fcheme, is greatly difplay'd, in accompanying the word preached with a divine energy, and an unfruftrable operation; fo that all his gracious defigns towards his people are effectually anfwer'd, and not leaving it to the bare force of moral fuafion. 2. It is obferv'd, That "whereas, according to our doctrine (of moral fuafion) the truth and faithfulness of God, and the fincerity of his dealings with men, is unquestionable; according to the other doctrine (of efficacious grace) God feems to promise pardon and falvation to all men fincerely, and yet in truth, intends it only to fome few perfons whom he defigns to convert by an irrefiftible power." To which may be replied, That whatever God promifes, he not only feems to promife fincerely, but he really does promife fincerely, and is as good as his word; he'll never fuffer his truth and faithfulness to fail. But then, according to the doctrine of efficacious and irrefiftible grace in converfion, God neither feems to promife, nor has he promised pardon and falvation to all men: his promife in Chrift runs thus "; To him give all the Prophets witness, that through his name whofoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of fins; and to all these is it given by Christ, Whitby, p. 264. Ed. 2. 257. h Acts x. 43. L 2 who the latter; and if fo, the glory of God's grace is more magnified by the one than by the other. And as this doctrine afcribes the praife of all the good that is done by men to the efficacious grace of God, which makes for his glory; fo it leaves the shame of evil doings to reft upon the authors of them, who are not partakers of the grace of God; even tho' it is not in their power to convert themselves, or ceafe to do evil, fince this is owing to the vitiofity and corruption of their nature, of which they have reason to be afham'd; from whence all their evil doings fpring, which being voluntarily committed, are their faults, tho' converfionwork tranfcends all the power of man to perform. Our author thinks, that if this be the cafe, their evil actions may be their misfortunes; but how they fhould be their faults, it is not eafy to conceive: whereas let converfion be by moral fuafion, or by omnipotent power, it makes no alteration in the nature of evil actions; they are voluntary tranfgreffions of. God's law, and as fuch, faults in men, as well as misfortunes to them, whether men are turned from them to God by the force of moral fuafion, and the power of man's free will, or by the mighty power of God's grace. I now proceed to mention fome arguments in favour of efficacious and irrefifti ble I re punifheth men with the extremeft and the moft lafting torments, for not accepting those offers of grace tender'd by the gospel, which it was not poffible for them to comply with or embrace without that farther grace, which he purpofed abfolutely to deny them,' ply; for my own part, I don't think that any man will be punish'd for not accepting offer'd grace he could not comply with or embrace, for want of further grace; because I don't believe that grace was ever offer'd to them; but then they will be punish'd for their wilful contempt and neglect of the gofpel preach'd unto them, and for their manifold tranfgreffions of the righteous law of God, made known unto them; and furely this doctrine can never be derogatory to the glory of God's juftice. 4. It is asked, "Is it not for God's glory, that the praise of what good we do should be ascribed to his grace, and the shame of our evil doings fhould reft upon our felves? But what reafon can there be for this, unlefs we fuppofe it poffible for the wicked to have been converted, or to have ceased to do evil?" And let me afk, in my turn, which doctrine, that of free will or of free grace, does most ascribe the praise of either what good is in us, or is done by us, to the glory of God's grace? Not the former, surely, but ! Whitby, p. 265. Ed. 2. 258, 259. the the latter; and if fo, the glory of God's grace is more magnified by the one than by the other. And as this doctrine afcribes the praife of all the good that is done by men to the efficacious grace of God, which makes for his glory; fo it leaves the fhame of evil doings to reft upon the authors of them, who are not partakers of the grace of God; even tho' it is not in their power to convert themselves, or ceafe to do evil, fince this is owing to the vitiofity and corruption of their nature, of which they have reason to be afham'd; from whence all their evil doings fpring, which being voluntarily committed, are their faults, tho' converfionwork tranfcends all the power of man to perform. Our author thinks, that if this be the cafe, their evil actions may be their misfortunes; but how they fhould be their faults, it is not eafy to conceive: whereas let converfion be by moral fuafion, or by omnipotent power, it makes no alteration. in the nature of evil actions; they are voluntary tranfgreffions of. God's law, and as fuch, faults in men, as well as misfortunes to them, whether men are turned from them to God by the force of moral fuafion, and the power of man's free will, or by the mighty power of God's grace. ་ I now proceed to mention fome arguments in favour of efficacious and irrefifti ble ble grace in converfion, and confider the exceptions to them. And, I. If the grace by which we are converted, does not work with that efficacy, that it cannot but obtain the effect, but the cooperation of free will is required, then grace is not the beginning of every good thing, but the free will of man, yea, the efficacy of grace is made to depend upon the. will of man; and fo the good work of faith. and converfion, from whence all other good works fpring, must be afcrib'd rather to the will of man than to the grace of God; whereas every good and every perfect gift comes from above, from the grace of God, as the fpring and fource of it, and not from. below, as it muft, if it comes from the will of man; for to fay, as is faid", that when equal grace is confer'd on two perfons, and the one believes, and the other does not, that the reason is, because the one receives it by the right ufe of free will, excited by the grace of God, and the other rejects it by the wicked abuse of free will, and fresh obftinacy against the grace of God; what is this but to make the free will of man the chief caufe of believing? when nothing is more certain than that faith is the fole gift of God, and the operation of his power, |
