3P An Expofition of the Epiflle ~ Concerning this, I lhe.":ed in the la~ difcourfe , thH in the Underfianding Serrnott there· mull be a new Spmtual d1fpofmon, to make that capable of Spiritual XXVI. things in their Spiritual nature; elle aman cannot know themfpir-it..aOy, as the V""V"'"'J Apollle faith, 1 Cor,1..14,• S'• And this will requ ire no lefs than a Creatton, for which I quoted 2 Cor-.p6,r7. Secondly in the Will, to put in a new and great principle, to put a new Spring into the Watch, that lhall turn all the Wheels aHother way naturally ; to put in Love to God. And, my Brethren, God will be loved more than your felves, - or he will not beloved atall. To touch the heart with this, is more than to create Heaven and Earth. This I !hewed, and gave you proof for it. So now you fee what it is in the work of Converlion, that cloth draw out this txcerdinggreatnefs of his pow er. Two things t hen are di(patched : Firfi, to clear it, that it is the meaning of the place, And then Secondly, what it is that dmweth forth the Almighty power. T here is a Third thing, and thot is this, What it is that occalioned th.is great Controvcdie and mifiake, That there is not fo great a Power as this fpoken of, that goes to the converting of men. That is the Third thing, I fay, which yet rema:neth to be fpoken to, which fame have denied, that there is fo great a power as this needful to Conve1 fton. I do not fay, what occalioneth the mi· flake of their Interpretation-of this place, that is not my meaning; but of the thing that cloth mifguide men in interpreting this place. T here would never have been fo great a fiir concerning the manner of Converlion, and the work of it, an:l about the power of God put forth in it, had not there been fuch work– ings upon the hearts of men as have lefs power than this here fpoken of. • I have, ever lincc I difcerncd into matters of this nature, judged the occafion of the mifiakc in this Controvcrfie, as likewife in that other of falling away from Grace ; that the ground of the mifiake in both hath been this, to fpeak plainly, That there are certain inferiour and lower forts of works of the Holy Ghofi upon mens hearts, movings of the Spirit of God l!.Pon mens hearts, which do not hold proportion with this Excuding gret~tnefs of power here fpoken of, which yet are works above Nature, are works of Power indeed; but they do not come up to this Exceeding greattufs of power here fpoken of. There are workings of the Spirit of God upon men that hold proportion with the Do– drines ol thofe men, that hold there is not fuch a power put forth . In handling of this point, which will conducemuch to the clearing of all, my (cope is not to lhew you exact differences between thefe inferiour and lower \\ orkings of the Spirit of God, which men take for Grace, and true Grace it fel[; but my main fcope is to lhew, that there is a different proportion of power requilite to the producing of inferiour works of the Spirit of God upon menshearts, and than effectual faving wcrk which puts men into the !late of Grace. TothofeErnbrio's that never have a rcafonable Soul in them (nswe exprefs it) there is lefs power goes to thofe Falfc-b.rths that do mifcarry , than to a perft a Conception, which puttcth a man into the rank of Mankind. There goeth this E>.·a ed111ggrMtnef s of pow er here fpoken of to the one , but to the other a lc!fer power ferveth. You may remember I obfcrvcd out of the words [According to the worling of hi& might)·power,] that God had feveral proportions of working ; he put– teth forth more power in fome works than in others, Why cloth he fay elfe, this work holdcth proportion with the E.xcudi1g greatnefs of power , which he /hewed whm he .ra1[ed Chn jl from the .dead? In fome actions God putteth forth more power, and in fame lefs. T here is kfs needed power to the pro• ducing of fame thing~, than of others. Now that this E_xce~di11g greatnefs of pou·er is not needful 1n workmg m thefe lower wates , mfen our works of the Spirit, is the main thing I am now to handle. That I may proceed the more clearly in it, you muft know this, That there are workings of the Spirit of God, by the Word, upon mens hearts under the Gotpel, "hich are above nature, which are worksof a great power,make a great dcalcf bufile in the hearts of men, and caufeth men to make a great noife in their
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=