Grace operate with Free will, that it only prevents in the Pardon my Curiofity, or too much Diligence, If I labour to prefent, as it were to the Eye in a Scheme, the confiftence of Grace and Freewill, in willing and nilling Good, in every estate of Nature; whether found, fallen, in renewing, or renewed, or Glorified: Grace being fuppofed to help Freewill to Will or to do Good, and not to hinder it's nilling Good or doing Evil. Free-will 1. Was a Power in Man innocent enabling him, By the strength conferred on him in his Creation, to Will things Spiritually Good; or by his Natural liberty under God, to refuse them. By the additional help of Grace, more intenfely to Will; but without derogating from his Natural liberty of not willing them. 2. It was wholly loft by Sin in Man fallen, both as conferred in the Creation, and as corroborated by Grace, so far as relates to the Willing things Spi ritual; there ftill remaining the natural Power of rejecting, with the addition of a preter-natural averfion to them. 2 3. It is a faculty in Man restored whereby he is Empowered, By By preventing Grace to Will Spiritual good Things, but with his freedom to Evil remaining, and a Difaffection to Good. Man's Freewill, 1. Enabled by preventing Grace, of it felf, doth not Will any further Progrefs in things Spiritually Good, thro' its corrupt affections works contrary to them; but by the further help of Grace it willeth, through the continual renewings of Grace, doth things Spiritual. 2. Through regenerating Grace it afpires after, and brings to effect, but with a poffibility of falling from, and fome, tho' lefs, difinclination to things fpiritually Good. 3.In the State of Glory, thro' the immediate contemplation of God's blessedness and perfections, it most fully defireth and perfecteth things Spiritual without the leaft backwardness to, or poffibility of declining from them. Again, in this and the two Pages following, give me leave to fet down the order of Mans converfion, and the process therein in them that obey the Grace of God to Salvation: and the manner of refiftance and difobedience, that is in every degree of them that Perish. The order of the Converfion of a Sinner, his Free-will obeying divine Grace. Man being in the State of corrupt Nature, and without Law, his Understanding is dark, his Will perverfe, his Life impure, his Confcience Infenfible; whence he is a Child of Wrath moft Wretched and Ignorant that he is fo. Nature then being wholly deficient, there is place for the Law. Man being under the Law, as the Law is preparatory to the Gospel, his mind is brought to the know ledge The Order of Converfion. ledge of Sin, his Confcience accufeth him with it, being touched with the Spirit of Fear; hence he becometh less Miferable, as he knows himself to be fo; his Confcience is bad, but fenfible; being burthened, he cryeth out, wretched Man that I am! Who fhall deliver me? When the Law hath done its utmost, and falls short, Grace or the Gospel fucceeds. Man being under Grace calling him by the Gospel, preventing and working in him, be from thence learns the Mercies of the Father, the Merits of the Son, and the Affiftances of the holy Spirit, and becometh defirous of Salvation. And happy he, who thus diffiding in himself, found help in his God! He is now under the hand of the Phyfician, not healed, but defirous to be fo; yet can make no endeavours towards it, except they be stirred up in him. When Preventing Grace hath done its Office, helping Grace adds its Succour. Man, under regenerating Grace, being holpen in his wishes he Willeth; affifted in his Willing he believeth; believing he is Justified, and being Fuftified he is Sanctified. His endeavours would have been vain, unless they had been affifted; but he is now made whole, and taketh up his Bed; being now Just, he liveth by Faith. He that is thus become Righteons goeth on towards Perfection. Man, under Grace protecting and perfecting him, is joyful for the prefent, thankful for what is past, watchful and couragious in respect of the Future, Praying, Contending, Perfevering. Thou that art thus made whole, Sin no more, left worse come to thee. Thom art now become Spiritual, Perfect as thou canst be in thy road to Heaven, rooted in Faith, Conqueror of the Flesh, the World and the Devil; and therefore happy. O 2 and and Bleffed be God who hath Bleffed us with every fpiritual Bieffing in Chrift Jefus. The Degrees and Manner, whereby Sinners harden themselves, their Free-will difobeying the divine Grace. All without the Church not being called, are hardened in their Sins; of whom it is faid whom he will he hardeneth, and as many as have Sinned without Rom.9.18. Law fhall Perifh without Law. So alfo, 2. 12. 1. He that hardeneth his Heart against the Law reproving him, who conceals, palliates or defendeth his Sin, who fecurely contemns all threatnings, promifing himself Deut. 29. Peace and Impunity. 19. 2. He that being wounded by the Law, notwithstanding the declarations of the Gospel, de pairs of the Mercies of the Father, the Merits of the Son, and the Aids of the holy Spirit, and precipitates himself into all manner of Wickedness, as Cain and Judas did. 3. He that prefumes on Pardon, by misapplying the Evangelical promifes, who contrary to the defign of the Gospel abufeth the riches of Grace to Lafciviousness, defers amendment, prefuming that he may exercife Repentance and Faith in Chrift, at any, even the last part of his Life. 4. He that is puffed up with his past Impunity and Profperity, Ungrateful, Secure, Indulging to Idleness and carnal Pleafures, and neglecting Prayer; or who, thro Fear, deferts the Faith, or yielding to Temptations allow eth himself in Wickedness, and falls into Perdition; un lefs by a new act of Fauh and Repentance, he return to God for the remiffion of his Sin. In every one of thefe degrees the Divine severity may take a juft occafion of forfaking a Man, and going no further towards his Converfion; and if God doth ftill go on to further it, it is of his fuperabundant Grace. Now Now, by the view of thefe Tables, a full answer may be made to thofe Questions moved in the eighth Chapter, in the beginning of the Doctrine of Converfion; viz. what part the Sinner, the Subject to be Converted, being being a living, and a reasonable Being, beareth in his own Converfion, whether he be active or paffive, where, and how far? Whether he can hinder or further it? Who it is that puts the difference, God or Man; If we fuppofe of two equally called, the one to obey, the other to disobey? To the first of thefe it may be answered by remembrance of the order of Calling before declared in the feventh Chapter, and by reference to this description of the order of our Converfion. 1. That a Sinner is paffive in having the word of the Law and of the Gospel preached unto him; but active in hearing and attending to it. 2. That he is paffive in the illuminations of his mind, and in receiving impreffions of fear by the Law, and of hope by the Gofpel; but active in nourishing them, not defacing them, or putting them out of his Heart, Grace yet coworking with him in that nourishing of them. 3. That he is paffive in receiving fundry good Thoughts, holy Defires, and a Power to will, and Motions to pray but he is active in meditating on thofe Thoughts, in profecuting of thofe Defires, and in endeavouring to exercife his Power to will and to pray; Grace ready to help him, ever offering it felf. 4. That praying he is ftill paffive, but a willing patient, thirsting for the Gifts or Habits of Repentance, Faith, Love, or whatever he prayeth for; and active, but an helped agent, in producing the Acts of Repenting, Believing, Loving, out of those Gifts and Habits, infufed into him. 5. That he is both Paffive under the Vigilancy and Power of God, protecting and keeping him be ing |