Sum. XCVIII. The Longfrffering4God. fair and reafonable demand to ask of Men, : who have but finite Underflandings, tomake out and declare All the ways that infinite Knowledge hath of knowing and of fore feeing the Actions of free Creatures, without prejudice, to their liber- ty and freedom of acing. However, it is of the two much; more credible to Reafon, that infinite Knowledge fhould certainly fore-know things, which our Underflandings cannot imagine' how they fhould be fore known, than that God fhould any ways be the Author of Sin, by determining and decreeing thewicked A£lions ofMen. .The.firft only argues the imperfeohon of our Underftandings ; but the other lays the greateft blemifh and imperfeaion that can be upon the Di- vine Nature. So that this difficult Controverfie about the fore-knowledge :of God is brought to this point, whether a Man had better believe, that infinite Knowledge may be able to fore-knowthings in a way which our finite underitanding cannot compre- hend : or to afcribe fornethiny to God, from whence it would unavoidably fol- low, that he is the Author of Sin. The firft is only a modeft and jufl acknow- ledgment of our own ignorance ; the fail is the utmoft and greateft abfurdity that a Man can be brought to ; and to fay that we cannot believe the fore-know- ledge of God, unlefs we can make out the particular mannerof it, IS more unrea- fonable, than if an ignorant Man fhoulddeny a difficult propofition in Euclidor Archimedes to be demonftrated, becaufe he knows not how to demonftrate it.. S. And confequently fore- knowledge and liberty may very well confift ; and notwithllanding God's fore-knowledge of what Men will do, they may be as freè as if he did not fore-know it. And, Láfily, That God Both not deal with Men according to his fore-knowledge of the good or bad ufe of their liberty, but according to the nature and reafon of things ; and therefore if he be long-fuffering toward Sinners, and do not cut them off upon the fir[t Provocation, but give them a fpace and opportunity of repentance, and ufe all proper means and arguments tobring them to repentance, and be ready to afford his Grace to excite good refolutions in them, and to fecond and affift them, and they refufe and refift all this ; their wilful Obftinacy and Impenitency is as culpable, and God's Goodnefs and Patience as much to be ac- knowledged, as if God did not forefee the abufe of it ; becaufe his fore-fight and knowledge of what they. would do, laid no n'eceffity upon them to do what they did. If a Prince had the privilege of foreknowledge as God hath, and did certain- ly forefee, that a great many of his Subjedts wouldcertainly incur the penalty ofhis Laws, and that others would abufe his goodnefs and clemency to them ; yet if he would govern them like free and ' reafonable Creatures, he ought to make the fame. wife Laws to reftrain their exorbitancy, and to ufe the fame cle- mency in all cafes that did fairly admit of it, as if he did not at all forefee what they would do, nor how they wouldabufe his clemency ; for it is neverthelefs fit to make wifeand reafonable Laws, and togovern with equity and clemency, tho.% it were certainly forefeen that they that are governed would adi very foolifhly and unreafonably in the ufe of their. liberty. It is great Goodnefs in God to give Men the means and opportunity of being faved, tho' they abufe this good- nefs to their farther ruin ; and he may be heartily grieved for that folly and ob- ftinacy in Men, which he certainly forefees will end in their ruin ; and may with great ferioufnefs and fincerity with they would do otherwife, and were as wife. to dogood, as they are wilful to do evil. And thus he is reprefented in Scripture, as regretting the mifchief which Men wilfully bring upon themfelves ; O that they were wife, O that they would underhand, and confider their latter end ! And this is fufficient to vindicate the Goodnefs of God in his Patience and Long- fuffering to Sinners,and to make them wholly guilty of all that befalls them for their wilful contempt and abufe of it. I fball draw force Inferences from this whole Difcourfe upon this Argument. I. This thews the unreafonablenefs and pervetfe difingenuity of Men, who take occafion to harden and encourage themfelvés in fin from the long-fuffering of God, which above all things in the World fhould melt and foften.them. Thou Bbbbb haft 737
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=