Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Section 28 – Section 29
SECT. 28.
SEcondly, Such precepts are not in vaine, in regard of the elect. 1. Vnconverted, who thus: 1. Are taught to deny themſelves, and fiye to Chriſt.the Elect may be conſidered firſt as unconverted; And firſt then, ſuch Exhortations and Cōmands are not in vaine; …inaſmuch, 1. As they prove to be the meanes of their Converſion; whileſt ſeeing▪ …hereby, and finding (upon …riall) their own impotency …o doe the thing required, …nd conſequently their mi…ery if the things be not done, they are forced to fly …ut of themſelves, to ſeeke …elpe where helpe may be …ad, and that is from Chriſt … who is alſo preached and …ffered to ſuch as thus …roaning under their owne …urthen ſeeke and come to …im for eaſe, Mat. 11.28. …ome unto mee all yee that la…ur and are heavy laden, &c.) thus the very Law is …id to be our Schoolema…er to Chriſt, Gal. 3.24.ſeeing it …oves a preparation to Converſion, by accident, yet by Gods ſingular providence towards his electones, who in a manner are forced to acknowledge their own unrighteouſneſſe and impotency, to deſpair of themſelves, and to ſeeke righteouſneſſe and life i… Chriſt the redeemer by Faith, Gal. 3.21. & 22.according to that: … there had beenè a Law give… which could have given life ver…y, righteouſneſſe ſho… have beene by the Law. But to Scripture hath concluded … under finne, that the prom… by Faith of Ieſus Chriſt mi… be given to them that believ…
This then teacheth the… what eſpecially to beg … Gods hand, And to ſeek help where it only may be had.namely, there newing of their nature b… his power; Yea and ſtirre… them up to beg the ſame to pray for grace, and to uſe all good meanes beſides, as the Word and Sacraments whereby they might attaine to ſaving and effectuall grace.
Thus God bids his people turne unto him, ſaying: Ezck. 33.11.Turne yee, turne yee from your evill wayes, for why will yee dye Oh houſe of Iſrael? And they pray to him now (ſenſible of their owne inability) ſaying: Lam. 5.21Turne thou us …ob Lord, and we ſhalbe turned. Let us runne, Heb. 12.1. 1 Cor. 9.24.ſaith the Apoſtle, with patience the …ace that is ſet before us: And, ſo runne that yee may obtaine; Now the affection of Gods people is expreſſed in that of David: Pſ. 119.32.I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou ſhalt enlarge my …eart; And by that of the Church: Cant. 1.4.Draw me, and we will runne after thee.
Thus againe David ſpeaking to God: Pſal. 119.4.5.Thou haſt commanded us to keepe thy precepts diligently. (It ſeemes then it is in our power ſo to doe; No, therefore hee knowing his own impotency, flyes to God, by prayer, ſaying:) O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy ſtatuter; And, thus the Imperative in Scripture doth not beget the Potentiall, but only the optative.
Hence, Da Domine quod jubes, & jube quod vis, & non fruſtra ſubebis. Au. de bono perſever. ca 20.S. Auſtin: Lor… give mee power to doe wh… thou commandeſt, then conmand and require of me wh… thou pleaſeſt, and thou ſh… not require it in vaine. And accordingly it may be noted, that there is not any thing required of us in all Gods Commandements, …oth Legall and Evangeli…all, but for the effect of it, …ve are directed, enjoyned, …nd called upon to ſeeke …he ſame of God by prayer, …n ſome or other of the pe…tions of the Lords Prayer; …s might be at large decla…ed, and as I elſewhere have …hewed; So that if God …quire our obedience, as every where hee doth both for matter and manner, ſay …ng, So ſpeake yee, Iam. 2 12.and ſo doe …ee, &c. And here: Happy are yee if yee doe them. This ſhould but ſtirre us up to pray, as in the Lords prayer: Thy will bee done in Earth as it is in Heaven; Pſa. 143.10and as David prayeth, Teach mee to doe …hy will, for thou art my God Wee may then very truely ſay, that for God thus to require of us things to us impoſſible, is a very grea… Benefit, becauſe it is the way for us to attaine to a poſſibility and power to doe what he commands.
SECT. 29.
ANd this now is ſecondly to be conſidered, 2 Are indeed converted.tha… by ſuch Exhortations and Commands the Elect are indeed converted. Seeing theſe are Sanctified of God as meanes to this end, Such precepts and exhortations being ſanctified of God as means of convertion. Heb. 4 12£and as inſtruments by which the Holy ghoſt renewes the will, and doth convert it… for by the meanes of ſuch his precepts and Exhortations the Holy Ghoſt uſet… to ſhew forth its power i… the Converſion of ſinners With his Commandement and Exhortations God …oucheth the heart, and openeth it, to attend, to re…eive the Word, and to …bey it, as in thoſe converts, Acts 2.37. and in Lydia, Acts 16.14. Yea with his Word (which is operative) he gives grace, ſtrength, and power, Acts 3.6.7. & 12.16.and himſelfe performes …hat which hee requires. As when Peter ſaid to the lame man: Riſe up and walke; Immediatly his feete and ancle …ones received ſtrength, and be leaped up ſtood and walked, &c. But by whoſe power? His owne? Nay, not by the power of Peter, much leſſe by his owne power; But onelyonly by the name and power of Jeſus, who wrought with Peters word. Thus Chriſt cryed to Lazarus, who had beene dead foure dayes, ſaying, Lazarus come forth, But what power had dead Lazarus ſo to doe? Yet Lazarus, even hee that was dead, came forth, &c. He aroſe from the dead (as wee ſhall all doe hereafter) but not by his owne power, but Chriſts Yet the riſing is aſcribed unto him, though the power by which hee aroſe was onelyonly Chriſts. So wee are taught to preach and ſpeak even to ſuch as are dead in ſinne, and to ſay to them: Awake thou that ſleepeſt, Epheſ. 5.14.and ariſe from the dead. And yet though they bee dead, our exhortation is not in vaine, where it pleaſeth God to make it effectuall (whoſe Spirit as the winde, bloweth and, worketh where it will, in every one that is borne of God, Joh. 3.8.) & Chriſt gives unto them Light and Life.
This at once ſhewes that …uch precepts and exhorta…ons doe neither imply any …ower in us, now as of our …lves, to Convert, Repent, …d to Beleeve, and do well, …hough wee are ſaid to …onvert, Repent, and Be…ve) neither are they in …ine, ſeeing though God …quire, that which is im…ſſible to us, yet he gives … power to us to doe that …ich he requires; namely, Repent and Beleeve, and …obey; this hee doth in … here, and will fully …iſh and perfect in his …od time hereafter.