190 THE NATURE, CAUSES, AND MEANS tt the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, tual is antecedently required. * Wherefore I inquire, andmy blessing on thy offspring, and they shall spring (Secondly,) Whether God doth really effect and work it up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. in anythe things which he here promiseth that he will s' One shall say I am the Lord's." So Jer. xxxi. 33. work and effect? Ube cloth not, where is his truth and " 1 will put my low in their inward parts, and write it faithfulness? It is said that he cloth so, and will do so, qt in their hearts." I shall first inquire two things provided that men do not refuse his tender of grace, about these concurrent testimonies: (t.) Is it lawful for nor resist his operations, but'comply with them. gut us, is it our duty to pray, that God would do and ef- this yields no relief. feet what he had promised to do, and that both for our- Sect. 43. For, (1.) What is it, hot to refuse the selves and other;? For ourselves, that the work of our grace of conversion, but to comply with it? Is it not to conversion may be renewed, carried on, and consum- believe, to obey, to convert oursel es; so then God pro- mated in the way and by the means whereby it was be- miseth to convert us, on condition that we convert our- gun; that so he who bath begun the good work in us, selves; to work faith in us, on condition that we do be- may perfect it to the day of Jesus Christ, Phil. i. 6. lieve; and a new heart, on condition that we make our For those who are converted and regenerated, and are hearts new ourselves, To this are all the adversariesof persuaded on good and infallible grounds that so they the grace of God brought by those conditions, which are, may yet pray for those things which God promiseth they feign of its efficacy to preserve the sovereignty of to work in their first conversion. And this is, because free-will in our conversion; that is, unto plain and open the same work is to be preserved and carried on in them contradictions, which have been charged sufficiently up. by the same means, the same power, the same grace on them by others, and from which they could never wherewith it was begun. And the reason is, because extricate themselves. (2.) * Where God promiseth this work, as it is merely the workof conversion, is im- thus to work, as these testimonies do witness, and doth mediately perfected and completed as to the being of it; not effectually do so, it must be either because he can- yet, as it is the beginning of a work of sanctification, it not, or because he will not; if it be said, that he doth is continually to be renewed and gone over again, be- it not, because he will not; then this is that which is cause of the remainder of sin in us, and the imperfection ascribed unto God: that he promiseth, indeed, to take of our grace. For others, that it may be both begun away our stony heart, and to give us a new heart, with and finished in them, And do we not in such prayers his law written in it, but he will not do so, which is to desire, that God would really, powerfully, and effec- overthrow his faithfulness, and to make him a liar. If tually, by the internal efficiency of his Spirit, take away they say it is, because he cannot, seeing that men op- en hinderances, oppositions, and repugnancy in our pose and resist the grace whereby he would work this mindsand wills, and actually collate upon us, give unto effect; then where is the wisdom of promising to work us, and work in us, a new principle of obedience, that that in us, which he knew he could not effect without we may assuredly love, fear, and trust in God always? our compliance, and which he knew that we would not Or, do we only desire that God would so help us, as to comply withal? But it will be said, that God promiseth leave as absolutely undetermined, whether we will make to work and eflict these things, but in such a way as he use of his help or not? Did ever any pious soul couch bath appointed; that is, by giving such 'supplies ofgrace such an intention in his supplications? He knows not as may enable us thereunto, which, if we refuse to make how to pray, who prays not that God would by his own use of, the fault is merely our own. Ans. It is the immediate power, work those things in him which he things themselves that are promised, and not such a thus prayeth for. And unto this prayer also grace effec- communication of means to effect them, as mayproduce them, or may not, as the consideration of the places will a Semperquidenradjatoriam Gratis nobts est a Dee poscendnm, aed manifest: Whereof observe: nee ipsum quod possumus viribus nostris asslgnem. Neque enim baberi potest ipso saltem oratiohis alfectus nisi Di,initus turns. attributus. Ut Hoc promittit Deus quod ipse tacit; eau enim ipse promittit et alius ergo desideremus adjutorluìn Gration, hoc ipsum quogne est Gratia, ipso feat; quad jam non estpromittere sed prcedicere. Ideo non es operibus namque incipit effundi ut incipiat posci.EÜlgent. Epist. 6 ad Theod, seriesvocante, neipsorum fir non Dei,August. de Spirit.et Lit.cap. al.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=