The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in CambridgeThe vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge

Fourthly. §4(Pray mark it, that you may see, what an insufficiency there is unto what is good, that so we may be brought unto more dependence on Christ.) As a man is unable to stand, and persevere: So also, he is unable to any one good work; Spiritually, Evangelically good. We are not able (says the Apostle) as of our selves, ¹to think a good thought, to speak a good word; but all our sufficiency is of God. And Bradwardin, he reasons the case very well: (Says he thus •) If that a man bestow good breeding upon his child: the father gives the natural being to the child, he brings him up in Military affairs, & the child grows very skilful, & the father furnishes him with all kind of Armour: yet notwithstanding, if the child hath the prowess, & the valour of the action from himself, he may boast in himself, and he may say, True indeed, I had my being from my father, I had (indeed) my skill from my father, I had my Arms from my father: But the Action is my own, the valour my own, the strength of the action is my own. So (says he) if God should give habitual grace to a man, if the strength for the action should not be from God, he might boast; True indeed, I had the habit from God, the habitual grace from God, but the action is my own, the spirit of the action is my own: he had now wherein to boast. But all boasting is cut off, as you shall hear by and by. And therefore Naturally a man is unable to every work: Not only the habit is received; but strength for the action also, 'tis all received.

Fourthly. §4(Pray mark it, that you may see, what an insufficiency there is unto what is good, that so we may be brought unto more dependence on Christ.) As a man is unable to stand, and persevere: So also, he is unable to any one good work; Spiritually, Evangelically good. We are not able (saies the Apostle) as of our selves, ¹to think a good thought, to speak a good word; but all our sufficiency is of God. And Bradwardin, he reasons the case very well: (Saies he thus •) If that a man bestow good breeding upon his child: the father gives the natural being to the child, he brings him up in Military affaires, & the child grows very skilful, & the father furnishes him with al kind of Armour: yet notwithstanding, if the child hath the prowess, & the valour of the action from himself, he may boast in himself, and he may say, True indeed, I had my being from my father, I had (indeed) my skill from my father, I had my Armes from my father: But the Action is my own, the valour my own, the strength of the action is my own. So (saies he) if God should give habitual grace to a man, if the strength for the action should not be from God, he might boast; True indeed, I had the habit from God, the habitual grace from God, but the action is my own, the spirit of the action is my own: he had now wherein to boast. But all boasting is cut off, as you shall hear by and by. And therefore Naturally a man is unable to every work: Not only the habit is received; but strength for the action also, 'tis all received.