Of the Nature, l(novledge, Will it were to. Caufe the in. But if he only be the moral Caufe that he e.g. kill,Yúdas rather thanPeter, this is not to Caufe fin : For to choòfe yudas rather than Peter for the object,is no fin : For, as I laid, God 'can do it only by removingPeter, and Willing thathe (hall bepreferved. 597. Suppofe a King that hath made Laws againft Murder foreknow that a Robber is waiting in fuch aRoad for a prey, and that a Traytor broke outof Prifon will go thatway, and fo willbe rob'dand killed, Hemay will or defire the Death ofthe Traytoras a puniíbment ; He may reftrain force that would travail that way before him; and may reftrain tome that would layhold on theRobber, or drive himaway, that fo this Traytor may be killed: And yet onlyPermit, andnot Will at all, theRobbers will:or At asit is 4gentir, but punifh himfor it, andhate it, andwill only the effeét. 598. Thenext Text cited is, t Pet. 2.8. svhereanto alfa they were ap- pointed (viz. tohumble on the rock of offence.) Ref. r. This hath re fpe't to Luke2.34. L he is fet for the fl of many., &c. ] andof Chrifts ow a words, that he that falleth on this ffone (hall be broken in pieces. Andno more can hence be gathered, but that God hath decreed that as a;PunifhingJudge; a. He will leave the rejecters of Chrift to goon in theirown finful way,, a. And thattheir oppofition to him (hall be their rúine. So that r. He doth not fpeak this of any but the rejecters of Chrift that deferved it. -2. He fpeaketh not at all as willing their fn, but only as one that penally denyeth them further grace. 3. But the thing that he is faid to Ordain them to, is not fin, but Ruine the confequent of their fin : The word [,/fumbling and falling] fignifying their deffru= Sion. 599: The next Text is, `2 Thef. 2. 'God(hall fend them firing delis ono (or thent/ing of deceit) that they fhouldbelievea lye. Anfw. Here is nothing lignified, bast 7. That. God (hall permit Magicians and falfe Teachers to vent deceits, x. And permit wicked men to believe them : which is mentioned as 'a permittedconfequent, and not as an end intend- ed by God : And the word, fending is used becaufe the pm/tiff/on was Penal for their fin. And his punifhinbprovidence might morally caufe the deceivers rather to go towards thefemen thantowards others. Loo. The next is Rom. 1. 24,24, 28. Godgave them up to unclean- Heft, to vileaffetfions, to a reprobatemind, &c. RI. 'Here is nothing at all faid but a Penal defertion and permiffron, and no Willor Caufeof fin in God. 6or. The next is Ad. 4.28. ro do whatfoever thy hand and thy iounfel determined before to be done. Anfw. Here is nothing faid offin at all, but of the effect of it : All that was done on Chrift, even all the effect in paffo God fore- determined fhould be done : But the AS sat volentis Ú' agentis he neither willed nor caufed as on this forbidden object. And though elfewhere the Dottor deride this anfwer ( that God decreed Chrift fhould dye, or be facrificed, andyet decreed not that the Jews or any one elfe fhould do it,) It is a great and necefhary truth He that willed the effect, and did much him- felftocaufe it, willednot themurderers finful ad : Andpermitting andfore - feeing it was enough. 602. The next is ¡fa. TO. 6. and fo Amos 16.17. Prov. 22. 14. Sam. 12. I 1. 1 icing. 11. 31. & 12. 24. God fends the Affyrian as his rod. Thy Wife (hall commit Adultery, and thy Children fall by the fword. They that are hated of God flail fall therein ] David was foretold his Wives fhould be vitiated : The ten Tribes fell from Rehoboam :.k was ofGod that he took not goodcounfel : Pharaohsheartwas hardenedby God. Anfw.
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