187 / 808
V
8
R.19
Ephefiauf,Chap.1.
175
Firft,
that
there preparations
are
not abfolutely
neceffary,
for
wefee
that God
Both
give
to
infants fanétifying grace,
in
whom
none
of
theft
preparative operations can take place.
Secondly,we doe not
find
that they
have been alwaies
ufed,and
ther-
fore this
matter
is
to
be underftood
as a
thing molt commonly
falling
forth,not
otherwife
:
How
was Matthew calleckeven at his
cuftome, he
followedprefently, not
as
Judi,
but
as a
true
convert to Chrift
;
fo
in
Lydia:
for life and
death being
fuch
contraries
as
have no
third thing
be-
tween them, which
doth
partake
in
them both,the
one
may
be
changed
into the other,without
any
thing preparatory.
All things which God doth prepareto the receiving
of
Grace,
and
commingto him,they
make
not of
themfelves any thing
to
the
intro-
ducing
ofGrace
further then God intendeth this
effcét
by
therm
:
Feare
of
hell,confcience
of
(inne, never
fuch
affliäions, morali parts,
and
all
gifts which may be
without fandifying Grace
and
true beleef, many
have
all
there, who
yetnever
turne unfeignedly to
God.
When
the
fick-
nefí'c is
now
grownegreaterin
quantity, this abfolutelytaken,
maketh
the patient
further
of
health.
But
the Phyfitian may intend this,
becaufe
he
doth
fee his
medicine will
thebetter worke
on it, and educe
ir,when
it
is
growne to
filch
ri
eneffe.
If
a
man fall
out
of
a
dead Palfie into
a
light Phrenfie,Phrenf
e
of
it
felfe
is
no
preparation
to
health, but to the
phyfitian
who
can
worke
on him more fitly
in
this
taking then
in
the
other,
it
may be
a
preparative to
health
:
Thus to
be like
an aguifh
man
on hisgood dayes, or
like
to fome
madde men
in
the time
of
their inter
-
millions,
is
in it
felfe
as
farre from
flare
of
health,
os
otherwife
;
but yet
the Phyfitian
may
de
fuch
a
Rate,
as a
way to health, choofing rather
to
deale
with
him
in
this taking,
then
in
thefitte.
Thusit
is
not the height
of
finne
;
it
is
not
feare
of
hell, though contrary to
the
Apoplexie
of
deep fecuritie
;
it
is
not
a
morall
courfe,
which commeth not from
true
fan.tification,that ofthemfelves
can make
neerer the (late
of
grace, but
only
in
regard
of
God, who doth
intend to turne
them hereunto. Thus
if
God
flirre
up
a
man
to
live
according to the light
of
nature vertuoufly,
it
may be
in
regard
of
Gods intention,
a
preparing
him
to receive
fur-
ther Grace
of
effeétuall
vocation
;
but
all
a
man can doe from
naturali
ftrength,of
it
felfe
profiteth
nothing.
Fourthly,that where
effeduall railing
up
the heartto faith beginneth,
there
Gods
preparative
works
take
an end
:
for
as
that which
prepares
the ground for
feede,
now
ceafeth when
the
feed
is
to be fowne ;
fo all
there
things,which
as
they
are
preparations doe nothing but
fit
the foyle
of
the heart for Gods effeltuall
calling to
be given, they
have
their
end
when this
immortall
feed
commeth
to be fowne
in
us:belide that,a man
is
no
fooner
called, then
he
receiveth
a fpirit
offaith,by
which
he is,as
by
a
new heavenly forme,
in
fome manner quickned.
Fiftly,The
Papifts
doEtrine
is
here very defeétive, and falle
in
part;
Defeétive,forthey
fpeak
nothing
of
preparatory courfes,bywhich God
doth
bring
us
to come unto
him
by faith,
but
of
fuch
likeoperations by
which God prepareth us,
and wee
prepare our
felves
to be
juftified,:
Now