the midst of the fea. Nor does the Greek verfion of the Septuagint read the words, ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιτρέψη, in the day that he turns away; but i de Tâ áπospitaι, in his turning, or when he turns. Add to this, that a conditional form is not only fignified by if, but when. And whereas it may be faid, as it is, that fuch a form of words fuppofe fomething in poffibility, though not in being, as it does in a wicked man's turning from his wickednefs, oppofed unto it; it will be allowed, that there is a poffibility of a truly righteous man's falling away, was he left to himself, and not kept by the power and grace of God; and therefore fuch a fuppofition as this may be defigned for, and made ufe of, as a means to fhew him his weakness, make him cautious of his walk, and lead him wholly to rely and depend on fuperior help and affiftance, and fo confequently be the means of his final perfeverance. ( NUMB. и NIMB. XX. Ezek. xviii. 30. Therefore I will judge you, O bouts of 14: THE to HESE exhortations are represented as contrary to the doctrines of abiðs lute election and reprobation, and of unfruftrable grace in converfion. The ar gument from them ftands thus ; " He who would have all men, to whom the gofpel is vouchfafed, to come to repentance, hath not prepared this faving grace only for fome few Chriftians, leaving the rest under a neceffity of perishing for the want of it, for to all fuch perfons he ha, pramiled, that they fall not perif" And elfowhere 'tis faic, that inci telivie men with vain words, win each har God of truth, and of incent, and foul iar DC Dersing without which 'twas impoffible they should repent, or be converted"; and that, " if converfion be wrought only by the unfruftrable operation of God, and man is purely paffive in it, vain are all fuch exhortati- . ons h". To all which I reply; I. That these exhortations are not made to all men, but only to the house of Ifrael; and therefore do not contradict the preparation of faving grace for fome few only, as the Ifraelites were; nor do we say, that God has prepared faving grace only for fome few Chriftians, but for all Chriftians; that is, all that are Chrift's; nor are any of them left under a neceffity of perishing for the want of it, fince it is given to them, and they have it, as their character supposes: And whereas it is faid, that to all fuch perfons God has promised, that they shall not perish; it is readily granted, and by the way, is an acknowledgment of the doctrine of the faints final perfeverance; which is elsewhere greatly objected to. Moreover, inasmuch as they were the house of Ifrael, and every one of them, that are here spoken to, they are the wrong perfons pitch'd upon to contradict the decrees of election and reprobation; for who will fay of every one of them, that they were doom'd to eternal Whitby, p. 237, 242. death, death, or annointed to everlafting run, who were chosen to be a peculiar propt? le ought to be shown, if ary thing is done to purpose, that God has fome where at other expreffed himself in fuch language to all men, and particularly fuch as fhall not eventually be faved, as is here used to his profeffing people. II. The repentance here exhorted ro, is not to be understood of an evangelical one, which is a repentance unto life, and unto (alvation; but of a national one, for national iniquities, and to prevent national judgments, with which, they are here threaten'd; feeing it is the whole boufe of Ifrael, the whole nation, and every one of them, who are exhorted unto it. Now, though there can be no true evangelical repentance, without the uni-ufzaile grace of God; yet there may be manual. emeral repentance, without it; as the sale of the Ninevites. Be fides, wa is wangelical repentance defign'd jee. I shortarica or being made to the Role: : ind, she route of Irael were, old let the exercile of it, the grace use of to convince fuch of the neceffity of repentance, and of their want of it; and fo God may in this way bring his elect to it, according to his eternal purposes and defigns. Moreover, turning from tranfgref -fion does not intend the firft work of internal, faving converfion, which is wrought by the powerful and efficacious grace of God, and in which men are purely paffive; but an external reformation, or a bringing forth fruits meet for repentance; in which perfons may be, and are active; fince it is not reafonable to fuppofe, that the house of Ilrael, and every one of them, fhould be in an unconverted state. Besides, fome give the fense of these words thus; not turn your felves, but turn others, every man his neighbour, or his brother; fo R. Sol. Jarchi, R. David Kimchi, R. Sol. Hammelec, and fome Christian interpreters. III. The ruin the house of Ifrael was in danger of through iniquity, and which they might escape by repentance and reformation, was not eternal, but temporal; so iniquity shall not be your ruin, bw, a ftumbling block to you, an hindrance, an obftruction, lying in the way of your enjoyment of temporal bleffings; therefore caft away you all your tranfgreffions. This fense of the words may be confirmed from the advantages propofed to fuch who from turned |