1 98 Of Eleflion. --~----~~--~~----- --~----------~--~Man to fuch a particular fin, as thofe hero to this contention ; an other Man BooK Ill. unto that, and not all to perpetrate every one, which of themfel ves they ~would do: As he turned the Heart of the Egypttans to hate his people, and reflrained them from other fins, as he did Ab,me!ech, I kept thee from tlhlt 118of Adu/ury: But then he fuffers them to take a liberty to fuch, or flicl 1 panicul.r corruptions, and wickcdnefs: So as indeed this fore·writ<ng thefc Men to thi~ contention, rather than other fins, was n~ more than h:avin~ them elechvely, to that, and nor to an0ther, and leavrng them to that way of finning, and uot other Mm of the fame Age, and in the fame circum– fianccs wlth them; which particular way of finning is purely their own way and their own doings, without his Decree having any influence upon them; but fetting them in fuch, and fuch circum!lancrs: And this ordering thus fame Men to this fin , fame Men to that, though it be from Gods will, to or– der and leave them, thereto, yet the fact it felf is not from God, and yet is jufily fl iled a forewnti11g appointing it foand lo, and dcferves the Name, be· caufe it is eleCl:ively, and defignedly, and truly done by him; and yet herein this appointment of his has no more outward influence, than of a Man that would draw water into fuch, and fuch a Chanel, he adds nothing to the pro– pcnfion of the waters,thcy run ofthemfelves;and thus God is faid to have turn– ed the Eg)1'1ia1Js Hearts, to hate his people, and to turn the Henrrs of Kings as rivers of Waters. 2. Thisfor<·Writi1Jg to fuch great finnings, is but by the way of punifl1mentof other fins which they fidl commit, as Rom. l· Thrrefore God gave them up. That rhefe men, Rev. I)• wor{hippedthe Beajl, this account JS gi– ven, 2 Theft. 2. 10, rt, Becau[t they received 1101 the lovt of tbe Truth, that they m1ght be (;>vrd. .A11dfor thu cauje GodfoaCjmd them j/ro11g delu/ions, th,Ji they fhottld believe a/ye: that they a!Jm1ghr be dr1m11ed, C§c. And fo he wrote down thefe men to this contention and apoflacy, upon the forelighr of their finning. 3· Let me add this to ju!lifie God, that this fore-writing of men to feveral particular ways of linning, when"' they arc all prone to all, or any, and eve· ry man would be as wicked as the Devil, to whom no fin comes amifs; ro act or fet that man t" this, is fo far from being that horfh set of abfolure Reprob•– ation, fo excbimed upon, that it is goodnefs and mercy to the generality of mankind. For, 1. it is done with a re!lraining them trom other fins, which dfe would make this world an Hell. I may exprefs it by this Comparifon : Suppofe a thoufand barrels, full of either precious or poyfonous liquor,thar had each of them a thoufand holes to let that liquor run out at, for aman that is the difpoferof them, to !lop with Pegs the moll of thofe holes, in every fuch bar– rel, and to let out here and there as he pleafeth; feme he lets run at the top, and there comes out weaker kind of poyfon, others at the bottom, whence the mofl deadly flows; and he did all thefe in a Wifdom and difcretion, and by an appointment with himfelf; Will any one fay, that this Man is the Cauleof thofc Effi"xesof Poifan, which he barely lets out, and yet he is the appoin– ter of them? la!lly, Hereby God fhews an infinite wifdom, in the variety of thole his appointments, [o Chewing every Man what is in his own Heart, whil!\ he lets it out in others; and in this manner, appointing all manner of linners to be extant in the World, as in Rom. 1 , as he doth alllizes of Grace in his own , and all by appointment. OF
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