Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

SECr.XII. ofEfftiteedWhig, der bowels, yet not give the greateft part ofmankinde fomuch ai a Paving call outwardly ; efpecially how are all thofe Texts made true, Godwouldhave ail then to be Paved; and, I delight not ix the death of a fanner, but that rather he Amid heconverted and live ; efpecially this may ferve to take off all fault and blame from man, and to lay it wholly uponGod, as if they would have readi- lycome toGod, butGod would not invite them. To remove Ibis floue : Firlt,Confider, Thatif we could not fatisfie the reafon and difputes of men in this divine difpenfation, yet if the Scripture beclear and peremptory in this point, we muffall flop our mouthes, and not gainfay : Doth not the Apoftle; Róm.9. expreflybring tlzefe carnal reafonings ? who bath refifedlis will ? and why thenBoth hefinde faeelt ? But fee how he rebukes this unrulinefs in man; Whoart those, Oman, that difputeftagainfl God ? If then Scripture and experi- ence faith thusmuch, we muftconclude, Gods ways are juft, thoughhidden to us: Evenfo Father, forfo it pleatedthee,' faid Chriff, Maeda. upon the confi- derationof Gods revealing things to babes and children, but hiding of them the wife men of the world : The Doarine of the Trinity, ofChrifts Incarna- tion, are theynot tranfcendently above our reafon, though not contrary to it ? Prorfwe credibilequia impofhile,faid Terttellian e And thusall thegreat things of God, cannotbe perceived by us t jicquid de Deodici potefI eo ipfoindigattm eff, quia diciporeff, & perictelofeem eft de Deo, crieur veradicere, faid the Ancients. But Secondly, Even reafon inforced out of Scripture, may fatisfie us inmany things ; for its no injuflice inGod, if he had not called any men in theworld with a gracious call; for feeing manby his fall had broken theCovenant with God, all things became forfeited into his hand; he was not bound to fetap man with a new flock, after his firft breaking ; and this is evidently manifefl; if you compare this with Gods dealing and difpenfation to the Apoftate An- gels; they fell from their habitation, and what became of them? they all are chained up indarknefs, referred for eternal torments : Now thisjudgement is executed upon all, God did not fpare cne of them ; to none of them was it faid, Beheve and repentfor the eemiffionof fins: See here, it was no injuflice in God todamn all the Apoftate Angels, and then it could not be injnflice to damn all Apoftate men: This certainly may quiet thy heart. Thirdly, There can be no injaflice, where all that is done, is done wholly out of grace, and meer favor. Injufliceis, wherea debt rs denied, nor where afavor is be.ítowed; now the Scripture attributes this call of God, to whom foeverit is, wholly to the grace of God : Why then art thou murmuring if God call no more? rather admire the grace of God that hecalls any; Is thy eye evil, becaufe God is good to face ? TheDevil he tlìidksGod is gracious too much, and calls too many; be is tormented with malice, becaufe fomany efcape out of his Jaws. Fourthly, Although God doth not call every man with thisimmediatecall of grace, yet no man is damned meetly becaufe he wants this: The Apofile faith, That chore that are without the Law, viz. Written and revealed to them, fhall be judgedwithout the Law: And thus thole that are without the Gofpel; that have not the means of grace, they fhall not be judged becaufe they did not believe in Chrift, becaufe they did not fubmit to him, but becaufe they didnot walk in thepraelice of thofe things they did know : Thus becaufe the Heathens didnotglorifie God, according to the knowledge they had ofhim; therefore they are condemned, Rom.o. Infidelity, meetly negative, doth not damn: He that believeth nor; the anger of God abidethon him; vie. Where theword is preached and reje/cd, fo that God doth not reap where heLow- ethnot. Fifthly, God isnot no not to thofe that are afar off, becaufe none among them have donewhat theymight do, in a natural and moral way: for although neman bath power in a gracious manner, to any fpiricual good thing, yet 6

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