which is not within the line of Grace to bestow; Chap. 10. which is wholly turned over to the power and will of man to effect. We may here fay with Seneca, Quid votis opus eft? What need any prayers for that which we may have from our felves? If the thing be not from God but from our felves, we do not indeed pray, but diffemble a prayer; we make as if the thing were a gift of God, when there is no fuch matter. The Philofopher (faith Epictetus) expects all i izvrs, from himself, and fo may the Chriftian too in the point of willing and believing; if these be not Grace, he need not look up to God for them. Again, for what do the Saints praise God? Is it not for touching and opening their hearts to Chrift, for making them willing in the day of his power? Is it not for putting his fpirit within them, and caufing them to walk in his ftatutes? What can be more due to God, more proper for a Saint than this? Hence they glorified God in the repenting Gentiles, Acts 11. 18. And again, And again, they glorified God in converting Paul, Gal. 1. 24. When David and his people offered willingly to God, he falls into an holy extafie, Who am I, and what is my people, 1 Chr. 29. 14? All things, faith he, are of thee, not only our gold and our filver, not only our hearts and wills, but our very actual willingness alfo; yet if the willing and believing be not of Grace, all these are but mockeries and false Hallelujahs: They who glorifie God in Converts, offer but a blind facrifice, and glorify but an Idol of their own fancy. If God do not do the thing, Why should we praise him for it? How can we do fo in truth, when the matter O02

will

Chap. 10 will not bear it? Indeed we do but diffemble a praise, making as if he were the author of that which is not from him. Thus we fee, that willing and believing must be from Grace, or elfe we utterly evacuate those prayers and praises which are offered up to God touching the fame. Thus much touching the first thing, That Grace works the willing and believing.

2. Grace works it in a way of power. St. Paul fpeaking of the fuccefs of the Gofpel, faith, That the excellency of the power is of God, 2 Cor. 4.7. And again, he prays for the Theffalonians, That God would fulfil the work of faith with power, 2 Thef. 1. 11. If faith be fulfilled, as it is, by the acts of it, then those acts are produced by the power of Grace: Gods people are willing in the day of his power, Pfal. 110.3. When the Difciples wonder'd how a Camel fhould go through a Needles eye, how a rich man should be faved; our Saviour folves the knot by the power of God, With him all things are posible, Luk. 18. 27. The power of Grace can fetch off the World, the Camelsbunch, from the heart, and make it pass (as it were) through the Needles eye into Heaven. It's true, man wills, man believes, but it is from the strong and fweet gales of Grace that he doth fo. The willing and believing are voluntary acts in regard of mans will, but acts of power in regard of Gods Spirit, which touches and moves the heart thereunto. It may be thought by fome, that there needs no expence of power towards willing and believing; that a power of willing and believing is enough for us. But fhould God give us only a power to will and believe, and:

and

leave the reft to our will, we have great reafon to Chap. 10. think that we should all do, as innocent Adam did, fall from God, and never reduce that power into act. The Divine Principles in Adam were pure without mixture; but the power of believing and willing in us, hath in the fame heart where it dwells, an Inmate of corruption, which continually counterworks it. In innocency the temptation ftood without, a-courting the fenfes; but after the fall it makes nearer approaches, as having a party within ready to open and betray every faculty. To me it looks like a proud thought for any to imagine, that under such a difparity he could act his part better than Adam did. If then the foundation of God muft ftand, if the election must obtain, if Christ must have a feed, if the Spirit must have a temple, it is no less than neceffary, that the power of Grace fhould fecure that willing and believing, without which thofe high and great defigns of Heaven cannot take effect.

3. There is an efficacy of Grace as to perseverance in Faith and Holiness. Perfeverance, wherever it is, is from Grace. The inherent Graces in the Saints are but creatures; no creature, no, not the most spi ritual, doth or can preferve it felf. All depend upon their Original in their being and duration; hence, as St. Jerom obferves, God is always a-working, al- Ad Ctefiph. ways a-giving; Non miki fufficit, faith he, quod femel cap. 3. donavit, nifi femper donaverit: It is not enough for

me,

that he once give, unless he always do so. Hence that of St. Austin, Non ita fe debet homo ad Domi- De Gen.ad num convertere, ut, cum ab co factus fuerit juftus, ab- Lit. lib. 8.12. fcedat, fed ita ut ab illo femper fiat : Man ought not

to.

Chap. 1o. to convert to God, that being made just he might depart from him; but that he might be always made just by him. The Physician heals and departs, but God doth not do fo; he is ftill a-healing and newmaking us by the continual fpirations of his Spirit and Grace, that we may perfevere unto the end. Were not perfeverance from Grace, there could be no fuch thing as a life of Faith; it would be utterly needless to hang upon Promises, or to look up for influences of Grace, or with David to pray that God would keep the good frame in the heart, or hold up our goings in his paths. Perfeverance being from our felves, we may center and fafely lye down there. We may fay as Laodicea, We are rich, and have need of nothing, no, not of God the Fountain of Grace.We may do what St. Jerom charges on the Pelagians, Ad Ctef.cap 3. that is, bid God depart, he is no more neceffary to us. It's true, he gave us a ftock of power and freewill; but now we can ftand upon our own bottom, all is in our own hand, there is no room for a life of faith, no, nor for any true gratitude for our De Civ.lib.12. ftanding in Grace. It is St. Auftins obfervation, That the Angels who ftood, were amplius adjuti, more helped than thofe who fell; therefore they caft down their Crowns before God, afcribing their standing, not to themselves, but to Grace. Should they do, what they cannot do, afcribe it to themselves, they could not be thankful. In like manner holy men who perfevere, attribute nothing to themfelves, but Ad Cref.cap.3 all to Grace; Quodcunq; in fuo rivulo fluit, as St. Jerom fpeaks, ad fontem refert, Whatever flows in his rivulet, he refers to the great fountain; that he faul

cap. 9.

ters

ters and lapfes, is of his own; that he ftands and Chap. 10. perfeveres, is of Grace. Were it not fo, the praise

and glory fhould be afcribed not to God, but to our felves, which would be to turn Gratitude into Prefumption.

The Graces of the Saints may be confidered in the act, or in the habit. The acts have their too frequent paufes and interruptions; but the habit, the vital principle, is a feed of immortality, and never dyes. In the faddeft falls of a Saint, it may be faid of him as it was of Eutychus, His life is in him. He that is born of God, doth not commit fin; nay, he cannot fin, 1 Job. 3.9. Doubtless he can fin fins of infirmity; nay, and grofs fins too, as appears in the falls of David and Peter; but he cannot fin fo as totally to unframe the new-creature, and lay himself in an unregenerate state. This is clear by the reafons in the Text, For his feed remaineth in him, and he is born of God. Could he by fin extinguish the very principles of Grace, he might fin to all intents and purposes, contrary to the exprefs letter of the text; nay, and his feed might not remain, and he might ceafe to be born of God, contrary to the reasons in the text. If the Divine feed and birth do not preferve him from regnant fin, fuch as would overthrow him, it preferves him from no fin at all; the text and reafont are altogether infignificant. But if, as the text and truth is, it preferves him from regnant fin, then the Divine Principles are not extinguished when he falls

into fin.

The habits of Grace may be confidered meerly in themselves, or in their dependence. In themfelves

they..