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C.XII.
Efficacy
of
incernall Grace
confiftentwith
Exh.
from
the Word.
282
is
no
other
operation
of
God
in
Perfwading men,
as
to
the
ends
under coati.
deration, but
only
what
lies,
or
conGfts
in
the
perfwading
of
the
Word,
by
the
Minifters
thereof; God looking
on ,
without the exerting
Of
any
efficacy
whatever,
which
is
indeed
that
which
is
aimed
at,
&
is
really
exclufive
ofthe
Grace
of
God,
from any
hand
in
the
Convert
on
of
fanners;
or
Prefervation
of
Believers.
g:
37.
3.
He
doth not
indeed
affert any fuch
Perfwading
of
God;but
only
tels you,
that
from
what
he
hath
fpoken,
it doth
not
follow;
that
God
doth
no
more
then
Minif
ers
in Perfwading
men; And
that
when
two
períwade to
one
and
the
fame
Action,
one
may
be
more
effè
lu
ill
in
his
perfwading
than
another:
but that
God
isfo,
or
howhe
is
fo,
or
wherein
his
peculiar perfwaóons
do
confìft,
there
is
not
in his difcourfe
the
leaft intimation.
Fourthly, There
is
in men a
different power
as
to
Perfwafion ; tome
ha=
ving
a
faculty
that
way,
farre more eminent , and
effetuall
than others,
ac=
cording to their
fkill
and
proficiency
in
Oratory
and
Perfwafive Arts
;
this
only
is
afcribed
to
God,
that
he
fo excells us,
as
one
man
excells
another;
But
how
that
Excellency
of
hisis exerted,
thats not to be
underftood
;
But
there
is
proofe tendered you
of
all this, from
r Cor:
3.
9/Where
Minifters
are
faid,
to
cooperate
with
God, which
they
cannot do,
unleff
e
it
be
with
the
fame
1.
and
of
efficiency;
(well
faid)And that
when
one
worhes
Necefitatingly
and
another
by
Perfwafion;
they
cannot
be
faid
to cooperate, no more
then
one
that
runner , or ano-
ther
that
walkes can
be
Paid
to
walke together:
Certainly our Author never
dreamed
that
any man
whatever,
would
put
himfelfe
to
the trouble
of
exa.
mining thefe di&ates,orhe would have been more
wary
of
his
afferting
them,
and
we had
not had
fo
much
not
only new
and ftrange
Divinity,
but
new
and
uncouth
Philofophy,
heaped up
without
any confiderable
endeavour
of
proofe
or
confirmation.
..38;
Firft,
That
two Agentscannot
concurre,
or
cooperate
to
the producing
of
the
fame
effe&,
but
with
the
fame
kind
of
e
iciency,is
a
rare
notion indeed;
Was
he
never
perfwaded
to
doe any thing in
his
life?
What
thinks he
of
Da
vid's,
&
the
Amorates
killing
of
Vriah
?
of
a
Judge, &
an Executioner
flaying
a Malefaftor;
of
God
& Satan,
moving David
to
number the
People;
of
God
&
Iofephs
brethren,
fending
him
to
Egypt
?
But
what
need Imention
Inftances
?
Who
knowes
not
that
this fo
confounds all
caufes
Efcient,
&
that
principali,
& Inftrumentall,
Materiali,Finall,
Formal!,
which in
their
produ
&ion
of
ef-
fe
&s,
have
all
their
diftin&
efficiency ,
and vet
their
cooperation.
Secondly,
The
proofefrom the Scripture mentioned, extends
only
to the
interefting
of
Miniffers in
the
great honour
of
Cooperating
with
God
,
in
the
work
of
begetting,
& increafing Faith
in
their
own fpheare, according to the
work
to
them
committed.
But
that
God, and they, do
work
with
the
fame
kind
of
efficiency,'tis
the
tnaine
intendment
of
the
Apoftle
in
the place
cited,
z
Cor: 3.
to
difprove; He tells youindeed, there
is a
work
of
Planting
and
wa=
tering,
committed to the
Miniflers
of
the Gofpell ; but the
giving
of
increafe,
(a
peculiar working with
a
diftin&
kind
of
Efficiency)that
is
alone
to
be
afcri-
bed to
Gods
It
is
(I
fay)
his
defigne,
(
who every where abundantly
informes
us;
that
Faith
is
the
gift
ofGod
wrought
in
us
by
the
exceeding
greatnefe
of
his
Power,)
to
prove
in
this place ,
that
though the
difpenfation
of
the Word
of
the
Cofpell be
committed unto
men
, yet their
whole Miniftry
will
be vaine;
and
of
none
effe&,
unleffe
by animmediate
efficacy,
or
working
of
his
Spirit,
giving
&
beftoAving
Faith on
his
Ele
&,
God
do
give
an
increafe.
Thirdly,
For
the terme
of
[
Necefìtating
]
put
upon
the
real]. effe&uall,
work
of
Gods Grace on
the
wills
of
men, giving them power,
afìzftance,
and
Working
.
in
them
to
will
and
to
do, as
different from
that
which
is
purely
Mo-
rail