kindred) not Pietie anda godly life. hath decreed (hall be means to bring any who ufeth them unto falvation: but becaufe God eternally paffing-by them and not-pre- definating them y hath abfolutely refolved to withhold from them that fpeciall mercy, more abundant and moft efEeduall grace, without which he infallibly knoweth by their ownvoluntary rebellion they will in- curre damnation, which he is abfolute- ly refolved to permit and not to pre- vent. Secondly,all hispremifesare too weak to induce his conclufion,becaufe eternal! abfo- lute determinations of God concerning e- vents w`h fhall betide unto particular men, do neither encourage nor difcourage them from ufing the ordinary means of atteining good and avoiding evil, whileft they are oncly known in the general], andaltogether unknown as they concern this and that fin- gular perfon. No mandoubteth but God hath eternally determined who íhall be P promoted unto woidlyhonours and who PPfat.7r. thall not, who (hall attein unto riches and who (hall not. The very Heathen were not ignorant of this truth , who afcribed thefe different conditions ofmen q oaas tte; íAoto nnn. nxefad. But hecaufe fingular perfons know not whe- ther God have determined to advance them to honourand wealth or not, they judge not all care, painsand fludy to attein honour or wealth 429
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