Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

2. To deprive God of the glory of one of his chiefest works, the new Creation, in which he is said to put forth the same power which he did in creating the World at first, 2 Cor. 4.6. and in raising up Christ from the dead, Eph. 1.19, 20. compared with, chap. 2.1. They are said to be born of the Spirit, John 3.5. And not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of Man, but of God, John 1.15. Whereas they that assert the contrary, take Gods work out of his hands, and grudge him the honour of it.

3. To go contrary to the common sense of the believing World. Believers generally know, as having found it by experience, that they are naturally impotent to spiritual good. They find much weakness in themselves after grace is wrought in them, and nothing but weakness before God work it. They acknowledge they cannot work any degree of grace in themselves, when some already they have; much less could they work it in themselves when they really had none. And how come others to have more strength than they? Did not they fall in Adam? Or had his Apostasy a less malignant influence upon them than upon others? How come they to have such a reserve of Spiritual strength when the rest of the World hath lost it?

3. To go contrary to the common sence of the believing World. Believers generally know, as having found it by experience, that they are naturally impotent to spiritual good. They find much weakness in themselves after grace is wrought in them, and nothing but weakness before God work it. They acknowledge they cannot work any degree of grace in themselves, when some already they have; much less could they work it in themselves when they really had none. And how come others to have more strength than they? Did not they fall in Adam? Or had his Apostasie a less malignant influence upon them than upon others? How come they to have such a reserve of Spiritual strength when the rest of the World hath lost it?