XXXV. Befidcs Grace of it felf efficacious, and that the Effect whereof entirely depends on thegood Difpofitions of the Mind; befides the Grace of Senfation and the Grace of Light, the Righ- teous have moreover an Habitual Grace, which makes them agteeable to God, and capacitates them to work Actions meritorious of Salvation. This Grace is Charity, rhe Love of God, or the Love of Order.; a Love which is not properly Charity, unlets it be itronger and greater than every other Love. As it is commonly Pleiiufe which produces the Love of the Object that's the true or ap- parent Caufe of it -, ib 'tis thelDele&ation of Grace which produces the Love.'bf God. 'Tis the Enjoyment of Senfible Pleafures which heightens Concupifcence ■, and 'tis the Grace of Senfation which encreafes Charity. Concupiicencediminifh.es by the deprivation of Senfible Pleafures, and then Charity is eafily preferv'd and nourifh'd. And whilft Charity faints by the privation of the actual Grace of JeJwChrift, Concupifcence fpeedily thrives and grows upon it. For thefe two Loves, Charity and Cupidity, conitantly war with one another, and gather Strength from the VVeaknefs of their Enemy.
XXXVI. Whatever participates of Charity, is well-pleafing to God • but Charity is not always active in the Juft themfeives. In order to its working, 'tis necefTary at leaft it be Illuminate: For Knowledge is needful to determine the Motion of Low. Thus the Grace necefTary to every Good Work relating to Salvation, is that of Senfation, in thofe who begin their Converfion ^ is that of Light, at leaft, or fome Motion of Faith or Hope, in thofe who are animated with Charity. For though the Righteous may do Good Works without the Grace of Delectation, they have always need of fome actual Afliftance to deteRnine the Motion of their Charity. But although Cha; rity without Delegation is fufficient ttf ^conquer many Temptation's, yet the Grace of Senfation is necefTary on many Occaiions. For Men cannot, without the continual Help of the Second Adam, refill: the continual Action of the Firft. They cannot perfevere in Righteoufneis, unlefs frequent- ly affifted with the particular Grace of J ejus Chrift, which produces, augments, and maintains Charity againft the continual Efforts of Concupifcence.
XXXVII. The Effects of Pleafure, and of all the Senfations of the Soul, have a thoufand feveral Dependencies on the actual Difpofitions of the Mind. The very fame Weight has not always the fame Effects: It depends in its Action on the Structure of the Machine by which it is applied to the contrary Weight. If a Balance be unequally fufpended, the force of the Weights being un- equally applied, the lighter may overweigh the heavier. So it fares with the Weight of Pleafures: They act one on another, and determine the Motion of the Soul, according as they are diverfly ap- plied. Pleafure ought to have a greater Influence on the Petfon who has already a Love for the Object which caufes it, than on another who has an Averfion, or that loves oppofite Goods. Plea- fure forcibly determines_a Perfon who clearly knows, or vividly imagines the Advantages of Good, which feems to caufe it -, and acts feebly on the Mind of him who knows this Good but confu- fedly, and is diftruftful of it. Laftly, It acts with its whole Force on him who blindly follows all that gratifies Concupifcence; and perhaps will have no Effect on him who has acquir'd fome .Habit of fufpending the Judgment of his Love.
Now fince the different degrees of Light, Charity, Concupifcence, and the different degrees of Liberty, are perpetually combining infinite ways, with the different degrees of actual Pleafures ^ which Pleafures are operative, but according to their relation to the Difpofitions of the Mind and Heart ^ 'tis manifeft that no finite Mind can with any certainty pronounce of the Effect a particular Grace ought to produce in us. ' For befides that, there's an infinite Combination in the things con- curring to the Efficacy of Grace, or the Production of its Effect, this Combination is not like that of moving Springs and Forces, which have always infallible and necefTary Effects. Therefore 'tis impoflible for any finite Mind to difcover what pafTes in the Heart of Man.
XXXVIII. But whereas G^ihas an infinite Wifdom, 'tis viiible that he clearly knows all the Effects that can refult from the Mixture and Combination of all thefe things; and that penetra- ting the Heart of Man, he infallibly difcovers even the Effects, which depend on an Act, or ra- ther on a free Content of our Wills. Neverthelefs I confefs I cannot conceive-how God can difco- ver the Confequences of Actions which derive not their Infallibility from his abfolute Decrees. But I have no Mind to infift on Metaphyficks, at the Expence of Morality, and to affirm as un- deniable Truths, Opinions that are contrary to my own inward Confciouihefs of my felf-, or in fine,' to fpeak to the Ears a certain Language which affords no clear Idea to the Mind. I know well that fuch Objections may be made as would be too hard for me to anfwer fatisfactorily and clearly: But it may be thefe Objections are naturally full of Obfcurity and Darknefs; are founded on the Ignorance we are in of the Properties of our Soul. 'Tis from our having (as I h have elfe- Fjy)} Jih. where proved) no clear Idea of our Being, and that what is in us, which gives way to be con- Jlratkn on quer'd by a Determination not invincible, is abfolutely unknown to us. Furthermore, if I cannot M? yb.ch. clearly anfwer thefe Objections, I can anfwer by others, which to mefeemmore incapable of Solu- f*rte3rth6 tion: I can, from Principles opposed to mine, deduce more harm, and unlucky Confequences than ^ B^cf thofe which areprefum'd to follow from Liberty, fuch as I have fuppos'd in us. But I engage not the Search. on the Particulars of ail this, as taking no delight to walk in the dark, and to lead others upon Second it- -.. IMJiI'dtlClh Precipices.
3a THE ILLUSTRATION OR CONTINUATION OF THE TREATISE CONCERNING Nature and Grace.
What is meant by a&ing by General and Particular Wills, LT Say that God a^s by General Wills when he a£ls in conference of the Genera ILaws which a tie has eftablifh'd. For Example: I lay that God a£ls in me by General Wills, when he -EL gives me the Senfe of Pain when I am prick'd -, fince in purfuance of the General and Effica- cious Laws of Union of my Soul and Body which he has conftituted, he makes me fuffer Pain when my Body's ill diipos'd.
So when a Bowl ftrikes another, I lay God moves the ftricken by a General Will, becaufe he moves it in purfuance of the General and Efficacious Laws of the Communications of Moti- ons; God having generally Ordain'd, that at the Inftant of Collifion of two Bodies, the Motion mould be diftiibuted between them, according to certain Proportions; and 'tis by the Efficacy of that General Will, that Bodies have the force of moving one another.
II. I lay, on the contrary, that God a£ts by Particular Wills, when the Efficacy of his Will is not determin'd by fome General Law, to the producing any Effect. Thus fuppofing Gfd mould make me feel the Pain of pricking, whilft there happened no Change in my Body, or in any Crea- ture whatfover, which determines him to att in me by fome General Law; I lay that then God a£ts by Particular Wills.
So again fuppofing a Body begins to move without being ftricken by another, or without any Alteration happening in the Will of Spirits, or in any other Creature which determines the Effi- cacy of fome General Laws -, I lay that God would move that Body by a Particular Will.
III. According to thefe Definitions, it plainly appears, that, fo tar from denying Providence, I fuppofe on the contrary, that God works all in all things h that the Nature of the Heathen Philo- fopbers is a Chimera •, and that, to fpeak properly, 'Nature is nothing but the General Laws which God has eitabliih'd for the Conftru&ion or Prefervation of his Work, by thefimpleft ways, by an Attion always uniform, conftant, perfe&ly worthy of an infinite Wildom, and an univeriai Caufe. But that which I here fuppofe, though certain, for the Reafons I have given in The Search after Truth, is not abfolutely ^necelTary to what I defign to prove. For if it be firppos'd, that God had communicated his Power to the Creatures in fucli a manner, as that furrounding Bodies had a real and true Force, by which they might aft on our Soul, and make her happy and mifera- ble by Pleafure and Pain 3 and that Bodies in Motion had in themfelves a certain Entity, which they NATURE and GRACE.
they call Imprcfi 'duality 5 that they can communicate it to thofe about them, and with that Ce- lerity and Uniformity we obferve; it would be ftill equally eafie to prove what I intend: For then the Efficacy of the concurrent Aftion of the General Caufe would ue necelTarily determ'in'd by the Action of the Particular Caufe. God, for Inftance, would be oblig'd, by thefe Principles, to afford his Concourfe to a Body at the Inftant of Collifion, that it might communicate its' Motion to others 5 which is ftill to aft by virtue of a General Law. Yet 1 do not argue upon that Suppofition, as believing it utterly falie, as I have (hewn in the Third Chapter and Second Part of the Sixth Book of The Search after Truth, in the Illuftration of the fame Chapter, and elfewhere.
Which Truths fuppos'd, here follow the Notes by which we may difcover whether an EfTeS be produc'd by a General or Particular Will.
MARKS by which we may judge whether an EffeSl be producd by a General or ¥ articular Will.
IV. When we fee an Effect immediately produc'd after the A£tion of an Occafionl Caufe, we ought to judge it produc'd by the Efficacy of a General Will. A Body moves immediately after the Collifion 5 the Collifion of Bodies is the Aftibn of an Occafional Caufe: Therefore this Body moves by a General Will. A Stone falls on the Head of a Man, and kills him, and this St ne falls like all others, that is, continues its Motion almoft in Arithmetical Proportion, 1,3, yj 7, 9, iSfc. Which fuppos'd, I fay it moves by the Efficacy of a General Will, or by the Laws of the Communications of Motions, as is eafie to demonftrate.
V. When we fee an Effe£t produc'd without the Mediation of the known Occafional Caufe, we have reafon to think it produc'd by a Particular Will -, fuppofing this Effe& be not manifeftly unworthy of its Caufe, as I mall fay hereafter.
For Example: When a Body's mov'd without being fmitten by another, there's great Probabi- lity it was mov'd by a Particular Will; but yet we cannot be confident of it. For on Suppofi- tion of a General Law, that Bodies fhould move according to the feveral Volitions of Angels, or the like, 'tis vifible this Body might be put in Motion without Impuliion; the particular Will of fome Angel being in this cafe able to determine the Will of the general Caufe to move it. Thus we may be often pofitive, that God a£ts by general Wills, but we cannot have the like Affi:^ •ranee that he a£ls by particular Wills, even in the moft averr'd Miracles.
VI. Since we have not a competent Knowledge of the various Combinations of Occaficnal Caufes, to difcover whether fuch and fuchEffefts arrive in confequence of their Action h and are not fufficiently Intelligent to difcover, for Inftance, whether fuch a Rain be Natural or Miracu- lous, produc'd by a neceffary Confequence of the Communication of Motions, or t>~j a particular Will j we muft judge an Erfeft is produc'd by a General Will, when 'tis vifible the Caufe did not propofe it felf a particular End. For the Wills of Intelligences have neceflarily an End •, ge- neral Wills a general End, and particular Wills a particular Defign. Nothing can t>e more plain and evident.
For Example: Though I cannot difcover whether a Shower of Rain which falls on a Meadow, falls in confequence of general Laws, or by a particular Will of God, I have reafon to think it falls by a general Will, if I fee it fall as well on the neighbouring Grounds, or on the River which bounds the Meadow, no lefs than on the Meadow it felf For if God caus'd it to rain on this Meadow by a particular Benevolence to the Owner, this Rain would not fall on the River where 'tis infignificant; fince it could not fall there without a Caufe or Will in God which hasi neceflarily fome End.
,VIL But we have ftill more Reafon to think an Effe£t is produc'd by a general Will, when this EffecT: is contrary or even ufelefs to the Defign, which we are taught by Faith, or Reafon, the Caufe propos'd. J For Inftance: The End which God propofes in the various Senfations he affords the Soul, in our tailing different Fruits, is, that we may eat thole which are fit for Nouriihment, and reject, the reft. I fuppofe thus: Therefore when God gives a grateful Senfation at the Inftant of our eating Poifons, or empoifon'd Fruits, he a£ts not in us by particular Wills. So we ought to conclude, fince that agreeable Senfation is the Caufe of our Death, whilft the End of God's giving us diverfe Senfations is to preferve our Life by a convenient Nourifhment, for I once more fup- pofe thus. For I fpeak only with reference to the Grace which God gives us, doubtlefs to con- vert us; fo that 'tis vifible God fhowers it not on Men by particular Wills, fince it frequently ren- ders them more Culpable and Criminal: For God cannot have fo Fatal a Defign. God gives us not therefore agreeable Senfations by particular Wills, when we eat poifonous Fruits. But be- caufe a poifonous Fruit excites in our Brain Motions like thofe produc'd by wholfome Fruits, God gives us the fame Senfations, by reafon of the general Laws which unite the Soul to the Body, that file might be wakeful for its Prefervation.
So likewiie God gives not thofe who have loft an Arm Senfations of Pain relating to it, but by a general Will: For 'tis ufelefs to the Body of this Man, that his Soul mould fufier Pjin rela« ting to an Arm that's loft. Tis the fame cafe with Motions produc'd in jthe Body of a Man, in the Commiffion of a Crime.
I Finally, 33 Finally, fuppofing we are obliged to think that God icatters his Rain upon the Earth, with Intent to make it fruitful •, we cannot believe he diftributes it by particular Wills, fince it falls upon the Sands, and in the Sea, as well as on plow'd Lands, and is often fo ex- ceflive on feeded Ground, as to extirpate the Corn, and fruftrate the Labours of the Husband- man.
Thus it is certain, that Rains which are ufelefs or noxious to the Fruits of the Earth, are ne- ceflary Confequences of the general Laws of the Communications of Motions, which God has eftablifh'd for the producing better Effects in the World -, fuppofing, (which I again repeat) that God cannot will, by a particular Volition, that Rain fhould caufe the Barrennefs of the Earth.
VIII. Laftly, When an EfFeQ happens which has fomething extraordinary j 'tis reafonable to believe it is not produc'd by a general Will.
' Neverthelefs, 'tis impoflible to be fure of it. If, for Example, in the Proceffion of the Holy Sacrament, it rains on the Afhftants, fave on the Priefts, and thole which carry it, we have rea- fon to think this proceeds from a particular Will of the univerfal Caufe; yet we cannot be cer- tain, becaufe an occafional intelligent Caufe may have this particular Defign, and ib determine the Efficacy of the general Law to execute it.
IX. When the preceding Marks are not fufficient for us to judge whether a certain Effe£t is 01 is not produc'd by a general Will, we are to believe it is, if it be certain there is an Occafional Caufe eftablifh'd for the like Effects.
For Example: We fee it rain to fome Purpofe in a Field «, we do not examine whether this- Rain falls or not in the great Roads, we know not whether it be noxious to the bordering Grounds j nay we fuppofe it only does good, and that all the attending Circumftances are perfectly accom- modated to the Defign for which we are oblig'd to believe that God would have it rain: Never- thelefs, I fay that we ought to judge this Rain is produc'd by a general Will, if we know that God has fetled an Occafional Caufe for the like Effects. For we muff not have recourle to Miia* cles without Neceifity. We ought to fuppofe that God a£ts herein by the fimpieif ways •, and though the Lord of the Field ought to return Thanks to God for the Bounty, yet he ought not to imagine it was caus'd in a miraculous manner by a particular Will.
The Owner of the Field ought to thank God for the Good he receives, '-fince God faw and will'd the good EffetF of the Rain, when he eftablifh'd the general Laws whereat ic is a neceifary Con- fequence, and that it was for the like Effects they were eftablifh'd. On the contrary, it the Rains are fometimes hurcful to the Earth, as it was not to render them unfruitful, that God efra- blifh'd the Laws which make it rain, fince Drought fuffices to make them barren •, 'tis plain we- oughr to thank God, and to adore the Wifdom 01 his Providence, even when we do not reel the EfteQs of the Laws eftablifh'd in our Favour.
X. But, to conclude, when we cannot be certified by the Circumftances which accompany cer- tain Effe&s, that there is an Occafional Caufe eftablifh'd to produce them, 'tis fufficient to know they are very common, and relate to the principal Defign of the general Caufe, in order to judge they are produc'd by a general Will.
For Example: The Springs which water the Surface of the Earth, are fubfervient to the prin- cipal Defign of God, which is, that Men fhould not want things neceffary to Life; I f uppof..lb* Befides, thefe Fountains are very common, therefore we ought to conclude they are form d by fome General Laws. For as there is much more Wifdom in executing his Defigns by Simple and General Means, than by Complicated and Particular, as I think I have fuffcciently prov d elfe- where. We owe that Honour to God, as to believe his way of aft ing is general, uniform, con- ftant, and proportion'd to the Idea we have of an infinite Wifdom. Thefe are the Marks by whi h we are to judge whether an Efieft be produc'd by a general Will. I now come to prove, that God bellows his Grace on Men by general Laws, and that J ejus Chrift has been eftablifh d the Oc- cafional Caufe to determine their Efficacy 1 I begin by the Proofs of holy Stliipture.
XI. St. Paul teaches us, That Jefus Cbriji is the Head of the Church: That he conftantly Col. 2. 19. influences it with Spirit and Life: That he forms the Members, and animates them as the Soul Heb. 7. 25. animates the Body, or, to fpeak ftill more clearly,«the Holy Scripture teaches us two things: The 9. 24. firft, that Jefus Cbrift prays continually for his Members. The fecond, that his Prayers or De- Joh.n.42. fiies are always heard. Whence I conclude, that he was conftituted by God the Occafional Caufe of Grace -, and likewife, that Grace is never given to Sinners, but through his Means.
The Occafional Caufes have conftantfy and readily their Efrect. The Players and diverfe De- fires of Jefus Cbriji, with reference to the Formation of his Body, have likewife moft conftantly and ipeedily their Accomplifhment. God denies his Son nothing, as we learn from Jejus Cbriji himfelf.
Occafional Caufes produce not their Effeft by their own Efficacy, but by the Efficacy of the General Caufe. Tis likewife by the Efficacy of the Power of God, that the 6oul of JejusCh'rift operates in us, and not by the Efficacy of Man's Will. 'Tis for this Reafon that St. Paul repie- fems Jefus Cbriji as praying to his 'father without Intermix on: For he is oblig'd to Pray, in order to Obtain.
Occafional Caufes have been eftabliflfd by God for the determining the Efficacy of his General Wills; and Jefus Cbriji, according to the scriptuie, has been appointed Ly God, after his hen;- re&idii, to govern the Church which he had purcbas'd by his Blood. \01JeJus Chrifi became" the Meritorious Caufe of all Graces by his Sacrifice; But, after his Reiiirreiuoii, he enured u..o tiie NATUHE W GRACE. 35 the Holy of Holies, as High Prielt of future Goods, to appear in the Pretence of God; and to en- due us with the Graces which hs has merited for us: Therefore he himfelf applies and diftri- butes his Gifts as Occafional Caufe, he difpofes of all things in the Houie of God, as a well- beloved Son in the Houfe of his Father.
I think I have demonftrated, in the Search after Truth, that there is none but God who is the true Caufe, and who acts by his own Efficacy; and that he communicates his Power to Creatures only, in eftabliftiing them Occafional Caules, tor the producing ibme Eft'efts. 1 have proved, for Example, That Men have no Power to produce any Morion in their Bodies, but becaule God has eltabliih'd their Wills the Occafional Caufes of thefe Motions: That Fire has no power to make me feel Pain, but becaufe God has eftablifti'd the Collifiori of Bodies the Occafional Caufe of the Communication of Motions, and the violent Vibration of the Fibres of my Flefh the Occafional Caufe of my Pain. I may heie iuppofe a Truth which I have proved at large in the Third Chap- ter of the Second Part of the Sixth Book, and in the Illuftratioh upon the fame Chapter, and which thofe, for whom it was principally written, don't contelt. Now Faith allures us, that all Power is given to J ejus Chriji, to form his Church: All Power is given unto me in Heaven and Mat.28.1k in Earth. Which cannot be underftood of Jefus Chrift, as to his Divinity ■, for as God he has never received any thing;. And therefore it is certain, that Jefus Chriji, as to his Humanity, is the Occafional Caufe of Grace; fuppofing I have well proved, thai God only can aft on Minds and that Second Caufes have no Efficacy of their own: Which thofe ought fir ft to examine who would underftand my Sentiments, and give a Judgment of them.
XII. I fay farther, that no one is fanctified but through the Efficacy of the Power which God has communicated to Jefus Chriji, in conftituting him the Occafional Caufe of Grace. For if any Sinner were converted by a Grace, whereof Jefus Chriji was not the Occafional, but only the Meritorious Caufe, that Sinner not receiving his New Life through the Efficacy of Jefus Chriji, would not be a Member of the Body of which Jifts Chriji is the Head -, in that manner ex- plain'd by St. Paul, by thefe Words of the Epiltle to the Ephefians •, That we may grow up into ckp.4 ti- him in all things who is the Head, even Chnfl; from whom the whole Body ft ly join d together, and 1 $, \6. compared by that which every Joint fupplieth, according to the efjellual working in the meafure of Col« 2« I9« every Part, maketh increafe of the Body unto the edifying it f elf in Love: Which Words not only lay Jefus Chriji is the Meritorious Caufe of all Graces •, but likewife diftin&ly fignifie that Chri- ftians are the Members of the Body whereof Jefus Chriji is the Head-, that 'tis in him we in- creafe and live with an entire new Life; that 'tis by his inward Operation, «w' infyntty, that his Church is form'd, and that thus he has been conftituted by God the fole Occafional Caufe, who, by his feveral Defires and Applications, diftributes the Graces which God, as the True Caufe,. fhowers down on Men.
'Tis on this Account St. Paul fays Chriftians are united to Jefus Chriji as their Root -, Rooted Co]/2> s> and built up in him. 3Tis for the fame Reafon that Jefus Chriji compares himfelf to a Vine, and his Difciples to the Branches, that derive their Lite from him $ I am the Vine, ye are the Branches. On the fame Grounds St. Paul affirms, that Jefus Chriji lives in us, and that we live injiimj that we are rais'd up in our Head; that our Lite is hidden with Jefus Chriji in God; in a word, that we have already Life Eternal in Jefus Chriji. All thefe, and many other Expreffions of like nature, clearly manifeft, that Jefus Chriji is not only the Meritorious, but alfo the Occafional, Phyfical or Natural Caufe of Grace •, and that as the Soul informs, animates, and confummates the Body, fo Jefus Chriji diffufes through his Members, as Occafional Caufe, the Graces he has merited to his Church by his Sacrifice.
For my part, I cannot fee how thefe Reafons can be calFd in quell ion, or upon what Grounds a moft edifying Truth, and as ancient as the Religion of Jefus Chrift, can be treated as a dange- rous Novelty. I grant my Expreffions are novel, but that's becaufe they feem to me the fitteff of all others diftin£tly to explain a Truth, which can be but confufedly demonftrated by Terms very loofe and general. Thefe words, Occafional Caufes, and A' at ural Laws, feem necefTary to give the Philofophers, for whom I wrote this Treatife of I\ature and Grace, a diftinft Underftanding of what molt Men are content to know confuiedly. New Expreffions being no farther dangerous than involving Ambiguity, or breeding in the Mind fome Notion contrary to Religion; I do not believe that Equitable Perfons, and converfant in the Theology of St. Paul, will blame me for ex- plaining my felf in a particular manner, when it only tends to make us Adore the Wifdom of God, and itri&ly to unite us with Jefus Chriji.
Firft 0 Bj ECTlOK Firft 0 Bj ECTlOK XIII. 'Tis Objected againft what I have eftablifli'd, That neither Angels nor Saints, of the Old Teftament, receiv'd Grace purfuant to the Defires of the Soul of Jefus, fince that Holy Soul was not then in Being -, and therefore, rhough Jefus Chriji be the meritorious Caufe of all Graces, he is not the Occafional Caufe which diftributes them to Men.
As to Angels, I Anfwer, That 'tis very probable Grace was given them but once: So that if we confider things on that fide, I grant, there is nothing can oblige the Wifdom of jGod.to conltitute an Occafional Caufe for the San&ilicacion of Angels. But if we confider thefe Welled Spirits as Members of the Body whereof Jefus Chriji is the Head,' or fuppofe them unequally fupplied •, there's ^6 F. Malebranche Concerning there's all Reafon to.believe the Diverfity of their Graces rauft proceed from him who is the Chief of Angels as well as Men, and who under that Character has merited by his Sacrifice all the Graces which God has given his Creatures, but has variouily applied them by his different Defires.
It being undeniable, that Jefus Chrifl, long before his Birth, or Meriting, might be the Meri- torious Caufe of the Graces given to the Angels, and Saints of the Old Teltament •, it ought, rae- thinks, be granted, that by his Prayers he might be the Occafional Caufe of the fame Graces, long before they were demanded. For indeed there is no neceffary Relation between Occafional Cau- fes, and the Time of Produ&ion of their Effects; and though commonly thefe fort of Caules are follow'd by their Effects at the Time of their Action, yet their Action being not of it felf effica- cious, fince its Efficacy depends on the Will of the univerial Caufe, there's no neceflity of their actual Exiftence for the producing their Effect.
For Inftance: Suppofe Jefus Chrifl at this prefent time fhould defire of his Father, that fuch a Perfon might receive fuch a Supply of Grace!, at certain Moments of his Life, that Prayer of Je- fus Chrifl would infallibly determine the Efficacy of the General Will God has of faving all Men in his Son. This Perfon Will receive thefe Afhftances, though the Prayer of Jefus Cbri ft be pafs'd, and his Soul actually think on another thing, and never think again on that which' he requir'd for him. But the paft Prayer of Jefus Chrifl is no more prefent to his Father than a future. For all that muft happen in all Times, is equally prelent to God. Thus God loving his Son, and knowing he mall have fuch Defires, with refpect to his Anceftors, and thofe of his own Na- tion; and likewife to the Angels which muft enter into the Spiritual Edifice of his Church and conftitute the Body whereof he is the Head, ought to accoraplifh the Defires of his Son^ before they were made, that the Elect which preceded his Nativity, and which he purchas'd by •the Merit of his Sacrifice, might as peculiarly belong to him as others, and that he might be their Head, as really as he is ours. I acknowledge it- is fit that Meritorious and Occafional Caules mould