é/lnd tbe Sub-opérRth;rr,s àf Mans Will. 45 not be willing to change it, without Grace.] But you cannot fay that an accuftomeci fanner cannot learn to do good were he never fo willing : nor yet that he can be as eafily willingas theEthiopian, nor as hardlymade willing as the Leopard. 3. Figurative fpeeches are frequent in Scripture; and may alikebe uíed byus in the like cafes. But in Controverfies a trope is an equivocal till explained, and muft not be ufed without necefïity and ex- plication. 4.. Where the text once faith, They couldnot believe orrepent, it faith many and many times They would not. 5. The phrafe They couldnot believe, becau¡e Efaias faith, &c.] roh. t z. 39. notorioufl fpeak- eth but of an Impogi ilitas Logics confequenti e, and not of a phylical dif- ability in themCelves, though it intimateth a fetled wilfulnefs. 6. When it's fail, Aft. 4.14. [Theycould fay nothing againfl it,] it fignifieth not a want of phyffcal power, but mediate advantage. Its Paid of Chrift, Mark t.45. He could no more enter into the city 6 5 He could there do no mighty work becaufe of their unbelief. 7. 24. He could not be hid. Ifa. 5.4. What couldhave been done more to my Vineyard ? Jer. I5. I. MYmind couldnot be towards this people. Mark g. 20. Theycould not T much as eat bread. i Thee 3. I. When we couldno longer forbear, &c. 1 Joh. 3.9. He cannot fin Heb. 9. 5. Of which we cannot now peakparticularly. Aft. 4.16. We cannot deny it. And 19. 36. Thefe things cannot be fpoken againft. Joh. 7.7. The world cannot hate you. Luk. I 1.7. I cannot rife andgive thee, (and yet he did.) Luk. i4. zo. 1 have marryed a wife, therefore I cannot come. Mar. 2. 19. They cannotfall. Neh. 6.3. I cannot come down. . So Gen. 34. 14. cr 44. 26. 2 Car.13.8. Numb.22. 18: eá' 24. 13. 7.of. 24. 19. t Sam. 25. 57. Pfal. 77.4. andotherplaces ; I think you,will not fay it is natural and utter difability that is here fpokenof : Nonor of God when it is Paid that He cannot deny himfélf or Lye, 2 Tim. 2. 13. Tit. 1. a., We mutt therefore explain fuchdoubtful words, before we draw., controverted con- clufions from them, as fuppofing them fallly.tobe univocal. 13. 17. The fame Natural facultymay by the Alteration ofobjeflsand means, become formally a Power or nopower ad hoc velillud. Andwhen Na- turemade it a faculty, Grace canmake it aformalpower to this or that with out changing it in it felfat all, in many inftances or cafes. ?).18. Menhave a ower even moral to the ufe of many means which God bath appointed for the begetting of faith, before they have a moral powerto believe. 1. 19. God hath appointed or commanded to all men; the ufe ofcer- tain duties and means for their Recovery by faith and repentance unto God : And there is no manthat is not obliged to ufe fuch means ; nor any man that is to ufe them in de[pair of fuccefs: The very commandbeing fome fignification of Gods will, that obedience ¡hall not be in vain. Whether the name of an Implicite Promife be apt for that command,I leaveto thofe that havea mind to contendabout names. 0.2o. Though a meer Indifferent faculty be (as Dr. Twif e faith) rather to be called Nature than Grace ; yet it is Grace 1. Which givetha gracious object to that faculty, thoùgh thereby it be utili but an undeter- minedPower. 2. And it is more Grace which taketh of fome vicious Ill- difpofitions of the foul, and giveth it fome more Difpofition to believe,, though but fo much as common grace Both give. 21. It is not a ?veer Power that Godgiveth men to Repent andbelieve: Buta rower,accompanied withmany Gracious helps and means to determine it aright (of which before.) *. a 2.. He that will not rife fuch Power andmeans Both thereby forfeit further
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