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This may feem a plaufible objection at the first found, but upon due confideration will not be found to overthrow what we aflert. For as to fuch declarations as this that God wou'd have all men to be faved, and therefore to come to repentance, they cannot be understood to be any thing more than declarations of mens duty to repent & turn toGod that they may be faved, and that the thing in it felf confider'd is to be defir'd. They can't poffibly mean that he wills the repentance and falvation of all as he does of fome; that he wills it as a thing which he will engage his power to accomplish; for then it would immediately come to pafs. --- The expoftulations we meet with in fcripture, are forms of speech well futed to awaken men's confideration, bring them to a fenfe of their duty, and excite them to return to God; and are of this ufe in the hand of the Spirit, in the effectual calling and converfion of God's elect. The lamentations that are made over finners, reprefent the deplorableness of their condition, and that God has no pleasure in their mifery confider'd as his creatures. If they are look'd upon as reprefentingGod difappointed in,and griev'd at a thing which he cou'd not help, and has come to pafs contrary to his defign and expectation, they are certainly ftrain'd too

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far. And as to the offers of grace in the preach'd gofpel, they are and must be general, for the elect and non-elect live together under the fame gofpel, and none but God knows who the one and the other are. These free and general offers are for the encouragement of perfons awaken'd & in diftrefs, and they prevent the returning finner from defponding. There is indeed no deceit in these offers: Whoever will may take of the water of life freely. But when any are willing to accept of falvation in the way in which it is offer'd in the gospel, they are made fo by God, and 'tis in purfuance of his purpofe. We are fure there is no inconfiftency between particular elegtion and a general promife, fince our faviour allerted the former at the fame time that he made the latter, in that famous place, which we have once and again referr'd to, John 6. 37. All that the father giveth me, shall come to me: And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. From hence I fay, it inconteftibly appears, That a determinate infallible election is not inconfiftent with a free general offer of grace I fhall mention but one objection more, which is,

Sthly. That this doctrine difcourages perfons in the use of means, and tends to def

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pair. If I am not elected may a person say, to what purpose are all my endeavours for falvation? I can never attain to it by them. And if I am elected, why fhou'd I ftrive and labour, when my falvation is made fure by the immutable decree of God? But, how prepofterous is this, when the end & means come under the fame decree? As I have had occafion once and again to observe in the process of this fubject. God's decree does not at all take off the use of our endeavours, for in the ufe of the means the very decree it felf is to receive its accomplishment. Let me refer you to a fcripture ftory for the illuftration & proof of this. When the apostle Paul was in imminent danger of fhipwrack in his voyage to Rome, he encouraged the company by afluring them, there sho'd not be the loss of any man's life, only of the veffel. For fays he,

There stood by me this night the angel of God, whofe I am, and whom I ferve, saying, fear not Paul, thou must be brought before Cefar: and lo, God bath given thee all them that fail with thee. Wherefore firs be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it fhall be even at it was told me. Yet when the shipmen were by and by going to flee out of the ship to fave

+ Acts 27. 23, 24.

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themselves by boat, Paul faid to the centurion, and to the foldiers, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be faved. Which did not at all weaken the aflurance he had just before given them from God, that they fhou'd all be faved; for God who had appointed the end, that they fhoud be fav'd, had alfo appointed the means, that they fhou'd be faved by the help of thofe fhip men: fo tho' God has ordained the falvation of thofe that fhall be faved, he has ordain'd it in the way of faith and holinefs, and a wor king out their own (alvation with fear & trembling.

There is no fuch decree as this, That the elect shall be faved, whether they work about their own falvation, or not. Or, that the elect may continue unconverted, and unconcern'd about eternal blefledness, and yet get fafe to heaven at last. If any are ordain'd unto eternal life, it is alfo ordain'd that they shall be awakn'd to a fence of their fin and mifery, to earnest prayer to God for recovering & renewing grace; and to a diligent waiting on him in the ways of his appointment, until that he have mercy on them. How then does this doctrine set aside the ule of means in order to attain the end?

If any make this a plea for not fetting about the work of their falvation, 'tis only O 2

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an excufe for floth, and a meer pretence for their not doing what they have no mind to do. For they do not urge and plead the decree in other and leffer matters, as they do in the matters of their falvation. Other things are fore-ordain'd as well as men's falvation; how long they fhall live, and whether they fhall be rich and profperous in the world. But who fays, I don't know whether God has decreed that I fhall live to be old, and therefore I will not take food to preferve my life, nor phyfick to recover me when I am fick? Or, I don't know whether the decree will allow me to profper, or not; and therefore I will not work nor trade, nor use any endeavours to get an estate. If any object the decree in the one cafe, that do not in the other, furely they are felf-condemned.

And how can this doctrine have a peculiar tendency to drive perfons to defpair, when it afcertains falvation to a very great number,an innumerable multitude; and no one knows but be is of that number? For it is a very great fin for any one to conclude himfelf a reprobate. The greatest and the oldeft finner may not do fo. For many of the elect of God have been left unto great fins, and fuffer'd to lie long in fin too; but been after all bro't to the faith of God's elt, been washed, fanctified.

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