The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

There is only this caution to be added, that howsoever God promiseth to enable his people to do all he commandeth, yet this shutteth not out their endeavour. His promise ⟨p. 83⟩of enabling them is upon this supposition, that they do endeavour in the use of the means he shall appoint them. The Lord in promising doth not mean that they should be idle, and look that he should do all; but his promising includeth their endeavouring, and upon their endeavouring in the use of the means that God hath appointed, he hath promised to enable them to do what he hath commanded. And this is very express in that same of the Prophet, Ezek. 36. verse 27. and verse 37. laid together. In verse 27. there is a promise to make them able to keep the Law of God; I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgements, and do them. But in verse 37. he cometh in with this caution (which I desire you to observe) Thus saith the Lord, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of of Israel, to do it for them. As if he should say, it is true indeed, I have promised to enable you to all things I have commanded you, but yet know, though I have promised to do all, yet I will not do it without your endeavour, you must use the means (whereof prayer is one) and upon your using the means, I promise then to help you. If people he still and will not up and be doing, God will not be with them: it was the speech of David to Solomon, 1 Chron. 28. Up (saith he) and be doing, and the Lord shall be with thee. Implying thus much, that though God hath promised, yet God will not be with us to enable us to any performance, except we also be up and be doing. This therefore is no encouragement to lazy Christians, that rest themselves upon this, that when God would have them do it, he will enable them to do it, and so do not to their uttermost endeavour themselves: these are such to whom God will perform none of these promises.

There is onely this caution to be added, that howsoever God promiseth to enable his people to doe all he commandeth, yet this shutteth not out their endeavour. His promise ⟨p. 83⟩of enabling them is upon this supposition, that they doe indeavour in the use of the meanes he shall appoint them. The Lord in promising doth not meane that they should be idle, and look that he should doe all; but his promising includeth their endeavouring, and upon their endeavouring in the use of the meanes that God hath appointed, he hath promised to enable them to doe what he hath commanded. And this is very expresse in that same of the Prophet,