'Senn. LIV. in order tofufti fcntaon and Salvation. 379 tude) but furely they cannot mean that the Grace which is limited to a few, is greater in it felf, and upon the whole matter, than that which is extended to a great many ; it being a down-right Contradi&ion, to fay that the Grace of God is magnified by being confined. For at this rate of Reafoning, the leffer it is, the greater it mutt be, and by undeniable confequence would be greateft of all, if it were none at all. So that it feems theGrace ofGod may be extenuated in fa- vour ofour felves but whenwe do fo, we muttfaywe magnifie it. Secondly, But to come clofe to the Objeítion ; tho' it be true, that if God's Grace in our Converfion donot do all, it does not do fo much as if it did all ; yet this is really noinjury or dilbonour to the Grace of God ; and tho' in fome fenfe it doth extenuate it, it dothnot in truth and reality take off from the glory ofit. Inmy opinion, thegrace and favour of a Prince is not the lefs in offering aPardon to a Traytor, who puts forth his hand and gladly receives it, than if he forc'd it upon him whether he would or no. I am fure it is in the firft Cafe much fitter togive it, and he on whom it is conferr'd much better qualified to receive it. 'Tis nodifparagement to a Prince's Favour, that it is beflow'd on one who is in fome meafure qualified to receive it. But be it more or lefs in 'one Cafe than the other, this is certain, that in both Cafes the Man owes his Life to the great grace and goodnefsof hisPrince; and I cannot fee how it leffens the Grace, that the miferable Object ofit, the guilty and condemned Perfon, was either by hishumble fubmiflion, or thankful acceptance of it, in fome degree bet- ter qualified to receive fuch a Favour, than anobftinate refuferof it. Thirdly, Which is the Principal Confideration of all, we mutt take great heed, that while we endeavour to make God to do all in the Converfionof Sinners, we do not by this means charge upon him the ruin and deftrution of impenitent Sinners, which I doubt we thould do, if we make the Reafon of their impeniten- cyand ruin their utter impotency and difability to Repent ; and we certainly make this the Reafon of their impenitency and ruin if there be no other diffe- rence but this betweenpenitent and impenitent Sinners, namely, that in the one God works Repentance by an irrefiflible a& of his Power, fo that he cannot but Repent, and denies this Grace to the other, without whichhe cannot pof iibly Repent. But the Scripture chargeth the deftru&ionof Men upon themfelves, and lays their impenitencyat their own door. Oh Ifrael! thou haft deflrnyed thy felf; but in meis thy help, Hofea a 3. 9. But where is the help, when the Grace abfo- lutely neceffary to Repentance is denied ? And how is their deftrutlionof them - felves, if it is unavoidable, let themdo what they can ? Ifa. ;. 3, 4. God ap- peals to his People'Ifrael, that nothingwas wanting on his part, that was fit and neceffary to be done, that they might bring forth the fruits of Repentance, and better Obedience. And now, 0 Inhabitants of lerufalem, and Menof Judah, judge, Ipray you, between me and my Vineyard : what could have been done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it ? wherefore when I looked that it fhould bring forth grapes, brought it forthwild grapes ? It is true that God bath done all that was neceffary tohave brought them to Repentance ? Then if irrefiftible Grace be neceffary, he afforded them that ; but that was not afforded them, becaufe then they mutt unavoidably have Repented, and therehadbeen no caufe for this Com- plaint : Ifhe did not afford it, but only the outward means of Repentance with- out the inwardgrace (as fome fay ;) then it is eafie to judge why they did not Re- pent ; becaufe they could not and therefeems to be no CauCe either of Wonder, or Complaint. Befides that it will behard to juftifie that Saying, What could I have done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it ? when it is ac- knowledg'd by the affertors of this Do&rine, that the main thing was not done, and that without whichall the reti fignify'd nothing, leaving them un- der the fame impoffibility of Repentance, as if nothing at all had been.done to them. But now upon our fuppofition, that fufficient grace was afforded tothem, which they wilfullynegle&ed tomake ufe,of, the Reafon and equityof this Complaint is evident, and God is acquitted, as havingdone what was needful on his part, and the Sinner juttly Condemned, for not concurring with the Grace of God as Ccc 2 he
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