Chapter 11

CHAP. XI.

1. Our impotency to duties being reproved, cannot excuse us in the omitting of them. 2. The wicked habit in sleeping men is faulty. 3. Therefore the withdrawing of influences excuses not. 4. The creatures sin is not from the Lord's withdrawing of influences of grace formally, but from our withdrawing of our hearts from his moral commandment. 5. The objection of many, (if God would give me influences of grace as he did to Moses and David I would be as holy as any) discussed, the objector and the objection both answered. 6. The non-sense of the objection opened. 7. A natural man hates influences both physical, and moral, though he wish physical influences. 8. The objection exalts nature, abuses grace, and many ways reproaches God, his grace, sovereignty, wisdom, &c.

Q. Whether or no does our impotency to pray and believe clear and justify us, in that we believe not and pray not?

Ans. Not at all: for one and the same cannot be a just excuse, and a due rebuke: but the holy Ghost rebukes our cannot as a sinful cannot, and so our impotency cannot be a just excuse. So, Joshua chap. 24:19, You cannot serve the Lord. Isaiah 29:11, I cannot read the book, that is, I am sinfully ignorant of prophecy. Isaiah 44:18, They cannot understand, no more than blind men. Jeremiah 6, Their ear is uncircumcised, they cannot hearken. The Lord grievously challenges the people, ver. 11, I am full of the anger of the Lord, and denounce wrath against this rebellious cannot; for not only is the tree rejected as bearing evil fruit, but also because the sap is sour, and the bulk rotten. Christ speaks rebukingly of some impotent cannot of the world; John 14:17, I will send you the Spirit of truth, [in non-Latin alphabet], which the world cannot receive. Romans 8:7, The wisdom of the flesh is not subject to the law of God, [in non-Latin alphabet] neither indeed can be. Ver. 8, They that are in the flesh [in non-Latin alphabet] cannot please God. 1 Corinthians 2:14, The natural man cannot know the things of God; [in non-Latin alphabet], it is a condemning of the natural man, as he is opposed to the spiritual man, who is praised as one who knows the secrets of God.

2. And he is condemned as one who judges the things of the Gospel foolishness. John 6:44, No man can come to me, except the Father draw him; and that is a most wicked shift of him who married a wife (Luke 14:20), therefore I cannot come; we excuse such wicked weakness with this, God help us, we cannot without his grace do better.

3. The very sinful habit and power is reproved in the Word, even the power as it is contra-distinguished from the sinful act; Psalm 14:1, The habitual fool has said in his heart there is not a God.

The habitual blindness and hardness of heart that may be in sleeping men, the state of non-regeneration, and the state of death and of uncircumcision of heart, is condemned (Ephesians 2:1, 2, 3; Colossians 1:13, 14; Psalm 14:3); their poison of nature (Psalm 58:4); the uncircumcision of heart (Jeremiah 9:26); the sinful frame of the heart (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21). Hence, of force it must follow, that this is no good consequence, the sleeping man or swooning man, acting and committing no actual guiltiness, and making no use of free-will, is guilty and rebukable before God, as the sleeping wolf is bloody, the sleeping lion is cruel, because of the bloody and cruel nature, that is inherently in both, when neither of them do actually devour; so though influences to the material acts of sin, be not in our power, yet, since we lodge that sinful power, and virtually (as is said) consent to want the breathings of God, and consent that the sinful acts have house-room, in the sleeping man, we are from there guilty upon that account, though we sleep and are patient in carrying sinful powers, and sinful acts now inherent in us, and the withdrawing of influences of grace upon the same account, cannot be an honest excuse; why, I pray not? Yes, the wicked impotency, and indisposition, and the three disciples' drowsiness, and sleepiness the same way physical, being on them in the night (Matthew 26), is a new guiltiness moral, (for Christ commanded watching in vigorousness then) and their actual not praying, is another guiltiness.

3. Under withdrawings of influences of grace we are guilty. 1. In not considering the temptation, signs and wonders we see and hear (Deuteronomy 29:3); yes, though the Lord's not giving a new heart, be not our sin formally; yet our not having, nor receiving of a new heart, is our sin. The sourness and naughtiness of the Earth in bringing forth poisonable weeds, is the Earth's own indisposition; the Sun and Clouds extract these poisonable herbs; the natural dryness of some rocky Earth and the not raining of the clouds meet both in one, to wit, the barrenness of the earth; and this takes not away the faultiness of this earth so rocky. 2. Our guiltiness that appears is evident, in our addition which we make to original and natural malice; for acquired depravity meets with natural and original corruption, like two floods to make a sea or a great river; or as when a man forces a wound to bleed, which of itself would bleed. And again, whatever may be said of the result of the Lord's withdrawing of influences, we add an impulsion to his withdrawing, as the adding of the heat of an oven near the root of a fruit tree, to cause it to ripen, adds something to the heat of the Sun, and the influences of the Heavens, and when the heart walks after the heart of our detestable things, as it is Ezekiel 11:21, and with the intended bent of the free-will, we put our seal and consent to the Lord's withdrawing; there is no ground to complain of his withdrawing.

Q. But does not the Lord's withdrawing of his influences, since without his concurrence of that kind our actings are impossible, do violence to free-will, which must be indifferent to act or not to act, to do or not to do?

This is a weak reason; for to our willing the influence of God is natural, and so is it to our nilling; the Lord takes his influences, and the withdrawing thereof connatural to all our actions to both willing and to nilling: driness and barrenness is as connatural to the tree as budding and fruit-bearing, if God add his influences either to the one or to the other. Yes, since the Lord's concurrence is suitable to the nature of second causes, the fire leaves not off to be fire, nor is its nature destroyed, if the Lord withdraw his influence, so that the fire burns not the three children: nor is violence done to nature, by the Lord's joining of his influence to the fire to burn in acts of righteousness or of sin; there is still nilling and willing. And suppose that the Martyr chose to die a violent death, for the confirming of the truth, there is no violence done to free will; no, there is no miracle in the Lord's concurring to the material acts of sin.

To have dominion over the sovereignty of God is no part of the creature's liberty, but only it is free in order to its own actings; nor is it essential to the free will of men or angels, or any creature to have the influences of God in its power or at hand; as it is no part of the sun's power of yielding light, or of the fire's quality of casting heat to have dominion and command over the influences of God the supreme and first cause: but the Lord has so a dominion over second causes, both in acts natural and supernatural, that his influence as midwife ever attends (saving his holy sovereignty) the bringing forth of all births, and effects of second causes. So as in the free will's moral actings the not acting of free will, or the marring of the birth of new obedience to a law of God is never from the Lord's physical withdrawing of his influence, as from a culpable cause; but the sinfulness of the action is ever from our own sinful withdrawing of our will from under the moral sway of the holy command of God: and let it be a mystery how the Lord withdraws his concurrence, as being above a law, and he is holy and spotless in so doing, and how we are under a law and sinfully guilty in that we love to want his holy influence, and its our sin, and he loves to withdraw his influence; and it is his holy sovereignty. Both which are clear in Scripture, if we confess that we are debtors to the Lord, and to his just law, and his holy sovereignty, in that he yields his influences, and in his having mercy on whom he will, and in hardening whom he will, in the Lord's drawing of men or his not drawing of them to Christ; in revealing the Gospel mystery savingly to whom he will (Romans 9:18; John 6:44, 63; Matthew 11:26, 27); nor can the Lord be a debtor to the creature in these. And this mystery is a clear revealed truth, if we yield that the Lord's active drawing, calling, inviting of sinners to come to Christ is his holy and sinless work; and our passive not being drawn, and not being effectually called and invited to come to Christ is our sin of unbelief and our refusing and rebellious rejecting of his call (Isaiah 65:1, 2; Proverbs 1:24, 25, 26; John 5:40); and that he so calls and has mercy on whom he will, because he will, as it is the flesh and carnal wisdom that objects. But God so calling some, as they must come, because so he wills; and so calling other some, as they must be hardened, because he wills, gives a seeming ground to two great objections.

Why then does God find fault and rebuke and eternally refuse the so called? For if they were called with that drawing power that others are called with, sure they would believe and come: but they are not so called; therefore God cannot blame us, and find the fault in unbelievers (Romans 18:19).

If God so call some as they obey, and others as they obey not, because he will, who can resist his will? His will is as himself: then do we reject God's calling, and eternally perish, because God so does will? Now not any ever breathing, moved any such objections, but the carnal Jew in Paul's time, and the Socinians, Jesuits, and Arminians in the age we now live in, and stumblers at the word; for all such enemies to grace, turn the objection into an argument against the absolute will, and invincible grace of God, and answer not with the Holy Ghost, who (Romans 9) calls it a bold fleshly replying to God (v. 20). For the Holy Ghost asserts the sovereignty of God, as the potter over the clay, and the guiltiness of vessels of wrath (Romans 9:22), and their disobedience in refusing the call of God (v. 29), and their following like Pharisees law-righteousness by works, and stumbling at Christ the stumbling stone laid in Zion (Romans 9:31, 32, 33), whereas the Gentiles were called of free grace (v. 24, 25, 26); therefore they must be of the same stamp with the fleshly Jews, who thus object against us, and such are the patrons of universal grace and free will. Hence let that be discussed.

Would God give me grace I would be a man according to God's heart, as well as David.

But I was born in sin and I cannot have more grace than God has given me.

Would God give me a new power, I would run; now this power he denies to me, and gives to many.

That this special practical doubt may be fully removed.

1. A word to the Objector. 2. To the Objection.

To the Objector: if the Lord had given me the same grace that he gave David, I should run as David. It is of much concernment, who moves the objection, whether a convert, or a non-convert: it is commendable in neither; but in an unhumbled non-convert, it is senseless. If the sense be, had the Lord bestowed on me the grace habitual and actual, such as he bestowed on David, I should be a man according to the Lord's heart, as well as David. No thanks, no praise or glory to David, that he is a man according to God's heart; true; and therefore no guilt is upon the Objector, nor is any punishment due to him that he remains in cursed nature; this follows not.

The sense is; had I grace I should be a gracious man: what is this but I would have been a convert, if God had made me a convert.

But 1. The Objector says no more, then the fallen Angels, had the Lord made us devils to be elect Angels, and confirmed us in grace, then should we have been elect Angels. So might Judas have said, had grace made me the beloved Disciple that leaned on Christ's bosom, I should have been a sound believer. This is a mere speculation, no preaching of heart-love, to the man Christ. All the Reprobate may say, had the Lord made us all holy and sinless men in a personal union with Christ, we should all have been Christ's. Cursed Libertines and Quakers so call themselves; have they any more of the outflowings of free grace for that? Not a whit.

2. If God would give me the grace which he bestowed on David, I should be a man according to God's heart. True; but what is this to one who still dwells in nature. Should the sleeper say, had I laboured more, and slumbered and lain in my bed less, I should have been richer; but that supposition, will neither be bread to feed him, nor a web to clothe him. There is nothing here, but only idle wishing. O, if I had bread, and such empty desires cannot feed a hungry man, who is both idle and hungry. Were the Objector a Seeker, and did he search for wisdom as silver, and dig for her as for hid treasures, it were real or rational hunger; but there is not a right esteem of bread, there is no wise life-hunger, such as is in living men.

3. It were good that the Objector were humbled, and did lie at the water side, and complain, oh if his Ship would fetch me over, and his wind would blow: Who shall deliver me? What shall I do? Were he loathing his own ways, and highly in love with such ways of godliness, as David and the Saints walked in, it were good. Join despairing in self, and feeling of a wretched condition, with some desires of David's grace, that should be liker a laying hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you. But the Objector is full and rich, and self-righteous and whole, and needs not the Physician, and his own civil hell torments him not. A heaven of work-holiness, and law-righteousness is the lie that is in his right-hand, he feeds upon such ashes.

4. The Objector would be convinced of his backward desires: O, if I had grace I would then labor and run. Is it not 1. A contradiction; he loves to be watered with the streams and dewings of Christ, and hates and loaths the fountain. But now have they both seen and hated me and my father (John 15:24). The world cannot receive the Spirit (John 19:17), and so must hate the Spirit and all his influences. Fools hate wisdom. And 2. Every species and kind of being is delighted with its own being; the Serpent has not a desire or a real love to be turned into a man, nor would a Lion be turned into a Lamb, nor a devil into an elect Angel. That desire is contrary to the malice he has to the image of God in the elect Angels. The withered Earth loves rain and dew, it would be perfected in its kind; but a body of sin fights to keep its own being, and would not be destroyed by a habit of grace. Nor does an heir of wrath and a limb of Satan seriously desire to be a child of God; nor one tormented in Hell really will to be a holy Saint in Heaven. He only would be an eased and painless man, and seeks not to be free of blaspheming God. See Balaam's, and the rich man's desire (Numbers 23:10; Luke 16:24; Revelation 6:15, 16, 17).

3. True it is, we love not moral influences; and to be actors in holiness, that spoils and robs the man of his sweet lusts. We would be content to be passive and have the breathings of the Spirit come upon us sleeping and without toil, that we might feel the only sweetness, and delight of duties, not the duty and the gracious acting itself. As a man loves to have been made holy, not to be holy, nor to be made holy by acting and toiling. For the man who hates the Spirit and hates Christ, as the unrenewed Objector does, how can he love unfeignedly either the gracious habit of holiness, or the gracious influences of Christ? And therefore we may have a desire of the Lord's real and physical influences, and hate holy moral influences; for the damned only deprecate torment, but they make no prayers to God to be made holy (Mark 5:7; Matthew 8:29; Revelation 6:16).

4. He who so objects, being a non-convert, yes all converts in this life in so far as there are in us the remainders of a body of sin, close not a little with that divinity of Satan (Genesis 3:5): You shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. And therefore love to be independent and to be from under God, as is the unhappy word of Spira in point of suffering, O if I were above God. So speak the enemies of our Lord, who love not gracious influences, (as Christ is a well-governing, a sweetly awing Lord in all his influences) (Psalm 2:3): Let us break their bands and cast away their cords; though they be silken cords. So the citizens of Christ (Luke 19:14) hate him and set man's will on Jesus Christ's throne, [〈in non-Latin alphabet〉], We will not have this man to reign over us. The world hates a ruling and reigning Christ; and so we hate his holy actings, and the wishing to have grace and gracious influences ruling in us, is a dream. We really desire no such thing, but love an independency of our own, as was the unlucky prayer of the son who loved not to be under his heavenly Father (Luke 15:12): The younger son said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And so hate men the Lord in his influences of the word, rebuking them (Isaiah 30:11): Cause the holy One of Israel to cease from before us. And so this Objector; O that he would give me the double of David's grace, is an empty wish, as if hot fire would say, O that I were quenched with cold water. A lover of grace must be a gracious man.

As to the Objection itself,

1. It is false; if I had grace, I should improve it to gracious actings: for you improve not nature, and the endowments and parts of nature, to natural actings; and upon the same account, he who improves not grace of three degrees, would not better improve grace of six degrees. Natural wisdom is not used for Christ, but against him, and the Gospel, and is misspent in plotting, laying of snares for the godly, in taking crafty counsel against the Israel of God, in gathering and heaping together riches, in painting and busking lies against the truth, and a thousand ways of that kind; whereas that wisdom might have been profitable, for building of the house of God, and in edifying a man's own soul, and the souls of others.

2. In relations; of a Master, a Head of a family, a Parent, the power has been used against God, not for him. Would God I were Judge of the Land, I would do justice to every man. And when Absalom was made a piece of a King, he did no justice, in lying with, and defiling his own father's wives; then Absalom if he had had triple more power, he would not have used it better.

3. In the matter of age; were I old and grave, I would use the power of grace I have, to repent, walk softly, and be holy. Who told you that grace or parts not improved for God shall grow? And suppose they grow, who can promise, except he give free will surety, that he shall improve grace, except by the help of grace? And though grace help grace, yet cannot free will engage for the time to come, to set a diet and term-day for turning to God the next year, and when you are old; when as you are obliged while it is today not to harden your heart, and presently to repent: this is to make repentance a tree which bears not fruit, while some scores of years after its planting; a holy heart does fear and tremble under the present hardness and deadness.

4. In the point of instruments of doing good; if I had much riches, I would build churches, bridges, hospitals, entertain many poor, erect schools and colleges. Now, have the loins of the poor and naked blessed you for any you have clothed, even according to what you have. God seeks of no man above that he has, or according to what he has not: and if you fail in what you have, what can you say for what you have not. The formal cause of the charity, is the pouring or drawing out of the soul to the hungry (Isaiah 58:10), in faith, in lending to God, and casting your bread on the waters (Ecclesiastes 11:1, 2; Proverbs 19:17; Psalm 37:26). Now a house full of gold, cannot add a dram-weight to your mercifulness, and your trusting in God: but you are so much the richer that you have a stock in Heaven, then if you had a great venture at sea, and so much gold and so many jewels coming home to you from West-India; nor can plenty of gold give you more grace.

5. Had I more grace, I would not deny Christ for fear of men, nor sell Christ for money, as did Peter and Judas. Now just so spake the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:30), if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets; and yet they slew the Apostles, and beat the Prophets, and killed the precious heir Christ (Matthew 21:33, 38, 33). Would you have washed Christ's feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of your head? Would you have kissed his feet? Would you have forsaken all, and followed him? Your own heart must be dear and precious to you, when you undertake so much in its name; and yet many that so speak in our age, persecute godliness, and hate Christ in his members; and many go off that way many miles on the North side, and the South side of the Cross, when the Holy Ghost says, there is not a bridge over this river, but we must wade and swim through, at the nearest; and the road-way is, that through much tribulation, we must enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

6. Yet if I had the grace of David, I would not do as many do: what is that? You would not have committed adultery and bloodshed; could you have commanded the influences of God, and warded off an evil hour of a sad desertion? So vain men have their own middle science, the new scientia media, that Jesuits have put upon God: the man foresees he could make a world of his own; for they say as the men (James 4:13, 14, 15), who eye not God in all their ways say, if we go to such a city and buy and sell, we shall get gain, and say not if God will, if we live; so many, had I a stronger habit of grace, I would not use self, and (I) and free will as Adam did; but know, it is a worse self, and a more wicked (I) than was in Adam; for the self so speaking, is the flesh and the unrenewed part, and there was no unrenewed self, no such flesh in Adam, while he was yet endued with the image of God. So is this the ordinary discourse and language of this woulde, and wisher; by God's grace I should walk more closely with God than Noah, sure, more sincerely than he, I would not have been drunken with wine as he; but believe you that God who gave the habit of grace, to Noah, to Moses, to David, to Hezekiah, would have given you all the actual influences to eschew the slips of infirmities, which these men committed; and except you suppose this, you must lean upon the habit of grace, which is but a creature, and so must not have the room of God. Now if you have not any such habit, your hope must be a broken tree, and you leaning on a cipher, and upon nothing.

The affections of desire, love, joy, sorrow, fear, faith, hope, anger, which remain in unrenewed men, lustered over with some remainders of the image of God, are wasted profusely in the service of sin; and these affections might serve much in a way of honoring God. And it's a pity that woulding and wishing is the all of many men's religion; had I more grace, I would more honor God. Which is retorted, 1. Had I more habitual grace, and a richer talent, I would more dishonor God; some have a great stock, and sin more terribly against the received mercy of habitual grace. 2. It's retorted, Had I more of nature and of natural parts, I should do more for God; but more of nature you have, and what do you? Is it not thus? Had I the wings of an eagle, I would fly. But these wings you have, and you lie, and you creep; you do but slumber and sleep in the ways of God, you fly not. 3. Why is not this said, Had I more corruption (as it is easy to gain here, and do evil, and wax worse and worse) I should run with devils and reprobate men, from evil to worse; for this is a truth, had I the acquired blinded mind of Pharaoh, and traitorous heart of Judas, I should be worse than they. If it be said there is not the like reason between nature, and grace; for one habit of saving grace helps to make the will stronger, and more bent to gracious actings, than gifts or common parts or natural parts.

It is true; the habit of saving grace makes the soul readier to act savingly for God. Saving grace does more strongly effect the will in an habitual way, for gracious acts. But no habit either of grace or nature can actuate itself; and therefore it is presumption in a way of relying on the habit of grace to promise much to ourselves.

8. Had I extraordinary helps of a teacher sent from Hell, I would believe.

1. We believe not the word spoken by angels, the law, nor the word spoken by the Lord (Hebrews 2:3 and Hebrews 12:25). For if they escaped not, who refused him who spoke on earth; much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him who speaks from Heaven. Christ came from Heaven and out of the bosom of the Father, and has preached Heaven and Hell to us; for he had experience of wrath, answerable to the pain of Hell.

2. This is no other shift, than that of the rich man in the parable (Luke 16:30): Nay, father Abraham, if one went to them from the dead, they will repent. Now repentance flows not from the preacher's experience, though he had seen and felt the pains of Hell, or the joys of Heaven; nor does the experience of Heaven's joy or Hell's torment heal the broken and wounded will. And the rich man's divinity has been the same with the Pelagian way, that if the word be feelingly and dexterously proposed, it can waken up the sleeping free will; and repentance is a work of nature, if the fire be dexterously blown upon, it will certainly flame, and all depends upon the running and willing of his five brethren.

Now common grace, free will, and natural ability, at best is but a potency; the actual stirring of saving grace must extract, and (to speak so) milk out of the very saving habit, acts of sound believing, and repenting, or then the will and the habit must lie dead: far more is this true in natural powers and common graces.

Now in all this our Savior answers well the whole doubt; he that is not faithful in little, can he be faithful in much (Luke 16:11)? If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches (verse 12)? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? Our Savior reasons most strongly (John 3:12): If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? He that is not able to bear a burden of the weight of one pound, would he bear a burden of a thousand talents? So he, If the Lord had given me ten talents, I should have equaled David or Paul, or the beloved disciple John, in grace and holiness. Now you have not improved two talents, but dug them in the earth: for it is not here as in earthly things; mow a meadow twelve times in one year, and after three times mowing you shall have but little: take continually away from a deep fountain, and draw water from it night and day, at length it shall be ebb or dry; but act and improve the habit of grace, and the more it shall grow, and increase. And it's certain, grace can waken up sleeping free will, but free will cannot stir up grace; death cannot make use of life, but life can work upon deadness.

The next answer to this; had I grace, or more grace, I should be as holy as David: its a blowing up of nature, and a dethroning of Christ. For this (I) when you say, I should be holy as David, is not that gracious (I) of which Paul (Galatians 2:20), I live not, but Christ lives in me; but its (I) and (self) divided from self and grace: but woe to the will separated from Christ; woe to the branch cut off from the green and flourishing tree, its good for nothing but the fire; woe to the arm sawen off the living body; and by this, as one says well, If God would give the power, you would of your self, add the will, this is the Pelagian heresy. Let God but make a stirring and a blowing, and give a sort of will, I could doe wonders: as if it were not the Lord, who works in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Yes, it lays little upon God's calling: (for he calleth Cain and Judas) and much, yes the all of our salvation on our answering. Christ knocks by word of mouth, and (I) and (self) free-will opens the heart of Lydia which debases Christ and powerful grace. In all which consider, had you the influences of grace at your disposing; 1. Then, might free will bar the iron door, against sin; that sin of angels and men, without free will's good leave should never enter the world. And the creature should be more master and lord governor over providence, than the sovereign Lord himself: then could the Lord erect no theatre, nor set a chair of free grace to the Mediator and Lord of grace, Jesus Christ, while first he took counsel with created free will, and say, O creature may I have your good leave to send my Son to the world, and the disease must be consulted, shall there be such a precious one, as the Physician, the healer of sinners? Its true, no sinner, no Savior; no lost one, no Redeemer, such as our Emanuel; but its known, if influences of grace be, (as Pelagianizing universalists say) at the disposing of nature, with that absolute indifferency, the free creature may stand, or may fall, let the all-governing Lord doe his best to the contrary: there is here a created sovereign dominion; If God create the creature free, it involves a contradiction, that God should be free to hold out or bring in sin, and hell, and misery, and God is indifferent (except man must irrevocably perish) to send his Son in the flesh, to save sinners: and such a providence might have been, if man's free will had so been pleased to dispose of its own free acts, and of the influences of God, there should for ever have been no Savior, no Emanuel, no declared free grace, no gracious design in God to open experimentally to men and angels the wonder of Christ and free grace; but that must come upon the sovereign Lord, by some bide-by design of nature and created free will.

3. Were influences at our disposal, we might make our prayers only to our own free will, who only can by this way hear and help; but we pray to God only for quickening, determining, leading, and stirring up influences, and for effectual teaching; and influences are in a good hand, when the matter is so.

4. The unregenerate, as in Shepherd's Select Cases, page 96, page 102, are not within the compass of any conditional promise, though in Baxter's Appendix to Aphorisms, to Objection 10, 11, page 28, he puts a note of censure on it: for if the new heart were in the power of Cain and Judas, and this were holden forth to all and every one of mankind; run well and win the crown of conversion, and of the life of grace and of glory. For 1. You have sufficient grace to win it. 2. You have the influences of grace at your own disposal and power, be you Brasilian, Indian, or what else. Then were all men made independent lords of salvation and damnation, and of the holy and deep decrees of election and reprobation. And if so, there were not such a thing as a decree of reprobation, but as a sort of over-birth, and a decree of some after-wit, in the holy majesty of God (after he were disappointed of his former Gospel-decree of choosing all to glory) who wisely, yes out of his manifold wisdom willed and decreed all to be saved, so they would use the universal power, and the influences of grace well, as they might and could; but to what God should such make their prayers? Whether to God the Father of our Lord Jesus, or to themselves, I cannot divine.

5. If so be influences be at man's disposal, could he kiss the Mediator, stoop to free grace, and adore it, praise and sing his glory, who sits upon the throne, and commend the Lamb who redeemed sinners out from among lost sinners?

6. In reason we can no more time, and dispose of the measure, manner and kind, of our own comforts, and of the kind and measure of the Lord's influences, than the earth can dispose of the quantity of rain, and dew; and herbs, corn, or growing trees, can determine of the influences of the sun, moon, and heavens.

The third class of answers to the Lord's restrained way of giving of grace, and to him who says, (Had I more grace, I should be more holy) must be taken from the holy attributes of God; for this quarrel, why would not the Lord make me holier and let out richer influences of grace? is a reproaching of his sovereignty. He makes not all the lumps of the great mass of clay, vessels of honor; that is true: nor have they all alike nearness to the throne of glory or the like measure of glory that are in Heaven; nor alike measure of gifts, all are not Apostles; nor alike measure of grace and holiness; nor are they all equally poor or equally rich, or equally wise and learned, or equally believing in the same measure of assurance, the same measure of joy. For when Paul disputes thus, he has mercy on whom he will, and hardens whom he will, it comes to this; Why does he then find fault? It is not in him that runs and wills; if the Lord would effectually call us Jews, we should run and will, and obey as vigorously as the Gentiles doe. But the Lord does not so call us; therefore he cannot rebuke us, or find fault with us, that we believe not, and receive not the Messiah, and the righteousness of God through faith, which is the very objection in hand.

2. As the Objection is against the sovereignty of God, so it is against the infinite wisdom of God: Why should the infinitely wise Lord, knowing, if Judas, and all the disobedient refusers of Christ, had the same grace, and influences of grace bestowed upon them, which he freely bestowed on his own, they would have obeyed; deny that grace, and these influences, he knowingly denies them? After the Apostle in three Chapters has discussed this (Romans 11:33), he acknowledges there is a deep in it; O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! No wonder it be a depth to me; but there is no more deep in it, if all have universal sufficient grace, and if all have the influences of grace in their power, then this is no depth: He that believes shall be saved; he that believes not shall be condemned, and God rewards those who seek him. I deny not there is a depth in all God's ways, in the industry of a pismire, of a coney, of a locust; yes, how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child. But because the Apostle having discoursed of election and reprobation, and of the righteousness of faith, and of the law (Romans cap. 9, c. 10), and of the casting off the Jews for a time, and the incoming of the Gentiles (Romans 11), and then concludes (ver. 33), O the depth, both of the riches and knowledge of God, &c. there must be another sort of profundity in the words, to human reason, than that wisdom of God shining in the works of creation and providence (Romans 1:19, 20; Psalms 92:5, 6, 7; Psalms 107:43; Psalms 58:10, 11, &c.). Now the doctors of universal grace, and such as submit election and reprobation, obedience to the call of God, and disobedience, and all the influences of grace to the determination of free will, arise no higher than the depths of man's willing, and nilling. As also the Objector in this says, God might have more honor and service of me, if so it had pleased him; and what is this? but God would be wiser, should he bestow grace and the influences of grace on me, and all mankind; for even such Arminians who cannot deny but God foresees, what motions and influences shall prevail with free will, what not, are burdened with this doubt; as we are, if man's carnal wisdom be judge.

3. This is a complaining against the free grace of God; there is a sort of grace of creation, and a comet or a star is here left to complain, why made not the Lord me a shining sun? and the thistle must challenge God, why made he not me a fig-tree, or a vine-tree? Are not here beggars at the Lord's door boasting the Lord, because they get not an alms of begged and borrowed being after their own carnal will? So here, what ebness of grace was this, that the Lord would not bestow the same influences of grace on Beelzebub the prince of devils, before he fell, as upon the angel Gabriel, and the Seraphims, who fly with wings to do his will, and cover their faces with wings, as blushing before infinite holiness? Why bestows he not as much saving influences on me, as on David, Moses, Noah, Job, and Daniel? Why not as much grace, and of the fulness of the anointing, as upon the man Christ, that holy thing, Jesus?

4. And is not free goodness here complained of? God knowingly and wittingly (says the lying Devil) envying you should be gods, forbids you to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Envy is contrary to communicative goodness: free goodness gives freely in measure, in weight and number, as best pleases him; now God gives not grace enough.

5. His holiness and righteousness is arraigned. 1. He did not from eternity show mercy, nor provide a new heart for me; then, that I serve not, as he deserves, let him blame himself, not me. 2. He created me a slippery clay vessel, which he saw should fall upon stones, and be broken; he might have made me brass and iron, that could not be broken. And 3. that I sin, wanting the fulness of the anointing, and influences in a personal union, as in the man Christ, is a defect in God, not in man; and all the sins I commit, he could have prevented them, and either would not, or could not.

6. It is repugnant to the Lord's holy charge, in governing the world; I would be holy and run, but he withdraws influences. What is this? but I do my part, but the Lord is wanting in his part; I am willing to run, but he draws not; I follow, but he refuses to lead me; I answer, but he calls not. A holy meekened soul sees all the blame in itself, and mercy and inviting kindness in God.

7. I would do otherwise, but ah my sinful nature! I was born in sin; this is a blaming of providence. 1. God denies influences, and the fulness of the Holy Ghost from the womb to me, and all mankind, which he gave to the man Christ.

But 1. The flowing of sin original is a work of holy justice, who so punished the first fall; and you carp not at the indwelling of sin original, by which the poison of the sinful nature, is hateful to God (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21), but at the Lord's righteous smiting of our nature. Shall the clay say to him that fashions it, what make you? (Isaiah 45:9). And as if he were a patient under sin original; Ah, I would be from under a body of sin, but I am captive, sold under sin; this is a lie. Every man is in this sense a captive under sin original, in that, will he, nill he, he is born in sin: and the flux of justice so determined, ere the man was born, but the unrenewed Objector is not so a captive. He that was never humbled for sin original, as David confesses it his plague and sore (Psalms 51:5; Job 14:4), is not a captive, but a consenter to sin original.

He that willingly lends lodging and a furnace, and a warm hearth-stone to sin original, and remains willingly in the state of unrenewed nature, is not a patient under sin original, the man is not a captive and a prisoner against his will, to him who has the power of life and death, and to him who sends a writ of grace, and bids him come out, and casts open the prison doors, yet he remains there, eats, drinks, sleeps, sports. Christ the Lord of life has sent the Gospel, which is a bill of free grace, he bids you come out of cursed nature, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, come to me, and I will ease you; yet you will not change your life, this 20, 30, 40 years, since the Gospel of grace came to you; you eat, drink, sleep, wake, laugh, rejoice in a state of distance from Christ, and refuse to come out of that prison.

I would I were without original sin, (you say) and yet when you willingly lie, swear, whore, you put seal, subscription, and consent to Adam's first sin. He that delights in the streams and drinks with delight, does he not love the water of the fountain? Then to say, I would be without sin original, is as much, as I would be without sin, and I would not be without sin. Does not this man allow Adam's deed, and serve himself heir to Adam his father's sin, twenty times in one day? And in such a man sin original is not diminished, and brought down to a sin of infirmity; as in Paul (Romans 7:15), "For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that I do." That is a sanctified would, a renewed hatred of one entering a protestation against sin; but original sin lives in its vigor and reign of the Law, in this man; and where this sin has the full consent and force of the will, the Law, in its condemning power, is on its side. Hence that excuse the man brings, as in Fenner's Wilfull Impenitency, page 95, 96, which proves that he is not humbled; you excuse yourself for your original sin too; Lord I would be without original sin, but I cannot; if I could, I would. Belike then if it had been your case, as it was Adam's, you would not have eaten of the forbidden fruit; and therefore it was his fault, and not yours, and you would not have sinned, if you could have otherwise chosen. David confesses this sin as his personal, as well as his natural sin (Psalm 51:5), "Behold, in iniquity (that is the highest of sin) I was formed, and in sin did my mother conceive me," he names the person twice; and the holy Ghost darkens all faces with this sin (Romans 5:12), "All have sinned," and yet this objector is more innocent than Adam. Verse 18: "By the offence of one, judgement came upon all men to condemnation." Verse 19: "By one man's disobedience, many were made sinners;" that is, all, except the man Christ; and this man must be free of sin and condemnation, as the second Adam.

He would have original sin removed in an extraordinary way, and not in the Lord's own way, and so tempts God, as Satan tempted Christ to work miracles for bread, and to cast himself down over the pinnacle of the Temple.

Now this, Lord, I would be without sin original, but I cannot, you have so ordained my nature to be; but it is against my will and my heart, for my heart hates it, its double dealing, and an untruth; for then the will must be clean, then the objector must be cleaner and holier, than God says in Scripture the unrenewed man is.

Then must the will be, by nature, free of sin original, whereas the frame of the heart is only evil from the womb, and deceitful and desperately wicked (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21; Jeremiah 17:9).

Then must the holy Lord be in the fault, who might give influences of grace, and a whole nature; yes, and the holy Ghost from the womb, as he did to John the Baptist, but denies it.

But God has appointed no extraordinary way of healing our nature. The Baptist was from the womb cured of the dominion of sin original, it entered not with his life, in its full reign, as a King, as in others, and sin original was in the Baptist as in others, as to the demerit, if God should have entered in judgement with him. Now the objector would be free of original sin in his own way, not in God's way.

He condemns God in that ever he permitted such a sin to be; what warrant is there in Scripture for striving with any providence or physical influences of God? None at all.

What warrant to complain that all from the womb have not the same influences of grace which the Lord graciously bestowed on John Baptist?

3. What warrant to desire the extraordinary removal of sin original by annihilation? For God has appointed the Lamb of God to take away sin, and to dissolve the work of the Devil. The Lord's way is by praying, Wash me, and I shall be white as snow: and the Lord will tie us, not to the Socinian absolute taking away of sin, without Christ's satisfaction, but to an ordinance of the Law (Psalm 51:7), Purge me with hyssop. Hence this deceit or sinful conceits in many; If God would add stronger influences of grace, I should be holy as an Angel. But this he does not; and so comes in a lazy despairing, if God will not give stronger influences physical, I cannot help it: I do all that a man can do, I pray night and day, tide and time; therefore if I perish, I must perish: if God will not save me, I cannot be against his will; I can do no more than I do, but must refer myself to his will. So we would consider well, this sinful case of conscience, When 1. the man wishes to be free of the inherency of sin, because something that is penal in lust torments, and hinders sleep; some bodily pain goes along with night drinking, but yet he sticks strongly to the sinful acting thereof. 2. When the man should repent and mourn for his sinful delighting in sin, he murmurs that God would not counter-work the being of it, and that he so permitted it to be, and so disposed of the place, and strength of temptation, since he could have made it never to have been. And 3. The man wishes he might be a patient in the removing of it, and frets that God will not take it away, while he sleeps, but withal he refuses to be an actor; 1. In sorrowing according to God, and in loathing it. 2. In challenging himself (Proverbs 5), How have I hated instruction. 3. In a godly improving of Jesus Christ, as the ransom-payer, and believing in him, for the Lord's way of moral removing of sin, by pardoning thereof (Jeremiah 50:20).

But this is also a tempting of God. 1. We are not to pray for influences physical simply, and absolutely for all uses, and ends to work miracles, to remove mountains, but especially we are to pray for more influences, and such as are suitable to our ordinary duties (Psalm 119:36), Incline my heart (but he suits not of God every bowing of the heart, abstracted from the word) incline my heart to your testimonies and not to covetousness. Verse 133. Order my heart in your steps, let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 2. David seeks not every sort of quickening influences; but (Psalm 119:25) Quicken you me according to your word. Verse 40. Quicken me in your righteousness. Verse 88. Quicken me after your loving kindness. Verse 149. O Lord, quicken me according to your judgment. Verses 156 and 116. Uphold me according to your word, that I may live. Quakers and Familists seek after the furious wild-fire of hell, scaldings and flamings of a spirit abstracted from the word; hence the brother's killing of the brother has been fathered on the Spirit, and railing, bitter speaking, blaspheming have been laid upon such a spirit.

2. A spirit that suggests neglect of ordinances and means of salvation is not the Spirit of God. Would God put forth more power, and stronger influences, I should be holy indeed; in the mean time the man sleeps. So would the Lord put forth stronger influences, corn, and wheat, and vine-trees should grow without husbandry, and sowing; shall the husbandman plow not, and pray for such a harvest? So may the man say, I'll eat not, God can nourish me without bread. Influences in the fixed and ordinary providence of God, are neither promised, nor to be expected, but in God's way of using means; the hand of the diligent makes rich. Should one step out of the ship and attempt to walk on the sea, having no warrant, but a spirit divided from the use of means, and from hearing, reading, meditating, praying? Were not this a proud tempting of God?

3. Do not all the wretched and profane, practically contradict God? The drunkard will draw, and pull by head and hair, influences to his drunken prayers; the swearer, the oppressor, and the loose-liver will force influences to his empty faith, I believe and am saved; and there must be influences at these golden words (James 2:16), spoken to the naked and hungry, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled. There is some carnal fire and heat in their formalities, and they look upon these influences of God and thank God for them (Luke 18:11, 12), when as these influences are rather wrathful plagues of God, joining with our sinful acting of hypocrisy, than favors and gracious concurrences of God. But as to the lazy despairing,

1. It was the people's way, when they are exhorted to repent (Jeremiah 18:12), There is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices; and they were far from doing all, that men can do, and praying night and day; they were stealing, murdering, whoring, following false gods night and day (Jeremiah 7:9), and yet they said they came to the Temple to pray and sacrifice night and day (verse 10).

2. Is it not dreadful, that when God refuses to rain down influences on sleepers, and the Spirit breathes not upon dreamers, and men are resolved to do no more, not to add a farthing more for the field and the precious pearl Christ, if they perish, they must submit themselves to the will of God, they cannot force the Lord, will he, nil he, to save them? True, all the reprobates that cry to hills and mountains to cover them, whether they will or no, they must refer themselves to the will of God; and this is a wicked chiding with God: if God will not save me by such actings, as may stand with mine ease and pleasure, let him destroy me; for I'll do no more than I do.

3. This is a murmuring, at the very marrow and flower of the Gospel (John 6:43), Murmur not among yourselves. Verse 44. No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him. Then are we inclined to make war with God, because he will not give us drawing influences, and bestows them upon some. Hence these disciples gave over all use of means (verse 66), went back and walked no more with Jesus. What then shall they do? They cannot force God to draw them: if the Lord will save us, its good; if not, we cannot mend it; we'll follow Christ and his new Gospel no more.

4. Is it to you, fools, so approved a course to give over means, so blessed of God. If it can be made out, that the influences of God do so serve (in a manner) the industry of men, then are ordinances and means not to be neglected. 1. Means used are the Lord's way of coming to us, and our way of coming to him, whether in the word preached (Acts 2:36, 37; Acts 4:4; Acts 10:44; Acts 16:14; John 4:9, 10, 14–29, 30, 39, 40, 41; John 4:50, 51), or in miracles or any other lawful way. 2. Because to some certain using of means in faith, there is a promise of an effectual blessing made (Proverbs 2): My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you (ver. 2), so that you encline your ear to wisdom (ver. 5), then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God; (Proverbs 8:17) I love them that love me, and they that seek me early, shall find me; (John 3:18, 36; John 5:24; John 11:25, 26, 27; Proverbs 3:1, 2; Proverbs 4:20, 21, 22). 3. Neglect of means is dreadfully punished of God (Proverbs 1:24, 25, 26, 27; Proverbs 5:12; Proverbs 6:9, 10, 11; Luke 14:16, 17, 18, 19, 10, 24). Hence the killing of the Prophets, and of the heir, is plagued with being cast out of the Vineyard, and the removal of the word of the Kingdom. 4. The assiduous using of means, and Jacob's wrestling in prayer all the night until daylight, receiveth the influence of a blessing, and of the hearing of the prayer in faith and feeling (Genesis 32:26, 29), and it puts the soul in a nearest capacity to receive influences from God; love-sickness near the throne is near to influences of grace and glory, as sweet smelled herbs are near to such influences, so as presently they yield honey. Some refined earth curiously hardened by the influences of the Sun, is near to be turned to fine gold, or choice silver; when we go about earthly business with half a heart or godly indifferency, and with a distance from the Creature, we grow more heavenly and more disposed to receive the influences of God. But such a promise as this made to an unrenewed man yet in nature, this do, and you shall be converted, I read not; or let nature do and grace follow; or let common grace begin, and the special grace of conversion shall follow. It cannot be proved by the word which Mr. Baxter says, Appendix to his Aphorismes, answer to Obj. 10, 11, pag. 260, that men would not accept Christ, and so believe for remission before their lives be reformed; and that reformation of life must go before the belief or knowledge of pardon, though not before justifying faith.

For 1. This is to bid men keep a distance from holy Jesus, and not come at him, or touch him by faith, though the soul be humbly trembling before him; as the woman (Luke 8:47, 48; Mark 5:33, 34), until they be holy and righteous. It is very like to this, come not within sight of the Physician, by faith, until first you be healed and reformed, or come not to buy the fine linen and the righteousness of the Saints, until first you be well clothed with your own inherent righteousness: But who shall heal the sick, and clothe the naked sinner, if it be not Christ? Now Christ not believed in for pardon, is he at so huge a distance from a sinner that he cannot heal, if never seen, and never touched by faith?

2. This is to bring in an inherent physical pardoning and justification by works; the Scripture knoweth not of any justification but one, and that is through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

3. What is meant by reformation, whether half or whole, whether begun or complete reformation of life? Whole and complete reformation there is none, while the end and departure out of this life; and so no man is to believe remission of sins, until they be going out of the body. This is the comfortless doctrine of Papists, never to know and be assured of the graces freely given us of God, as in (1 Corinthians 2:12), and that Christ is in us except we be reprobates (2 Corinthians 13:5), and never to know that we have life eternal, and never to know that God hears us, and that we are of God, contrary to (1 John 5:13, 14, 15, 19), until we be going out of the world: as if Paul and John, did write only to comfort dying Corinthians, and believers; and none could be of good cheer, and love Christ much, knowing their sins were forgiven; none could have hope, joy unspeakable and full of glory, and know they know God, and are translated from death to life, because they love the brethren, until they be expiring, contrary to (Mark 5:24; Matthew 9:1, 2; Luke 7:47, 48, 50; Romans 5:2; Romans 8:18, 24; Colossians 1:5, 27; 1 Peter 1:5, 6; Matthew 5:11, 12; 1 John 2:3; 1 John 3:14), as if the Holy Ghost should comfort us, and bid us rejoice at fancies and at moonshines, which we have today, and may lose tomorrow. If he mean half and begun reformation; it must be begun justification, begun regeneration, begun conversion, and believing savingly begun, but not complete: Now men cannot reform their life, until they please God (Hebrews 11:5, 6), nor can Enoch reform his life and walk with God till he believe: and believing necessarily is a laying hold of Christ for pardon (Acts 10:43; Luke 7:50; Matthew 9:1).

Nor can there be a continued tract of repentance, and begun reformation of life which is a work of the Gospel and New Covenant, not of the Law, except there be a hopeful mourning for sin, and a looking to him by faith, whom we have pierced (Zechariah 12:10). Nor is it godly sorrow working repentance to salvation never to be repented of, as (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11), which wants faith of salvation, and faith of salvation in Christ without faith of pardon, yes or begun justification without faith of pardon, is impossible. Nor can there be a bringing forth fruit in Christ as implanted in the Vine-tree (which is only reformation of life acceptable to God) while men be first, by faith, engrafted in Christ as branches, growing in him (John 15:1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Nor walking in God's Commandments, while first the heart of stone be removed, and a new heart and a new spirit given, as (Ezekiel 36:26, 27; Isaiah 44:1, 2, 3, 4). Nor can we believe with justifying and saving faith, while we be born again (1 John 5:1, 4, 5). For if so, it were as much as the tree blossoms, grows, and brings forth fruit, ere it be planted, and the birth moves and stirs and receives seed and nourishment in the womb, before it receive life in the womb. Nor does the Scripture tell us of a premeriting of the faith of pardon and remission by a reformation of life, so as conversion, the Gospel, and accepting of Christ as Lord, and a tract of obedience was required of the Jailor, of Lydia, and of the Thief upon the Cross, before they believe. For accepting of Christ as Lord, is obeying of Christ, and faith in Christ, as says Mr. Baxter; and so faith must be required before faith, and reformation of life, before reformation of life; and so Mr. Baxter forbids us to believe and accept Christ, for our Lord and King, pardoning treason, while first we have reformed our lives. Now to reform our lives Evangelically, (for of this he must mean) is to accept Christ as our Lord; that is, to do Evangelically and live, to obey the new law, and to perform new obedience to Christ. Hence he says, ibid. pag. 28. I desire him to tell me, whether he can prove, that any man's sins are pardoned, before they have accepted Christ for their Lord? That is, before faith. If not, whether this be not the subjection of the soul to Christ to be governed by him, and so a heart-reformation. Now it may be told Mr. Baxter, that accepting of Christ as our Lord, pag. 285, that is to take him both as our Savior and to obey him, pag. 286, to be subject to him and obey him, and to square our actions according to his will. Now the actions are not one or two, but all our actions to our death; and so no man completely takes Christ for his Lord, and so no man completely believes, until death; and so the consolations of Christ must be as morally cold as the consolations of Solon, who said, no man can be happy while he die; and the comforts of Aristotle, no man is happy who may fall in the calamities of Priamus. Christ must make us glad of a painted nothing; Rejoice and be glad, there is a great reward laid up for you in Heaven; rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, nothing can separate you from the love of God; mountains and hills may be removed, but my love is more stable. But 1. You cannot be sure; therefore doubt and tremble. 2. Suppose you stand today, and know that you know him, you may be, and thousands as happy as you are, tomorrow limbs of Satan and eternally damned. Now if no man completely take Christ until he have consummated and perfected his obedience to the death, Christ's word to any, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven, is but comfortless; for they are neither forgiven, nor half forgiven, until he has taken Christ for his Lord, and wrought his day's work to the end; and then, and never till then, can he have comfort in his wages and in his work. 2. It may be answered the woman diseased of the bloody issue (Mark 5:34), the woman who did wash Christ's feet with her tears (Luke 7:47, 48), so the man sick of the palsy (Matthew 9:2), the justified by faith who have peace with God, David (Psalm 103:3), the repenting man upon the Cross (Luke 23:42, 43), had their sins forgiven upon the testimony of believing, without any testimony of their good works; and Scripture tells us not, that a Master bids his servant rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, at the beginning and morning of his day, for at night, he shall have a rich reward, if such a servant, and millions of servants in his case, may fall and lose whole wage, for they do but half work.