Object,

them to refift. For it were abfurd to fay, that God had not far otherwife extended himfelf towards the virgin Mary and the apostle Paul, than towards many others: neither can we affirm that God equally loved the beloved disciple John and Judas the traitor; yet fo far, nevertheless, as none wanted fuch a measure of Grace by which they might have been faved, all are justly inexcusable. And alfo God working in thofe to whom this prevalency of grace is given, doth so hide himself, to fhut out all security and prefumption, that fuch may be humbled, and the free grace of God magnified, and all reputed to be of the free gift; and nothing from the strength of felf. Thofe alfo who perifh, when they remember those times of God's vifitation towards them, wherein he wrestled with them by his Light and Spirit, are forced to confess that there was a time wherein the door of mercy was open unto them, and that they are juftly condemned, because they rejected their own falvation.

Thus both the mercy and juftice of God are established, and the will and ftrength of man are brought down and rejected; his condemnation is made to be of himself, and his falvation only to depend upon God. Alfo by thefe pofitions two great objections, which often are brought againft this doctrine, are well folved.

The first is deduced from thofe places of fcripture, wherein God feems precifely to have decreed and predeftinated fome to falvation; and for that end, to have ordained certain means, which fall not out to others; as in the calling of Abraham, David, and others, and in the converfion of Paul; for these being numbered among fuch to whom this prevalency is given, the objection is eafily loofed.

The fecond is drawn from thofe places, wherein God feems to have ordained fome wicked perfons

to

vation, and

ftruction,

to deftruction; and therefore to have obdured their Predeftinahearts to force them unto great fins, and to have tion to fal raised them up, that he might fhew in them his pre-ordina power, who, if they be numbered amongst thofe tion to demen whofe day of vifitation is paffed over, that answered. objection is alfo folved; as will more evidently appear to any one that will make a particular application of those things, which I at this time, for brevity's fake, thought meet to pass over.

§. XIX. Having thus clearly and evidently stated the question, and opened our mind and judgment. in this matter, as divers objections are hereby prevented, fo will it make our proof both the easier and the shorter.

a day of

mercy of

The first thing to be proved is, That God hath Prop. I. given to every man a day or time of vifitation, where- Proved. in it is poffible for him to be faved. If we can prove that there is a day and time given, in which those might have been faved that actually perish, the matter is done: for none deny but those that are faved have a day of vifitation. This then appears by Proof I. the regrets and complaints which the Spirit of God throughout the whole fcriptures makes, even to those that did perish; fharply reproving them, Thofe that for that they did not accept of, nor close with God's perish had vifitation and offer of mercy to them. Thus the Lord expreffes himself then first of all to Cain, fered them. Gen. iv. 6, 7. And the Lord faid unto Cain, Why Inftances. art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 1. Cain. If thou doft well, fhalt thou not be accepted? If thou doft not well, fin lieth at the door. This was faid to Cain before he flew his brother Abel, when the evil feed began to tempt him, and work in his heart; we see how God gave warning to Cain in feason, and in the day of his vifitation towards him, acceptance and remiffion if he did well; for this interrogation, Shalt thou not be accepted? imports an affirmative, Thou shalt be accepted, if thou doft well. So that if we may truft God Almighty, the fountain

L 4

world.

fountain of all truth and equity, it was poffible in a day, even for Cain to be accepted. Neither could God have propofed the doing of good as a condition, if he had not given Cain fufficient ftrength, whereby he was capable to do good. This the Lord himfelf alfo fhews, even that he 2. The old gave a day of vifitation to the old world, Gen. vi. 3. And the Lord faid, My Spirit shall not always strive in man; for fo it ought to be tranflated. This manifeftly implies, that his Spirit did ftrive with man, and doth ftrive with him for a season; which feafon expiring, God ceafeth to ftrive with him, in order to fave him: for the Spirit of God cannot be faid to ftrive with man after the day of his vifitation is expired; feeing it naturally, and without any resistance, works its effect then, to wit, continually to judge and condemn him. From this day of vifitation, that God hath given to every God is long- one, is it that he is faid to wait to be gracious, fuffering, Ifa. xxx. 18. and to be long-fuffering, Exod. xxxiv. 6. Numb. xiv. 18. Pfal. lxxxvi. 15. Jer. xv. 15. be gracious Here the prophet Jeremy, in his prayer, lays hold upon the long-fuffering of God; and in his expoftulating with God, he fhuts out the objection of our adverfaries in the 18th verfe; Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refufeth to be healed? Wilt thou altogether be unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? Whereas, according to our adverfaries opinion, the pain of the most part of men is perpetual, and their wound altogether incurable; yea, the offer of the gospel, and of falvation unto them, is as a lie, and as waters that fail, being never intended to be of any effect unto them. The apostle Peter fays exprefly, that this long-fuffering of God waited in the days of Noah for thofe of the old world, 1 Pet. iii. 20. which, being compared with that of Gen. vi. 3. before-mentioned, doth fufficiently hold forth our propofition. And that none may object that this

and long

waiting to

unto all

long

them.

long-fuffering or firiving of the Lord was not in order -In order to fave them, the fame apoftle faith exprefly, 2 Pet. to fave iii. 15. That the long-fuffering of God is to be accounted falvation; and with this long-fuffering, a little before in the 9th verfe, he couples, That God is not willing that any fhould perish. Where, taking him to be his own interpreter (as he is moft fit) he holdeth forth, That thofe to whom the Lord is longfuffering, (which he declareth he was to the wicked of the old world, and is now to all, not willing that any fhould perish) they are to account this longfuffering of God to them falvation. Now how or in what refpect can they account it falvation, if there be not fo much as a poffibility of falvation conveyed to them therein? For it were not falvation to them, if they could not be faved by it. In this matter Peter further refers to the writings of Paul, holding forth this to have been the universal doctrine. Where it is obfervable what he adds upon this occafion, how there are fome things in Paul's epiftles Somethings bard to be understood, which the unstable and unlearned wreft to their own deftruction; infinuating to be underplainly this of thofe expreffions in Paul's epiftles, stood. as Rom. ix. &c. which fome, unlearned in fpiritual things, did make to contradict the truth of God's long-fuffering towards all, in which he willeth not any of them should perifh, and in which they all may be faved. Would to God many had taken more heed than they have done to this advertisement! That place of the apostle Paul, which Peter feems here most particularly to hint at, doth much contribute alfo to clear the matter, Rom. ii. 4. Defpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and lang-fuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Paul fpeaketh here to the unregenerate, and to the wicked, who (in the following verfe he faith) Treasure up wrath unto the day of wrath; and to fuch he commends the riches of the forbearance and long-fuffering of God;

fhewing

in Paul's

epistles hard

1

fhewing that the tendency of God's goodness leadeth to repentance. How could it neceffarily tend to lead them to repentance, how could it be called riches or goodness to them, if there were not a time wherein they might repent by it, and come to be fharers of the riches exhibited in it? From all which I thus argue.

Arg. If God plead with the wicked, from the poffibiGod's Spirit lity of their being accepted; if God's Spirit strive the wicked. in them for a feafon, in order to fave them, who

Arives in

Pr. II.

brought

grapes.

afterwards perifh; if he wait to be gracious unto them; if he be long-suffering towards them; and if this long-fuffering be falvation to them while it endureth, during which time God willeth them not to perish, but exhibiteth to them the riches of his goodness and forbearance to lead them to repentance; then there is a day of vifitation wherein fuch might have been, or fome fuch now may be faved, who have perifhed; and may perish, if they repent not:

But the first is true; therefore also the last.

§. XX. Secondly, This appeareth from the prophet Ifaiah, v. 4. What could I have done more to my The vine vineyard? For in verfe 2. he faith; He bad fenced yard planted it, and gathered out the ftones thereof, and planted it forth wild with the choiceft vine; and yet (faith he) when I looked it should have brought forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. Wherefore he calleth the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and men of Judah, to judge betwixt him and his vineyard, faying; What could I bave done more to my vineyard, than I have done in it? and yet (as is faid) it brought forth wild grapes: which was applied to many in Ifrael who refufed God's mercy. The fame example is used by Chrift, Mat. xxi. 33. Mark xii. 1. Luke xx. 9. where Jefus fhews, how to fome a vineyard was planted, and all things given neceffary for them, to get them fruit to pay or restore to their mafter; and how the mafter many times waited to be merciful to them,