The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

Now the measure of the Spirits concourse with all these three degrees of means is to be judged of by the nature of the means, and by Gods ends in appointing them, and by the visible effects. And whereas the world is full of voluminous contentions about the doctrine of sufficient and effectual grace, I shall here add thus much in order to their agreement. 1. That certainly such a thing there is, or hath been, as is called sufficient not-effectual grace: By sufficient they mean so much as giveth man all that Power which is necessary to the commanded ⟨p. 387⟩act (or forbearance) so that man could do it without any other grace or help from God (which supposeth that mans will in the Nature of it, hath such a vital, free, self-determining power, that (sometimes at least) it can act, or not act, when such bare power is given to it) and sometimes doth, and sometimes doth not. But the word [necessary] is more proper than [sufficient:] The latter being applicable to several degrees, but [necessary] signifieth that degree, without which the Act cannot be performed.

Now the measure of the Spirits concourse with all these three degees of means is to be judged of by the nature of the means, and by Gods ends in appointing them, and by the visible effects. And whereas the world is full of voluminous contentions about the doctrine of sufficient and effectual grace, I shall here add thus much in order to their agreement. 1. That certainly such a thing there is, or hath been, as is called sufficient not-effectual grace: By sufficient they mean so much as giveth man all that Power which is necessary to the commanded ⟨p. 387⟩act (or forbearance) so that man could do it without any other grace or help from God (which supposeth that mans will in the Nature of it, hath such a vital, free, self-determining power, that (sometimes at least) it can act, or not act, when such bare power is given to it) and sometimes doth, and sometimes doth not. But the word [necessary] is more proper than [sufficient:] The latter being applicable to several degrees, but [nec•ssary] signifieth that degree, without which the Act cannot be performed.