MAN Considered.  
¶ The Contents follow in the next leaf.  Deut. 29.29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed, belong unto us, and to our children for ever. 
LONDON, Printed by James Cottrel.   

Here in this Treatise is briefly set down,  

1 ADescription of GOD.  
2 The end of Creation.  
3 The Image of God where in Man was created.  
4 Of the Freedom of the Will, and the dependence thereof.  
5 Why Free-will was given to Man.  
6 Of the Fall of Man, and the dependence it had on the will of God.  
7 What power Man had by nature after the Fall.  
8 Of the Covenant of Grace, and life in Christ.  
9 The condition required of those that enter into Covenant, what it is.  
10 Of Election.  
11 The means whereby we have the condition of the Covenant.  
12 The condition required for establishment in Covenant.  
13 Of Predestination.  
14 What means are given for the attaining establishment in Grace.  
15 By what means our spiritual life is furthered or hindered.  
16 The reason why all are not saved, to whom the Gospel is given.  
17 The Doctrine extracted from all.  
18 Ten several Uses from that Doctrine.    

To the READER.  
CHristian Reader, to whom I dedicate these few lines; I have been short, to avoid thy trouble; I omitted quoting of Scriptures, for some other end. Yet I conceive this form to agree with Scripture, with Creation, and the nature of a creature; with Redemption, and the Covenant of the Gospel; with God's infinite Essence, his excellent Wisdom, his free Love, and exact Justice, &c. My desire is, that thou wouldst try the spirits, and prove all things, hold fast that which is good; that thou mayst not be carried about with divers & strange doctrines. And the God of peace make thee perfect in every good work to do his will, working in thee That is well pleasing in his sight, through JESUS CHRIST; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.   

Man considered.  

A description of GOD.  
TO lay my Foundation, I begin with the Original of all things, GOD; who is the infinite Essence or Being, that gives being to all other beings. He is all in all things; of a most simplo and pure nature, voided of all commixture and quality: In whose nature there is no place for accidents; nor can he, possibly, be subject unto any passion, being infinitely content in his own nature. The counsel and good pleasure of whose Will, is the first cause and fountain of all Causes, the original of every Creature: who swayeth at pleasure the sovereign sceptre over the whole world, working by his all-ruling Providence according to his Will, in the army of heaven, and in the inhabitants of the earth, in such sort as none can stay his hand.  
In this Essence there are three, distinguished thus: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; coequal, and coeternal.   

The end of Creation.  
THat which moved God to create, was the fulfilling the mee● arbitrary pleasure of his Will: for nothing without himself moveth him to will; neither is he caused thereby to will: for his will is the cause of all causes.  
The profit of the work of Creaation, is to the creature itself: for God of his mere pleasure communicated good unto his creature; it was not any good or benefit from the being of a creature unto God: for his good, benefit, and content, is infinite in his own nature, and can receive no addition.  
Whatsoever doth respect God himself, that he must even by law of nature will: therefore, if he will to make a creature, he must will that his creature, being made, return him glory. This will of the return of glory, if he do create, is from law of essence in himself; but no such law in the nature of God to the making of a creature.  
The work of creation is no otherwise for God himself, then for the mere good pleasure of his will. And I grant, so he made all things for himself, even to the praise of his Excellency, in every part thereof.   

The image of God wherein man was created.  
NOw( touching the Creation of man) God created man after his own Image. Man was in some power or respect created in the similitude of divine nature; which stood principally in the powers of the Understanding, and free liberty of the Will; whereby he was fitted to exercise sovereignty over the creatures after his own counsel, with free liberty, even as a God without control.   

Of the Freedom of Mans Will, and the dependence thereof.  
MAn in respect of the power of the Will, in willing, was created with free, uncontrollable, independent liberty to will, to nill, or to suspend, depending on the power of Reason: So that man now was at liberty, or at free choice, to enjoy life, or puchase death; to keep the command, or reject his obedience; and become rebellious. Man, in respect of his other Powers, as well of being as of moving, did rest wholly dependent on the will of God, the first cause and being of all things: But the Will of man( as touching the faculty and liberty of willing, which is exercised in choosing or refusing) was by the Decree of God at the Creation, made to be absolute in itself, without dependence on any other.  
The Will itself, for the being thereof, hath dependence on the will of God; and for the act of willing, on the Understanding: But for the power of willing( as it is a liberty of choosing or refusing) on itself, and free in the exercise of its liberty, independent on any other essence; therefore incompellable by any means, unconstrainable by any power, obliged( in regard of liberty) to no law; but free on either part, to choose or refuse.  
For even as God ceaseth to be God, if he could be compelled; so the Will ceaseth to be will, if constrained by violence, or wrought unto assent by means omnipotent, which are not proportionable to the Wills resistance. For always the Will, even whiles it willeth, can nill the same it willeth. It is called the liberty of Contradiction; which is not true, if it may be wrought to assent by means omnipotent: for against Omnipotency there is no resistance: There is no possibility of grappling with power infinite: and if the motion be irresistible, where is the possibility of nilling? And if the Will will not freely, where is the liberty of Contradiction? Where this liberty is wanting, there is no will. The will of God is absolutely the cause of the liberty to either part, to take the one part or the other. Now that which is the cause of the liberty to either part, cannot also be the cause of ●he restraint of the liberty to the ●lection of one part. And if Gods will be not the cause of the election of this or that part, it must needs be, because he doth not will it: for the will of God is the cause of what it willeth. So it is apparent that ●ans Will, for the act of choosing ●he one part, or refusing, was not ●●pendant on the will of God; ●ho neither did nor could will the ●●ne, without controlling the de●●ee of liberty. For God in giving ●●to man free power and liberty of ●ill, did tie himself, by law of ●ontraction, from willing or nilling absolutely the Fall of man: For it stood not with his Justice to will to hinder, what his own Decree had given liberty to do or not to do; neither can it stand with his wisdom, to go about to hinder, what he cannot hinder, by reason of his own decree.   

Why Free-will was given to Man.  
THe end why God gave unto man this liberty and free choice of Will, was, that he might have a cause to be always rewarding man for his obedience, and so make mans estate immutable; which by Creation could not be made unchangeable, or free from corruption: It being onely proper to the Deity to be by nature immutable in goodness, and not subject to alteration. Good the creature must be, being made by God; and being a creature by nature, mutable: for immutability must come from some other fountain, then the act of Creation: it must come from some special relation to God, the only unchangeable Essence: for mans estate doth remain perpetually, in relation to the reward due from God by his unchangeable Essence and Decree: for God is of that infinite goodness, that he cannot but fill with goodness, and reward with happiness, all such as do good freely, and serve him with voluntary service. Even so now on the contrary, the state of the damned remaines unchangeable to the Justice of God; which must always, by immutable purpose, take vengeance on them.   

Of the Fall of Man, and what dependence it had on the Will of God.  
FRom this Liberty put into the hands of Man, for the perpetuating and perfecting him in Happiness, ariseth the true and infallible ground, acquitting the sacred majesty from being in any sort the author or cause of Sin: for sin came not into the world by God's withholding his grace from Adam, or a bare absence of good, or from any created power that gave ability to rebel, without a possibility of doing the contrary; but from the Will of man, which was the true and proper cause of sin: For sin came from the Liberty of the Will of Man, in choosing that one part. So that sin, or the Fall of man, was altogether and onely dependent on the Will of Man; and not at all on the Will of God, inasmuch as man's Will, in this point, in the choice of the one part or the other, was not dependent on the Will of God, as hath been shewed. The onely dependence which the Fall of man had upon the Will of God, was but this, That except God had willed the liberty to either part, this choice had never been: and yet his willing the liberty to either part, did utterly take away all possibility of willing the Fall, which was the application of the liberty unto that one part. Now this being a truth, that man in first estate was set in absolute liberty of Will, with free power, and incompellable, for obedience or disobedience( the act being irresistible) left to the choice of his own Will, upon the penalty proposed; It being granted( as I take it) all the difficulties and doubts about the first Fall of man, will be easily cleared and removed; for all the mystery thereof is folded up within the nature of this liberty of the Will of man. Thus far of the state of innocency.   

What Power Man had by Nature after the Fall.  
NOw, as mans power to fall in the state of Innocency, was inconstrainable, by means of the Decree of Liberty: so still, by virtue of this irrevocable purpose, the same power to sin is still remaining. For howsoever man hath lost the power for Obedience, because he choose the other part; yet he retains still the power for Disobedience: for the power he lost not, is still remaining. For man lost not his Will, nor his freedom, or incompellable power of willing; but only his Liberty of choice for Obedience. The power to will well, he lost; but not the power to will or nill: for the liberty of Nature is still remaining, that is, a power to will or nill freely; but not to will obedience unto God; as the case stood in the time of innocency. All men have still a freedom and power of willing, according to the nature of their Liberty: The wicked, in willing evil, have freedom and power; else the blame of sin could not be laid on man, unless there were remaining a freedom of the will in such sort, as that man wills evil freely and voluntarily. The liberty of the Will is not abolished, but wounded: for though the liberty of wellwilling be lost, yet the same power of willing freely, is still remaining. In which respect, the estate of the will after the Fall, is called a Bond-freewill; because it is enslaved in respect of the power of well-willing, but free to will evil. Thus far of the state of the state of Corruption.   

Of the Covenant of Grace and Life in Christ.  
NOw seeing that the Will by nature is wholly dead to good, so that there is no possibility of assenting thereunto by any power in Nature; therefore they must be planted into right of Christ, the second Adam( who is by Covenant, to as many as come to him, a quickening Spirit) before they can possibly receive a power to give assent to the work of grace, or give away dissent from sin, which is by nature mans free-hold. For when any man is Christs by Covenant, and doth thereby receive the power of Assent; yet he retains still the power of Dissent, until he freely give away such power: for the power of dissent cannot be removed( in such as come to actual choice) but with voluntary assent. Assent they cannot, until they receive a power in Christ; for in Christ is given a power to give assent, in help of means, even whiles there yet remains the power of dissent from absolute conformity. For the operation of his grace, for the bringing of the will of man to actual and absolute assent to grace, is only such as works proportionably to the Will; So as the Will, when as it willeth( enabled thereunto by work and power of grace) might will by power in Nature, the thing it willeth by work and power of Grace. For the rebellion of mans Will cannot wholly be removed or reformed, otherwise then with the voluntary and free assent of mans Will; and that by such means, and in such sort, as may stand with the nature of the Will of man; that is, by means and provocations so proportionable, such as exceed not the nature and power of the Will; so as the Will, with equal liberty, might will the same it willeth, when as it yeeldeth to assent: for if the means be such as do exceed the power of contradiction of the will, so as the will cannot resist the same, there is coaction, which abolisheth the nature of the will: for( as one learned speaks of the Will of man) it hath this common with the Will of God, to will without coaction. Therefore voluntary and free consent on mans behalf, is of absolute necessity to the complete work of Grace. So that as in the first, so in the second Adam, before our being united unto God through Christ, the power of Assent and Dissent stand both together: for Christ by Covenant is a quickening Spirit, no less then Adam was by Covenant a living Soul; and so the new Covenant carries in the nature thereof a spiritual life, no less then the first Covenant did carry in the nature thereof a natural life. So that the first Adam is a perfect figure of the second Adam, as touching the manner of the Covenant, both for life, and establishment in life: So that Christ the Son of God, is in that respect truly and fully a second Adam; the Covenant in him standing upon like terms, and the proceedings according to one and the same manner. For like as Adam for all( to whom he was the root of Covenant) had the condition for maintenance of life, standing in eating the fruits of the garden; and the condition for establishment in life, standing in eating the three of life: so the maintenance of our life in the second Adam, stands in eating, by faith, the fruits of Gods promises unto his Church; and the condition of establishment, in the denial of ourselves, and eating of the three of life, the flesh of Christ, by faith; which whoso does, can never die eternally: for the Righteousness of the Gospel hath this condition, of proceeding from faith to faith; from faith that gives the right of Covenant, to faith that gives the Establishment in Covenant; and this is according to the nature of the Sacraments: for by the fruits of Baptism, applied by Faith, stands our maintenance in life; and by the virtue of the Lords Supper, through faith, we have establishment in Grace.   

The Condition required of those that enter into Covenant, what it is.  
I Hold, God hath appointed certain Conditions of being and abiding in such estate; and certain means of obtaining such Conditions: All which are distinct and divers.  
The Condition required of those that enter into Covenant, is Faith, which is no effect( though of God, and so of the Holy Ghost, yet not) of the Holy Ghost dwelling in us, but precedent to the receiving of the Holy Ghost; and so must needs be, in order of nature, at least before that, which is received on such condition. For till it have being in such sort as is required, it can be no cause: Being in us it cannot have, until it be given: given it is not, but on condition of Faith in present, when it is received; therefore it cannot be the cause of that faith.  
Now that faith is the condition of receiving the Holy Ghost, is apparent. The blessing was promised to Abraham in faith: That the Gentiles might also receive the blessing of Abraham, the promise of the Spirit through faith. Again, After ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise. And again, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? So I conclude, that faith, which is the condition of the Covenant, is, in order of nature, before the Being of the Holy Ghost in us; and so, by consequence, a temporary faith.  
This condition is no less for the children then for the parents, during Gods pleasure, in the extent of the line of Covenant: It is for the family, as well as for the father of the house: believe, and be saved, and thy household: This day is Salvation come into thy house, in as much as thou art become a son of Abraham. The promise is made to you, and to your children. Ye are the children of the promise, to whom pertaineth the Covenant, the Adoption, the service of God, and the promises of the Gospel. As touching the Election of Grace, Beloved for the Fathers sake. Yea, they are a chosen generation, because the Covenant runs to all the generation for a time, to all Jacobs elect, the children that proceed of Jacob. And were it not so, none could be Israelites( that is) of the seed of the promise, who perished in Israel; which yet appeareth plainly, in that the very Rebels in Israel are said to be the children of God; and Israel is said to have rebelled; yea, those that now were faithless, to have been Israelites. Neither could then the not being Israel, of such as come of Israel, prove a breaking of the Covenant with Israel; which the Apostle is bold to affirm, That all are not Israel, that are of Israel: For there is a time when those that come of Israel, are not Israel, that is, children of the promise; for when that time comes, that is in the purpose of God excepted, it makes that seed that is excepted, to be born after the flesh: For only the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For the interest in the right of Covenant, is merely by promise: And they are not Israel, longer then the free promise doth extend unto them, though of Israel. And were it not that all of Israel, for a season, were children of the promise, and were in Covenant, they could not be holy unto the Lord their God, as they are affirmed to be; nor could they all be sanctified from their filth, to offer sacrifice to God, otherwise then the Gentiles; which it appears they were. The Apostle speaks to all the children of the Covenant under the Gospel, saying, We are after the manner of Isaac, children of the promise, or a free seed by promise; for the condition of the Covenant runs to you and to yours, else were your children unclean, but now they are holy. No promise of the Gospel belongeth unto him, that is not in Christ by Covenant: Because there is no possibility for embracing of it, nor no being in Covenant, but by Election. So that Election, the Covenant, and the Promises of the Gospel, are of equal extent: so that to whom any one of these three belong, all three belong.   

Of Election.  
I Hold, Election, in the usual phrase of Scripture, is from Misery to a state of Grace in Christ, through which they stand by Covenant, on condition accepted in the Blood of Christ, holy, and in him without blame in the sight of God: It is to right of Covenant, to a power or possibility to live eternally; but not absolutely to eternal life and glory.( And so Creation, and the Fall, must go before in order: for Election is an opposite to Rejection, and hath for object a sinner, one guilty of death, and such rejection.) The holy Scriptures do often acknowledge the Election of such, of whom they make question of their eternal salvation; affirming, that they stand by faith; and might finish in the flesh, though they begun in the Spirit. And the Spirit of God( in seeking to strengthen in Faith and Perseverance) doth use to lay down( as the ground of encouragement) the knowledge of their Election; concluding, because they were the Elect of God, therefore they should not faint, nor sorsake their Confidence, nor flee from the hope of assurance afforded unto them. From the certain knowledge of our Election, floweth the ground of all true comfort: for there is no possibility of being saved, but in Election; It is the foundation of all ensuing good, of Faith, of Love, and of Obedience.   

The means whereby we have the Condition of the Covenant.  
NOw as the condition of the Covenant is Faith; so the means of bringing to the having such condition, in the first tender of the Gospel, was the Power of God, in Miracles, or other Motions; so manifest, as could not but convince the mind, not hardened to give so far assent of Faith as was required to the receiving of the Covenant; which was to believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, with a desire to be interested in him. He that hath this Faith, hath what is required to Baptizing into Christ, or receiving the Holy Ghost; as appears by the Eunuch.  
Now we receive not the benefit of Covenant, by any privilege of our own faith; but by being children of believers, or our parents being in right of Covenant. And so being children of the promise, the Covenant passeth unto us upon those terms; and not upon faith in present,( except it be the faith of the parent.)   

The Condition that is required for Establishment in Covenant.  
THe Condition that is required for the Establishment in Christ, is that Faith that is the work of the Holy Ghost dwelling in the hearts of Gods Saints; by which they truly give themselves to God, and yield up themselves to him, and rest upon him in his Promises made unto them in Christ. For bringing forth this work of Faith, there is much required, by a long and laborious endeavour, in the use of means by Gods appointment: for this Faith is grounded upon knowledge, which is not attained but by degrees.( In which respect, both Ministers and other means are appointed to labour, for the furtherance of this work.) Which whosoever attaineth unto, shall not die eternally: for he is predestinated to eternal life and glory.   

Of Predestination.  
PRedestination( in the usual phrase of Scripture) I hold to be the eternal Decree of God, appointing some of the Elect( his Church visible) to establishment in grace and glory, adopting them into himself through Christ, after the good pleasure of his will; to the praise and glory of his grace. So that the object of Predestination, is a man approved in Christ: for, whom he foreknew, them he predestinated; that is, whom he fore-approved in the estate of election: for out of Christ he approves of none.   

What means is given for attaining establishment in grace.  
THe means appointed for the attaining the condition of establishment & confirmation in grace, is Gods giving a spiritual life in Christ, and means to feed and maintain that life unto a perfect man: for God gives not onely outward motives, but also inward power, even so much as may suffice unto the work. For Gods giving of means and power, is the only cause of possibility to do his will: And none receives a greater condemnation in respect of any privilege administered in the Gospel, but onely such as did receive withall, true possibility of having true benefit thereby: for the righteous Judge exacts no more then he gives.   

By what means our spiritual life is furthered or hindered.  
THis spiritual life and power prevails more or less, according to the subject and power of Rebellion in us, and right administration of helps and means afforded by Gods appointment in the Church: for it is furthered or hindered in the operation thereof by outward means and occasions.  
In this work, Gods Ministers are said to be workers together with God; and Gods Ministers, yea his Saints too, are commanded to build up each other, and to use all means to win the Wills assent unto God, by Instruction, Exhortation persuasion, and by a holy Conversation of life. And the Church or man that omits his duty in the administration of the means, destroys the creature; and the man that in himself rebelleth, resisteth the Spirit. For though the first part of our regeneration is wholly wrought in us by God, without our consent of Will; yet this later, our conformity to grace, is never wrought but by a free and voluntary consent of mans Will.  
The reason of Gods thus working in the former, is because man cannot consent; for he is yet dead, until the receipt of this spiritual power: And the reason of Gods so working in the later, is, because there is in mans nature such a power of rebellion as cannot wholly be removed, without the free consent of man( such as come to actual choice.)   

The reason why all are not saved, to whom the Gospel is given.  
I Conclude, that al the members of the true visible Church to whom the Gospel of grace is administered, are elected, are in Covenant, and truly called, and have the promises of the Gospel belonging unto them; and that God amongst them, wills not the destruction of any one of them( except upon refusal and slight respect, yea, in some degree, contempt of grace received.) Nay, he wills the contrary, their conformity to grace, and their salvation. For God confirmeth it by Oath, That he wills not the death, but the return and life even of that Soul in Israel which perisheth through disloyalty: therefore God prepares food and nourishment, provides armor, furnisheth with counsel, fills our ears with admonition, promiseth help upon all occasions, commands importunity in seeking, persuades by promises, provokes by punishments, presseth with threatenings, allures by object of reward; and all to win us to take the benefit of his mercies, and punisheth severely for refusal; yea he is said to knock, with a mournful note, Open, my sister my spouse.  
For God would have us all, to whom he graciously communicates his Gospel, to embrace and yield ourselves obedient unto the same; for whosoever hath this privilege, and perisheth, he perisheth as merely through his own default; as any soul in Israel should have dyed by the Serpents sting, through wilful neglect and infidelity, in not looking toward the brazen serpent: Or as those that entred not the land of Canaan, because they went not when God bade them. And it may be truly said of any such perishing, Their destruction is of themselves: for if any of them dissent, and be damned, It is not because God gave not grace unto them, or willed not the benefit of grace unto them, or his hardening of their hearts( except upon abuse of grace received) but, as the Scripture speaks, Because they would not; because they were stiff-necked, because they refused, because they despised so great salvation. Therefore the Lord will be magnified, in executing judgement upon those whose rebellion is such, that when grace is offered, they will not be delivered; that will not know the day of their visitation, nor accept the conditions of peace, so freely, so fully, and of mere accord offered unto them. Yet whosoever in assenting is saved, it is the sole work of grace, in the power of spiritual life.   

The Doctrine extracted from all.  
THat which I extract from all, is this; That man retains( from Gods first grant of liberty to the will of man, in the state of Innocency) the power to nill, and to resist the work of grace; and in that respect, though God enables the will by grace to yield assent, yet he never works the same to actual and absolute assent to grace, but onely in use of means proportionable to the condition of the nature of the Will, and power of mans resistance.   

Ten Uses of the Doctrine.  
1. FRom this ground we may conclude, that God( out of his wisdom and Justice) imposes laws onely on those creatures, to whom he gives a free power to keep or break the same; and exhortations onely on those, that may embrace or refuse the same.  
2. This ground clears all those Scriptures, wherein God is said to desire and wish the salvation of his people, yet( they dissenting) he cannot effect it, by reason of his own decree of liberty in the will of man.  
3. Upon this ground, they are justly to be reproved, that hold and say, If I be ordained to be saved, I shalbe saved, live in what sort I list; God, in his time appointed, will renew my heart, and make my ways and actions pleasing in his sight: And contrariwise, If I be ordained to be damned, I shall be damned, live I in what sort I can. Oh thou unhappy wretch, that pleadest against thine own happiness! Wouldst thou to have God to deny himself, to save thee; to change his unchangeable Decrees, to change thy Will? What wouldst thou have God to do for thee, that he hath not done? He hath made his Covenant with thee; he truly wisheth thy reformation; he offereth thee his grace, for thy assistance; he willeth and desireth thy Wills assent unto his work of grace. Oh be not ignorant of this, That God may woe thee, and not win thee; he may in very dead wish thy Salvation, and yet not work thy Reformation; he may weary himself in the use of the most powerful means, whereby he works the wills assent in any, and yet not vanquish thy corruptions: for his decree is, Never to compel the will, or move the same further then with thy free Consent. But know this, If he woe thee, and not win thee, it will prove thy wo at the last.  
4. From this ground, every imperfect Christian, to whom the Gospel of grace is revealed, is bound to believe; yea, he hath bound himself to believe the promises of the Gospel to belong unto him, and that he is not a person appointed unto wrath( except in abusing the gracious privileges of the Gospel) but to obtain Salvation in Christ, by use of means afforded in the Church. And he hath true ground of comfort and encouragement to labour thereunto, in assurance of Gods assistance in his Ordinances.  
5. From this ground, the dull Christian hath mighty provocations, to labour to make sure his calling and election; because every degree of true working faith doth not give establishment in grace.  
6. From this ground, every Christian that is come by strength of grace, to give assent to the work of grace in all things, may have true assurance, That he is not only elected or chosen to certain privileges and degrees of grace, but that he is also predestinated unto establishment of grace and glory into God, through Christ.  
7. From this ground, we are truly directed to be very careful to avoid temptations, and the occasions of sin: for, as the case stands, the strength of tentation, is that, which makes the difficulty in the complete work of regeneration in the heart of man. For, where grace persuades, there tentation dissuades, and oft prevails, even to the preventing of the work of grace; as it is seen in the thorny ground, in whom the cares of the world do choke the Word. For the world, by fawning, deceiveth us; and if we embrace it, it killeth us. And for the danger of tentation, It is better to go into the house of mourning, then into the house of mirth. Too too doleful experience verifies the truth of the danger thereof. Now if we would not be burned, let us take heed we tread not on the coals.  
8. From this ground, we may learn to take heed of nilling and withstanding the grace of God: for now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation; wherefore now let us not hearden our hearts, for we have the power to work our own confusion, and to shut up, by infidelity, the gate of grace, which is set open to us. Behold, now is the time of grace; therefore let us walk while we have the light, lest grace neglected be obstructed, and means for entrance be denied.  
9. From this ground, we may consider the especial favour of God, where there is a sufficient, powerful, wise, and faithful pastor: for, the more outward means is used, the more effectual and forcible it is, in alluring the mind of man to give assent unto the work of grace: or else I see no reason, why the Spirit should not work equally and alike effectually, as well by weak means as by strong, as well without means as with it: Nay, it were not tolerable to grant any coworking power of outward means with inward grace, if grace itself were not resistable by the will of man. And were not grace furthered in the oparation thereof by external means and occasions, why then are Gods Ministers said to be workers together with God? How else comes it, that the most excellent Sermons, delivered with most wisdom and truly-affecting passion, do most prevail upon the hearts?  
10. From this ground, I might take just occasion to show the dangerous estate of those people, that want an able faithful Pastor; and the cursed estate of those, that were the occasion of making such unable and unfit men Ministers; and also of those, that placed any such unable Pastors over any Congregation. But thrice unhappy and cursed are such Ministers, that fleece, not feed, but kill the flock, or do the work of the Lord negligently.  
But of this, and all other points, more at large, if God permit.  
FINIS.