Chap. t 3. and the Covenant of Grace. CHAP. XIII. objections againfi the former Doctrine a»frvered, with a Corollary draivne from it. P-11-1-le fame Author that before denied all Gofpel- conditions, that denied Faith to be a condition of the Covenant; fays, that unbelief is not a barre , hindring one from having part in Chrift ; Coá beflowes Chrift without any regard ti our belief or unbelief : which words how high foever againft the Gofpel, yet he undertakes to falve with a diftinc`tion. There is a twofold receiving of Chrift. (t.) Iher e is a pave receiving of Chrift , and that is fo that Chrift is received without any hands : To will fay, (faith my Au- thour) what .- pa ffive receiving n` Chrift ? 1 anfwer, (faith he) A paffive receiving of Chrifl is PI fuch a receiving of him as when a froward 'Patient rakes a puge, ar_ force bitter phyfick, he fats his teeth aping 't but the Phyfrcian forceth his mouth open , andpours it door loù throat , and fo it works again ft his w. =11; by the over - ruling power of one over him that knows it is good f.or him Thus I fay,there it a paf iVe rectpiency or receiving of Chrift, which is the firfl receiv- ing of bin; ;; when Chrift comes by the gift of the Father to a perfon ;w ileft he is in the ftubbornege of his own hurt: This diftinc`tion carries a full contradiction ir. it felf, there can - not be in the fame fub.jeh a meere paffive and wive recipicncy of the fame thing, as appeares in the fimilitude brought to illuftrate it; this froward Patient that hath a medicine forced into him, in which he is meerely paffive, cannot afterward receive that me- dicine. If Chr ft be thus forced and enters againft our will, then we cannot actively at any time after receive him , and could it be reconciled unto it felf yet it Rands in full oppofition to Scripture; (hrift Rands at the door and knocks, Rev, 3. 20 He waites till 1<e locks are wet with the dew of the night, as Cant. .2. But he makes no forcible entry we read of Gods power chang- ing the will that it freely accepts but not forcing gifts of grace upon any agaitif their wills : Thy pesple fhall be willing in the day of thy power, Pfal, i 3.. He works a will 2, 13. Chrift dwells .innone that rife in hoftility againft him.. That unbeliefe is
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