Annotations on Chap. 8. as grofs about theWords of St. Peter, That we look for anew Heaven and a new Earth, in which dwellethRighteoufnefs. What God Both with the Souls ofBrutes when they die hence, may be unknown to us, and yet theirReftoration known. It is nor hard, by the móft probable Princi- ples ofPhilorophy, to Flame their Opinion who confidently fay, that their Souls are no Spiritual Subftances, but evanidAccidents, Qualities, or Motions. And as they mayeafily be provedSub- ftances, that have an Effential Power ofVital A&ion, Perception, and Appetite ; fo it is molt im- probable that God annihilateth them, or changeth their effential Form or Nature. But whether they are continuedIndividuate, or only in one or more univerfal Form ; and ifIndividuate, whi- theror to what ufe God difpofethofthem, and what alteration there will be in the State ofRe- ftoration, Mortalsknow not. IV. Thofe that fay, That by the Spirit that helpeth our infirmities, ver. s6 is meantChrift by his Spirit praying for us in Heaven, can neithermake it agree with the Context, ncr prove that the Spirit groaneth in Heaven,or is called our Interceffour there, but within us. V, They that feign the 28 Verfe to fay, That all the Sins ofBelievers !hall work for their good, daugeroufly pervert the Text: It's contrary to the Context, and to the tenor ofall the Scripture, and the Wifdom and Holinefs of God, and the Safety of Believers, to feign God to promile them, that how much foever they fin, they (hall be gainers by it ; When he !till ufeth the clean contrary means to fave them from ir, even by his Threatnings. And it's contrary ìo the very Terms of the Text, En them that love God, syc.] which implieth, that the defeats or decay of their Love to God is not for their good. And it's contrary to common Experience, which tells us, that many Chriftians by Sin lofe Come degrees ofLove to God, and otherGrace, and die worfe than once they were, (and Co have a lets degree ofGlory.) And is this for their good ? Yea, all Men die in force Sin of Omiffien, as ins a culpable defeat oftome. due A& or Degree of Faith, Hope, Love, Joy, Patience, ofwhich they have no more time to repent. And what good clods that do them ? Indeed force Sin toSome Men God maketh an Oceafou ofgood, and an Object of Repentance, bra. But as an Occafiox is not a Cam/a, and to be an Object of Repentance is to be a 'Duty, andnot aSin; fo even this much is noneofthe meaningof this Promife, which fpeaketh but ofSufferings, or at molt of God's ProvidentialWorks, ofwhich Sin is none. VI. The Controverffesabout Predeftination, railed from the 28 and ay Verles, might be end- ed by theText it (elf i£ wecould be content to know no more than God Both teach us, and to be no wifer than St. Paul wag. r; He teacheth us, That there are tome called according to God's purpofe, and foreknownby him, that is, to be filch as he will ufe as is after mentioned He knowerh them to be thole whom hepurpofeth to call and fave. But Paul was not Co prefumptuous and prophane, as to difpute. How God foreknoweth them, or why he purpofeth to call themrather than others. 2. And whereas prophane Men do foolifhly fay, If God decree and foreknow my Salvation, I shall belayedwhatever I do ; and ifhe do not I (hall not: St. Paul tells us, That thofe whom God purpofeth or decreeth to fare, he predatinateth to be conformed to the Image ofhis Sett, even ro the Means, is *ell as to the End. So that, to fay, That God cloth predeftinate Men to Salvation, and not to Holinefs of Heart and Life, as to contradi&God's Da&rine of Predeftinati- on: A, God cloth decree how long we fall live, and withal that we fall live by Meat and Drink; fo he decreed that we fall be Paved, and that by Faith and fincere Obedience. And lure they knout not What they fay, Who call this Do&rine of Ele&ion, Licentious. Doth it eta. courage Men to Impenitency or Dilobedince, to tell them, that God dothpredeftinate Men tore- pent, and obey, and be laved) Will it tempt Men to live after the Flefh, in Worldlinefs, or Senluality, to believe that God bath decreed to make them to live after the Spirit, and tomorti. fir the Daeds of the Fltfhi and to avoid aseh Sins? And Paul tell: us, That this Chain of Caufes is all decreed of God, from the firft to the Taft ; and therefore that it is God's Pufpore Which' leçureth the Event of our.Glorification. And it's Orange that any mould think, that God fold undertake fo great a Work as Man's Redemp- tion, and not effe&ually fecure t".te Succefs by his own Will and Wildom, but leave all to the lubricous Will of Man. 4. But the Apoftle tells us ofno Poch Decrees ofthe Caufes of Men's Damnation. God caufeth and giveth Grace, and foreknoweth that which he will give : But he dot' not taule or give Men Sin, nor neceflitate any to commit it and therefore decreeth not to caule it, nor foreknoW- eth it as his own Work, but as Man's. So that Ele&ion and Non.Ele&ion, or Reprobation,, are slur of the lame kind, degree, and order. vii The retire oftheTerms cf the 3o Verfe, Expofitors much differ about ; but there is no ,era St Do& inal Controverfe depending on it. I. It is doubted, whether by [Calling] here he meant only Jfifua/ ceiling and C.nserfion, or on'y General Calling antecedent to its Efficacy. Bur it:s <onfeffed, cha both th le are affrr,d in the Scripture, s. It is doubted, why tianaft icatiuu is cnsiru d, or where it is included ; But it's agreed, that it is one Link of the Chain of
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