(OJer. 4. 14. («)  Chap. 13.27,

potency


Common  and  Special  Grace,     2  5

potency   to  other  Caufes   acquired  by,  and  not  born
with  us  ;  whereas  I  verily  believe,  that  the  whole  Scri-'
pture  3.^ovdtth  not  one  Sentence,  or  ExprefTion,  which
in  the  true  Importance  of  it  bears  this  Senfe,  or  which
either  in  Terms,  or  by  juft  Confequence  avers,  That
Man  is  fo  difabled  by  the   Fall,  as  that  he  cannot  be  re~  ;
formed  by  any  Ai'gu?nents  or  Motives  offered  by  God  for  \ '
his  Recovery^  or  by  the   Grace  offered  to  all  Men   in  the  \
Gofpel,  but  that  they   mujl  entirely  be  frujlratcd^  offered  I  j
and  fpent  in  vain  upon   him,  unlefs  God  add  unto  themp,
an  unfrufir able  Operation  of  the  Holy  Ghofl. The  Scripture
is  indeed  very  copious  in  reprefenting  the  Ignorance  and
Darknefs  of  the  Heathen  World,  given  up  to  grofs  Ido-
latry^ and  lying  under  the  Dominion  of  the  Prince  of
.Darknefs ;    declaring,    that  their  foolifJj   Hearts  were
darkned^  and  that  they  were  alienated  from  the  Life  of
God  throng:)  the  Ignorance  that  'was  in  the?n  -,  that  thro*
the  evil  Habits  they  had  contrafted,  the  whole   Hea-
then World  lay  in  fVickednefs,  were  filled   with  it,  and
were  even  dead   in  Trefpaffes  and  Sins,  and   thro*  the
cuftomary   Practice  of  Sin  were  become   infenfible   of
their  own  Vilenefs :  but  nothing  of  this  nature  do  I  find
charg'd  on  Mankind  in  general,  by  reafon  of  the  Fall
of  Jdam. Whereas  there  is  not  any  Thing  more  fre-,
quent  or  corhmon  throughout  the  whole  Book  of  6'6-n-i
pture,  than  the  Complaints  of  God  and  all  his  Prophets^
of  Chrif  and  his  Apojlles,  of  the  Perverfenefs,  Obftina-,
cy. Rebellion,  the  Inconfideration,  Folly,  and  Stupi-i
dity  of  them  with  whom  they  had  to  do,  and  only  of
their  Indifpoficion  and  Difability   to  hearken  to  their*
Counfels,  and  do  good,  by  reafon  of  thofe  Evil  Difpo-]
fitions,  Cuftoms,    Prejudices,    Hardnefs  of  Heart,  or
Blindnefs  which   they  had  wilfully   contrafted. Now
it  is  reafonable   to  conclude  the  Fault  lies  chiefly  there
where  the   Scripture  chargeth  it,  and  not  where  it  is
wholly  filent  in  the  Cafe. 