The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures

Answ. 3 Thirdly, To come somewhat nearer: There is indeed no such Impotency and Weakness in Man, but if he will he may work out his own Salvation. I speak not this to assert the power of Man to work out Salvation without the Aid of special Grace, to incline the Will; but if the Will be once inclined and made willing, there is nothing more required to make a Man able; I say, where there is special Grace given to make the Will willing to convert, to believe and to repent, there is nothing more required to make a Man able; because Conversion, Faith and Repentance chiefly consist in the Act of the Will it self; now if the Will wills Repentance, it doth repent; if it wills Faith, it doth believe; and so of the rest: And therefore there is nothing more required to make a Man able than what he hath in a state of un-regeneracy; only to make him willing is required special Grace, which they that favour the undue liberty of the Will do deny. And therefore, God expostulates with the stubbornness of the Will, Why will you perish, ¹why will you die? And Christ accuseth the Will, You will not come unto me that you may have ⟨p. 32⟩²Life. It is true there is an impotency in the Will, but this is only its stubbornness and obstinacy; it will not hearken to God's Call, it will not obey his Commands, it will not strive against Sin nor perform Duties, and therefore it cannot. Our Cannot is not indeed an impotency that we lie under so much, as stubbornness of our Wills. There is not the greatest Sinner, who hath wrought Iniquity with both Hands greedily, but may work out his own Salvation if he will; if he be but once willing, he hath that already that may make him able; God puts no new Powers into the Soul when he converts it. It is true, the Will cannot incline it self to Obedience without Grace, but yet it can intend it if it will; it is its stubbornness that makes it impotent. It is in the things of Grace, as in other free Actions of a Man's Life with a proportionable abatement: A Man can Speak and Walk if he will, but if he be resolutely set not to do these things, he cannot do them so long as that Resolution remains, though simply and absolutely he can do them; doth this argue any impotency? So is it here, you may obey and work if you will; but if you are resolutely bent against ⟨p. 33⟩