S p c T. XI.. ix GodsStatutes; dudkeepinghis 9ddgements. 551 fon and comfort that tinbe : to thou fetthy felfupon the worksofFaith, Re-; pentance, Mortification of the deareft and llrongett corruption,.though thou art apt tobe difcouraged, and faveft, It cannot be, yet. God is ready to help with his hand. Paul fpeaking of .thofe high expreffions of grace, Ta know Ant to abound; and how to Want, he addeth, I can do all things, throughChrifd that ftrengthensme, Phil 4.i 3. A godly man batha kindeofOmnipotency ;:he can do what God cando, becaufe he bath the help of God inabling him thereunto t A Chriflian then fhould not difhearten himfelf with fuch thoughts. as there, What(hall I dowhen death comes ? What if fuch faddain calamities fhould overwhelm me ? for he mutt remembers that God ufeth to put forth his hand at that time ; and then Peter is imboldned to go Upon the waters to Chrift. Fourthly There mutt be fuch ailing . and inlivening grace, as well as the principles, 3ecaufeotherwifeGodWésild lofegreat part of his glory, inbringing a man to heaven: For not onely Julification , but Salvation is attributed unto Grace; andRom.9, Its not of him that tail /eth, or runneth; but ofhim that calleth andeletteth: Nowgrace could not have the glory ofall from thebeginning to the end, if God fhould notconftantly finable and help in theprogrefs of god- Inlets, as well as at thebeginning : So that if God did onely give principles of grace, andnot dailyaffìfl and finable ; themight indeed be thankful unto him for what once be did for us, but we might thankourown power, andfacrifìcé to our own will for what is done afterwards : But What haft thou, faith the Scri- ture, that thouhaft not received? r Cor. 4. 7. Itsa general affertion, Everygood andperfeE?gift comes from the father of lights, James a. and we cannot think a good thodght,much lefs have anygood affeftions or defires,tbough already con- verted, ofour felves, ifgracewere not always ready at hand : So that this truth fhould putthe foul into daily and confiant thankfulnefs, becaufe it bath daily and con[tant fupply from thethrone of grace. Fifthly, Iffa be that in natural things, Where God oathgiven natural princi- plesof allions, yet they cannot at I, Without daily concourfe of God, howmoth more muff this hold in fupernaturals: Take the fire, that is a natural Agent, and fo determined to one aftion ; viz. Toburn, yet ifGodBoth fufpendhis influence; bisalival motion, as in the example of the three Worthies, then itcannoe burn; and this is much more feen in natural creatures: In him We live, and move, and haveour being,faith the Apoflle ; we do not onely live by him, but we are not able tomoveor fir without him; Now if it be not enough for a manto have Godgive him life once, but he muff daily finable him tomove and fir, will not this followmuch more in fupernatural things? Cannot we (tirthe hand or the foot without him? and can we flit the heart or affeftions to God without him ? So that as God, thoughhe didyell from theworks ofCreation, yet he doth not fromthem of Confervation : But hitherto, faith Ch rift, I and my fatherWork; So neither inthe fpiritural new creature doth God teak from daily confervation, and confiant help in all itsaftion. Sixthly, The Dominicans arguing against the Jefuits in-thispoint, reafon thus, Every thing that is potential, mutt be reduced into alt, by time thingthat is it felf in art: Now, fay they, Godhe is Aliasprimers, c'rpurus,he is the firft and pure alt. The principles and habits of grace are potential, and therefore they muff be determinated and abated by God, who is always in ad This Argument bath much ftrength in it, but it is too metaphyfical : I come toa morepopular one ; And Seventhly, Goddoff not onely bellow principlesof grace, but alfo excites and quickens, as is plainly evidenced, In that two godly men, living under the famemeans ofgrace, yet onesloth not profit, bast grbweohethersud colder; the caber. growethand thriveth more andmore: Howcomes this difference to be ? but that one bath the graceof God affiltingand inabling ofhim, theother bath act;not that 6. 7.
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