children of Graeme their warang L men: t NUMB. X. Prov. i. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30. How long ye fimple ones will ye love fimplicity? - and the fcorners delight in their fcorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn ye at my reproof: Bebold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye have refufed, I have ftretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have jet at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counfel, they defpifed all proof. my re HESE are the words of Chrift, who, TH under the name of wisdom, is repre fented, crying without, and uttering his voice in the city, in the streets, in the chief place of concourse, in the opening of the gates; which is to be understood of the public preaching of the word, either by Chrift himfelf or by his minifters. What is advanced from thefe paffages in favour of any part of the Arminian fcheme, will be confider'd in the following order: I. It is faid, that from hence "it is ve ry evident, that it was primarily the counfel and will of God, that even they who would not turn, would not repent and accept of falvation, fhould believe and come to repentance, and be made partakers of it": In which I obferve, 1. That this writer, with the Remonfrants, supposes an antecedent and confequent will in God, when he says, that it was primarily the counsel and will of God, &c. as if what was once the will of God, is not now his will; which is contrary to the immutability of his nature and will; who is in one mind; and who can turn him? and what his foul defireth, even that he doth. What is once his will, is always fo; nor can it be made null and void by the will of man. 2. That he mistakes the counfel of God here, as alfo in Luke vii. 30. for the intentional will of God, refpecting the faith, repentance, and falvation of perfons, when it defigns in both places, God's will of command and approbation; and is expreffive, not of what God intended and defigned concerning these perfons, but of what was their duty, and which would be grateful to him, and approved of by him: For had it been his intentional determining will that Whitby, P. 72. thefe these persons, who rejected and defpifed his counsel, should believe, repent, and be faved, they would have believed, repented, and been made partakers of falvation; for who bath refifted his will? II. It is intimated from hence, that man does not lie under a difability to believe, repent, and turn to God; and it is afked 8, To what purpose did wisdom say to them, who were thus difabled, Turn you at my reproof? Or could she, without infulting over the mifery of fallen man, thus laugh at the calamity they never could prevent". To which I reply, 1. That the exhortation, Turn ye at my reproof, is not to repentance and converfion, but to an attendance to the external ministry of the word. Reproof is the fame with counfel, in ver. 25, 30. where they are joined together, and put for each other, and defign the word preached, which reproves of fin, righteousness and judgment; and it is not turning at, but to this reproof, which is exhorted to; for the words nains lawn, fhould not be render'd, turn ye at, but, to my reproof; fo Arias Montanus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Junius, and Tremellius, read them; and the meaning is, either as the Targum turt תתכנון למכסנותי,interprets them • Whitby, p. 252 your or as Aben Ezra, turn se, i. e. Our 15, to bear my reproof'; and do not pull away the shoulder, or stop your ears. certain, that man does not lie under i ability to turn his face and cars to me t nal miniftry of the word; hon praved are the inclinations an and fuch a lover is he fcorning, and fuch an hatar and fpiritual knowledge; hear an idle ftory o burlesqu'd, than an homa |