Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT768 .O9 1654

C. XIV. Ofthe confiftency of Ef eduall Grace & Gofpell Exhortations. 322 groffe ignorance ofthe Do&rive oppofed, or willfull prevaricating from that Lightof it whichhehath who ever taught that God's operations in and towards Believers, as to their PerfeveranceinFaith and Obedience did con- fill' inanoutwardconfiraintofan 'unwilling principle. Godgives a principle ofObedience to them, he writes and implants his Law in their hearts,and movesthem effectually toat fuitablyto that in ár ^principle they have fo received; which thoughSpirituals & Supernatural/ in refpe&ofits rife &man- ner ofbeftowing,yet is connaturall to thé in refpc t of itsbeing a Principle of Operations we are not then in theleaft beholding toour Author for his fol- lowing conceffion; That as a Prince May givegreat things to these that eat and drinke andbreath, but not as rewards, fo GodmaygiveEternaliLife to there that arefonecilfitated by him to rerfevere,though not as a rewards For although wewill not contendwith God about Eternal'' Life; that he give it us under thenotion ofaReward, anddelire tobe muchaffe&ed with the Confederati- on ofit, as afree guift ofGrace, an eminent purchafe of the Blond of God, and looke upon it meerelyas a Rewardof bounty, fo called as being theend whereuntoourObedience is fuited and the reff of our Labours, yet we fay, in an Evangelical/ fenceand acceptation, it is ptoperly fopropofed to that ObedienceandPerfeverance therein, which is wrought inus by the efficacy of the Grace ofGod, as it lyes in atendency unto that end, Which to beat- tained by thofemeanes, hehath infalliblydetermined. <' O. IO. Heproceeds therefore toinforce his Argument with a new Confideratione 'fivefpeake ofRewards Fromifed in order to themooning or incliningofthe wills ofmen towardsfirthorfuch atlions andwayes, o fwhich kind alto the lie -: wards mentionedin the Scriptures, asyet remaining to beconferred by Godupon, men, are, the cafeisyet more cleare, viz. That they are appropriate untofiséll alli- ons audwayes, unto the Elet ion andchoice whereof men are not neceffitated in: one kindeor other; efpecially not by any Phyficall orforreignepower; For to what' purpofefhould aRewardbePromfedunto me,to Perfwade ormake me wiltingto in- gage infuch orfueh a courfe,or to performe fetch-& fucb afervice ist cafe ¡be ne- ceffitated to thefame ingagement orperformanceoéherwayes?or whatplace is there leftfor aMorall:inducement,where a Phyficall necefityhathdone the execution,or ifthe Moral/inducementhath done the execution, & fufzcientlly raifed 6 inga- ged the willto theallion, with what congruityoflteafon,yea or commonfence,can aPhyficall neceff/ty befuperinduced. Anf. What there is more in this than what went before,unleffeSophyfiry andFal/ty, I fee not. For firlt; though I conceivethat Eternal/ Life is peopo fed in the Scripture asour Reward ratherupon the.account of fupporting & chearingour Spirits in the deficiency's, Temptations, and intanglements at- tendingour Obedience, than direly to ingage unto Obedience (though confequentlyit doth that alto) whereuntowe have fo manyother unconque- rableingagements and inducements yet the confederation there of in that fence allo, as it moves the wills ofmen toA&ions foitable to the attainement ofit, is very well confiffent with the Do&rine inhand; That old Calumny anhundred times repeated and inlifted on in this conteff, ofonr willsbeing neceffitated anddeprivedoftheirchoice and Fich an, unleffè it could be tole- rably made good, will beofnoufe to M. Goodwin as to hisprefentpurpofe. Thewholeffrengthofthis Argumentation, is built on this fuppofall. That the effe&uall Grace ofGod in its working the will &deed in Believers, or the Spiritsdoingofit byGrace,withGods fore- determination ofevents,doth take away the Liberty ofthewill inducing into it a neceffary mannerof Operati on,determining it to one,antecedentlyin order oftime to its own determina- tion ofit:felfe,which is falfe&no - wifeinferredfió theDo&rine underConfide- ration

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