Of God's Gracious Operations on Man's Soul : of that ob- thing in the objc t as a.necefar condition of it', which is not in the object of his decree ofgiving faith; And that bath fomething in its objeft, which is not in the object of the decree of giving aRedeemer to the world, or making the world, tic. if you will at all diftinguifh Gods decrees by their ob,jets, or effects : But if not, there will be no matter for any Controverlie. And Predeftination is an ambiguous word : If it be taken for All Gods foredecreeing, or all about man, or all ofGood to us ; then our Being is the firft effect of it in us, and the making of the World a pre- paratory effect, &c.. And fo, no doubt, the firft effect fuppofed us no men, before, and therefore no condition in us. Bin ifyou take Predefi_ nation for Gods decree of Giving us Grace and Glory only, then it is pre- fuppofed that we are lapfed fin sers. And the decree of damning men is exercifed only on them as fore- known damnablefanners ; And the decree of penal denying Grace or faith to (inners for fin, fuppofeth them fuch punifhable finners : But the bare 1eeation of a Decree to give faith to one to whom the abfence is no pri- 'nation, is unfitly called Reprobation, (though men may talk at their own , rates s) And we grant that fome fuch no-decrees have no condition in the objeEts, for they have no objects : e. g. If you will feign that God de- creed from eternity, to giveme nofaith before the creation, or before I was born; or to give Innocent Adam nofaith in a saviour, as dyingfor him;. this were no reprobating ad. But when God bath given mena Sa- viour with his common grace to believe in and accept, here if he deny them necefary grace to believe, it is a penal ail. And.note that Chrift andCommon grace as abfolutely given to mankind, and offered to indivi- duals, ever goeth before mens accepting or .refufing him : And no man towhom he is ofered, refufethhim for want of neceffary help, tillby fin againft that grace he forfeit it. X I I. God byan abfolute and efficacious decree ofhis will, antecedent- ly to the prefcience ofthe future good fife offree-will, predetermined all goodaits, which are done in time, fpecially thole by which the predefti- nate come to eternal life. 4nfw. The fubftanceof thisfeemeth true : only r. Whether you fitly denominate a decree efficacious from eternity, which effeéteth nothing till the rime, I leave to them that difpute of words. 2. You prefumptuoufly determine Gods Decrees to be antecedent to his prefcience herein ; when they are neither before nor after one another. 3.. If bypredetermining you mean more than predecreeing or prevoli- tion, as if mans will was predetermined, when it was not determined, or determined before it had a being, you (peak contradictions. But Gods own will was eternally determined (ifwe may fo fay of that whichwas never undetermined) to give all the grace that he giveth in time, and to caufe all the good ads that he caufeth, as he caufeth them. X I I I. the Co-operation offree-will with the gifts ofgrace, is in the predellinate, an effclt ofpredejlination - and efficiently proceedeth from Cod making us by the help ofgrace freely to co-operate ; and confequent -, dy dependeth not on the foie and innate liberty of the will. Anfro. I think fo too. X I V. we mutt neceffarily dillinguiA ofa twofold help ofGrace; one fu ficient, by whichman may be converted to God, or work pioufy : The other effeclual, by which Gòd oflleth that be be a/tually converted, and act pioufy. /infra.
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