Annesley - Houston-Packer Collection BX9327 .M6 1664

34 What rn#11, andcan Perfons do Serm. a Ir2 Mile.l. 3. P z9 Tcr.31,t S. T. Cor.z.14. I lhall wave all thofe greatTruths,and come to char which the word; fec :n to import, viz. A power in man to turn himfelf. lc is a good rule whichGlafne in his Philologiegives us, That a&ive Verbs ar. i_ ven to thole things which do nor properly and by immediate influx-e, do that which they f gnihe, Sed certa tantum ratione concrarrurt. God faid to (_Moles, Lift rip thy rod, flretchout thy handover the Sea and divide it, Exod. 14. i6. lblofcs had not power co divide the Sea ; but, be- caufe there was a certain concurrence of Mofes u(ng the Rod accord- ing to divine dire&ion, therefore it is attributed untoMofes, where- as tc was the ,vork of God alone, for verf. 2I. its Paid, The Lord cam- fed the Sea togo back . So in the work of Converfion, bet. ule man doch fomeching about it, therefore he is faid co turn himfelf, although the adl:ion be peculiar to the Lord,Ephraim faith, Turn thou ore, and 1(ha11 be turned. The Qt ery here is, What can, or ought perfoxs to do towards their own Conver/on ? Something firfl is to be fpoken of mars power,or can ; and then fome- thing of what man ought to do. For the firfl of there : There is a threefold power confiderable, an Aolive, a Patlive, and an Obediential power. L. An A6five power, as in fire there is fuch a power to warm ; in a good Tree there is fuch a power to bring forth good fruir. This kind of power is denied to be in man,Mat. L 2.34. How can you that are evil ;pear good things? If they cannot (peak good things ; much lets can t heydo good things. 2. A PafTìve power, as in Wax ro receive the impreffion of the Seal, and in Wood to receive the engravings of the Carver.. This power is not found in man : Pam faith exprelly, The natural man, or feuly man srdre, receives not the rhinos of the Spirit of God, and xdúvualu, neither can he. A fide dead hand receives nothing, neither can it. 3. An Obediential power; which confifls in a capability to receive what form or imprefíìon foever the mighty God by his power mall put upon a Creature, fuch a power is in a flony heart to become flefh, irs capable to be made fiefhy when God puts forth his power. This is the power granted by Divines to be in men,and it is a very low power. The Sacred Writ is plentiful in felting out the impotency of man, is tells us that, He is not fubje. t to the 1. aw' of God, neither can be,Rom.8.7. That

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