Of the same nature, though the way of it was peculiar, was his dealing with Laban the Syrian, in reference to the same Jacob, Gen. xxxi. 24. By a dream, a vision in the night, God hinders him from so much as speaking roughly to him. It was with him as in Micah ii. 1. he had devised evil on his bed, and when he thought to have practised it in the morning, God interposed in a dream, and hides sin from him, as he speaks, Job xxxiii. 15 — 17. To the same purpose is that of the psalmist concerning the people of God, Psal. cvi. 46. ' He made them to be pitied of all those who carried them captive.' Men usually deal in rigour with those whom they have taken captive in war. It was the way of old to rule captives with force and cruelty. Here God turns and changes their hearts, not in general unto himself, but to this particular of respect to his people. And this way in general doth God every day prevent the bringing forth of a world of sin. He sharpens arrows of conviction upon the spirits of men, as to the particular that they are engaged in. Their hearts are not changed as to sin, but their minds are altered as to this or that sin. They break, it may be, the vessel they had fashioned, and go to work upon some other. Now that we may a little see into the ways whereby God doth accomplish this work, we must premise the ensuing con- siderations.
(1st.) That the general medium wherein the matter of re- straining grace doth consist, whereby God thus prevents the bringing forth of sin, doth lie in certain arguments and rea- sonings, presented to the mind of the sinner, whereby he is induced to desert his purpose, to change and alter his mind, as to the sin he had conceived. Reasons against it are pre- sented unto him, which prevail upon h'rn to relinquish his design, and give over his purpose. This is the general way of the working of restraining grace, it is by arguments and reasonings rising up against the perpetration of conceived sin.
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(2dly.) That no arguments or reasonings, as such, ma- terially considered, are sufficient to stop or hinder any pur- pose of sinning, or to cause conceived sin to prove abortive, if the sinner have power and opportunity to bring it forth. They are not in themselves, and on their own account re- straining grace ; for if they were, the administration and communication of grace, as grace, were left unto every man who is able to give advice against sin. Nothing is, nor can be called grace, though common, and such as may perish, but with respect unto its peculiar relation to God. God, by the povver of his Spirit, making arguments and reasons effec- tual and prevailing, turns that to be grace, I mean of this kind, which in itself, and in its own nature, was bare reason. And that efficacy of the Spirit, which the Lord puts forth in these persuasions and motives, is that which we call restrain- ing grace. These things being premised, we shall now con- sider some of the arguments which we find that he hath made use of to this end and purpose.
[1st.] God stops many men in their ways upon the con- ception of sin, by an argument taken from the difficulty, if not impossibility, of doing that they aim at. They have a mind unto it, but God sets a hedge and a wall before them, that they shall judge it to be so hard and difficult to accom- plish what they intend, that it is better for them to let it alone and give over. Thus Herod would have put John Bap- tist to death upon the first provocation, but he feared the multitude, because they accounted him as a prophet. Matt, xiv. 5. He had conceived his murder, and was free for the execution of it. God raised this consideration in his heart. If I kill him, the people will tumultuate, he hath a great party amongst them, and sedition will arise that may cost me my life, or kingdom. He feared the multitude, and durst not execute the wickedness he had conceived, because of the difficulty he foresaw he should be entangled withal. And God made the argument effectual for the season; for other- wise we know that men will venture the utmost hazards for the satisfaction of their lusts ; as he also did afterward. The Pharisees were in the very same state and condition. Matt. xxi. 26. they would fain have decried the ministry of John, but durst not for fear of the people ; and, ver. 46. of the same chapter, by the same argument were they deterred VOL. xin, li
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from killing our Saviour, who had highly provoked them by_ a parable, setting out their deserved and approaching de- struction. They durst not do it for fear of a tumult among the people, seeing they looked on him as a prophet. Thus God overawes the hearts of innumerable persons in the world every day, and causeth them to desist from attempting to brino- forth the sins which they had conceived. Difficulties they shall be sure to meet withal, yea, it is likely, if they should attempt it, it would prove impossible for them to ac- complish. We owe much of our quiet in this world, unto the efficacy given to this consideration in the hearts of men by the Holy Ghost : adulteries, rapines, murders, are obvi- ated and stifled by it. Men would engage into them daily, but that they judge it impossible for them to fulfil what they aim at.