Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	grace_n	8,077	5	5.8830	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48861	The glory of free grace display'd: or, The transcendant excellency of the love of God in Christ, unto believing, repenting sinners, in some measure describ'd Wherein, 1. The doctrine about election, and the covenant of reconciliation is explained. 2. The error of the antinomians, who assert, that the filth of sin was laid on Christ, and that the holiness as well as the righteousness of Christ is made the elects while in the womb, &c. With their abuse of free-grace particularly detected and confuted. 3. In what sense our sins were laid on Christ, and Christ's righteousness made the believers, according to the sacred scriptures, evinced. 4. The glory of irresistible-grace, as exerted in the conversion of a sinner in opposition to the Arminian, cleared. 5. A modest defence of the sober dominican, about physical predetermination.	Lobb, Stephen, d. 1699.	1680 (1680)	Wing L2724B; ESTC R218819	67,996	163

esteemed by the Father of our blessed Jesus as clean pure and holy or as if God could not set forth the Excellency of his Grace any other way than by lying under many a mistake These notwithstanding their pretence of exulting Free-Grace denying the Omniscience or Infinite knowledge of him who is All-wise and representing the Infallible God as liable to error do sadly abuse Free-Grace 3. To suggest that Free-Grace is glorified in the actual imputing Christs righteousness unto any while in unbelief as if the swearer or Sabbath breaker the drunkard or unclean person that delights in fornication and adultery might while so be an actual partaker of the special blessings of God or as if the Sanctification of the Spirit had been no way necessary to our Salvation is a sad abuse of Grace tending to the great dishonour of the infinite Holiness and purity of God But since God is not only Gracious but also is most holy Grace is not it cannot be revealed but in a way consistent with the glory of Divine Purity and Holiness But 4. Some there are who magnifie the Free-Grace of God by concealing that glorious discovery God hath made thereof in our Lord Jesus these are they who contend for the actual justification of all the Elect from Eternity as if Jesus Christ died to procure that for the Elect which they had before the Worlds were made or as if the decree of God his electing Will an Immanent act had been transient in the actual creating justifying and saving all the Elect from eternity that is as if they had been created millions of years before there was any creature Thus men on pretence of lifting up the Free-Grace of God do not only trouble the Churches with their confusion and variety of contradictions but morcover do lightly esteem the greatest Instance of Free-Grace the Elect ●…re capable of receiving viz. the Love of God in Christ For hereby God commendeth his Love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 Again God SO loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son Joh. 3.16 and without blood no Remission 5. There are others who in their abuse of Free-Grace do greatly reproach the Spirit of Christ and of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by asserting that the Elect are actually Justified in the womb even before they do believe yea while they are in a state of darkness and strang●… to the powerful working of Gods holy Spirit These are they who insist on Faith as necessary only for the procuring the knowledge of that justification which they actually had before 〈◊〉 But how do these men sin against the Spirit of God by reproaching its works as if the gr●…s of the Spirit had been of no esteem as if our Faith and Repentance our Love to God and 〈◊〉 ●…lking according to the Gospel of our 〈◊〉 Redeemer had been our sin T is true the 〈…〉 doth consider the Righteousness of the 〈…〉 and the Apostle concluded that his righteousness which was not done in Faith to be as dung in comparison of the righteousness of Christ And surely because of the many imperfections that attend our best performances we have cause to be humbled daily before the Lord and to apply our selves to the blood and righteousness of Christ for pardoning mercy But yet it must be still asserted that there is a difference between those graces that are the work of God's spirit in us and the imperfections which proceed from the remains of our old corruption for that which is the work of God's Spirit as such is not dung nor dross nor filth nor stinking rags much less filthy sins The Spirit of God is the Author of Faith and Love and other graces but the Spirit of God is not the Author of sin and filth The giving grace to the soul is the renewing the Image of God on the soul but the image of God doth not consist in sin and filth and stinking rags The believer in being a partaker of the graces of God's spirit is a partaker of the divine nature but the divine nature is not composed of sin or any filthy thing 'T is our duty to believe in Christ to love God c. but 't is not our duty to sin or wallow in any spiritual uncleanness Whence then such as do deny the necessity of saith in order to our being actually justified or such as do reproach the working of Gods holy spirit calling what is holy unholy what is pure impure reviling the divine nature reproaching Gods image on pretence of exalting free grace do greatly sin in abusing a great instance of free grace viz. The holy Spirit 's work unto which we are infinitely obliged For 't is the Spirit that doth begin carry on and finish the work of Sanctification on the soul whence although while we are in this life our Sanctification is but imperfect yet there is not one soul in Heaven one instant without perfect holiness But it may be you 'l quaery how it can be that the soul which while on earth is but imperfectly sanc●…fied should 〈◊〉 perfectly purged from the filth of sin when in Heaven I Answer There are several sorts of men who talk as if they had been fully acquainted with the whole counsel of God and as if they could give a particular account of the methods of divine operations hence some are confident enough to assert that the perfect purgati-on of the filth of sin must be either by the Spirit in this life or by a purgatory fire in the other The one asserts perfection not only of parts but of degrees attainable here and consequently denies the necessity of Ordinances c. The other viz. the Papists conclude that as some arrive to perfection here others do not e're they arrive unto the purgatery sire but the Antinomian presumes to say that our perfect Sanctification must be by Christ's Holiness even as our compleat Justification is by Christs Righteousness But I have already shewn That our perfect Sanctification which consists in the removal of the filth of every sin is not done by the Holiness of Christ Neither is it possible that any material flames should be adjusted for the cleansing the soul which is a Being spiritual and Immaterial Materiale non agit in immateriale It is done then by the Spirit when not in this life for until the body of Sin be put off there will be the remainders of old lusts * Note 1 King 8.46 Prov. 20.9 Eccl. 7.20 1 Joh. 1.8 No meer man since the Fall ever arriv'd unto a state of sinless perfection in this life which are inconsistent with a Sanctification that is perfect with a perfection of degrees Doth it you it may be will say enter into Heaven with its imperfections i.e. Spots and Filth Ans No surely for no Spot can have an admittance into that holy place Doth the departed soul make its stay after it passeth from the body e're

every man from the evil of his way Jer. 36.2,3,6 7. And is a may be a peradventure powerful enough to raise the hearts of men to great undertakings as to the things of this life and yet not sufficient to oblige us to act for God and glory or doth this may be prove a motive sufficient to engage the Ministers of Christ to endeavour the salvation of precious and immortal souls and yet insufficient for the moving you to the doing any thing for your selves surely this may be doth not argue only a Possibility but moreover a great Probability Thou art therefore O man inexcusable if thou neglectest thy duty and wilt not strive to enter in at the strait gate since by striving thou mayst have an entrance into the heavenly glory given thee 't is possible 't is probable but if thou wilt not strive for Heaven nothing more sure than that Hell will be thy portion Oh consider these things and remember * Si ergo à Justitia pietate quis desicit suo in praeceps fertur arbitrio suâ concupiscentià trahitur sua persuasione decipitur Aug. Resp ad Art sibi impos ad Art 13. That if you die in your sins your destruction will be of your selves you will be found self-condemned sinners to whom the Lord may say How often would I have gathered you together but you would not Man's sin and consequently his ruine is from himself and not from the Lord so Quae mala cum homines admittunt suis concupiscentiis cupiditatibus serviunt quas ab illa prima voluntariae praevaricationis labe traxerunt 4. Such is the corruption of humane nature since the fall as engageth all mankind to slight neglect scorn contemn and obstinately to despise all the common helps offered us It must be acknowledged that man after the fall remains a man whence whatever is essential unto the humane nature as such is to be found in him i.e. man is still a living rational creature his soul is still ennobled with the powers or faculties of understanding and will he is capable of knowing and willing These faculties are not totally eradicated or rooted out of the soul for that would be to destroy it Man is still man but a corrupt man that is though the natural powers and faculties remain yet they are sadly vitiated in that they are become the seat of vicious propensions dispositions and habits For the Understanding hath not only lost its primogeneal directive light and become darkness but the will is also strangely corrupted not in the Arminian sense alone as the Remonstrants express it * Act. Scrip. Synod min. Remonst in Explic. 3. et 4. art de Grat. c. who say Quare libertatem volendi indifferenter tam bonum salutare quam malum in statu lapsûs voluntati adesse negamus quin potius liberum Arbitrium ad bona istiusmodi non modo vulneratum sauciatum infirmatum inclinatum attenuatum est sed Captivatum perditum amissum viresque ejus non modo debilitatae cassae nisi restaurentur à gratia sed nul Free-will to what is savingly good say they is not only wounded and weakned but without a gracious restauration altogether lost i.e. the Understanding having lost its directive light and the will being a blind power cannot embrace what is savingly good not because of any weakness in the faculty of the will but for want of a a Guide to direct it In lapsu boni salutaris et salvifici cognitione destituta mens nequaquam illud ut volendum voluntati monstrare potuit nec voluntas illud velle But this is unsound for the weakness of the will is not meerly because of the blindness of the understanding but because 't is so subjected unto vitious propensions dispositions and habits The heart of man naturally runneth out after sin 't is bent to commit evil 't is obstinately resolved against what is savingly good and therefore morally impotent men sin because they will sin as appears both from Scripture and experience You will not come unto me that ye may have life you will have none of my counsel you will not return you are a stiff-neck'd people obstinate and rebellious whence the common assistances of Gods Spirit proves ineffectual and if God did not Glorify Free-Grace any further none not the Elect would return unto God for although Common Grace given unto all is sufficient to leave all men without excuse their non-improvement being their sin yet none are thereby effectually engaged to turn unto God in Faith no not the Elect who while unregenerate are as sinfully obstinate as any their souls being as much polluted with Ignorance sinfull defections inclinations and habits as others who are by nature Children of Wrath as others and for the same reason who are by nature as sinful and rebellious as others Who more vile than Manasseh in unregeneracy and who made more havock of the Church of Christ than Paul did in the days of his Ignorance Should the Lord leave all the Sons of men to themselves they would notwithstanding the Common Grace afforded them run on in sin to their eternal ruine Wherefore 5. As God did from Eternity in himself determine and by Covenant engage to give unto our Lord Jesus a Select number even so in time God glorifieth the freeness of his grace and shews himself faithful in giving some unto Christ Whoever duly observes what hath been already said concerning Election and the Covenant of Reconciliation made between the Father and the Son cannot believe the Lord to be a God of truth the faithful one and not consent unto this 6. That those who are given to the Lord Jesus Christ are by SPECIAL grace most powerfully yet sweetly drawn unto him by the Father For none cometh unto Christ but whom the Father draweth 7. God the Father giving this Select Number unto Christ they are by Faith through the Spirit united unto Christ For God in drawing and giving them unto Christ gives Christ the Spirit and Faith unto them They by being given unto Christ are taken into Covenant with Christ they are Christs and Christ is theirs the Union between them and Christ being a Covenant Union that is real but mystical That Lord Christ that is offered unto all upon their believving is actually given unto these and as all may have Christ if they believe these believe that they may have Christ God of his infinitely Free-Grace makes these a willing People in the day of his power Whence all that do turn from the evil of their ways they must ascribe the whole glory to God even to the praise of his Grace * P●…inde quoniam Demino in te misericorditer ope●… jam cidicisti in abundantia divitiarum tuarum non Gloriari hoc superest ut non confidas in virtute tua i.e. ne dep●…tes v●ripus tuis quod seculi facultates divitiasque contemans quod viam mandatorum Dei

Sacrilegious Impudence contradicts the whole Scripture Whether this Illyricus were of the Antinomian Opinion or not I 'll not now enquire for nothing more sure than that he embraced Errors of a dangerous tendency But by this we may see How the Papists are gratified by such Doctrines as these 2. The Antinomians not clearly distinguishing between the Guilt and Filth of Sin as I have shewn both in the Body of the Treatise and in the Appendix give great advantages unto some Popish Errors For these Reasons I have been the more careful in my endeavors that thou by coming to the knowledge of the Truth may'st be freed from the mischiefs thou art liable unto by a too fixed adhering unto Error Yea the saving thy soul from Errer and the ruinous consequences thereof is my aim in this Essay It being Grievous to consider that any Well-meaning Professors in this day and land of light should be tempted to abandon so necessary an Article of the Protestant Doctrine and instead thereof embrace an Opinion that so much discountenanceth Holiness that so much en●… Profaness yea and so much gratifies the ●…sts who are the great Enemies to our blessed J●… and who are at this time attempting our ●…ine by their bringing us into a strange confusi●… reviving old Errors setting Protestant against ●rotestant and by their scurrilous Pamphlets preparing the People to believe that the greatest Enemies to Popery viz. the Nonconformists are vile enough to perpetrate such Villanies as are abhorred by none as much as by them Reader That thou may'st not contrary to the honest inclinations of thy Soul be drawn unto these destructive Errors I have written the ensuing Treatise desiring that thou wouldest seriously peruse it and that thou may'st do so to thine own profit shall be my Prayer unto the Lord who is able and I trust who will bring thee to the knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jesus Farewell From my Study July 24. 1680. The Glory of FREE-GRACE Displayed OR The Transcendent Excellency of the Love of God in Christ unto Believing Repenting Sinners in some measure described CHAP. I. The Introduction The Method proposed What the Grace of God is in short explicated THis is a Subject that abounds with its delights affording matter of the greatest comforts unto such as are of truly broken and contrite spirits A Soul who has been savingly convinced of sin and consequently of its lost condition while in a State of Nature cannot but be greatly refreshed at the believing meditation of the Fulness and Freeness of the Grace of God in Christ What is it that can raise the distressed conscience of him who doth firmly believe that he sinned in Adam and by that and many another hainous actual iniquity hath incurr'd Divine displeasure what I say can so much relieve the distressed conscience of such an one as the knowledge of and Faith in the freeness of Grace in Christ unto all such 'T is glorious Grace that alone can prove truly advantagious and reviving to the humble sinner About which some lying under great Ignorance as others do under dangerous mistakes I will attempt to speak somwhat as the Lord shall help me for the inlightening the minds of men concerning it that so such to whom comforts belong may rejoyce and glory in God their Saviour even when unhumbled bold and presumptuous sinners may see the greatest reasons why they ought to mourn and be in bitterness for that while so they are not actually partakers of this Grace But before I engage in a discourse of this nature 't will be absolutely necessary that I caution the the Reader against any expectations of a full display of this grace it being far beyond the heart of man to conceive or the tongue of Angels to express the full glory thereof The contrivance is so profound that though the Angels of God may prie into it they cannot Fathom its depths how much less then can Man to whom it may be said Canst thou by searching find out this Grace canst thou find out what is infinite unto perfection It is as high as Heaven what canst thou do the measure thereof is longer than the Earth and broader than the Sea what canst thou know thou mayest cry out Oh what is the length and breadth and depth and height of the love of God which passeth knowledg O how unsearchable are the riches of this Grace but to comprehend or comprehensively to describe it is impossible For who ever would obtain adequate conceptions of it must ravel into the eternal counsels of God and search into that wise invention which was the product of an eternal consultation between the Father and the Son or otherwise he can but stand gazing admiring and wondering at such discoveries it hath pleased the Lord in infinite mercy to vouchsafe us Expect not then a full display of this glory but in this treatise be satisfied with such hints as the least of the Lords Servants can give thee looking into the writings of the more learned and judicious on this Subject but especially into the Scriptures where an inlightened understanding may see more than he is capable of revealing Reader having given thee this caution I 'le not detain thee any longer from what I principally design but will immediately attempt the giving thee in short the plainest clearest and most full account I can of this grace in this following method I 'le shew 1. What the Grace of God is 2. How or in what respect 't is magnified and exalted and in doing so discover how and in what regards the Grace of God is turned into wantonness by many to the great reproach of God and his glory with the due improvement we ought to make of every Instance of Free-Grace 1. What is the Grace of God I answer The Grace of God may be considered after a twofold manner 1. As 't is in God and so t is God himself inclining to favour and do good unto the creature FREELY without a respect to any merit or desert in him Or 2. It may be taken for the good thing it sel● freely given unto the creature which is but th● effect of the former to wit of that grace tha● is in God Here it must be duly minded 1. That the Grace which is now to be displayed is the Grace which is in God The Divine Will it self inclining to favour man mo●… freely which grace as 't is in God is a prope●sion inclination or disposition of his Will to do good or God himself thus disposed and inclined to shew mercy or 't is God himself willing purposing or determining to make known the greatness of his goodness 2. The Object of this Grace is man For I design not to mention the Grace shewn the Angels but to Man as he is uncapable of meriting the least instance of Divine Love yea Man as he hath by his sin incurr'd the just displeasure of Almighty God Grace then is God himself inclining or rather

his infinitely free love as to purpose the actual giving unto some sincere faith and sound repentance that so they might be saved God would not that All should perish and therefore although the wickedness of all was great yet the Lord determined to extend his infinite grace to some that they might by receiving faith from God and all those other graces which are the merits and purchase of Christs blood c. and the work of Christ's Spirit be eternally saved The eternal purpose of giving this superabundant grace is called Election about which observe these following particulars 1. God hath Elected some to life everlasting This is acknowledged by the Remonstrants who have corrupted this doctrine in part and shall be proved in the confirmation of the following particulars 2. The Election or foreknowledge of God is of a certain select number of particular persons known unto the Lord from all eternity whom he foreknew those he predestinated Rom. 8.29 The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and calleth them by name John 10.3 Jacob have I loved Rom. 9.13 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and ordained thee a prophet to the nations Jer. 1.5 Jeremiah in particular was from eternity known unto the Lord viz. The great God from everlasting foreknew and predestinated this and consequently every other particular elect person to their work here and glory hereafter 3. Election being an act of the Divine will an immanent and an eternal act 't is most free we cannot suppose any thing to precede what is eternal God's election therefore is according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.5 The elect being predestinated or fore-ordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will Ephes 1.11 For the mystery of Gods will which is made known unto us is according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself ver 9. 'T was not the foresight of Faith and good works that moved God to elect any the principal cause of election being the will of God the eternal purpose of God 4. The select Number of particular persons who were from eternity most freely fore-ordained to be saved are ordained to Salvation in and through the Lord Jesus Christ According as he hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the world having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Eph. 1.4,5 Yea God hath appointed us to Obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.9 5. The unalterable determination and purpose of God is that such as are ordained to be saved through Christ be regenerated and renewed in their minds by the powerful working of the holy Spirit According as he hath chosen us in him that we should be Holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1.4 For whom he did foreknow he did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 whence t is said that we are created in Jesus Christ unto good works in which God hath fore-ordained that we should walk Ephes 2.10 For God hath chosen you unto Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thessal 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 The Improvement followeth 1. That the Lord left not the whole lump of mankind to perish in eternal misery but resolved the Salvation of some is fully of grace 2. That the Most High condescendeth so infinitely as to regard the Low estate of faln man affording suitable helps for the effectual engageing some to lay hold on eternal life is of grace The Lord gives Grace and Glory and every good thing to a Select Number which is the ture reason why any are saved But that which is surprizing is this 3. That the Worst of men who appear to be vessels of wrath have been endured with much long-suffering Surely 't is not the Decree that hath any such causality in it as doth effect mans sin a Detestanda abominanda opinio est quae Deum cujusquam malae voluntatis aut malae actionis credit Authorem cujus praedestinatio nunquam extra bonitatem nunquam extra justitiam Adulteria non instruere novit sancta Divinitas sed damnare nec disponere sed punire Aug. resp ad art sibi impos art l. 10. Posset enim peccatum aliquod ex praedestinatione Dei esse Si posset aliquis hominum justè peccare Nullus autem hominum justè peccat quamvis eum Deus justè peccare permittat Fulgent ad Mon. de praed lib. 1. Decreta nil ponunt in esse Man's sin is from himself and his destruction is but the product of his own obstinacy and rebellion Oh the many exhortations sincere calls pressing and Pathetical invitations that are given all to return unto God that they may live and how doth the Lord wait to be gracious exercising the greatest patience in bearing the affronts of vile sinners so long 4. It must be duly remembred b Ego hoc dico quod dixi quia quicquid Deusagit miserecorditer juste sanctèque facit non potest tantum justus dici Deus aut solùm misericors sed Justus et misericors Sic legimus sic credimus August Resp ad calumn Pelagianor That the Lord in exalting Free-Grace regards the glory of his other most excellent attributes viz. his Holiness and Righteousness and in both his Infinite Wisdom I 'le only hint in this place somewhat concerning the glorification of Free-Grace in a way consistent with his Holiness Although the Lord hath wonderfully discovered himself to be the Lord God Gracious and Merciful Long-suffering slow to anger and abundant in goodness yet still the Lord is holy yea he is the Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts shewing himself to be so by his love to holiness in the creature and by his abhorrence unto sin that is most contrary thereunto and accordingly as the determination is to save some it is further as hath been prov'd through the sanctification of the Spirit Oh then let none presume to say If they are elected they shall be saved though they remain wallowing in their sin No No Reader this is not so for without holiness no seeing the face of God 1 Heb. 12.14 Out of Christ no Salvation and to remain Unsanctified Unholy and in sin is to be out of Christ give therefore all dilligence to make thy election sure by being savingly Called to the Leading a new which is an holy life But of this more Hereafter CHAP. III. A second Instance of grace Adding light unto the former shewing how the gracious decree is accomplished notwithstanding the difficulty The Covenant between God the Father and the Son which is the Covenant of reconciliation or the Mediatorial Covenant discovered in some of its particulars The use shewing how grace is hereby glorified THat God might effectually accomplish the Salvation of any in a way consistent with the glory of his Holiness Righteousness Truth and Faithfulness and accordingly see the Execution of the

currere 〈◊〉 Haec enim omnia nullatenus haberes nisi a Deo manere Gratuitae Donationis acciperes Non hoc homini dat natura sed Gratia Non hoc ex qual●… te condition is humanae habetur sed ex benignitate divinae illuminationis acquiritur Again Quicquid habes bonae voluntatis vel bonae operationis Deo assigna qui dedit Fulgent de convers ad Theod. Epist 6. towards the end 8. To assert That any while in unregeneracy may be united unto Christ or that any who savingly believe may not be united unto Christ is most false unsound and dangerously absurd 1. To be unregenerate is to abide in a state of sin altogether Unclean Filthy and Polluted at a distance from God and Jesus Christ how then can these be One what is Christ joyned to an Harlot or can light have any Union or Communion with darkness 2. A believer doth close with Christ which cannot be without Union 9. T is both unnecessary and unprofitable to dispute about a moment or instant of nature as to the precedency of Faith unto Union or of Union unto Faith e. g. whether Faith or the Union is in order of nature first it being evident that there is no instant supposable in which a soul who hath saving Faith is not united unto Christ or in which One united unto Christ hath not sound saving Faith But 10. This Faith and this union is in order of nature antecedent to an actual imputation of Christs Righteousness and consequently before our actual Justification in the sight of God Communion presupposeth Union and therefore Union must precede an actual imputation which is but the Communication of Christs Righteousness unto us Faith and Union being Simultanecus and at one and the same instant as Union even so Faith must precede the Communication of Christs Righteousness and our actual justification in the sight of God thereby 11. This Faith which doth so necessarily precede and go before the actual justification of a sinner is the † Fidem autem hominum Donum Dei esse fateamur sine enj●s Gratiâ 〈◊〉 currit ad gratiam Prosper Aq. Resp ad Gal. Object ad Obj. 8. gift of God infus'd into the soul by the holy Spirit that doth irresistibly carry on its work 1. Grace being the gift of God the first thing which the soul is capable of in the work of Regeneration or conversion is the receiving the gift or infused habit the soul doth recipere effectum agentis which is as much as Pati whence the soul the first instant or moment of conversion must be considered as passive 2. This Converting Grace is irresistible which may be evinced to any unprejudiced mind that will but consider that antecedently unto conversion the soul is obstinately bent towards sin The inclinations of the will are continually evil averse to what is good and both actually and habitually determined to vanity for which reason the Spirit in carrying on the work of conversion meets with great opposition from the sinner yea with such opposition as would altogether impede and hinder the Spirits work had not the power of the Spirit been great enough to conquer and overcome this habitual obstinacy of the will but the power of God's Spirit being greater than that of the Sinner the Sinner is overcome and converted How but by that Grace that is Irresistible it being most evident that 't is naturally impossible for finite power to prevail against what is infinite So clear 't is that converting grace is irresistible And surely had it not been so never one obstinate sinner no not one child of Adam since all are by nature obstinately rebellious sinners would be converted for such is the nature of our corrupt wills that they will never yield until overcome by an overstrong and irresistible power 12. This infused Irresistible grace is given unto the Adult ordinarily in the use of means as the preaching of the word c. Whence man though passive in the first moment of his conversion yet not so passive as some suggest 1. It must be noted that Man in conversion is not so passive as a Stone when thrown up into the Air For the infusion of Grace being into a Soul that is active life to the end the Soul may be the better prepared for action the Soul must be also active in the great work of conversion The infusion of Grace into the soul that is active life is not like the infusion of the soul into the body that is antecedently to its receiving the soul wholly unactive purely passive No the Lord doth consider the nature he hath given beings and his actions towards such beings are suitable to their natures As a meer passive thing is purely passive in its receptions even so what is essentially active cannot but be active in its receptions To insist on niceties concerning the opposition that is between action and passion and consequently on the seeming inconsistency some may judge to be in this expression active reception q. d. active passion is but to quibble since 't is impossible to suppose an Essentially-active-being to be in every regard as passive as pure matter is God carries on the work of conversion on man in a way agreeable unto that nature God hath given him which is by inlightening the understanding and by suscitating and stiring up the powers of the soul to their being duly conversant about their proper objects influencing and enabling the will to close with what is proposed in the word as good and accordingly understood and believed to be so Although we cannot comprehend how yet nothing more evident than that God doth irresistibly and yet most sweetly without laying any violence on our faculties draw us from sin unto Jèsus Christ * This notion is agreeable to the Sentiments of the Schoolmen as Marius Scrib de lib. Arb. disp 19. qu. 8. doth assert Dionys Carthusianus in 2. d. 39. q. 2. Capreolus d. 45. q. 1. Concl 5. Ferrariensis primo contr Gent. c. 88. Dreido opusc lib. de concordia Lib. arb et praed estinationis 2. p. c. 3. ad primum All these reconciling humane Liberty with the Irresistable Divine Will thus Dicunt enim Dei voluntatem et providentiam Dei tantae esse virtutis efficaciae ut licet et nulla potentia libertas refistere valeat omnes tamen causas quibus cooperatur suaviter moveat infinitae siquidem est virtutis sapientiae cum fit infinitae Sapientiae scit omnia suaviter disponere licet nobis videantur factu impossibilia cum verò infinitae sit virtutis attingit à fine usque ad finem fortiter ita ut per infinitam suam virtutem sciat etiam quae videntur dissonantia concordare et propter Sapientiam sine praejudicio humanae libertatis effectum suae voluntatis semper sortiri Et Cajetanus iisdem pene id videtur profiteri 1. p. q. 4. a 23. 9.19 ar 8.