His End and Purpofe? Shall we then conceive the only wife God fo far to have miftaken Himself, as to do that which no wife Man would do: He who is of fuch an infinite Reach of Wisdom and Underflanding, to fall upon the Thoughts of making fuch an excellent Creature, and yet to ly in fufpenfe within Himself about the eternal Eftate of it, and to be in a waiting Pofture what way his Glory should be manifefted by it; whether in a Way of fimple Goodness only, or in a Way of Justice, or in a Way of Mercy, till He hould forefee off the Tower of Foreknowledge how that Creature fhould be have it felf. Our Text speaks not thus: For in the Place, Eph. i. we haye the Lord in his eternal Purpose carving out to fuch and fuch particular Perfons an Inheritance, and Adoption of Children, for that great End of the Glory of his Grace, Ver. 11. and 5, 6. And Predeftination falls out, not according to our Carriage, but according to the Purpose of Him who works all Things that He works after the Counsel of His own Will, without confulting our Will; and if you enquire what are these all Things, certainly, we must take it fimply for all Things that are at all, or have any real Being: His Power, his Hand must be in it, and that according to his own Counsel, without refpect had to the Creature's Will, according to His own good Pleasure, Ver. 5, 11. He had no fooner a Thought of working and making Man, but this Purpose was in it, to make fuch Men to the Praife of his glorious Grace, and to fore-ordain them to an Inheritance, and others to make or fit them for Destruction, as the Text, Rom. ix. 22. bears. Herein the great and unfearchable Wisdom of God appears to be a great Depth, that when be hath a Thought of making fuch a Vef fel, ke hath this Purpose in the Bofom of it, what Ufe it fhall be for, whether for Honour or Dishonour, and accordingly in his Counsel he prepares it either to Glory, or Destruction, and in Time makes it fit for its Ufe, either by Sin or Grace: Here is the Depth that cannot be founded by mortal Men, O the Depth of the Riches both of bis Wisdom and Knowledge! How unsearchable are bis Judgments, and his Ways paft finding out! The whole Tenour of the Scripture fhews that his Majefty was not furprised, and taken at unawares by Adam's Fall, but that it fell out according to the determined Counsel of his Will. If he knew it, and fuffered it to be, certainly he permitted it, because he willed it should be fo; And why may he not determine that in his holy Counfel which his Wisdom can difabuse to the moft glorious End that can be? Why may not he decree fuch a Fall, who out of Man's Ruines can erect fuch a glorious' Throne for his Grace and Juftice to triumph into? It is more for the Glory of his infinite Wisdom, to bring Good, and fuch a Good, out of Evil, than only to permit that Good fhould be. Then fuch Doctrine is repugnant to the Lord's abfolute Power and Sovereignity, which is Paul's Sanctuary whether he flies unto as a fure Refuge, from the Stroke or Blaft of carnal Reason. Hath not the Potter Power over the Clay, to make of the fame Lump, one Veljel to Honour, and another to Difbonour, Ver.. 21. Hath not the Lord more abfolute Dominion over us, than the Potter hath over the Clay, for the Potter made not the Clay, but the Lord hath made us of nothing; fo that fimply and abfolutely we are His, and not our own, and fo he hath an abfolute Right to make any Use of us he pleafes, without confulting our Wills his eternal Counfel, Epb. i 4. Hade he chofen us becaufe he did fore-know tha we would be Holy, and without. Blame as Men think? Or hath he not rather chofer us to be. Holy and without Blame; He cannot behold any Good or Evil it and Defervings. Can any Man quarrel him for preparing, him to Destruction, feeing, he owes nothing, to any Man, but may do with his own what he pleases? What if God, willing to make known his Power,, and Juftice,, and Wrath, have fitted and prepared fome Veffels, for De-the Creatures, till his Will pass a Sear Aruction, with which, in Time, he bears teace upon it, for from whence should in much,, and forbears, long, using much Pa-come? tience towards them? Can any Man Seeing then, this Order and Contri challenge him for it? Wer. 22% And. vance of God's Purpose is but: feigned, is what, if God willing to make known the feems to fome that the very contrary Me Riches. of his Grace, have prepared fomethad were more fuitable, even to the Veffels to Glory, fhall, any Man's Eyebe Rules of Wildom: You know what is Evil: because he is Good? Ver. 23. firft: in Mens Intention, is last in Exe Shall Man.be left to be his own Difpofer, cution,, the End is first in their Mind and the Shaper of his own Fortune? Sure then the Means to compafs that End: But it was not fo with Efau and Jacob, they in Practice again, Men fall first upon the were alike in the Womb; if there was any Means,, and by them come at length to age Prerogative, Efau, the eldest had it, theytain their End; therefore thefe wha had done neither Good npr Evik: What would have that first as it were in God's. Difference was then between them to caft Mind, which he doth firft, do even cross. the Ballance of his Will? Can you ima common Rules of Reason in humanEgine any? Indeed carnal Reason will Affairs. It would feem then (fay fome) fay, that God fore-knew what they would that this Method might do well, that do, and fo he chofe,or rejected them: But, what is laft in his Execution, was firftin why doth, not the Apoftle, anfwer thus un-his. Purpose, and by him intended as the to that Objection of Unrighteoufnefs in End of what he doth first, and fo fome God; Fer. 14. It had been ready and do rank his Decrees; that he had finfra plain, but rather he opposes the Will and Thought of glorifying Man,, and to attain Calling of God, to all Works paft, or to this End he purposed to give him Grace, some; he gives no Anfwer but this, He and for this Purpose to fuffer him to fail, will bave Mercy because be will have and for all to create him: But we muft Mercy, that is the fupream Rule of Righ- not look thus upon it either: It werea tequfaefs, and hitherto muft we flee, as foolish and ridiculous Counseli unbeseem the fureft Anchor of our Hope and Sta- ing the poor Wisdom of Man, to purpose bility; our Salvation depends not on our the glorifying of Man whom he had not willing or running, on our refolving or yet determined to create; therefore: we doing, but upon this primitive good Plea-fhould always have in our Mind, that the fure and Will of God, on which hangs our willing, and running, and obtaining, It is certainly an unorderly Order, to flee unro that in Men, for the Caufe of God's eternal Counfels, which only Bows: from great End and Project of all is the Glory of his Mercy and Justice upon Men; and this we may conceive is first in order, neither Mens Life nor Death, but God's Glory to be manifefted upon Mene Now Now to auaia this glorious End, with one Inclination or Determination of his Will, not to be distinguished or fevered, he condefcends upon all that is done in Time, as one complex and intire Mean of glorifying Himself, fo that one of them is not before another in his Mind, but alsogether: For attaining this, he purposes to create Man, he ordains the Fall of all Men into a State of Sin and Mifety, and fome of thefe upon whom he had refolved to fhew his Mercy, he gives them to Chrift to be redeemed, and restored by Crace; Others he fore-ordains them to Deftruction, and all this at once, without any fuch Order as we imagine: Now though be intend all this at once and together, yet it doth not hence follow that all these must be executed together, as when a Man intends to build a House for his own Accommodation, there are many Things in the House, upon which he hath Bot feveral Purposes: But yet they muft be feverally, and in fome Order done: Firft the Foundation laid, then the Walls raised, then the Roof put on; yet he did not intend the Foundation to be for the Walls, or the Walls for the Roof, but altogether for himself: Even fo the Lord purposes to glorify his Mercy and Juftice upon a certain Number of Perfons, and for this End to give them a Being, to govern their falling into Mifery, to raife fome out of it by a Mediator, and to leave fome into it to Deftruction, and all this as one intire Mean to illuftrate His glorious Mercy and Juftice; but thefe Things themselves must be done not all at once, but one before another, either as their Own Nature requires, or as he pleafes: The very Nature of the Thing requires that Man be created before he fin, that he fin and fall before a Mediator fuffer ft his Sin, and that he have a Being be fore he have a glorious Being, and that he have a finful and miserable Being, before he have this glorious and gracious Being, which may manifeft the Grace and Mercy of God :Butit is the Pleafore of the Lord that determines in what Time and Order Chrift fhall faffer, either before or after the Converfion of Sinners, or whether Sinners fhall be prefently inftated in Glory and perfectly delivered from all, Sin at their first Convertion, or only in Part during this Life. Seeing then this was his Majefty's Pur pose to make so many Veffets of Honour, upon whom he might glorifie the Riches of his Grace and Mercy And fo many Veffels of Wrath, upon whom he might thew the Power of his Anger; You may think what needed all this Business of Man's Redemption, might not God have either preferved fo many as he had appointed to Glory from falling into Sin and Mifery, or at leaft have freely pardoned their Sin without any Satisfaction, and out of the exceeding Riches of his Mercy and Power, have as well not imputed Sin to them at all, as imputed their Sins to Chrift, who was not guilty? What needed his giving fo many to the Son and the Son's receiving them? What needed thefe Myfteries of Incarnation of Redemption, seeing he might have done all this fimply without fo much Pains and Expence? Why did he choose this Way? Indeed, that is the Wonder, and if there were no more End for it, but to confound Mortality that dare ask Him what he doth, it is enough; fhould he be called down to the Bar of human Reason, to give an Account of his Matters? Whe bath known the Mind of the Lord, or being bis Counsellour bath taught Him? That is in the Depths of his unfearch able Understanding, that He chose to go this round, and to compass his End by fuch a ftrange Circuit of Means, when he night have done it fimply and directly without fo much Pains; yet it is not fo hidden, but he hath revealed as much as may fatisfy or filence all Flesh: For we muft confider, that his great Project is not fimply to manifeft the Glory of his Goodness, but of his gracious and merciful Goodness, the most tender and excellent of all; and therefore Man must be miferable, finful, and vile, that the Riches of his Grace may appear in choofing and faving fuch Perfons: But that it may appear alfo how excellent he could make `Man, and how vain all created Perfections are, being left to themselves; therefore he first made Man righteous, and being fallen into Sin and Misery, he might ftraight way have reftored him without more ado, but his Purpose was to give an exact Demonftration of Mercy, tempered and mixed with Juftice; and therefore he finds out the Satisfaction in his eternal Counsel, I bave found a Ranfom, and fo he chooses Jefus Chrift to be the Head of thefe chofen Souls, in whom they might be again restored unto eternal Life; and thefe Souls, he, in his everlasting Purpose, gives over to the Son to be redeemed, and thefe the Son receives. And thus the Glory of Mercy and Juftice fhines most brightly, yea, more brightly, than if he had at firft pardoned. O how doth his Love and Mercy appear, that he will transfer our Sins upon his Holy Son, and accept that Redemption for us: And his Juftice, that a Redemption and Price he must have, even from his Son, when once he comes in the Stead of Sinners; And in this Point do the Songs of Eternity concenter... Rom. ix. 22. What if God willing to fhew bis Wrath, and to make bis Power known, endured with much long suffering the Veffels of Wrath, fitted to Deftruction. Eph. i. 11. In whom alfo we have obtained an Inheritance, being predef tinated according to the Purpofe of bim, who worketh all Things after the Counsel of bis own Will. WE are now upon a high Subject; high, indeed, for an eminent Apoftle, much more above our Reach; the very Confideration of God's infinite Wisdom might alone fuffice to reftrain our unlimited Thoughts, and ferve to fober our Minds with the Challenge of our own Ignorance and Darkness, yet the vain and wicked Mind of Man will needs quarrel with God, and enter the Lifts of Difputation wish him, about his Righ teousness and Wisdom in the Counfel of Election and Reprobation: But who art thou, O Man, that replieft against God, or difputes? Ver. 20. This is a Thing not to be difputed, but believed; and if ye will believe no more than ye can comprehend by Sense or Reason, then ye give his Majefty no more Credit than to weak mortal Man. Whatever fecret Thoughts do rife up in thy Heart when thou heareft of God's foreordaining Men, to eternal Life, without previous Forefight or Confideration of their Doings, and preparing Men to eternal Wrath, for the Praife of his Justice, without previous Confideration of their Defervings, and paffing a definitve Sentence upon the End of all Men, before they do either Good or Evil: When ever any fecret Surmifes rife in thy Heart against this, learn to anfwer thus, enter not the Lifts of Difputation with corrupt Reafon, but put in this Bridle of the Fear of God's Greatness, and the Confcience of thy own Bafenefs, and labour to restrain thy undaunted and wild Mind by it. Ponder that well, who thou art who difputes; who God is, against whom thou difputes, and if thou have spoken once, thou wilt speak no more: What thou art, who is as Clay, formed out of nothing, what he is, who is the Former; and hath not the Potter Power over the Clay? Confider but how great Wickedness it is, fo much as to question him, or ask an Account of his Matters. After you have found his Will to be the Cause of all Things, then to enquire farther into a Cause of his Will which is alone the Self-rule of Righteousness; it is to feek fomething above his Will, and to reduce his Majesty into the Order of Creatures: It is most abominable Ufurpation and Sacrilege, for both it robes him of his Royal Prerogative, and inftates the bafe Footstool into his Throne: But know, that certainly God will overcome when he is judged, Pfal. li. 6. If thou judge him, he will condemn thee; if thou oppugn his abfolute and holy Decrees, he will hold thee faft bound by them to thy Condemnation; he needs no other Defence, but to call out thy own Confcience against thee, and bind thee over to Deftruction; therefore, as one faith well, Let the Rafonefs of Men be refrained from Seeking that which is not, left peradventure they find that which is; seek not a Reason of his Purpofes, left peradventure thou find thy own Death and Damnation infolded in them. Paul mentions two Objections of carnal and fleshly Wisdom againft this Doctrine of Election and Reprobation, which indeed contain the Sum of all that is vented and invented even to this Day, to defile the fpotlefs Truth of God: All the Whisperings of Men tend to one of thefe two, either to juftify themfelves, or to accufe God of Unrighteousness; And, fhall any do it and be guiltlefs? I confefs, fome oppofe this Doctrine, not fo much out of an Intention of accusing God, as out of a prepofterous and ignorant Zeal. for God; even as Job's Friends did speak much for God. Nay, but it was not well fpoken, they did but speak' wickedly for him:. Some fpeak much to the Defence of his Righteoufnefs and Holinefs,. and under Pretence of that Plea make it inconfiftent with thefe, to fore-ordain to Life or Death without the Fore-fight of their Carriage; But fhall they speak wickedly for God, or will he accept their Perfon? He who looks into the Secrets of the Heart knows the Rife and Bottom of fuch. Defences and Apologies for his Holiness, to be partly Self-love, partly narrow and limited Thoughts of him, drawing him down to the Determinations of his own greateft Enemy, carnal Reafon. Since Men will afcribe him no Righteousness, but fuch a one of their own shaping, conformed to their own Model; do they not indeed rob him of his Holinefs and Righteousness. I find two or three Objections which may be reduced to this Head. First, It feems Unrighteoufnefs with God, to pre. deftinate Men to eternal Death, without |