but a metaphorical reconciliation for they never sinned neither was God angry with them as breakers of his Law which they were not made under Indeed as God commanded that all that did belong to Achan should be destroyed for his sin so we may conceive that the whole Creation that was made for mans use came under a curse for his sake and for the farther declaration of Gods hatred of sin must have perished with him had it not been for the Mediator and so Christ keeps off â—he wrath that was pouring forth upon man and all his substance if I may so say But this comes much short of Mr. Colliers purpose and is so far from proving any special reconciliation arising out of the general that it is from hence manifest that the last mentioned is a fruit and adjunct of the first Indeed this Text and that in the Romans holds forth no more then this That by the death of Christ all the Elect of God were virtually and fundamentally reconciled to him while they were sinners i. e. The price of their Redemption was then paid down to God and accepted by him But the actual application of it to their Souls and their personal interest in it is upon believing It is also evident that especially the Text last mentioned doth hold forth the certain application of the Grace purchased and obtained by Christs death unto all those for whom he died which quite overthrows Mr. C's notion of the General ransome He proceeds p. 15. to Question In what sense may the world be said to be reconciled to God and to have sin not imputed he means not to have sin imputed I answer not in his sense for if we understand by the World as he doth the whole universe To talk of the reconciliation of Birds and Beasts Stones and Trees c. unto God without any distinction and the non-imputation of sin unto them that 〈◊〉 were never under any Law is absurd and foolish no nor yet is it true in respect of all and every one of the Sons of Men in the world For the greatest part of them live and dye enemies in their minds to God they are Children of wrath by nature Eph. 2. 3. and lye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the wicked one 1 Joh. 5. 19. and the wrath of God abideth on them Joh. 3. 86. But Mr. Collier saith They are so in a twofold respect 1. They are so far reconciled and sin not imputed as to have the Gospel of reconliation truly tendred to them that whosoever do accept it on the same terms thereof might be reconciled and saved This answer is built upon his supposition that the Gospel ought to be and is preached to all inanimate and animate Creatures as well as man the folly of which notion I shall farther detect by and by At present I make my reply onely with regard unto men and even with respect to them it is exceeding short and weak Reconciliation is tendred saith he to the world and pardon of sin is offered on Gospel terms Grant it doth this prove that they are already reconciled and pardoned But indeed the Gospel is not preached to all men in the world 2. The word is so far reconciled and sin not imputed as that it shall not hinder their resurrection and restitution out of the faâ—â—en state 1 Cor. 15. 22. Act 3. 21. If there be in these words any due coherence with what Mr. C. writes before then doth he here present us with another new notion of the resurrection of all those Creatures that died or shall die before the restauration of the Universe But then certainly the world must not only be restored but either new made or greatly enlarged otherwise there will not be found therein place for them all But however two things with reference to man he supposeth undoubted 1. That all men are by the death of Christ recovered from their fallen state c. What he intends hereby he doth not explain and it is too evident that he little understands what the redemption and recovery of man out of his lost and lapsed state means I cannot understand by what mediums he will prove That the world of ungodly men that lye in their filth and under their guilt that arâ— estranged from the womb and speak lyes as soon as they are born with whom God is angry every day and they dye in their sins are yet reconciled to God and restored from their fallen state when he hath done it Erit mihi magnus Apâ—llâ— For the present we have only his word for it without any proof tendred 2. That the resurrection of all men vessels of wrath as well as vessels of mercy is a fruit of their being reconciled to God by Christ Now seeing the wicked are raised for no other end but that they may be brought to a just though fearfull Judgment and are raised immortal that they may be capable of enduring the fire that shall never be quenched I cannot see that this is any proof of their being redeemed by Christ more then the Devils that must also receive their sentence from him in that day And whereas he cites 1 Cor. 15. 22. it gives no countenance to his notion The Apostle saith indeed v. 21. That by Christ came the resurrection from the dead and v. 22. that all shall be made alive in him But who are these all all and every one of the sons of men No certainly for to be made alive in this Text doth not signifie simply the resurrection of the body in which the wicked have a share also but their resurrection to a blessed immortality to bear his image who is the Lord from Heaven confer v. 45. 50. In this Context Adam and Christ are opposed as two publick persons and the term all is to be expounded accordingly All that were in Adam as their head and representative dyed in him when he fell And so all that were in Christ as their head and representative shall be made alive in and by him even all us believers they that are Christs of whom he is the first fruits v. 23. And indeed throughout this Chapter the Apostle manifests that it is the happy and joyfull resurrection of the Saints that he is speaking of and all his reasoning thereabout is accordingly suited to such And it is granted that the redeemed of the Lord have a resurrection unto life and glory by virtue of their interest in Christ who dyed and rose again So then the resurrection considered as the spring of Believers happiness and their glorious priviledge came by Christ But how Mr. C. will evince that there is the like reason to referr the resurrection of the wicked which is only unto condemnation unto their redemption by Christ I see not He proceeds And the second death shall be for sin against the New Covenant and Gâ—spel law of Grace for not accepting the reconciliation and salvation on the terms thereof Joh. 3. 19. If there be
Eph. 2. 8 9 10. 3. The meritorious cause of our Justification is the Obedience of Christ both passive and active and our actual Voet. Select Disput pars 5. p. 281. Justification is the effect or consequent of the imputation thereof unto us Justification in the formal reason thereof doth speak two things 1. A discharge from condemnation or the remission of sins which was purchased by the death and blood-shedding of Christ Gal. 3. 13. Eph. 1. 7. The benefit of which purchase râ—dounds to us because of Gods reckoning upon our account or imputing to us what our surety suffered in our stead Isa 53. 6. 11. 2. The adjudging of us to be Heirs of and so inrighting us in Life and Glory for the sake of Christs active Obedience imputed to us in like manner Rom. 3. 22. ch 4. 4 5. 5. 19. Gal. 2. 15. ch 3. 11 12. 4. True and lively Faith whereby we receive Christ and his benefits freely given of God to us and rest on him and his Righteousness is the instrument of our Justification Joh. 1. 12. Rom. 5. 17. So that Faith alone justifieth though justifying Faith is never alone but worketh by love and that Righteousness for the sake of which we are justified before God was wrought out and fulfilled only by Christ who was made sin for us although he knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And therefore in the business of Justification Faith is opposed to all good works as exclusive of them from any influence into the obtaining of our pardon and acceptance with God Rom. 3. 20 21 22. v. 28. chap. 4. 4 5. Gal. 2. 16. ch 3. 11 12. The first mention of this Article that I meet with in Mr. Colliers Book is ch 1. p. 12. where after some boasting of his clear stating the matter in his Body of Divinity he thus writes If any persons dare to maintain that any are justified before God without Faith and Holiness as the terms thereof though not the deserving cause I must leave them to their own understanding without all Scripture grounds for my own part I fully on good grounds believe the contrary Notwithstanding Mr. Colliers swelling words of vanity and contempt of the understanding of others I must tell him even these words are not so clear and scriptural but that they give just occation to suspect his own understanding to be dark and his judgement to be unsound For although true and justifying Faith is pregnant with good works and whosoever is justified is sanctified also and that Faith considered as a Grace inherent in us belongs to our sanctification yet doth not the Scripture any where allow good works the same influence into our Justification as it doth unto Faith which is a clear evidence that it is not the act of believing â—â—r any other holy duty for which we are justified but that in this business Faith is to be considere as relative to Christ and that it is the object of Faith apprehended thereby on the account of which its said to justifie And this Mr. Collier cannot but own if he understands what is asserted by himself in his Bodâ— of Div. concerning the imputation of Christs Righteousness unto us in order to our Justification before God For if we are justified freely by Grace and are presented without spot before God in an imputed Righteousness then can our good works have no interest in the reason of our acceptance with him And indeed if this were not so we could not be justified at all forasmuch as the Lord is of purer eye then to behold iniquity and our sanctification is imperfect so that if all our Righteousnesses so far forth as ours be examined in strictness of justice they will be found but filthy raggs a Covering too narrow and a Bed too short Yea if those that plead mosâ— for the interest of good works in our Justification would seriously consider what themselves dare abide by before the tremendous tribunal of the great Judge they must all fly to Bellarmines tutissimum est and put an end to this controversie by acknowledging that they dare not venture into Gods sight nor pass out of the World to his Judgement-seat in their own Righteousness But indeed there is another principle laid down once and again by Mr. C. in those Chapters of his Book already examined which if true renders all discourses of deliverance from wrath to come by Christ needless and without ground It is this That the penalty of the breach of the first Covenant was only temporal death and Eternal damnation is inflicted on men only for sinning against the Gospel the Law of Faith Now if this were true Besides that in some respects it renders the condition of those that never heard of Christ more eligible then those who live under the sound of the Gospel 1. If there be no Law threatning Eternal death Ferg Differ of Moral Virtue Grace p. 107. but the Law of Faith then there is no such thing as forgiveness and remission of sin in the World For the Gospel denounceth damnation only against final impenitency and unbelief and as these are not pardoned nor pardonable so on the other hand if there be no Law threatning Eternal death besides the Gospel then is there no other sin we need forgiveness of 2. If this be true Then Christ never dyed to free any from wrath to come which yet is plentifully asserted in the Scriptures wherein we read also that his death was for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Covenant Heb. 9. 15. For it is non-sense to say that he hath freed us from the curse of the Gospel yea it is a repugnancy unless you will introduce another Gospel to relieve against the terms of this nor will that serve the turn unless you likewise find another Mediator to out-merit this Thus Mr. Ferguson in answer to one of Mr. Colliers mind So then if Mr. C. will abide by this notion and the just consequences thereof his sense of our Justification must either be contradictory to himself or else very corrupt and unsound Another passage that hath a bad aspect this way you meet with Addit Word p. 50. where he gives this reason why his supposed deliverance of the damned will not extend to any degree of Glory but only a deliverance from pain and misery For they are under no promise of reward of Good works because they had none That God will graciously reward the good works of Believers is granted so that besides that joy and glory that all Saints have an immediate right to by virtue of their interest in Christ every one shall receive a superadded Crown according as his work shall be which layeth a foundation for our believing the enjoyment of different degrees of Glory among the blessed in another world But to suppose as Mr. C. here doth That the admission of persons into the Kingdom of
if it be Doctrinally proposed to him in the exercise of that ability which he hath in his lapsed state is utterly denied â—n this Text and Tho. C. convict thereby of falshood who affirms it The second Scripture which I shall oppose to his forementioned assertion is Joh. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him Christ doth here assert that notwithstanding the Gospel be preached to men their natural impotency is such that they cannot come yea their enmity such that they will not come unless the Father draw them viz. by those effectual teachings and that illumination by which alone this impotency is cured in the Elect. v. 45. Th. C. makes his exceptions likewise against this Text p. 30 but to very little purpose 1. He endeavours to perswade us that this drawing of the Father is the same with the preaching of the Gospel and so common to all that hear the sound thereof which the Text will in no wise admit seeing it is of such that hear the Gospel that Christ speaketh amongst whom some are thus drawn others not 2. He saith they cannot because they will not and that the one is not without the other We grant this they neither can nor will without special Grace come to Christ neither are men condemned meerly for their impotency but for their wilfulness in rejecting the Gospel but this helps not Mr. C. at all And whereas he gives an account in some particulars why they will not viz. 1. Because they are habituated in sin and accustomed to it c. And 2. Because of the influence that the Devil hath upon them I grant that these things do obstruct and hinder persons from coming to Christ but I must tell him also That the first and main reason of their refusal is quite passed over by him and that is the natural enmity that is in their Souls to God Rom. 8. 7. The third Scripture is Eph. 2. 1. with other paralel Texts that declare all persons unconverted to be dead in trespasses and sins and then certainly uncapable in that condition to put forth any truly spiritual vital act in receiving and obeying the Gospel of Christ seeing they are without that principle of life from whence such acts must flow Unto this Mr. C. replies p. 29. It is a great mistake to think and speak as if men were as dead and uncapable to believe and obey the Gospel as a stock or a stone or as men that are naturally dead this is a ridiculous and untrue imagination and so proceeds with his unlearned eloquence to set forth the folly of giving any thing in command to a stone c. But to these things I say 1. All men have indeed rational Souls and none besides Mr. C. will be so ridiculous as to to talk at such a rate as if Men and Stones were in the same capacity of being wrought upon by exhortations promises and threatnings we acknowledge that these are proper moral instruments in their own nature suited to work upon the understandings wills and affections of men and to produce the effects of Faith and Obedience in them and seeing these faculties are the principle and subject of all actual obedience it is also granted that there is in men a natural remote passive power of believing and obeying the Gospel which is not in stocks and stones but this power is never actually put forth nor can be without the effectual Grace of God working in them both to will and to do so that this notwithstanding as a stone or Corps cannot perform any operation of which natural life is the principle because they have it not neither can a man in his fallen state put forth an act of spiritual life because he is without that Life and Grace that is the principle thereof For as the Soul is to the Body with respect to natural life so is the new nature to the Soul with respect to a moral or spiritual life That which he offers that he might escape the force of this testimony is so remote from the evident scope of the Texts insisted on that I shall not need to return any particular answer thereto but leave his errour crushed under the weight of these savings of the holy Ghost who hath in them stained the pride of all flesh Only I could wish that they into whose hands these lines may come would â—lso consult Dr. Owen in his Discourse of the Spirit where he doth largely plead and vindicate these Texts against the Pelagians Arminians c. from whom Mr. C. hath drank in these notions For my own part I had not now produced them but only that I might take this opportunity to remove his objections against their true sense supposing this a convenient place for that work seeing my design is only to remove his cavils out of the way of weak Christians and not to handle any point my self farther then in the pursuit thereof I am led to I pass therefore a multitude of other Scriptures that contradict his notion and shall attend him in his proof offered and discover the weakness and insufficiency thereof The first thing which he saith proves his opinion is Because it is the duty of all men suitable to the meaâ—s and ministry they have been under to believe and obey God And after he hath by divers Texts proved this which none denies he adds All which proves a capacity in men to answer his will or we must reflect on God c. Were man to be considered in his primitive state as he came out of the hands of God there were some weight in this reasoning But to suppose that the duty of man must be measured by his power and ability in his fallen state is fond and groundless He cannot sin himself from under obligation to duty Though he loose the image of God that rectitude of nature by his sin that enabled him to obey God yet the most high doth not loose his right of commanding him that which is just and good In truth To say that we have power in and of our selves to do all that God requires of â—s is in effect to make void the Grace of God and to renounce the Gospel at least to allow its usefulness which is the most Mr. C. doth only to facilitate the discharge of our duty But if our duty is to be measured by our power it will appear that sinners hardened by continuance in sin and profligate wickedness are most excusable seeing they have least power to obey God as Mr. C. will confess and so by his argument it were unjust with God to require that of them which he doth of others not immerst in their debaucheries Yea let me add this also from Dr. O. p. 245. of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the transactions between God and the Souls of men with respect unto their obedience and salvation there is none of them but hath a power in sundry things as to
abundantly manifested by the light of Scripture Doctrine without the help of his notions and shall be yet farther manifested in the day of Christ to the shame and silencing of all that now reply against God even in those things where his Judgements are a great deep as the Apostle discourseth at large Rom. 9. and 11. Chapâ—ers The Objection that he starts about God his creating man upright c. I need not long stay upon The truth concerning this is before stated and proved and every impartial Reader may see how miserably he trifles in his endeavour to solve it He gives you his word for it that God will excuse men from all that Obedience that they have by their sin lost both power and will to perform But I hope none are so credulous as to take his Book to be Canonical Not one Text of Scripture doth he nor can he produce for the proof of his opinion but only attempts to back one falshood with another saying That since the fall God requireth not perfect obedience of men but only sincerity and that he knew that man might yield sincere Obedience â—n Faith and Love and in that hath promised both assistance and accâ—ptance in his Son c. Two things he here takes for granted but both without ground 1. That all the World are under the Covenant of Grace so as to be presently interested in the priviledges thereof and accepted in those sincere endeavours to obey God which they are capable of in that condition wherein they are by nature which is not so For all that can be said of Men in General unto whom the Gospel is preached amounts to no more then this That the Grace and Blessings of the New covenant are offered to them upon condition of Faith God declareth his good pleasure to sinners that if they or any of them do confess and forsake their sins they shall find mercy and those of them that do believe he gives the sure mercies of David unto Isa 55. 3. and they are under Grace Rom. 6. 14. But the rest of the world are under the severity of the Law still yea whosoever doth in heart depart from Christ and seek life by his own works is a Debtor to answer the most rigorous demands thereof and is fallen from Grace Christ shall profâ—t him nothing Gal. 5. 3. 4. And that passage 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not is pitifully wrested by Mr. C. in that he would apply it to the case in hand for neither the thing nor persons there spoken of will at all agree thereto 1. It is not a moral sinful impetency or deficiency that the Apostle there speaks of but only a want of riches and ability in that respect to contribute so largely to the necessity of the â—oor Saints as otherwise they might and would have done 2. The persons spoken of are Saints Believers such as are accepted in Christ and interested in the Covenant of Grace whose sincere endeavours to walk with God are according to the terms of that Covenant accepted by him through the beloved though this Obedience of theirs is not their justifying righteousness nor accepted for that end But the case is otherwise with persons out of Christ Mr. C. endeavours to strengthen this notion p. 32. by proving That under Moses Law sincerity was accepted and â—hat though the Law required perfect Obedience yet this perfection consâ—sted in universality and sincerity c. But here again he pitifully confounds things that ought to be heedfully distinguished In the Mosaical oeconomy there was such a remembrance of the Covenant of works revived with the terms and sanction thereof as that hereupon it is called the ministration of condâ—mnation and did ingender unto bondage 2 Cor. 3. 7. Gal. 4. 25. But yet the promise of Salvation by the Messiah being made long before was not enervated thereby but even this was laid in a subserviency to Gospel ends and also the Gospel was preached to them Heb. 4. 2. and so the Covenant of Grace revealed though more darkly in types and shadows through which they were instracted to seek Justification unto Life by Christ promised and so deliverance from the curse of the Law by him Now amongst these some did believe others did not and so some were related to God in the New Covenant others remained under the Old The sincere Obedience of the one was accepted on Gospel gracious terms and for Gospel ends not that they obtained life thereby according to the terms of the Covenant of works Do this and live Christ being their surety to answer the utmost demands of the Law for their Justification before God The otheâ— wer 〈…〉 n their own persons responsible for the br 〈…〉 of the Lâ—w 〈…〉 nd stood 〈…〉 ty of death by the curse thereof 〈…〉 ll for wa 〈…〉 〈…〉 lu◠〈…〉 rtection as sincerity in their Obedien 〈…〉 〈…〉 e Covenant of works considered formally as such knows no câ—ange of sincerity for perfection but its commands must in every spect be obeyed and its demands answered and they are so by Christ alone who hath fulfilled the righteousness thereof for them that do believe and without Faith in him the Soul stands or falls to the unallayed and most rigorous sentence thersof The second thing Mr. C. supposeth is That every man hath ability in his fallen state to yield sincere obedience to God in Faith and Love This hath been already refuted and here is nothing offered to enforce it I shall therefore refer the Reader to that which precedes in this Chapter where also the foundation of what Mr. C. farther pleads in his two following Sections is fully removed so that there remains only a flourish of words wherewith he beats the Air in returning answer to which I shall waste no more precious time CHAP. V. Wherein some things relating to the principles already asserted are farther cleared and vindicated And also the Saints perseverance proved and Tho. C's Exceptions removed I Am now come to his 5th Chapter wherein he endeavours farther to strengthen his Opinions before laid down and is more express in his asserting Believers final falling awâ—y from Grace The most of what he saith is built on those principles that have been already discussed and therefore in my examination thereof I will only note either those things which are very gross or that wherein he seems to offer something that hath not before been urged and answered Those Texts which he endeavours to wrest in the beginning of this Chapter have been already vindicated from his corrupt glosses I do therefore here pass them over and attend to what he saith p. 31. where he propounds this question May we suppose that persons may believe or that any do believe unto life only by the objective evidence or external Ministry without the spirits work in and with the Gospel His answer is
If we may suppose the Ministry to go without the spirit working therein then we may suppose a pâ—ssibility in respect of power else men could not be condemned for not believing c. The absurd folly of his supposition That by our sin we out God short of right to command our Obedience to his holy will as well as loose our power to obey hath been already detected By this and what followeth you may see what I said before that this man doth not stick at the grossest Pelagianisme but supposeth man in his fallen state by his corrupt mind and natural capacity without any work of Gods spirit upon him to be capable of discâ—rning believing and yielding acceptable Obedience to the revelations of God contained in the Scriptures of truth Howbeit we have heard the Scripture teacheth other Doctrine And the Apostle Paul was so far from this proud conceit of himself that he confesseth the quite contrary viz. 2 Cor. 3. 5. That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God i. e. It is of God in a way of Grace who works all our works in us But against the saying of the Apostle he excepts p. 43. It s true as of our selves only we are not distinct from Christ and Gospel Grace we are not but by the helps afforded there is power both to will and to do the will of God in the Gospel It seems by these words of Tho. Collier That he is conscious to himself that this Text doth overthrow his notion of the sufficiency of men without any help of the spirit of God to do any thing that is truly and spiritually Good especially those that are utter strangers to Christ and Gospel-Grace for he now owns that distinct from Christ and Gospel-Grace we have no such sufficiency But he doth not use to trouble himself to keep an harmony in his Book betwixt pages so far distant as is 31. from p. 43. and therefore it is no marvel to find him here unsaying what before he said and instead of that to content himself for the present with asserting That there is a sufficient help afforded to all c. But brings forth no proof of that neither but besides what hath been already proved against him I shall farther examine this notion before I come to the end of this Chapter and at present manifest that it is overthrown by this Text The Apostle doth in these words not with a feigned modesty but from his heart confess he is beholding to the Grace of God for every good thing wrought in him or by him And therefore he instanceth in that which scarce amounts to any good work even a thought when he affirmeth our sufficiency to be of God and denyeth that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient or meet for it any way capable of our selves to exert or frame a good thought in our own Breasts and this he denies of himself when converted and refers all the praise of the exercise of Grace in his Soul to the spirit of God even then now it is less to think then to will and less to will then to perform And if our ability for the former be denied it must be so much more for the latter And if it be denied of a converted man much more of one unconverted It is repugnant to reason and Scripture evidence to think that the blessed Apostle a person in all respects qualified with natural endowments and education yea in an eminent manner assisted by the Spirit of God should say that he had no sufficiency of his own for any thing that was truly good and in the mean while to suppose that any unconverted person hath power of himself to be so good in thought will and deed as to get to Heaven by the meer improvement of his natural capacity without any assistance of Divine Grace In p. 32. he farther opens his mind about conversion and tells us If God did not work at all by his spirit but only give the Gospel which hath in its self a natural tendency to draw sinners to Christ if according to their capacities they believe and obey it they should undoubtedly be saved There are two things supposed in these words the one true the other utterly untrue a common artifice of Deceivers to make their notions pass the more readily with the weak that cannot discover their imposture herein 1. He supposeth that whosoever believeth and obeyeth the Gospel by any means is under the promise of salvation which is a great truth thâ—se two viz. Faith and Salvation being inseparably connected in the Scripture 2. He takes it for granted as before That a man in his natural Estate without any the least assistance from the spirit of God hath a sufficient ability and is in a capacity to beâ—ieve and obey the Gospel And so all that he allows to the spirit oâ— God is but to render the work of conversion the more facile and easie for thus he writes again p. 33. That after believing and obeying the Gospel God usually gives a greater measure of his spirit so that after believing Christians are or might be in a better capacity to live to God then before They were therefore in a capacity to live to God before believing and again p. 34. As the Apâ—stle speaks in the matter of prayer Rom. 8. 26. He helpeth our infirmities so its true in all cases the work of the Spirit is to help our infirmities for it s we that dâ— believe and obey the Gospel and not the Spirit The result or necessary consequence of these words of his is That persons may believe and never be beholding to the Spirit they can convert themselves without him But if he do ex abundanti afford his help it is not to convert the Soul by his own power and grace but only to facilitate the work by exciting a principle that he finds in the Soul and which was there before any special working of his in and upon it But if we consult the holy Scriptures we shall find that in them conversion is spoken of in a Dialect far differing from Mr. Colliers For instance Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will hath he begotten us c. Now this new birth or being begotten of God doth bespeak plainly the infusing of that gracious principle into the Soul that was not there before and this is done by the Spirit of God in the exercise of Soveraign Grace As the wind bloweth where it listeth so of his own will hath he begotten us Of the same import is that phrase of taking the heart of stone out of the flesh and giving an heart of flâ—sh a new heart so often mentioned in the Covenant of Grace and can signifie no less then the effectual removing and curing of that wicked disposition of Soul and stubbornness of heart by which a person is kept in rebellion against God by communicating to them a divine nature as
not contend add thereunto the close of the verse now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it From hence we may safely infer That if any man differ from another or from what he was in himself before that is to say be raised from a state of death in sins and trespasses unto newness of life delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of the Son of Gods love it is God hath made this difference to the praise of the riches of his Grace And thus much Mr. C. in answer to the objection grants It is God by Gospel Grace makes us to diffeâ— But if Mr. Colliers notion elsewhere be true that amongst men that receive every way as much Grace from God the one as the other some believe unto life others remain in their sins it will necessarily follow that those of them which choose the better part do make themselves to differ and have cause of boasting if not before God yet in comparison with other men And this is in terms denied by the Apostle And Mr. C. makes no reply thereto but what hath now been oft mentioned and answered and therefore I will not trouble the Reader with a repetition of it The Text that remains to be insisted on is Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his gâ—od pleasure That this Scripture is directly opposite to Mr. Collierâ— Doctrine is evident In the foregoing Verse he exhorts the Philippians to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling By working out their Salvation he intends labouring for or bestowing their utmost industry to obtain Salvation and according to this sense is the same word rendred Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth c. Now hereunto two things are required 1. A principle enabling and disposing them to walk humbly with God in Faith and Obedience 2. The exercise thereof Dr. O' s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 496. which is referred unto the internal acts of the will and external operations in duties suitable thereunto And as we have before proved that Grace is wrought in us by the spirit of God so the Apostle here expresly affirms that both to will and to do which expressions take in the whole of its exercise is also effectually wrought in us by him of his own good pleasure which is the most prevailing argument and motive to an humble walking with God and encouragement thereto He that reads Mr. Colliers Gloss upon this Text p. 43. will find him constrained almost to embrace that notion of it that doth evert his opinion and all that he offers towards the salving of it is in these words To understand it to intend Gods working an impulsive will and that they could not or should not work without it destroys the exhortation and makes null the duty What Mr. C. intends by an impulsive will or wheâ—her there be any good sense in those terms we need 〈◊〉 inquire That God worketh in us to will or the very act of willing the Text is express And it hath been already manifested to be his great errour to conceive That nothing is required of us in a way of duty but what in our lapsed state we are able to perform without the help of Gods spirit And therefore it is fallaciously done of him to join those terms together as if they were of equal extent that they could not or should not work without it It was their indispensible duty to obey the exhortation foregoing but this they could not do without the effectual working of God in them And there is not more frequent mention of any one thing in the Gospel it being that wherein Gospel Grace doth eminently shine forth then of our receiving Grace from God to enable us to yield to him that Obedience which he requires of us Pious therefore and well grounded was the petition of that worthy opposer of the Pelagians of Old Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis Give me O Lord what thou requirest of me and command what thou pleasest Indeed to deny that we receive any thing from god in a way of special and distinguishing Grace that is required of us in a way of duty is flatly to reject the Gospel and to deny the Grace of the New Covenant We do not then destroy the exhortation and make null the duty but instruct men which way they may expect and receive Grace to obey it in the performance of their duty which is certainly a great quickening and incouragement thereto unto all that have an humble sense of their concernment in these things I shall now return to Mr. C. p. 34. where he propounds another Question Does the spirit in the Gospel where it comes work in all alike or may we suppose that he effects a more special work in some then in others In answer hereunto he first tells us That this is a mystery known only to God and then immediately proceeds to give an account of very different operations of the holy Ghost upon the Children of men as 1. Some are convinced but not converted 2. Others are wrought so far by the same word and spirit as to believe and obey the Gospel so as if they continue therein they shall be saved Col. â— 21 22 23. 1 Tim. 2. 15. Mat. 10. 22. 3. Though the work be sufficient by which all might obtain the end yet he worketh differingly and giveth differing measures for differing ends c. 4. His work on the special Elect is certain and shall not leave them untill it bring them to Glory Here we have another instance of the mans contradiction to himself as well as unto truth But to these things I say It is indeed certain from the Scriptures that many are convinced who never are converted by the spirit of God and also that the convictions of some proceed so far as that they escape the pollutions that are in the world through Lust 2 Pet. 2. 20. pass under that work described Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and yet fail of those things that accompany salvation which are things better then all that was before mentioned Such with respect to their profession and general assent to the truth of the Gospel c. are said to believe for a time And perseverance being the great touch-stone of sincerity the interest of persons in Christ is oft referred thereto with respect to the manifestation and proof thereof So in Heb. 3. 6. and those Texts cited by Mr. C. If persons hold fast their rejoycing of hope and confidence stedfast unto the end it is evident they were sincere and that their Faith was of the right kind in that it proves victorious against all opposition made thereto But if they draw back and fall away their Hypocrisie is detected and it is made manâ—fest that they were not of us For if they had been of us no doubt
not have sinned is a Categorick or simple proposition and is true of Adam in the sense of division considered as in himself It could not be but that Adam would sin is a modal or qualified proposition and is true of Adam in a sense of composition being considered as subordinate to the Decree The Jews might have broken the bones of Christ is true speaking in the sense of division i. e. looking at the free will of the Jews as in themselves It could not be that the Jews would break the bones of Christ is true speaking in a sense of composition i. e. looking at the will of the Jews as subordinate to the Decree That answer of Elisha to Hazael enquiring of Benhadads recovery containeth in it two like propositions 1. Thou maist certainly recover 2. Thou shalt surely die 2 Kings 3. 10. his Disease was in it self curable and as such is considered in the first proposition The second proposition looketh at him diseased as subordinate to the Decree which had pre-ordained his death through theâ—stifling of Hazael by occasion of this Disease Thus much of these things Mr. C. goes on to attach another ground and foundation of the Saints rejoycing in God who hath promised to preserve them blameless unto his Heavenly Kingdom He propounds this Question p. 36. May we suppose that persons who are regenerate and born from above may possibly fall from this state of Grace Perhaps Mr. C. hath some design in thrusting in that word possibly into his Question I will therefore explain the term that he may have no equivocal reserve to fly to A thing may be said to be possible either simply and in its own nature or possible on supposition of all things to be supposed with reference to it In the first sense it was possible that a bone of Christ might have been broken in the latter viz. on supposition that God had decreed and foretold the contrary it was not so The Question in reference to the Saints perseverance proceeds in the last sense whether supposing their Election of God Christs undertaking for them and their interest in the Covenant of Grace it is yet possible that some of them may finally depart from God and be lost for ever And to this I answer in the Negative But he saith The Scriptures do not say they may not nor that they shall certainly obtain This is false The contrary appears from these Texts Psal 125. 1 2. Isa 4. 5. ch 54. 8 9 10. Jer. 31. 3. ch 32. 39 40. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Joh. 6. 39 40. with ch 10. 28 29. Rom. 8. 29 30 38 39. 1 Thes 5. 23 24. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. 1 Joh. 2. 19. with many others He adds We are to suppose all Gospel-believers to be regenerate and then we may and must suppose a possibility for the regenerate to fall or none can fall away By Gospel-believers I presume he intends those that are members of the visible Church of Christ such as profess Faith in him and Obedience to him and do not at present contradict their profession by a contrary practice in the sight of men My answer is If we respect any particular person or persons among these we are bound to hope so of them because Charity always inclineth to the better part But if we respect the whole bulk of professors together we are not to believe that they are all regenerate persons because the Scripture telleth us there are foolish as well as wise Virgins Hypocrites as well as sincere Believers in the visible Church though who they be we know not till their works discover it and when their Hypocrisie is discovered we are not to think that they once were new Creatures and are fallen from that state but the quite contrary 1 Joh. 2. 19. So then though many Professors fall away even such as have past under some common work of the Spirit this doth not at all infer That those who are truly born again not of corruptible Seed but incorruptible by the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever may do so in like manner He proceeds I know nothing stated in the Gospel-law of Grace as a duty in order to obtain the end but that persons may obtain and be supposed possibly to fall finally from Joh. 15. 4 5 6. Nothing that 's strange Is not perseverance in Faith and Obedience required in order to salvation and may persons persevere and fall finally too The Text cited by Mr. C. doth no ways confirm his notion although we allow him to except perseverance from the duties intended by him Unto the 4th and 5th Verses something hath been spoken already by which it appears that they lye directly against Mr. Colliers notion of the Creatures ability of himself to do any thing that is spiritually Good I suppose it is the 6th Verse that he promiseth himself some relief from The words are If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered c. He doth not tell us on what account he thinks this Text may serve for a proof of his Doctrine but probably he thinketh that the words suppose That such as for a time truly abide in Christ may afterwards cease to do so and perish out of him But there is no such thing intended in them For this Text as many other do speaketh of Professors according to what their condition appeareth to be before men and so all that are members of the visible Church and have a place therein are counted branches in Christ some of these bring forth fruit by which the sincerity of their Faith in Christ and the truth of their being spiritually united with him is manifested These do not fall away but he that hath begun a good work in them doth perfect it to the end The Father purgeth them that they may bring forth more fruit Others of these branches do not bring forth fruit which is an evidence that their being in Christ is only by profession for it cannot be that one united to Christ by true Faith and the in-dwelling of his spirit should be without those vital influences from him is will produce some good fruit these do not abide in Christ by a lively exercise of Faith and therefore being indeed separate from him while they appear to be one with him they can do nothing but in time of temptation fall away from their profession and are cast out as branches and are withered and men gather them and they are cast into the fire and are burned And more then this cannot without offering violence to the Text be inferred from it which doth not make against but confirm the truth concerning the Saints perseverance That which Mr. C. offers to strengthen his desired inference is this The truth hereof will father appear if we consider 1. That the Gospel makes no difference but warns all to take heed of falling which necessarily supposeth a possibility of falling with respect to