It might be thought, that the will indeed cannot choose Christ, or receive him as a Lord, because there is no revelation or manifestation of a Christ; They are a people happily who sit in darkness, and have no light; and therefore though they may have an inward power to see, yet for want of light to actuate the medium they cannot; so that the defect ariseth not from the power within, but the ⟨p. 316⟩manifestation of the object without: And this indeed is greatly to be considered, whether an Infidel or Pagan (for example) doth not believe, because there is no proposition of the object in the Ministry, otherwise if he enjoyed that, then he had power over his own to assent to it. Now even the Pelagians themselves, and their followers, yea even all that give not grace its full due, yet thus far they do acknowledge there must be a doctrinal revelation by the Spirit of God, of the truths to be acknowledged; and when this light is set (as it were) upon the Candlestick, then a man of his own self is able to see; but such is the corruption of man, that not only grace must bring in the light, but it must also give the eye to see; So that the work of Gods grace is both objective and subjective, objective in revealing the object, and subjective in preparing and fitting the subject; It being the Lord who doth give the seeing eye, and the hearing ear, Prov. 20. 12. Yea the Arminians go further, acknowledging that grace doth irresistibly work upon the understanding of a man, for it being a passive faculty it cannot withstand its illumination, but the will that retaineth its indifferency, when grace hath done all it will do: This therefore is granted, That without the grace of God enlightening and revealing, we are not able to believe the mysteries of Christ Kingdom; but though all this be granted, yet we say, That without further grace (even grace regenerating and sanctifying the will.) we are not able to cleave to that which is good: You must not then conceive, as if God only offered grace in the Ministry, and then the will of man by its own self doth love and delight in it; No, the heart of stone is first to be removed, we are to be new born, and made new creatures, before we can put forth any spiritual life at all;
It might be thought, that the will indeed cannot chuse Christ, or receive him as a Lord, because there is no revelation or manifestation of a Christ; They are a people happily who sit in darkness, and have no light; and therefore though they may have an inward power to see, yet for want of light to actuate the medium they cannot; so that the defect ariseth not from the power within, but the ⟨p. 316⟩manifestation of the object without: And this indeed is gratly to be considered, whether an Infidel or Pagan (for example) doth not believe, because there is no proposition of the object in the Ministry, otherwise if he enjoyed that, then he had power over his own to assent to it. Now even the Pelagians themselves, and their followers, yea even all that give not grace its full due, yet thus farre they do acknowledge there must be a doctrinal revelation by the Spirit of God, of the truths to be acknowledged; and when this light is set (as it were) upon the Candlestick, then a man of his own self is able to see; but such is the corruption of man, that not only grace must bring in the light, but it must also give the eye to see; So that the work of Gods grace is both objective and subjective, objective in revealing the object, and subjective in preparing and fitting the subject; It being the Lord who doth give the seeing eye, and the hearing ear, Prov. 20. 12. Yea the Arminians go further, acknowledging that grace doth irresistibly work upon the understanding of a man, for it being a passive faculty it cannot withstand its illumination, but the will that retaineth its indifferency, when grace hath done all it will do: This therfore is granted, That without the grace of God enlightning and revealing, we are not able to believe the mysteries of Christ Kingdom; but though all this be granted, yet we say, That without further grace (even grace regenerating and sanctifying the will.) we are not able to cleave to that which is good: You must not then conceive, as if God only offered grace in the Ministry, and then the will of man by its own self doth love and delight in it; No, the heart of stone is first to be removed, we are to be new born, and made new creatures, before we can put forth any spiritual life at all;
