Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/244

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Christ the Mediatour of the New Testament

of strong faith that can believe that God will give his Gospell to every of these in particular, that they might come to the saving knowledge of the truth.

The distinction of antecedent and consequent will, hath no place in this matter, because such are to be understood as have most egregiously abused the common grace of God received. Moreover, we shall never find in Scripture, that the faithfull ever made such prayers: but as God hath signified his will and pleasure concerning the calling and gathering of his people, Jews or Gentiles, so they have prayed, as we may pray for the fulnesse of the Gentiles, and calling of the Jews, wherein we doe not exclude any, though we know God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and givesAct. 5.31. and
11.18.
the grace of repentance, and to repent also, to whom he please, the habituall grace serving for the one, and the actuall and effectuall motion of Gods Spirit being requisite to the other.

Some pleade further, The meanes to this end, that men may have part in Christ, are unlimited, the word written, Joh. 20. 31. and preached, Act. 3. 24, 25, 26, 27. yea, a command to preach to every creature, Mark 16. 15. which Paul understood, and therefore warned every man, and taught every man, Col. 1. 18. to repent, Act. 17. 30. and to beleeve, Rom. 1. 5. But if all this be granted, nothing will follow which is not freely granted. For as on the one side no man will affirm that Christ died to this end, namely to procure forgivenesse of sinne and Salvation to all and every one, whether they beleeve or no; so on the other side, none will deny, but that he died to this end, that salvation and remission of sinnes should redound to all and every one, in case they should beleeve and repent. For this depends upon the sufficiencie of that price, which Christ paid to God his Father for the redemption of the world. No man denieth, but God made a Covenant with Adam fallen and his posterity, as now with the faithfull and their seed: that all mankind had continued in this Covenant, if they had not discovenanted themselves and their posterity; that no man is deprived of the benefits of Christs death, but through his own sinne and corruption: that God is not the cause efficient or deficient of any mans infidelity, but man himself: That men are seriously invited to repent in the Ministery of the Word, and that the promise of Salvation is faithfull and true, so that he thatbeleeveth