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Secondly, Although this is the good truth of God, yet hereby we doe not take away3 the nature of a man, and make him a beast, as the Adversaries calumniate. Oh say they, this is to turn man into a stock or stone, to deprive him of reason and libertie of will. No, we deny the consequence; for although we say, That he is thus4 passive for the initial working of Grace; yet we say he hath his understanding, his reason still, he hath a will still; onely, to discern, or will what is good, that he cannot: So then we deny not but a man hath understanding, hath a natural libertie of his will, he cannot be a man if he have not these: but yet in respect of that which is holy, so his mind is blind, his will is obstinate, and rebellious against it. So that in man here are these three things; To be able to understand, to be able freely to will; this is of meer nature. To have a corrupt understanding, and a corrupt will, is of defiled nature. To understand and will what is good, is of sanctified nature: So then, what is the true state of the question, not whether there be an understanding, and the natural faculty of Free-will in a man, or not. None denyeth that, every man hath Free-will in natural and civill actions; onely the question is about the object of these, whether he hath power to understand or will things that are meerly spirituall and supernatural; and this the Scripture doth expresly deny.
Thirdly, When we say, God doth work grace thus powerfully and irresistibly, the meaning also is not, as if the heart of a man in conversion did not resist and5 reject the work of the Spirit, in some measure, and in some degrees; for there is no question but the heart of a man doth naturally refuse and oppose the Spirit of God. Stephen told the Jews, They had alwayes resisted the Spirit of God, Acts 7. and the word of God is said to cast down those strong holds, and every high thing that exalteth it self against God, 2 Cor. 10. So that as there is a natural contrarietie, and active opposition between fire and water; thus there is a constant enmity and active resisting of Gods Spirit by our spirit; for if this combate and conflict remain still in a godly man, how much more in natural men that are altogether carnal? You must therefore distinguish between a prevalent, conquering resisting, and a graduall: God in Conversion so works, that he takes away the prevalent, but not the graduall resisting. Though a man before he be converted, is froward and full of cavils and prejudices, is unwilling to be saved, cannot abide the truth, doth what he can to stifle all good motions; yet if he belong to Election, God will at last over-master his heart, and make him of unwilling willing: his hard heart cannot refuse this Converting grace, because the first thing it doth, is to take away the hardnesse of heart.
Fourthly, Therefore its not every kind of grace that a man may acknowledge is enough,6 unlesse it be such a grace as is antecedently efficacious to our will, and omnipotently bowing, and changing of it. Austin said, That the Pelagians did use the word Grace, ad frangendam invidiam, to decline the hatred that their opinion might get; so those that cry up Free-will: They will acknowledge grace, and God forbid they should speak against grace: But thou must know, there hath been in this point an horrible abuse of well-meaning men, by acknowledging grace, but not such a grace as we told you, that is efficacious of it self by its inward power, not depending upon mans will. Pelagius of old, when he saw his opinion was universally distasted, as if he disputed against grace; he then to avoid such an odium, began to use the word, and to acknowledge it: insomuch that he deceived an whole Counsel, by his ambiguities and generalities, who acquitted him: yea Austin himself who was so diligent an opposer of him, was almost deceived by him. If therefore any who dispute for Free-will, speak also of grace, & they say they are for grace; remember its not every kind of grace that is enough, but such as shall mightily change the heart; not that shall work with Free-will, but first make the will free, which was a Servant, and a Captive to lust: Tunc est liberum, quando liberatum, Then are ye free if the Son hath made you free, John 8. 32.
Fiftly, Although God thus omnipotently bow the heart, and grace be vorticordis,7 as Austin called it, yet there is great use of the Ministrie; of exhortation, of reproof, of commands, of promises and threatnings; for presently men are apt to cavill and say, If God work all, why then is the Ministry? Why are we exhorted, when we have no power! why doth God command, when we have no ability? For exhortation and the Ministry is necessary, because its the instituted means, by which God will worke this, as Christ did not in vain say to Lazarus, Lazarus come forth, because it was a practical powerful word, and thus it is here; the Ministrie speaks not in vain, we exhort not in vain, because in and by this, God inflames the heart, and quickens it to Good. And so the commands to turn to God, to love him above all things, are not in vain, because they are not to demonstrate our power but our duty. The Creditor may lawfully demand of his prodigal Debtor the sum of money he oweth, though he be not able to pay, especially we being full of self-righteousnesse, carnal confidence, and earthly adherence, these commands are the more earnestly to be pressed, that we may be ashamed and confounded.
Sixtly, It cannot be denyed but that this Doctrine of Gods sole power, and efficacie of8 Grace in Conversion, hath been and may be abused, and that two wayes, either to sluggishnesse and negligence, men thinking, that if God take away the stony heart, what need I care? I may sit down and take my ease: Or to Enthusiasm, such as will not pray, nor go to the Ordinances, they will onely stay at home, and expect the Spirits immediate working on them; and these were two reasons, saith Chemnitius, why Pelagius a Brittan, otherwise an ingenious man and famous, as also very innocent in his life, did fall into his error on the other side. But there is no truth of God can be preached, but carnal hearts will abuse it. Paul doth abundantly testifie this, when he speaks of those corrupt inferences some made from his preaching of grace: and the best truths corrupted prove most dangerous: as when they did not use the Manna according to Gods Institution, it degenerated into noisome worms.
Let us discover the grounds of this truth: And First, All those places of Scripture which doe describe the totall, and universall pollution of man, making him not9 so much a sinner, as even sin it self; doth plainly argue, that Gods converting grace is all in all; that man is a meer patient, and cannot actively consent to the least good thing. Thus Gen. 6. The imagination of the thoughts of a mans heart are only evil, and that continually: What can be said more, Every imagination or thought that stirreth in a man, its evil, and only evill, and that continually! How then can this consent, or be active to God? so Ephes. 2. You hath he quickned that were dead in sins: What doth a dead man do to get life again? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. That is, no man, God only doth: Our Saviour saith, A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit; especially Rom. 8. A naturall man perceiveth not the things of God, Neither can he; he doth not, and he cannot. See what pregnant places of Scripture here are; Mark them because that unsavorie error doth so much spread. If these Texts be true, all our thoughts and affections are onely evill; we are dead in sin, we do not, we cannot so much as perceive the things of God: how then dare any think of the power of nature, and her ability to what is holy?
Secondly, This is fully proved by those excellent and empharicall similitudes which are used to declare the work of Conversion; which the Spirit of God on purpose useth10 to declare Gods glorious power in us. As its called often A Creation, and Grace is A new Creature: we are said to be Created to good works. Now Creatio fit ex nihilo, Creation doth suppose nothing pre-exsistent, either physically or morally. Was the world when it was created any wayes co-operant to its Creation? Neither is it here. Remember then its he that hath made us, and not we our selves: If we did not make our selves men, shal we make our selves new Creatures, better then men? so its expressed by the similitude of a new Birth. He hath begotten us by his word. A godly man is said to be born of God. Now these are full expressions to shew that we are not born by our free-will, or consent, but by Gods sole power; as John 1. Lastly, its compared to the Resurrection; You that were dead hath he quickned. Now was there ever any man that could raise up himself out of the grave, and give life to himself? yea Ephes. 1. Its compared to that glorious power of God in raising up Christ, the very self same power is […]here said to work in those that believe. Now how can any man answer these comparisons the Scripture useth? for howsoever similtudes must not be stretched beyond the scope of him that useth them: yet the Holy Ghost doth for this end use such expressions, that we should attribute all to God, be debased in our selves, saying, Not unto us Lord, not to our free-will or our power, but to thy Name be all glorie.
Thirdly, All those places prove this, which take all ability of good from man, and attribute it wholly to God: So our Saviour likeneth every man out of11 him to a Branch separated from the Vine John 15. The Branch out of the Vine can bring forth no fruit; Thus every man out of Christ: Hence our Saviour concludes, Without me ye can do nothing. He doth not say, You cannot do any great thing, but nothing: And again, 2 Cor. 3. the Apostle saith, We are not sufficient of our selves to think one thought, viz. In reference to the good either of others, or of our selves. Thus you see how man is made utterly impotent. Well, then see those places that positively attribute all to God; Its God that works in us both to will and to do. You see all is given to him. And again, What hast thou that thou hast not received? But above all, how plain is this Rom. 9. Its not of him that willeth, or him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. This is a noble place, for who is likely to have it, but him that willeth, or that runneth? yet it is not of him, but of him that sheweth mercy; whereas if Free-will, or mans power had any co-partnership in this work, we might as well say, Its not of him that sheweth mercy, but of him that willeth or runneth. So that this Doctrine robs God of all that honour and glory that is due to him both in the prayers and praises of his people. For how will the Patrons of Natures Free-will deport themselves in this Duty? Must they not in effect come to this? Lord, I pray thee mollifie and soften my heart, if I will. Again, Lord I praise thee, that thou gavest me an heart to repent, when I consented and was willing; And is not all this highly derogatory to Gods glory? This made profound Bradwardine encourage himself to write against Pelagius, because he could heartily pray for the grace of God to help him in that work, whereas his adversaries could not do so.
Lastly, If so be that the will and power of man, did make grace effectual to12 us, so that Gods grace should not take away our stoninesse, till we consented, Then the greatest glory of a mans Conversion would belong to him: For we may suppose God offering grace equally to the same men; They both live in the same Family, both under the same Ministery. Now what is the cause why one receiveth the Word, and not the other? Shall we say, because he by his free-will entertained the grace of God, and not the other? What derogation would this be to Gods glory? Doth not the Apostle say, Who hath made thee to differ from another? 1 Cor. 4. 7. Why was Peter converted, and not Judas? They both enjoyed the same means, they both saw the same wonderful miracles: Shall any man say, Because Peter used his free-will well, and not Judas? This were to make Peter no more beholding to Christ then Judas was. Oh a gracious heart knoweth not how to digest such presumptuous opinions! God made me to differ from others, By the grace of God I am what I am. So then, have all these arguments in your eyes, they are plain and easie; and then though error be never so subtilly painted, yet it will not make you inamoured with it, especially if to all these places of Scripture, thou canst set to thy own experience of Gods wonderful change upon thee. Art not thou able to say, That though ten thousand teachers should come and preach free-will, yet thine own experience in thy Conversion will make thee not believe it, for thou wert so farre from consenting or agreeing to the work of grace, that all thy shifts and care was how to put off the work of God? How often didst thou labour to blinde thy own eyes, to harden thy own heart, how unwilling to be convinced, how sorry to part with thy dear lusts, how often didst thou put off and defer; saying, Yet a little more and still a little more, that had not God by his mighty power opened thy heart, made thee of unwilling willing, to this very day thou hadst still been wallowing in thy bloud!
Use·. Use of Instruction. Concerning a three-fold duty: 1. Of deep debasement and humiliation, How vain, weak and unprofitable are we become? Of rich to become pooor, of honourable to become debased, is nothing to this; of holy and altogether holy, to become altogether sinful: Oh why doth not this wound thee? Is there any room left for pride, carnal jollity; and confidence, while in this polluted estate?
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Of daily thankfulnesse to God, who hath put forth his great power on thee; Oh call upon thy soul, and all within thee, to speak for the grace of God.
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Here is encouragement to pray to God for the subduing of any strong corruptions or passions: He that did the greater, take away the heart of stone at first; cannot he do the lesse?