removes the blindnefs of the judgment, opens the understanding, and rectifies both the judgment and confcience. So we confefs alfo, that confcience is an excellent thing, where it is rightly informed and enlightened: wherefore fome of us have fitly compared it to the lanthorn, and the The natural light of Chrift to a candle: a lanthorn is ufeful, confcience when a clear candle burns and fhines in it; but a lanthorn, otherwife of no ufe. To the light of Chrift then and the in the confcience, and not to man's natural con- Chrift to a science, it is that we continually commend men ; that, not this, is it which we preach up, and direct people to, as to a moft certain guide unto life eternal.

compared to

light of

candle.

Laftly, This light, feed, &c. appears to be no power or natural faculty of man's mind; because a man that is in his health can, when he pleases, ftir up, move, and exercife the faculties of his foul; he is abfolute mafter of them; and except there be fome natural caufe or impediment in the way, he can use them at his pleasure: but this light and feed of God in man he cannot move and ftir up when he pleaseth; but it moves, blows, and ftrives with man, as the Lord seeth meet. For though there be a poffibility of falvation to every man during the day of his vifitation, yet cannot a man, at any time when he pleafeth, or hath fome fenfe of his mifery, ftir up that light The wait and grace, fo as to procure to himfelf tenderness ing upon of heart; but he must wait for it: which comes of the light upon all at certain times and feafons, wherein it and grace. works powerfully upon the foul, mightily tenders it, and breaks it; at which time, if man refift it not, but clofe with it, he comes to know falvation by it. Even as the lake of Bethesda did not cure all those that washed in it, but fuch only as washed first after the angel had moved upon the waters; fo God moves in love to mankind, in this feed in his heart, at fome fingular times, fetting

the movings

his fins in order before him, and seriously inviting him to repentance, offering to him remiffion of fins and falvation; which if man accept of, he may be faved. Now there is no man alive, and I am confident there fhall be none, to whom this paper fhall come, who, if they will deal faithfully and honestly with their own hearts, will not be forced to acknowledge that they have been fenfible of this in fome measure, lefs or more; which is a thing that man cannot bring upon himself with all his pains and induftry. This then, O man or woman! is the day of God's gracious vifitation to thy foul, which if thou refift not, thou shalt be happy for ever. This is the day of Mat.24.27. the Lord, which, as Chrift faith, is like the lightning, which shineth from the east unto the west; John 3.8 and the wind or Spirit, which blows upon the heart, and no man knows whither it goes, nor whence it

comes.

Quef.7. §. XVII. And lastly, This leads me to fpeak concerning the manner of this feed or light's operation in the hearts of all men, which will fhew yet more manifeftly, how widely we differ from all those that exalt a natural power or light in man; and how our principle leads above all others to attribute our whole falvation to the mere power, fpirit, and grace of God.

To them then that afk us after this manner, How do ye differ from the Pelagians and Arminians? For if two men bave equal fufficient light and grace, and the one be faved by it, the other not; is it not because the one improves it, the other not? Is not then the will of man the cause of the one's falvation beyond The light's the other? I fay, to fuch we thus answer: That in order to as the grace and light in all is fufficient to fave falvation. all, and of its own nature would fave all; fo it

operations

ftrives and wrestles with all in order to fave them; he that refifts its striving, is the cause of his own condemnation; he that refifts it not, it becomes

his falvation: fo that in him that is faved, the working is of the grace, and not of the man; and it is a paffivenefs rather than an act; though afterwards, as man is wrought upon, there is a will raised in him, by which he comes to be a coworker with the grace: for according to that of Auguftine, He that made us without us, will not fave us without us. So that the first step is not by man's working, but by his not contrary working. And we believe, that at these fingular feafons of every man's visitation above-mentioned, as man is wholly unable of himself to work with the grace, neither can he move one step out of the natural condition, until the grace lay hold upon him; fo it is poffible for him to be paffive, and not to refift it, as it is poffible for him to refift it. So we fay, the grace of God works in and upon man's nature; which, though of itself wholly corrupted and defiled, and prone to evil, yet is capable to be wrought upon by the grace of God; even as iron, though an hard and cold metal of itself, may be warmed and foftened by the heat of the fire, and wax melted by the fun. And as iron or wax, when removed from the fire or fun, returneth to its former condition of coldness and hardness; so man's heart, as it refifts or retires from the grace of God, returns to its former condition again. I have often had the manner of God's working, in order to falvation towards all men, illuftrated to my mind by one or two clear examples, which I fhall here add for the information of others.

eafed man

The first is, of a man heavily difeafed; to whom The examI compare man in his fallen and natural condition. ple of a difI suppose God, who is the great phyfician, not and the phyonly to give this man phyfick, after he hath used fician. all the industry he can for his own health, by any skill or knowledge of his own; as thofe that fay, If a man improve his reafon, or natural faculties,

L 2

God

ple of men

fied in a dark pit,

God will fuperadd grace; or, as others fay, that he cometh and maketh offer of a remedy to this man outwardly, leaving it to the liberty of man's will either to receive it or reject it. But He, even the Lord, this great physician, cometh, and poureth the remedy. into his mouth, and as it were layeth him in his bed; fo that if the fick man be but paffive, it will neceffarily work the effect: but if he be stubborn and untoward, and will needs rife up and go forth

into the cold, or eat fuch fruits as are hurtful to him, while the medicine fhould operate; then, tho' of its nature it tendeth to cure him, yet it will prove destructive to him, because of thofe obftructions which it meeteth with. Now as the man that should thus undo himself would certainly be the cause of his own death; fo who will fay, that, if cured, he owes not his health wholly to the phyfician, and not to any deed of his own; feeing his part was not any action, but a paffiveness? The exam- The fecond example is, of divers men lying in lying ftupi- a dark pit together, where all their fenfes are fo stupified, that they are scarce fenfible of their own mifery. and their To this I compare man in his natural, corrupt, deliverer. fallen condition. I fuppofe not that any of these men, wrestling to deliver themselves, do thereby ftir up or engage one able to deliver them to give them his help, faying within himself, I fee one of thefe men willing to be delivered, and doing what in him lies, therefore be deferves to be affifted; as fay the Socinians, Pelagians, and Semi-Pelagians. Neither do I fuppofe that this deliverer comes to the top of the pit, and puts down a ladder, defiring them that will to come up; and fo puts them upon using their own ftrength and will to come up; as do the Jefuits and Arminians; yet, as they fay, such are not delivered without the grace; feeing the grace is that ladder by which they were delivered. But I fuppofe that the deliverer comes at certain times, and fully discovers and informs them of the great mifery

and

and hazard they are in, if they continue in that noisome and peftiferous place; yea, forces them to a certain fenfe of their mifery (for the wickedeft men at times are made fenfible of their mifery by God's vifitation) and not only fo, but lays hold upon them, and gives them a pull, in order to lift them out of their mifery; which if they refift not will fave them; only they may refift it. This being applied as the former, doth the fame way illuftrate the matter. Neither is the grace of God fruftrated, though the effect of it be divers, according to its object, being the miniftration of mercy and love in thofe that reject it not, but receive it, John i. 12. but the miniftration of wrath and condemnation in thofe that do reject it, John iii. 19. even as the fun, by one act or operation, A fimile of melteth and fofteneth the wax, and hardeneth the the fun's clay. The nature of the fun is to cherish the hardening creation, and therefore the living are refreshed by it, and the flowers fend forth a good favour, as it fhines upon them, and the fruits of the trees are ripened; yet caft forth a dead carcafe, a thing without life, and the fame reflection of the fun will cause it to ftink, and putrify it; yet is not the sun said thereby to be fruftrated of its proper effect. So every man during the day of his vifitation is fhined upon by the fun of righteoufnefs, and capable of being influenced by it, fo as to fend forth good fruit, and a good favour, and to be melted by it; but when he hath finned out his day, then the fame fun hardeneth him, as it doth the clay, and makes his wickednefs more to appear and putrify, and fend forth an evil favour.

melting and

power.

§. XVIII. Lastly, As we truly affirm that God All have willeth no man to perish, and therefore hath given grace fuffito all grace fufficient for falvation; fo we do not falvation deny, but that in a special manner he worketh in God. fome, in whom grace fo prevaileth, that they neceffarily obtain falvation; neither doth God fuffer

of