The Covenant of Life Opened, Part 1 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. The differences of externall and internall Covenanting. 2. No Universall Grace, Rom. 10.18. Psal. 19.3. nor in Scripture. 3. Nor power of beleeving to all given by Christ.
HEnce, the clear differences betwixt the externall visible and Nationall Covenanting of the people of old,Considerable differences between externall and internall Covenanters. when they were brought out of the Land of Aegypt; And the internall and personall (though it may be visible also) Covenanting with God.
1. This under the New Testament is a new Covenant, and all the old shadows are abolished▪ The former is the old.
2. This is with the house of Israel and Judah chosen persons, and so personall with single men. You shall not give a Nation, Kingdom, or Land, with which the Covenant internally is so made, as if all and every one, without exceptions, must know the Lord savingly (what may be the converted Jews case, whether the whole body of them, all and every one shall be visible, real, and personall Covenanters, as the place, Rom. 11.26. seems to say, I cannot determine) and all and every one be saved; for then must all the visible house of Israel be saved, and not the chosen only.
3. The visible externall Covenant was broken, Jer. 31.32. The other personall and internall is never broken.
4. The promise of a new heart is really fulfilled, in all the persons and single branches of the house of Judah, so that all and every one are taught of God, none excepted, Jer. 31.33, 34. Isa. 54.13. Joh. 6.45. not so in the visible externall Covenant, if it be but externall: not any is taught of God, but all are taught of men.
5. The reall personall Covenant is everlasting, like that Covenant with the Moon and Stars; 2. The night and the day; 3. Of the motion of the Sea, Jer. 31.35, 36, 37. There is perseverance absolutely promised, Jer. 32.40. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good. Its sure in Gods part, for he changeth not. Nay, but we change and turn away from God, he obviats that: I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Personal Covenanters cannot fall away: but Nationall, conditionall, and visible Covenanters may.So Isai. 54.10. Isa. 59.21. but all such as Nationally, visibly only, and in profession only, are in Covenant, may fall away.
6. Jer. 31.…. Behold … day … come saith the Lord, that the City shall be built to the …, &c. There is a promise of spirituall right in Christ made to the blessings of this life, to these that are personall Covenanters; As Jer. 32.4…. Ezek. 11.17, 18, 19. Ezek. 36.26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33. Ezek. 37.24, 25, 26. Ezek. 34.23, 24, 25, 26, 27. which promise, though not rep…ted in the New Testament, when the Prophesies of … cited, Heb. 8.8. Heb. 10.16, 17. but of purpose …, because the promise of temporal blessings, is not so expresse … ▪ Yet▪ in other places of the New Testamant, it is clear that we have bread by Covenant-promise, Matth. 19▪ 20. 1 Tim. ….8. Heb. 13.… ▪ 6. 1 Pet. 3.10, 11, 12. which … only … Covenant externally, &c. These six differences are clear, Jer. 31.33, &c. so that it is evident that all and every one of the Visible Church are not really and personally confederates, so that though the Lord say to both: I will be their God, and they shall be my people, yet not one and the same way.
Hence there is no ground at all, nor truth in what Arminians say,The Covenant of grace is not made with all and every one of mankinde. that the Cov…ant of Grace is made with all and every one of mankind, as was the Covenant of Works. For this must be true, that in Paradice, the Covenant of Grace was made with Adam, and all his seed: But a Covenant so universall ought to be proclaimed to all the …, but thus was not: For the Lord published and made it to Abraham and his seed, and the Lord choised Israel above all the people on earth,Psal. 147.19▪ 20. Deut. 5.1, 2, 3. Deut. 7.6. Deut. 10.15. and shewed his judgements and statutes to them & not to other Nations: And therefore there can be no subjejective revealing of Christ, by universall grace, given to Heathen and all others, and by an objective revealing of Christ in the works of Creation, the heaven and earth, night and day, as some teach, citing the Ps. 29.1, 2.
For so 1. God choised Americans, Indians, and all the wild Savages to be his people, as well as he choised the Jews: and if the sound of the Gospel went out to the ends of the earth, that is, to all and every one,There is no universall revealing of CHRIST to Americans and to all mankind; which is either subjective, by a power or universall grace given to all, or which is objective, by the light of nature, in the works of Creatiō pointing out Christ as the place Psal. 19 4. mistaken is cited. as they expound, Psal. 19.3, 4. Rom. 10.18. then it must be the purpose of David and Paul, that the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace, and of Christ crucified, by whose alone name men are saved, and by whom only … come to the Father, Acts 4.1…. John 14.6. is written in the Firmament, which must declare the glory of God manifested in the flesh, day unto day, and must preach Christ crucified to all Nations, who see the Sun rise and go down; …or sure that sound, Psal. 19.4. goeth through all the earth. Sure Paul must give a dark interpretation, Rom. 10. of that Psalm, …. 2. If the hearing, Rom. 10.18. (but I say have they not heard?) be the hearing of God Creator, his sounding … in the Firmament, Night, Day and Sun, as it is Psal. … ▪ by all that see the Sunne, and also the hearing of the joyfull sound of Christ Preached in the Gospel, written and objectively … in Sun and Moon, Night and Day, as Amyrald and his do expound it; Then may all that see the Sun call upon the name of the Lord revealed in Christ, and believe in Christ (for of their beleef Moses speaks, Deut. 30.14. and Paul, Rom. 10.9, … ▪) and all have the benefite of the Preached Gospel, and sent Prophets▪ whose feet are beautifull upon the mountains, publishing … of peace, vers. 15. as Nah. 1.15. Isai. 52.7. and …ll that see the Sunne are the same way saved by Jesus Christ, that Jewes and Gentiles are, who hear the Gospel. But Paul strangely crosseth this, How shall they call upon him (as God reveal… i… Christ) in whom they believe not? foreign How shal they … him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a Preacher? And how shall they preach except they be …? Now if the sound of the Preached Gospel be to be heard in the Firmament, Sun rising and going down (as Amyrald and some Libertines do say, whom I heard Preach the same thing at London) Paul might receive an easie and a short answer: The Gospel of Christ crucified written on the Firmament Sun and night and day,The place, Psal 1….4. vindicated is as lawfull an Ordinance, and a book upon which Americans, and all that see the same, may read the glad tydings of salvation, and so may call upon, and beleeve in God, and winne and earn, by … industrie, and hearing of the Gospel by sent Preachers, as the Preached Word of God, and therefore Paul cannot deny but faith comes by hearing of some other Preacher then a Gospel-Preacher or one that is sent; for Paul, Rom. 1.16, 17, 18, 19. and David, Psal. 19.1, 2, 3. — v. 7, 8, 9. distinguish the two Books.
There is not such an Objection dreamed as Amyrald imagines of Rom. 10.18. If God will have mercy on the Gentiles, how is it that they have not heard the Gospel? For the Lord hath not declared his minde to them. He answers: God did not so keep up his good will to the Gentiles in former times, but by the Ministery of the Heavens, ac veluti voce providentiae, and as it were by the preaching of the Word of Providence he spake to them: which things should be spoken to no purpose by Paul, if they be understood of a revelation of God as Creator only, and not as Redeemer: for what hath that revelation to do with the Gospel? Therefore Calvine (saith he) speaketh of the revelation by the creatures preparatory to the Gospel. It is true there is an Objection in these words, v. 18. But I say have they not heard? A learned Countrey-man, Charles Fermin: Carol. Fermaeus in Analys ad Romanos, c. 10. p. 205.But the Israelites (saith he) have not heard the Gospel? Then if faith be from hearing, and saving calling upon God be from faith, then believing Israelites shall be of the number of them that call upon the name of the Lord, and shall be saved. He not only yeelds that the Israelites have heard, but he confirms it from Psal. 19. Yea their sound, &c. It is an argument à minore, The true Exposition of the place Psal. 19 4. by our Interpreters.from the lesse to the more, The whole world hath heard of God, either by the preaching of the creatures from the beginning, or by the Apostles in the revealed Gospel, far more then the Jewes to whom the Oracles of God were committed, and to whom first the Gospel must be preached, have heard: And therefore not all that hear do believe (though faith come by hearing) nor do all call upon God and are saved. So Pet. Martyr: so Calvin, P. Martyr. in loc. Deus, ut inquit Psalm…s, voluit notitiam suam naturalem per creaturas coelestes publicari in universum orbem: Ergo & Euangelium curavit identidem evulgari. Quomodo igitur potestis dicere, vos Judaei, non audivisse? — Ra…io à pari, vel à minores Si haec minus digne, an altera longe salubrior & utilior non publicatur?Hyperius, Faius. It's not strange that the Gospel is preached to the Gentiles: for God spake to them by the knowledge of the creature. Pareus observes that Paul cites not the place, Psal. 19. and saith not, As it is written, but alludes to it only.
Spanhemius. If it be well said that the sound of the heavens is gone to the end of the world,Spanhemius in Sectio. 35 that may be said truly of the Preaching of the Gospel. Junius to that sense. But 1. the place saith not that God called with a will,Amyrald p. 1426, 1427. to save the Gentiles: The Scripture saith, he winked at them, and called them not, Acts 14.16. But now God commandeth all men every where to repent, Acts 17.30. and he revealed not his Testimonies to them.Junius, par. 18. Now was not the same Gospel-book in the Pages of the works of Creation, as legible to the Gentiles before, as after the coming of Christ in the flesh? Nor can the Gospel which never came to the ears of many Indians and millions of people, it being to them a non ens, and an un-heard of Doctrine, explain the book of Creation; as the thing that shadows out Christ, as the New Testament clears the Types of the Old: Nor doth the Scripture any where tell us, what work of Creation or Providence, expresseth Christs dying for our sins, rising for our righteousnesse: Nor doth the Scripture tell us of an Embleme, in nature, of God Incarnate, of the Man Christ in glory pleading at the right hand of God for us;I have mercy on whom I will, Is a Gospel-truth in the Old and New Test. of perpetuall verity. And no doubt, the Lords naturall desires of saving all, calling and inviting all to Repentance▪ of Christs dying for all, his naturall willingnesse that all and every one should obey, do not ebbe and waxe and decrease, as the Sea and Moon do, and therefore his taking such a course with all the Gentiles, that no word of the Covenant comes to their ears, so that then at that time, they were without Christ, being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenant of promise, foreign. Exo. 33.19.having no hope, and without God in the world, Eph. 2.12. And in time past were no people (in Covenant) and had not obtained mercy, 1 Pet. 2.9, 10. and were far off, Acts 2.39. must evince, that the sense of the Gospel was not written in Sunne and Moon; and the book of Creation is not the Gospel; and therefore he hath been shewing that the Gentiles were not in Covenant before the Incarnation,foreign and since no word of the Gospel comes to millions now, they are yet not in Covenant. And this is a Gospel-truth now, that stands after the Incarnation, as before, Rom. 9.18. He hath therefore mercy upon whom he will, and hardens whom he will. And he said it in the Old Testament, Exod. 33.19. and repeateth it to us, Rom. 9.15. I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion. And if any man say that he hath the like antecedent naturall good-will, to save eternally all these whom he calleth and moveth finally to obey, and the greatest part of mankind whom he so moveth and calleth as he knoweth they shall never obey, whereas he can move all finally to obey, without straining their naturall liberty: He speaks things that cannot consist with both the wisedom and liberty of God.
And if amongst these to whom the word of the Covenant comes,If the Covenant be made with Heathens, they must be the chosen people of God as well as Israel. some are externally only, and never saved, Matth. 22.14. Rom. 9.6, 7. Others internally personally and really in Covenant and saved; why but some may be neither wayes in Covenant, if they never heard the word of the Covenant, and if the Heathen and Americans were under the Covenant of Grace Preached to them in that sound, that goes to the end of the world. Why, but Moab, Ammon, and Assyrians, Philistines, Chaldeans, Persians, are the Israel of God, his chosen people, his Sion, and must not the principall promise of the Covenant be made to them? and are we not to beleeve that God will write his Law in the hearts of Cain, Pharaoh, Saul, Doeg, Ahab, Judas, Magus, and of Moabites, Ammonites, Aegyptians, and of all and every one of mankinde, if they be in Covenant with him? Contrair to Psa. 147.19, 20. Hos. 8.12. Exo. 20.1.
Neither can it be said, that all mankind have received a subjective power to beleeve and receive Christ holden forth in the Gospel to us, Printed to be read and heard in the book of Creation, called the objective Gospel, If such a power of beleeving be given to all. 1. All must be renewed by grace.as Adam had power to fulfill the first Covenant, for Adam had the Image of God concreated in his soul by which he was able to fulfill the Law, then must they give us a Scripture to prove that all Adams sons are converted, and restored to the Image of God, born over again, for by no other power but by a new heart, and the actings of God, can men beleeve the Gospel objective, or come to Christ, and do good works Evangelicall by which they are justified, and if it be a remote power that may grow,Job. 6.44, 45. it is not the like power which Adam had to keep the Law.2 CHRIST died in vain 2. This power is either naturall, or supernaturall: Naturall it cannot be, for then flesh and blood might beleeve, and the wisedom of the flesh might be subject to the Law of God, which the Scripture denies, Mat. 16.16, 17. Rom. 8.7. 2. There should be no need that Christ die, except only to satisfie for our breach of the Law, not to purchase new grace to us by his merits, and such a power should be no grace of Christ. If it be a supernaturall grace merited by Christ, then have Pagans, and all the Heathen that supernaturall inherent grace to beleeve in the Son of God, and yet the object thereof, the Gospel is not revealed to them, which is an incongruous dispensation not warranted by the Scripture, that the Lord should give a supernaturall power, to beleeve they know not what. 2. A supernaturall power to beleeve is saving grace, and a power to love Christ, and can saving grace be in Pagans or in any, and they know not of it? 3. Yea sins of Pagans, for which they are condemned, must be the Gospel-sins, for they cannot be Law-sins, for if all mankind be under the Covenant of grace, there can none at all be under the Law: For there can be none under the Covenant of Works, and also under the Covenant of Grace, for they are contrair dispensations, and contrair wayes of salvation. He who is under the Law is not under Grace, and he who is under Grace, is married to Christ, as to another Husband, Rom. 7.4. and not under the Law.
3. Grace saving must be ineffectuall & in vain.3. Saving grace is not in vain, but effectuall, 1 Corinth. 15.10. 1 Tim. 1.14. And wee are saved by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 15.11. and no greater mercy can be wished to any, then the grace of our Lord Jesus, Rom. 16.20. 2 Cor. 13.14. Rev. 22.21. by which we are called, justified and glorified. If it be said that this grace is not that effectuall saving grace, bestowed upon the Elect, but a generall remote gracious power, by which we may acquire the saving grace proper to the Elect. But so 1. that grace saving proper to the Elect by this means is in the power of all Pagans, and all must be gifted with a power to purchase that grace proper to the Elect: That must be strange conquishing, we must all be made our own efficacious Redeemers, and Christ is a Saviour by merit, not by efficacy; For if this saving grace be infused, it is either infused, we doing nothing to which they cannot stand:4 The nature of saving grace, the ends & uses of the dying of CHRIST, must be destroyed. Or then it is acquired, and so we make the generall grace saving and proper to the Elect, which everteth the nature of saving grace, and makes it the purchase of works. And they must say that Christ hath merited a generall ineffectuall power to some, and that he dyed to merit a speciall saving grace to others. Let us have a warrant for this, that Christ both died equally to save all, and yet with two contrary intentions, to purchase a power of believing which should be effectuall to some to save them, and ineffectuall to others. If it be said that Christ dyed to merite the same generall power to all, but some make it ineffectuall, some not; This saith thus. 1. That Christs death might have it's fruit and effect, though all perish. 2. That Christ dyed to merite a far off, lubrick and possible venture of heaven, such as was the case of the first Adam. 3. Christ dyed not to purchase a new heart more to one then to another, whereas 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. the blood the Lord shed is to Redeem us from our vain conversation, Christs blood was shed, to buy us frō our vain conversation, as well as frō wrath, and this sutes not with Pagans state.in a naturall state aswell as to save us from the wrath to come; Then must Christ have died to buy Pagans from Paganism and Idolatry: and that either absolutely, and then why should multitudes so die in their sins? If conditionally, what can be the condition going before conversion, to wit, that we should be delivered from our vain conversation, so we be willing, before our conversion, to be delivered from our vain conversation. And shall not the Question recur concerning that condition? In a word they will have Christs death to buy Heaven, but not to buy faith, without which Heaven is impossible. Yea he no more bought to men a grace sweetly and strongly inclining the will to believe, then he bought such a grace to the damned devils.Remonstr. in Decla. c. 17. thes. 1. Deus statuit hujusmodi potentiam conferre homi…i peccatori perquam idoneus & aptus redderetur ad id …ne praestandum quod ab…o in Euangelio postulatur. Remonstr. in Synod. Dordrac. Art. 2. p. 327. Mediate vel immedia…e DEVM omnes vocare. He purposed to give to all Pagans a power by which they should be made fit to perform all that the Gospel requires, and be fit to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints, Col. 1. And yet Paul gives thanks to God for that bestowed on the Colossians, and God must by this call all men to Christ, either mediately or immediately. And say that God is prepared ever to give more and more as we use the former well,Corvinus contra Molin. cap. 31. sect. 15. Deum sempersecundum se para…um esse ad eandem uberiorem gratiam promovendam in iis qui parciore recte utuntur. and that all by sufficient grace (saith Corvinus) are disposed to conversion, but that sufficiency is not habituall grace, but actuall assistance conveying the Preached Word, which is to bring all to free-wills power, rejecting all infused power, and to make an influence of grace, which is in the power of free will to use or not to use, and to stand in two. 1. In a measure of heavenly Doctrine. 2. In the stirring upon the heart; Whence 1. Grace habituall so is denyed; then the will needeth no healing. 2. Grace universall is limited to the Word Preached, then it is not universall; For Pagans hear not the Word Preached. 3. There is no other help given to free-will in every act, but 1. Information by the Word, that was the grace of Pelagius. 2. Some influence of God in every act: But that addes not new strength to the will.Free-will doth all. Shortly they say, Any man may know, understand and believe the Gospel, if the object be sufficiently proposed and revealed. And so the naturall man can no more know and receive the things of the Gospel,Corv. cont. Moli. cap. 3…. sect. …. Quicquid de sufficientia (gratiae) dicimus, monemus assistentiae spiritus nobis tribui: minime vero habitualem gratiam quae omnibus communis sit à nobis statui. Sect. 29. Non est potentia infusa. Cap. 32. Secundum Concilia & Patres intelligimus tale gratiae adjutorium, quod ad singulos actus detur, cujus auxilio nititur, & ad singula adjuvetur liberum arbitrium. then he can understand the Metaphysicks, the Acromaticks of Aristotle: for these he cannot receive, but judgeth them folly; And so we are the same way blind, dead, stony-hearted to believe the Gospel, as we are to know and believe the mysteries of Aristotles Philosophy.
Lastly, this power of believing and coming to Christ cannot be in all men, since the Scripture saith of all men (even these within the Visible Church not excepted) that untill the light of the Gospel savingly enlighten them, they sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death, Isa. 9.1. Math. 4.15, 16. And foreign No man can come to Christ without the Fathers drawing, and God teaching the heart, Joh. 6.44, 45. The naturall man, foreign, cannot understand the things of God, but judges them foolishnesse. 1 Cor. 2.14. His wisedome cannot be subject to the Law of God. Rom. 8.7. He cannot (foreign) call the Lord, Jesus, except by the Spirit of Jesus, 1 Cor. 12.3. He is a withered branch being out of Christ, and can do nothing, Joh. 15.3.4. It shall be clear to any, that the Holy Ghost denyeth any such power, as they affirm. It reckons not much to tell that Jesuites,Martmez. de Ripul. de Ente supernat. Lib. 1. Dis. 20. N. 57. Suarez, lib. 1. de necessi. gratiae c. 4. per totum. Curiel in 12 q 109. Art. 2. N. 1. Duvallius, Tract. de necess. gratiae, Q 1. Art. 2 Molina de Concor. Q. 14▪ Art. 13. Disp. 9. per totum. Did. Ruiz. Tom. de volinider. Tom. de Praed…fini. Vasquez 12. Disp. 138. Bellar. De grat. & libe. arbit. Lib. 6. c. 13. & per totum. Gamachaeus in 12 Q. 85. Cap. 1. & seq. Estius Lib. 2. Dist. 41. Sect. 1. Sect. 2. & seq. Tolet. Com. …n Ioan. 6. in Rom. 14. Pirer. in Rom. 8. & Rom. 14. Remonst. in Scriptis Synod. Art. 4. p. 158, 159. as Martmez de Ripul. Swarez, Alphonsus Curiel, Duvallius, Lod. Molma, Did. Ruiz, Vasquez, Bellarmine, Phili. Samachaeus, Sorbonicus, Gulie. Estius, Dominica, Toletus Cardinalis, Pirerius, Salmeron, teach that, without saving grace, men may, and can first know morall truths, shining vertues, as heathens, be free of sin, as touching these vertues in their due circumstances. 2. Keep the Commandements and Law of Nature. 3. Dispose themselves for, and obtain the grace of Conversion by their own industrie. 4. Be victo…rious over this or that weighty temptation singly taken. 5. That there is no intrinsecall hurt of free-will, that it is wounded a little, because of the darknesse of the mind, and langour of nature, but not dead to actions supernaturall. 6. That we may love God as the Author of nature, and Creator sincerelie; And Arminians teach that we may without the Spirit of God know all truth, quantum sufficit ad salutem, sufficiently to salvation, and so may will, love, and beleeve without the infused supernaturall habit or grace, so their Apologie.
And the Socinian Catechism, c. 6. pag. 212. and Socinus himself, Praelect. Theol. Cap. 4. Fol. 15, 16. Et de officio hominis Christi: Cap. 5. Smalcius on Joh. 1. Hom. 3. Give to us manwhole, sound, sinlesse, as he came from the first Adam. 2. That man can do all that Cod commands him with little help of God. 3. Its an errour (saith Smalcius) that a man hath no strength in spirituall things,Smalcius con Fran…z. Disp. 8. Graviter halucinatur Fran…zius, dum ait, Hominem non renatum nihil posse in spiritualibus, nempe in sensu interno, in verbum divinum, in conversione ad Deum, in fide in illum. Catech. Raccov. c. 6. Nonne a… credendum Euangelio Sp. Sancti interiore dono opus est? Nullo modo: Neque in Scripturis legimus cuiquam id donum conferri nisi credenti. there is no need of the inward gift of the Spirit of God to beleeve (saith the Raccovian Catechism) for we read not that such a gift in Scripture is bestowed upon any but upon beleevers: such as are born of Adam (saith Socinus) are all born in the same condition,S…ci. Prael.0 Theol. c. 4 fol. 14. Qui ex Adamo nascuntur …adem conditi one omnes nascuntur, nihilque ei ademptum, quod naturaliter haberet vel habiturus esset. and nothing is taken from such a man, which he naturally hath or was to have. Ostorodius Justi. Relig. Christ. cap. 21. Praedicatio sola Euangelij potest hominem abs que interná Spiritus illuminatione, & operatione à peccatis convertere. The only Preaching of the Gospel without the inward illumination by the Holy Spirit, and his working is able to convert a man from sin. All which is Printed and taught, and many other abominable errours to us.
To this Objection against universall grace (as I judge unanswerable) Corvinus Answers, that all the places of Scripture brought to prove mans inability to beleeve in Christ, and to worship him, conclude well that a man hath not strength of himself without Christ and his grace;Corvinus contra Molin. cap. 34. Sect. 3. pag. 619. but this is but to cloud the truth, and to mock the reader, for if all and every man (even the Infants of Pagans) be in Covenant through Christ, and be made able by a gifted grace common to all, within, and without the Church, by which they are able by degrees to do all that the Gospel requires, what avails it to discourage them, and to tell, they are not masters of a good thought, without grace; for they are no lesse masters of good thoughts and good words, and of good actions then Adam was; for they are not hearers of the Gospel by nature, but as gifted with universall grace, they are hearers, and before their conversion, and before they receive the Spirit of Regeneration, can please God, and prepare themselves for Regeneration: Yea there is no animal and naturall Pagan de facto existing in the world (by their way) who cannot receive the things of God, and cannot come to Christ, except he be drawn, for all Pagans and others are drawn, and by this it might have been said, Adam as wanting supernaturall grace, and as a naturall man (for the Image of God was supernaturall grace to Adam, as Arminius and Corvinus teach) so, was not able to think a good thought, as 2 Cor. 3.5. nor able to receive the things of God, as the naturall man, 1 Cor. 2.14. and Adam so was also dead in trespasses and sins, and must come to Christ the same way, to wit, drawn by the grace super-added to nature, as we fallen sinners do.