REJECTION IV. They do utterly DENY, that "God is simply unwilling that a man should do (1.) more good than he doth, or (2.) omit more evil than he omitteth; or that he hath precisely decreed from eternity, that both GOOD and EVIL should be so dme as they are." THE REASON. 1. His command.-Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy mind and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. Abstain from all appearance (kind) of evil. 1 Thess. v, 22.-Have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. Ephes. v, 11.-Wherein have I wearied thee? Micah vi, 3. See Phil. iii, 12-15. My yoke is easy. Matt. xi,29. Receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 Cor. vi, 1.-Grow in grace. 2 Peter iii, 18.-Negotiamini dum venio, "Trade till I come." Wherefore (hast thou kept my talent in a napkin, and) gavest it not into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?-Cast that unprofitable servant, &c. Luke xix, 12, 20.-Ye did run well, who did drive you back? Gal. v, 7. 2. But what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Jude 10.-Their heart is FULLY SET IN THEM to do evil. Eccles. viii, 11.-They devise iniquity upon their beds. Micah ii, 1.-They rebel against the light. Job xxiv, 13. Consider verses 15, 16, 17. See Rom. i, 32: Isaiah Xxx, 8-11. See also the proofs of the Affirmative in the Sixth Assertion, page 126. REJECTION V. They do utterly DENY, that "God doth outwardly call some, whom he is unwilling inwardly to call and truly to convert, and that before they have rejected the grace of conversion." THE REASON. 1. This is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 Tim. i, 15; Luke xix, 10.-To call sinners to repentance, (Matt. xi, 13.) to call them to the obedience of faith, (Rom. xvi, 25, 26.) unto holiness, (1 Thess. iv, 7.) out of darkness into his marvellous light, that we might set forth his praise. 1 Peter ii, 9; Eph. i, 12. Why should he not be serious in all this, seeing it is according to his PURPOSE and GRACE? 2 Tim. i, 9. 2. And the motive of it is his COMPASSION.-The Lord sent to them by his messengers: because he had compassion on his people. But they mocked the messengers, &c. 2 Chron.xxxvi, 15. See 2 Chron. xxiv, 19; Mark xii, 6, 7: Beloved and called. Rom. i, 7.—I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord.He was their Saviour; in all their afflictions he was afflicted; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them. But they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit. Isa. Ixiii, 7—10.---With this affection the Lord calls such as are finally disobedient, (See 1 Peter iii, 19, iv, 6.) till they provoke him to wrath that there be no remedy left. 2 Chron. xxxvi, 16. This affection is testified, by options and intreaties, by expostulations and increpations, by his lamentations and oath. See the proofs of the Seventh Affirmative, page 127. 3. His CHARGE.-Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die!, if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity: but his blood will I require at thine hand. Ezek. xxxiii, 7; Acts xx, 28. 4. His EXPECTATION.-He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. Isai. v, 2. See J Pet. iii, 20. 5. His appeal to our own JUDGMENT in the cases.-Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, [ dare any man alledge the want of a serious inward call?,] that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? Isai. v, 3, 4.--[See Luke xiv, 21. He was angry at their refusal.]--O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Are not your ways unequal? Ezek. xviii, 29, &c. 6. He charges their non-conversion (as was proved above) upon their own REFRACTORINESS: and punisheth them for it.--Jer. xxv, 4; xxxv, 15; 1 Sam. ii, 30.-(1.) With desertion. 2 Chron. xxxvi, 16; 2 Thess. ii, 10, 11, 12. See Rom. i, 28-And (2.) With destruction. 2 Thess. i, 8.-See the proofs of the Seventh Affirmative, page 127. REJECTION VI. They do utterly DENY, that "there is a secret will in God, so contrary to his will revealed in his word, that, according to his secret will, he nilleth the conversion and salvation of the greatest part of those whom, by the word of his gospel and revealed will, he seriously calleth and inviteth to faith and salvation; so as there should be acknowledged in God, a holy simulation and a double person." THE REASON. 1. He calls us out of compassion and according to his purpose and grace. 2 Chron. xxxvi, 15; 2 Tim. i, 9. See 2 Chron. xxiv, 19; Mark xii, 6. 2. He is a God of truth, and adds his oath for confirmation of our faith in this particular. "He cannot lie, nor deny himself." Numb. xxiii, 19; Tit. i, 2; Heb. vi, 18; 2 Tim. ii, 13. 3. He condemneth a double heart and punisheth dissemblers and hypocrites, no less than unbelievers. Matt. xxiv, 51; Luke xii, 46. 4. And besides, our conversion, sanctification, and salvation, are according to his secret, acceptable and perfect will. Ephes. i, 9; 1 Thess. iv, 3; Rom. xii, 2. See the proofs of the Seventh Affirmative, page 127. See 1 Tim. ii, 3, 4. REJECTION VII. They do utterly DENY, that "God calleth Reprobates for these ends, viz. that he may harden them the more, make them unexcusable, punish them the more grievously, manifest their weakness; and not for this end,-THAT THEY MAY BE CONVERTED, BELIEVE AND BE SAVED." THE REASON. 1. See it in the Reasons of the Fifth and Sixth Negatives, immediately foregoing, (page 134,) to which add Ephes. iv, 1: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” * And what answer doth such a call deserve, as is given to no other end than those now mentioned? But God calleth us with an holy calling. 2 Tim. i, 9.-And he saith unto me, write: Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb! And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. Rev. xix, 9. See Luke x, 24; Matt. xvi, 17. 2. He upbraids such as make no better use of his calls, than to aggravate their own damnation. Deut. xxix, 2-6; Ezek. ii, 5; John xv, 22, 24.-These things I say, that ye might be saved. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life. John v, 34, 40-Despisest thou the riches of his goodness-not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness, and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath? Rom. ii, 4, 5. See Proofs of the Seventh Affirmative, page 127. See 2 Chron. xxiv, 19. His design is to reduce them [bring them back]. Mark xii, 6. Beloved, and called Rom. i, 7. REJECTION VIII. They do utterly DENY, that "by the force and efficacy of the secret will and decree of God, not only good things but [also] evil do necessarily come to pass." THE REASON. 1. It is man's duty to eschew evil and do good; 1 Pet. iii, 11; Psalm xxxiv, 13; (see 2 Sam. xxiv, 12, 13; 1 Sam. xxiii, 11, 12 ;) good being commanded upon promise of LIFE, and evil forbidden under peril of DAMNATION.-If thou wilt enter life, keep the commandments. Matt. xix, 17.-The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth of God in unrighteousness. Rom. i, 18. See verse 32. 2. The good and evil which men do, are matters of CHOICE. See John xix, 11; Josh. xxiv, 15, 22.-If ye be willing and obedient, &c. But if ye refuse and rebel, &c. Isai. i, 19, 23.Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, &c. Ezek. ii, 5. See Jer. xxxvi, 6, 7.-Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds: when the morning is light they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. Mic. ii, 1.-Let him do what he will. 1 Cor. vii, 36. See Matt. xvii, 12; Deut. xxx, 19. - 3. God's exprobration. Jer. v, 22, 23, under different laws. 4. Good and evil are attended with PRAISE and DISPRAISE, which such actions deserve not as come to pass necessarily.The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools. Prov. iii, 35; see Rom. ii, 29: Phil. iv, 8.-Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. Rom. xiii, 3. See 1 Cor. iv, 5.--This is thank-worthy with God. I Pet. ii, 19, 20.-Well done, good and faithful servant ! Luke xix. See Gal. vi, 4.--Who seek for glory and honour and immortality. Rom. ii, 7. 5. God propounds examples to our imitation. 6. That is omitted which God loves, and that comes to pass which he hateth. See Jer. xliv, 4, 5.—They did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Isai. lxv, 12, and lxvi, 4.-All these are things that I hate. Zech. viii, 17. See 1 Kings xx, 42. 7. Lastly, God is sometimes said to expect that which does not come to pass. See Mark xii, 6; Ezek. xxii, 30.-When once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah. 1 Pet. iii, 20. He looked, that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. Isai. v, 2, 4.-See the places cited for God's hatred of sin, and against absolute antecedent decrees, pages 94 and 103. K THE STATE OF THE CONTROVERSY TOUCHING THE WORK OF GRACE IN THE CONVERSION OF MAN. Whether a man, when God seriously wills that he believe, and be converted, can nill to believe and convert. THE FIFTH ARTICLE CONTROVERTED IS TOUCHING PERSEVERANCE. WHAT THE REMONSTRANTS HOLD. TENET I. They hold, that God doth furnish the true believers with supernatural power of grace, as, according to his Infinite Wisdom, he judgeth sufficient for their perseverance and conquest over the temptations of the Devil, the flesh, and the world; and that he is never the cause why they persevere not. PROOFS OUT OF HOLY SCRIPTURE. God furnishes true believers with supernatural powers of grace, sufficient for their perseverance." Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John iii, 9.-Whosoever |