notwithstanding their most rationall improvements Except the Father draw him not except he draws or surely ingages the Father by improvements but there will be necessity of further inlargements on this from what follows we see here that insteed of being ingaged by promise by naturall improvements we have the contrary he saith not because you have imployed Naturalls therefore according to my promise I will sâ—cond it with grace but contrarily notwithstanding your utmost improvements Yet No man be he ever so accurate in naturall improvements can come except the Father draw him which to do no improvements can draw God You next alleadged another Scripture Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in but as touching this I finde no absolute promise of Grace annexed from Gods being ingaged by naturall improvements therefore not as yet seeing any thing considerable therein whereof to take notice shall step over to what appeares to be of greater moment Wherein though I conceive it sufficient to have deposed what I conceive against the proofs whereon you ground your fifth assertion yet I shall with great presumption on your patience and candid construction give my grounds for the contrary namely to prove that Naturall men dead c. have not such a power of Reason Judgement c. as whereby if they will accordingly put it forth they may do such things as whereunto God hath by promise annexed Grace which I conceive might be clearly made out from sundry Scriptures whereof to Name 2. or 3. One is Iohn 5. verse 39. Search the Scriptures concerning which though the first word be usually rendered as the Imperative Mood Search ye as a Command given to search yet for my part as yet with Submission to the judicious I finde not how it may be read with good sence any other way then as the Indicative Mood ye do search which I ground not onely on my own Judgement though I finde this that the Originall Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scrutamini may as properly be so rendered for as I remember 't is the Judgement of Doctor Homes as in his book Of new Heavens and new Earth I have seen though not since divers moneths by-gone and that it may most properly be thus rendred may as I conceive be most cleerly proved from the context the occasion of all Christs discourse from the 19. verse of that 5. chap. seemes chiefely to arise from what 's expressed in verse 18. where this is given as one reason why they sought to kill Christ because he had said God was his Father making himself equall with God c. Whereupon Christ all along forward in a most convincing manner proves the truth of that for which the Jews would needs have slain him to which purpose telling them God sent not Christ onely to bear witnesse of himselfe but sent his fore-runner John to bear witnesse which John ye sent to your selves verse 33. who accordingly bave witnesse of me and he was once a man in great credit with you therefore why might not his Testimony carry it Yea after he had named other grounds of testimony from his Works done and the Fathers own Testimony that sent him he adds yet a further ground of confirmation in this 39. verse even from their own practise as before in sending to know Johns judgement so here from their own diligent inquiry into the Scriptures ye do search even your selves do the scriptures namely the writings of the Prophets which alone were then written as of Moses particularly insisted on Again that they did search them is clear from what follows Moses shall accuse you verse 45. whose Accusation shall be a sufficient witnesse against them without Christs Why Because thâ—y perused his writings and so were rendred inexcuseable yea further cleer from the concluding clause of that 45. verse In whom viz. Moses ye trust or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom ye hope now had they not searched diligently and conformed to his writings they would not have built such hope thereon knowledge must precede confidence Which acception supposed to be most warrantable seemes considerable towards the proof of what 's affirmed Ye search which word imports exact and accurate scrutiny and no marvail for therefore ye search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because in them ye think to have eternall life upon this very ground they searched and therefore with all their utmost care and diligence as conceiving to finde life in them which Paul himself that strict Pharisee searched so into as that he thought he had found life in them but yet was dead whiles so alive Rom. 7 8 9. and they are they that testifie of me those Scriptures which ye think to have life by from the letter of them testifie of me what it must have reference as I conceive to what they sought for namely eternall life they testifie then that what life ye think to have in them must be had in me they send you from themselves to the Messia pointed at by them as John sent such as he baptized with water to Christ to be baptized with the Holy Ghost Notwithstanding your searching ye will not come to me that ye might have life which proves that mens naturall improvements do not ingage God to give them saving faith without which through utmost improvements they could only look on the Scripture while pointing to a Messia but as a covenant of works and learned by all but to be selfe Justiciaries which sanctuary of justification by works we most obviously finde was the strongest one which the profoundest wisdome of the Jewes could erect Rom. 10.8 Object But it may be objected Christ in Verse 40. charges them with this Ye will not come to have life or in faith doth it not hence seem that they might have power to believe or to ingage God to to give faith which power they did not put forth as they might and that 's the reason why ye believe not Answ Whereto for answer for the former supposition that they might have power to believe that you absolutely conclude against For the latter which you avouch that they might so ingage themselves in improvements as to ingage God to give faith this must as yet be denied because here they did improve to their utmost their naturals in searching even as for life and yet God added not faith which is most undeniably proved in Chap. 6. from Verse 28 to 45. Wherein the whole discourse most inevitably demonstrates that they did as it were put all their naturall powers of reason judgement c. on the wrack as is before shewed by propounding questions rationall discussing them praying for c. But all this did not make Christ confesse I see you have done your utmost therefore I le perform mine engagements to give saving faith no he tearms their strongest reasonings but murmurings adding no promise thereunto and therefore not ingaged thereby so to do and consequently their not improving naturals is not the reason of Gods not giving faith which
exprest in verse 7. Let not that man think to receive what man that man whosoever be he ever so able to improve his naturall abilities in asking as long as he askes without faith let not such a one think to receive for 't is to think the Scrpture lyes if then this place quoted will prove that naturall men improving themselves in good earnest in asking shall havâ— as you expresly affirmed then it follows as I conceive that a naturall man may by improving his own power be inabled to aske in faith for such an asking onely is sure to receive but if we will take Pauls judgement he affirms Eph. 1.9 That the power by which we beleeve is not our own fully improved but that exceeding greatnesse of power which raised Christ from the dead faith is by grace and not naturall improvement but you will say this is granted that t is wrought by God namely upon naturall improvements to which I reply T is true you exprest that but yet in these two quotations you apply or rather subject as I conceive these promises under the power of naturall men whom you make to have power in themselves to put themselves under these Promises and within the Covenant else they could not be so certain touching Gods performing them to themselves which to prove you directly alleadged them in which places there 's no tittle of any such promise that upon their improvement God will give faith and so they shall be accepted and yet you undertake to prove that they may so performe the condition on their side as reciprocally to make God bound to receive them into his grace thereupon according to his promise Further in reference to that Mat. 7.7 Aske c. but how shall we aske Iohn 15. verse 16. Whatsoever ye doke in my Name the Father will give Acts 4. verse 12. No name under heaven whereby to be saved or no other power Therefore no naturall how ever improved Aâ—sk in my Name not your own but so long as we ask by the strength of our naturall abilities 't is in our own name and power and therefore shall not avail because not in Christs Name Object But may not our naturall power be improved to such height as whereby and whereupon God may be ingaged by virtue of them to accept us in Christs Name Answ No in no wise for then ther 's another name or power besides Christs which can ingage God which would peremptorily contradict the Scripture Again this injunction Aske and it shall be given is chiefly directed to the Disciples for 't was a part of that Sermon Preached to them in speciall as whereby they might the better know how to deal with the Iews as the beginning of it shews chap. 5. verse 1 2. Yea the verse immediately foregoing this under censure was primarily in reference to them Give not that that 's holy Nor cast your Pearls c. They were then such as had things that were holy and pearls yea to give and cast therefore such who not onely had those holy things but had them as Stewards of the Treasures of heaven thereby directing them to whom to give them to which the following promise Aske and have fitly belongs but this liberty befits not a carnall one 't is ill trusting such with such large promises who have no such holy things or pearls to give or cast But to proceed you on a fourth sub-divided head undertook to give out the meaning of that tearm of being dead in trespasses and sins which you shewed was meant of such as were voyd of all knowledge of God not as onely being in a state of condemnation but in that they had no injoyment of the Spirit of God at all nor of its workings which works in some kinde alwayes where-ever the Gospell is preached Dead that is said you Sate in darknesse and shaddow of death destitute of all means of knowledge by hearing the Gospell whereto you added But you are not so dead for as much as you live under Gospell light As touching which to me as yet the main or intire design of the Apostle in that Ephes 2. to verse 9. is to prove that more particularly which he had avouched in chap. 1. verse 19. in generall namely that we beleeve through the working of that very exceeding great power which raised Christ from the dead which he demonstrates from the difficulty of the work of faith not at all shewing by what outward meanes that power wrought or by what instrument but the great difficulty of the work in that 't is no lesse than a quickning from the dead parallell to Christs which nothing but an Almighty power could effect and whether they had the Gospell preached along space to them or the contrary that makes nothing to his purpose for they were quickned by the Gospell as a means used and whether God doth it at first hearing as 3000. are conceived to be at once or whether afterwards still t is done by the same Almighty power alone improving that means for faith comes by hearing and that in one instant whether sooner or later And that they here said to be dead in sins were such as sate in darkenesse c. seems very strange considering the persons so said to be dead We were dead Who I Paul and you Ephesians Whereof concerning Paul what more controdictory than to say Paul had not the light of the Gospell as we have and therefore not so dead concerning whom 't is most certain from his own affirmation of what he did in point of persecution that 't was out of zeal he followed his light therefore he so long continued to hear the Gospell before he persecuted it as according to his utmost power to see whether it were fals or true and after that seeing ground sufficient by his light to justifie yea to require his zealous persecution thereof for a long time he was ingaged in a way of persecution bearing the Office of a Promooter or Informer carrying letters c. to the chief Councells and how pragmaticall he was in that designe might be proved at large from Acts 7. the end and Acts 8. verse 1.2 He must then needs live in the time of the Gospell when he might have had means of grace but rejected it all the time wherein he persecuted the Gospell he could not persecute the Gospell in a time wherein the Gospell was not preached or professed he would not fight with his own shaddow Therefore he sate not in the shaddow of death Yea it seemes easie to prove he had the Gospell a long time before and that upon record which was in great request with him being written in the Prophets which he searched and that in them he read Gospell is clear from Rom. 1.17 For therein In what In the Gospell of Christ is revealed faith c. How proves he this It follows as 't is written What 's written shall testifie to what he asserts and 't is written The
just shall live by faith Where written In the New Testament No that was not written when he spake this Where then In the Gospell preached by Habbacuck chap. 2. ver 4. So this Paul affirms Rom. 10.11 The Scripture saith who beleeves on him even Iesus Christ shall not be ashamed namely notwithstanding all opposers even by vertue of his justification and where doth the Scripture say thus which is the sum of the Gospell even in Esay 28.11 As touching the Ephesians in what sence Paul was dead so were they We who were dead he makes his own and their condition joyntly one and that the Ephesians distinctly considered sate not in darknesse seemes hence in that he directed that Epistle To the Saints at Ephesus as being a place where men profest the Gospell and therefore lived under it But hence to proceede to the fifth particular next ensuing the former to this effect Men that are so dead in sins c. have a naturall life of reason Iudgement understanding conscience c. by vertue whereof men are able to weigh and ponder such wayes or means tendred to them yea such a power they have in them as whereby if they will put it forth and imploy it accordingly they may do such things as unto which God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation For which besides the places mentioned namely those already questioned Iohn 6.37 and Mat. 7.7 you further alleadged Prov. 2. verse 1 2 3. and Ioh. 6.27 Now in reference to this fifth assertion I cannot but as yet utterly deny naturall men to be able so to improve naturall power as to ingage God c. according to the affertion prescript For which end I shall first deny the same to be proved in the least by those other Texts alleadged For that in Prov. 2. verse 1.2 c. I yet see no reason at all why it should be understood as spoken to naturall men but good reason whence to conclude it spoken positively of beleevers My Son Whose son Wisedomes son or the son of Solomon inspired with the spirit of Wisdome or of him rather typisied by Salomon Jesus Christ the wisedome of the Father My Son or thou who art begotten again of Wisedome and my reason why he means not Naturall men I deduce out of the first chapter a great part whereof even from verse 8. to 20. is directed to beleavers in opposition to Naturall men termed sinners by which term such are most obviously pointed out in Scripture which I gather from verse 7. where having to the 7. verse set forth the excellent use of the book To know Wisdome c. in the 7. verse he declares to whom they shall become so excellent or on what terms men attain excellency by studdying this book exprest thus The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools c. So that the fundamentall qualification by virtue whereof men come to be proficients in the School of Spirituall wisdome is this That they have the fear of the Lord that 's the beginning of all saving knowledge the very first lesson first of all to be learned as fundamentall But shall not naturall men upon improving naturall abilities attain sound knowledge No all besides such as have the ground-work of all layd in them even the fear of the Lord are excluded so long from all spirituall and saving knowledge as in the terme ensuing But fools despise c. Who are those fools all without exception that have not this fear How is that proved Because that 's the very beginning of knowledge Therefore so long as they are not as yet Abâ—darians having not the beginning of knowledge they must needs be fools and that by fools is meant All that have not the Lords fear in them and therefore must be a note of exclusion to all that have not this fear seemes clear because all are comprehended in these two such as have feare and fools and no medium between According to which double position laid down in vers 7. shewing who they were that learned wisdome by these Proverbs and and who not He directs his Exhortation to him that could learn Wisdome namely who is possest with this fear and that most peculiarly by way of excluding it from all others My Son if sinnes verse 10. Again verse 15. My Son walk not thou in the way with them so that the holy Ghost that Spirit of Wisdome makes a mighty difference between him that is his Son as one begotten a new by him who hath Gods fear and all others not having it Object But cannot all others attain Spirituall knowledge as well as he by exact improving naturall abilities No for thereby they cannot purchase the ground-work The fear of the Lord. Answ But yet in the 22. and 23. verses she directs her voyce in generall to all in the strees simple ones scorners and fools hating knowledge c. That they would turn from their folly by Wisdomes reproofs may not such qualifie themselves by their naturall improvements that they may assuredly attain saving Wisedome or turn from their folly at Wisdomes reproofs No for in verse 23. having in the first part of it commanded Fools Turn ye at my reproof to prevent an Objection How shall we turn The holy Ghost declares how this work is wrought undertaking it himself Behold or take notice how this great overture is brought about even thus I le poure out my Spirit to you I le make known my words to you First pour out my Spirit whereby possessing you with the fear of the Lord and so will make known c. after laying first the foundation of all saving knowledge Object But how appeares it that their improving Naturalls did not render them capable by ingaging God c. even of saving knowledge Answ Even thus besides what 's before because those whom wisedome undertakes to give saving knowledge to were no otherwise qualified than the worst of them against whom he resolvedly protests never to give saving knowledge to Behold I le pour out my spirit to you to whom you who have improved your naturall abilities so as to ingage me No to whom then To you simple ones that love simplicity scorners delighting in scorning and to you fools hating knowledge by which we may judge whether they qualified themselves or ingaged God by Naturall improvements How is the work done then even by the Spirits over-powring of such that 's the onely ground of the difference between persons in themselves alike qualified and therefore no precedent improvement though ever so transcendent for the latter sort from whom the Spirit will for ever with hold the saving operation are exprest to have the selfe-same qualifications to hate knowledge c. Or if by Son you mean men improving their naturall abilities as that to them the promise is certainly made it shall be granted you that be he what he will Whosoever askes as is there required he shall have his desire granted but it
them without Gods assistance to believe Wherefore you added they have a power but not a disposition and that we must distinguish between having a power and an inclination to which I at present say one word he that hath not a will hath not a power and so wants an executive power by which I conceive you mean a power whereby to execute which you affirme a naturall man hath That such want a power I prove from John 6. verse 44. and 65. where 't is exprest that a meer naturall man without the Fathers drawing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potest hath not power to do what to come to life or in faith so that 't is clear as I conceive that such want a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a power whereby to execute for he that hath not power to will hath not power to do therefore God being said to do all in us is said to work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure 2 Phil. 13. as if the willing an act were the all in all requisite to produce an act which want of power in man you contradicted in affirming All that was wanting in the Jewes or the reason of their not believing is placed in their will ye will not come he saith not ye have no power ye cannot come which cannot come is expresly affirmed twice in John 6.44 65. But I must most abruptly desist further enlargement as yet praying the LORD to prosper it for the end intended even the propagating of truth Whereto yet to adde one word if in any particular here mentioned any assertion of yours may suffer blame not me but your self of whom I may justly say if any such cause may be found for it Tu te ipsum tuis ipsis armis visisti for that God hath communicated much of my strength by the way of your Ministery A Sermon in Answer to the foregoing Letter preached by Mr. J. G. April 28. 1644. taken after him exactly in Characters by M. THO. RUDYARD a Member of his Church and by him read over to SAMUEL LANE to Copy out whose Copy exactly followes WE desire to look back a litttle to one passage that was delivered the last day for the satisfaction of some who it seems did not clearly understand it the tenour of the motive whereby we perswaded and prest on men not truly converted to God to seek for the grace of God was this That if they would give out themselves in good earnest in the search and seek for it with all their hearts they should finde it having a while insisted on the amplification and inforcement of this motive and cleared the difficulty how and in what sense God may be said to love or be gracious to men before believing and in what not we came to ponder the motive wherein we put this to consideration of how great concernment 't was to them to have fellowship with the Saints of God in the great businesse of salvation giving them assurance that whatsoever their sinnes had been and how great soever their present guilt may be yet if they were but truly willing to come under the wing of Christ not a haire of their heads should fall to the ground In prosecution whereof we propounded and answered this Objection Object You put us in minde and hope of finding grace with God if we will make our endeavours to obtaine it but we have little encouragement for we are dead in sins c. Answ Which we answered by a gradation of five steps The fifth was That though men be dead in sins in such a sense as was formerly explained yet men have a light of reason judgement c. by means whereof they are able to consider of tearms and means proposed c. though happily not able fully to comprehend them as to debate whether faith in Christ or the works of the Law or their own righteousness be likely to carry it in Gods sight wherein they may not be able to come to any certain issue to comprehend the difference between each and to resolve in themselves this is the means that will do it and that not or suppose they finde no satisfaction in way of reason in either of those means yet are able to work it on in a way of reason whether there be any other way besides more likely Now though 't is not to be supposed that they have power to come to such firme bottome whereon to build without doubtings yet they are able and have a scale and ballance of reason and judgement whereby to weigh one reason against another to see which is most hopefull without all question men may go thus far and here re-inforcing the argument we declared to such that if they would be willing to do unfeinedly and impartially what God hath appointed them in a way of nature to do God hath promised successe and acceptation in this way and this was that passage by name which it seems some could not so well understand or comprehend fearing lest it should comply with the Arminian tenent in point of Free-will or that I should magnifie naturall abilities above the line of excellency belonging to it If they will but please to consider for the clearing of the whole businesse but two arguments you will clearly see that there is an absolute necessity for maintaining such an assertion for a truth as this is namely that if naturall men will put forth themselves to the utmost to what they are able to doe to comply with God in the Gospell they shall finde an answerable successe and that there is an absolute necessity to maintaine it for a truth for otherwise we shall expose the truth of God the covenant of grace the doâ—tâ—iâ—e of free-grace which we professe to maintaine we shall expose both the one and the other to an inexpiable and unanswerable reproach dishonour and such indeed as cannot be redeemed by any reason or distinction or project one or other that men are able to devise for the relief of it for that on this 't will follow that the assertion we speak of that men putting forth themselves according to what God hath inâ—bled them to do in a way of nature that God will meet them with grace and acceptation if the former be clearly proved then this will follow upon it that this hath no consistence with the opinion of Free-will but doth indeed intrench on the best foundation that that opinion stands upon We know 't was an order Christ gave for men to deal between Caesar and God Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God c. And indeed no man can give to God the things that are Gods except he give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and that because this is one of Gods things even our subjection to the lawfull governour set over us by God in things lawfull and mans foot may soonest slide here even on a pretence of giving all to God liberally to