An ~xpofuion of the Epiftle _.:._ _______ ~ he feemeth to make a kind of difference from all other workings that are upon &rmon the hearts of other men. X-XVU. Thefe infel'iour workings of the Holy Ghoft upon the hearts of men,the highefl: ~of them that are II\eO:tioned itnhe Scripture oye ip,rhe 6tl;. He/J. from the 4th. verfe and fo on. ' He fpe~ks of-men enlightfled, th~t raft of the powers of the world to come, and arc partakers of the Heavenly gift, and tal\ of the good word of God, if they lhalllall away; he makes a fuppofltion of it. And you ~ll-AA<l-.it likewife in the parable of the Sower, Matt. 1 ~- Mark 4- Luke8, There is the fl:ony ground that received the word with joy, and there is the thor– ny ground that held it out in perfecution. For the underf\anding fully my fcope, what I aimed at, to clear my meaning concerning thefe infe~iour wor~s of the Holy Qhof\, upon !Jiens hearts; I did the laft'SiV<! ~ou,t.WO'f1~e(liifes, . . . • . . Tne Firf\ was th1s, That the Holy GJ!Ofl: ml}1~ workmg ( bemg a free Agent, for he worketh according to his will; -fo faith the Apofile I Cor. 12. 1 r. · There are dJVerjiDIJS of optrations, but at/ thefr work< that o11e mtd the fdf fame ~Pi!'it accordi1tg M_ he wilt;) though there be the fame omnipotent power (that 1 s, fonhnoot ofrn,) 10 all the works the Holy Gholl cloth, (for all are works of (')mhip6tency ip thatfenfe, )-yet compare work wah workther~ is a greater manifef\ation ol power mone than m anothe~ accorclmg as he w1lleth; as though hi< mercy be the fame l_te lheweth to all manktnd 1 to all h1s Cluldren, ( lt IS .the. fame mercy in God, and there is no difference, take mercy in the root of .ir, as it is an Attribute of God,) yet in the manifef\ation of it, he fi)eweth more mer– cy to one man than another, to gedly men than to wicked men, upon whom yet he lhe.weth a great d~al of mercy. The Second premife I gave was this, That feeing he works according to !)is own Will, and proportioneth his work accordingly, he meaneth to try concluft– ons with corrupt nature in all things wnere he cloth not mean to convert. He will try how far corrupt nature will be raifed and elevated to good, and yet not chang– ed, and will therefore proportion his working accordingly. He tryed (as I !hew– ed before, ) how far die corrupt nature of man would go under the meer light of nature, fo he did in Socrates. He tried how far corrupt nature .jVOU!d go under themeerlight of the Law,fohedidinPaut; and he tryeth howfarcorruptna– ture will go being allifted, (yet remaining corrupt, take in that too,) under the Gofpel, as in thefe Hrb. 6. and the Parable of the Sower. Which he doth to con– vince all mankind of that weaknefs and impotency that is in corrupt nature to at– tain to true good of it felf; that when he lhall carry it on to all the good it is ca– pable of, yet it falle~h lhort of ~hat true_ ~oo_d that is faving, all might fee their own weaknefs and fiLe unto Chnfl:. This IS mt1mated as the rea(on in Rom, 8. ~. What the Law (faith he,) couldnot do throttgh the weak11efs of the flejh. Men are apt, ~orrupt nature is, to boafi they cao do fomething: God trieth the weak– nefs ot it,and how is it tried? By nothing more than this; faith the holy Ghofi, Iwillalliftyou, Iwillhelpyouthusandthusfar, and yet all that help, if I will nor put forth more, it lhall be but weak through the corruption of your ilelh, it !hall not be able to fave you. That was the fecond premife. Thefe two things being premifed, I come to particulars of this great point in hand, which is this; That there is an under work of the Spirit of God, in which compare work with work there is not that exceeding greatnefs of power lhewn as there is in true grace. What power is lhewn in working true grace, I have !hewn formerly, I mufl: not now repeat it. Compare I fay work with work, for that is the f\ate of the Q\Iefl:ion' and there is not that eroportionable mea– fure of power put forth, ( manifef\ed I mean, take that too,) in the one as there is in the other. T here ore two parts ol corrupt nature, and fo tbere are anfwerably two parts of the Image of God, or rather of the work of grace upon us, There is fubdu· iog corruption, and there is aquickning us to good, a raifing of man·s nature to what is good, to what is holy;· Now there IS an under work, an inferiour work of theHolyGhofi, of a lower alloy, wherein, Firit,
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