On L 11 K E XIV. :q. lify them. 'Tis to be obferv'd, that the Tempter works upon ·Mens Minds in the tinnatural way; he makes ufC of the dtforder'd AffeCtions to pervert the Will, and of the perverted W11l to divert the Underilanding from due Cohfideration of ObjeCts, atid to corrupt its Judgment. Bnr God works by the Underfl:anding on the Will and AfftCl:ions, according to the rC'gular Dependance of thofe Faculties. The firrt. Beam of f:rving Grace fhines into the Mind with fo !hong a Light, difcovering Spiritual and Eternal Things in their Reality and Glory, that the Will and Af· fcCtions arc drawn to choolc, and embrace, and to !0110\v them with Zeal and Con- !bncy. In this blcffcd Work, we are to confider the Revelation of the ObjeCt, and the Irradiation of rhc 1\iind . As in the difcerning of Corporal things, there mufr be Licrht in the Eye, or there can be no S.eeing, and Light in the Air, or there can be no Sighr: So the great Myilerics of Godhnefs, which arc of impoi!ible difcovery without Reve. lation, are made known in the Gofpel ; and the Underfianding is illuminated to fCe them in their Reality and tranfcendent Goodncf.S,as the Apoll: le expreifes,TNs is a faitb:: · Jttl fa.>'ing, and wortl~y of all A cceptation, that Je{us Chrifl is come intO tbe WorLd to fa'Ve Sinners. He prays for the Epb~/ians, Tbat the God of our Lord Jefus Cbri/f, tbe fi'atbet Ephef. t. ~f Glor)', may give tbem the Spirit of Wifdom aud RC1Jelation, in tbe J(nowledg,e of bim; tbat the Eyes of their Underflandi.ng !Jeing inlightned, t!Jey m'9' know what is tbe Hope of bis Calling, and wbat tbe Riches of tbe Glory of his Inheritance in tbe Saints. AI rho theE· vidence of Faith be not {0 clear as th:tt of Senfc, yet 'tis fo lure, that the Adherence of Faith is more firm to its Objects, rho future, than of Senfe to titir,gs prefent. \Vith the Irradiation of the Mind there is fuch a determining Influence on the Will and the A!leC\ions, that Chrift and Heaven arc joyfully chofen before all things. In converting Sinners there IS not a ba te propof:..d of rh::: ObjeCts of F:.uth, with the Motives to bel ieve and accept them, and Men arc left to their own Dikretion and Choice : The Holy Ghoft w~o certainl y knows the. manner and effic.acy of his own Operations, expreffcs ~onvertmg Gra~e ~Y tb~ exceedmg, Greatnefs of JJIJ Power toward them that beli.e~e, accordmg to the worl;wg of IJIS mighty l'o'?er, wbicb be wroug,bt in Chrifl when he raiJ.ed him Ephef. i.' from the Dead and Jet him at his onm Rtg,IJt-bantl in Hea·ven . 'Tis true, the Princ!ple of RefiO:ancc in corrupt Nature is not quite extinguifh'd; but aCtual Refiftance is overcome by the holy Spirit, who works to wilt and to do of biJ good Pleafure. · In the Human Wi ll \VC arc to confider the Faculty of choofmg and refufing, :which includes in it Freedom and Liberty, without which it cca[es to be a 'WilL 2., The Depravation of it: and this con!ifis i~ a neceility. of .rhoofing the evil of Sin, reprcfented as plealing to the Carnal Affe~'bons, and rcJccbng the Law of God, which IS holy and good. "l he fmnin g W11l contracted this ncccflity. Now Grace does not deftroy the Nature of the Will, but changes Its Quahty : of Carnal and Earthly makes it Holv and H.eav~nly: rh is IS exprcfi: by a 11e1v Heart, and a ~en' Sptnt. And whe11 the Spirit ;f the Mmd l.S renewed by illuminating Grace, and the Wtll and Affections of the Heart are renewed by purifying Grace, the Will does as free ly and noccffarily ch6ofC Spiritua l and Ete~nal Things, as tn. the State ?f Naru:e tt chofe Things plea~og to .the corrupt .t'\ppettte~. God draws. Smncrs ~o htmfelf With the Cords of a Man, m a rat1onaJway, without Vwlcnce to thw Faculties, and f.1ltens them by Bands of L ove. He inftructs t he Soul, and infufes fitch a Principle and Di4)ofition as is filtable to the DoCtrine. When the Will is direC\ed and drawn, by the illuminating Guidance of the Mind, to ~hoofe and embrace the moll: excellent Good , and the other Faculties to obey, this is Man's true Liberty. In Heaven t he unvariable fixing the Will upon God our Supream Good, is its PerfeCtion and Fehc1ty. The outward Means of ioducing Men to comply with God's Call , is the preaching of the Word. I f it were the Will of God, he can immed10teh- create Men as Adam in cornpleat Stature, and with the Perfection of ReafOn ; but he makes ufe of Seconti Caufes, forms them in the Womb, brings them into the World by the ordinary way of the Earth, and raifes t hem from In fancy to :1 mat.urc State, accordmg to the Rules of Nature. Thus God could by one Act GmC\ify S1nne rs in Pe rfection ; but ho is pleafed by the preaching of the Word to conven Sinners, and [;racltnHy perfeCt the Samts : The Gofpelts the Miniil:.ry ofReconciltation, and ofRegenerauon. And this , is very congruous to the ~uman Nature; for the Sinner is not CO!l\'ened, as a Stone ; cor. t ; afcends by a forc'd and blmd Motion , but is ini\ructed and affeC\cd br propo!ing Ob- "n" '· je-Sts to his Mmd and Will, and aas accordrng to the fmprcfii.o~ he received fi·om them. Now the Natu ral Man being a Ser·vmtt to Corruption, the external propounding of the mofl: powcrftJl Objects and Motives cannnot change him : the converting Efficacy of the Word is from Jcfus Chrifr. To make this more evident, let us confider, In every Atlion where an infl:.rument is us'd, the Action is properly afi:: rib'd Bbbbb ~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=