these persons, who rejected and despised his counsel, fhould believe, repent, and be faved, they would have believed, repented, and been made partakers of falvation; for who hath refifted his will?

II. It is intimated from hence, that man does not lie under a difability to believe, repent, and turn to God; and it is afked,

To what purpofe did wifdom fay to them, who were thus difabled, Turn you at my reproof? Or could fhe, without infulting over the mifery of fallen man, thus laugh at the calamity they never could prevent". To which I reply,

1. That the exhortation, Turn ye at my reproof, is not to repentance and converfion, but to an attendance to the external miniftry of the word. Reproof is the fame with counfel, in ver. 25, 30. where they are joined together, and put for each other, and defign the word preached, which reproves of fin, righteousness and judgment; and it is not turning at, but to this reproof, which is exhorted to; for the words nnsins lawn, fhould not be render'd, turn ye at, but, to my reproof; fo Arias Montanus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Junius, and Tremellius, read them and the meaning is, either as the Targum

;

turt תתכנון למכסנותי ,interprets them

2 Whitby, p. 252.

you

your face to my reprost, and not your backs; or as ben Ezra, turn se, ie. your ears, to bear my rebror; and do not pull away the shoulder, or stop your ears. Now it is certain, that man does not lie under a difability to turn his face and ears to the external minity of the word; though fo depraved are the inclinations and will of min, and fuch a lover is he of £mplicity and scorning, and fuch an hater of true, piefal, and spritcal knowledge; that be had rather hear an ille ftory told, or the fcriptures burleigula, than an honelt ferious fermon, which is reproving, searching, and informing.

2. The calamity of these perlons did not arise from a fablity to do what they were d exhorted to, bor was owing to a neglect of what they might have done; for they could have attended the miniitry of the word, observed ordinances, and turped their and ears to the reproof of wudom hated knowledge, and the mear despised fermoas, mughed and

treated with the utmolt cor monition, counsel and

they did cat of the frui
and were fed wit

ver. 31. there was a
them; they were
as a righteous t
on their a

lamity, and mock when their fear came upon them.

III. This paffage is produced in favour of fufficient grace given to men, to repent, believe, and convert themselves", and to prove that God's calls, invitations and meffages, by his prophets, are fufficient inducements to procure reformation and repentance. To which I answer,

1. It is plain, that the perfons here fpoken of, called unto, exhorted and threatned, had not fufficient grace; fince they are represented as fools, fcorners, lovers of folly, haters of knowledge; who defpifed the counsel of wifdom, and rejected her reproof.

2. Nor fhould this be concluded from the encouragement that wisdom gives, to turn to her reproof; faying, Behold I will pour out my spirit unto you; fince this is not to be understood of the Holy Ghost, and of the difpenfation of his extraordinary gifts or faving grace; for when he is promised in either of these fenfes, 'tis expreffed by a different phrafe than what is here used; he is promised to be poured out upon, and not as here, unto the fons of men: See Ifa. xliv. 3. Ezek. xxxix. 29. Joel ii. 28. I obferve, that Dr. Whitby, whenever he cites the paffage

h Whitby, p. 250, 251.

before

before us, inadvertently tranfcribes it as though it was read, I will pour out my birit upon you, when it is unto you. By the Spirit, we are to understand, the mind of wifdom; fo the word mn is used in Prav. xxix. 11. and by pouring it out, a large and full revelation of it to the fons of men, as it is explain'd in the next claufe; I will make known my words unto you.

3. This external revelation of the mind of Chrift, ought not to be called fufficient grace; it is indeed the means of conveying and implanting grace, when it comes not in word only, but with the Holy Ghost and with power; it is not fufficient means of grace to all men; for all men have it not, nor is it fo to all that have it; for to fome, it is the favour of death unto death, whilft it is to others, the favour of life unto life; nor is it of it felf fufficient means to any, without the efficacious grace of God. Hence,

4 Though the calls, invitations and mef fages of God to men by his minifteri, may be fometimes (for they are not always, fatficient inducements to procure in GALLETAL reformation, an outward reperta,

the people of Nirent, yet thela we us fufficient of theteres, wition souch Li grace to produce true faire us Conte gelical repentance towards God, a. *

fpiritual obedience in life and converfation.

k

IV. These words, I have called, and ye refufed, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, are used to prove the refiftibility of the grace of God, and that an irrefiftible power is not neceffary to the converfion of a finner. But,

1. It ought to be obferved, that there is a twofold call; the one is internal, which is by the powerful operations of the Spirit of God on the foul, either with or without the word; which cannot be fo refifted, as to be made to cease, to become void, and of no effect; the other is external, by the miniftry of the word; and may be refifted, rejected and defpifed, and become ufelefs: Now it is of the latter call, and not of the former, that the text fpeaks, and therefore no ways militates against the irresistible, unfruftrable grace of God in converfion; and in this fenfe are we to understand fome other places of fcripture, as Prov. ii. 3, 4. and ix. 3, 4. Ifa. lxv. 2. Matt. xx. 16.

2. It is faid', that "were fuch an irrefiftible power, neceflary to the converfion of a finner, no man could be converted fooner than he is; becaufe before this irrefiftible action came upon him, he could not be con

Remonfir. in Coll. Hag. Art. iii, iv. p. 215. 1 lbid. p. 221. and Whitby, p. 260.

verted;