ARMI:NIANISM. >!9 thoughts of his heart to all generations, Pfalm. xxxiii. io, 11. proceedeth accordingly in his own difiref; to pray, thatthe Lord wouldinfatuate, andmake (a) foolifh the counfel ofAchtophel, z Sam. xv. 33. which alfo the Lord did, by working in the heart of Abfdam, to hearken to thecroffe counfelof Ldufhai. But alfo z.) That the working of his providence is effe&ual even in the hearts and wills of men, to turn themwhich way he will, and ea determine them to this or that in particular according as he .pleafèth r The preparations-of theheart in man, and the anfroer of the tongue is from the Lord, faith Solomon, Pray. xvi. t. which Jacob Crafted andrelied on, when he prayed, that theLordwould grant bit fns to find favour andmercybefore that man, Gen. xliii. 14. whom then he fuppofed to he fome atheiftical Egyptian. Whence we muft grant, if either the good old man believed that it was in the hand of God, to incline and unalterably turns and fettle the heart of qfeph, to favohr his brethren.,. or elfe his prayer mail have load fach a'fènfelels fenfeas this: ,Grant, O Lord, fucha general influence Ofthy providence, that the heart of thatman maybe turned to good towards my fops, or elfe that it may rot, being left toits own freedom ; a orange requefi; yet how it may be bettered, by one believing theArminiandoLhine I cannotconceive. Thus Solomon afhrmeth thatthe heart of theking isin the hand 'of the Lord, like the rivers of water he turnerh it which mayhe wig, Prov. xxi. 1. ifthe heart of a king whobath au inward natural liberty equal sviti, others, and an outward :libertybelonging to his liare and con- dition above them, be yet fo in the hand ofthe Lord, as thathe always turneth itto what loe pleafeth in particulag then rartaií lyother meo are not excepted from therule of the fame providence : which is theplain fenfe ofthefe words, and thedire& thefts which we mountain, in eppofitfon to the Aminian idol ofabfolute independent free will. So Daniel alfo reprovingthe babyloniaa ty ant, afhrmeththat he glorified not God in whofe hand was his breath,' and whofe were all his ways, .Dua. v. z3. not only his breath and life, bat allo all his :ways, his a&ions, thoughts and words, were in the hand..of God,.:yea, . fometinnes" eh faints Of God,. as I touched before, do pray that God would be pleafèd thus" toy determine their hearts, _and -bend their wills, and wholly incline them to home one fermi:, thing, and thatwithout any prejudice to their true and proper liberty : fo Ílaelid dial. cxis. 36. Incline my heart unto Shy teflimonies, and rat untocareto f of . Tisis *ayer being his, may alfo be ours, and wh mayask hill faith, relying On che,power,t and promife of God in Chriít, that he will perform our.petitions, John xiv, 14.-now deine anychrillian to refolve, whethe byq thefe and the like requefts, he intendethto delire at thehand-of God nothing but Each an indifferent motion...aany good, asway leave him tohis own choice whether he wail do it or no ; which is all theArminianwillgranthim é or rather that he would power- fully bend his heart and foul unto his tellimpnies an d tosai,in him an a&aal embracing of all the waysof God, not defiring more 1 libe ty but only enough to doit willingly: Nay finely the prayers ofGod'sfervutsts reRnefting with Solomon; that the Lord would be with-them, and eacline their heart law him to keep his flataeee, -"anti roalk in his iommand'. tontes,a. -Kingsviii. 5, 7. and withD'aviidt to tieat "itsthem,, clean heart, and renete4 right fpir t within them Pfal. li. When-according to God'spromifes, they intreat "hitn to rut his fear into their hearts, Jèrem stai. 32. ró vntd"their'heartserfearhisname, Pfal. Ixxxvi. 1 T. towork in them both the will and.the deed, and adral obedience unto his law, cannotpoffibly aim at nothing but a general influence, enabling them alikeeither todo, or not to do, what they fo eatitètly longafter. ' ,3.) libe ¡certainty, of divers promslet ¡rad'threatnings-of ahnighty'Goda dependeth Capon his powerful determining, and torti:g the wills and heartsofmen.which way he pleafeth. thus to themthat fear h ni 1,. promifeth that they (hall find favour in th tight of_anua, Prey. iii. 4.' how iflnotwithf'anding, all God's powerfid operation iii their hearts, it remaineth abfolutely in the hands of men, whether they will favour them that fear him orno : it is wholly in their power whether God shall be true inhis g ra mïfes or no'ï furek rehén ja elr evreftled with God on the ftrengrh of Mine luth promife, Gen.`ovni, rz: fie little thought of aityqùeftion, whether it"Were in the power of God to perform it : yea and the event(hewed that there ought tobe no inch queftion, Gen. xxxiii. for the Lord turned the heart of his brother Ffau, as he doth of others, when he makes them pity his feerrores whom at any time they have carriedaway cap- rives, Pfal. cvi. 46. fee alto the fame powerful operation required to the execution of his judgments, gob xii. 17. and Chap. vu. z t. ere. In brief, there is co prophefy not predi &ion in the whole fcripture, no promife to the Church or faithful, to whofe (a) tepndiaet, & alhadquod einon expediebat eligeet, itA Anti. tar. corde Acchot, Up tale confilium ug . de gnat. ES GG. ArGit. sap, ao. accomplifh-
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