C H A P. a r. 7ufiif cdtioi is -by faith. 28'7 Spirit rnuft be exerted, ere they be brought unto a beleeving frame, or their fouls be made to look towards Jefus in earneft , fo as ro lay hold on him by Faith. Therefore is Faith called the girt of God EpbeJ. z: S. There is the working of the might of God's power requifite unto beleeving Ephef. is 1 9. Such then , as have not the workings of the Spirit of God , Inclining , Dra- wing, Perfwading &Caufing the heart beleeve , are real flrangers to this grace , whatever great Enduerents & Gifts , or ordinary effects of the Spi- rit they may be polfeffed of. The author of a Difcourfeof the two Covenants ( a book recommended to us by Mr. Baxter , iri his preface , prefixed thereunto, as a Treatife , which will give us much light, into the Nature of the Gofpel) Fag. 24. tels us, that man himfelf, is not wholly pafive, in this change or what goes to the ma- king of it ; but is fo far active in it , as to denominate what he dot') by God's aJi f- tance to be his own act, Wh:irebs he fufficiently difcovereth an Arminian de- figne ; yet foqualifieth his expreffioras , as may abundantly show,, he inten- ded' to evade. For he will not fay, that man is not at all paflive, in this chan- ge, but only, that he is not wholly pafjive; and yet he dar not fay this confi- dently , but muff adde , Or' what goes to the making of it: and how much he may comprehend under this, who can tell ? But if man be not paffive , he muff be active. How far then is he adtive ? So far , faith he , as to denomi- nate what he dothby God's afìfiance, to be his own att. That the ad of Faith is mans at , is moét certain, for it is he that beleeveth ; but the queftion is , what change is wrought in the foul , by the Spirit of God , before the act of faith be exerted ? and what hand mans labours and endeavours have in the infulon of the new Principle , the Divine Nature ? Is not the man purely paflive , in the receiving of the effe& of that creating acì , or in the work of Regeneration? That the Lord prefcribeth the ufe of ordinary means, wherein the man is to waite for the free & gracious working of the Spirit is true; but there is no connexion made by the,Lord , by any Law or Confli- tution, betwixt the ufe of thefe meanes, and the gracious work of faith, nor betwixt ordinary Light & Conviction , and the like common effe&s of thefe meanes , and Saving Grace. Yet he tels us afterward , that if man do but what he can do , through the afiftance of God': con2mof providente (in whom we live, 6' move , d? have our being ) God is moil ready , through his good plea, fure, or out of the goodnefr of his will d?' pleaJitre, to work in him , both to will e to do favingly to carry the work cuite thorow. But what Scripture Both teach, us this ? Sure I am, that Phil. 2: 12, 13. with which he ushereth -in thisfdif- courfe, giveth no ground tor this; for thatisfpoken tofuch, in whom the work of Salvation is already begin and who are commanded to work it our, & to fay , that the cafe is the fame, is to overturne the whole Gofpel , an4. prefect us with pure Pelagianifine; is there as Pure & certane a connexion be- twixt mans work of nature & God's gracious works of Grace, as is betwixt the work of grace Begun & Carried on ? His adducing afterward p. 25. 1t1.4. commands to make ourfelves a new heart, & to repent &c. to erforce this, is but the old Pelagian argument brought againe upon the ftage , to which L live laid what I hope will befot'ad Confonant to the Scripture, in my book, irk nn 3 agaii.lk
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