222 Ofimputed Righteoufn.Óf Faith, fúftif(Mansduty: Lib. No: but all this he muff come to Chrift for, or Believe for. P. Do you mean that he mutt firft Believe that the Gofpel is True, and that chrifi is an Leered saviour; or elfe, do you mean that hemutt firft .Accept him as offeredfora saviour ; or do you mean that he mutt Eft Believe that he is his Saviour accepted ? or do you mean that he mutt firft Trutt in him ashis saviour? All thefeareddfferent ads. Lib. Tau would confound us withyour diftintlions to keep out the light: This is the trick of frith carnalsophifiers. P. said, You hearwhat this man bath to fay against us. You hear that When he hath cryed out against Preparations to Believing, that here are ten feveral Preparationswhich he cannot deny. I willnow tell you what is our DoEtrine and the truth,about Preparations We hold that Chrift is the True Light who lighteth every man that cometh to God ; but in various degrees,by various means : He is the Lord ofNature as its Reftorer, Rom. 14.9. All power in Heaven andEarth is given to him, and all things put into his hand, Matth. a8. t8, 19. John 17. z, 3. john 5.22. He teacheth thofe that have not the Gofpel, (and thofe that have it,firft ) by the Light of Nature, many Natural Truths, as that there is aGod who isAlmighty, Wife and Good, that we owe him our Love and duty, that he isJolt, &c. As theSun enlightneth the earth at its riling before it appear it felt, fo doth Chrift the world. By the Gofpel, he teacheth us more, even fopernatural truths, about himfelf and our Redemption, &c. Some commoner co-operation of his Spirit goeth along with the Gofpel, convincing and moving many that are not yet (or at all) converted : Thofe that Chrift converteth favingly , are firft in order brought to underhand the Meaning of the word, and next to Believe the Truth of it, and fo toBelieve what Chrift is, andwhat he hath done and Coffered for us, and what needwehave of him by fin and mifery, and how freely he is offered to our falvation : And they aremoved fo ferioufly ro confider all this, till it prevail with their wills, firft to defrenot only their own deliverance fromHell and mifery, as all men may do, but alto from a Rate of fin ; and then to defrre Chrift as a Saviour to effeä it, and bring them home toGod: And believing that he is freely offered to them; they next thankfully Accept him by confent, andTrutt him and give them- felves to him. And all this is Chrifts own work upon them: but in this order andby theredegrees. So that coming to Chrift fignifieth divers ads; of which one; is preparatory to the other. And whereas he tells you, That we keep men offfrom drift till theyare prepared, judge you whether he (peak truth or falfhood. Dowe ufe to call to (inners and fay [Donot believe that Chrift Reconcileth God and man till you firft believe that thereis a God. Do not make hafte and believe that Chrift will.fave you from mifery before you believe that you aremiserable: Or. thathe will wafh away and pardon your fin, before you believe that you are fanners and need a pardon : Do not confent that Chrift !hall beyour Saviour before you are. willing to be laved ; or before you believe that he bath dyed, role, &c. and is offered you. ] What need we perfwademenfrom impobilities? Is it we, or their own neceL- ty that keepeth them fromContenting before they Believe, and from be- lieving before they Underftand? We do -as it wereintreat poor frnners who love their dungeon, to open the windows that the Light may come in: And there menrail at us, andfay, that we perfwade men not to let in the light till they have fish opened the windows ! What need we do that, when it is impoffib :e ro do othermife? We perfwademen to believe that they are tick, that they may go to the Phyficion : And they rail at us for perfwading
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