But again, it may be further objected, doth not GOD declare in his word, that he delights not in the death of a finner; as it is written, as I live, faith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of a finner, but rather that he turn and livet? Verily, he doth fo; and a glorious truth it is; for judgment is his ftrange work, and be delighteth in mercy; elfe no flesh should have been faved: But, because he delighteth in mercy, he gave his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for the fins of men; that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life: And these are the veffels of his mercy, in whom he would make known the riches of his glory; therefore, according to his eternal purpose of love to them in CHRIST JESUS, he calleth them out of darkness into his marvellous light.

But if he hath no pleafure in the death of a finner, how is it that finners die?-Altho' GOD hath no pleasure in the death of finners, yet he hath pleasure in righteoufnels: Wherefore he faith, I the Lord love righteoufnefs. JESUS wept over Jerufalem, at the time that he foretold their deftruction; whereby he fhewed that he approved of the righteoufness of GOD in their deftruction, without delighting in their mifery.- -Thus an earthly judge hath been obferved to weep when he hath

23 condemned + Ezek. xxxiii, 11. Ifa. 21, 28. || Micah vii, 18.

condemned to death the moft obftinate and notorious offenders. But will any one count it hypocrify in fuch, to weep over a felon or a traitor, when at the fame time he is condemning him to the ax, or to the gallows ?

Befides GOD hath caufed it to be proclaimed throughout the earth, that in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, fhall be accepted with him : In other words, he that repenteth and believes the Gospel, fhall be faved: For GOD fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten SON, that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. But he doth not difcover to us by name, in the word, those persons that fhall be faved, or who are his chosen in Christ, and who are not; but they are made known and manifest thro' the hearing of God's word, and by their obeying the Gospel: So that the elect cannot know that this falvation belongs to them rather than to any other, until with the heart they believe on CHRIST for righteousness. Neither doth the Word of GOD afford them any better ground or warrant to believe that they shall be saved, before they repent and turn to GOD, than it does those that perifh everlastingly; for the Gofpel of CHRIST is preached to all men promifcuously, declaring and teftifying,

+ Acts x. 35.

fying, that he which believeth fhall be faved, and he that believeth not fhall be damned: So that they who believe not are without excufe. Moreover, thofe that obey not the Gospel, do not reject it from the confideration of their not being elected; but wickedly, proudly, and willfully, they. reject the counsel of GOD and his CHRIST, because they are not willing to humble themselves before God, and to depart from all iniquity. Thus the wicked, thro' the pride of his countenance, will not feek after God: Wherefore he faith, this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Those therefore who abide and perifh in their fins, reject the Gofpel because they hate GOD and his falvation; and it is not given them to believe on CHRIST, because they are not of his fheep: But every one of his theep, for whom the good Shepherd hath laid down his life, hear his voice, and follow him. And the reason why it is given to them to believe is, because GOD hath eternally chofen them in CHRIST, who alfo bought them with his own blood.

When Paul was at Corinth, the LORD faid to him, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I bave much people in this city: But

B b

* Acts xviii, 10.

who

who they were Paul knew not, until, thro' the hearing of faith, they were made manifeft in believing on CHRIST; altho' the LORD knew them before. Therefore Paul preached CHRIST to the whole city that came to hear the word of GOD; and the LORD, thro' his preaching, gathered his elect together, and called them out from the rest that believed not: Therefore faith the fame Apostle, I endure all things for the elect's fake, that they aljo may obtain the falvation which is in Chrift Jefus, with eternal glory +.

This doctrine then is no hindrance or impediment to a finner's coming to GoD by JESUS CHRIST; neither is it a ftumbling block to any but the proud, gainfaying, and rebellious, who will not fubmit themselves unto GoD, and have CHRIST to reign over them: But to every one that cometh to CHRIST for life, it is full of encouragement, and godly confolation; because no one can come to CHRIST except the FATHER draw him: As it is written, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee: And when GOD hath drawn them to CHRIST, their LORD and their righteoufnefs, he causes them with purpofe of heart to cleave unto him; and, for his own name's fake, he will never leave them nor for fake them, until he hath perfected

+ 2 Tim. ii, 10.

Jer. xxxi. 3.

fected that which is lacking in their faith, and love, and patience; and fo made them meet for the inberitance with the faints, in light: And thus God from the beginning bath chofen his people to falvation thro' fan&tification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth; whereunto he calleth them by the Gofpel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord JESUS CHRIST: As it is written; whom he did foreknow, be also did predeftinate to be conformed to the image of his Son; and whom he did predeftinate, them be alfo called; and whom he called, them be also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified:-Who then fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth, who is be that condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather that "is rifen again, who is at the right hand of God, whe alfo maketh interceffion for us.

This alfo is the doctrine of the established Church, which is briefly fet forth in one of her articles, thus: "Predeftination to life, is the everlasting purpose " of GOD, whereby (before the foundations of the "world were laid) he hath conftantly decreed, by his "counsel fecret to us, to deliver from curfe and "damnation thofe whom he hath chofen in CHRIST "out of mankind, and to bring them by CHRIST "to everlasting falvation, as veffels made to hoBb 2 "nour,"

+ 2 Theff. ii. 13.

1 Rom. viii. 29-35.