so that it is there the same voice, the same spirit that calls a man from sin; as that is not the way, thou poor sinner, the way of pride and idleness, &c. that is not the way to Heaven. Now that call as it pulls the soul from sin, so that motion and moving, and supernatural work that it leaves upon the soul, the soul thereby being moved and drawn, it is coming to the Lord: the soul hath not so much the work of the Spirit of grace in him, as the work of the spirit of grace working upon him, to draw him from evil, and to turn him to the Lord; and by virtue of the same work he is drawn from the one, and brought to the other: this I conceive to be the great difference between the union that Adam had with God, and that which the faithful have. Adam had a stock in his own hand, God made him wise, and holy, and righteous; this was his stock, he had a principle within himself, either to hang upon God, and so to be sustained, or to slide and withdraw himself from God: he had power either to hold, ⟨p. 32⟩or to let go: he had the staff in his own hand, he might turn unto God, and close with the command if he would, or he might depart from God, and withdraw himself from the assistance which he lent him as he did: but now here is a main difference in the bringing of the heart home to Christ in this union, because the first stroke that draws the soul, and brings the soul to Christ, is not from any thing within, so much as from the spirit without: the hand of Christ it lays hold upon the heart, and works upon the heart, and brings him home to himself; this first stroke is from without, we do believe being framed thereunto, and drawn by the Spirit of the Father; the everlasting arm of the Lord that appears in the Gospel, he lets it down, and works upon the soul, and brings the heart to himself, and so the heart is brought to Christ, not from any Principle first in it self, but by the Spirit that works upon it: when the Word of God comes to the soul, the Spirit of God accompanies that Word, and pulls the earthly mind from earthliness, and the unclean heart from his lusts, and saith, Come out, thou poor soul, this is the way to a Christ that will pardon thee, this is the way to a Christ that will purge thee; so that my soul moves, but it is because it is moved; my will closeth, but it is because it is persuaded:
so that it is there the same voyce, the same spirit that calls a man from sin; as that is not the way, thou poore sinner, the way of pride and idlenesse, &c. that is not the way to Heaven. Now that call as it pulls the soule from sinne, so that motion and moving, and supernaturall worke that it leaves upon the soule, the soule thereby being moved and drawne, it is comming to the Lord: the soule hath not so much the worke of the Spirit of grane in him, as the work of the spirit of grace working upon him, to draw him from evill, and to turne him to the Lord; and by vertue of the same worke hee is drawne from the one, and brought to the other: this I conceive to be the great difference between the union that Adam had with God, and that which the faithfull have. Adam had a stocke in his owne hand, God made him wise, and holy, and righteous; this was his stocke, he had a principle within himselfe, either to hang upon God, and so to bee sustained, or to slide and withdraw himselfe from God: he had power either to hold, ⟨p. 32⟩or to let goe: he had the staffe in his owne hand, he might turne unto God, and close with the command if he would, or he might depart from God, and withdraw himselfe from the assistance which hee lent him as he did: but now here is a maine difference in the bringing of the heart home to Christ in this union, because the first stroke that drawes the soule, and brings the soule to Christ, is not from any thing within, so much as from the spirit without: the hand of Christ it layes hold upon the heart, and workes upon the heart, and brings him home to himselfe; this first stroke is from without, wee doe beleeve being framed thereunto, and drawne by the Spirit of the Father; the everlasting arme of the Lord that appeares in the Gospell, hee lets it downe, and workes upon the soule, and brings the heart to himselfe, and so the heart is brought to Christ, not from any Principle first in it selfe, but by the Spirit that workes upon it: when the Word of God comes to the soule, the Spirit of God accompanies that Word, and puls the earthly minde from earthlinesse, and the uncleane heart from his lusts, and saith, Come out, thou poore soule, this is the way to a Christ that will pardon thee, this is the way to a Christ that will purge thee; so that my soule moves, but it is because it is moved; my will closeth, but it is because it is perswaded:
