diversly abused is too evident 1. By some in a willing withdrawing and turning aside after such knowledge and operations of truth given a fearfull and dangerous evil Hos 11.1 4 7. Ezek. 24.13 Prov. 1.24 2. By others though not prevailed with to receive the love of the truth to save renew and cleanse them yet lifting up themselves to high conceits of themselves as more excellent than others because of such visits shines and motions and even on that ground also boasting of their enjoyments of free grace and peculiar favour a dangerous evil Prov. 30.13 Jude 5.6 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. the Lord give such timely repentance 3. Yet lastly that we may fully and rightly understand this business there is one thing more to be considered namely how long any is to be reckoned in the number of natural men and that according to Scripture account is untill by the grace of God in Christ discovered they be brought in to believe in Jesus Christ and then they are something else and better than meer natural men or till for persisting in resisting this grace they be left and so given up and reprobated of God and then they be something else and worse than meer natural men the first of these have a begun freedom of will not onely to chuse spiritual good things for that they have already but also to pursue abide in and follow after the same which no meer natural man hath and the latter have lost that freedom they have before given them to moral good things and attention to mediums for spiritual good being void of judgement therein and till men become one of these two sorts they even all men besides both rich and poor wise and simple learned and unlearned in offices ecclesiastical or civil and out of office within or without the pale of the profest Church Jews or Gentiles civil or deboyst idolatrous superstitious devout or profane and scoffers meek or furious chaste or unchaste liberal or covetous c. They are all of them natural and but natural men untill as is said 1. That by the love or grace of God in Christ that dyed for sinners discerned and believed they be brought to deny and disown themselves their own sins purposes and ways so as they believe on God in Christ therein accepting this grace to save comfort renew and guide them the bent of their heart being set to depend on God to enjoy honour and please him waiting on him for preservation and eternal life these though men and in a sense natural men still Acts. 14.15 yet also indeed and in truth they are something else more and better than natural men even the Sons of God by faith Gal. 3.26 Born of God John 1.12 13. of water and the spirit John 3.3 5. By the grace and spirit of God in and by Christ Rom. 5.6 8 10. Tit. 3.4 5 6. 1 Pet. 1.21 And so all that by the freeness of Gods love appearing in the death of Christ are brought to believe in Christ and so have him by his Word and Spirit abiding in them and they by faith and love abiding in him these all these whether babes strong men or fathers all are the sons of God members of Christ and in some degree spiritual yea though by reason of some weakness and oppositions of flesh and world some be more carnal than spiritual Rom. 7.14 1 Cor. 1.2 3. So that such believers all and every one of them have not onely such a freedom of will as that they might chuse that is good according to their understanding in things natural and moral and attention to the outward mediums for spiritual good things and so such a light or spirit as God by Christ and for his sake giveth to every one that cometh into the world but they have received an oyntment from the holy One even the word of grace therein the spirit of grace into their spirit and so have a new heart a new spirit and so have not onely that by which attending their will might be made free or an opportunity in which they might have it or such a freedom onely in some spiritual visit that they might chuse life and spiritual good things but much more for by the election grace hath made in their hearts they have chosen life and spiritual good things Isai 56.45.1 Thes 2.13.2 Thes 1.10 And now have in their heart by the operation of God a begun freedom not onely to chuse yea and to will but even also to do spiritual things Phil. 2.12 13. And it is behoofull and gainfull for them to walk out in this grace as they have received Col. 2.6 Phil. 2.12 13. And in this freedom they are differenced from all natural men and much more from them that are worse than natural namely 2. Those who by continual lifting up their own understandings thinking to be wise and preferring their own thoughts purposes and lusts before the receiving and retaining the knowledge and teachings of God by nature or Scripture to turn at his reproof but follow the delusions of Satan till they have closed their eyes and stopped their ears and hardened their hearts in resisting the spirit and blotting out the light which God by Christ had given them and so resisted the truth declared and the holy Ghost in his visits and strifes therein till they be left and given up to Satan and so reprobated and given up of God these and all and every of these though in a sense they be natural men still yet they are also some thing else and more and worse than natural men even the Sons of Belial of the wicked one the seed of the Serpent emphatically the reprobate and wicked indeed that now cannot believe Prov. 1.24 36. Ezek. 24.13 Jer. 6.16 30. Gen. 4.5 13. with 1 John 3.12 Rom. 1.18 28. John 12.38 40. And these having lost that light they had despited the spirit that would have given them more and for that given up of God they are not onely destitute of all freedom of will to spiritual but even to moral good and set with a full resoluteness in their will to do the works of their father the devil being void of all right judgement John 8.41 44. Rom. 1 24 28. And in this they are differenced not onely from believers but from all other men that are reckoned in the number of natural men And now having been so large in opening this business let all this be brought together let the will be considered as one of the faculties of the soul and the freedom for a libertie not from a command or lawfullness but in it self to chuse the one or the other in things proffered let the things be considered as distinct natural and moral and spiritual and of what and to which is spoken in any affirmation let the natural man be considered as he was righteous but is fallen in and through Adam and redemption wrought for him by Christ and some light given him
and given into he will of man by Jesus Christ in which so much liberty is given into the will of man that according to the declarations and tenders made in things naturally and morally good and the declaration of Gods love to mankinde in his works and in his word the mediums to discover supernatural and spiritual good things when attended to and believed he might incline to and chuse to minde attend to and imbrace such natural and moral good and such outward mediums for spiritual good as are set before him in which is attendance to that better freedom which in such attention should be met with of this and this onely is the question and the affirmative I have testified to in such a sense and so far as is affirmed in the four last mentioned particulars and I suppose fully and clearly proved in the Scriptures fore-cited in the three last of the five considerations of the natural man And yet for more satisfaction I will instance proofs more distinctly 1 Proof The Apostle professeth that the word of faith which he preached and that which the righteousness of faith saith and which Moses spake is the word that is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart and that nightness and being in thee the testimonie of the word it self now this word which they preached was neither Adam nor Adam-like and natural things nor a Law of works but the word made flesh the Lord Jesus Christ and remission of sins and life in him to be received by believing and testified by confession and this word saith he is not so far out of sight and reach but it is very nigh thee in thy heart that thou maiest believe In thy mouth that thou maiest confess as is evident compare Rom. 10.4 10. with Deut. 30.11 15. And upon this ground Moses professeth to have set life before them and exhorts them to chuse life verse 15 19. Surely this testimonie is true in some plain and full sense without wresting dominition or addition and it cannot hold forth less than what is before affirmed in the last four fore-mentioned particulars To take it in such a fantastical sense as if the personal body of Christ were in us and dying rising and ascending in us is contrary to the whole testimonie of Scripture and the foundation of our faith and the drift of the place it self To take Nigh and In for his spiritual in-being in the hearts of believers by his word and Spirit and the riches of the mysterie in forgiveness righteousness c. By and in which manner he is in believers the hope of glorie is against Scripture which makes that peculiar to believers and against the place it self which affirms this nightness not because but that men might believe Yet sure a truth there is in the affirmation and that in a full and plain sense whether 1. We take in for for as it will well bear and signifie and is sometime so used yet then the first word Nigh implies a redemption for man and made known and fit and this implies good will to him and so for him and he so far made capable that he might so attend that he might believe or 2. If we take In for in or within as being added to Nigh it seems to be taken then we must take In for such a being in as may be in an unbeliever that he might believe and that can be no less than by virtue of his propitiation made and mediation continued extending such mercie and light into men as through him they live and move and have understanding above the beasts and so an eye to discern and such motion in their will that upon his tenders of life in the means they might chuse to behold and attend to him in them and then though they have no power to save themselves yet he would save them Isai 45.22 And both these senses are true and answer to the words fully and plainly and less than both these cannot be taken without injurie to the words and he that denieth this preacheth not the Gospel the Apostle preached but runs at an uncertain and this holds forth as much as I have affirmed 2. Proof It is affirmed plainly in the Scripture that Jesus Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 and so that there is a spirit in man c. Prov. 20.27 Job 32.8 and 35.10 11. and that they have eyes and ears that they might see and hear though they refuse in seeing to see c. the wonders in the works and word of God Jer. 5.21 as is before shewn and this is as much as I have affirmed 3. Proof The Lord calleth upon men to look to him to hear his voice to understand to turn at his reproof to repent to believe to chuse life c. Isai 42.1 and 45.22 Prov. 8.4 7. and 1.23 Acts 2.38 and 16.31 Deut. 30.15 19. If any say that such exhortations imply not power in the exhorted to turn c. I answer I say not that it doth but implies power and will in the exhorter he being the Lord and a capacity given by him to the exhorted to hear and see and understand and so to attend and incline which if they do according to what they may by his gift he will add more and save as his word assures a wicked servant he is that saith the Lord gathers where he hath not sown c. If any say they say not God doth so for he gave them power in Adam which they have lost and he may justly require that of them he once gave them power for I answer he gave power to Adam to as much as the Law of ten words requires and that power he lost and this Law serves to discover sin and sentence to death which use was not for Adam in his innocency and I hope such as know the Gospel know that Christ will judge according to it himself having been judged for us according to the Law but the power to acknowledge sin repent and believe in Christ and so chuse life that way was not in Adam in his innocencie and so not lost by him and so as the first power men never had in themselves though in Adam so this they never had in him and if God graciously give not forth some power in which men might look to and receive his power he should require of men absolute impossibilities and then his yoke were not easie but in Gospel declarations he gives that by which men might hear the end of his declaring calling being that men might repent and be saved John 5.24 and 34. which will evidence as much as I have affirmed 4. Proof God every way by his word cleares himself from being the cause of mens destructions either in his will or pleasure taking in their death Ezek. 33.11 or tempting them to evil Jam. 1.12 or in want of any means used for their good that may stand with his wisdom and holiness and
it would also free from the conceits of harshness and contradictions in the sayings of the Gospel and from murmuring against God all which the contrary opinion lead to But I have yet heard some say that this opinion of Gods extending such grace to natural men that they might believe it doth magnifie some men as better than others that is such as by such light and means are brought in to believe when others by the same were not and to this I answer that some are brought in by such means as others are not and that it is the fault of them which are not and by that fault they become worse is true else how shall that be righteous judgement when one shall be produced against another in judgement Matth. 10.15 and 11.22 and 12.41 42. And that he that believes is better than he that did not is true but that any betterness in himself made him a believer is false but by grace he is better in believing this may be illustrated by a comparision though all are too scant for spiritual things suppose two men by their own folly become blinde deaf dumb and so dead here is both their sin and their misery If one carry good things to them to see hear c. They are both alike unworthy and unable but if one be helpt with sight hearing c. and the other not and then both called if he that hath his sight c. behold not it is his sin but the other it is not his sin but his misery if both have sight hearing c. given here is grace alike to alike unworthy if both be called and they heed not to see hear c. both are faulty alike but now if the call be continued and greater discovery of good things made and by the excellencie of the grace and riches disovered one be drawn to behold and minde that he seeth and heareth and so come to receive those free offers and the other willingly close his eyes and stop his ears and so refuse and be punished here is free grace to the one that deserved no more than the other yea grace more obliging him still and here is equal and just punishment to the other who is willingly now become worse so that man is no way exalted in this and indeed when and whosoever God hardens blindes and reprobates he doth it equally in righteousness judicially and justly when and after he hath given eyes and ears to see and hear and touched the heart and then called and they closed their eyes and ears and hardened their hearts till God left them as is shewn in opening the particulars of the truth affirmed in all which it appears to tend to the abasing of man by nature and the glorifying Gods grace But yet to clear the business I shall endeavour to answer some scruples and objections that some think the Scripture occasions to be made against it 1 Cor. 2.9 14. Eye hath not seen c. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God c. Neither can he know them Ans This is wholly and verily true and there is nothing in the affirmation that doth so much as seem to unsay any part or word of these verses for here is not exprest those things that God hath done for the sons of men in creating of them righteous in giving his Son to dye for them when fallen in promiseing remission of sins to such as repent and believe in his Son in calling and using means that men might repent and believe in stretching out his hand by his Spirit working in them that they might believe and promising great happiness to them belieâ—ing these are the things to be set before all men and God gives them eyes that they might see in discoverie they do see though they will not see that is use their sight Matth. 13.14 15. And it is not the will of God though the Gospel and grace of God and house of God be shewn them if they be not by that sight and grace seen humbled and converted that they should see within the excellencies of the house and kingdom of God Ezek. 43.10 11. the Prophet must first shew the house to the children of Israel that they may be ashamed and repent c. and if by that sight they be ashamed then shew them the excellencies c. And so our Saviour saith Except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into and so not see the the kingdom of God in the excellencies thereof and it is no where affirmed that the natural man hath given him while he remains natural either discerning or freedom of will to chuse such supernatural and spiritual things as these yea the believers discerning of these is but in a little measure in respect of what is in them they being such things as are not yet fully given to them by way of possession but prepared and laid up for so to be waited for by those that love and wait for Jesus as 1 John 3.1 2. T it 2.13 All which agreeth with and confirmeth what I have affirmed Joh. 15.4 5. without me ye can do nothing Ans This is also very true and there is nothing in what I have affirmed cross to this for all that which is given into the minde or will of a natural man to fit him to attend and yield to those means Christ useth to him for good is affirmed to be the work of his own grace and so this saying is a caveat to humble them and that they may not think to help themselves by the mountain he hath made them but knowing their imbecility use rightly what they have to abide still looking to him and waiting on him to perfect all that concerns them and so receiving and yielding up still to his instructions and motions that so his word may abide in them and they in this grace of his suitable to that is said Rom. 10 8 9 10. with 1 John 3.5 Though they here spoken to were more than meer natural men to whom yet even this caveat and instruction was needfull so that this agreeth with that I have affirmed instructeth and presseth to the right use thereof Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Ans A heavenly truth and blessed instruction and nothing in it crossing any thing in the affirmation I have made and set down the people of whom Moses spake and for whom he interceded God had shewed mercie to already saved them out of Egypt and through the sea and set his promises before them of bringing them into Canaan and they had heard his voice seen his miracles c. And God had done as much for them as I have affirmed done to and in natural men and because they continued not believing his word and setting their hearts to his wonders shewn as they ought and might therefore God gave them not that which