304 Rom AND RECOVERY, &c. ]fowerfully gathers his elect out of the world, he gives sufficient encouragement. to all sinners to accept the same grace. God's secret foreknowledge of those who will not accept it, is by no means a sufficient reason to prevent or forbid the general offers of his grace to them, because the design of his government is to treat mankind as reasonable and moral agents. III. There may be valuable and unknown ends and pur- poses in the government of God, attained by his sincere forbid- ding sin to creatures, whom he knows resolved to practise it; and by his sincere commands of duty to creatureswhomhe knows resolved to neglect it ; and that without any real injury or injus- tice done to the sinner. The wisdom, holiness and dignity of his government must be maintained in all the just appearances of it, though sinners will rebel against it ; for the honour of divine government in the authority, wisdom and holiness of it, is of much more importance than the welfare of ten thousand of his creatures. Let God be true, saith the scripture, though every man be a liar; Rom. iii. 4. Let God appear sincere and wise, glorious and holy, though every man should turn rebel. God may wisely and sincerely publish the doctrinesof salvation with sufficient light and evidence about them, to those who he knows will not believe them : He may wisely and sincerely offer grace and salvation to those who he foresees will refuse it. Would it be an act of folly, or of injustice, or of untruth or insincerity, in a wise and good man, to give forth Isis commands to ten chil- dren, though by all present appearances, his great wisdom and sagacity foresees that seven of them will disobey him, and only three comply? Should he not approve himself to the world in doing what is wise and good, and in maintaining his parental character with honour, though some of his sons neglect their filial duty? Hereby also he gives his three obedient children an opportunity to spew their duty and love, though the other seven will take occasion thence to discover their rebellion. The great God, in his government of the world, conducts his unsearchable affairs by such general Jaws and rules, as is most for his honour ; and neither his holiness nor goodness make it necessary for him to change this his wise conduct, though he foresees many of his creatures will grow worse instead of better by it. IV. Whetheror no we can guess at any of the reasons of God's government or conduct in this thing, yet the matter of fact is certain, and beyond all dispute. God has acted in this manner, and does act thus in many instances : He sent his gos- pel to the Jews by his son Jesus, though he foreknew, and even foretold by his prophets, that the Jews would reject the gospel, and murder the divine messenger. He gave his wordofwarning, his call to repentance and righteousness, to be preached by Noah
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