Serra. T.TII. in order tofultifeation and Salvation. 373 Secondly, It implies that the Converfion and Repentance of thofe, upon whom God Both not work irrefafliblÿ is impoffrbie, which is the utrnott can be faid to excufe the impenitency of Men, by taking it off from their own choice, and lay- ing it upon the impoffibility of the thing, and an utter difability in them to choofe and do otherwife. And it is likewife contrary to the conftant tenour of the Bible, which fuppo- feth that Men do very frequently retift the Grace and Holy Spirit of God. It is faid ofthe Pharifees by our Saviour, Luke 7. 3o. that they reje5ted the Council of God againfl themfelves 5 that is, the merciful Defign of God for their Salvation. And ofthe Jews, ACIs 7. 5e. that they always refilled the Holy Ghofl. So that force operations of God's Grace and Holy Spirit are reßftible, and fuch, as if Men did not reuft them, would be effe /lual to bring them to Faith and Repentance, elfe why are the Pharifees faid to rejeti the Council ofGod again themfelves, that is, to their own ruin ; implying, that if they had not reje&ed it, they might have been Paved ; and if they had, it had been without irrefiftible Grace ; for that which was offered to them, was a&wally refilled by them. Other Texts plainly thew, that the Reafon ofMens impenitency and unbelief is not any thing wanting on God's part, but on theirs ; as thofe known Texts, wherein our Saviour laments the Cafe of 5erefalem, becaufe they obftinately brought deftru/lion upon them- felves, Luke 19. 4a. If thou hadfl known in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace : intimating that they might haveknown them, fo as to haveprevented that defolation which was coming upon them, and was a forerunner of their E- ternal Ruin ; but now they are hid from thine eyes ; intimating, that then God gave them up to their own blindnefs and obftinacy ; but the time .was, when they might have ¡pasivo the things oftheir peace ; which cannot be upon the fuppofition of the necefiìty of an irre[iflible a&of God's Grace to their Converfion, and Re- pentance; becaufe then without that they could not have Repented, and if that had been afforded to them, they had infallibly Repented. So likewife in that other Text, Match. 23. 37. Oh ! yerufälem, 7erufalem, how often would I havega- thered thee, even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and you would not. And in john 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life. He would have gathered them, and they would not ; he would have given them life, but they would not come to hire. Are thefe ferious and compaffionate .expoftulati- ons and declarations of our Saviour's gracious intention towards them, any ways confident with an impoffibility of their Repentance ? which yet mutt be faid, if irrefiftible Grace be neceffary thereto; for then Repentance is impoffible with- out it, and that it was not afforded to them is plain, becaufe they did notRepent. The fame may be faid of that folemn declaration of God, Evek. 33. i 1. As I live, faith the Lord God, 1have no pleafure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turnfromhis way and live. Can it be faid that God hath no pleafure in the death ofSinners, and yet be true, that he denies to the greateft part of them, that Grace which is neceffary to their Repentance? Upon this Suppofition, how can it be true, that if the mighty works that were done in Chorazin, and Bethfaida, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have Repented, Matth. 11. lince irref- ftible Grace did not accompany thofe Miracles ? For if it had, Chorazin and Beth- faida had Repented, and without it Tyre and Sidon could not Repent. The fame difficulty is in thofe Texts, whereinGod is reprefented as expe/ling the Repentanceand Converfion of Sinners ; and our Saviour wondering at their unbelief and hardnefs ofheart, and upbraiding them with it, Ira. S. 4. What could Ihave done more to my Vineyard, that Ihave not done in it ? Wherefore when Hooked *kith fbould bring forth grapes, brought it forthwild grapes ? Mark6. 6. 'tis faid our Saviour marvell'd at the unbelief of the Jews. And Chap. 16. 14. that he upbraided his Difciples with their unbelief and hardnefs of heart. But why fhould the Re- pentance ofSinners be expe/led, or their unbelief marvell'd at, or indeed be up- braided to them, by him who knew it impoflibleto them, without an.irrefiflible power and grace, which he knew likewife was not afforded to them? Neither God nor Man have reafon to wonder that any Man does not do that, whichat the fame time they certainly know he cannot do. The
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