Of Sufficient and Effethial Grace. 7. OneNation or Kingdom of equal ill defert, hath the Gofpel and powerful Preachers Pent tothem ; while others are left as the molt of the world without it ; yea, as the poor Iflanders, Laplanders,Bráfilians, Soldanians, and Canibals. A thoufand ways God hath to fulfil his Will which we know not of. But betides all thefe in point of Means , we fee that under the fame Means, or Sermon, orFamily helps, there is not the fame fuccefs : Not only becaufe the unbelievers make thedifferenceby finning againft fuffi- dent univerfal Grace ; but becaufe Goddoth efpecially touch the hearts of tome, by fuch Grace as hegiveth not to others. Thus did fie,open the heart of Lidia, A&. 16. C. "Methinks yen fhould lay all on this Internal changing Grace, and "not on the differenceof means. B. Certain Experience telleth us, that moft ufually God giveth ex- traordinary differing means where his Grace thall work different effe&s. Chrift himfelf whowas to beftowextraordinary Grace after his Incar- nation, was himfelftobean extraordinarymeans : He mull workMira- cles, raifethe Dead, rifefrom the Dead, &c. as the Means. The Apoftles that were to do extraordinary things, in calling the unbelieving world to Chrift, were to do it by miraclesand extraordinary means. The 3000Alt. 2. mutt have the Apoftles miraculous gift of tongues tobe themeansof their Converfion. Cornelius muff have both anAngel and Peter. Paul mutt be ftrucken down and blind, and hear Chrift fpeak fromHeaven, and afterhave Ananias's Miniftry. TheEu- nuch mutt have Philip. The Jaylor, Ali. 16. mutt have an Earthquake; and fo of others. And to this day we fee how little GodBoth where there is no Mini- ftry or Means. And how much the fuccefs of able, holy, skilful Mini-, fters, doth differ from that of wicked or Ignorant Pots : And how ufuallyin all the world, the fuccefs goeth according'to the means; and that the inftances of thecontrary are unufual rarities : Therefore fepa- rate not what the wifdom ofGod hath conjoyned. C. "But doyou think thatGodever afcertaineth the Eft, meerly byfuck "MoralDifferencing helps or means, annexed to his univerfalGracious Ef- fluxor aid, without a fpecial degree ofthat Immediate Efflux it felf on " the Soul. B. r. We little knowwhen God worketh Immediately, and how far HisEfflux or MI-ion exparteagentis I oft tell you hath no degrees being himfelf: The degrees are in theReceived Imprefsonthe Soul. And its like this fpecial differencing Grace confittethin a fpecial degree ofirn- pref : But when that Imprefs is made by the Spirit without the Infirumen- tality of Means, weknow not. Godcan make our own Imagination, andfpirit and inward temperament ameans undifcern ably tous. 2. If I have proved to you that eventhe univerfal Grace it felfwith common means, may attain the effe& , and doth in many, who dare queftion, whether All, yea One extraordinary or fpecialmeans added by God to that Common Influx, (with a will of fuccefs) may afcertain the effe&. It were Blafphemy to fay that God hathnot Wifdom enough thus to attain his ends, by a feries of adapted means, in conjun&ion with that Grace. C. "But methinks youfpin toofine a thred, whenyou talkofan Imprefs " ofthespirit on the Soul, as thefirfi Elul, (of God alone, or Godand the "Means) antecedent to faith or the A&ofman as the fecóüd efett (ofGod "andMan together). Ifindnot that,our Curioufeft SchoolWitsdo talkrituch "of fuch an Imprefi. C s E. r. You 193:
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