376 Of the Nature of Regeneration, and its Nece7ty; fall into fin. Why then (hould the Metaphor befo ffrongon tone the de,that a Man who is faid to be dead infin, fhould not be able fo much as to co-operate with the Grace ofGod in the work of Repentance and Converfion ? In (hort, if thisbe true, that Men in an unregenerate and unconverted (late are perfectly dead, and have no more fence of Spiritual Things, than a deadMan oath of Natural Objects, then all Precepts and exhortations to Repentance, and all Promifes and Threatnings to argue and perfwade Men thereto are vain, and o nopurpofe ; and it would be every whit as proper and reafonable for us to preach in the Churchyard, over the Graves of dead Men, as in the Church to the unregenerate ; becaufe they can no more act and move towards their own reco- very out of a [tate of Sin and Death, than thedead Bodies can rife out of their Graves. But it is Paid, that theend of Exhortations and Promifes is not to declare to Men their Power, but their Duty. But if they be infallible, it is to as little purpofe to declare to them their Duty, as their Power. Betides, it will be an hard thing to convinceMen that any thing is their Duty, which at the fame time we declare to them to be out oftheir Power. But this is Pelagianifm, to fay that of our felves we can Repent and turn to God. And who Pays we can ofourfelves do this betides the Pelagian, We af- firm the neceíiity of God's Grace hereto, and withal, the neceffity of our co- operating with the Grace of God. We fay that without the powerful excitation and aid ofGod's Grace, no Man can repent and turn to God ; but we fay like- wife, that God cannot be properly Paid to aid and aJfi thofe, who donothing themfel ves. But Men cando more than they do, and therefore are juillyCondemned. Not in the work of Convection lure; if they can do nothingat all. But they can do more by way of preparation towards it. Suppofe they dg all they can towards ir, will this fave them, or will God upon thisirreglibly work their Converfion ? No, they fay, notwithftanding any preparatory work that we can do, Convention may not follow ; how then does this mend the matter? But (till they fay the fault is in Mfn's want ofwill, and not of power ; rou will not come unto me, thatye might have life. But can they will to come? No, that they cannot neither. Why then it is [till want of power that hinders them. The offer of Life is a very gracious offer to them that are guilty, and liable to death, as we all are ; but not if the Condition be utterly impoffible to us, rho' the im- poffibility fprings fromour own fault, as I will plainly (hew by a fair in(lance, A Prince offers a Pardon toa Traytor fait lockt inChains, if he will come to him and fubmit himfelf; but if he be [till detained in Chains, and the Prince do not fome wayor other help him to his Liberty, 'cis fo far from being afavour to offer him a Pardon upon thefe terms, that it is a cruel deriflon of his mifery, to fay to him you will not come to me thatyou may be pardon'd; and this notwithftanding that hisbeing raft into Chains, was the effect of his own Crime and Fault ; the application is obvious. I (bould now proceed to anfwer an Objection or two and then to give a clear (late of this Matter, fo as is molt agreeable to Scripture, and the Attributes and Perfections of God ; but this I (hall referve for another pifcourfe. S'E R-
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