1. The habits and principles of Grace deciphered in the Scriptures aforesaid, are there set out as the royal acts of pure Free Grace, and not as pendents upon mans Will; and for this I shall give two eminent instances, omitting others; The first is in that famous place, Ezek. 36. where God promises a new heart, ver. 26. and his own spirit, ver. 27. but withal he enters a double protestation, one before the Promise, Thus saith the Lord, I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel, but for mine own holy names sake, ver. 22. and another after it, Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you, be ashamed and confounded for your own ways ⟨p. 372⟩O house of Israel, ver. 32. What could be more said to exalt God and his Free Grace, and to annihilate man and his Works? How could the True God enter such protestations, if the great promise of a new-heart hang in suspense upon mans actual consent? When a man without the new-heart gives that actual consent, there in something, which instead of shame and confusion, is worthy to be noted as a matter of Praise and Glory. But you'll say, these protestations respect not the way or order of working these gracious habits, but exclude mans worth or dignity in the business. Now albeit God do not give the new-heart for mans consent, yet he may do it upon or after mans consent. I answer, these protestations show, that before the new heart there is nothing in man but what is matter of shame and confusion, and by consequence the actual consent of the Will, which is a matter of Praise and Glory, cannot so much as in order exist before the new-heart. The second instance is that, Tit. 3. 5. where the Apostle opens the fountain of Regeneration; Not by works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing ⟨p. 373⟩of the Holy Ghost. We are saved by washing and renewing, but in what way or method is this wrought? The Apostle tells us, not by works of Righteousness, but of mere mercy. Surely if there be any Righteousness in man, it must be in his Will, and if any work of Righteousness be in the Will, an actual consent to Gods Call must be such a work. Yet the Apostle asserts that our Regeneration was not by works of Righteousness but of Gods Mercy.
1. The habits and principles of Grace decyphered in the Scriptures aforesaid, are there set out as the royal acts of pure Free Grace, and not as pendents upon mans Will; and for this I shall give two eminent instances, omitting others; The first is in that famous place, Ezek. 36. where God promises a new heart, ver. 26. and his own spirit, ver. 27. but withal he enters a double protestation, one before the Promise, Thus saith the Lord, I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel, but for mine own holy names sake, ver. 22. and another after it, Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you, be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes ⟨p. 372⟩O house of Israel, ver. 32. What could be more said to exalt God and his Free Grace, and to annihilate man and his Works? How could the True God enter such protestations, if the great promise of a new-heart hang in suspence upon mans actual consent? When a man without the new-heart gives that actual consent, there in something, which instead of shame and confusion, is worthy to be noted as a matter of Praise and Glory. But you'l say, these protestations respect not the way or order of working these gracious habits, but exclude mans worth or dignity in the business. Now albeit God do not give the new-heart for mans consent, yet he may do it upon or after mans consent. I answer, these protestations shew, that before the new heart there is nothing in man but what is matter of shame and confusion, and by consequence the actual consent of the Will, which is a matter of Praise and Glory, cannot so much as in order exist before the new-heart. The second instance is that, Tit. 3. 5. where the Apostle opens the fountain of Regeneration; Not by works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing ⟨p. 373⟩of the Holy Ghost. We are saved by washing and renewing, but in what way or method is this wrought? The Apostle tells us, not by works of Righteousness, but of mere mercy. Surely if there be any Righteousness in man, it must be in his Will, and if any work of Righteousness be in the Will, an actual consent to Gods Call must be such a work. Yet the Apostle asserts that our Regeneration was not by works of Righteousness but of Gods Mercy.
