Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Unto these faced Truths of the Trinity and Christ, I shall only add one Instance more touching the efficacy of Grace in the hearts of men. The Pelagians, those Inimici gratiae, ascribe almost all to Free will, and little or nothing to Free-grace; making Grace rather to consist in the external Doctrine than in internal Operations: or if they admit any thing internal, it is rather in the illumination of the Understanding than in the change of the Will. But the Scriptures tells us clean contrary, of opening the heart and new-making it; of working the Will, and a day of power causing it; of raising the spiritually dead and creating us again in Christ; of putting his Spirit into us, and causing us to walk in his Statutes: These and many more Scriptures loudly proclaim the power of Grace, and the Believer may experience it. This is the clearer, because the sensus communis of Christians hath in all Ages run this way. David upon the willing Offering utters his experience of Grace in a way of admiration; Who am I and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort! For all things come of thee, 1 Chron. 29.14. All things come of thee, even willingness and All: In so Offering we do but give of thine own, as the Greek Christians use to say in their Oblations, ⟨p. 367⟩[Greek or Hebrew], thine from thine. St. Paul upon his experience ascribes all to Grace; I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: And I labour, yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me. He acknowledges no I-ness, but ascribes all his Spiritual Being to Grace; By the Grace of God I am what I am, saith he. St. Cyprian might find in himself what he so excellently said, In nullo nobis gloriandum, quando nostrum nihil est. St. Ambrose speaking of Cain and Abel, saith; Cain, as his name is Possession, acquires and arrogates all to himself; but Abel who knew his own Vanity, and that he had nothing de suo nisi mendacium & peccatuni, referred all to God. The former he calls improbum dogma, the latter bonum dogma; the good opinion which the just Abels are of and experience in themselves. And in the last Chapter of that Book he saith, Quicquid sancium cogitaveris, hoc Dei munus est, Dei inspiratio, Dei gratia; which I suppose was his own experience. Blessed St. Austin that noble assertor of Free-grace (of whom Prosper said, Dum nulla sibi tribuit bona, sit Deus illi omnia;

Unto these faced Truths of the Trinity and Christ, I shall only add one Instance more touching the efficacy of Grace in the hearts of men. The Pelagians, those Inimici gratiae, ascribe almost all to Free will, and little or nothing to Free-grace; making Grace rather to consist in the external Doctrine than in internal Operations: or if they admit any thing internal, it is rather in the illumination of the Understanding than in the change of the Will. But the Scriptures tells us clean contrary, of opening the heart and new-making it; of working the Will, and a day of power causing it; of raising the spiritually dead and creating us again in Christ; of putting his Spirit into us, and causing us to walk in his Statutes: These and many more Scriptures loudly proclaim the power of Grace, and the Believer may experience it. This is the clearer, because the sensus communis of Christians hath in all Ages run this way. David upon the willing Offering utters his experience of Grace in a way of admiration; Who am I and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort! For all things come of thee,