which being left undone, we have no hope or probable assurance that we shall be made free indeed by the Son of God?

4. Let every one that is called a Christian, and is not ashamed of the cross of Christ, or of baptism in his name, account it an open shame or scandal both to his person and profession, either to deny or suspect that he hath not the same measure of freewill (or a greater) which Naaman the Syrian had when he came to the prophet. Now he had a true freedom of will or choice of hearkening or not hearkening to good counsel. The one branch he exercised in not obeying the prophet's command; the other he practised in hearkening to his servant's advice or counsel. And it went better with him that he did so for otherwise he might have gone home a more grievous leper than he came, and made himself uncapable of the miracle wrought upon him by God alone. Let us likewise account it a shame to suspect, that we have not the same freedom of will which the widow of Sarepta had. Now she had a true freedom of will or choice, either to relieve or not to relieve the prophet out of her small store. If she had not relieved him, she and her child might have died for hunger within few days after. But she making choice of the better part of such freedom of will as she had, was with her child preserved alive by miracle. Let such as be servants to sin, as she was then, when the prophet came to her, use that portion of freewill which they have, either as well or not further amiss than she did hers and the Lord, no doubt, will work as great miracles in and upon their souls, as he did upon her poor pittance of oil and meal. Let not any man that professeth himself the servant of Christ be more prone to tempt God by distrusting, than to try his goodness

by practising the like works of mercy and charity, as that poor widow did.

5. Even such amongst us as are most conversant and busiest in the meddling or marketway to gain or preferment, and by their several trades or callings which they have made choice of more obnoxious than other men are to the temptations of the prince of this world, will scorn to be suspected not to have as much freewill, or good nature, or as good affection towards Christ and his gospel, as the Roman soldiers or publicans had unto John Baptist's person, or his doctrine of repentance. And a freedom of will or ability they certainly have, as well to be contented with their wages or fees, and to deal conscionably, as to exact more than their due, or to oppress others by bribery, extortion, or unjust exactions. If they make choice of practising this latter branch of such freewill as they have, this is but to take earnest money to become hired servants unto mammon. If they make choice of that part of freewill which Zacchæus did practise, that is, to be charitable, liberal to the poor, and to make such restitution as he did, to those whom they have wronged; then they shall be made children of Abraham, or (which is more) true servants of God, and of Christ, "whose service is perfect freedom."

6. Again, albeit not many of us (scarce ten in any age since the apostles' times) have any freedom of will 130 or ability to determine or examine the controversies A brief rule about the power of grace and nature; about justifica

for right

concerning

stating the tion or election; yet even the meanest amongst us have questions a freedom of will, either to say or not to say their daily prayers or devotions; and a like freedom of will, to grace and frequent or not to frequent the solemn prayers of the

the concur

rence of

freewill.

church, and to hear them either negligently or atten

tively; and a capacity withal to understand the meaning of them, being expounded unto them by their ordinary pastors or catechists, whom I could wish to make this one special work of their function.

7. For conclusion, I shall commend to every reader's or teacher's meditations, that prayer of the church appointed to be read (amongst others) in the second service" Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." In the first part of this godly prayer we have the state of the question concerning the concurrence of grace and freewill, more pithily and more plainly set down, than in any controversy-writers, whether in the Romish or reformed churches. The sum is, that without God's preventing grace, or peculiar disposition of his favourable providence, we cannot do any good works at all, though but civilly or morally good, (as a learned Jesuit acknowledgeth,) nor any works spiritually good without God's assistant grace or gifts of the Spirit inherent in us. This is that which is in the same prayer better expressed by "the furtherance of his continual help." In the latter clause of the same prayer, " that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name, and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life," we have all, I am persuaded, that the Romish church would have said concerning the necessity of good works, whether unto salvation or justification; and all again that the Protestants have said, or can say, against the Romish church, concerning justification by faith only, without works. When we pray, that we may glorify God's name by our good works, this argues their ne

And

cessity unto salvation, if not to justification. when we pray, that after we have glorified God's name by our good works, we may attain everlasting life, by God's mercy in Christ, and through Christ; this is an argument most concludent, that we must not rely upon, or put our confidence in the best works which we do, though we do them continually, but in God's mercies and Christ's merits only. And this is the full and lively expression of our apostle's meaning, when he saith, we are justified by faith in Christ alone. Finally, let all of us remember this lesson, that when it is said, we are to renounce good works in the plea of faith, or all trust or confidence in ourselves, or in our merits or works; this must always be understood of the good works which we have done, not of the good works which we have left undone, much less of works which we have done amiss. We must, as our Saviour instructs us, Luke xiv. 26, and in many other places, deny ourselves and forsake all, before we can be truly his disciples. And we must be truly his disciples, before we can be made free by him indeed, as is apparent from the words of our Saviour heretofore recited, John viii. 36. Let us therefore beseech him which quencheth not smoking flax, and crusheth not a bruised reed, to plant in us good intentions, to grow by his assisting grace into good desires; and good desires, into firm and constant resolutions of doing that which is good and acceptable in his sight; and finally to crown our best endeavours wrought in us by his grace with everlasting life and glory, through his mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, amen.

The end of chap. 36. and of the fifth section.

Notes relating to the preceding Chapters by the 131 Publisher of the folio edition, 1673.

THOUGH I hope the strong and learned will not boggle at those terms, conversion moral, mortification moral, in the thirty-first chapter; yet my heart misgives me, that they may be taken to scandal by some scrupulous but wellminded and pious reader. And therefore, though what follows (of the author's in that chapter, &c.) might well quiet such reader's mind, and ascertain him that there is no snake, nor other brood of the old serpent, latent under those herbs, yet shall I, out of my poor talent, contribute a poorer mite towards his satisfaction; though only by casting an handful of dust into the scale, which may make some addition to the number, none at all to the weight of what the author himself hath already there spoken to that point.

1. We see what power art hath over nature as to materials inanimate the potter over foul clay; the cutter over hard stone; the carver or carpenter over knotty carcasses of trees, which the axe hath reduced to the capacity of stones; the finer and founder over ore and metals: first to work, prepare, and purify them; afterwards of them to make, at pleasure, vessels of honour or of basest use; to shape them into figures of beasts or men, (not to say of gods, though karà μíμnow, or equivocal a gods only; and yet hath besotted man adventured upon that contradiction also, Isa. xliv. 10, &c.) Which forms or new qualities introduced, (rather educed e potentia materiæ sive naturali sive obedientiali, or perhaps only discovered by the artist, who seems to add nothing to what was in the matter before,) give us cause to think, and say, there is a strange alteration, change, tantum non conversion, wrought in those subject materials. And now I have led the reader thus far out (if yet it be out) of his way, let me carry him one stonescast further; and it is to shew him Socrates' meditation, partly mixed of admiration, at the singular care of artists, partly of indigna

a Hor. Sat. I. viii. I: Olim truncus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum, Quum faber, incertus

Maluit esse deum. Deus inde ego

b Diog. Laert. lib. 2.