ments. But when Man, prævaricated, and turn'd Rebel to his Maker, he fell from this State of Excellency and Perfection. His great Strength immediately went from him, and dwindled into the Infirmities and Weaknesses of an Infant. His Beauty was chang'd into Deformity, the Harmony of his Conftitution entirely diforder'd, and every String of his Soul put out of Tune. His Understanding became dark and cloudy; his Will crooked and perverfe; and his Affections perceptive of nothing, but the Gufts and Relishes of the Animal Nature. In a word; When he had caft off the Law of his God, he became fubje& to the Law of Sin and Death; commenc'd, according to his own Option, a perfect Slave to his vile Lufts and Paffions, without any Power, without any Poffibility, without so much as a Defire to recover himself out of that wretched Condition, and confequently, (had he not been restrain'd by the abundant and powerful Communications of Gods most Undeferved and Free Grace) must have continually acted in all things more irrationally, even than the Beasts that perish. This the Holy Scriptures 8. II. (b) Rom.7. 15. 10. and Phil. 2. 13. do exprefly affert, The Hearts of the Sons of Men are wholly fet in them to do evil, (4) Ecclef. (a) fays the Preacher. fays the Preacher. And (b) Saint Paul, In me dwelleth no good thing, 18. 1 Cor. But by the Grace of God I am what I am. And, We are not sufficient of our felves to 2 Cor. 3.5. think any thing as of our felves, but our Sufficiency is of God, For 'tis He that worketh in us both to will, and to do of his good Pleasure. And again, I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me. (c) Joh.15. And our (c) Bleffed Lord himself; Without me ye can do nothing. The Fathers indeed, who flourished before the Rife of the Pelagian Controverfies, speak largely, and with great fecurity, of the Power of Man's Will: but then they no where do this with any Prejudice to these Affirmations of the Sacred (d) See Oracles: (d) For they generally own, the learned That without a better Afflatus, and a in the Life more Divine Power, without a mighty of Juft. M. Portion of Grace to aflift it, the rò es 5. Dr. Cave, ἡμῖν αυτεξέσιον. The Powers of our Will are never able to wing the Soul for her Flight to Heaven. Nay, the dry ground, fays Irenæus, may as well produce Fruit without the foftning and impregnating Drops of Rain, as we, who who at first are like dry Sticks, be fruitful unto a good Life, without voluntary Showers from above the Laver of the Spirit. In short, there is not a Man of us all, but what does wofully experiment this Truth by the Difficulties of Vertue, and his Natural Proneness to Vice. And the Stoicks themselves, and all the other Philofophers, who tread in their Steps, notwithstanding all their proud Boasting, do sometimes, by their vehement Complaints of it, abundantly demonftrate, that they are fufficiently fenfible of the Malady, though altogether ignorant of its Caufe and Cure. So good Grounds had the (e) Council of Carthage, in the Year (e) See of our Lord 418, to declare against er to Pelagius, and his Difciple Celeftius, the Fefuit's That, without the Grace of God Challenge, pag. 389, through Jefus Christ our Lord, we can 402. have, think, fay, do nothing, that's truly Pious and Holy. And the Second Council of Orange, in the Year 629, against the Pelagians and Semi Pelagians in general, That Man doth no good thing, which God doth not cause hin to do. And (ƒ) our most excellent (ƒ) Hom. Mother, after the fame manner, to in. 2. part 2. ftru&t her Children at this Day, That Usher's (g) Artic. 10. as their Faith, Charity, Hope, Patience, To this helpless, forlorn, and miserable Condition (I fay) were we re duced by our Violation of the First Covenant: And if God had dealt with us according to our Deferts, the whole Race of Mankind had perifh'd everlastingly. But He, who is infinite in Mercy, contriv'd better things for us. He provided a Remedy for his undone Creatures; gave us a Redeemer, even For his own Son; and in him vouchsaf'd to enter with us into a New Covenant, upon the Performance of which, we may yet be fecur'd from the Wrath, which is to come. Upon the Performance (I fay) of this Covenant, we may still be fav'd; and perform it, every one of us may, if we please. though we can do nothing of our felves, yet we may do all things through Christ, that strengthens us. He has adapted his Covenant to our Capacities; rendred our Duty, even under these Ruins and Decays of our Nature, in all its parts practicable; and made his Yoke eafie, and his Burden light. His Dif penfation does not, like that of Mofes, require us to make Brick without Straw, or to fulfil its Precepts, without fupplying us with ftrength to do it; but he has graciously oblig'd himself to be to us a Priest, a Prophet, and a King. As the firft, by the Oblation of himself to satisfie for our Sins, not only for our Original, but likewife for all our actual Tranfgreffions; and fo to deliver us, upon our Repentance, and New Obedience, and Faith in Him, from the Punishment due to them, Eternal Damnation. As the Second, to open to us the Trea |
