the Apostle James fays, Chap. i. 17. that he that glories may glory in the Lord." "That which is worthy of boafting, he fays, nusreegu ame dugor 851 De8, is not ours, but is the gift of God; from him is wifdom, from him is ftrength, and fo of the 'reft." To all which may be added the following words of his, which not only exprefs his own, but the fenfe of the whole church at that time; "It is the united fenfe of the whole church, that all the law is indeed fpiritual yet these things which the law breathes out are not known to all, but to them only, to whom the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, in the word of wisdom and knowledge.". : NUMB. VIII. CYPRIAN. A. D. 250. Cyprian clearly expresses his sense of the efficacy of divine grace in the fanctification of a finner, and of the continuance of it, for the carrying on, and perfecting of that work, as well as of the need the faints always ftand in of the aids of it for the performance of every good work. In one of f Comment. in Matt. p. 227. Vid. Пser asxwv, 1. 3. c. 1. fol. 139. B. 1. 1. Proem. fol. 112. C. 6 Περί αρχών, h his Epiftles he seems furprized at his own converfion, and wonders how it was poffible that it fhould be, when he had lain in darkness, was firft a ftranger to light and truth, fo implicated in the errors of a past life, and fo obfequious to fin and vice; this he afcribes to divine grace in his fecond birth, which, defuper lumen infudit, poftquam coelitus Spiritu haufto in novum hominem reparavit, infufed light from above, and after the Spirit was derived from heaven repaired him a new man: And then goes on to beat down all boafting in the creature, and to give the whole glory to God. In his Treatise of the Lord's Prayer he fays many things which confirm this. Upon the firft claufe in that prayer he makes this remark, "A new man, a regenerated perfon, and one restored to his God, per ejus gratiam, through his grace, fays, in the first place, Father, because now he begins to be à fon." And a little after *, "Most beloved brethren, fays he, we ought to confider and understand not only this, that we call Father which is in heaven, but we add and fay, Our Father, i. e. of them that believe; of them, who being fanctified by him, et gratiae fpiritalis nativitate reparati, and repaired through the birth of jpiritual grace, be h Ep. 2. ad Donat. P. 6. i De Oratione Dominica, p. 265. * Ib. p. 266. gin gin to be the children of God." And upon the first petition, Hallowed be thy name, he has this obfervation, "Not that we fhould defire of God, that he may be fanctified by our prayers, but that we should request of him, that his name may be fanctified in us. Moreover, by whom is God fanctified, qui ipfe fanctificat, who himself fanctifies? But because he fays, Be ye holy, for I am holy, this we defire and afk, that we who are S fanctified in baptifm, might persevere in that which we begin to be; and this we daily pray for, opus eft enim nobis quotidiana fanctificatione, for we have need of daily fan&ification, that we who daily fin may purge away our fins by a daily fanctification; which fanctification is what is bestowed upon us, de Dei dignatione, through the favour of God." And a little after, "This we afk night and day, that fanctification and vivification, quae de Dei gratia fumitur, ipfius protectione fervetur, which proceed from the grace of God, might be preferved by his protection." Upon the third petition, Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven, he has this note"; "We add and fay this, not that God may do what he will, but that we may do what God wills, for who hath refifted God that he may'nt do what he will? But because we are withstood by the devil, that 1 Ib. in Ib. p. 267. our our minds and actions might not in all refpects obey God, we pray and defire, that the will of God may be done in us; which that it may be done in us, opus eft Dei voluntate id eft, ope ejus et protectione, there is need of the will of God, that is of his help and protection; for no man is ftrong, fuis viribus, by bis own ftrength, but is safe through the grace and mercy of God." And a little after fpeaking of the combat between the flesh and the fpirit, he adds, "Therefore* we earnestly defire, that an agreement may be made between these two, ope et auxilio Dei, by the help and affiftance of God; that whilft the will of God is done both in the fpirit and in the flesh, the foul may be faved, quae per eum renata eft, which is regenerated by him." And.in another treatise of his concerning patience he thus fpeaks", "This virtue we have in common with God; from hence patience begins; from hence its glory and worth take their rife; the original and greatnefs of patience Spring, Deo auctore, from God the author." NUMB. IX. EUSEBIUS CAESARIENSIS. A. D. 330. Ederful wrought in the foul Ufebius represents converfion as a wonchange through the power of divine grace; "Who fhould be thofe Canaanites, fays he, but we, who before were aliens, and who out of all nations that were formerly prophane and ungodly are preferved theep for Chrift; οι και, δια της αυτός γαρια μεταβεβλημεθα, who elfo are changed by bis grace, and understanding the things before prophefied of, have received the true knowledge of the word of the Lord." And in another place he breaks out in a pathetic exclamation, after this manner P, "Who is he that is not amazed at this furprizing affair, when he fees fuch who from the beginning worshipped ftones, wood, devils, brutes, demons, reptiles, &c. — who in their manner of living differ'd nothing from the favage beafts, um dia Tng T8 σώτηρες ημών ευθες δυνάμεων μεταβληθεντες κ wowep és elɛegov elepoi gelovoles, now through the divine power of our Saviour changed, and as it were become other men." All which • Demonftr. Evangel. 1. 10. p. 484. |