A discourse of the saving grace of God

(3.) Nay, their Grace is so far from working the Will to actual Faith or Holiness, that by their account it seems to lead a man into Sin, and leave him in it: for it is a Sin for a man to be Indifferent whether he Believe or Believe not, whether he accept Christ or reject him, whether he love or hate him: But all that this Grace does to the Will, is to bring it to such an Indifferency; and so the Grace of God with them does no other, no better Office for a Sinner, than to bring his Soul into a wicked Posture; and in that Posture it does and must leave the Will to it self; and there left, if the Will be no better to it self than Grace is, or can be, it shall never come into a better Posture.

Nay further, the Lord is so far from Determining the Will, and so from causing the Act by making it willing; that it is impossible for him to do it. They say (as was showed before) that the Will cannot be determined by God himself without destroying it; they will have it an Inconsistency, and to imply a Contradiction. And thus the Lord is so far from being the Worker or real Cause of actual Faith, Conversion, Sanctification, that it is impossible he should be the Cause thereof; he is so far from actually working these, that he cannot do it.

Nay further, the Lord is so far from Determining the Will, and so from causing the Act by making it willing; that it is impossible for him to do it. They say (as was shewed before) that the Will cannot be determined by God himself without destroying it; they will have it an Inconsistency, and to imply a Contradiction. And thus the Lord is so far from being the Worker or real Cause of actual Faith, Conversion, Sanctification, that it is impossible he should be the Cause thereof; he is so far from actually working these, that he cannot do it.

Let me but add one Argument more. This Grace is given equally to all, and effects no more in one than another; and therefore can be no more the Cause of actual Conversion in those that turn to God, than in those that are never converted; works Regeneration no more in those that are sanctified, than in the unregenerate; i. e. works it not at all, is no Cause of it. The Lord, by virtue of this Grace, gives actual Faith and Repentance no more to those that Believe and Repent, than to such as persevere in Impenitency and Unbelief: gave Faith no more to Paul than to Judas, Repentance no