(5.) By common grace he is convinced that there is a happiness, and that our happiness lieth not in those things wherein men ordi- narily seek it, but in God alone ; that there is no coming to God but by Christ ; that all men have some means and duty appointed them to seek that grace that may convert them, and many convictions of sin and motions to excite them thereunto : Prov. i. 23, ' Turn ye at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you.' Now if men be unwilling to use the means as they are able, to hear, read, pray, and meditate, or what should affect them, unwilling to receive the inward motions of the Spirit, which should convince and turn them from their sins, if they do not only smother and oppose reason and conscience, but resist and quench the Spirit, and, on the contrary, eagerly turn their thoughts and affections after vanity, now see if their plea be just against God.
[2.] Want of success and acceptance. If they do all that they can, ■will God give them grace ? I answer —
(1.) It is a stated rule that God forsaketh none but those that forsake him first : 1 Chron. xxviii. 9, ' If thou seek him, he will be found of thee ; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever ; ' 2 Chron. xv. 2, ' The Lord is with you while you be with him ; and if you seek him, he will be found of you ; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.' Those whom he deserteth he forsaketh not, and ceaseth not to promote them in the true way of conversion, till he is forsaken by them, or they become guilty of the voluntary neglect and refusal of his initial grace.
(2.) They have many hopeful encouragements, though no certain infallible promise : Luke xi. 13, ' Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ; ' Lam. iii. 25, ' The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.5 Christ allegeth proverbs : Mark iv. 24, ' Take heed what you hear : with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again ; and unto you that hear shall more be given.' Certainly the serious use of means is not in vain, nor is the performer like to lose his labour.
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These scriptures, if they contain not a promise, yet they show the usual practice of the Lord's grace ; there is sufficient encouragement to use the means.
6. The plain next causes are conspicuous and evident, and they are three —
[1.] Depraved habits of soul : John iii. 19, ' This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.' There are nothing but base lusts which detain them from a hearty acceptance of pardon and life by Christ ; so man is the more condemnable, that for paltry vanities he turneth the back upon this grace.
[2.] Voluntary neglect and sloth ; they are idle and carnally secure : Mat. xxv. 28, He was a naughty servant that hid his talent in a napkin. Negligence in a matter of such importance is contempt or despising God and his grace.
[3.] Enmity and averseness from heavenly and holy things : John iii. 20, ' For every one that doeth evil hateth the light.' We have an instance : 1 Kings xxii. 8, ' The king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is one Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom ye may inquire of the Lord ; but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.'
Secondly, If any receive it, it is the mere discriminating grace of God : 1 Cor. iv. 7, ' Who maketh thee to differ ? ' The discriminating or differencing of men equally guilty is wholly to be ascribed to the Lord's grace. The elect were not better nor more worthy than others, but equally involved in the common guilt and misery, but the Lord made the difference. This will appear if we consider —
1. That none of themselves can repent, believe, and obey the gospel. The understanding is dark, and must be illuminated ; the will is carnal and unholy, and must be turned from the world and the flesh to God, 1 Cor. ii. 14, Kom. viii. 7. A man that is disposed to a fleshly, worldly mind and life, hath no disposition to love God above all, and to believe in Christ, and repent of sin, and live a life of holiness. An enemy of God cannot love him above all, nor he whose heart is set1 upon him live a holy life ; but such is man in his natural estate : Col. i. 21, ' And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.' A sensual man cannot seek eternal happiness, but such are we : 2 Peter i. 9, ' He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off.' Therefore there is no way to cure our enmity and pravity without grace, nor to heal them without the Spirit of God, who were so corrupt as that they could neither understand nor receive the gospel.