Rom.S. 16• Aug. ep.I07. Lfatiam dati ad fingulos atlus bonos. a De pr.rd.f:1n. ca.u. Rua1d. Tapper. Bell. de &rar.. & lib.afb.. l. 6.c J ~.. will and to doe indeede,that which it can wil and doe.And this mooning caufe,is l!hc good willofGod.It may not feeme firange, :that I fay, new graceis required to fiirre vp the will to the doing ofeuery new worke.For grace in the will is like the fire ofgrcene wood,which hardly burnes, and continues not to burne vn– leffe it be continually fiirred vp and blowed: eoenfothe good inclination ofthe wil,becaufe itisioyned,nay mixed with contrary corrupti· on that prdfeth downe, tempteth, inticeth,& dtawerh away the wil from God,& all good– ndfe,hath need continually to ~cexcited,fiir• red,andmooucd. The man regeuerateisable to pray to God, yet can he not pray fometime A thegraceofGods Spitir,is apt tobeextingui– lhe?,becaufe ofit felfe it is mur:able:n~ucuhel<s ttwholly& vtterly cannot beloO:.forf<iure caufes. The fir!t lS,the_Promifc of God in the couenant o1"grace: 1w,ft pHt myfeare intothti 11 he.rts,thatthryfbaanatdep•rtfromme:and this promife parcic.ularly belongs to all them that truely beleeue, bcca~fe it is the prom.ife ofrhe Eua~gehcal c~ue~ant. The fccOd is,the inter.. cefston efChnfi tn the behalfe ofal theeleCl. Chnfi fatth to Peter, SatQan bath defircd to fift you as wheate, bu~ I baue prayed for thee L•k. ''– J'eter, rharthy fatthfatle nor. And this he did 3 ' e!peciall~, in that folemne prayer ~ade, Job. ]7·'" whtch he prated, not only for 'l'eter, but by reafon ofthe weight ofcorruption, vnleflt the fpirit hclpe to bcare the infirmitiesofna– ture, and make rcquefi in vs by fiirring and B mooning vs to make rcqncfi. The doctrine of the ancienr Church bath beene, that nervgr<ee u to begiu<» to thedoingof ""YJ gooda!t,And(a) that wedo not thatgood which wecando, vn· lelfe God make vs do it, ashe made v...ble to do it.This doctrinemull the rather bercmem– bred, becaufc the flreamc ofPopifi1 doctrine, runs Jnorhcr way; by teachingthat ourwillcs afsiflcd by grace, can doe good, without the concurieace ofnew grace to excite and fiirre vp the wi!!. Indeed, for the doingolnaturall aClions,thc gener~llco-operatioa ofGod luf– ficeth:bnt to the cffelling ofallies fuperAatu– r>ll, thefpeciall helpe of God is required. A childe that can goe vp and downe in an <tt:n floore, beeing lraied by the mothers hand,for C al this itcannot go vp apaire offiail!es,vnlelfe tt be lifted at euery fieppc. Like is thecafcof the childrm ofGod,in things whichconcewe the kingdome ofhcauen. ·· The kcond put ofthe anfwer is,tbat when renewed wit doth.1.good worke, itdoth not perfeill)'· To rvi/l(f>ithPaui,Rom,7•18.)upre· ferzt withm~,bHt 1cannot d1 thegoodI WORld: that is, I cannot perfectly tlo it as I would. It may beobicd:ed thus: The workesofGod are per– feel: gC>Od workes done by vs, are workeso( God:therforc they arc perfeel. l anfiver to tl!e maior or firfi part ofthe reafon: it\s true of fuchworks as arc worksofGodalone, & not offuch works as are ioyntly both of God and man, God becing tht prindpall agent,& man D the infirumcm. For thenthe work dpqe,takes I vnto it the quality aod condition ofman, can– fidering it procecdes from God , through the; finfull minde and will of man. Th~S>riuener, when hqvrir.s by himfelf, he writes a p.erfeCl ha11d:but when a lqrner & i]e wr.itc both toi gither , hee taking the learners.hand into his ; owne,then that Whic;h iswritte,willqrry t,he.l imperfection o\the learner. Like is th<_cafe.in all fuch works as are from God in andby.vs. ·I The third qud\i!)rlJs• .\Vhether the 'sliques ofcorruption be of.that force in f!pqing, that l they can vtterly quer1cb th< SpiJ:i~+>f.9.od in. thereneweel will. -:th<;anf\Ve• is,that ~orruptionr~maining is ofjtfelfe apt tp dqe it,.: and , for all the AppQles, and for,all that didor .fhould bdtcpe in him. The third caufe is the omnipoteoq>O\l'.<r of God in prefer~ing all t!hemthat are 111 Chufi. No man(faitk Chrifi) ~~~t.hmyjbtepfort}J of"'} hand.And marke the reafoo: my father w grt4terthenall. Thelafi canfe,isthe eflk:aoy ofGods fpirit. Saintlohn .faith, th4tthefte.dufGodremaints inhim.thllt is borne anw: and that this feed /cttp• him that he -ne'ithe.,..dD..t~TJ97CAYfi~ in two refPeCls. Firil:,ifhe fin,yet he !'ins not wtth ful coufeilt ofwill. For he hates& oils in part the eaill which he wi!s, Secondly,ifuy lutmanefrailty hefal,he makes ~ot,~ trade of!in,n~itherdoth he keepacourfe mwtekednes, but the feed ofgrace remaining within caufeth him to returne ro God, and to rccoucr himfel!cby new repcataace. · 'fhe la(\ queO:ion is, wheth<r the renewed will, can of it fclfe perfcucre in doing good. I. anfwer: th;.tour perfeuorance depeods·and · P.r<><ecdcs onely from the will of God. 'Fh~t we may perfcuere,two things arerequircd:tho power to pcrfcuerc, and the will of perfeue- , tJncer and both thefe beeing good things, are ofGod,Becauft eueryg"dgiHing,andeHn-ygood gifi.r Ufom 14boHe,) and~~mmeth downtftWithe :Ji'!!heroflighes,lam.I•I'J. .·. I ,, .,. This former doctrine is ofgreat vfe.In <hat the new.birth&rc~nerationofafirJner,is not l"'ithout the.motionofhis.9W~ewill, w«Jllre t'l!'ght,that we mufi, ifwe.dtfire ouro;vpfal- ~atioo,v~ the good meanc.s,and firiue agair)!\ our.own corruptions, and cndeauour ea.rnefi.. ly,by a5king,feqf.jng,knocking.It wil bcfaid 1 thatfaith,repenrancc, and therefr,are all11ifrs ofGod,! anfwer: there is•nO vertu<or gif~ of GQ<l in vs,without our wils; & in euery gocd ·at!, Godsgrace,& manswill,concu(r~;;"Op~ gracc,astheprincipallcaufe;mans will reneWed, asti)«in!J:rJJmentofGod. And ther<.(9R inallg 0 od things, indul1rie, and labour, and i~mocatioubll our parts ifrequired. . -. ' : Second.!y,thisdollrine111ini[\ers queq>_mfort to all true fef.Ylij).t,S,!lf.God. Fw, if When t~cyvfe tl,e good mcanS)offaluatio,rhe word, p~~ier,facJal~hl,they. williC'no<dead,l>!\i QC• giq·to ppp,of<)l felfe againfi vnbeleef,a, 9.!M.r torruptions,& fl!ithal, QO.~.bu.t fa muctr~n~~~l t\) belce•e,will tO!CRe,t]t, wi\1 ro ~C t"rJXd to God;they .hape-bcgu~>W l~tncl\loto Gg~, §Pd ·- - God • i.;
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