in fame for learning and devotion they not by any necessity or constraint but willingly stick to their commands and doctrines and refuse to embrace the truth that would endanger to their displeasure and reproach Hos 5.3 4 9 11. John 5.44 and 12.42 43. whence that Isa 51.12 13. Neither will this Plea help them or be found true their wills were so chained they could not chuse to accept the better part in this they were for want of liberty and freedom of will necessitated to chuse the worse part herein and whoever help them with this Plea God will reprove it Isai 5.1 4. Mic. 2.7 3. Some there are that for want of the right knowledge of Christ having dyed for all and the ends and virtues of his death stoop not to come in at that door wherein they will be found no better than others and chuse not that efficacie of the death of Christ that they might be quickned by him yet make some use though a wrong one of this liberty and freedom of will given them by Christ and that is this that being convinced of sin and their guiltiness of it by the Law and the wages to be death and so terrified by the Law with the apprehensions of Gods anger and judgement and so of hell and believing the Law to be holy just and good as indeed it is they set themselves to the Law and chuse to work sorrow on their hearts for their sins and so to leave them and to learn the knowledge of those righteous affections and services commanded by the Law hereby to get the righteousness of God and as by use and custom they attain to some inward frames and promptness in duties they would from thence conclude themselves alive to God but finding wants they will look to Christ as one that dyed for such that so what is wanting in them may be made up by him and being come to this they trust there are Christs they have faith they are righteous and have some free-will to that which is supernatural and spiritual good but in this they are not wise but farther off unjustified still 2 Cor. 10.7 11 12 13. Luke 18.11 Rom. 7.9 and 9.33 and 10.1 2 3 4. Job 9.30 33. And yet in this is something that is worse for they yet not knowing that which is indeed supernatural and spiritual good and so having as yet no freedom of will to chuse that But onely this freedom forementioned to that is morally good and all the zeal and exercise being an act of their will though helped by that freedom in it given by Christ to men yet this now they call an act of supernatural grace and say it is a begun freedom of will to that which is spiritually good and that it was wrought in them by the free grace and the almighty and unresistable power of God without which they say they could not have had it And they acknowledge it the work of his grace as did the Pharisee Luke 18.11 And of this act and fruit of their will they make a great Idol and mysteriously worship it for from hence they fetch their knowledge and on this they build their faith and hope that they are elect that Christ dyed for them that Christ is theirs and they his that the promises belong to them and that they shall have eternal life and can never fall away though they think and to others say Christ is their foundation yet the truth is the first and bottom matter is the foundation and that to them is this act produced by their will without which they know not whether Christ dyed for them or no so that they build that perswasion hereon also and hence is their assurance c. raised though every whit as much deceived as they Prov. 30.12 Luke 18.11 Rev. 3.17 18. 2 Cor. 10.12 And as high-thoughted of themselves as they Prov. 30.13 Isai 65.5 Yet do they blinde themseves and others from discerning this by earnest and zealous crying down all free-will in man to any such good as they have as if there be any it must needs be by nature and so as persuing others as magnifiers of nature and holding man hath free-will to that is spiritually good therefore you may be sure they are far from any such thing and yet all this while they have no more but that freedom of will that is by Christ given to all men though not so to work with and build on the Lord help such as are snared with it out of this mysterious Deceit that they may not be as those Prov. 30.12 13. or he Luke 18.11 Lamentable it is that so good and gracious a gift given to man should be so abused but it will leave at last the abusers excuseless 5. But I will now add the last consideration of the natural man and that is as Jesus Christ by the virtue of his death sacrifice and mediation doth by his spirit in and according to the Gospel visit and move the heart with some supernatural light and motion at some seasons striving with him that there are such seasons of gracious visitations and especially where the Gospel is plainly preached I need not in our Nation stretch my Assertion any farther is evident for the plain preaching of the Gospel is it self a gracious visitation to a people and the mean yea the choise if not the onely outward mean to enlighten mens mindes in make their wills free to chuse spiritual good things Luke 68 78 79. and 19.42 44. And Christ by his spirit is graciously present in such ministration of the Gospel Prov. 9.1 6. Matth. 28.20 whence it is called a ministration of life spirit and righteousness 2 Cor. 3.7 8 9. And yet moreover at some seasons more than others and sometime to one and sometime to another he doth more clearly and forcibly visit with some supernatural light and motion discovering his goodness to the heart and moving it with convincement and alurement so striving with them by his spirit as appears Rev. 3.20 1 Pet. 2.12 John 16.8 13. And in such seasons he is making the will free laying grace and life before it moving with loving alurements so as they might be free to chuse and have then an opportunitie to receive that freedom yea in one season or other before he leave striving with them he takes off the yoke of thraldom that there is so much freedom given to the will I say not that they shall necessarily by constraint but that they might in that season while his presence is so with them even chuse life yea spiritual good things though many undervaluing it do not as is evident Hos 11 4. Ezek. 24.13 Isa 5.1 4. I say not this freedom wrought in the will of the natural man is abiding or dwelling in him but onely that it is given into his will at and in such a season of visitation and yet that this mercy of God given in such seasons is by many
and given into he will of man by Jesus Christ in which so much liberty is given into the will of man that according to the declarations and tenders made in things naturally and morally good and the declaration of Gods love to mankinde in his works and in his word the mediums to discover supernatural and spiritual good things when attended to and believed he might incline to and chuse to minde attend to and imbrace such natural and moral good and such outward mediums for spiritual good as are set before him in which is attendance to that better freedom which in such attention should be met with of this and this onely is the question and the affirmative I have testified to in such a sense and so far as is affirmed in the four last mentioned particulars and I suppose fully and clearly proved in the Scriptures fore-cited in the three last of the five considerations of the natural man And yet for more satisfaction I will instance proofs more distinctly 1 Proof The Apostle professeth that the word of faith which he preached and that which the righteousness of faith saith and which Moses spake is the word that is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart and that nightness and being in thee the testimonie of the word it self now this word which they preached was neither Adam nor Adam-like and natural things nor a Law of works but the word made flesh the Lord Jesus Christ and remission of sins and life in him to be received by believing and testified by confession and this word saith he is not so far out of sight and reach but it is very nigh thee in thy heart that thou maiest believe In thy mouth that thou maiest confess as is evident compare Rom. 10.4 10. with Deut. 30.11 15. And upon this ground Moses professeth to have set life before them and exhorts them to chuse life verse 15 19. Surely this testimonie is true in some plain and full sense without wresting dominition or addition and it cannot hold forth less than what is before affirmed in the last four fore-mentioned particulars To take it in such a fantastical sense as if the personal body of Christ were in us and dying rising and ascending in us is contrary to the whole testimonie of Scripture and the foundation of our faith and the drift of the place it self To take Nigh and In for his spiritual in-being in the hearts of believers by his word and Spirit and the riches of the mysterie in forgiveness righteousness c. By and in which manner he is in believers the hope of glorie is against Scripture which makes that peculiar to believers and against the place it self which affirms this nightness not because but that men might believe Yet sure a truth there is in the affirmation and that in a full and plain sense whether 1. We take in for for as it will well bear and signifie and is sometime so used yet then the first word Nigh implies a redemption for man and made known and fit and this implies good will to him and so for him and he so far made capable that he might so attend that he might believe or 2. If we take In for in or within as being added to Nigh it seems to be taken then we must take In for such a being in as may be in an unbeliever that he might believe and that can be no less than by virtue of his propitiation made and mediation continued extending such mercie and light into men as through him they live and move and have understanding above the beasts and so an eye to discern and such motion in their will that upon his tenders of life in the means they might chuse to behold and attend to him in them and then though they have no power to save themselves yet he would save them Isai 45.22 And both these senses are true and answer to the words fully and plainly and less than both these cannot be taken without injurie to the words and he that denieth this preacheth not the Gospel the Apostle preached but runs at an uncertain and this holds forth as much as I have affirmed 2. Proof It is affirmed plainly in the Scripture that Jesus Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 and so that there is a spirit in man c. Prov. 20.27 Job 32.8 and 35.10 11. and that they have eyes and ears that they might see and hear though they refuse in seeing to see c. the wonders in the works and word of God Jer. 5.21 as is before shewn and this is as much as I have affirmed 3. Proof The Lord calleth upon men to look to him to hear his voice to understand to turn at his reproof to repent to believe to chuse life c. Isai 42.1 and 45.22 Prov. 8.4 7. and 1.23 Acts 2.38 and 16.31 Deut. 30.15 19. If any say that such exhortations imply not power in the exhorted to turn c. I answer I say not that it doth but implies power and will in the exhorter he being the Lord and a capacity given by him to the exhorted to hear and see and understand and so to attend and incline which if they do according to what they may by his gift he will add more and save as his word assures a wicked servant he is that saith the Lord gathers where he hath not sown c. If any say they say not God doth so for he gave them power in Adam which they have lost and he may justly require that of them he once gave them power for I answer he gave power to Adam to as much as the Law of ten words requires and that power he lost and this Law serves to discover sin and sentence to death which use was not for Adam in his innocency and I hope such as know the Gospel know that Christ will judge according to it himself having been judged for us according to the Law but the power to acknowledge sin repent and believe in Christ and so chuse life that way was not in Adam in his innocencie and so not lost by him and so as the first power men never had in themselves though in Adam so this they never had in him and if God graciously give not forth some power in which men might look to and receive his power he should require of men absolute impossibilities and then his yoke were not easie but in Gospel declarations he gives that by which men might hear the end of his declaring calling being that men might repent and be saved John 5.24 and 34. which will evidence as much as I have affirmed 4. Proof God every way by his word cleares himself from being the cause of mens destructions either in his will or pleasure taking in their death Ezek. 33.11 or tempting them to evil Jam. 1.12 or in want of any means used for their good that may stand with his wisdom and holiness and
undertaking and Gods acceptance and whether men know and believe it or not yea while they are enemies and declared that men might know and so will act and enjoy and so demonstrates men by nature dead enemies and wanting both knowledge of and will to any spiritual good before the other to be after done and where begun yet not compleated fully till the visible return of Jesus Christ in glorie 2. Cor. 5.14 15 19 21. 1 Pet. 2.24 and 3.18 Col. 1.20 21. and 1. John 3.1 2. which things having largely discoursed into Treatises now publick I forbear here onely I mention this to shew that the right understanding and belief of Jesus Christ the free gift of God and his death for all men and that while enemies and his ascending to receive and send forth spirit in the Gospel to make the same known that men might discern believe will and doth wholly oppose and deny any knowledge of or free will in any man by nature to that which is truly and spiritually good And such conceits of free will proceed from want of the right knowledge and belief of the death of Christ for all men And so I shall here onely enlarge in the other three things following 1. What will or free will in man is 2. What divers considerations of men yet natural the Scripture affordeth 3. When men are other and more than natural and what difference then 1. The will of man or mans will is one of the faculties of the soul of a man The soul as I conceive may be comprehended in these three heads viz. 1. The understanding or minde of a man by which he knoweth discerneth and judgeth of things good or bad true or false real or imaginarie and so inventeth or inferreth all which may be called Reason 2. The will of a man that is his bent and inclination leading to elect and chuse or to reject and refuse with purpose and resolution approving or condemning according to the judgement of the minde concerning things good or bad 3. The affections of love joy desire c. Which in a right tempered soul follow the verdict of the understanding and so the choise or rejection of the will But if the appetite and sensual part get victory over the affections and so lead the will the soul is in a distemper and it is a troublesome evil like that Prov. 30.22 23. So that without these three there is not as I conceive a whole soul the will being as I conceive the middle part to be governed by the understanding and to govern the affections that all may agree in one now the freedom of the will is that liberty and freeness it hath in it self above any discoveries objects and proffers to incline to or from to chuse or reject according to what the understanding discerneth good or bad without any force or violence to constrain it one way or other without any necessitating enforcement or band withholding but onely as that seen in the object and approved or disaproved by the judgement doth move and so far is the will free ended and so the heart and minde make free and willing and such a free ready unconstrained will or willingness is free will indeed and so far the will is free in it self and so accounted in Scripture-language also Exod 25.2 and 35.5 21 22.29 2 Cor. 8.3 12. Yet here is to be noted that discovery of objects giving forth of commands and directions layeth no constraint or hindereth but that the will of it self inclining is still free and so accounted in the Scripture Lev 1.3 and 19.5 and 22.19 26. Nor doth want of power to do or avoid and so accomplish according to the purpose inclination and choice of the will hinder the freedom of the will But that the will may be free and freely willing when yet there is not power to do or attain that which is willed Matth. 26.41 Ioh. 21.18 Rom. 7.18 So that freedom of will is one thing and power of doing another and so let us hold close to our business in minding what is free will and in what sense the will is said to be free whether in things that are lawfull or unlawfull good or bad that we mistake not freedom here for liberty or Authority given of God for he gives none to evil nor for power of acting which is another thing But for that freedom from constraint or necessity In which the will as it is a will doth or may incline and chuse or reject more need not be said of the will what it is 2. But now it is meet to ponder and rightly to conceive of man according to the divers and manifold considerations given us of him by the Scripture of which I shall point out five considerations of man as yet a natural man and they are these 1. As God made him in his creation of him when he made all men in one publick man whom also he made male and female and called their names Adam 2. As man by eating the forbidden fruit in sinning made himself 3. As man through the propitiation made by Jesus Christ the second publick man hath his natural life a time preserved and mercies extended 4. As by the virtue of the death sacrifice and mediation of Jesus Christ man hath some light understanding and disposition given unto him by Jesus Christ 5. As Jesus Christ doth by his Spirit with some supernatural light and motion at some seasons visit a man and touch his heart striving with him and in all these considerations we have several things to acknowledge about the will of man and the freedom of it 1. In the first consideration we finde God made man upright even in his soul according to his own Image in righteousness and holiness Ecles 7.29 Gen. 1.26 Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 Then was man indeed a living soul and in honour and had his understanding clear to discern the minde of God in what appertained to man and his will free and at liberty in it self though by the command of God bound to the best to chuse one way or other and his affections suitable no sober man that I know denying and so and then man had freedom of will to that which was natural good and to that which was morally good and to that which was spiritually good and all had the same in him as in a Root out of which they were to spring and as in a publick man that stood in their room else they could not have lost it in his fall and loss But for those things that are since mans fall called in Scripture supernatural and spiritual good as the spiritual man the Lord from heaven the quickning spirit life from the dead remission of sins through the bloud of the Son of God enjoying his righteousness union with him and conformity to him in death and resurrection in his holiness priviledges and glory these things were unknown to the first Adam in his Innocency nor could they
in some seasons liberty and opportunity for more and let those born of God be considered as distinct and those reprobated as excluded the better part And then I am perswaded all that are not prejudicated through envie and malice will confess that the heartie believing that Jesus Christ by the grace of God did dye and give himself a ransom for all men and that God so accepted this death of his for all that he hath exalted him and made him Lord and Judge of all and filled him with all fulness of grace and truth to bestow and that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that those that live should not live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world the propitiation for the sins of the whole world that he is so displaied and set forth in the Gospel that all men might believe and that such as do indeed believe on him shall not perish but have everlasting life this being the foundation of repentance and faith the door to come in to the knowledge of God and Christ the ground of the faith and certaintie of the resurrection of the dead and of the equitie and certaintie of Christ his judging all men and the ground and motive of true love to God and men that this doctrine and the belief and preaching of it will lead no man to magnifie the nature off man as from Adam or to think that any man hath by nature free-will to moral or spiritual good yea or that any man that is but natural hath any freedom of will to spiritual good things much less power to attain and do and we that believe thus protest against it But this we believe as we are led to in the belief of this doctrine namely That as Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that the world might be saved 1 Tim 1.15 John 3.17 And useth means and sends his Word to that end that men might seek him repent and believe and so be saved Acts. 17.27 Rom. 2.4 John 1.7 and 5.24 34. Psal 78.5 6 7 8. So he hath done that for men and by virtue thereof doth that unto men by which in his operations they might repent and believe and so be eternally saved and if they be not it is not through meer impotencie and necessitie but their willfullness so far that their destruction is of themselves not in or by the weakness or want of any thing done by Christ but by their own willing disobedience refusal and evil choise Prov. 1.24 29 30. and 9.12 Isa 5.2 6. Jer. 6.16 19. Hos 13.9 2 Thes 2.10 11. And so from the same doctrine and these instructions of it we believe as is said 1. That the natural life of man is by Christ preserved for a time that he might repent 2. That by Christ some means are used and some light vouchsafed to men for the same end tending toward Salvation 3. That some light disposition or spirit is extended and given into men by which they are indued with some discerning that may be called an eye to see an ear to hear that so in seeing and hearing they might understand what is naturally and what morally good and what of God is declared to them in his works and word about his eternal being and God-head his wisdom power justice truth and his love and kindness to man-ward and what he hath done for them and how he looks and calls for their return to him and what in mercie he stands readie to confer upon them in their return according to his discoverie they may see and with this discerning such a suitable libertie or freedom in their will is also given them by Christ that they might chuse and see in seeing and so to view and incline and chuse to seek and yield to that which is naturally and morally good and to attend that word and those means in which spiritual good things are declared and tendered to them and in which attention to them they should meet with that which would inlighen their mindes and give so much freedom to their wills as that they might chuse that which is spiritually good which yet is wanting to them 4. That Jesus Christ by his Gospel where it comes and by his Spirit therein at some seasons doth even lay meat before them and so far take off the yoke of thraldom that by his operations in such seasons they might chuse life and then is this freedom also given them which because they accept it not so use it not in that season to chuse life as they might it abides not in them and so they cannot be said to have it but as coming in that season and passing because it was not laid hold on in that season and well used And all this being the free gift of God by virtue of the death of Christ to unworthy men and a fruit of his love and kindness to man-ward it magnifies not at all mans nature as in and from Adam nor affordeth any praise to man but sets forth still the glory of the rich grace and bounty of God to unworthy man and how they are still more obliged to God for this helpfulness afforded and to Christ the spiritual man by virtue of whose death and sacrifice this also is extended being a fruit thereof and it serves much more to abase corrupt and fallen man and to aggravate his sin and folly that being in miserie and life tendered him by a Redeemer and such help given him that he might incline to hear and attend to the means he useth who would save him eternally and yet men willingly to close or refuse to use the eye he hath given them and to chuse to follow lying vanities and so forsake their own mercies rejecting the Lord of life Oh great ingratitude and inexcusable follie As for the freedom of will in unfeigned believers though it be but in part yet confessed by us all that believe in Christ I will here say no more to that and for them that for willing resisting the Spirit till they be given up of God and reprobated that they are hardened and totally destitute of any freedom of will or possibilitie thereto in things truly and spiritually good I suppose there is in this no difference among us that believe in Christ But about natural men not yet born from above nor wholly overcome by Satan and so given up and reprobated by God but yet in their natural estate of these is the question and concerning these the question is not of free-will to God by nature or as we come of Adam for that is denied by us all that believe in Christ nor is the question of free-will in man to things supernaturally and spiritually good for that is denied to be in or have any abiding in natural men while they remain onely natural but the question is of a freedom procured