The soule.reffeRual1calhrgto Chrift. abilitie in the foule to helpe forward the worke, as God moves, and weemove, and wee are co- workers withGod in feverall paffages ; . and fo it is in all the workes offan&ification which comes after faith. There is Mil fornething that concurs with God in the worke, but now it is a true mira- cle, bee findes nothing in the foule, but meere fares anJ oppofitions at fiat; and therefore Divinesdoe truly fay, that it is more tomake the foule beleeve, than to create a world, for in the creatingof the world, the Lord hadno oppo'i- tions, he onelyfpake the word,and all wasmade; but now finne and Satan, and the world and all, ter againft the poore foule. If a man gets a knoc' :e by the Miniftery of the Gofpell, andbe- gins to behumbled, then carman friends begin to perfwade, and every man hath a blow to hinder him from receiving the powerfull impreffien of the 'E/S%ord of God ; fo that the Lord in this worke brides more fierce oppofitions,than :inany worke ; and moreover, when thefe oppofìtions are oppofed and removed, and the Lord comes, into the foule, the foule is veryemptiesand can- not receive nor clofe with any grace. As it is with a deadman, hee bathno power to quicken himfelfe, as. Ephef. 19. zo. What -u the exceeding greatneffe ofhis power toua wad, whobeleeve accor- ding to the workbig of his mighty power which bee wrought in Chrift, when he raifed himfrom the dead: the fame Almighty power which raifed up Jefus Chrift from the dead, the fame power the Lord puts forth in bringing a dead foule to beleeve: C cc 3 S o 385
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