QUESTION XIII. 351 not the gospel; 2 .Thess. i. 8, 9. in the commands of it, nor receive this salvation, 'if there was no sufficient salvation pro- vided in that gospel which commands them to receive it. It will render this consideration much more forcible, when we observe, that there is a much severer condemnation and more dreadful punishment threatened to those who have heard of this grace and never laid hold of it, in proportion to the degree of light inwhich this grace was set before them. It is said, It shall be less tolerable for the cities which refused to receive the gospel that Christ preached, than for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day ofjudgment; Mat. _xi. 22, 24. and they that despise the gospel of Christ, of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall they be thought, worthy, than those who despised-the law of Moses? Heb. x. 28, 29. So that their enjoying the proposals of this grace and this gospel makes their case much worse than if they had never enjoyed it ; and can we think that the righteous Judge of the world will merely send words of grace and salvation amongst them, on purpose to make his creatures so much the more miserable, when there is no real grace or salvation con- tained in those words, for them who refuse to receive it ? It is very hard indeed to vindicate the righteousness of the sentence' of their double condemnation and punishment, for the refusal of pardon and salvation, if there was not so much as a conditional pardon, and a conditional salvation provided for them. IV. It is very hard to suppose, that when the word of God, by the general commands, promises, threatenings, given to all men whatsoever, and often repeated therein, represents mankind as in a state of probation *, and in the way towards eternal re- wards or eternal punishments, according to their behaviour-in this life : I say, it is hard to suppose all this should be no real and just representation, but a mere amusement : That all these proposals of mercy, and displays ofthe gracious dealings of God, should be an empty spew with regard to all the millions of man- kind, besides the few that are chosen to happiness ; and that they should really be so fixed in a wretched, hopeless, and de- plorable state under the first sin of the first man, that they. are * I know it has been the opinion ofsomepersons, that this life is not properly called a state of probation or trial of men for eternity, because the final event is not uncertain, since it is known to God already, and partly determined by him And yet these very persons will say, that a season of affliction or temptation is a season of trial to the people of God; for so it is often called in scripture; 2 Cor. viii. 2. lieb. xi. 36. and 1 Pet. iv. 12. and 1 Pet. i. 7. it is called, The trial of our faith, &c. Now I would fain know, whether the event of every season of trial of everykind of men, whether of saints or sinners, be not known to God, and in this sense it is not uncertain ; and yet scripture, with much propriety, calls the one a season of trial : and I see no reason to exclude the other from the same name, especially since the sacred writers use it for wicked men also. Rev. iii. 10.1 will keep thee from the hour of temptation, or trial, which shall come upon ell Me world, to try them which dweli upon the earth.
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