Redemption Surely it imports thus much unto us that Redemption hath a larger Sphere than Election and therefore the Scriptures contract Election in words of Speciality only whilest they open and dilate Redemption in emphatical Generalities 2. If those general Expressions denote only the World of the Elect or the All of Believers why doth the Scripture use such very different language in the same thing Sometimes Christ is called the saviour of the world and sometimes the saviour of the body sometimes 't is said that Christ died or gave himself for all or for the world sometimes it is said that he died or gave himself for the Church or for his sheep Who can imagine that such words of universality and such words of speciality should be of the same latitude that one and the same thing should be imported in both Moreover the Scripture doth make a signal distinction when it speaks of his giving himself or dying for all it says only that he died for all or gave himself a Ransom for all But when it speaks of giving himself for his Church it says that he sanctified himself that it might be sanctified through the truth Joh. 17. 19. and that he gave himself for it that he might purisie to himself a peouliar people Tit. 2. 14. and that he gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the word and present it to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5. 25 26 27. Never in all the Scripture is it said that he gave himself for all or for the World that he might sanctifie or cleanse it or make it a peculiar People or glorious Church which yet might have been truly said if the All were no more than the All of Believers or the World than the World of the Elect wherefore to me it seems clear from those various Expressions and the observable distinctions in them that the All for whom Christ died is larger than the All of Believers and the World for whom Christ gave himself larger than the World of the Elect. 2. Having laid down my own Reasons I procede to answer the Objections made against this Opinion Object 1. If Christ died for all men then all would believe for Christ's Death procures all Graces and in particular Faith seeing then all men have not Faith either Christ did not die for them all or else he loseth part of his Purchase I answer that Christ's Death is procurative of all Graces and particularly of Faith so far as it is a Price and it is a Price so far as it was paid down by Christ and accepted by God for that purpose for in a Price there must be both Sufficientia nuda consisting in the intrinsecal value of the thing and Sufficientia ordinata consisting in the intentional paying and receiving that thing as a Price Now Christ's death was paid down by him and accepted by God as a Price with a double respect As for all men it was paid and accepted as a Price so far forth as to procure for them a ground for their Faith viz. that they might be saved on Gospel-terms And as for the Elect it was further paid and accepted as a Price so far as to procure the very Grace of Faith for them Thus our Saviour Christ who best knew both upon what Terms he paid down the price and upon what Terms his Father received it opens this mysterious Dispensation I came down from heaven saith he not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me Joh. 6. 38. and what was that As to all men 't was that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life Ver. 40. and as to the Elect 't was that all those should by faith come unto him Ver. 37. and never be lost Ver. 39. Christ then died for all men not so far forth as to procure the Grace of Faith but so far forth as to procure Salvation on Gospel-terms for them therefore albeit all do not believe it follows not either that Christ did not at all die for them or that he loseth part of his Purchase Christ's Death is procurative of Faith not in reference to all but to the Elect. Object 2. If Christ died for all men why is not the Gospel revealed to them many Pagan Nations have no glimpse of a Christ. I answer two things 1. God hath not left himself altogether without witness no not in the Pagan-world the invisible Spirit renders himself visible in the Glass of the World Rom. 1. 20. and as it were palpable in the body of Nature the very Heathens may see and feel him in every creature Acts 17. 27. nay and in themselves too for his Presence is not far off from them his candle burns within them Prov. 20. 27. when by this Candle it appears that there is Justice in God and Sin in them yet that they may still seek after him he lets out some glimmerings of mercy placability towards them the very standing of the World utters somewhat of this This Psalmist tells us of a line in the heaven Psal. 19. 4. God in the Creation drew lines of Power and Wisdom over the Sphere of Nature but Christ in Redemption struck a line of Mercy quite through it and that legible even to the Heathens forasmuch as they know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vindictive justice of God Rom. 1. 32. and yet see the World standing and not dashed down about the Sinners Ears they know there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a divine vengeance Acts 28. 4. and yet they are not consumed they see Justice as it were winking Acts 17. 30. judgment slumbring 2 Pet. 2. 3. and infinite Patience and Long-suffering waiting and leading them to Repentance Rom. 2. 4. they have some glimpses of pardoning Mercy where there is no pardoning mercy at all there is no room for repentance but the Patience of God is a kind of temporal pardon of the punishment that temporal pardon of the punishment points out that Mercy which can give an absolute pardon of the Sin and the true duct and tendency of that Mercy is to lead men to Repentance and if there were any man in the Pagan-world who did in truth repent and convert to God I make no question at all but that he should be saved and probably not without the express knowledge of Christ indulged to him for upon all that fear Gods Name will the Sun of rigteousness arise with healing under his wings Mal. 4. 2. Here then is aliquid Evangelii though not the express knowledge of Christ. 2. As to the Argument let us weigh what may be deducted from Christ's death as universal If Christ died for all men it follows from thence that Christ may be preached to all but it follows not from thence that Christ shall be preached to all it follows that Christ may be preached to all for he who was offered for
penetrates not into the Heart But practical Knowledge being a true Knowledge hath strength and life in it it puts forth vital and spiritual Actions Hence our Saviour calls it no less than eternal life Joh. 17. 3. it forges out the blood and vital Spirits of the new Creature strengthens him with spiritual Bones and Sinews and sets him in Motion towards the Crown of Life in Heaven These differences premised I procede to prove the two Positions laid down 1. The first was this That Man's Will doth infallibly and necessarily follow the practical Understanding and this I shall endeavour to make out 1. From God's Ordination in which there are two things to be considered 1. God never made the Will of Man to stand alone 2. God never made it to go alone both which may yet be if it follow not the practical Understanding 1. God never made the Will of Man to stand alone but he would have it depend upon the Understanding As he made the Sensitive Appetite to depend upon the Senses so he made the Will to depend upon the Understanding Hence the Will which is in it self but caeca Potentia a blind Power in its dependance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rational Appetite If the Will do not depend upon the Understanding where doth it stand but upon the Base of its own Independency You 'l say No not so for still it is under the guidance of Providence I answer That Providence which rules all things in a sweet Congruity to their Natures rules the Will not as a Brute but as a rational Appetite and how that can be without its dependance on the Understanding I know not 2. God never made it to go alone 't is in it self but a blind Power and God never made the blind to go alone Even in Brutes there is Sense to light the appetite much more in Man Understanding to light the Will Hence the Understanding is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leading or ruling Faculty and lucerna Domini the candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27. without it the Will is all in the dark If the Will can go alone in any Acts surely it must be in Acts of Sin which have much of darkness in them but even there whilest the holy Law of God is violated the Dictates of the corrupt Understanding are observed If the Will can go alone in any Acts of Sin surely it must be above all in such Acts as are most against Knowledge but even there whilest theoretical Knowledge is opposed the practical Judgment is fulfilled Hence such presumptuous sinners as rebel against the light are yet said to walk in their own counsels Psal. 81. 12. because they follow their practical Judgement and to erre in their hearts Psal. 95. 10. because that practical Judgment which they follow is corrupt and erroneous and to make them Idols according to their own understanding Hos. 13. 2. because first the Understanding frames the Idol and then the Will falls down and worshippeth 2. I argue from the Will it self which may be considered two ways either as it is in it self or as it is in dependance upon the Understanding 1. As it is in it self and so it is an Appetite its Object is Good real or at least apparant for malum quà malum non est appetibile and that Good must be proposed by the Understanding for that is instead of Eyes to the Will Suppose then that the Understanding do shew forth to the Will such a thing as good pro hîc nunc and that so good that it is immediately to be embraced and cannot without a present evil be neglected no not for a moment if in this Case the Will may refuse this Object it may appetere malum sub ratione mali that is appetere non appetibile and in so doing it may cease to be what it essentially is an Appetite 2. As it is in dependance upon the Understanding and so it is a rational Appetite and which results from thence it is a free Appetite the root of its Freedom is in the Understanding Why hath a Will a liberty of Spontaneity to some Objects but because the Understanding represents them as good pro hîc nunc Why a liberty of Contradiction to other Objects but because the Understanding looks on them as matters of little or no moment One would think so odious and detestable a thing as Sin could not be chosen by the Will but the erring Understanding gilds and glosses it over with a shew of Good One would think such glorious and all-desirable Objects as are in the Gospel could not be refused by the Will but the blind Understanding sees little or no worth at all in them But now if the practical Judgment propose a thing as Good and the Will reject it 't is no longer a rational Appetite but a Brute neither is it any longer free but cut off and in statu separato from the Root and Fountain of its Liberty neither is its Act a free Act but belluinus impetus a brutish violence for it hath no Understanding at all at the root and bottom of it no more than the Act of a Beast hath What then shall we say Can the Will cease to be a rational and free Appetite Or may it be rational and free without an Understanding Neither of these can be Wherefore it remains that it must follow the practical Judgment and so continue free and rational 3. I argue from the Effect which shews much of harmony between the Posture of the Understanding and the Posture of the Will Is the Understanding determinate So is the Will Hence if the Understanding represent a thing as good the Will embraces it as such if as a greater good it embraces it the more if as a summum bonum it embraces it summo conatu On the other hand if the Understanding represent a thing as evil the Will starts back from it if as a greater evil it flies yet further from it if as malum maximum it can never fly far enough from it Is the Understanding pendulous So is the Will too Hence if the Understanding represent a thing as a matter indifferent having little or nothing of moment in it one way or other the Will doth not infallibly will it as it doth the good nor nill it as it doth the evil but in a pendulous way it hangs off and plays on because the Understanding doth not pronounce it good or evil but only indifferent The Will observes every motion of the practical Judgment if that say Yonder is such a good the Will cleaves to it as Ruth to Naomi if that say There is such an evil the Will flies from it as Moses from the Serpent if that say Such a thing is indifferent the Will stands as the King of Babylon at the parting of the way Ezek. 21. 21. it may will or not will for there is an aequilibrium in the Will answering the aequilibrium
apprehensive Faculty all the things of Godliness are given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the knowledge of God 2 Pet. 1. 3. that 's the great Channel by which all Grace passes into the Will 2. As to the actual Conversion of the Will the Understanding is as a potent Perswader effectually inducing the Will thereunto There are three principal things in the Wills actual Conversion viz. a turning to God as its supreme End an embracing Christ as the only Way and a rejection of Sin as the great Obstacle and in all these the Will doth follow the Understanding 1. The Will doth follow the Understanding in its turn to God as the supreme End and this appears divers ways 1. The Scriptures clear it to us there we find in conjunction bethinking and turning 2 Chron. 6. 37. remembring and turning Psal. 22. 27. considering and turning Ezek 18. 28. understanding and turning Mat. 13. 15. and opening the eyes and turning Act. 26. 18. in all which places the Understanding goes before and the Will follows after There we find Conversion to be a thing wrought by Perswasion God shall perswade Japheth Gen. 9. 27. by Inshining God hath shined in our hearts 2 Cor. 4. 6. by Teaching they shall be all taught of God Joh. 6. 45. by Anointing you have an unction from the holy one 1 Joh. 2. 20. and by coming to a mans self Luk. 15. 17. first the Prodigal came to himself and then he returned to his Father the import of all which is plainly thus much That God doth actually draw home the Will unto himself through the Understanding Thy people saith the Psalmist shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Psal. 110. 3. here are a willing People like the Dew for multitude but whence are they Whence but from the womb of the morning The morning of supernatural Illumination is the Womb out of which they issue As long as there is no morning in men as the Expression is Isai. 8. 20. there is no Will at all to God but as soon as the day dawns in their hearts out comes a willing People as Dew from the morning 2. The Nature of the Will holds forth thus much The Will naturally wills Blessedness or the ultimate End in general because it is a Good perfective and expletive of the Soul but the Will doth not naturally fix on this or that thing as its blessedness or ultimate End in particular One Man fixes on Mammon as his chief Good another makes his Belly his God a third is all for the Pride of Life whence is the Will thus determined Either it must be determined by it self or else by the Understanding not by it self for it is a blind Faculty and cannot of it self judg any thing to be a chief Good much less can it fix it self on it as such wherefore it must be determined by the Understanding One Man chuses Mammon to be his chief Good because as the Psalmist hath it his inward thought is that his house shall continue for ever Psal. 49. 11. that's lasting happiness saith his carnal Understanding Another makes his Belly his God because his inward thought is Eat drink and be merry Luk. 12. 19. there is nothing better saith his bruitish Understanding A third is all for the Pride of Life because his inward thought is to be a Lucifer in Self-excellencies that 's the top of Bliss saith his soaring Understanding In every one of these first the Understanding makes the Idol and then the Will doth fall down and worship Now if the Will may be determined by the Understanding to such false Beatitudes as these how much more may it be determined by the Understanding to God who is the true blessedness 3. This appears from the Excellency of that practical Understanding which draws the Will unto actual Conversion 'T is an excellent Understanding for the Object of it being in the Mount of Transfiguration it shews forth unto the Will not Creatures Chips of Being in the shell of Time but a Jehovah of Self-beingness a God of Allsufficiency dwelling in Eternity not Streams of Life or Goodness in the Creature-channel but a Fountain of living waters an Ocean of immense Goodness such as cannot be sailed over by Faith or Vision not golden or pearly Mountains but an infinite Mass of free Grace unsearchable riches of Mercy such as cannot be â—old over to all Eternity not shadows or little portions of Being but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 1. 4. the true I am the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the all things 1 Cor. 15. 28. in whom are all the rich Mines of universal Blessedness and which is the sweetness of all it shews forth this God not as reserving himself only to himself but as freely offering himself to poor worms Oh my Soul stand still and adore the opening of his Bowels and Self-motion of his Grace this Jehovah of Self-beingness and All-sufficiency will make over himself to thee this Fountain of Life and Goodness will flow out to thee this rich Mass of Grace and Mercy will portion thee this I am and ever-blessed All is an inheritance for thee and in inheriting him thou maist after a wonderful manner inherit all things This is the infinite Excellency of the Object but after what manner doth the Understanding shew it forth unto the Will Surely though as much below his worth as finite is below infinite yet in an excellent way the Understanding shews forth God unto the Will not in a dead or literal manner but with spiritual liveliness and as I may so say in sparkles of Glory for it is eternal life and Heaven it self dawns in it not darkly or at a distance but clearly and closely the day-star is up in the heart and God approaches near unto the Will his goodness passes before it and leaves some holy touches and savours thereupon not in a weak and languishing manner but powerfully and effectually The Apostle joins the demonstration of the Spirit and power together 1 Cor. 2. 4. There is such a Demonstration of the Spirit in the Understanding as cannot be denied and from thence such a Power upon the Will as cannot be frustrated not notionally only but practically it seriously presseth in upon the Will Here O rational Appetite here is a God indeed his Grace free his Mercy Self-moving take him and thou hast all lose him and thou hast nothing Now Oh! now is the accepted time the day of Salvation in his Favour there is Life in his Wrath nothing but Death If he bless thee none can curse if he curse thee none can bless now or never turn and live After this manner doth it practically press in upon the Will Now when the Understanding holds forth such an excellent Object in such an excellent manner unto the Will already principled with Grace how can it chuse but actually close in
gracious Principles 3. The Perfection of the new Creature cannot stand without them The new Creature is a new men all over new new in its Desires as well as in its Intellectuals 't is a perfect man in Christ perfect in all its parts it hath a Heart as well as a Head Should the Will want gracious Principles the new Creature must want a Heart the old Heart will not serve the turn the new Man is but half a Man without a new heart There was put into the Breast-plate of Judgment the Urim and the Thummim that is Lights and Perfections both were in it or else it had not been perfect The full substance of this Type was only in Christ who was full of all Grace and Truth but there is a measure of it in every true Christian who puts on the breast-plate of faith and love 1 Thess. 5. 8. Faith is a kind of Urim in his Understanding and Love a kind of Thummim in his Will and both together make up his complete Breast-plate But if there were no gracious Principles in his Will he should have an Urim without a Thummim Light in the Mind without Integrity in the Heart and by consequence he could be but one half of a Christian. Object 2. This Thesis overturns the Liberty of the Will for if the Will be determined by the Understanding how is it free and if free how determined I answer There are three things which well weighed give a perfect Solution to this Objection 1. This Objection carries in it a great Absurdity 2. This Objection stands upon a false Notion of Liberty 3. This Objection vanishes by the true stating of Liberty 1. This Objection carries in it a great Absurdity If the Will being determined by the Understanding lose its Freedom then it loseth its Freedom by an adhesion to the Root of its Freedom and it cannot be free unless it can turn Brute which is a great Absurdity You 'l say Is this so absurd Doth not the Will turn Brute in closing with sensual Lusts and doth not the Scripture call men Beasts upon that account I answer that the Will in closing with its sensual Lusts is brutish as to the Matter of its choice but not as to the Manner of it because it hath an humane Unstanding though corrupt going before it but if it can turn away from the Understanding it can turn Brute even as to the Manner of its Acting for then its Act hath no Understanding at all at the bottom of it no more than the Act of a Beast which is very absurd in a rational Appetite 2. This Objection stands upon a false Notion of Liberty viz. That the Liberty of the Will doth essentially consist in an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an aequilibrium or indeterminate Indifferency whereby it may will or not will a thing for why according to this Objection is the Will not free Why but because it is determined And why is it not free if determined Because its Freedom doth consist essentially in such an aequilibrium as cannot stand with any determination but what is merely from it self Now that this is a false Notion of Liberty doth appear many ways For 3. If Liberty do essentially consist in such an Indifferency then what shall we say to Jesus Christ on Earth Had not he as Man all the Essentials of Liberty Was not all his Obedience perfectly free and yet did not his humane Will indeclinably follow his divine Was there a posse peccare in that spotless Lamb Could that humane Nature conceived by the holy Ghost and inseparably united to the God-head could that also transgress Surely it could not I do nothing of my self faith Christ Joh. 8. 28. nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I can do nothing of my self Joh. 5. 30. nothing in such perfect dependance was his humane Will upon his divine not the shadow of an aequilibrium there and yet the substance of perfect Liberty 2. If Liberty do essentially consist in such an Indifferency what say we to the blessed Saints in Heaven Have not they all the essentials of Liberty Are those Spirits made perfect in every thing else but that Is that the thing that is wanting in Heaven No surely glorious Liberty cannot but be there and yet what of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There God is All in all and the Saints cannot take off their Eyes from him for ever his Will is perfectly triumphant over theirs and their Will is perfectly determined by his so determined as not to glance aside from it to all Eternity And yet in this Determination Liberty is not destroyed but perfected the Will is not in straits or bonds but in a Sabbath of Rest and Joy Here 's nothing of an aequilibrium that kind of Liberty is so magnified on Earth that it shall never be glorified in Heaven and if it be not glorified there sure 't is no Essential here 3. If Liberty do essentially consist in such an indifferency then how shall the divine Prescience be salved God knoweth all the free Acts of men even the Thoughts afar off from the high Tower of his Eternity But if the Will be in aequilibrio its Acts before they come into Being must be mere Contingencies and without any determinate Verity at all in them and how then are they knowable as Certainties to know Contingencies as Certainties is to erre and not to know 4. If Liberty do essentially consist in such an Indifferency then what becomes of divine Providence Providence hath a Kingdom over men's Hearts We find in Scripture God touching the heart 1 Sam. 10. 26. stirring up the heart 2 Chron. 36. 22. opening the heart Acts 16. 14. enclining the heart 1 Kings 8. 58. and turning the heart whithersoever he will Prov. 21. 1. And after all this is the Will in aequilibrio If not where is the supposed Liberty If so where is the divine Providence All its touching stirring opening enclining and turning the Heart signifies litle or nothing Infinite Wisdom and Power seem to have posed themselves in making such a Creature as they cannot govern or at least not govern without destroying its faculties the infinite Spirit hath then nothing to rule over but the brutal World and the rational is lost out of his Dominions Men must subsist like Creatures and yet may act as Gods their Being is within the Realm of Providence and their Acting without it In a word when we read of God over all we must ever except the rational Creature Wherefore that is no true Notion of Liberty which is so opposite to the Sccptre of divine Providence 5. I shall add but one thing more Every Man is born under a Futurition of all the Acts which he will produce or else those Acts should be present in Time which never were future which is impossible and every Futurition implies in it a necessity of Immutability or else that which is future might cease to be such
be their God and they shall be my people Jer. 31. 33. These Promises do most signally set forth the production of gracious Principles here 's the Principles themselves a new heart and a new spirit here 's the principal efficient of them the holy Spirit of God here 's a remotion of the Obstacles unto them the taking away the heart of stone here 's the next immediate Capacity of receiving them an heart of flesh here 's the way or manner of producing them a writing the Law in the heart here 's the effectual fruitfulness of them a causing to walk in God's statutes and here 's the crown or glory of all God will be their God and they his people Now when there is a Worker such as the Almighty Spirit a Remotion of the Obstacles such as the Stone of hardness an immediate Capacity such as an Heart of flesh a way of Working such as the intimate Impression of Truth a Fruit proceding such as Obedience to God's Statutes and a Crown of all such as an Interest in God How can the Grace be less than insuperable You will say These Promises were not made to the Gentiles but to the Jews and not to any singular persons among them but to the whole Nation I answer These Promises extend not only to the Jewes but to the Gentiles for these are Promises of Grace founded in Christ and in Christ Jew and Gentile are all one Gal. 3. 28. so one that the Gentiles are of the same body and partakers of the promise Eph. 3. 6. Indeed before the middle Wall of Partition was broken down they were strangers from the covenant of promise but that being gone they are fellow-heirs partaking of the root and fatness of the Olive Neither do these Promises extend to all the Nation of the Jews but to the true Israel the elect People of God whether they be Jews or Gentiles for in them only are these Promises fulfilled Had these been made to all the Jews the true God would have fulfilled them in every Jew You will say No God's Truth doth not exact such a performance for he promised to do these things not absolutely but conditionally so as men did not resist the operations of his Grace I answer If God only promise these things shall be done so as men do not resist then these Promises run thus If thy stony Heart do not resist I will give thee an Heart of Flesh if thy old Heart do not resist I will give thee a new one if thy own spirit do not resist I will give thee my Spirit and if the Law of Sin do not resist I will give my Laws into thy Heart Which Interpretation doth utterly evacuate the Glory and Power of these Promises for to be sure that Stone that old Heart that Spirit of our own that Law of Sin in us will what it can resist the operations of Grace You will say God gives unto Man a posse convertere a supernatural Faculty whereby he is able to turn unto God Now God promises to do these things not so as men in their mere Naturals do not resist but so as men furnished with that supernatural power do not resist I answer two things overthrow this Interpretation 1. In the Text it self there is not a tittle of such a Condition of Non-resistency nor of such a supernatural Power of Conversion nay on the contrary in stead of the Condition of Non-resistency it speaks of a stony heart which is a Principle of Resistency to be removed instead of a supernatural power of Conversion it implies an old heart which is powerless in the things of God to be made new 2. If God promise to do these things so as men furnished with supernatural power of Conversion do not resist then there is such a supernatural power in men before these things be wrought in them that is before there be a new or soft Heart whilest the Heart is old and stony there is such a supernatural power in them which assertion is as I take it 1. Against Scripture that divides all men into two ranks they are clean or unclean new creatures or old spiritual men born of the spirit or natural men born of the flesh but this Assertion ushers in a middle sort of men such as hang by a posse convertere between Nature and Grace with the natural man they have an old stony Heart and with the spiritual man they have a new supernatural Power in the frame of their Heart they are no better than natural and in their supernatural Power they are little less than spiritual 2. 'T is against Reason All Powers in the rational Soul flow out of Life the Power of knowing and embracing natural good things flows out of the natural Life of the Soul and the power of believing and receiving spiritual good things flows out of the supernatural Life of the Soul but this Assertion supposes a supernatural Power of Conversion without any vital Root nothing of a new Heart or Spirit and yet a supernatural Power of Conversion Wherefore rejecting these Interpretations I conclude that those Promises import the production of gracious Principles in an insuperable way 4. The Production of gracious Principles is in Scripture set out in such glorious titles as do import insuperable Grace 't is a creation Eph. 2. 10. 't is a generation Jam. 1. 18. 't is a resurrection Eph. 2. 5 6. 't is a traction Joh. 6. 44. 't is an opening of the heart Act. 16. 14. 't is a translation into Christs kingdom Col. 1. 13. Now if this be not insuperable Grace then there may be a Creation on God's part and no new Creature on mans a Generation on Gods part and no Child of Grace on mans a Resurrection on Gods part and nothing quickened on mans a Traction on Gods part and nothing coming on mans an Opening on Gods part and all shut on mans and a Translation on God's part and no Remove at all on mans and why then should such stately names of Power be set on the head of resistible Grace You 'l say all these are but Metaphors very well but Metaphors are Metaphors that is they carry in them some image or resemblance of the things themselves but there is not the least shadow of likeness or similitude between these things and resistible Grace What shadow of Creation in that which a Creature may frustrate What of Generation in that which produces nothing at all What of Resurrection when the dead need not rise What of Traction when there is no coming upon it What of Opening when there is a Heart still shut up What of Translation when there is no remove by it Take away the infallible Efficacy of Grace and it can be none of all these no not so much as metaphorically because it hath no print of likeness thereunto 5. The Scripture doth not only set out Conversion under the Glory of Metaphors but in plain terms it stiles it a Work of