Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/259

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It is a certaine truth, if the wicked doe repent unfainedly, they shall be accepted, but repentance is the gift of God, which without his grace cannot be wrought. As God commandeth repentance, so he doth approve it, but he approves not that men should glory in themselves, because if they returne as he commands, it is by his grace. God testified to Cain what he approved, Gen. 4. 7. when Cain had not grace at that time to doe what God required: nor did the Lord approve, that he should glory in himself, as if he could repent by his own power.

It may be asked, to what end doth God invite and perswade wicked men to repent and believe, if he give them not grace to believe if they will. The latter part of that question must be explained, for if this be the meaning, that many men through their own default be left of God without grace sufficient to bring them to life eternall, it is that experience it selfe confirmeth, in many Infidels who have departed this life, before they had means to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. And if God may deny to some both meanes and grace sufficient to bring them to life eternall, he may justly with-hold the graces of his Spirit from them that be called and invited in the Ministery of the word, when grace is freely given, and both the one and other be deprived through their owne default. But if the meaning of that latter clause be, that though wicked men should seek and truly desire grace, yet God doth violently with-hold it from them, then it is most false, and implies a contradiction, as if men without the grace of God, could truly desire grace. Now the end of this invitation may be considered according to the meanes and invitation it selfe, and the will of God exacting of man what is good and acceptable, and what in duty he oweth unto God: and in this respect the salvation of the party invited is the end of the invitation: or it may be considered according to the will of God, whereby he doth not only ordaine and approve meanes to such an end, but will so bring to passe that the effect shall follow: or hereby he not only commands them to believe, and others to further their salvation, but willeth effectually to bring them to salvation and draw them unto him by the powerfull operation of his Spirit, so he doth not will the salvation of all that be called. As men are called to repent that they might live, and God doth in calling them avow it is his desire, they would repent that they might live, so the end of the invitation is