Confiflency ofeffeauall Graceand Gofpell Exhortations. C. X11.4:i:. But Mr Goodwin tells you That ifGodWor(eby hisspirit & hisGraceimmedi' 275 ately on the willsofmen, to caufe them to Perfevere, then are Exhortations no meanes oftheirPerfeverance. Why fo I pray ? ft feemes we muff have no internal/ effeelnall Grace from God, or nooutward Exhortations ofthe Word; But he tells you it muff be fo becaufe, Ifthe willbePhytically and7rrefrftiblÿ aned anddrawne by God, to do finch andfuch things, it needeth no adition o fMoral/ meaner,fueh are Exhor.. testions thereunto: That is, ifthe will be effe&ually inclined to the wayes ofGod, by his Grace, there is then no need of the Exhortations of the Word. But yet Firft,theSpirit ofGod though hehave an immediate efficacyofhis owne,by Se with thofeExhortations,yet by thofe Exhortations he alto inclines the will; & as heworkes on thewill asCorrupt&impotent,by his Gracejo heworkeson thewill as thewillor as fuch a faculty is apt to be wrought upon by a media- tionof the underftanding)by Exhortations. Secondly, tofay Obedience wouldhave been produced andwrought hadthere been no Exhortations, is not required of us, what efficacy foever we afcribe to Grace,unleffe we alfodeny Exhortations to be appointed ofGod, and to be ufed by the Spirit ofGod, for the producingof that Obedience. Neither Thirdly, dothGod worke upon thewill asa diftin& faculty alone.ofit felfe without fuitinghis operations to the other faculties ofthe foule; Nor,is Grace tobe wrought or carryed on in us, meerely as we have Wills but as we have Underffandings alto, whereby the Exhortationshe ispleafed to ufe, may be conveyedto the will and affect it in their kind; in a word, this is but repeating what was Paidbefore; Iftheré be any effe&uall Grace, there isno ufe ofExhortations; Ifexhortations be the meanes,ofcontinuing or increafe, ingGrace,what need the efficacy ofGrace or immediate a&ings of theSpirit, working in us towill andto doofGods good pleafure; what validity there is in thefe inferences, will be eafilydifcerned; God worketh Gracein men, as men, and as men impotent andcorruptedby lime; As men he workes upon them by meanes fuited to their Rationall being, byPreceptsand exhortations: but as men impotent andcorrupt by finne, they ftand in need of his effe&uall power, to worke that in-them, which he requireth of them: Ofthe termeswherewith his arguing in this cafe is clowded and darkened,enough hath been remarked already. His fecond Argument to this purpofe, viz. That the Inclination of thewill Q.2a. togood, and toperfevere in a Saint, mull beafter his beingmade a Saints isas weake andno leffe Sophy.flicall than the former; That inclination is radically wrought inevery Believerat hisConverfion,theSpirit beingbeffowed onhim, which {hall abide with him for ever, and theSeed ofGod laid in his heart that fhall remaine, and neverutterly faile, with an habituall inclination tothe ex= ercife ofall thofe Graces wherein their perfevering doth confit. At Bally this is wrought in them according tothe particular dutyes, anda&ings of Grace; that are reqnired ofthem, which they are carryed forth unto, by the daily influence ofLife, Power, and Grace, which they receive.from Chrifi their head, without whom they can do nothing. Neither is the third Exceptionofany more validity, being only a Repetiti- on ofwhat was fpoken before, rendred fomething more impedite, darke, and intricate, by the termes ofPhyficàlly, Irreftftibly, and Necefïtated, whichhow farce, and wherein wedoe allow, hath beenfrequently declared. Thefumine ofwhatis fpokenamounts to this, Gods real/ worke inand upon theSoule byhis Spirit, andGrace, isincontiflent with the exhortatians to Obedience: which we have before difproved, and do reject it asan Affertion defiru&ive to all the N n 2 efficacy
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