heare Christs Word, Ioh. 8. 43. to beleeue, to receiue the Spirit of truth, Ioh. 14. 17. to know God, Matth. 11. 27. to chuse Christ, Ioh. 15. 16. to come to Christ, Ioh. 6. 44. to enter into the Kingdome of God, Ioh. 3. 5. to come whither he is gone, Ioh. 8. 21. And the reason is giuen, because they are not of God, Ioh. 8. 47. because it is not giuen them of God, Luk. 8. 10. be∣cause they are not his sheepe, Ioh. 10. 46. because their eyes are blinded, and their hearts indurate, Ioh. 12. 40. and they haue not eyes to see, nor eares to heare, Rom. 11. 8. nor hearts to con∣ceiue, 2. Cor. 2. 9, 10.
Thirdly, by affirming that very powerfull meanes: yea, though men be wise and prudent, yet are not auaileable, where God gi∣ueth not heart to vnderstand, eyes to see, and eares to heare, Deut. 29. 3, 4. Luk. 19. 42. Matth. 11. 25, 27.
Fourthly, by ascribing to God all that wee are, all that wee haue, all that we doe, and all that we can doe; both for the be∣ginning, for the increase, and for the continuance. By which we may see, how that it is Gods preuenting grace, that brings vs to him, and his grace also that confirmeth, increaseth, and preser∣ueth vs vnto the end.
This also their Bible teacheth, and sheweth how merciful∣ly God preuenteth vs in all things, that no man might glory in himselfe, but hee that glorieth, should glory in the Lord, Ier. 9. 23, 24.
First, God, before such men haue any being, as haue free-will in spirituall things, chooses and predestinates them in Christ to be holy and blamelesse, Ephes. 1. 4. and preordinates them to beleeue, and to haue eternall life, Act. 13. 48. So as the ground of their saluation, is farre before their will.
Secondly, hauing thus chosen them, he findeth them, when they neither seeke, nor aske after him, Rom. 10. 20. they are his worke, Ephes. 2. 10. made anew: they haue a new birth; Iam. 1. 18. being borne of God, Ioh. 1. 13. and of the Spirit, Ioh. 3. 5, 8. by the immortall seed of the Word, 1. Pet. 1. 23. Hee takes away vnwillingnesse, and the stony heart, and giues them a will, Phil. 2. 23. euen a heart of flesh to doe his will, Ezek. 11. 19, 20. and puts also into them a new heart, and a new Spi∣rit,