The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…

Unto which I shall answer two things:

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⟩