Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Section 16
SECT. 16.
NOw if wee looke to what is done, Rom 3.12. Seven degrees to be con…idered in the perfecting of every good worke. Whereof not any one is in manspower the is not ableand that by man left to himſelfe, we find it moſt true which is ſaid: There is none that doth good, no not one. Yea and if we looke into Gods Word, we ſhall find the Scriptures ſtrangely to diſable the beſt of us all, beeing conſidered of and in our ſelves, and left to our owne ſtrength, For whereas there are Seven degrees to be conſidered, in the effecting o… …ny good thing (as ſome …ood Divines have obſer…ed) 1, The accompliſhing …r perfecting of it, 2. The …oing or working of the …hing required. 3. The be…inning to doe it, 4. To …peake that which is good, …. To will, deſire, and chuſe …, 6. To underſtand it, 7. To …hinke it, we ſhall find, that …ot ſo much as the leaſt of …heſe can be aſcribed to our …wne power without Gods …peciall grace.
1. To perfect, finiſh, 1 To Perfect it.or performe a good worke throughly ſo as to anſwer our deſire and purpoſe, or …o perſevere in a good work …o the end; is not from us, …ut from God; For it is God, Phil. 1, 6.who having begun a good worke in you (ſaith Paul to the Philippians) will performe it untill the day of Ieſus Chriſt. So Paul concerning himſelfe, to will is preſent with me, but how to performe that which is good (that is▪ how fully to finiſh it) I find not. Rom. 7.18.Yea men cannot finiſh their owne evill worke alwayes according to their intent; how much Ieſſe good workes, Gen. 50.20.as Ioſephs Brethren; they thought evill againſt him, but God ment it unto good; and ſo overreached them, ſo that they came ſhort of their purpoſe;) So Paul going towards Damaſcus, with a purpoſe to fetch thence, and bring bound to Ieruſalem the Diſciples of Chriſt, Act. 9.1.2. Yet was taken ſhort in the way, fell downe; and in ſtead of finiſhing his own wicked intent, hee is turned …o the Obedience of Chriſt, …ot to doe or finiſh his own will, but Chriſts; ſaying: Lord, Acts 9.6.what wilt thou have mee …o doe?
2. 2 To doe itWe cannot ſo much as …oe that which is good without Chriſt, yea unleſſe we be ingrafted into him: as …he Branch cannot beare …ruit of it ſelfe, Iohn 15.4, 5except it a…ide in the vine; no more can …ee, except yee abide in me; For without mee (or ſevered from …ee) yee can doe nothing. The …ay of man is not in himſelfe, it is not in man that walketh …o direct his ſteppes, Ier. 10 23. …. 10 23. Pro. 16.9.A mans heart may deviſe his way, but the Lord directeth his ſteps.
We may know (as in my Text) what to doe, but we, …s of our ſelves are not able to doe according to our knowledge; Therefore prayeth David; ſaying, not only; Teach me the way of th… Statutes, and give me underſtanding, Pſal. 119.33, 34, 35.but make mee to go… in the path of thy Commandements. For wee are of our ſelves not onelyonly blind, bu… lame; and God muſt teach us, not only to know, but … doe; Pſal. 143.10.Therefore ſaid David againe: Teach mee to doe th… will. Wee have that in us which till it be removed, hinders us from doing that which otherwiſe we would doe.
For the fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit. Gal. 5.17. Rom. 7.…9.So that (ſaith Paul) yee cannot doe the things th… yee would. So hee himſelf… found it; The good that I would (ſaith he) I doe not. Iſa. 26.12.… therefore ought bee done that is good; It is God th… worketh (as formerly is ſaid) …ll our workes for us and in us.
3 To begin a good work, 3 To begin it. Phil. 1.6.is not from us (though we …urpoſe it) but from the Lord; It is hee that begin…eth a good worke in us.
4 To ſp…ake what wee have thought on and pre…ared, 4 To ſpeak good.is alſo from the Lord …nd not from us; For ſo wi…e …alomon concerning them …oth: The preparation of the …eart in man and the anſwer …f the Tongue, Pro. 16.1.is from the Lord; And who (what mi…iſter eſpecially) finds it not …hus?
5 As we cannot doe, or …peake and utter; 5 To will it.ſo can we …ot ſo much as will any …hing truly and ſpiritually good, as not our owne Converſion or Salvation; For It … God (ſaith Paul to the Philippians) which worket… in you both to will and to doe; Phil. 2.13.But of this more large… anon.
6 How ſhould man wi… that which is good, 6 To conceive it.as … himſelfe, when hee cann… ſo much as underſtand o… perceive it; For ſo wee are taught: 1 Cor. 2.14.The naturall man receiveth not the things of … Spirit of God, for they are fo… liſhnes unto him; neither … he know them, becauſe they … ſpiritually diſcerned; Rom, 8.7.Yea th… carnall minde is enmity againſt God.
7 Laſtly, 7 To thinke it. 2 Cor. 3.…. 1 Cor. 3.19, 20. Pſal. 94.Nay hee cannot thinke any thing that i… good; So Paul: We are no… ſufficient of our ſelves to thinke any thing as of ou… ſelves, but our ſufficiency i… from God; Yea mans be… thoughts are vaine; the wiſdome of the World is fooliſhneſſe with God; And, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wiſe that they are vaine.
All theſe put together: what is it that man is able as of himſelfe to doe, without Gods ſpeciall and effectuall grace, eſpecially in the matter of Converſion, Repentance, Faith, &c.