But, here, let me fuggeft one very neceffary cau tion; viz. that though we may, at leaft very probably, infer the election of fome perfons, from the marks and appearances of grace, which may be difcoverable in them; yet, we can never judge any man whatever to be a reprobate. That there are reprobate perfons, is very evident from Scripture (as we fhall presently fhew); but who they are, is known alone to him, who alone can tell who and what men are not written in the Lamb's book of life. I grant, that there are fome particular perfons, mentioned in the divine word, of whofe reprobation no doubt can be made; fuch as Efau and Judas: but, now the canon of Scripture is completed, we dare not, we muft not pronounce any man living, to be nonelect, be he, at prefent, ever fo wicked. The vileft finner may, for aught we can tell, appertain to the election of grace, and be, one day, wrought upon by the fpirit of God. This we know, that thofe who die in unbelief, and are finally unfanétified, cannot be faved: becaufe God, in his word, tells us fo, and has reprefented thefe as marks of reprobation: but, to fay that fuch and fuch individuals, whom, perhaps, we now fee dead in fins, fhall never be converted to Chrift, would be a moft prefumptuous. affertion, as well as an inexcufable breach of the charity which hopeth all things.

CHA P. IV.

Of Reprobation; or, Predeflination, as it respects the Ungodly.

FROM what has been faid, in the preceding

chapter, concerning the election of fome, it would unavoidably follow, even fuppofing the

Scriptures

Scriptures had been filent about it, that there muft be a rejection of others; as every choice does, most evidently and neceffarily, imply a refufal: for, where there is no leaving out, there can be no choice. But, befide the teftimony of reason, the divine word is full and exprefs to our purpose: it, frequently, and in terms too clear to be mifunderftood, and too ftrong to be evaded, by any who are not proof against the moft cogent evidence, attests this tremendous truth, that fome are, of old, foreordained to condemnation. I fhall, in the difcuffion of this awful fubject, follow the method hitherto obferved, and throw what I have to fay into feveral diftinct pofitions, fupported by Scripture.

Pol. 1. God did, from all eternity, decree to leave fome of Adam's fallen pofterity in their fins, and to exclude them from the participation of Chrift and his benefits.

For the clearing of this, let it be obferved, that, in all ages, the much greater part of mankind have been deftitute even of the external means of grace; have not been favoured with the preaching of God's word, or any revelation of his will. Thus, antiently, the Jews, who were, in number, the fewest of all people, were, nevertheless, for a long feries of ages, the only nation, to whom the Deity was · pleafed to make any special difcovery of himself: and it is obfervable, that our Lord him elf principally confined the advantages of his public ministry to that people; nay he forbad his difciples to go among any others, Mat. x. 5, 6. and did not commiffion them to preach the gofpel, indifcriminately, to Jews and Gentiles, until after his refurrection, Mark xvi. 15. Luke xxiv. 47. Hence, many nations and communities never had the advantage of bearing the word preached; and, confequently, were ftrangers to the faith that cometh thereby. It is not indeed, improbable, but fome individuals, in thefe unenlightened countries, might belong to the

fecret

fecret election of grace; and the habit of faith might be wrought in thefe: however, be that as it will, our argument is not effected by it; it is evident, that the nations of the world were, generally, ignorant, not only of God himself, but likewife of the way to please him, the true manner of acceptance with him, and the means of arriving at the everlasting enjoyment of him. Now, if God had been pleafed to have faved thofe people, would he not have vouchfafed them the ordinary means of falvation? would he not have given them all things neceffary in order to that end? but, it is undeniable matter of fact, that he did not; and, to very many nations of the earth, does not, at this day. If, then, the Deity can, confiftently with his attributes, deny, to fome, the means of grace, and fhut them up in grofs darkness and unbelief; why should it be thought incompatible with his immenfely glorious perfections, to exclude fome perfons from grace itfelf, and from that eternal life which is connected with it? especially, feeing he is equally the Lord and fovereign difpofer of the end, to which the means lead; as of the means, which lead to that end? both one and the other are his; and he most juftly may, as he most affuredly will, do what he pleases with his own.

Befides; it being also evident, that many, even of them who live in places where the gospel is preached, as well as of thofe among whom it never was preached, die ftrangers to God and holiness, and without experiencing any thing of the gracious influences of his fpirit: we may reasonably and fafely conclude, that one cause of their so dying, is, because it was not the divine will to communicate his grace to them: fince, had it been his will, he would actually have made them partakers thereof; and, had they been partakers of it, they could not have died without it. Now, if it was the will of God, in time, to refuse them this grace; it must have

been

been his will from eternity: fince his will is, as himfelf, the fame, yesterday, to day, and for ever.

The actions of God being thus fruits of his eternal purpose, we may, fafely, and without any danger of mistake, argue from them to that; and infer, that God therefore does fuch and fuch things, because he decreed to do them: his own will being the fole cause of all his works. So that, from his actually leaving fome men in final impenitency and unbelief, we affuredly gather, that it was his everlafting determination fo to do: and confequently, that he reprobated fome, from before the foundation of the world.

And, as this inference is ftrictly rational, fo is it perfe&ly fcriptural. Thus, the Judge will, in the laft day, declare, to thofe on the left hand, I never knew you. Mat. vii. 23. i. e. "I never, no, not from eternity, loved, approved, or acknowledged you for mine:" or in other words, "I always hated you." Our Lord, in John xvii. divides the whole human race into two great claffes: one he calls the world; the other, the men who were given him out of the world. The latter, it is faid, the Father loved, even as he loved Chrift himself (verse 23.): but he loved Chrift before the foundation of the world, verfe 24. i. e. from everlasting: therefore, he loved the elect fo too: and, if he loved these from eternity, it follows, by all the rules of antithefis, that he hated the others as early. So, Rom. ix. The children not being yet born, neither having done good or evil, that the purpose of God, &c. From the example of the two twins, Jacob and Efau, the apoftle infers the eternal election of some men, and the eternal rejection of all the rest.

Pof. 2. Some men were, from all eternity, not only, negatively, excepted from a participation of Chrift and his falvation; but, pofitively, ordained to continue in their natural blindness, hardness of heart, &c: and that, by the juft judgment of God. See Exod. ix. 1 Sam. ii. 25. 2 Sam. xvii. 14.

Ifa. vi.

Ifa. vi. 9, 10, II. 2 Theff. ii. 11, 12. Nor can thefe places of Scripture, with many others of like import, be understood of an involuntary permiffion on the part of God: as if God barely fuffered it to be fo, quafi invitus, as it were by constraint, and against his will: for he permits nothing, which he did not refolve and determine to permit. His permiffion is a pofitive, determinate act of his will; as Auftin, Luther, and Bucer, juftly obferve. Therefore, if it be the will of God, in time, to permit fuch and fuch men to continue in their natural state of ignorance and corruption, the natural confequence of which is, their falling into fuch and fuch fins (obferve God does not force them into fin; their actual difobedience being only the confequence of their not having that grace which God is not obliged to grant them); I fay, if it be the will of God thus to leave them in time (and we must deny demonftration itself, even known, abfolute matter of fact, if we deny that fome are fo left), then it must have been the divine intention, from all eternity, fo to leave them: fince, as we have already had occafion to obferve, no new will can poffibly arife in the mind of God. We fee, that evil men actually are fuffered to go on adding fin to fin: and if it be not inconfiftent with the facred attributes actually to permit this; it could not poffibly be inconfiftent with them to decree that permiffion, before the foundations of the world were laid.

Thus, God efficaciously permitted (having fo decreed) the Jews to be, in effect, the crucifiers of Chrift; and Judas to betray him; Acts iv. 27, 28. Mat. xxvi. 23, 24. Hence we find St. Auftin fpeaking thus; "Judas was chofen, but it was to do a moft execrable deed: that, thereby, the death of Chrift, and the adorable work of redemption by him, might be accomplished. When therefore, we hear our Lord fay, Have not I chofen you twelve, * De Corr. & Grat. cap. 7.

and