S NUM B. XI. MACARIUS EGYPTIUS. A. D. 350. MAcarius the Egyptian afcribes regenera tion and fanctification to the spirit and grace of God; he fays, 'tis " through the participation of the Holy Spirit that men are born again of God, and counted worthy to be the children of God in truth and power." And again, "As God is love, joy, peace, kindness and goodness, so the new man is made, a zap, by grace." And in another place he fays, "The five rational fenfes of the foul, if they receive the grace from above, and the fanctification of the Spirit, are truly virgins." And elfewhere he obferves, that "as many as are the children of the light, and of the ministry of the New Teftament by the Holy Spirit, learn nothing of men; for they are taught of God, for auτnn xapis, grace it felf writes the laws of the Spirit in their hearts." Again, "Never think, fays he, that thou preventeft the Lord by virtue, according to Phil. ii 13." 'tis certain he both owns the preparing, preventing, and fubfequent grace Homil. 5. P. 33. d Homil. 2. p. 12. of of God; for he speaks of the Holy Spirit, εToiμaσavli, as preparing the foul to be a feat and habitation for himself; and of fome whom the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, πe gaaνtwσl, prevent. "God, he fays*, requires of men labour, fatigue, and working; but unless there appear the heavenly cloud, ai vetoi xapir, and the rains of grace, the labouring hufbandman will profit nothing." In fhort, he afcribes all that the faints enjoy now, or fhall hereafter, to divine grace. "The glory and beauty of christians, says he', and the heavenly riches, are unspeakable, and are obtained with labour and fweat, and trials, and agonies; zo S δε ολον χαριτι Θεs, but the whole is owing to the grace of God." Particularly he obferves", that "the knowledge of God in truth is through the power of God, and energy of grace." He reprefents the work of grace and converfion as a new creation, and the effect of divine power, and which can't be done without it. "Our Lord Jesus Christ, he fays ", came to change and transform nature, and to renew, i avantia, and create again the fame foul, which was fubverted by the affections, through the tranfgreffion, mixing it with his own divine Spirit." And h Homil. 1. p. 2. n i Homil. 29. p. 171. Y 2 Homil. 5. P. 33, 34. a little after °, “ Seeing the foul that truly believes in Chrift must be translated and changed from this prefent evil ftate into another good state, and from this present mean nature into another divine nature; alfo it muft be made new, δια της δυναμεως τε 27 is TIVEμAT3, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that so it may be fit for the heavenly kingdom." And whereas it may be thought difficult, if not impoffible, that men should be converted, or turned from their fins, he advises to remember what Chrift did when he was here on earth; how he cured the blind, and raised the dead, and the like; intimating, that that power which wrought in the one was able to effect the other. He fpeaks of the fire of the Spirit which rekindles hearts, inlightens fouls, makes devils to flee, takes away fin, and gives immortality. NUMB. XII. HILARIUS PICTAVIENSIS. A. D. 360. Hilary of Poitiers affirms, that all good things fpring from the grace of God: What room, fays he ', is left for boasting in • Homil. 44: p. 217. P Homil. 4. p. 28, 29. us, us, when we remember, that all things are of God? "The fervices of our tongue and mouth, he fays, are not fufficient to give praise to God; we have changed crimes for innocence, vices for virtue, ignorance for knowledge, deftruction for immortality; et hoc a Dei gratia, and this is from the grace of God." Faith in Chrift, the knowledge of him, he frequently intimates are the gifts of God. He afcribes regeneration to the fecret and powerful, yea, irresistible efficacy of divine grace; Obtaining, fays he ", the faith of my regeneration, I am ignorant, and what I know not I now hold, fine fenfu enim meo renafcor, for without my perception I am born again." And in another place he fays", "The operation of God. hath raised Chrift from the dead, et haec eadem Dei operatio, and the fame operation of God quickens us with Chrift." And elfewhere he says, "We are indeed children to God, but by the workmanship of the Son; for we were fometime children of wrath, but are made children to God by the fpirit of adoption We were not born fo, but made; not generated, but acquired." He reprefents the grace of regeneration as ma s Enarr. in Pf. 125. P. 547; De Trinit. 1. 6. p. 74. 1. 11. Matt. Can. 16. p. 296. in Pf. 118. "De Trinit. 1. 12. p. 197. x lb. 1. 12. p. 185, Y 3 p. 174. Comment. in Vau. p. 472. w Ib. 1. 9. p. 119. king king perfons new, and without which they can't receive new things. On Luke v. 36, 37. he has this note", "Souls and bodies infirm through the oldnefs of fins, do not take in the mysteries of the new grace, for the rent will be worfe, and the wine being shed, the old bottles will perish; for the guilt of fuch will be double, fince befides the oldness of their fins, they will not bear the power of the new grace; and therefore the Pharifees and the disciples of John could not receive new things, nifi novi fierent, unless they were made new;" which they could not be without the power of God, to which all things are poffible, and fo this; for, as he fays", "What is fo poffible to the power of God, than that he can fave through faith? That he can regenerate by it?" And, indeed, fuch is his power, that it is not to be refifted, which is proper and peculiar to him; for as this Father fomewhere obferves, "To God alone it agrees to do all things which he wills; for fole perfect power is hinder'd by none, fo that he could not do what he wills; and no difficulty occurs to him from whom are all things." y In Matt. Can. 9. p. 271. z Ib. Can. 20. p. 305. a In Pf. 134. p. 581. NUMB. |