A Light from Christ Leading Unto Christ, Classis 8
The eighth Claſsis, or Company of Queſtions.
1 Queſtion.
BƲt hath not a man or woman free will to repent and convert himſelf to God if he pleaſe, and ſo to do Gods Commandements, and live as Adam and Eve lived before their fall?
Ier. 10.23. Iohn 6.44. Phil. 2.13.Anſ. The will of man was and is alwayes free from violence and conſtraint ſince Adams fall, but not from defilement and ſervitude, ſince Adam loſt his purity and freedome, ſo that the liberty of will differs much from what it was before that tranſgreſſion, and no naturall man hath free will of himſelf to turn to God in Chriſt for Salvation.
Queſt. 2. Wherein doth this difference of freedome in mans will conſiſt?
Anſ. There is a fourfould condition of mans freedome of will, according to his fourfold ſtate and condition of life.
Queſt. 3. What is this fourfold difference in the freedome of mans will?
Anſ. Firſt, In the ſtate of innocency before the fall, man had freedom of will both to good and evil, Geneſis 2.17. Eccleſ. 7.29. Deut. 30.19. This was in Adam and not in us.
Secondly,Gen. 6.5. & 8.21. In the ſtate of corruption after the fall, man hath freedome of will to evil, not good.
Thirdly, In the ſtate of grace man hath freedome of will from evil,i Cor. 13.9. Phil. 3.i2, &c. and unto good, but imperfectly.
Fourthly, In the ſtate of glory, the will of man ſhall be wholly free from evil, and unto good,1 Cor. 13.10, &c. 1 Iohn 3.1, 2, 3. moſt perfectly and bleſſed for ever.
Queſt. 4. But hath man loſt his freedome of will ſince Adams fall in all ſorts of actions?
Anſ. Actions are of ſeverall kindes: Firſt, Naturall, common to men and bruit creatures, as to lye down, to, riſe up,Acts 17.25, &c. ſtand, go, eat, drink, ſleep, hear, ſee, taſte, ſmell or the like; and all theſe man hath a naturall freedome of will and minde, to do or not to do, at choyce, only with ſubordination to the will, leave permiſſion and power of God, without which we can do nothing.
Queſt. 5. What are the ſecond ſort of actions?
Anſ. Humane actions common to all men, regenerate and unregenerate, as to ſpeak, to lend an outward ear to what is ſpoken, that he may underſtand it, to make uſe of naturall reaſon and memory, to practiſe a manuall Trade, or liberall Art or Science, to perform acts of civill and morall vertues, prudence, juſtice, temperance, and fortitude, to plead at the Bar as a Lawyer, to be a Iudge of differences between man and man, to be a Law-maker, to be a Peace-maker, a Souldier, or any outward Calling: All which an unregerate man may do or act, and have freedome of will to chuſe or refuſe at pleaſure, with Subordination to Gods wil and licenſe as aforeſaid, as 2 Kings 5.1. yet ſo but naturall.
Queſt. 6. What are a third ſort of actions?
Anſ. They are mixt actions, partly naturall partly tending to Spirituall ends, and in outward appearance Spirituall actions; as to come to the Church to hear a Sermon,Mark 6.20.21. 2 Kin. 10.16, 31. to partake of the outward Ordinances, to reach out the hand in Sacrament to receive the elements of Bread and Wine, to joyn with the lips and mouthes in common and ordinary praiers or praiſes,Iohn 3.3, 5. to make a ſhew of Religion like Herod, and have a John like zeal of Reformation, and he may have a kinde of naturall free will in all theſe,Ioh. 3.3. and yet be a naturall man or woman, and never enter into the Kingdom of heaven.
Queſt. 7. But is the underſtanding, will and judgement, as right now in theſe actions by nature, as they were before the fall?
Anſ. Aſſuredly no: In theſe and the like motions and actions,Rom. 8.7. Thef. 4.17, &c. Mat. 5.20. the underſtanding ſince Adams fall, is weak and dark, the judgement ſubject to erre and be deceived, and the will is weak and wounded, weighed by corrupt affections when it meets with temptations, as a bowle is drawn with a byas, or a corrupt Lawyer, Souldier, Committee-man, or any other, in ſtate of nature is drawn contrary to a good conſcience, And the rule of Gods Word.
Queſt. 8. What are the fourth ſort of actions?
Anſ. They are actions Spirituall; and theſe are of two kindes: Firſt, Evil and ſinfull actions, tending to death and damnation, Secondly, Good and right actions, tending to life and ſalvation, in and by the merit and righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, apprehended by faith, 1. Evil, as Adams actions, Gen. 3.6. or as Cains, Gen. 4.8. Gal. 5.19, 20.2. Good actions, as Abraham, Gen. 15.6. Rom. 4.3. as Iayler, Acts 16.30. &c.
Queſt. 9. What is the condition and power of mans will in the firſt of theſe, ſinfull thoughts, words or works, tending to death and damnation?
Anſ. Mans will in nature corrupted, is free to evil thought,Gen. 6.5. & 8.21. words and works; yea, prone and ready to conſent to ſin, without compulſion, with a kinde of delight; the will in reſpect of defilements, and inticements of corrupt affections, being ſervile and running, not conſtrained, but willing to ſin.
Queſt. 10. What is the condition of mans will by nature in Sprituall good things tending to life and Salvation, as in Divine knowledge, Faith, Repentance, Converſion to God, and new obedience in Jeſus Chriſt, and ſuch like graces?
Anſ. In the very firſt act of Converſion, although the will be free from all violent conſtraint;Rom. 3.9, &c. yet in Spirituall good things, the will is unable to convert it ſelf,Phil. 2.13. or will a turning of it ſelf to God, the Free-grace of God in order of nature, goeth before and enlightens the minde, and moveth the will; and yet in the order of time, the Spirit of Chriſt freely moves,Act. 9.6. Luk. 19.5, &c. and the will of man willingly wills both together, to believe, to repent, to be converted and obey God in Chriſt.
Queſt. 11. But is there any principle in man, or mans will, to joyn willingly with the motions of Gods Spirit, in Faith and Converſion to God?
Anſ. No: The life of Grace and principle of Grace is wholly dead in man by the fall,Eph. 2.1. Phil. 3.13. Col. 2.13. and all is of Gods Free-grace, who works both the will and the deed of his good pleaſure, preventing with his Free-grace, both the unwilling that he may will, and the willing that he may not will in vain.
Queſt. 12. But cannot a naturall man or woman will or deſire their own Salvation?
Anſ. A naturall man hath not a power and principle in himſelf to underſtand,1 Cor. 2.14. & 1.18. Luke 11.21. Num. 13.10. Acts 8.19. or be ſenſible of his own miſery or danger of eternall damnation, and ſo he cannot deſire eternall ſalvation, as a freedome from it; yet as Salvation is held forth in the Goſpel as a good thing, ſo far as he is enlightned by the common grace of the Spirit, he may deſire it as Baalam did the death of the righteous, or Simon Magus power by laying on hands to Communicate the Holy Ghoſt.
Queſt. 11. But can they deſire Salvation truly in a right way?
1 Cor. 3.5. Mark 16.15, 16. Mat. 16.24. Luke 13.5. Mat. 19.21, 22.Anſ. No: For deſire of Salvation in the way and means of it, the true knowledge of Chriſt, Faith, Repentance, ſelf-deniall, taking up the Croſſe, leaving all for Chriſt: Thus a naturall man cannot deſire it, but rather leaves Chriſt and Salvation, as the yong man did in the Goſpel.
Queſt. 14. But if a naturall man by naturall power, cannot ſo much as will or deſire the right way and means of his own Salvation, nor by all he can do, procure life Eternall: To what end then ſhould a naturall man go to Church, attend the Preaching of the Word, or perform any good duty whatſoever, ſince by all he can do he cannot ſave himſelf?
Anſ. Yes verily, even a naturall man is bound to wait upon God in Chriſt, in all the means of Grace, as far as God giveth him power, as to come to the Church, to attend the work of Chriſt by his Spirit, in hearing of the Word Preached, in Catechizing, in Chriſtian conference, and ſuch like outward Ordinances, Matthew 22.1, 2, 3, 4, &c. Luke 14.16, &c.
Queſt. 15. But why ſhould he doe this?
Anſ. Becauſe although a man or woman cannot convert themſelves to God;Ier. 10.23 Mat. 20.1, &c. Act. 16.4 Iohn 5.2, 3, 4. Rom. 8.15. Mat. 16.17. Gal. 1.16. Acts. 2.37, 38. & 3.18, &c. yet as that multitude of impotent folk, of blinde, halt and withered, came, or were brought to the Pool of Betheſda, waiting for the moving of the Water, that they might be healed; ſo theſe may come to the Goſpel, and wait till the Spirit of Chriſt come and open their hearts, and trouble their conſciences with ſight and ſenſe of ſin and miſery, reveal Chriſt, and give them life, and work grace to believe and be converted, and be ſaved, and made happy for ever.