Conlì!l:encyofeñe&uall Grace and Gofptal Exhortations. C. XlC.ß:zt. infecurity loofeneJfe, vilepraaices :nor have theyyet proved, intr. (I believe) ever willprove, but that they may walke, : yea and that many have thus walked, I meane infalloppofition to the Paid exhortations,to their dying day. secondly, IfGod by his spirit--irre /ijzihly drawes hisSaints to obey the Exhortations we fpeake of, he thus draweth them , eitherbyfach a force or power immediatelyall-ed upon their wills bywhich. theyare made willing to obey th.ein; or elfe he mahethufe of theraid E.xh.ortationsfotoworke or. 8ffeït their wills that -they ,becomewilling accordingly; If the former be affected. Then firfl,:thefaid Exhortations areno .meaner wereby the Perfeverance ofthe Saints is. effelhd, but Godalone irrefìfli- bly by hisSpirit; for ifthe Will be thus.immediately affectedby God after rich a manner and wrought tofilch a bent and inclination, as that it cannot but obey thefaid Exhortations or do the things which thefaid Exhortations require, Then would it have done thefame things whether there had been anyfuch Exhortations inbeeing or no, and confequenly thefe Exhortations could -have no manner ofef.. ciency about their Perfeverance; For the Will according to the commonfaying is ofitfelfea blind faculty, & followes its ownepredominant bent & inclination without. takingknowledgewhether thewayes and anions towards. which it"lands bent be commanded orexhorted unto by God or no: 2. if thewillofa St be imme- diatelyfoafeaedby God that itflands incliild& bent' to do the things whichare proper to caufe them to Perfevere; then it thisbent & inclination wrought in the Will offucba perfon,afterhis being a St & confequently,is not fentiall to him as aSt, but meerely Accidentall,& Adventitious: & iffoithen is there no inclination or bent in the Will ofaSt asfuck or,from hisfirfibeing a St to Perfevere, or tode the things whichaccompany Perfeverance, tint they come tobe wrought in him,af- terwards; Whichhow confiflent itis with theprinciples either ofReafon orReligion, or theirowne,I am contentthat my Adverfaries themfelvesfhouldjudge. 3. ifGod doth immediately& irrefiflibly incline,or move the wills oftheSts to dothe things which accompany Perfeverance, thefetid Exhortations can beno meones ofeffe- h ing this Perfeverance;for the Will being Phyfically irrefiflibly ailed & .draWne by God, todofuck & flick things, needeth no addition ofMorali meaner, (itch as Exhortations are (if theybe any) inorder hereunto; What a man is necef f tated to, he needet/s' nofarther helpe or meaner to do.it. 4. The thingswhich ac- company Perfeverance, import a continuance in Faith & Love to the end; Ifthen the wills oftheStt be immediately and irrefliblymoved by God thus to continue,I meane, inFaith & Love to the end, what place is there for Exhortations to come in with their efciency).towards that Perfeverance? Need they be exhorted tocon- tinue inFaith& Love,or to Perfevere after the end? Thus thenwe clearely%ee,that thefirmer ofthe two Confequents mentionedcannotHand; Godclothnot by his spi- rit irreflflibly draw or move the willsoftheSt, todo things which areneceffaryfor theprocuring their Perfeverance immediately, or without the inllrumentall inter- pofure ofthefbid Exhortations. Anf. Firfl, the intendment ofthis, as alto offome following Sections, is to prove and manifefF, that thenie ofExhortations cannot confift with the efficacy of Internal/ Grace, and the workeof theSpirit in producing and effe -. Being thofe Graces in us, Which in thofe Exhortations. weare provoked and furred up unto. A veryfad undertaking, truely,;to my apprehenlion, Sc for w'h theChurch ofGod. will fcarceever retorne thankes to them that (hall ingage in it Hewas ofan other minde, who cryed Dá Dominegvod jibes, & jubequodvis; yea, & the Holy Ghoff hath in innumerable.placesofScripture expreffhimfelfeof another mind, promifing toworleeffeéluaily in ur, what be requires earnefllyofus; by the one manifeffing the efficacyofhis Grace, by the other theexigency ofthe Duty which is incumbent upon us. Nay never. any Saint ofGodonce pray'd in his life,feeking any thing at the handof God, N n but 73
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