expoftulated about, is not an eternal, but a temporal one, or what concerned their temporal affairs and civil condition and circumtances of life; fee Chap. xxxiii. 24, to 29. Hence,

.

IV. The affirmation, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth; which is fometimes introduced with an oath, as I live, faith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, does not in the leaft militate against an act of preterition, whereby any are left by God justly to perish in and for their iniquities, or decree of reprobation, whereby any, on the score of their tranfgreffions, are appointed, or foreordained to condemnation and death; and therefore all the reasonings made use of to difprove these things, founded on this paffage of fcripture, are vain and impertinent; for a death of afflictions is here intended, as has been already obferved, which the house of Ifrael was groaning under, and complaining of; tho' it was wholly owing to themfelves, and which was not grateful to God, and in which he took no pleasure; which is to be understood, not fimply and abfolutely, and with respect to all perfons afflicted by him; for he delights in the exercise of judg ment and righteousness, as well as in fhewing

Chap. xxxiii. 11.

PSee Whitby, p. 3, 33, 160, 196, 197.

part, I take no deligt for acest r

your captivity: it would be more agreeable to me, would you turn from your tri! WAYS, to the Lord your God, and behave according to the laws I have given you to walk ( and fo live in your own land, in the q poffeffion of all your goods and eftates. But

Jer. ix. 24. Prov. i, 26 jii. 33.

H. T. 6.

་།

W

what has this to do with the affairs of eternal life, or eternal death?

NUMB. XXII. Ezek. xxiv. 13.

Because I have purged thee, and thou waft not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caufed my fury to rest upon thee.

TH

HESE words are represented as irreconcileable with God's decrees of election and reprobation, as inconfiftent with the doctrine of particular redemption, and in favour of fufficient grace given to all ment. But,

I. The words are not fpoken to all men, nor do they declare what God had done for, or what he would have done by all men; but are directed, only to Jerufalem, or the houfe of Ifrael, whofe deftruction is here reprefented under the parable of a boiling pot; and do not difcover any defign of God, or fteps that he has taken towards the purgation of all mankind, and therefore no ways militate against the decrees of election and reprobation.

t Whitby, p. 77, 160,204, 251,252, 477.

II. Thi

purge in eff on two 2 m age r Self; to which agree not

the text, verbo praecep

munar... £ zeties & tamdiu per prophetas imperav..., I LJVE in my word, and by my propper. to often and So long commanded thee to be purged. A fenfe of them is, that God ind command ed either ceremonial bar and purifi

" Pfal.c

cal

12

cations, or a moral, external reformation, and they had not obey'd; and therefore threatens to leave them in their filthinefs, and pour out all his fury on them, and fo are no proof of God's giving fufficient grace, or fufficient means of grace to all men. The text in fer. li. 9. We would have healed Babylon, but he is not healed, is very improperly joined with this, fince they are not the words of God, expreffing any kind intentions, or fufficient means of healing, which were obftructed, as through mistake, they are represented by a learned writer *; but of the Ifraelites, or others who were concerned for the temporal welfare of Babylon, though in vain, and to no purpose.

NUMB. XXIII. Matt. v. 13.

Ye are the falt of the earth; but if the falt have loft his favour, wherewith shall it be falted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be caft out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

TH

HIS is one of the places, which, 'tis faid, do plainly fuppofe that faints, or true believers, or men once truly good may ceafe to be fo; for fure good

* Whitby, p. 204, 477.

y Ibid. p. 435.

falt