A30345:703
A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the gradual breakings out of Gospel…A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the graduall breakings out of Gospel…
A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the gradual breakings out of Gospel grace from Adam to Christ are clearly discovered, the differences betwixt the Old and New Testament are laid open, divers errors of Arminians and others are confuted, the nature of uprightness, and the way of Christ in bringing the soul into communion with himself ... are solidly handled / by that faithful servant of Jesus Christ, and minister of the Gospel, John Ball ; published by Simeon Ash.A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the graduall breakings out of Gospel grace from Adam to Christ are clearly discovered, the differences betwixt the Old and New Testament are laid open, divers errours of Arminians and others are confuted, the nature of uprightnesse, and the way of Christ in bringing the soul into communion with himself ... are solidly handled / by that faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, and minister of the Gospel, John Ball ; published by Simeon Ash.
London: printed by G. Miller for Edward Brewster, 1645
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The answer is, that it is true, the will must not only be moved, but renewed and changed, before it can yield to Christ. But withal, God doth never so fully and spiritually convince the judgement in that manner, without a special work of grace upon the soul, whereby the will is framed and fashioned to accept, embrace, and love those good things of which the mind is thus prepossessed.
The answer is, that it is true, the will must not only be moved, but renewed and changed, before it can yeeld to Christ. But withall, God doth never so fully and spiritually convince the judgement in that manner, without a speciall work of grace upon the soule, whereby the will is framed and fashioned to accept, embrace, and love those good things of which the minde is thus prepossessed.
The third help is a formal cause, a free gracious disposition or1 habit of faith, by which the will is inclined agreeable to the disposition of it, to come unto God. This habit is necessary, because without it the will being in bondage, stained and defiled, it is altogether unable to will or desire that which is spiritually good. If there could be a will without such habit, man might perform the act of a man spiritually alive, before he was made alive. So that the full answer to this question, viz. what is that effectual help, whereby I come to God? is this: It is a mixed thing, standing partly of that almighty power of his, put forth for my good, partly of that inward Word and inspiration by and with which his power is put forth; partly in that spirit of faith and supernatural life, which his almighty power through his Word bringeth forth in my soul. What was that help whereby Christ ⟨p. 336⟩made Lazarus able to come to him out of the grave of natural death? The principal, was Christs power; the instrumental, his voice; the formal cause immediately helping to it, or working it, was the spirit of natural life, which the power of Christ by his Word restored to this dead corps, which now was fallen. And thus we have the effectual help or grace, by which we come actually to convert, which are all given from Gods free grace and favour towards us. And when God doth infuse the habit of faith into the mind of one of ripe age, he doth cause him actually to believe, as the nature of the thing it self and condition doth manifest. For if the Spirit by enlightening the mind and renewing the heart do persuade and move the soul effectually to embrace, adhere unto, and love the Lord Jesus Christ, then the condition of the thing will not bear, that grace should be given effectually, but the act and motion of the soul must necessarily follow. But though the connection of these two be indivisible, yet the flexion or turning it self is not indivisible, or in a point or moment, but it may be sooner or slower, more speedy in one, more remiss in another. The will is necessarily bowed or bended, but more vehemently in one, more slackly in another, freely or willingly in all that are turned, and yet necessarily. And this first thing is well to be noted, for from hence we may gather in what standeth the efficacy of grace, effectual to Conversion, viz.