A discourse of the saving grace of God

As to the former, they need not Pray for Efficacious Grace, for it is in their own Power to make it effectual; and who needs beg that of another, which he has in his own Power? Their Grace is effectual in the Soul, when it becomes willing, (for then it has its effect;) but with them, nothing is more in their Power and Will, than to be willing: And it is needless and senseless to Pray to God to make them willing, i. e. to make Grace effectual, when they can do it well enough of themselves:¹ Quid est stultius, quam or are ut facias quod in potestate habes? What more foolish, than to Pray God thou mayest do that which thou hast in thine own Power? And elsewhere, Ne fallamus homines, &c. Let us not deceive Men, for we cannot deceive God: We Pray not •o God at all, but only feign that we Pray, •f we think that our selves, not He, doth what we Pray for.

1. 1August. de Nat. •• Grat. c. 18.

And as they need not, so they must not ⟨p. 74⟩Pray, that God would make Grace effectual, or make it work effectually in them for God cannot do it, and they must no seek that of him which he cannot do• To make Grace effectual, is of unwilling to make them willing, to determine th• Will to what he Proposes; but this (the• say) he cannot do, without invading it freedom: All that he can do, is to Propose, and leave the Will to do as it likes if he should bow it effectually one way o• other, that would be a breach upon th• liberty which is essential to it; so that beg this of him, would be to seek an i possibility. So that, unless they will absurd, they must not Pray that God woul effectually bow or incline their Wills, believe in Christ, to turn to God, to lov him, to fear him, to walk in his way to hate Sin, or mortify it; yea, or avoid it. They must not Pray, that Go would effectually subdue their Wills his Will in any thing: For, to be so su jected, though to God, and by a Divi Motion, is not consistent with that Fre dom which the Nature of the Will r quires.