Of EleClion. aelrt intutills , by one intuitive aCl:, thereupon all Men were now by Na- ~ ture v1cwed prone to all fin; lor fo their Nature, being faln, difpofed them, CliBp. 7·. even to all or any kind of fin whatever, of them felves,and llill not by any in-~ ilucnce of his. Hence thirdly , their running into fin is only of themfelves, and from their own corrupt Nature and inclination, according to the outward Circumflances and Conditions , &c. which they ihould ll:and in, and ail that of God is faid [as to any pofttive influence of his into ftn] you have well expreifed, /JCfs I4· 16. Iii;o in ttmes paj/ fuffered all Nt1tio1ts to w.,Jk m thew own W tl)'S. ._ , Yea, anil.Jourthly, they being not ordained to fupercreation Grace in,and by Chrif\, by which their ftn flJOuld be any way healed, in order to Eternal Glory, but left unto thomfelves, without it; hence that meer Negative,and not being Eleded, that alone without any Pofitive All of Gods ordaining, would have left them to all or any fin whatever. And hence you find tnat in thofe Scriptures, where but only that Negative ACl of Non.e/eelion is menti– oned, in the fame places, the fins tl1ey commit are mentioned, as the confe– quents of it. I do not fay the effeCl:s; for they flow from their own corrupti– on. Thus I .For their not doing Good, that they believe not, is attributed as the confequent of their not being Gods iheep, .rohll IO. 26. Bt<t ;•ebduve 1101, · 6ecaufe ye t~rnrot of my fheep, M I /atd tmto ) 'OU. 2. For their Doing evil , their own corruption fo carry them thereto. Revd. Is· 8. and t1/J that dwelt' t1po11 the Earth /ball worfhip him, wbofe names tlrt 1rot written ;, the B~ok of Life of the Lam6 film from the Foundattoll of tht World. Whcro plam– ly their giving themfelves up to Anti-chriOian worfhip, and Idolatrv, is attri– buted to the Negative, that their Names were not written in t),e Book of Life;. for why fupcrcreation Grace being ref\ramed [which at no time was their due] their own corrupt Hearts, would of themfelves carry thom nn to thofe fins. So in that other place, cited [for I infranee in all I tjUOted] M ztth. 7· 2 ; . their damnation is ultimately refolved into Two Acts; r.The Negative,!never brew you. 2.Their own,heing wwkers of lniqutty. Wh1ch a meer ntg, tive Act of Gods could have no pofirivc influence into; for out of a meer negative nev:r dia any thing pofitive arife; all this is but to them, whereto the fa~d caufe of Mens damn.rion is to be refolved. Well, but yowflill urge, That here is a Pofitive ACl of Gods, his fore.wri– tiug them to this Co1zdemtzation. l\1r. Cotto" obfervcs, that the word xrf••, fignifies contention, as in that place to the Corrmbs, [There u uttaty a fault , cor. 6. 7;' amo11J 'jOft, i1z thflt youhave, itpi['tlf-1a., Co.ntent1o1Js JAnd that in like manner it fl10uld be here ufcd of their oppofttion unto that taith, which upon that occafton he has exhorted true Believers, yet' they J.hculd co11tmd e.zr11ejl!y for, (£)c. And fo that fl1ould come to this, that amongfi the linncrs of that Age, that were alore of old in Gods view, ( when he was the Jl"''~'O", orderer of thofe Contentions) He had wrote down their Nam••, 2s tne Men and perfons that {hollld fo oppofc the Faith; and fo it is an Allulion from rhe manner of thofe games, which was confcri!Jere, to fot down in writmg the Names of thofc that otfer'd themfelves to enter into the hif\s. But Secondly, the firength of my anfwer ref\s upon this fmal! word, .1, ii1o, to this Condemnation , or finful Contention; and it is to me a mighty word , toclearthis matter in haod, that God did forewritt their indiv du 1l Perfons unto this or that particular way of finning: Now conftder , what rilat will a– mount to at the utmoll:, taking in what was aforefaid, but only un~o this , how that all Men lyiog fain in Gods view, and of rhemfelves prone to all ftn, he might leave them to their own fwinge and corrllption , to one fin as well as another; but he lhews himfelf a God irt ordering or ranl<ing th<ir actual linfulncfs, and particular ways offinning; fame to this Sin, fome to that Sin, that all might not run into any; arid fo '.tis but mecrly the dlpotingofMens fin– nings, which of thcmfelves they would tommir. When all the World >vere !toner£, and there was no difference, and all ana every Man would be as De– vils, and run wildl y , headdy, and as Horfes into the barrel, inro all manner ot wicltedncfs , the great God inlris i!!finice wifdoin and goodnefs , leaves roe_ llfl!ii:J1
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