08 Chap: . An Expofition upon the Bookof J p B. Evil doers oppofenot only Gods law, but his nature, the_;ore he will not help them. He cannot exercife oneAttribute againft another ; his power will not work againft his holinefs, or againft his will. There is a two-fold help which God giveth. Firft, A common help. Secondly, A fpecial help. We grant thatGod ftrengthens the hands even ofevil doers in regard ofa common help : Forhuman could put forthhis hand to zany evil, as a firmer, if God did not give him a general affiftance,as a creature. In this fence the ftrength by whichmen rebel and flu againft'God, comes from God. But he doth not ftrengthentheir hands, or give them help by any fpecial aflìftance. In thedoingof good, we have a commonafliftance to the ad, as there is a natural motion in it, which God gives his people with the reft of 'the world : but this will not carry them out to do good compleatly. To bring forth any gracious ad,thcymuft havea fpecial afliftance, HenceChrift faith, Without meye czndo nothing, hemeans it not of that general fupport whichChrift'gves toman,bywhichall live andmove, and have their being in him (in that fenfe no man is able to do my thing without Chrift, forinhim all things confift j but when he faith,without meye can do nothing,he means,without my fpecial aflìllance and ftrength ye cannot perform holy and fpíritu- all duties, acceptable unto God. So the Apofile, We have nofuf- ficiency of our 'elves,fo much at to thinka good thought. We have no fufficiency to think any thought without Tome afíiftance ; but to think a good thought, we have not anyfufficiency without a fpecial ailiftance. Wicked men are not able to do evil' without' a common affiftance 3 but they have no fpecial affítancc from God to do evil.He doth neither fir up and excite their lulls to the ad,nor fupply their lulls while they are ading.Wicked men have afliflanceenough in both from their own hearts, and from Satan: Though man bath no fufficiency in himfelf to think one good thought, yet hehath a fufficiency in himfelf to think all evil' thoughts;as he is a creaturehe aEts,and as he is a corrupt creature he fins. Man bath full powerand free-will to do evil, therefore the Lord loth not put forth his hand to help the evil doer. But it will be necef ary forthe underftandingof this andother I ke Sc`riptures, tö confider fomewhat more diftindly, what God .loth in reference to evil ads, or the as of evil doers. He con- curs, VerGáo.
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