PERSON Of CHRIST. I29 is the folly of that Pelagian herefy, which is now a third time attempting to impofe it felf on the chriftian world. It fuppofeth that men have a power of their own to return unto God, after they had loft the power they had ofabiding with him. It is not indeed as yet pretended by many, that the firft fin was a sneer tranfient aft, that no way vitiated our nature, or impaired the power, faculty or principle of obedience in us. A wound they fay, a difeafe, a weaknefs it brought upon us, and rendered us legally obnoxious unto death temporal, which we were naturally liable unto be- fore. Wherefore it is not faid, that men can return unto that perfeft obe-. dience, which the law required ; but that they can comply with, and per- form that which the gofpel requireth in the room thereof. For they teem to fuppofe that the gofpel is not much more but an accommodation of the rule of obedience unto our prefent reafon and abilities, with force .motives unto it, and an example for it in the perfonal obedience and fufferingofChrift. For whereas man forfook the -lawof obedience firft prefcribed unto him, and fell into various incapacities of obferving it, God did not, as theyfuppofe, in and by thegofpel provide a righteoufnefs where-. by the law might be fulfilled, and effectual grace to raife up the nature of man unto the performance of acceptabe obedience; but only brings down the law and the rule of it into a compliance unto our weakned, difeafed, depraved nature; than which if any thing can be fpoken more difhonourablyof the gofpel,. I know it not. However this pretended po- wer of returning unto force kind of obedience, but not that which was required of us in our primitive condition, is no way fufficient unto our reftoration, as is evident unto all. [2. As man could not effect his own recovery, fo he would not at. tempt it. For he was fallen into that condition wherein, in the princi- ples ofall his moral operations, he was at enmity again,/l God; and what- ever did befall him, he would chufe to continue in his state of apoftafy. For he was wholly alienated from the life of God. He likes it not, as that which is incompliant with his dífpofitions, inclinations and de- fires, as inconfiftent with every thing whereinhe placeth his interefl. And hence as he cannot do what he fhould through impotency, he will not do even what hecantharough obftinacy. It may be we know not diftindly what to afcribe untoman's impotency, and what unto his obltinacy : But be- tween both, he neither can nor will return unto God. And his power unto good, though not fufficient to bring him again unto God, yet is it not fo '1'111211 but that he always chufeth not to make ufe of it unto that end. In brief, there was left in man a fear of divine power, a fear of God becaufe of his greatnefs, which makes him do many things which otherwife he would not do; but there is not left in him any love unto di- vine goodnefs, without which he cannot chufe to return unto God. D. But let us leave thefe things which men will difpute about though in prefs contradiction unto the fcripture and the experience of them that arc Wrought upon to believe; and let us make an impof able fuppofition, that man could and would return unto his primitive obedience, yet no repa ration of the glory of God fuffering in the lofs of the former ftate of all' things would thereon enfue. What fatisfa&ion would be hereby made for the injury offered unto the holinefs, righteoufnefs and wifdom of God, whofe violation in their bleffed effeds was the principal evil of fin? Not- withftanding fuels a fuppofition, all the diforder that was brought into the rule and government ofGod by fin, with the retle&ion of difhonour upon him, in the rejection of his image, would (till continue. And fuch a re- ftitution of things, wherein no provifion is made for the reparation of the K k glory
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