Ans. Not properly, he saith himself, Job 41. 11. Who hath prevented me (the same word) that I should repay him? ⟨p. 124⟩then our preventing of God should lay some debt upon God, which is unpossible; and as Paul observes, Rom. 11. 35. [Greek or Hebrew]; who gave him first? Therefore 1. He speaks Psal. 88. of God after the manner of men, as if Heman, in a manner, were more early up in the morning to pray then the Lord were ready to hear; the contrary whereof is true; as if Heman's early praying wakened God, Psal. 44. 23. Awake, why sleepest thou? 2. There is a preventing of God as a Deliverer and a Comforter;1 God's order is, that our praying makes an impulsion and stirring on the Lord first, and then he delivers and comforts, Psal. 24. 6. Psal. 18. 6, 7, & 16. and so in order to comfort and deliverance in genere mediorum moralium prayer wakens Heaven and puts the Lord a working; but as touching the order of real and physical actings, the Lord prevents us: the string of the Harp or Viol is not said to touch the hand of the Musician, but the Musician's hand toucheth the string, hence is Music. Nor does the Axe stir and lift up the arm of the Carpenter, but the Carpenter's arm lifts up the Axe: therefore they who teach that our prayer and the actings of our free will can, and may prevent grace, in place of preventing grace, give us nature and the creature preventing God: we read of the Father drawing us, and the Son with the odour of his ointments drawing sinners; but to teach that nature prevents grace is to say we are before and above God: whereas the Rose warms not the Sun, but the Sun warms and nourishes the Rose; and the corn and herbs do not refresh the Heaven and the Clouds, but Heaven and Clouds nourish and refresh the corn and grass; and it must be untoward and froward divinity that the sick man heals the Physician. It is the grace (to speak so) of the Lord's free grace that the Lord prevents us, not we him; its impossible that nature can prevent grace.
Ans. Not properly, he saith himself, JOb 41. 11. Who hath prevented me (the same word) that I should repay him? ⟨p. 124⟩then our preventing of God should lay some debt upon God, which is unpossible; and as Paul observes, Rom. 11. 35. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; who gave him first? Therefore 1. He speaks Psal. 88. of God after the manner of men, as if Heman, in a manner, were more early up in the morning to pray then the Lord were ready to hear; the contrary whereof is true; as if Heman's early praying wakened God, Psal. 44. 23. Awake, why sleepest thou? 2. There is a preventing of God as a Deliverer and a Comforter;1 God's order is, that our praying makes an impulsion and stirring on the Lord first, and then he delivers and comforts, Psal. 24. 6. Psal. 18. 6, 7, & 16. and so in order to comfort and deliverance in genere mediorum moralium prayer wakens Heaven and puts the Lord a working; but as touching the order of real and physical actings, the Lord prevents us: the string of the Harp or Viol is not said to touch the hand of the Musician, but the Musician's hand toucheth the string, hence is Musick. Nor does the Axe stir and lift up the arm of the Carpenter, but the Carpenter's arm lifts up the Axe: therefore they who teach that our prayer and the actings of our free will can, and may prevent grace, in place of preventing grace, give us nature and the creature preventing God: we read of the Father drawing us, and the Son with the odour of his ointments drawing sinners; but to teach that nature prevents grace is to say we are before and above God: whereas the Rose warms not the Sun, but the Sun warms and nourishes the Rose; and the corn and herbs do not refresh the Heaven and the Clouds, but Heaven and Clouds nourish and refresh the corn and grass; and it must be untoward and froward divinity that the sick man heals the Physician. It is the grace (to speak so) of the Lord's free grace that the Lord prevents us, not we him; its impossible that nature can prevent grace.
- 1Now we cannot prevent God.
