1. HOW freely does God love the World? While we were yet Sinners, Chriſt died for the ungodly. While we were Dead in Sin, GOD ſpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. And how freely with Him does he give us all things! Verily free Grace is all and all!

2. The Grace or Love of God, whence cometh our Salvation, is free in all, and free for all.

3. Firſt, It is free in all to whom it is given. It does not depend on any Power or Merit in Man: No, not in any Degree: neither in whole nor in part. It does not in any wiſe depend either on the Good Works or Righteouſneſs of the Receiver: Not on any thing he has done, or any thing he is. It does not depend on his Endeavours. It does not depend on his good Tempers, or good Deſires, or good Purpoſes and Intentions: For all theſe flow from the Free Grace of GOD: They are the Streams only, not the Fountain. They are the Fruits of Free Grace, and not the Root. They are not the Cauſe, but the Effects of it. Whatſoever Good is in Man, or is done by Man, GOD is the Author and Doer of it. Thus is his Grace Free in all; that is, no Way depending on any Power or Merit in Man: But in GOD alone, who freely gave us his own Son, and with him freely giveth us all Things.

4. But is it Free for All, as well as in All? To this ſome have anſwer'd, No: It is free only for thoſe whom GOD hath ordained to Life; and they are but a little Flock. The greater Part of Mankind GOD hath ordained to Death; and it is not Free for them. Them GOD hateth; and therefore before they were born, decreed they ſhould die Eternally. And this he abſolutely decreed; becauſe ſo was his good Pleaſure: Becauſe it was his ſovereign Will. Accordingly, they are born for this, To be deſtroy'd, Body and Soul, in Hell. And they grow up under the irrevocable Curſe of GOD, without any Poſſibility of Redemption. For what Grace GOD gives, he gives only, for this, To increaſe, not prevent, their Damnation.

5. This is That Decree of Predeſtination. But methinks I hear one ſay, This is not the Predeſtination which I hold. I hold only, The Election of Grace. What I believe is no more than This, That GOD, before the Foundation of the World, did elect a certain Number of Men, to be juſtified, ſanctified, and glorified. Now all theſe will be ſaved, and none elſe. For the reſt of Mankind GOD leaves to themſelves. So they follow the Imaginations of their own Hearts, which are only evil continually, and waxing worſe and worſe, are at length juſtly puniſhed with everlaſting Deſtruction.

Is this ALL the Predeſtination which you hold? Conſider. Perhaps this is not ALL. Do not you believe, GOD ordained them to this very Thing? If ſo, you believe the Whole Decree; you hold Predeſtination in the full Senſe, which has been above deſcribed. But it may be, you think you do not. Do not you then believe, GOD hardens the Hearts of them that periſh? Do not you believe, He (literally) hardned Pharoah's Heart, and that for this End he rais'd him up (or created him?) Why this amounts to juſt the ſame Thing. If you believe Pharoah, or any one Man upon the Earth, was created for this End, to be damn'd, you hold all that has been ſaid of Predeſtination. And there is no need you ſhould add, that GOD ſeconds his Decree, which is ſuppoſed unchange •••• and irreſiſtible, by hardening the Hearts of 〈◊〉 Veſſels of Wrath, whom that Decree had before fitted for Deſtruction.

6. Well; but it may be, you do not believe even this. You do not hold any Decree of Reprobation. You do not think GOD decrees any Man to be damn'd, nor hardens, irreſiſtibly fits him for Damnation. You only ſay, GOD eternally decreed, That ALL being dead in Sin, he would ſay to ſome of the Dry Bones, Live, and to others he would not. That conſequently, Theſe ſhould be made alive, and Thoſe abide in Death: Theſe ſhould glorify GOD by their Salvation, and Thoſe by their Deſtruction.

7. Is not this what you mean by the Election of Grace? If it be, I would aſk one or two Queſtions. Are any who are not thus Elected, ſaved? Or were any, from the Foundation of the World? Is it poſſible any Man ſhould be ſaved, unleſs he be thus Elected? If you ſay No, you are but where you was. You are not got one Hair's-breadth further. You ſtill believe, that in conſequence of an unchangeable, irreſiſtible Decree of GOD, the greater part of Mankind abide in Death, without any Poſſibility of Redemption: Inaſmuch as none can ſave them but GOD; And He will not ſave them. You believe He hath abſolutely decreed, Not to ſave them; And what is this but decreeing to damn them? It is, in effect, neither more nor leſs: It comes to the ſame thing. For if you are dead, and altogether unable to make your ſelf alive; then if GOD has abſolutely decreed, He will make others only alive, and not you; He hath abſolutely decreed your everlaſting Death; you are abſolutely conſign'd to Damnation. So then, tho' you uſe ſofter Words than ſome, you mean the ſelf-ſame Thing. And GOD's Decree concerning the Election of Grace, according to your own Account of it, amounts to neither more nor leſs, than what others call, GOD's Decree of Reprobation.

8. Call it therefore by whatever Name you pleaſe, Election, Preterition, Predeſtination or Reprobation, it comes in the End to the ſame Thing. The Senſe of all is plainly this; By virtue of an Eternal, Unchangeable, Irreſiſtible Decree of GOD, One Part of Mankind are infallibly ſaved, and the reſt infallibly damn'd: It being impoſſible that any of the former ſhould be damn'd, or that any of the latter ſhould be ſaved.

9. But if this be ſo, then is all Preaching Vain. It is needleſs to them that are Elected: For they, whether with Preaching or without, will infallibly be ſaved. Therefore the End of Preaching, "To ſave Souls, is void with regard to them. And it is uſeleſs to them that are not Elected: For they cannot poſſibly be ſaved. They whether with Preaching or without, will infallibly be damn'd. The End of Preaching is therefore void with regard to them likewiſe. So that in either caſe, our Preaching is vain, as your Hearing is alſo vain."

10. This then is a plain Proof, that the Doctrine of Predeſtination is not a Doctrine of GOD, becauſe it makes void the Ordinances of GOD: And GOD is not divided againſt himſelf. A Second is, That it directly tends to deſtroy that Holineſs, which is the End of all the Ordinances of GOD. I do not ſay, "None who hold it are Holy:" (For GOD is of tender Mercy to thoſe who are unavoidably intangled in Errors of any kind.) But that the Doctrine it ſelf, That every Man is either Elected, or not Elected, from Eternity; and that the one muſt inevitably be ſaved, and the other inevitably damn'd, has a manifeſt Tendency to deſtroy Holineſs in general. For it wholly takes away thoſe firſt Motives to follow after it, ſo frequently propos'd in Scripture, the Hope of future Reward, and Fear of Puniſhment, the Hope of Heaven and Fear of Hell. That theſe ſhall go away into everlaſting Puniſhment, and thoſe into Life eternal, is no Motive to him to ſtruggle for Life, who believes his Lot is caſt already. It is not reaſonable for him ſo to do, if he thinks he is unalterably adjudged either to Life or Death. You will ſay, But he knows not, whether it is Life or Death. What then? This helps not the Matter. For if a ſick Man knows that he muſt unavoidably die, or unavoidably recover, tho' he knows not which, it is not reaſonable for him to take any Phyſick at all. He might juſtly ſay, (and ſo I have heard ſome ſpeak, both in Bodily Sickneſs and in Spiritual) If I am ordained to Life, I ſhall live; If to Death, I ſhall die: So I need not trouble myſelf about it. So directly does this Doctrine tend, to ſhut the very Gate of Holineſs in general, to hinder unholy Men from ever approaching thereto, or ſtriving to enter in thereat.

11. As directly does this Doctrine tend to deſtroy ſeveral particular Branches of Holineſs. Such are Meekneſs and Love: Love I mean of our Enemies, of the Evil and Unthankful. I ſay not, That none who hold it, have Meekneſs and Love: (For as is the Power of GOD, ſo is his Mercy.) Put that it naturally tends to inſpire or increaſe, a Sharpneſs or Eagerneſs of Temper, which is quite contrary to the Meekneſs of CHRIST: As then eſpecially appears, when they are oppoſed on this Head. And it as naturally inſpires Contempt or Coldneſs toward thoſe, whom we ſuppoſe Outcaſts from GOD. O (but you ſay) I ſuppoſe no particular Man a Reprobate. You mean, you would not, if you could help it. You can't help ſometimes applying your General Doctrine to Particular Perſons. The Enemy of Souls will apply it for you. You know how often he has done ſo. "But you rejected the Thought with Abhorrence." True: As ſoon as you could. But how did it ſour and ſharpen your Spirit in the mean time? You well know, it was not the Spirit of Love, which you then felt towards that poor Sinner, whom you ſuppoſed or ſuſpected, whether you would or no, to have been hated of GOD from Eternity.

12. Thirdly, This Doctrine tends to deſtroy the Comfort of Religion, the Happineſs of Chriſtianity: This is evident as to all thoſe who believe themſelves to be reprobated, or who only ſuſpect or fear it. All the great and precious Promiſes are loſt to them. They afford them no Ray of Comfort: For they are not the Elect of GOD. Therefore they have neither Lot nor Portion in them. This is an effectual Bar to their finding any Comfort or Happineſs even in that Religion, whoſe Ways were deſigned to be Ways of Pleaſantneſs, and all her Paths Peace.

13. And as to you who believe yourſelves the Elect of GOD, what is your Happineſs? I hope, not a Notion, a ſpeculative Belief; a bare Opinion of any Kind: But a feeling Poſſeſſion of GOD in your Heart, wrought in you by the Holy Ghoſt; or, The Witneſs of GOD's Spirit with your Spirit, that you are a Child of GOD. This otherwiſe term'd the full Aſſurance of Faith, is the true Ground of a Chriſtian's Happineſs. And it does indeed imply, a full Aſſurance, that all your paſt Sins are forgiven, and that you are now a Child of GOD; But it does not neceſſarily imply, a full Aſſurance of our future Perſeverance. I do not ſay, This is never join'd to it: But that it is not neceſſarily imply'd therein; for many have the one, who have not the other.

14. Now this Witneſs of the Spirit, Experience ſhews to be much obſtructed by this Doctrine: And not only in thoſe, who believing themſelves Reprobated, by this Belief thruſt it far from them: But even in them that have taſted of that good Gift, who yet have ſoon loſt it again, and fallen back into Doubts and Fears, and Darkneſs, Horrible Darkneſs that might be felt. And I appeal to any of you who hold this Doctrine, to ſay between GOD and your own Hearts, whether you have not often a Return of Doubts and Fears concerning your Election or Perſeverance? If you aſk, Who has not? I anſwer, Very Few of thoſe that hold this Doctrine. But many, very many of thoſe that hold it not, in all Parts of the Earth: Many of thoſe who know and feel, they are in CHRIST to Day, and take no Thought for the Morrow; who abide in him by Faith from Hour to Hour, or rather from Moment to Moment. Many of theſe have enjoy'd the uninterrupted Witneſs of his Spirit, the continual Light of his Countenance, from the Moment wherein they firſt believed, for meny Months or Years to this Day.

15. That Aſſurance of Faith which theſe enjoy, excludes all Doubt and Fear. It excludes all Kind of Doubt and Fear, concerning their future Perſeverance: Tho' it is not properly (as was ſaid before) and Aſſurance of what is Future; but only of what now is. And this needs not for its Support, a ſpeculative Belief, That whoever is once ordain'd to Life, muſt live. For it is wrought from Hour to Hour, by the mighty Power of GOD, by the Holy Ghoſt which is given unto them. And therefore that Doctrine is not of GOD, becauſe it tends to obſtruct, if not deſtroy, this Great Work of the Holy Ghoſt, whence flows the chief Comfort of Religion, the Happineſs of Chriſtianity.

16. Again, How uncomfortable a Thought is This, That Thouſands and Millions of Men, without any preceding Offence or Fault of theirs, were unchangeably doom'd to everlaſting Burnings? How peculiarly uncomfortable muſt it be, to thoſe who have put on Chriſt! To thoſe who being fill'd with Bowels of Mercy, Tenderneſs and Compaſſion, could even wiſh themſelves accurſt for their Brethren's Sake.

17. Fourthly, This uncomfortable Doctrine directly tends to deſtroy our Zeal for Good Works. And this it does firſt, as it naturally tends (according to what was obſerv'd before) to deſtroy our Love to the greater Part of Mankind, namely, the Evil and unthankful. For whatever leſſens our Love, muſt ſo far leſſen our Deſire to do them Good. This it does, ſecondly, as it cuts off one of the ſtrongeſt Motives to all Acts of Bodily Mercy, ſuch as Feeding the Hungry, Cloathing the Naked, and the like, viz. The Hope of ſaving their Souls from Death. For what avails it to relieve their Temporal Wants, who are juſt dropping into Eternal Fire? Well; but run and ſnatch them as Brands out of the Fire. Nay, this you ſuppoſe impoſſible. They were appointed thereunto, you ſay, from Eternity, before they had done either Good or Evil. You believe, it is the Will of GOD they ſhould die. And who hath reſiſted his Will? But you ſay, You do not know, whether theſe are elected or not. What then? If you know they are the one or the other, that they are Elected or not Elected, all your Labour is void and vain. In either Caſe, your Advice, Reproof, or Exhortation, is as needleſs and uſeleſs as our Preaching. It is needleſs to them that are Elected; for they will infallibly be ſaved without it. It is uſeleſs to them that are not Elected; for with 〈◊〉 without it they will infallibly be damn'd. Therefore you cannot, conſiſtently with your Principles, take any Pains about their Salvation. Conſequently, thoſe Principles directly tend to deſtroy your Zeal for Good Works; for all Good Works; but particularly for the Greateſt of all, The Saving of Souls from Death.

18. But, fifthly, This Doctrine not only tends to deſtroy Chriſtian Holineſs, Happineſs, and Good Works, but hath alſo a direct and manifeſt Tendency to overthrow the whole Chriſtian Revelation. The Point which the wiſeſt of the modern Unbelievers moſt induſtriouſly labour to prove, is, That the Chriſtian Revelation is not neceſſary. They well know, could they once ſhew this, the Concluſion would be too plain to be denied, If it be not Neceſſary, it is not True. Now, this Fundamental Point you give up. For ſuppoſing That Eternal, Unchangeable Decree, One Part of Mankind muſt be ſaved, tho' the Chriſtian Revelation were not in Being: And the other Part of Mankind muſt be damn'd, notwithſtanding that Revelation. And what would an Infidel deſire more? You allow him all he aſks. In making the Goſpel thus unneceſſary to all Sorts of Men, you give up the whole Chriſtian Cauſe. O tell it not in Gath! Publiſh it not in the Streets of Aſkelon! Leſt the Daughters of the Uncircumciſed rejoice, leſt the Sons of Unbelief triumph!

19. And as this Doctrine manifeſtly and directly tends to overthrow the whole Chriſtian Revelation ſo it does the ſame Thing, by plain Conſequence, in making that Revelation contradict itſelf. For it is grounded on ſuch an Interpretation of ſome Texts (more or fewer it matters not) as flatly contradict all the other Texts, and indeed the whole Scope and Tenor of Scripture. For Inſtance; The Aſſerters of this Doctrine, interpret that Text of scripture, "Jacob have I loved, but Eſau have I hated," as implying that GOD in a literal Senſe hated Eſau, and all the Reprobated, from Eternity. Now, what can poſſibly be a more flat Contradiction than this, not only to the whole Scope and Tenor of Scripture, but alſo to all thoſe particular Texts, which expreſsly declare, "GOD is LOVE?" Again, they infer from that Text, I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy, (Rom. ix. 15.) That GOD is Love only to ſome Men, viz. The Elect, and that he hath Mercy for thoſe only: Flatly contrary to which, is the whole Tenor of the Scripture, as is that expreſs Declaration in particular, The Lord is loving unto EVERY Man, and his Mercy is over all his Works. (Pſal. cxiv. 9.) Again, They infer from that and the like Texts, It is not of him that willeth, neither of him that runneth, but of GOD that ſheweth Mercy, that he ſheweth Mercy only to thoſe whom he had Reſpect to from all Eternity. Nay, but who replieth againſt GOD now? You now contradict the whole Oracles of GOD, which declare throughout. GOD is no Reſpecter of Perſons, (Acts x. 34.) "There is no Reſpect of Perſons with him." (Rom. ii. 11.) Again, from that Text," The Children being not yet born, neither having done Good or Evil, that the Purpoſe of GOD according to Election, might ſtand, not of Works, but of him that calleth▪ It was ſaid unto her (unto Rebecca) The Elder ſhall ſerve the Younger." You infer, that our being Predeſtinated or Elect, no way depends on the Fore-knowledge of GOD: Flatly contrary to this, are all the Scriptures; and thoſe in particular, "Elect, according to the Fore-knowledge of GOD." (1 Pet. i. 2.) Whom he did Fore-know, he alſo did Predeſtinate. (Rom. viii. 29.)

20. And, The ſame Lord over all, is rich in Mercy to all that call upon him. (Rom. x. 12.) But you ſay, No, He is ſuch only to thoſe for whom Chriſt died. And thoſe are not All, but only a Few, Whom GOD hath choſen out of the World: For he died not for All, but only for thoſe who were choſen in him before the Foundation of the World. (Eph. i. 2.) Flatly contrary to your Interpretation of thoſe Scriptures alſo, is the whole Tenor of the New Teſtament; as are in particular thoſe Texts, Deſtroy not him with thy Meat, for whom Chriſt died. (Rom. xiv. 15.) A clear Proof that Chriſt died, not only for thoſe that we ſaved, but alſo for them that periſh. He is "the Saviour of the World," (John iv. 42.) He is the Lamb of GOD that taketh away the Sins of the World. (John i. 29.) He is the Propitiation, not for our Sins only, but alſo for the Sins of the whole World. (1 John ii. 2.) He (the living GOD) is the Saviour of all Men. (1 Tim. iv. 10.) He gave himſelf a Ranſom for All. ( • Tim. ii. 6.) "He taſted Death for all Men." (Heb. ii. 9.)

21. If you aſk, Why then are not all Men ſaved? The whole Law and the Teſtimony anſwer, firſt, not becauſe of any Decree of GOD, not becauſe it is his Pleaſure they ſhould die: For, as I live ſaith the Lord GOD, I have no Pleaſure in the Death of him that dieth. (Ezek. xviii. 32.) Whatever be the Cauſe of their periſhing, it cannot be his Will, if the Oracles of GOD are true; for they declare, He is not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance. (2 Pet. iii. 9.) He willeth that all Men ſhould be ſaved. And they, ſecondly, declare, What is the Cauſe why all Men are not ſaved; namely, that they will not be ſaved: So our LORD expreſly, They will not come unto me that they may have Life. (John v. 40.) The Power of the LORD is preſent to heal them; but they will not be healed. They reject the Counſel, the merciful Counſel of GOD, againſt themſelves, as did their Stiff-necked Forefathers. And therefore are they without Excuſe, becauſe GOD would ſave them, but they will not be ſaved: This is the Condemnation, How often would I have gathered you together, and ye would not. (Mat. xxiii. 37.)

22. Thus manifeſtly does this Doctrine tend to overthrow the whole Chriſtian Revelation, by making it contradict itſelf; by giving ſuch an Interpretation of ſome Texts, as flatly contradicts all the other Texts; and indeed the whole Scope and Terror of Scripture. An abundant Proof that it is not of GOD. But neither is this all. For ſeventhly, It is a Doctrine full of Blaſphemy; of ſuch Blaſphemy as I ſhould dread to mention, but that the Honour of our gracious GOD, and the Cauſe of his Truth, will not ſuffer me to be ſilent. In the Cauſe of GOD then, and from a ſincere Concern for the Glory of his Great Name, I will mention a few of the Horrible Blaſphemies, contained in this Horrible Doctrine. But firſt, I muſt warn every one of you that hears, as ye will anſwer it at the Great Day, not to charge me (as ſome have done) with Blaſpheming, becauſe I mention the Blaſphemy of others. And the more you are grieved with them that do thus blaſpheme, ſee that ye confirm your Love towards them the more; and that your Heart's Deſire, and continual Prayer to GOD be, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.

23. This premiſed, let it be obſerved, That this Doctrine repreſents our bleſſed Lord, JESUS CHRIST the Righteous, the only begotten Son of the Father, full of Grace and Truth, as an Hypocrite, a Deceiver of the People, a Man void of common Sincerity. For it cannot be denied, that he every where ſpeaks, as if he was willing that all Men ſhould be ſaved. Therefore to ſay, He was not willing that all Men ſhould be ſaved, is to repreſent him as a mere Hypocrite and Diſſembler. It can't be denied that the gracious Words which came out of his Mouth, are full of Invitations. To ſay then, He did not intend to ſave all Sinners, is to repreſent him as a groſs Deceiver of the People. You cannot deny, that he ſays, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden. If then you ſay, He calls thoſe that cannot come, thoſe whom he knows to be unable to come; thoſe whom he can make able to come, but will not; how is it poſſible to deſcribe greater Inſincerity? You repreſent him as mocking his helpleſs Creatures, by offering what he never intends to give. You deſcribe him as ſaying one Thing, and meaning another: As pretending the Love which he had not. Him, in whoſe Mouth was no Guile, you'll make full of Deceit, void of common Sincerity: Then eſpecially, when drawing nigh the City, He wept over it, and ſaid, O Jeruſalem! Jeruſalem! Thou that killeſt the Prophets, and ſtoneſt them that are ſent unto Thee; How often WOULD I have gathered thy Children together—and YE WOULD NOT. ['Etheleſa kai 'uk 'etheleſate.] Now, if you ſay, They wou'd, but He wou'd not, you repreſent him (which who could hear?) as weeping Crocodiles Tears, weeping over the Prey which himſelf had doom'd to Deſtruction.

24. Such Blaſphemy this, as one would think might make the Ears of a Chriſtian to tingle. But there is yet more behind; for juſt as it honours the Son, ſo doth this Doctrine honour the Father. It deſtroys all his Attributes at once. It overturns both his Juſtice, Mercy and Truth. Yea, it repreſents the moſt holy GOD as worſe than the Devil; as both more falſe, more cruel and more unjuſt. More Falſe; becauſe the Devil, Liar as he is, hath never ſaid, He willeth all Men to be ſaved. More Unjuſt, becauſe the Devil cannot, if he wou'd, be guilty of ſuch Injuſtice as you aſcribe to GOD, when you ſay, That GOD condemned Millions of Souls to everlaſting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for continuing in Sin, which for want of that Grace he will not give them, they cannot avoid; And more Cruel, becauſe that unhappy Spirit ſeeketh Reſt and findeth none; ſo that his own reſtleſs Miſery is a kind of Temptation to him to tempt others. But GOD reſteth in his high and Holy Place: So that to ſuppoſe him of his own mere Motion, of his pure Will and Pleaſure, happy as he is, to doom his Creatures, whether they will or no, to endleſs Miſery; is to impute ſuch Cruelty to him, as we cannot impute even to the great Enemy of GOD and Man. It is to repreſent the moſt High GOD (He that hath Ears to hear, let him hear!) as more Cruel, Falſe, and Unjuſt than the Devil.

25. This is the Blaſphemy clearly contained in the Horrible Decree of Predeſtination. And here I fix my Foot. On this I join Iſſue with every Aſſertor of it. You repreſent GOD as worſe than the Devil: More Falſe, more Cruel, more Unjuſt. "But, you ſay, you will prove it by Scripture." Hold! What will you prove by Scripture? That GOD is worſe than the Devil? It cannot be. Whatever that Scripture proves, it never can prove this. Whatever its true Meaning be, this cannot be its true Meaning. Do you aſk, What is its true Meaning then? If I ſay, I know not, you have gain'd Nothing. For there are many Scriptures, the true Senſe whereof neither you not I ſhall know, till Death is ſwallowed up in Victory. But this I know, Better it were to ſay, It had no Senſe at all; than to ſay it had ſuch a Senſe as this. It cannot mean, whatever it mean beſides, that the GOD of Truth is a Lyar. Let it mean what it will, it cannot mean that the Judge of all the World is unjuſt. No Scripture can mean, that GOD is not Love, or that his Mercy is not over all his Works. That is, Whatever it prove beſide, no Scripture can prove Predeſtination.

26. This is the Blaſphemy for which, (however I love the Perſons who aſſert it) I abhor the Doctrine of Predeſtination. A Doctrine, upon the Suppoſition of which, if one could poſſibly ſuppoſe it for a Moment, (call it Election, Reprobation, or what you pleaſe, for all comes to the ſame Thing) one might ſay to our Adverſary the Devil, Thou Fool, why doſt thou roar about any longer? Thy lying in Wait for Souls is as needleſs and uſeleſs as our Preaching. Heareſt thou not, that GOD hath taken thy Work out of thy Hands? And that he doth it much more effectually? Thou, with all thy Principalities and Powers, canſt only ſo aſſault, that we may reſiſt thee: But he can irreſiſtibly deſtroy both Body and Soul in Hell! Thou canſt only entice; but his unchangeable Decree, to leave Thouſands of Souls in Death, compels them to continue in Sin, 'till they drop into everlaſting Burnings. Thou tempteſt. He forceth us to be damn'd. For we cannot reſiſt his Will. Thou Fool, why goeſt thou about any longer, ſeeking whom thou mayeſt devour? Heareſt thou not, that GOD is the devouring Lion, the Deſtroyer of Souls, the Murderer of Men? Moloch cauſed only Children to paſs thro' the Fire; and that the Fire was ſoon quenched▪ or the corruptible Body being conſumed, its Torment was at an End. But GOD, thou art told, by his Eternal Decree, fixed before they had done Good or Evil, cauſes not only Children of a Span long, but the Parents alſo to paſs thro' the Fire of Hell: That Fire which never ſhall be quenched; and the Body which is caſt thereinto, being now incorruptible and immortal, will be ever conſuming, and never conſumed: But the Smoak of their Torment, becauſe it is GOD's good Pleaſure, aſcendeth up for ever and ever.

27. O how would the Enemy of GOD and Man rejoice to hear theſe Things were ſo! How would he cry aloud and ſpare not! How would he lift up his Voice and ſay, To your Tents, O Iſrael! Flee from the Face of this GOD, or ye ſhall utterly periſh. But whither will ye flee? Into Heaven? He is there. Down to Hell? He is there alſo. Ye cannot flee from an omnipreſent almighty Tyrant. And whether ye flee or ſtay, I call Heaven his Throne, and Earth his Footſtool to witneſs againſt you, ye ſhall periſh, ye ſhall die eternally. Sing, O Hell, and rejoice ye that are under the Earth! For GOD, even the mighty GOD, hath ſpoken, and devoted to Death Thouſands of Souls from the Riſing up of the Sun, unto the Going down thereof. Here, O Death is thy Sting! They ſhall not, cannot Eſcape. For the Mouth of the LORD hath ſpoken it. Here, O Grave, is thy Victory! Nations yet unborn, or ever they have done Good or Evil, are doom'd never to ſee the Light of Life, but thou ſhalt gnaw upon them for ever and ever. Let all thoſe Morning-Stars ſing together, who fell with Lucifer, Son of the Morning. Let all the Sons of Hell ſhout for Joy! For the Decree is paſt, and who ſhall diſannul it?

28. Yea, the Decree is paſt. And ſo it was before the Foundation of the World. But what Decree? Even this; I will ſet before the Sons of Men Life and Death, Bleſſing and Curſing. And the Soul that chuſeth Life, ſhall live, as the Soul that chuſeth Death ſhall die. This Decree, whereby "whom GOD did foreknow, he did predeſtinate, was indeed from everlaſting: This, whereby all who ſuffer CHRIST to make them alive, are Elect, according "to the Fore-knowledge of GOD, now ſtandeth faſt, even as the Moon, and as the faithful Witneſs in Heaven: And when Heaven and Earth ſhall paſs away, yet this ſhall not paſs away; for it is as unchangeable and eternal, as is the Being of GOD that gave it. This Decree yields the ſtrongeſt Encouragement, to abound in all Good Works, and in all Holineſs: And it is a Well ſpring of Joy, of Happineſs alſo, to our great and endleſs Comfort. This is worthy of GOD. It is every Way conſiſtent with all the Perfections of his Nature. It gives us the nobleſt View both of his Juſtice, Mercy, and Truth. To this agrees the whole Scope of the Chriſtian Revelation, as well as all the Parts thereof. To this Moſes and all the Prophets bear Witneſs, and our Bleſſed LORD and all his Apoſtles. Thus Moſes, in the Name of his LORD, "I call Heaven and Earth to record againſt you this Day, that I have ſet before you Life and Death, Bleſſing and Curſing; therefore chuſe Life that thou and thy Seed may live." Thus Ezekiel (to cite one Prophet for all) "The Soul that ſinneth it ſhall die: The Son ſhall not bear (eternally) the Iniquity of the Father (xviii. 20.) The Righteouſneſs of the Righteous ſhall be upon him, and the Wickedneſs of the Wicked ſhall be upon him." Thus our bleſſed LORD, "It any Man thirſt, let him come to me and drink." (John vii. 37.) Thus his great Apoſtle St. Paul (Acts xvii. 30.) "GOD commandeth ALL MEN, every where, to repent." "ALL MEN, every where:" Every Man in every Place, without any Exception, either of Place or Perſon. Thus St. James, "If any of you lack Wiſdom, let him aſk of GOD, who giveth to all Men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it ſhall be given him." (James 1. 5.) Thus St. Peter (2 Pet. iii. 9.) "The LORD is—not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to Repentance." And thus St. John, "If any Man ſin, we have an Advocate with the Father,—and he is the Propitiation for our Sins: And not for ours only, but for the Sins of the whole World; (1 Joh. ii. 1, 2.)

29. O hear ye this, ye that forget GOD! Ye cannot charge your Death upon him. "Have I any Pleaſure at all, that the Wicked ſhould die, ſaith the Lord GOD? (Ezek. xviii. 23, &c.) Repent and turn from all your Tranſgreſſions: So Iniquity ſhall not be your Ruin. Caſt away from you all your Tranſgreſſions, whereby ye have tranſgreſt,—for why will ye die, O Houſe of Iſrael? for I have no Pleaſure in the Death of him that dieth, ſaith the Lord GOD. Wherefore turn yourſelves and live ye." "As I live, ſaith the Lord GOD, I have no Pleaſure in the Death of the Wicked. Turn ye, turn ye from your Evil Ways: For why will ye die, O Houſe of Iſrael? (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.)