them all, and to discourage and lead many into despair. And how then should they seek evidence in scripture for their election or salvation? The scriptures of themselves do not evidence to particular persons their election from eternity. The scriptures do not tell S. Scandret and Nathaniel Barnard, &c. that they are elect persons. But to them that believe in Christ, and in him have obtained power over their corruptions, and whose hearts are truly and spiritually tender towards God, his spirit beareth witness with their spirits, and evidenceth to them, according to scripture, that they are the sons of God, chosen in Christ Jesus, through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth; and so are adopted through the spirit of adoption, to be the children of God, and co-heirs with Christ of eternal life and peace.

15.

S. S. Is the judge cruel that hangs up a murderer?" Sect.

Answer. No; but neither the judge, nor yet the law ordains or prescribes, that this or that person shall be a murderer; for the fact is forbidden, and the punishment is prescribed, as is the judgment and punishment of ungodly men in general.

S. S. "God doth actually damn none but the finally impenitent."

Answer. Then their impenitency is the effect of their own disobedience and rebellion, not of God's decree. And this sufficiently confutes their accusing God with fore-designing or ordaining the sin or wicked actions of men, or particular persons, for such and such ways and ends. Acts ii. 23: Christ, "being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God," after you had taken with wicked hands, "you have crucified and slain." p. 116. There was a necessity of his being delivered to suffer, as God foreknew, because of the sins of the world. Christ was given up in the counsel of God, on his part to suffer. But their wicked hands, that God permitted to take and murder him, were against God and Christ, not subject to his counsel of love and mercy, but to the devil and their own wicked hearts, malicious and murderous spirits; and therefore they were by God's counsel called to repent, to be converted, to turn from their iniquities. Acts iii. 14, 15, 19, 26. But surely God did not call them to repent of obeying his holy and just counsel, but of their iniquities, having murdered the Just One.

Acts iv. 27, 28: "Against thy holy child Jesus, Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, gathered themselves together, to do whatsoever thine hand and thy counsel had determined before to be done." But see ver. 25, 26, concerning the Gentiles' rage, and the kings of the earth, and the rulers standing up, and gathering together against the Lord and against his Christ; the rage and wicked consultations of whom God was not the author of. For when God by the mouth of his servant David asked, "Why did the heathen

rage?" (ver. 25,) would it have been a good answer for any to have said, "Lord, why dost thou ask? Hast not thou foreordained them to rage and imagine vain things?" Surely not; for then he would not ask, why? But when thereby they had provoked him, having rejected his counsel and good-will, they were given up to work wickedness and injustice, and so their own ruin, like those who brought wo upon their souls; for they had rewarded evil to themselves, as God's counsel foresaw and perceived. As the Jews or people of Israel rejected Christ, and would not be gathered by him, he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! how oft would I have gathered thy children, even as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and you would not ;" he therefore said, "Ye are the children of them that murdered the prophets. Fill ye up the measure of your fathers," &c. "serpents," &c. Mat. xxiii. 31, to the end. This was not from an eternal decree irrespectively against their persons, but in judgment and wrath against them because of their ungratefulness, envy, and wickedness. And so likewise, all who receive not the love of the truth, whereby they might be saved, but have pleasure in their unrighteousness, God gives them up both to strong delusions and hardness of heart, for their iniquity. 2 Thes. ii. 10, 11.

S. S. "Is God the author of sin in determining or fore-ordaining the wicked actions of these men? It is one thing to decree the permission of sin, another to commit it. Between God's fore-ordaining the sin, and the actual commission of it, came in the will and wicked hands of men. The will and these wicked hands were the authors and cause of sin, and not God's foreordination." p. 116.

Answer. How can S. S. clear himself from rendering God to be the author of sin, while he accuses him of determining or foreordaining the wicked actions of these men-of fore-ordaining the sin? Let the unbiased reader judge whether this be not an unjust charge against God. And I ask, did God determine and fore-ordain the wicked actions of men, and yet warn and counsel them to turn from iniquity? What inconsistency is this? How will these hold together? Doth not God first counsel, and desire the return, before he lets them alone, and gives them up to their lusts and hardness, to work their own ruin? How like the ranters' principle, that all actions are of God and by his power, is it to say, in these general expressions: "That God hath determined or fore-ordained the actions of wicked men ?" For then, how should they reform, as he counsels them by his light in their consciences? And what need of reforming what God hath fore-ordained? But how contradictory to this foreordination of wicked actions, which this man has unjustly accused God with, is his permission of sin? Although he doth not

always permit sin to go unpunished, yet in this we agree, that the will and wicked hands of men, as acted by the devil, were the authors and cause of sin, and the commission of it; and therefore not God, nor any fore-ordination of his; for he hath fore-ordained his Son Jesus Christ to call sinners to repentance, to offer life and salvation to all, before he gives up any to a reprobate mind, or to work their own ruin.

S. S. to those he counts elect, saith; "You are now afraid you have lost all; for you have greatly fallen, as did David; your faith is even giving up the ghost, yet are you not fallen from grace; God hath not forsaken you." Psal. lxxxix. 30.— 1 Sam. xi. 5, 15, and xii. 9.-Sect. 16.

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Answer. Although I confess that in the Lord is plentious redemption, and forgiveness to all that unfeignedly repent, and turn from iniquity; yet as this man placeth all upon a personal election, even David's forgiveness and redemption, not so much as taking notice of his repentance, judgment, and terror that he underwent, under which David often asked God forgiveness for his transgression. This pretended personal election, and telling men, they are not fallen from grace," when guilty of horrible wickedness, gives them a large scope and gross liberty to sin and wickedness, if they can but in the first place conceit they are elect persons; and be but such hypocrites as to out-face 'their own consciences, and murder the just witness, and evade the conviction and reproofs of truth therein; and be so selfconfident as to persuade themselves they are not fallen from grace, when they have committed adultery or murder, and acted as badly as reprobates can do, and then flatter theinselves with that imagination, that Christ hath payed all their debt, and satisfied the justice of his Father, (which they call vindictive,) for all their sins past, present, and to come." This is an easy way to make hypocrites, for them to continue in the sin of whoredom and other abominations.

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But this is too broad a way ever to lead them to heaven ; and the wicked had not need thus to have their hands strengthened in sin, nor thus to be encouraged in a course of impiety by a pretence of an impossibility of falling from grace, seeing there is a just man that perisheth in bis righteousness, and then where shall the wicked and ungodly appear? and what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness. 2 Pet. iii. Will it avail persons any thing before the just God, for a company of daubing hypocritical priests to tell a few conceited electioners, "Though you have fallen as did David, or into adultery or murder, yet have a good heart, believe still you are elect persons, chosen and designed of God for salvation from all eternity: you are not fallen from grace, when you are guilty of whoredom and the like;" as if grace

had such a great affinity with them in this their wickedness. A pleasant doctrine for the devil and his children to feed upon, as hypocrites, whoremongers, and abominable workers; who, though as bad as those they count reprobates, yet to imagine that God so respects their vile persons, as eternally to make choice of them more than others, who, it may be, are not so bad as they, (as if they were such choice jewels in their filthi ness,) is no small blasphemy, and reflection upon God. This renders him partially indulgent to the wicked, and unequal in his way towards mankind, who are all in general God's workmanship by creation, all made of one earth, one blood, &c. Surely he is no such respecter of persons.

"As concerning God's covenant with David and his seed, it is said, His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven: if his children forsake my law, if they break my statutes, then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him."" Psal. lxxxix.-Sect. 17.

I ask from whom? Was it not David that is beloved, who as he entered into covenant and agreement with God, he was his servant, anointed with the holy oil? There remained a true and tender seed in him to which the name beloved most properly related; though the man passed through great judgment and tribulation, he obtained forgiveness, and God had such regard to him for his own name and seed sake, and the sincerity that had a root in him, that his children fared the better in some respects for his sake. 1 Kings xi. 12. Howbeit, this proves not that all the seed of David after the flesh, kept their covenant with God, or stood in his grace so as not at all to fall from it. For, however God for a time retains favour, kindness, and patience to revolters, who have tasted of his grace and power, as very unwilling they should be utterly lost, yet in departing from the Lord into iniquity, they do in themselves turn from and abuse his grace, not being steadfast therein with the Lord. So that the instance proves not, that his loving kindness did always continue to such as ran into adultery, idolatry, and abominations, and who continued in rebellion, after their many gentle chastisements. Though the Lord is long suffering, and keeping covenant and mercy with them that fear him. His faithfulness fails not; he is ready to fulfil, on his part, the terms of his covenant and promise.

I would ask our opposer, who reckons it not a falling from grace, for those he counts elect persons, as David and his children, with others of his own opinion now, to fall into the guilt of adultery and murder, &c. whether his son Solomon did not fall from grace when he loved the outlandish women, so that

they turned away his heart after other gods? 1 Kings xi. Did he stand in the covenant of grace, or in God's favour all this time: Was not the Lord angry with him? See ver. 10, 11, 12. And further, that of Psal. Ixxxix, concerning David, his seed, and throne, extends further than to merely a literal relation of him and his seed, according to the flesh; for David is beloved: "I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him." ver. 20. 66 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven." ver. 29. "His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me." ver. 36. Herein David was truly a type of Christ, the anointed of God, to whom these promises relate, which were typified in David. As also that saying: "I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth." ver. 27. This is a mystery beyond a mere literal acceptation; and I may say in this, as the apostle said in his instance of Abraham and his seed, that as they that were of faith, were of Abraham and his children; so they that are spiritually anointed of God, and his beloved children and faithful servants, are of David's seed, even such who incline their ear to God, and obey his voice. For it is written : "Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good; and let your soul delight itself in fatness incline your ear and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Isa. Iv. 2, 3.

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A POSTSCRIPT ABOUT THE WILL OF GOD, ELECTION, AND REPROBATION.

Concerning the will of God in its manifestation, first, as irresistible, secondly, as resistible.

Sect. 1. First. On what considerations it may be said to be irresistible, showing forth the might of his power; as, 1. In bringing forth the works of creation: "Whatsoever he pleased that did he." Psal. cxxxv. 6. 2. In fore-ordaining his Son to be set forth, in him to tender grace and salvation in due time to mankind. (Who could hinder his first ordination, though many reject the tenders?) S. In extending his light and power universally to the final conviction of impenitent evil doers, for their rebellion, that God may show himself clear when he judgeth. Which light and power unavoidably, at times, seizes upon their consciences, reproving and convicting them, while they have a day. And though they may shun being reformed thereby, yet they cannot always avoid the torment and trouble