THE 'WORD OF GOD COMPA'RED TO LIGHT, Book III. · in me a clean Heart, 0 God. He worketh to will and to do. He therefore offers no~ ·. Violence or Compulfion unto the .Will. This, that Faculty is not naturally capable to give Admiffion, unto. lf it be compelled it is dertroyed. And the mention that is made in ·Scripture of compelling,'(Compelthem to come in) refpeCI:s the Certainty of the Event, not the Manner of the Operation on them . But whereas .the Will in the depraved Condition of falletl'Nature, is not only habi. tually filled and poffdfed with an Averfion to that which is good fpiritually (R!ie– nated from the Life of God,) but alfo co.ntinually aCts in Oppofition unto.it, as being under the Power of the carnal Mind, which is Enmity agoinft God, and whereas this Grace of the Spirit in Converfion dorh prevail againft all this Oppofion, and is effdtuai and viCtorious over it; it wiJI be inquired how this can any otherwife be done but by a kind of Violmce and Compulfion, !eeing that we have evinced already, that moral . Suafioo and objeCtive Allurement is not !u!!icient thereunto. /lnfw. It is acknowledged, that ·in· the Work of Converfion unto God, though not • in th9 very AEt of it, there is a ReaEtion between Gra<e and the Will, their ACts being . !:Ontrary, and that Grace is therein victorious.; and yer no Violence or Compulfion is offered unto the Will. I. The Oppofition is nor ad idem. The Enmity and Oppqfition that is .aCted by the ·:Will againft Grace, is again!t it as objeflively propofed unto ir. So do Men rejift the . Holy Ghoft; that is in the exterxal Difpenfation of Grace by the Word. And if that be alone they may always r;jift it.; the Enrpity that is in them will prevail againft .ir, Te always rejift the Holy Ghoft. The Will therefore is not forced by any Power put forth in Grace in that way whertiil ir is capable of making Oppofition unto it, but the Prevalency of Grace is of it as it is internal, working really and phJ:fically, which is not the Will's Oppolrtion, · for it is not propo!i:d unto. it, as that which it may.acapt or refufe, but worketh efiec– . tually in it. 2. The Will in the fir!! ACl: of Converfion, as enn fun dry of the Schoolmen ac– knowledge, aCts not but as ir is acted, moves not but as iris moved, and therefore is paffive therein in the Senfe immediately ro be explained. And if this be not fo, it . cannot be avoided, but that the ACt of our turning unto God is a mere natural ACt, and not fpiriwal or gracious. For it is an ACl: of the Will not enabled thereunto antece– , dently byGrace. Wherefore it muft be granted, and it lhall be proved, that in order of Nature, the aCting of Grace in the Will in ou< Converfion is antecedent unto its own aCling, though in the fame Inrl:an[ of Time, wherein the \Vill is moved it moves; and when it is a[ted it aCts itfelf, and preferves its own Liberty in its Exercife. There is therefore herein an mward almighty facred Atl of the Power of the Holy Ghoft pro– ducing or effeCting in us the Will ofConverjion unto God, fo aCting our Wills, as that they alfo aCt themfelves and that freely, fo Auftin. coil/. d11as epiftol. Pelag. Lib. I. Cap. xix. 'l"rahitur, (homo) miris "'oclis, ut velit, ab illo qui novit intus in ipjis cordibus homi– ,z;um operari, !!Oil ut homines, quod fieri non poteft, nolentes credant, fed ut volentcs ex no– . lentibus jiant. The Holy Spirit 'vho in his Power and Operation is more intimate, as it were to the Principles of our Souls than they are to rhemfelves, cloth with the Prefervation, and in the Exercife of the Liberty of our Wills, effeCtually work our Regeneration and ·Converfion unto God. This is the Subfrance of what we plead for in this Cauft, and which declares the Nawre of this work of Regeneration, as it is an inward !piritual Work, I fhall therefore confirm the Truth propofed with evident '(ejlimonies of Scrip– . ture, and Reafons contained in them or deduced from them. 1. llecaufe the 'vVork of Grace in Convedion is expreffed by Words denoting a real in ternal Efficiency, fuch as creating, quickening, forming, _giving a new .Heair, &c. • Chrijlu! non dicit, duxcl"it, ut illic aliquo modo hzte!ligamuJ pruedere FVo'luntatem, .fed dicit, traxerit, ·quis autun uahituY ji jam '{)o/ebat P & tamen nemo <vmit niji ·vtlit, trahitur trgo miri.s modis ut qJtlil, ·ab illo qui 'lfOvit in!us in ipjis homin11m cordih:u optrari, ~zun ut hominn, quodjien tzon potejl, nolenteJ crtdam, fid 111 <volenttJ .ex nolw tibuJjitwt. Augufl. cont. duas Epi!L Pc!ag. cap. 19. . Cerium tjl no1 •vel!e, w 'n -o.;olum:Js, fid illefacit ut 'Vtllonus, dtfUD ·ditlum rjJ, Deus ejl qz~i opcratur·intto61.,1 _<vel/e• .idem de Grat. CS lib. Arbit. ca_p. 16. :z. lL
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=