Arguments he can prevail; yea, what a tush soever you make at this, the Spirit of God must quicken this Argument, and set it home, else it will not do. It is well if all Arguments can prevail, well had it been for David and Solomon, if by Arguments from Hell they had been preserved from their horrible falls, let these Christians contemn it never so much.
First, Christianity doth not at all destroy Reason, the faculties of man, as to their essence, are the same after Christ, union with him; which they were before he knew Christ: Now it is essential to the will, to be moved with good or evil; to chuse good, to fly from evil: To have the will taken off from any thing because there is great evil attends it, this is but rational, agreeing with man as man, especially if the evil be infinitely greater than the good in that which it would chuse; this is common in our practises every day, and we think him void of reason that doth not act thus: Sin moves a Christian by some good ⟨p. 297⟩it proffers. My Soul, take heed, saith the Christian, what thou doest, how thou consentest to this motion, for the wrath of God, hell and damnation attend this sin, I charge thee meddle not with it, as thou dreadest and wouldest avoid the wrath of this terrible God. Is not this rational and becoming a Christian? Is not hell, is not the wrath of God an evil for the will to fly from? I know there is another evil in the nature of sin, and a Christian can and doth make use of that also; there are likewise more Arguments, but a Christian may make use of this also. Only (which I might have premised) I would not be understood, as if this were the only Argument of a Christian, that kept him from sin, or that moved him to duty. Nor 2. that this is alwayes an Argument actually made use of, for so do not Christians, it may be, a good while together; but I speak of what a Christian may make use of amongst other Arguments, and sometimes is forced to do, when no other Argument will prevail, against the imperious violent workings of some strong corruptions, and glad if by any Arguments he can prevail; yea, what a tush soever you make at this, the Spirit of God must quicken this Argument, and set it home, else it will not do. It is well if all Arguments can prevail, well had it been for David and Solomon, if by Arguments from Hell they had been preserved from their horrible falls, let these Christians contemn it never so much.
