The next answer to this; had I grace, or more grace, I should be as holy as David: its a blowing up of nature, and a dethroning of Christ. For this (I) when you say, I should be holy as David, is not that gracious (I) of which Paul, Gal. 2. 20. I live not, but Christ lives in me; but its (I) and (self) divided from self and grace: but woe to the will separated from Christ;1 woe to the branch cut off from the green and flourishing tree, its good for nothing but the fire; woe to the arm sawen off the living body; and by this, as one saith well, If God would give the power, you would of your self,2 add the will, this is the Pelagian heresy. Let God but make a stirring and a blowing, and give a sort of will, I could do wonders: as if it were not the Lord, who works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Phil. 2. 13. yea it lays little upon God's calling: (for he calleth Cain and Judas) and much, yea the All of our salvation on our Answering. Christ knocks by word of mouth, and (I) and (self) free-will opens the heart of Lydia which debaseth Christ and powerful grace. In all which consider, had you the influences of grace at your disposing; 1. Then, might free will bar the Iron door, against sin; that sin of Angels and men, without free wills good leave should never enter the world. And the Creature should be more Master and Lord Governor over providence, then the Sovereign Lord himself: then could the Lord erect no theatre, nor set a Chair of free-grace to the Mediator and Lord of grace, Jesus Christ, while first he took Counsel with created free will, and say, O creature may I have thy good leave to send my Son to the world, and the disease must be consulted, shall there be such a precious one, as the Physician, the healer of sinners? Its true, no sinner, no Saviour; no lost one, no Redeemer, such as our Emanuel; but its known, if influences of grace be, (as Pelagianizing universalists say) at the disposing of nature, with that absolute indifferency, the free creature may stand, or may fall, let the All-governing Lord do his best to the contrary: there is here a created Sovereign dominion; If God create the creature free, it involves a contradiction, that God should be free to hold out or bring in sin, and hell, and misery, and God is ⟨p. 87⟩indifferent (except man must irrevocably perish) to send his Son in the flesh, to save sinners:
The next answer to this; had I grace, or more grace, I should be as holy as David: its a blowing up of nature, and a dethroning of Christ. For this (I) when you say, I should be holy as David, is not that gracious (I) of which Paul, Gal. 2. 20. I live not, but Christ lives in me; but its (I) and (self) divided from self and grace: but woe to the will separated from Christ;1 woe to the branch cut off from the green and flourishing tree, its good for nothing but the fire; woe to the arm sawen off the living body; and by this, as one saith well, If God would give the power, you would of your self,2 add the will, this is the Pelagian heresie. Let God but make a stirring and a blowing, and give a sort of will, I could doe wonders: as if it were not the Lord, who works in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure. Phil. 2. 13. yea it lays little upon God's calling: (for he calleth Cain and Judas) and much, yea the All of our salvation on our Answering. Christ knocks by word of mouth, and (I) and (self) free-will opens the heart of Lydia which debaseth Christ and powerfull grace. In all which consider, had you the influences of grace at your disposing; 1. Then, might free will bar the Iron door, against sin; that sin of Angels and men, without free wills good leave should never enter the world. And the Creature should be more Master and Lord Governour over providence, then the Soveraign Lord himself: then could the Lord erect no theatre, nor set a Chair of free-grace to the Mediator and Lord of grace, Jesus Christ, while first he took Counsel with created free will, and say, O creature may I have thy good leave to send my Son to the world, and the disease must be consulted, shall there be such a precious one, as the Physician, the healer of sinners? Its true, no sinner, no Saviour; no lost one, no Redeemer, such as our Emanuel; but its known, if influences of grace be, (as Pelagianizing universalists say) at the disposing of nature, with that absolute indifferency, the free creature may stand, or may fall, let the Algoverning Lord doe his best to the contrary: there is here a created Soveraign dominion; If God create the creature free, it involves a contradiction, that God should be free to hold out or bring in sin, and hell, and misery, and God is ⟨p. 87⟩indifferent (except man must irrevocably perish) to send his Son in the flesh, to saue finners:
- 1Mr. Fenner's Wilful impenitency, pag. 80.
- 2There is an extolling of nature in this (had I more grace, I would be more holy) for (I) and (self) is separated from Christ.
