An Expojition of tbe Epiftle ~ for it is the gaining of one of tne flrongefl Forts we have, and the fortifying of .Sermon it, for the glory ol the Grace of God m Converfion; . XXIII. Whereas our o :vines, fome ot them; would read the words ttJus; Who 6dir. ~vu/ ,sccording to the worki11g of hu mighty power,as if their Faith and Believing· were wrought by fuch a mignty power•. Here, fay t1Iey, the words [Who 6t– tieved] do not come m re:> any fuch fenfe; It IS not ~o lh"w what power goeth to work Faithj but to defcnbe who they are whom God wtlllhew !liS power upon one day, they are thofe that believe.. It fuppofetl.' them. •!ready Believers; he doth not fpeak, fay they, at all of fa1th 1 as the frmt of tillS power, .mwhich this power is put forth, but as the quahficauon of the perfons mwhom 11 !hall be put forth: So that thofe that are Believers may comfort themfelves, that one day the fame Power that was put forth in Jefus ChriU, to raife him lrom the dead to Glo– ry, !hall raife them up too. So that they make make the words, '!'ho belit1Jed, a meer Exrgt{is, a meer explanatiOn of what Perfons he meancth, m whom th's Power lhall be put forth. There is a great reafon that they lhould contend againfi this; Why? For if it fhould prove to be the meaning of it, that all this Power of God, the fame that wrought in Chnflm raifing him from death to life, that that Power lhould be put forth in converfion at lirfl, and that that Power lhould be engaged to keep a man to falvation; all the DoCtrine of Free. will, as they hold it, and of falling from Grace, falleth to the ground infiantly. For, if there be a Pow_er that is effica– cious, and fuch a Power as wrought in Chri(\, which was fuch a Power, as it was impo!Iible but he lhould be raifed from the dead. If fuch a Power coovertcth a man at lirfl, ond afterward is engagtd to l<eep him to falvarion, then both Cotwerfion and Faith is wrought, maugre all oppofite power in the Creature, whatfoever it be; and hkewife they are kept by the fame Power to falvation,and lhall never fall away. Here will therefore be a Power beyond the power of Moral perfwafions or enlightnings; here will be a Power that cloth infallibly, efficacioufly work Faith in men. Now, my Brethren, in arguing which of thefe two is the fcope of the Apo– flle, viz. Whether that the Power of God in converting a man at lirfi, be not the aim of the ApoU!e in this place? In arguing this, I !hall lancfl no further into the ControverGe, than to clear the place; which as an Interpreter I mufl do, and I lhall do it with all faitnefs and fimplicity, os in all Controv~rfies we ought to do. To come then to the Reafons of ir; There are three forts of Arguments which I !hall bring to prove, that the Apoflle's fcope is to take in the Power of God working Converfion at firfl. The firfi is taken from the very letter of the words. The fecond !hall ,be taken from the Coherence of the words with what is before. The third fort of Arguments lhall be taken from what followeth after. .Fir!t, T~l3! the Apo{He here inten~eth to fpeak of the excuding grtatuefs of hts pow~r m the firfl worktng of Faith; take the letter of the words, and it will evidently bear this fenfe, lfho 6r!uve, faith he, accordmg to the worki11g of hu might; powrr. And whereas they fay. you lhould put the fiop at Who 6eluvr, and read it thus; Wh,lt is theexceeding great11e(s of his power to m-ward who belirve, and lhould not joyn them with what followeth, Who belirvt accordi"$ to the wo~ki11g of his mighty power. It cometh all to one; we fee that [ w/Jo 6eluve] ts hedged 10 Wtth an Almtghty power on one fide, The e~ceedinggrrat– nt{s of his power to m-wardwho 6e!ieve; and with an Almighty power on the other fide, JJ ho 6eluvt accordmg to thr workm!( of his mighty powtr. So that certainly, his mighty Power in working Faith lhou!d be intended, Then agam in the Second place, Whereas when he fpake of the rzche.r of tht Glory that is in Heaven ; the Perfons there, in whom he had faid this Glury is, he calleth Saznts; The rzcha of the glory of hu Inhrrztmtce in the S.. 1 ints; ~hat is,. as I inter!Jreted it when I handled. it) i11 S,Ji1Jts madr prrjel1; for it IS only m thofe Samts tbit are now perfeCt 1n Heaven. But mark it · when he ' cometh
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