The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures

Answ. To this I Answer, and because it is the common Plea of Sinners why they do not work, and it is that which questionless doth too often rise in the Hearts and Thoughts of most Men, whereby they are greatly discouraged, and their Hands weakened in their Obedience: I shall, therefore the more largely ⟨p. 20⟩and particularly Answer this Objection. And,

Answ. To this I Answer, and because it is the common Plea of Sinners why they do not work, and it is that which questionless doth too often rise in the Hearts and Thoughts of most Men, whereby they are greatly discouraged, and their Hands weakned in their Obedience: I shall, therefore the more largely ⟨p. 20⟩and particularly Answer this Objection. And,

Answ. 1 First, This serious and pressing Exhortation to Obedience and Working, doth not suppose in us, nor is it necessary that it should suppose in us a Power to obey, I mean it of a present and actual Power; neither doth our want of Power take off our Obligation to obey. It may and will be granted, that there is no Command of God, but doth suppose a Power once bestowed. Whether or no his absolute uncontrollable Sovereignty might have required that from us that is above our Power ever to perform, may rather modestly be doubted, than peremptorily concluded: Yet this is certain, that those very Duties that now we complain we have no Strength and Power to perform, were once as subject to our Power and the Freedom of our own Wills, as now natural and moral Actions are: Subject (I say) to our Power, either to perform them, or not to perform them; not as though we came now into the World with this Power, for we are all dead and still-born in respect of Grace; but as having this Power in our first Parent who was ⟨p. 21⟩our Representative, for in him we must be considered as existent even when he existed; and what he received, it was for us, and what he did was done by us, and what he lost we lost in him. Now if we have lost this Power of Obeying, must God also lose his Privilege and Sovereignty of Commanding? Must he lessen his Authority, as we lessen our Ability? Truly had Adam once thought of this slight, he might have sinned himself quite from under the command and dominion of his Creator, and might soon have become thus free. Do not you your selves think you may, if a Debtor of yours through his own default becomes a Bankrupt, require your Debt of him? So stands the Case here between God and us; we are all disabled to pay the Debt of Obedience that we owe to God, but yet it is through our own default; and the Power that we had, is not so much lost, as wilfully thrown away; and may not God justly come upon us for our Debt? Our want of Power takes not off our obligation to Obedience, because it is through a wilful defect that we are deprived of that Power. If a Servant throw away his Tools with which he should work