wisdom; in fuch manner and ways as are moft confonant to his wonderful and unfearchable difpenfation t.. CHAP. IX. Of Free-will. hath endued the will of man with that natural li Gberty, that it is neither forced, nor by any abfolute ne ceffity of nature determined, to good or evil a. II. Man, in his state of innocency. had freedom and power to will and to do that which is good and well-pleafing to Godb; but yet mutably, fo that he might fall from it c. are the fons of God. Rom. xv. 13. For I will not dare to speak of any of thofe things, which Chrift hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed. v. 19. Through mighty figns and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; fo that from Jerufalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the go*fpel of Christ. John xvii. 17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Pfal. cx. 1. The Lord faid unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footftool. 1 Cor. xv. 25. For he must teign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. v. 26. The lait enemy that shall be destroyed, is death. Mal. iv. 2. But unto you that fear my name, fhall the Sun of righteoufnefs arife with healing in his wings; and ye fhall go forth and grow up as calves of the ftall. v. 3. And ye fhall tread down the wicked; for they shall be afhes under the foles of your feet, in the day that I fhall do this, faith the Lord of hofts. Col. ii. 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a fhew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. III. Man, I. a Matt. xvii. 12. But I fay unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they lifted: likewife fhall alfo the Son of man fuffer of them. James i. 14. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luft, and enticed Deut. xxx. 19. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have fet before you life and death, bleffing and curfing: therefore choofe life, that both thou and thy feed may live. II. b Eccl. vii. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have fought out many inventions. Gen. i. 26. And God faid, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fifla of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. e Gen. ii. 16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat. v. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou fhalt furely die. Gen. iii. 6. And when III. Man, by his fall into a state of fin, hath wholly loft all ability of will to any fpiritual good accompanying falvationd: fo as a natural man, being altogether averfe from that good e, and dead in finf, is not able, by his own ftrength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereuntog. IV. When God converts a finner, and tranflates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under when the woman faw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleafant to the eyes, and a tree to be defired to make one wife, fhe took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave alfo unto her husband with her, and he did eat. III. d Rom. v. 6. For when we were yet without ftrength, in due time Chrift died for the ungodly. Romans viii. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not fubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. John xv. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Rom. iii. 10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: v. 12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one. Eph. ii. 1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins. v. 5. Even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are faved.) Col. ii. 13. And you being dead in your fins, and the uncircumcifion of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trefpaffes. 8 John vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father who hath fent me draw him: and I will raife him up at the last day, v. 65. And even he said, Therefore faid Í unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. Eph. ii. 2. Wherein in time paft, ye walked according to the courfe of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air the fpirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. v. 3. Among whom alfo we all had our converfation in times paft, in the lufts. of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, e-, ven as others. v. 4. But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, v. 5. when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrift, (by graced ye are faved.) 1 Cor. ii. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned. Tit. iii. 3. For we ourselves alfo were fometimes foolifh, difobedient, deceived, ferving divers lufts and pleafures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. v. 4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, v.5. not by works of righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us by the wathing of regeneration," and renewing of the Holy Ghoft. IV. Col. Chap. X. under fin b, and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is fpiritually good i; yet so as that, by reafon of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly nor only will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil k. V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone, in the state of glory only. CHAP. X. Of Effectual Calling. LL those whom God hath predeftinated unto life, and those only, he is pleafed, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call a, by his word and fpi IV. b Col. i. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknefs, and hath tranflated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. John viii. 34. Jefus anfwered them, Verily, verily, I fay unto you, whofoever committeth fin, is the fervant of fin. v. 36. If the Son therefore fhall make you free, ye fhall be free indeed. Phil. ii. 13. For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Rom. vi. 18. Being then made free from fin, ye became the fervants of righteousness. v.22. But now being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holinefs, and the end everlasting life. * Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lufteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Rom. vii. 15. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. v. 18. For I know, that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is prefent with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. v. 19. For rit b, the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. v. 21. I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is prefent with me. v. 23. But I fee ano. ther law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of fin, which is in my members. V. Eph. iv. 13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Christ. Heb. xii. 23. To the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the fpirits of juft men made perfect. 1 John iii. 2. Beloved, now are we the fons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we fhall be: but we know, that when he fhall appear, we fhall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is. Jude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to prefent you faultlefs before the prefence of his glory with exceeding joy. a I. Rom. viii. 30. Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them he alfe rit b, out of that state of fin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and falvation by Jefus Chrift c; enlightening their minds, spiritually and favingly to understand the things of Godd; taking away their heart of ftone, and giving unto alfo called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he juftified, them he alfo glorified. Rom. 11,7. What then? Ifrael hath not obtained that which he feeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Eph. i. 10. That in the difpenfation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Chrift, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. v. 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predeftinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counfel of his own will. b2 Theff. ii. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord; becaufe God hath from the beginning chofen you to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth: v. 14. Whereunto he called you by our gofpel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift. 2 Cor. iii. 3. For as much as ye are manifeftly declared to be the epiftle of Chrift, miniftred by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of ftone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. v. 6. Who alfo made us able ministers of the new teftament, not of the letter, but of the fpirit: for the letter killeth, but the fpirit giveth life. Rom. viii. 3. For the law of the Spirit of life, in Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law of fin and death, Eph. ii. 1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in tref them paffes and fins. v. 2. Wherein in time paft ye walked according to the courfe of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the fpirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. v. 3. Among whom also we all had our converfation in times paft, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, cven as others. v. 4. But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, v. 5. even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrift, (by grace ye are faved.) 2 Tim. i, 9. Who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Chrift Jefus, before the world began, v. 10. But is now made manifelt by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light, thro' the gospel. I d Acts xxvi. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darknefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them who are fanctified by faith that is in me. 1 Cor.ii, 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit fearcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. v. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the fpirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are E 3 freely Chap. X. them an heart of fleshe; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is goodƒ; and effectually drawing them to Jefus Chriftg; yet fo as they come moft freely, being made willing by his grace b. II. This effectual call is of God's free and fpecial grace alone, not from any thing at all forefeen in mani, who is al freely given to us of God. Eph. i. 17. That the God of our Lord Je fus Chrift, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wifdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him: v. 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of lfis inheritance in the faints. ♦ Ezek. xxxvi. 26. A new heart alfo will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the ftony heart out of your fleth, and I will give you an heart of flesh, f Ezek. xi. 19. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new fpirit within you; and I will take the ftony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh. Phil.ii. 13. For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleafure. Deut. xxx. 6. And the Lord thy God will circumcife thine heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, that thou mayeft live. Ezek. xxxvi, 27. And I will put my Spirit within you, and caufe you to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them, g Eph. i. 19. And what is the exceeding greatnefs of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, John vi. 44. No man can come to e, except the Father, who hath toge fent me, draw him: and I will raife him up at the last day. v. 45. It is written in the prophets, And they fhall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Cant. i. 4. Draw me, we will run after thee. Pfal. cx. 3. Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holinefs, from the womb of the morning; thou haft the dew of thy youth. John vi. 37. All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out. Rom, vi, 16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your felves fervants to obey, his fervants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of fin unto death, or of obedience unto righteoufnefs? v. 17, But God be thanked that ye were the fervants of fin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. v. 18. Being then made free from fin, ye became the fervants of righteoufnefs. II. i 2 Tim. i. 9. Who hath faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Chrift Jefus, before the world began. Tit. iii. 4. But after that the kindnefs and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, v. 5. not by works of righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy |