Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 11 · Sermon 97
SERMON XCVII.
The Hammer of Arminianiſm: Demonstrating; That God in Converting and Changing a Sinner, works after an Omnipotent, Efficacious and Irreſiſtible Manner. Againſt the Patrons of Free-Will and Power of man to Supernaturall things.
EZEK. 36. 26.
A new heart alſo will I give you, and I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of fleſh.
ITs now time to draw nigh to a concluſion concerning this full and quinteſſentiall Text. There remain two particulars onelyonly to be improved, that were taken notice of in the main diviſion of the Text. For as we told you, here was obſervable, the precious merciemercy promiſed, deſcribed both poſitively, and oppoſitely. Here was alſo the efficient cauſe of this merciemercy, and the fruit thereof: So we told you there was a two-fold m…dus, or manner obſervable about this merciemercy: There was modus rei, and modus dicti; The manner of Gods working this grace in thoſe whom he Converts; and that is, By his mighty omnipotent power, efficaciouſly, inſuperably, irreſiſtably: For conſider with what authoritie God ſpeaks it, I will take away the heart of ſtone, I will give an heart of fleſh. God will doe it, and Mans will ſhall not hinder: Here is no conditionate, ſuſpended operation, as if God would not convert, or turn our hearts to him, till we alſo by our Free-will began to turn to him: So that this Text is an Hammer to beat in pieces all thoſe Doctrines of old, and which now of late multiply, concerning Free-will, and the power of man to ſuper naturall things. May not this Text ſatisfie every man? Doth it not make everie mans heart by nature a ſtone, inſenſible and ſtupid about holy things? Doth not God here appropriate the whole work of Converſion to himſelf? I will give an heart of Fleſh, I will take away the ſtony heart: Yea doth he not alſo declare the manner how he will doe this by his Soveraign, Omnipotent, and irreſiſtable power, ſo that the heart cannot but bow and yield, and give it ſelf up. Whereas now, if the Patrons of Nature and Free-will, who are enemies to Gods grace, did ſpeak truth, then God ſhould have ſaid no more but this, I will give you an heart of fleſh if you will; I cannot doe it alone, unleſſe your Free-will goe along with it alſo; … muſt ſuſpend, or ſtay my work till I ſee what you will doe. This is the firſt manner obſervable. Then there is modus dicti, the ſecond manner how God will vouchſafe this, and that is by way of Gift, by a free abſolute Promiſe, I will do thus, and thus; he doth not ſuppoſe any previous, or antecedent Conditions on our part. I ſhall at this time pitch onelyonly upon the manner how God works this glorious merciemercy in us. And from thence obſerve,
That God in Converting and changing our hearts works after an omnipotent, efficacious, Obſerv.and irreſiſtible manner. When God ſpeaks to the ſoul to believe, to repent, to reform, it cannot, it will not but repent, he makes of unwilling willing: Even as at the firſt Creation God ſaid, Let there be light, and there was light: There was no power in the Creature to reject Gods Omnipotency: ſo it is, when God ſeeth a man wallowing in his bloud, or dead in his ſin: if he ſay, Ariſe and walk, Come forth out of the grave of ſinne, as he did to Lazarus, preſently the ſoul obeyeth. This point both Doctrinally, and Practically, is very neceſſary. The Orthodox handling of it, makes much for the excellent praiſe of grace, and the utter overthrow of thoſe dangerous and proud errors that advance Free-will, giving it either all, or part, in the work of converſion. Contrarie to the whole ſcope of the Scripture, which continually debaſeth man, diſcovering his impotencie and unworthines, but giving all to the power of God. Let us firſt explain this Doctrine, and then prove it.The Doctrine explained. 1.
Firſt therefore, we diſtinguiſh between a man in his first Converſion, and afterwards in the progreſſe of it. In the firſt moment and inſtant of Converſion, which is the taking away the heart of ſtone, and giving an heart of fleſh; there we ſay man Man in the firſt work of converſion is paſſive and doth not coo|perate.is meerly a ſubject paſſive, and receiving the work of God, he doth not any wayes co-operate, he hath no ſtrength or power to joyn with God; but as Auſtin ſaith well, Theſe things are wrought in nobis, ſine nobis, in us, yet without us, God works this ſpirituall life, this tender heart in us, without our help or ſtrength; Even as when Chriſt raiſed up any dead men, he put natural life into them, this was done in them, yet without their help; Life was put into Lazarus, and Lazarus had no helping hand to effect this: I ſhall prove this in the grounds of the Doctrine, I onelyonly now explain it. This then is the truth of God, and plainly grounded on Scripture, that man in the firſt inſtant of Converſion, hath no Free will, no power working with God, but is a meer paſſive ſubject, receiving the mighty work of God upon his ſoul: but if you conſider man in the progreſſe of Sanctification, thus having received this heavenly ſupernatural life, he is not a meer patient, but being acted and moved by God, he alſo acts and moveth: Then indeed we need grace to quicken and inliven thoſe principles of grace, as before was proved; but yet we doe not need a new life to be infuſed into us.
Secondly, Although this is the good truth of God, yet hereby we doe not take away 2.the nature of a man, and make him a beaſt, as the Adverſaries calumniate. Oh ſay they, this is to turn man into a ſtock or ſtone, to deprive him of reaſon and libertie of will. No, we deny the conſequence; for although we ſay, That he is thus Hereby mans will is not taken away.paſſive for the initial working of Grace; yet we ſay he hath his underſtanding, his reaſon ſtill, he hath a will ſtill; onelyonly, to diſcern, or will what is good, that he cannot: So then we deny not but a man hath underſtanding, hath a natural libertie of his will, he cannot be a man if he have not theſe: but yet in reſpect of that which is holy, ſo his mind is blind, his will is obſtinate, and rebellious againſt it. So that in man here are theſe three things; To be able to underſtand, to be able freely to will; this is of meer nature. To have a corrupt underſtanding, and a corrupt will, is of defiled nature. To underſtand and will what is good, is of ſanctified nature: So then, what is the true ſtate of the queſtion, not whether there be an underſtanding, and the natural faculty of Free-will in a man, or not. None denyeth that, every man hath Free-will in natural and civill actions; onelyonly the queſtion is about the object of theſe, whether he hath power to underſtand or will things that are meerly ſpirituall and ſupernatural; and this the Scripture doth expreſly deny.
Thirdly, When we ſay, God doth work grace thus powerfully and irreſiſtibly, the meaning alſo is not, as if the heart of a man in converſion did not reſiſt and 3.reject the work of the Spirit, in ſome meaſure, and in ſome degrees; for there is no queſtion but the heart of a man doth naturally refuſe and oppoſe the Spirit of God. Stephen told the Jews, They had alwayes reſiſted the Spirit of God, Acts 7. and the word of God is ſaid to caſt down thoſe ſtrong holds, and every high thing that exalteth it ſelf againſt God, 2 Cor. 10. So that as there is a natural contrarietie, and active oppoſition between fire and water; thus there is a conſtant enmity and active reſiſting of Gods Spirit by our ſpirit; for if this combate and conflict remain ſtill in a godly man, how much more in natural men that are altogether carnal? You muſt therefore diſtinguiſh between a prevalent, conquering reſiſting, and a graduall: God in Converſion ſo works, that he takes away the prevalent, but not the graduall reſiſting. Though a man before he be converted, is froward and full of cavils and prejudices, is unwilling to be ſaved, cannot abide the truth, doth what he can to ſtifle all good motions; yet if he belong to Election, God will at laſt over-maſter his heart, and make him of unwilling willing: his hard heart cannot refuſe this Converting grace, becauſe the firſt thing it doth, is to take away the hardneſſe of heart.
Fourthly, Therefore its not every kind of grace that a man may acknowledge is enough, 4.unleſſe it be ſuch a grace as is antecedently efficacious to our will, and omnipotently bowing, and changing of it. Auſtin ſaid, That the Pelagians did uſe the word Grace, ad frangendam invidiam, to decline the hatred that their opinion might get; ſo thoſe that cry up Free-will: They will acknowledge grace, and God forbid they ſhould ſpeak againſt grace: But thou muſt know, there hath been in this point an horrible abuſe of well-meaning men, by acknowledging grace, but not ſuch a grace as we told you, that is efficacious of it ſelf by its inward power, not depending upon mans will. Pelagius of old, when he ſaw his opinion was univerſally diſtaſted, as if he diſputed againſt grace; he then to avoid ſuch an odium, began to uſe the word, and to acknowledge it: inſomuch that he deceived an whole Counſel, by his ambiguities and generalities, who acquitted him: yea Auſtin himſelf who was ſo diligent an oppoſer of him, was almoſt deceived by him. If therefore any who diſpute for Free-will, ſpeak alſo of grace, & they ſay they are for grace; remember its not every kind of grace that is enough, but ſuch as ſhall mightily change the heart; not that ſhall work with Free-will, but firſt make the will free, which was a Servant, and a Captive to luſt: Tunc eſt liberum, quando liberatum, Then are ye free if the Son hath made you free, John 8. 32.
Fiftly, Although God thus omnipotently bow the heart, and grace be vorticordis, 5.as Auſtin called it, yet there is great uſe of the Miniſtrie; of exhortation, of reproof, of commands, of promiſes and threatnings; for preſently men are apt to cavill and ſay, If God work all, why then is the Miniſtry? Why are we exhorted, when we have no power! why doth God command, when we have no ability? For exhortation and the Miniſtry is neceſſary, becauſe its the inſtituted means, by which God will worke this, as Chriſt did not in vain ſay to Lazarus, Lazarus come forth, becauſe it was a practical powerful word, and thus it is here; the Miniſtrie ſpeaks not in vain, we exhort not in vain, becauſe in and by this, God inflames the heart, and quickens it to Good. And ſo the commands to turn to God, to love him above all things, are not in vain, becauſe they are not to demonſtrate our power but our duty. The Creditor may lawfully demand of his prodigal Debtor the ſum of money he oweth, though he be not able to pay, eſpecially we being full of ſelf-righteouſneſſe, carnal confidence, and earthly adherence, theſe commands are the more earneſtly to be preſſed, that we may be aſhamed and confounded.
Sixtly, It cannot be denyed but that this Doctrine of Gods ſole power, and efficacie of 6.Grace in Converſion, hath been and may be abuſed, and that two wayes, either to ſluggiſhneſſe and negligence, men thinking, that if God take away the ſtony heart, what need I care? I may ſit down and take my eaſe: Or to Enthuſiaſm, ſuch as will not pray, nor go to the Ordinances, they will onelyonly ſtay at home, and expect the Spirits immediate working on them; and theſe were two reaſons, ſaith Chemnitius, why Pelagius a Brittan, otherwiſe an ingenious man and famous, as alſo very innocent in his life, did fall into his error on the other ſide. But there is no truth of God can be preached, but carnal hearts will abuſe it. Paul doth abundantly teſtifie this, when he ſpeaks of thoſe corrupt inferences ſome made from his preaching of grace: and the beſt truths corrupted prove moſt dangerous: as when they did not uſe the Manna according to Gods Inſtitution, it degenerated into noiſome worms.
Let us diſcover the grounds of this truth: And Firſt, All thoſe places of Scripture which doe deſcribe the totall, and univerſall pollution of man, making him not 1.ſo much a ſinner, as even ſin it ſelf; doth plainly argue, that Gods converting grace is all in all; that man is a meer patient, and cannot actively conſent to the leaſt good thing. Thus Gen. 6. The imagination of the thoughts of a mans heart are only evil, and that continually: What can be ſaid more, Every imagination or thought that ſtirreth in a man, its evil, and only evill, and that continually! How then can this conſent, or be active to God? ſo Epheſ. 2. You hath he quickned that were dead in ſins: What doth a dead man do to get life again? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. That is, no man, God only doth: Our Saviour ſaith, A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit; eſpecially Rom. 8. A naturall man perceiveth not the things of God, Neither can he; he doth not, and he cannot. See what pregnant places of Scripture here are; Mark them becauſe that unſavorie error doth ſo much ſpread. If theſe Texts be true, all our thoughts and affections are onelyonly evill; we are dead in ſin, we do not, we cannot ſo much as perceive the things of God: how then dare any think of the power of nature, and her ability to what is holy?
Secondly, This is fully proved by thoſe excellent and empharicall ſimilitudes which are uſed to declare the work of Converſion; which the Spirit of God on purpoſe uſeth 2.to declare Gods glorious power in us. As its called often A Creation, and Grace is A new Creature: we are ſaid to be Created to good works. Now Creatio fit ex nihilo, Creation doth ſuppoſe nothing pre-exſiſtent, either phyſically or morally. Was the world when it was created any wayes co-operant to its Creation? Neither is it here. Remember then i…s he that hath made us, and not we our ſelves: If we did not make our ſelves men, ſhal we make our ſelves new Creatures, better then men? ſo its expreſſed by the ſimilitude of a new Birth. He hath begotten us by his word. A godly man is ſaid to be born of God. Now theſe are full expreſſions to ſhew that we are not born by our free-will, or conſent, but by Gods ſole power; as John 1. Laſtly, its compared to the Reſurrection; You that were dead hath he quickned. Now was there ever any man that could raiſe up himſelf out of the grave, and give life to himſelf? yea Eph…ſ. 1. Its compared to that glorious power of God in raiſing up Chriſt, the very ſelf ſame power is …here ſaid to work in thoſe that believe. Now how can any man anſwer theſe compariſons the Scripture uſeth? for howſoever ſimiltudes muſt not be ſtretched beyond the ſcope of him that uſeth them: yet the Holy Ghoſt doth for this end uſe ſuch expreſſions, that we ſhould attribute all to God, be debaſed in our ſelves, ſaying, Not unto us Lord, not to our free-will or our power, but to thy Name be all glorie.
Thirdly, All thoſe places prove this, which take all ability of good from man, and attribute it wholly to God: So our Saviour likeneth every man out of 3.him to a Branch ſeparated from the Vine John 15. The Branch out of the Vin… can bring forth no fruit; Thus every man out of Chriſt: Hence our Saviour concludes, Without me ye can do nothing. He doth not ſay, You cannot do any great thing, but nothing: And again, 2 Cor. 3. the Apoſtle ſaith, We are not ſufficient of our ſelves to think one thought, viz. In reference to the good either of others, or of our ſelves. Thus you ſee how man is made utterly impotent. Well, then ſee thoſe places that poſitively attribute all to God; Its God that works in us both to will and to do. You ſee all is given to him. And again, What haſt thou that thou haſt not received? But above all, how plain is this Rom. 9. Its not of him that willeth, or him that runneth, but of God that ſheweth mercy. This is a noble place, for who is likely to have it, but him that willeth, or that runneth? yet it is not of him, but of him that ſheweth mercy; whereas if Free-will, or mans power had any co-partnerſhip in this work, we might as well ſay, Its not of him that ſheweth mercy, but of him that willeth or runneth. So that this Doctrine robs God of all that honour and glory that is due to him both in the prayers and praiſes of his people. For how will the Patrons of Natures Free-will deport themſelves in this Duty? Muſt they not in effect come to this? Lord, I pray thee mollifie and ſoften my heart, if I will. Again, Lord I praiſe thee, that thou gaveſt me an heart to repent, when I conſented and was willing; And is not all this highly derogatory to Gods glory? This made profound Bradwardine encourage himſelf to write againſt P…lagius, becauſe he could heartily pray for the grace of God to help him in that work, whereas his adverſaries could not do ſo.
Laſtly, If ſo be that the will and power of man, did make grace effectual to 4.us, ſo that Gods grace ſhould not take away our ſtonineſſe, till we conſented, Then the greateſt glory of a mans Converſion would belong to him: For we may ſuppoſe God offering grace equally to the ſame men; They both live in the ſame Family, both under the ſame Miniſtery. Now what is the cauſe why one receiveth the Word, and not the other? Shall we ſay, becauſe he by his free-will entertained the grace of God, and not the other? What derogation would this be to Gods glory? Doth not the Apoſtle ſay, Who hath made thee to differ from another? 1 Cor. 4. 7. Why was Peter converted, and not Judas? They both enjoyed the ſame means, they both ſaw the ſame wonderful miracles: Shall any man ſay, Becauſe Peter uſed his free-will well, and not Judas? This were to make Peter no more beholding to Chriſt then Judas was. Oh a gracious heart knoweth not how to digeſt ſuch preſumptuous opinions! God made me to differ from others, By the grace of God I am what I am. So then, have all theſe arguments in your eyes, they are plain and eaſie; and then though error be never ſo ſubtilly painted, yet it will not make you inamoured with it, eſpecially if to all theſe places of Scripture, thou canſt ſet to thy own experience of Gods wonderful change upon thee. Art not thou able to ſay, That though ten thouſand teachers ſhould come and preach free-will, yet thine own experience in thy Converſion will make thee not believe it, for thou wert ſo farre from conſenting or agreeing to the work of grace, that all thy ſhifts and care was how to put off the work of God? How often didſt thou labour to blinde thy own eyes, to harden thy own heart, how unwilling to be convinced, how ſorry to part with thy dear luſts, how often didſt thou put off and defer; ſaying, Yet a little more and ſtill a little more, that had not God by his mighty power opened thy heart, made thee of unwilling willing, to this very day thou hadſt ſtill been wallowing in thy bloud!
Uſe of Inſtruction. Concerning a three-fold duty: 1. Of deep debaſement Uſe▪and humiliation, How vain, weak and unprofitable are we become? Of rich to become pooor, of honourable to become debaſed, is nothing to this; of holy and altogether holy, to become altogether ſinful: Oh why doth not this wound thee? Is there any room left for pride, carnal jollity; and confidence, while in this polluted eſtate?
2. Of daily thankfulneſſe to God, who hath put forth his great power on thee; Oh call upon thy ſoul, and all within thee, to ſpeak for the grace of God.
3. Here is encouragement to pray to God for the ſubduing of any ſtrong corruptions or paſſions: He that did the greater, take away the heart of ſtone at firſt; cannot he do the leſſe?