OF REGE on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." To believe on Christ, ex- presseth saving faith itself. This is given unto us. And how is it given us? even by the power of God working in us to will and to do ofhis own good pleasure, chap. i. 13. Our faith is our coming to Christ. And no man, saith he, can cone unto me, except it be given himofmy Father, John vi. 65. All power in ourselves for this end is utterly taken away;; no man can come un- to me. However we may suppose men to be prepared or disposed, whatever arguments may be proposed unto them, and in what season soever to render' things con- gruous and agreeable unto their inclinations, yet no man of himself can believe, can come to Christ, unless faith itselfbe given unto him, that is, be wrought in him by the grace of the Father, Col. ii. 1 I. So it is again as- serted, and that both negatively and positively, Eph. ii. R. Bygrace are ye saved through,faith, and that not ofyourselves, it is the gift ofGod. Our own ability, be it what it will, however assisted and excited, and God's gift, are contra-distinguished. If it be of ourselves, it is not the gift of God; if it be the gift of God, it is not of ourselves. And the manner how God bestows this gift upon us, is declared, ver. 10. For we are his work- manship, created in Christ Jesus untogood works. Good works, or gospel-obedience, are the things designed. These must proceed from faith, or they are not accep- table with God, Heb. xi. 6. And the way whereby this is wrought in us, as a principle of obedience, is by a creating act of God; we are his workmanship created in Jesus Christ. In like manner God is said to give us repentance, 2 Tim. ii. 25. Acts. xi. 18. This is the whole of what we plead. God, in our conversion, by the exceeding greatness of his power, as he wrought in Christwhen he raised him from the dead, actually work - eth faith and repentance in us; gives them'unto us, be- stows themonus, so that they are mere effects of hisgrace in us. And his working in us infallibly produceth the effect intended, because it is actual faith that he works; and not only a power to believe, which we may either put forth and makeuse of, or suffer to be fruitless, ac- cording to the pleasure of our own wills. Sect. 41.Secondly; As God giveth and worketh in us faith and repentance, so the way whereby he doth it, or the manner how he is said to effect them in us, make it evident, that he doth it by a power infalliblyefficacious, NER.ATION. 189 and which the will of man Both never resist. For this way is such, as that he thereby takes away all repug- nancy, all resistance, all opposition, every thing that lieth in the way of the effect intended, Dent. xxx. 6. t' The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and " the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God " with all thine heart, and all thy soul, that thou may- est live." A denial of the work here intended, is ex- pressed, chap. xxix. 4. " The Lord hath not given 4, you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears " to hear, unto this day." What it is to have the heart circumcised, the apostle declares, Col. ii. t t. " It " is the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by " the circumcision of Christ;" that is, our conversion to God. It is the giving an heart to percieve, and eyes to see, and ears to hear; that is, spiritual light and o- bedience, by the removal of all obstacles and hindrances. 'Phis is the immediate work of the Spirit of God him- self: No man ever circumcised his own heart. No man can say he began to do it by the power of his own- will, and then God only helped him by his grace. As the act of outward circumcision on the body of a child, was the act of another, and not of the child, who was only passive therein, but the effect was in the body of the child only; so is it in this spiritual circumcision: it is the act of God, whereof our hearts are the subject. And whereas it is the blindness, obstinacy, and stub- bornness in sin, that is in as by nature, with the preju- dices which possess our minds and affections, which hinder as from conversion unto God, by this circumci- sion they. are taken away. For by it, the body of the sins of the flesh is put off. And how should the heart resist the work of grace, when that whereby it should resist is effectually taken away? Sect. 42.Ezek. xxxvi.. 26. " A new heart also will " I give you, and anew spirit will I put within you, and " I will take away the stony' heart out of your flesh, " and I will give you an heart of flesh. And 1 will put " my Spirit within you, and causeyou to walk in my " statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do " them.' 'l'o.which may be added, der. xxiv. 7. " And " I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the ,, Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be " their God; so they shall return unto me with their " whole heart." As also, Ise. xliv. 3, 4, 5, I will " pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods. upon
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