Chapter II
The usefulness of this doctrine concerning temporary believers to many holy ends and purposes.
The apostle farther, in this Heb. vi., sets forth the high and great work
ings which are in the hearts of temporary believers that fall away, and the dreadful event and issue|of their so falling, ver. 8. And as there were in those times the highest effusions of the Spirit and graces wrought in many true Christians in comparison of other times, so there were answerably the
highest sort of temporaries (which verses 4, 5 doth speak of), and indeed the most sublimated that corrupt nature was capable of.
He adventures this doctrine among them, true believers that were weak and doubtful. And notwithstanding there might be very many souls entangled in fears that they were of that number, yet this doctrine is good and profitable to men, as the apostle speaks in another case.
Obs. The doctrine and knowledge that there is only a temporary work in many professors, is useful to sincere Christians for many holy ends. Peter declares it to those he wrote to : 2 Peter ii. 20-22, For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But
it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned
CHAP. II.] IN OUR SALVATION. 827
to his own vomit again ; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in
the mire. Jude also, upon occasion of men that had once professed the doctrine of grace, ver. 4, turned it unto wantonness, doth the like at ver. 5,
I will put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the
Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. The meaning whereof is, he would have them consider that the Israelites coming out of Egypt was a type of our com mon salvation (as he hath called it, ver. 3) ; yea, many of them came
forth through a work of God upon them, for they believed : Exod. iv. 31,
1 And the people believed : and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then
they bowed their heads and worshipped. They had been in great distress, and man s nature is apt to believe and embrace news of deliverance in such a case, which was a great ground of that faith in many of them ; but how
ever, this, together with the sense of their bondage, moved them to come out of Egypt. You read of the like faith upon the great visible deliverance
at the Red Sea; Exod. xiv. 31, And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians
: and the people feared the Lord, and be
lieved the Lord, and his servant Moses. But, says Jude, I would have you withal remember, that though their faith served to bring them out of
Egypt, yet it was but a temporary faith, such as lasted not, nor served to bear the condition of a wilderness ; their faith failed them as to persever ance, cheerfully to go on into the good land. They would, if they could, have returned back into Egypt ; and you know the sins they fell into ; and
* God afterwards destroyed them that thus believed not. And this (saith he) though you know, yet I would have you remember and lay it to heart, as that which was God s aim and intendment in this dispensation, in relation to those their times, and the professors of it. It is of special use to you all ; for this is the case of multitudes of
concerning them Jude adds, that
professors, that come out of a gross, sinful condition ; they see their former
estate to be a state of bondage and damnation (which is as a coming out of
Egypt), but their own lusts, in their progress in the wilderness of this life, ruins them. And what befell the Israelites as types, is for our instruction. 1 Cor. x. 11,
* Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples ; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
And Jude tells them, that when he set himself to write of our common
salvation, ver. 3, the Holy Ghost, who dictated this epistle, presented this caution and discourse about such temporary professors first unto him to
present unto them.
The like to this also doth Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. iii.
andiv., and 1 Cor. ix. 24 to the end: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize ? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly ; so fight I, not as one that beateth the
air : but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection
: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast
away. He indeed in that chapter presents this under another scene, and
similitudes of the Olympic games, in which many run, but one obtains ; and so in Christianity, many beat the air, and run but uncertainly.
And how much our Saviour insisted on this doctrine, you all know. How many parables did he spend upon it ? That parable of parables (as himself
828 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK VII.
indigitates it to be) do you not understand to be, of all other, of the most concernment to you and others ? I mean that of the sower, and the several grounds ; and the parable likewise of those that built their house on the sand, when others built upon a rock ? Moreover, many speeches there are scattered up and down to this effect, that many are called, but few are chosen.
* Enter in at the strait gate, for many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, Luke xiii. 24. The usefulness of this doctrine is,
1. To awaken dull professors, as our apostle terms those Hebrews, Heb. v. 11, to consider their estate. The wise virgins sleep, Mat. xxv. 4, as well as the foolish ; and the noise of this doctrine rouseth up such sooner than any other.
2. This doctrine is useful to quicken them to holiness, and to endeavour to make sure work. Thus it wrought with Paul himself, and Paul makes use thereof to quicken others. 1 Cor. ix. 26, 27, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly ; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air : but I keep under my body, and bring it unto subjection : lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. He had this in his eye to the last, after he had done all : ver. 23, And this I do for the gospel s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. The like use he makes of it unto all, in 2 Tim. ii. 19, &c. : Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth ; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore
purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master s use, and prepared unto every good work. It was upon the occasion of the examples of Hymeneus and Philetus, having gone so far, but now shipwrecked both in faith and conscience, that he thus wrote.
3. This doctrine exalts and magnifies unto us the grace of God towards
us, as that which hath put so vast a difference between man and man in
things that are so like to true grace, and that make men come so near to the kingdom of God. Who caused thee to differ (says the apostle) from another ? And that other perhaps had a mighty work upon him, which caused him to profess more than ever thou hadst done. Judas had a work upon him as well as Peter or the rest of the apostles ; what put the difference ?
God s free grace. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and I have lost none, but the son of perdition.
4. As this doctrine is in these and many other respects useful to us, so God himself hath many holy and glorious ends in ordering such a dispensa tion to be found amongst professors.
(1.) It is for his greater honour and glory, as he is Lord over his church, which is his house, to have (as in great houses there use to be) vessels not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth ; and some to honour, and some to dishonour, 2 Tim. ii. 20.
(2.) These dispensations of God, short of regenerating grace, do lay up matter for a great honour unto the man Christ Jesus, as he is to be the judge of all the world, and to give the exact account of every man s condition
and ways and heart, and to judge of them accordingly. One would think that such a work of the Spirit as hath so great a likeness, and that with a
reality joined with it, in the hearts and spirits of men, should make a great puzzle and blind at the Blatter day, how clearly to distinguish and discover to the men themselves, and all the world, that such professors as these were
CHAP. II.] IN OUR SALVATION. 329
never truly regenerate, but this will turn to the greater glory to Christ : Heb. iv. 12, speaking of Christ, the Word (as the close of his speech, ver. 13, shews, before the eyes of him with whom we have to do ) ; of him
thus considered as the Word, he says, He, the Word of God, is quick and
powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that
is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. He speaks this of him, as he is to be the
judge of all men. All things are naked and open to the eyes of him, irfa
ov o X6yo$, to whom we must give the account. And as in the next
verses he represents him as a great high priest in all his compassions, and
< to help in time of need, so in these 12th and 13th verses he sets him out as a judge, with ability to detect all men to themselves ; and he
power
speaks this in a way of admonition, especially to such as were in danger to
fall from a work of God upon them, and to become apostates. This the
* any man fall after the same
verse before shews us. Lest (saith he)
example of unbelief, of whom the Israelites in the wilderness were types. And because the discovery of all men s estates and conditions depends upon an exact dividing or differencing what is in the soul, what is in the spirit, and what are the joints all men s actions turn upon, and what is the marrow and intimate meaning and mind of every man s soul in his actions and ways and thoughts ; and since such a discovery consists in laying open
every man s ends and intents in his heart and thoughts and principles, hence
therefore he compares the power of this judge unto such things as are most
quick and powerful, as among metals mercury or quicksilver is, when it is
put to other metals by them that are refiners. And though metals are blended and mingled one with another, or with dross never so much, yet this is so quick and so active as it will make every metal run a several way, and sever one from the other, and shew which is which. Thus the light that Christ shall then bring with him will do into all men s hearts, and all
the thoughts and intents and principles, which are the foundations of men s
actions, and which do difference them and give them their several kinds ; these will all be clearly discovered ; and though the creatures of our hearts
(for so he compares our thoughts and intents and purposes, and the like) are for their kind unknown to us, because so like sometimes to the true
goodness, yet the apostle says they are all manifest in Christ s sight, and
all lie naked and open unto the eye of him ; and he, when he comes to take the account, will lay them all open unto us, that let a man have never so
fine-spun a work upon him, never so deep a counterfeit of what is true
grace, the light that he will bring will make them all naked unto men them
selves, as truly as they are to him. And it is certain that this manifestation and laying bare all men s hearts could be performed by none but him, or
his Spirit, when he comes powerfully upon men to discover their estates to them. But the greatest difficulty of all lying in the similitude of these
workings with those that are true and perfect, and hence the greatest diffi
culty in judging must needs lie here ; therefore herein especially will Christ shew his glory and skill, and will give every man his accounts perfectly, and set all right and straight unto the least minute.
(3.) God dispenseth such lower workings, though short of regenerating
grace, to make way for a fuller conviction of all sorts of wicked men at the
latter day, and to justify himself in his condemnation of them. The great design God doth drive all along in this world upon the sons of men, is to
330 THE WOKE OF THE HOLY GHOST [Boos VII.
clear himself at that day, and to confound them who shall be condemned ; at which day he will have a great deal to do with the hearts of men, to con vince them, as Enoch the seventh from Adam in his prophecy, saying, Jude 14, 15, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. The hardest speeches that men living under the gospel speak against him, are touching his ways and dispensations about grace ; and by this proceed
ing, he prepares both to confound the deepest practical opinions and sayings in men s hearts, and also the doctrinal opinions that men living under the
gospel do take up hereabout.
1. As for the practical opinions in men s hearts, the greatest thing that God hath to do withal in all men s hearts, is this opinion, that they gene
rally will not see nor believe that corrupt nature in themselves is so corrupt and disabled, to the attainment of that grace which only and necessarily must save them ; but on the contrary think, if they have anything that hath the appearance of good in them, that they can do and may do much to the salvation of themselves, especially if they shall be assisted and elevated by the Spirit of God, above what nature doth enable a man to do. God hath on the one hand, as much to do with men in this point, as he hath, on the other hand, to do with men in the breaking forth of their lusts into grosser sins. Men will not believe their own utter inability, and their dependence wholly upon free grace, and their total need of regenerating grace ; and
therefore, by lesser experiments of the failure of lower and inferior working3 of his upon them, God goes about to convince them of this their corruption and utter disability, and of the absolute necessity of their total dependence upon him, which yet they will not see ; and therefore God justly leaves them here, and works no further, and thereby lays a foundation of justi fying his condemnation of them in their several proportions, and the
rest of mankind, by the example of those that are wrought upon the
highest. And so God provides for nothing more than the conviction of men
at the latter day, concerning the falsehood of their opinion of themselves in
this respect.
(1.) Men s opinionativeness herein did cause even heathens to set up what light or virtues they found in themselves, as sufficient to bring them unto happiness. We know the Stoics did set up recta ratio, right reason, for their rule, and their imagined perfection was, vivere secundum naturam, to live according to what seemed good in nature, either in light of con
science, or virtuous dispositions, or inclinations when acted and put in ure. Yea, so impudent hath the devil been, that he hath revived this, we see, in
our days, in Quakers, yea, and caused them blasphemously to call this
* Christ within them. Hereupon, says God, and he says it justly, there
shall be instances of some of you in the issue, to confute all the rest, in whom this light and these dispositions shall be tried to the utmost how far
they will reach (as in Socrates, and Cato, and Aristides, &c.), and yet in the exercises of all these he leaves them, and gives them up unto that which
shall convince them of an unregenerate estate ; as the apostle doth convince
all those philosophers, [that whilst they professed themselves wise they became
fools, and glorified not God as God, nor were thankful; and some of them were abandoned unto unnatural lusts, as Socrates to the love of Alcibiades, &c. And however, if God hath not left them unto some great sort of wicked ness or other, thereby to convince them, yet the discovery of the deficiency
CHAP. II. j IN OUR SALVATION. 831
of all the light of their consciences, and of all their virtues and virtuous
practices, and of the ends, intents, thoughts, and principles of their hearts, which shall be laid open at the latter day, will abundantly detect them, and
leave this further conviction upon them herewith, that God had made trial
of them in their sphere, how far corrupt nature could go, and yet how in
finitely it fell short of true religion and happiness.
(2.) The Jews had a further addition both of knowledge and impressions that accompanied it. They had the knowledge of the law, and God did not deal so with any nation ; and they had a zeal of God according to this
knowledge, and they thought themselves sure to attain salvation if they set up with this new stock. I need not tell you, out of Rom. i. 6, how whilst
they sought after righteousness with all this new raised stock, they did not
attain unto the law of righteousness, ver. 81. And Paul s case, you know, Rom. vii., that what was ordained, as he thought, to life, he found to be unto death ; and the conclusion which the apostle makes in Rom. viii. is
this, that the law was weak through the flesh, ver. 3 ; that is, all the
assistance and energy which it could afford, through man s heart continu
ing still corrupt and ilesh, remained ineffectual, like physic in a dead man s
body ; and the righteousness which they went about to establish, as the
apostle says, they were not able to make it stand, though they attempted
it again and again, no more than one is able to make a dead man stand, and to continue to do so, Rom. x. 8. So that we see that this addition
also made unto the Jew would not do ; and yet corrupt nature finding some
assistance and strength come in thereby, they thought themselves sufficiently enabled for the attainment of salvation.
(3.) But then, thirdly, when Christ and the light of the gospel comes to be revealed to men, accompanied with divine enlightenings and tastes of
the powers of the world to come, though still short of regeneration, men
will presently be apt to say in their hearts, Who shall ascend to heaven ?
that is, to bring Christ down from above. Who shall descend into the
deep ? that is, to bring Christ again from the dead, and to bring him into my heart. For still men think, and therefore say thus in their hearts, that
by that new strength they may attain it (I take this to be the meaning of
the place), and God affords them all helps towards it, inward and outward, true regenerating grace and a new principle of faith only excepted. Still he prosecutes the same design, that corrupt nature may see that when it
attains unto the eleventh step of the twelve, and that men* not far off;
yet corrupt nature, being corrupt nature still, though never so much
assisted, falls short, and is weak and utterly unable. And these things God works once and twice, in a tendency to hide pride from man, as Elihu speaks, that man might be emptied of that opinion of himself, and
adore and give himself up to the grace of him who hath said, I will have
* not of him that
mercy on whom I will have mercy ; and therefore it is
wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that sheweth mercy, Rom. ix.
15, 16. Paul, we see, there lays it upon that : God acts thus with men
also, that they might see the absolute necessity of true regeneration and of
a divine nature ; but this men would not be brought to see, and therefore God justly leaves them to go on in their own way, and to enjoy their fond
opinion to their destruction ; because they would needs, against all these
experiments, hold up this principle and self-opinion, in defiance of God s
grace, and would be saved upon such terms as would make grace to be no
grace. For if this opinion of self-working, though never so much assisted,
* Qu. even ? ED.
B32 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK VII.
continues in the heart, the apostle tells us grace would be no more grace. And seeing that the glory of the grace of God would hereby be soiled, if God should save men upon such workings as these, though never so strict or high, he therefore justly, and with indignation, leaves them unto these their own counsels ; and hereupon it is that God and they do break off, whilst they are in the midst of a treaty with him for salvation. For they will never come off to receive God and his grace upon his own terms, nor set up God s banners of his free grace to them, and of sincere love to him, upon their turrets above self; and so by degrees the Lord withdraws his treaties from them, and they by degrees become revolters from him, and in the end return to some of their own rebellions, upon which God says, 1 Which covenant and treaty they brake, and I regarded them not. Moreover, God by his discovering such as these never to have had true
grace, under so high and eminent workings and actings, needs make but a short work (as to point of conviction) of all the rest ; for all those who have lower works than these, of what kind soever, are with ease discovered to have had no grace, when these for a deficiency and want of a wedding garment, or marriage affection to God and Christ, are sent speechless to hell ; so then this design and dispensation of God is every way prepared for judging all men at the last day.
2. God hereby makes way to confound the corrupt doctrinal opinions that men have of grace. For this iniquity in practice hath come to be established in all ages by a law ; inasmuch as agreeably to men s deport ment, according to their fond thoughts of corrupt nature s abilities in point of grace, they have framed doctrines, and drawn models of what they judge to be grace. All Pelagian, semi-Pelagian, and Jesuitical doctrines, and all Arminian tenets about converting grace, have in their several proportions arisen from what men in their own experience have taken to be true work
ings of grace in their own souls, or else from the pride of carnal wisdom, whereby men of learning and parts think to understand this (as Asaph hath it, Ps. Ixxiii.), even as they think to comprehend anything else that is within the compass of man s understanding. And hence they think them selves as sufficiently furnished to judge of matters of grace as of any other; yea, and would be thought of all things else to have skill in matters spi ritual. Whereas, on the other hand, there are, and have been such, who, beside the doctrinal light they have had from the word in these points, have also had a deep and thorough experience of either sort of workings, both temporary, and of those other of saving, regenerating grace on them
selves ; and who, by comparing what the opinions of the Arminians are, and oppositely what are the orthodox doctrines, as they are stated in seve ral columns in writings of either side, and, then by comparing these with what hath been written on their hearts in those two several columns of workings (as I may so speak), have, and do clearly see and conclude that the Arminian doctrine about converting, sufficient grace hath been but a copy or model taken from the experience of a temporary work ; yea, and but for the most part of the lower sort, or of that of the stony ground. And though many persons that hold the Arminian doctrine in the point of conversion may and shall be saved (because they hold fundamental truths
otherwise, and God works beyond and besides what men s speculative opi nions are oftentimes), yet it is no thank to that doctrine of theirs in that
particular point of conversion ; for if only such a work be wrought in any of them, that is no deeper nor higher than their doctrine requires, they would not be saved.
CHAP. II.] IN OUR SALVATION. 333
And the rule and measure these go by in drawing such draughts and
schemes, either of conversion or of sufficient grace enabling to it, I say the rule and measure which misleads them is, that they set up free-will, and a
grace attempered unto that kind of liberty of man s will which they have
set up for themselves, to be essential to it as it is will, as they think, and by no means will permit such a doctrine of grace as shall detract from that kind of liberty as they conceive ; which liberty, say they, can noway be
salved, or stand with, or be preserved in that infusion of new principles, or an infallible, effectual working and overcoming the will, though done by all the power that is in God, and by an omnipotent sweetness that doth demulce it, as our doctrine of regeneration teacheth. So as they say and hold that free-will, set free by the light of the gospel, let into the under
standing, may, and doth yield unto God savingly, with less power of grace than our doctrine requires ; their bottom error lies in this, that they think
if they should pitch upon that grace which we say is requisite, and abso
lutely necessary to salvation, then they must derogate from their Diana of
free-will, and therefore they frame a doctrine that may stand with it. And then having made these draughts, they take liberty to rage and rant against
our doctrine of free grace, either as it is in the workings of it in our hearts, or as we affirm it is in God s heart towards us, either in electing or rege nerating grace, and representing God with our opinions herein, they take
liberty to blaspheme him, that if he be such a God, he is so and so (not to
repeat any). And it is wonderful to see what hard speeches they speak, as Jude says. And the bottom of the quarrel is free-will and self, as it is in man corrupted, which is set up as the great undertaker against God and
his grace in all these things. They pretend and plead most outrageously, that if God will but take the shackles off, with which man s will is manacled, so as it be left to its own innate freedom, and if God will but move, and
elevate, and assist it, and work upon the principles in it already, and
strengthen them with an accessory and additional power of light and good motions, free-will shall then understand to will and run. And men will never be disputed out of their opinion of its ability to do thus, because they will not consider and acknowledge the bottom of corrupt nature, that it lies
corrupt at the bottom, in the inward principles of it, in its foundations ; and that let it be never so much assisted, if it be not regenerated and born
again, it is never able so much as to see, much less to enter, or to put one
step into the kingdom of God. They consider not, that without a regene rating passive principle wrought, the will itself and the affections, and all
in man, remain corrupt as it was ; and that the understanding may be
enlightened to divine objects, and not be spiritualized, or endowed with a
spiritual capacity of knowing spiritual things in their spiritual nature, and
as they are in themselves ; and such are the enlightenings here (Heb. vi.) spoken of. They do not consider how far this boasting will may be de-
mulced, allured, and tolled on, and elevated to things of salvation, without
having a principle of true love to God wrought in it : nor yet how far the
affections may be moved and stirred with the cords of a man, that is, such
as are suited to the principles in man, nor what good things there are in the promises, in Christ, in his righteousness and salvation, suited to work upon self in a man ; and thereupon what tastes and joys may self be recep tive of from all these. But all these workings will be found (as of the law
it is said) weak through the flesh, through corruption of self remaining whole still at the bottom. And until this be inwardly mortified and deposed in the dominion of it, and the power of God come with that almightiness of
334 THE WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST [BOOK VII.
working that raised Christ from the dead, putting in new principles of life and godliness, and making us partakers of the divine nature ; until then,
free-will, in all its conversions, whether to divine objects, or what else, is but as a door that turns upon its own hinges, moves but upon its own axle-
tree, and within its own sphere, let it be moved and turned which way it
will ; and in these workings it is but (as I use to compare it) like a drop of water upon a board, which if you gently put your hot and dry finger to, and then as softly lift it, it will a while cleave and rise up ; but if but a
little farther, it falls down again to its own centre. But oh ! how severely doth God make way to confute and confound all these
! "Wherein they deal most proudly, he goes beyond them, and is above them. Indeed, would there or could there any other course have been taken so effectually to stop their mouths, and so invincibly to convict them at the last day, as this ?
in their opinions
1. He first in the world deals so with many of them, and with others of the sons of men, as to answer them according to the idol and stumblingblock of their opinions, and to that end tries to the utmost proportion in some or other, how far corrupt nature of itself, and left still to its innate
corruption, will rise and go, and yet remain but corrupt nature and self at bottom still. He tries how far all in man may be so wrought upon, as hath been said ; and yet so allays and moderates his workings, as their hearts
still fall short of the glory of God, or of his regenerating grace flowing from
election, which these men so despise. And herein free-will and self, which
they adore so much, continues (even as they desire) with the same prin
ciples that by nature they have, and devoid of having an inward principle and root of grace; and this, according to their doctrine, is their desire also. So that indeed by these means, by making these experiments on corrupt nature, God doth but make way for the triumph of his grace over the proud conceits of self, which are in mankind, and which are most natural, and the most deeply rooted of any other.
Then, 2. When he, at the latter day, brings forth his true saints, and his
* These are my witnesses, and then lays open (what he hid from those other, the wise and
workings upon them, and (as it is in the prophet) says,
prudent) what real, true, and uncounterfeit workings and experiments of his grace there were in their hearts, suitable unto the true doctrines of
eternal love and invincible grace ; when he displays what a new heart and new spirit he gave them, and how he wrote the law in their hearts, and
taught them all anew to know him with a new and spiritual light, and put his Spirit in the midst of them, that should cause them to walk in his com mandments, and put his fear into their hearts that they should not depart from him ; and then shall produce what the word says, together with what hath been in their hearts and souls, beyond what all the doctrine of the adversaries of his grace taught ; and when it shall be discovered, that the
workings which these adversaries had, according to their doctrine ; yet failed of the grace of God (as the apostle speaks), even for want of that farther
power to be put forth by God, which they desired not of him to bestow upon them ; what a fatal decision, though a final one, will this be, whereby God will put an end to their controversy
! For then, 3, he will come upon them with their own principles
: Isa.
v. 3, 4, And now judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it ?
wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? This is your sufficient grace, which yourselves desired, and
CHAP. III.] IN OUR SALVATION. 335
would have none other. Much good may your free-will-grace do you
! You have had, many of you, enough of it ; as God in that place of Isaiah
speaks those words unto proud man, that under the covenant of works would be setting up his own abilities, which God, according to their prin
ciples, had assisted. This (as I take it) is the true air of the interpretation of that place. He will, in like manner, plead against these at the latter day ; and then must all men fall down and acknowledge that it was the
grace of God alone could save, which before man would never understand nor be brought unto. In these men (whose work is deciphered here, Heb. vi.) God did vouchsafe as full a sufficient grace, according to their principles, as they do describe or desire in their low model of doctrines ; for they will needs argue these men to have been actually converted, and to have walked as true and sincere Christians, which yet how short it was of saving grace, I have out of the 9th and 10th verses shewn. So then, God will be found to have gone beyond their doctrines and demands ; yea, and it will appear, that because God did not farther work that in them which we say saving grace must do (and those verses 9, 10 shew), that therefore, and therein, they were short of grace.