and Free-mill. I 1: 7 B. Do you thus paraphrafe the Command , [ Seek Faith in Faith, and feek Sincerity in Sincerity ] that is [Youthat have not Faith and Sincerity , ifyouhave them already, feekthat you may have them. ] Did not you confefs that they that have not fpecial Grace arebound to leek it in the ufe ofcertain means ? C. ' ° They are bound to do it, but theyare not able. B. Did not you confefs that theywere able by common Grace to do the works of common Grace ? and that in abundance of inftances ? What is common Grace tor, if they cando nothingby it? C. " it is equal tonothing, for it is not acceptable to God. B. Did notyou confefs that it is apreparation to fpecial Grace,and may bring them nearer to the Kingdomof God ? C. " But without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe God. B. But thereare feveral forts ofFaith, and'feveral degrees of plea- fing God. We grant that withoutfpecial Faith iris impoffible fo to pleafe God, as to have Juftification, Adoption, or any Title to Hea- ven, as themembers of Chrift have. But bya common Faithmen come to be lefs difpleafing to God than groffer Infidelsand Rebels s and are more prepared for converting Grace. You know that this is the com- mon Doltrine bothofour practical and polemical Divines, as you may fee in their Books, and the Synod ofDort. C. " But our Divines againfi theArminians oftfay,7hat aman that bath "butnature andcommon Grace, cannot ufe themwell. B. I am refolved not to be cheated by ambiguous words. To ufe them well fignifieth, t. To ufe them inlove toGod as theUltimate End, and fo none but the godly ufe any thing : And do not all the Arminiansgrant you that ? 2. Or it is to ufe themfo much better than worfer men, as that they draw nearerGod, and are more prepared for fpecialGrace ? And do not all our Divines grantthat they may fo far ufe themwell ? where then is the difference? C. " Theprayer of the Wicked isabomination to the Lord. B. By [wicked ] is meant, either one that is yet unregenerate as fuch, or one that is aetually let upon wickednefs, progreflively, and is not about returning to God. And by [abomination] is meant, either that which God acceptethnot fo far as to pardon and fave him that doth it, thoughhe judgehim more prepared for Grace than others; or elfe that which he totally abhorreth as being no preparation to hisGrace. A manthat is unregenerate may fo far Peek mercy ina returning degree yet fhort of faving Grace; asthat it [hall not be in vain. Even an Ahab had experienceof this And fo had Nineve and manyothers : And why elfe do you (till confefs a Rateofpreparatory Grace? IsGods preparatory Grace abominable to him? Doth Chrift give abominableGrace? or is preparation to Converfion an abominable thing ? a. But the Text fpeaketh of a wicked man as wicked : He that goeth on in a wicked life, and thinketh by sacrifice and Prayers to pacifie God, and make him amends, his sacrifice and Prayers are abominable. But wicked men may have fomewhat in them that is better thanwickednefs : Theymay' have loch abelief that God is, and that he isa Rewarder of them that dili- gentlyfeek him ; yea fuch a Faith in JefusChrift, as (hall move them to that fort of repentance and reformation as thatthey (hall bealmofp trueChriftians; andnot farfrom theKingdomofGod. And the wicked man that doth this, doth it not aswicked, butby common Grace. And though it befo far abominable as not toprove him juftified, it is not fo far abominable as to be all in vain. C,
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