is nomeans ofDefpair. 461 he will forfake his opinion of Predeflinati- on and Reprobation upon the forefeen good or bad as ofinen,he hath nothing to keep him fromdefpair, or toperfwade him that he is not in the number of thofe who were eternally reprobated. But in our opi- nion, though a man for the prefent flick fail: in the filthymireoffin, and fo cannot fetch any truecomfort from the affurance of his Eledion, yet he is better armed againfl the devil fuggefling the certaintyofhis Repro- bation : For he may anfwer, Iconfeff, Ifind my felftied -u yet andbound in the chains ofmy finnes ; I acknowledge, I defirve nothing but eternall damnation. Andifmy Elecíion orfat vation had depended upon Gods forefight whatgoodcourfs out ofmineownfree-will ex- cited by grace I fbould take andcontinue in, I could not otherwife think ofmy felf then ofa man reprobated andappointed unto damnation. But I know that Gods eternall Elellion is a de- creeof pure mercy and not of retributive ja- fice ; that the bending of mens hearts to be- lieve, repent and perfevere are the fupernata- railfruits ofthat eternallmercy, andnot the na- turallfruits ofany mansfree-will. Albeit there- fore I do not as yet fin -1 any fàgnes or ofeils which canput me in comfort ofmy Eleclion,yet fo long cis sam a capable fiibject ofGods frying mercy,all the devils in hellcannotprovemy Re- probation. Nay, this very diabolicalfiegeflion which
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=