ceive the enemies charge; but he is unable to draw out his forces. Ho, bo, every one that thirfteth, come and buy wine and Ifa.55.1. milk without money, or moneys worth. If a man could prepare, here is money, here is moneys worth: As one obferves well, Then a man might fay, The firft beginning of my falvation was of my felf: Yea, in truth a man may fay, The greatest part is from my felf: for 'tis more to begin, and more to prepare; fo the greateft part of our falva tion fhould be from our felves. Ye know what the Apofile faies, (and I pray confider it) in Ephef. 2. 1. And you bath He quickned, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins. Even you (at the 5.v.) even when we were dead in fins bath quickned us together with Chrift; by Grace ye are faved. (Mark) Twice the Apostle brings in that fentence: he brings it in again. at the 8. verfe: For by Grace ye are faved: why twice? Not only to fhew that the progrefs of a Chriftian is by Grace, but the very first beginning, and fetting out, 'tis al of Grace: By Grace ye are faved. Tis a good fpeech of Auftin, Grace is no way Grace, unleffe it be every way free. Now can a poor dead man prepare himself unto life? Did Lazarus prepare himself to life? Could he do it? Could Lazarus do it? There is (faith the Phylofopher) a proportion alwaies between the A&tion, and the term of the Action. Now what proportion is there between Nature and Grace? No man (laies our Savior) comes unto the Son, but whom the Father draws, thus faies our Savior. Oh! but (faies Pela- Job.6.44 gim) I can go unto Jefus Chrift by my own preparation, I can prepare, I can draw my felfunto Jefus Chrift, or I can draw Chrift to me. Beloved! In natural A&tions, there need's alwaies preparations to the introducing of forms:becaufe in the way of Generation of Nature, things are wrought by degrees. As for example now: If a great log lie in the mud, before you can carry it away,you must loofen it from the mud: but the log doth not loofen it felf: And fo,if wood be to be burnt; first it must be dried, there is preparing the wood to be burnt, because the thing is to be done by degrees. bnt in the converfion of a poor finner, the Heb. 11. 6. 2. the work is done in a moment, it is no natural work,God infufes Grace there; and therefore there needs no Preparation there. And therefore Bradwardine, he reasons the cafe very well thus, If (faies he) a man can prepare himfelf, then the preparation either helps forward, or caules the following Grace; if it does not help forward,nor caufe the following Grace, then it does not prepare, that which does not help,does not prepare: and if it does help forward the following Grace, or caufe it, that God muft give a following Grace as a reward of this preparation; then surely, this preparation makes a man pleafing in the eyes of God: for, will God reward a man for a work that does not make him pleafing in the eyes of God? But how can a man be pleating in the eyes of God, without Faith? Without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe God. So that a man cannot prepare himself to what is good. Put all thefe together: A man cannot naturally overcome a fin, a temptation, though never fo fmall: He cannot rife when he is fallen: he cannot ftand though he fhould rife: yea, he is unable to any good work fimply in himfelf: and he is not able to prepare himfelf unto what is good. Surely therefore, all is in a way of Receiving what ever Grace one hath, he hath it in a way of Receiving. This is the firft Argument. Secondly, This truth is alfo argued from the Superna turallity of Grace: Grace is a Supernatural thing, and is called in Scripture phrafe, The Seed of God: The Image of Chrift : The Divine Nature: The good and perfect Gift that comes from above from the Father of Lights: It is wrought in the foul by the Infinite, and Almighty Power of God; the fame Power wherewith God Created Heaven and Earth at the firft. And therefore 'tis called a Creation, in Ephef. 2. 10. We are His Workmanship, created unto good Works. The fame Power that the Lord used in raifing up Chrift from the dead, is alfo put forth in the converfion of every finner. And befides, When the Lord is pleased to convert, and draw a poor finner unto Himfelf, He does not alwaies take thofe that are the beft,thofe that are the wifeft,thofe that are the the moft moral, civil men; He does not alwaies take the 3. Thirdly, This Truth is also argued, from the Shortness of the means of Grace. Much means of Grace appointed; but take the means as it is in it felf without Gods appointment, or inftitution upon it, & you wil find that all means are too short to reach the end. For example: In the old Teftament, when the Lord would take in Jericho, and break down the walls of Jericho; He commands, The Rams borns Jof.6.4. fbould be blown. Take the blowing of the Rams-horns as lying under Gods Appointment, and fo this action was fufficient for to break down the walls: but take the action of blowing the Rams horns by it felf, and fo it was too hort. So the Lord commands Naaman, To go and wash bimfelf in the water of Jordan: take this action of Naaman 2 Kings, wathing himself in the water; take it (Ifay) without Gods. Commandement: take it with Gods Commandement, Gods Appointment, fo it was fufficient to reach his Care, and heal him of of his Leprofie: but now, take the action as it was in it felf, without the Appointment, and Inftitu 5.10. tion of God, and fo it was too fhort to reach his Cure. So Job. 9.6. in the new Teftament: our Savior Chrift, He takes fpittle and clay for to cure a mans eyes: Take this under Chrifts appointmen, and fo it's fufficient to reach the cure; but take it without, and fo fhort. So God did appoint in Baptifm a man fhould be washed in water; and in the Sacra ment we should eat bread, and drink wine, for the begetting, and increafing of Faith. Take thefe actions as they lie under Gods Appointment, and Inftitution, they are able to reach this end: but take these actions as they are in themselves, washing in water, and eating bread, and drinking wine, they are all too fhort; and too short,either to beget, or increase Grace. Well now, why does the Lord ftil appoint fuch means, as in themselves are too short for the end whereto appointed? Surely, not only for this reason, that he might teach us, that the thing done is rather by the appointment, than by the use of means: but alfo to fhow thus much, That though we do ufe the means, yet notwithftáding in the ufe of the means, we do not attain the thing by the ufe thereof; but that in the ufing of means, and waiting there; we shall receive ftrength from God to do it, to attain the end. Whenfoever therefore, you confider the bortneffe of the means appointed, conclude thes, That all is in a way of Receiving: therefore God hath appointed the means that are in themfelves fhort. 4. Fourthly, This Do&trine is further argued, From the work, and nature of Faith, There is no Grace that the Scripture puts more upon, than Faith. (Mark I pray) In the old Teftament, all the Victories are put on Faith: In the new Teftament, all the Cures: if thou canft but Beleeve (faies Christ) According to thy Faith be it unto thee. Yea, Beloved, if you look into the new Teftament, you thal find, that the fame works that are given to Chrift, are given to Faith. Jefus Chrift, He is faid for to Sanctifie the foul: So doth Faith, Faith purifies the beart (faies the Apoftle.) Jefus Chrift, He is faid for to justifie a finner: So does Faith too: Being justified by Faith: Romans the 5th. Jefus Chrift, He is faid for to fave the the foul, he is called our Savior: So doth Chrift too: By Faith ye are faved. What's the Reason now, that the Lord does efpecially fet the Crown upon the head of Faith? Some think it is for this Reafon; Becaufe that Faith doth unite the foul unto Jefus Chrift: But fo does Love, Love is an af fection of Union; and all Grace unites to Chrift; as every fin feperates, fo every Grace unites. Others think 'tis for this Reafon: Because that as Faith fets the Crown upon the head of Chrift; So God fers the Crown upon the head of Faith: and this is trne. For as the Lord does honor thofe perfons moft,that honor him moft: So He will honor those Graces moft, that honor Him moft. But befides this, Iconceive, the great Reafon is this; why the Lord does thus fet all over upon Faith: (fay) becaufe that Faith in the Nature of it, is a Receiving Grace. And therefore John having faid in this 1. Chap. of Job, and the 12. verfe. To as many as received Him, He gave power to be called the Sons of God. Ex plains himself by this afterward in the fame verfe; Even to them that beleeve on His Name. So that Beleeving is nothing elfe but Receiving the Grace of God: The nature of Faith, be ing to receive the Truth, or the Receiving of Jesus Christ: the proper work, and nature of Faith being to Receive. Now therefore when the Lord does put al upon Faith, and Faith in its nature is a Receiving; plainly it holds forth this Truch unto us, That all is in a way of Receiving: all Grace in a way of Receiving. Fifthly and lastly, This Truth is argued also, From the aflure, and true behavior of Prayer (Mark) Prayer is nothing le, but the fouls begging or petitioning for fomthing from leaven. A begger you know, when he begs, he holds forth, or he fretches forth his hand: nocing a willingness to receive. So you reade in Scripture, that when the foul is put into a pofture of Prayer, it is put into this polture. Reade therefore what is said, in Job, 11 13. If thou prepare thine heart, (or establish thine heart, for fo the word fignifies) if bon prepare thine heart, and ftretch out thine hands towards Him That is, if thou doeft Pray unto Him, thou ftreicheft out 5. |