it is beyond all Controversy that those few who so Believe Repent c. are particular Persons whom free Grace elected to that state of Believing and Persevering and the rest who were by far the greater number were left to inward Blindness and hardness of Heart according to Rom. 11.7 What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded According as it is written God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day Arg. 3. If God hath chosen Persons by Name to be Partakers of Life and Salvation by Christ his Son then hath he chosen particular Persons But God hath chosen Persons by Name to be Partakers of Life and Salvation by Christ his Son Therefore God hath chosen particular Persons c. The major Proposition is not questioned the Minor or Assumption is secured by the express Testimony of the Spirit Rev. 13.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship the beast whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life Luke 10.20 Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Philip. 4.3 And I intreat thee also true yoke fellow help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of Life Argu. 4. If Jeremiah and Jacob c. were particular Persons Chosen and Lov'd of God before they were Born then God did Elect and Choose particular Persons to Life and Salvation but Jeremiah and Jacob c. were particular Persons Chosen and Lov'd of God before they were Born Therefore God did Elect and Choose particular Persons to Life and Salvation That Jeremiah and Jacob c. were particular Persons no Man of Sense will deny that they were Beloved of God before the natural Birth the word of God is full and express Jer. 1.5 Jer. 31.3 Rom. 9.11 Argu. 5. If God knows his Elect from all others before he calls them in Conversion then hath God Elected particular Persons to Life and Salvation But God knows his Elect from all others before he calls them in Conversion Therefore God hath Elected and Chosen particular Persons to Life and Salvation That Gods Praecognition or foreknowledge joyned with his purpose of Grace to Save his Elect goes before his actually calling them in effectual Conversion is beyond Dispute Rom. 8.29 30. 2 Tim. 2.19 Jo. 13.18 Argu. 6. If they who believe in Time were before their Believing ordained to Eternal Life then did God Elect and Choose particular Persons unto Life and Salvation But they who believe in time were before their Believing ordained to Eternal Life Therefore God hath Elected and Chosen particular Persons unto Life and Salvation That Gods Praeordination of Persons to Life and Salvation doth preceed or go before Believing and Repentance is plain from Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal Life Believed Rom. 11. The Election hath obtained it Jo. 10.26 But ye Believe not because ye are not of my Sheep as I said unto you From which Scriptures it is most plain that none do or can in time Believe and reput to Salvation but such Persons as are theretofore appointed by Gods gracious purpose Argu. 7. If the Term Elect doth signifie and presuppose a Calling or Choosing some particular Persons or Things out from among other Persons or Things then hath God out of so many Elected some particular Persons unto Eternal Salvation But the Term Elect doth signifie and presuppose a Calling or Choosing some particular Persons or Things out from among other Persons or Things Therefore God hath out of many Called and Chosen some particular Persons unto Eternal Life Argu. 8. If the Lord Jesus did lay down his Life but for a certain particular number of Sinners then did God Elect and Choose a particular number to Life and Salvation But the Lord Jesus did lay down his Life for a certain particular number of Sinners Therefore God did Elect and Choose a particular number to Life and Salvation That the Lord Jesus did lay down his Life for a certain particular number is obvious and plain to him that can but Read Jo. 10.15 As the Father knoweth me even so know I the Father and I lay down my Life for the Sheep With this accords that of Paul to Titus Chap. â— 14 who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purchase to himself a peculiar People Zealous of good Works Ephes 5.25 〈◊〉 love your Wives even as Christ also Loved the Church and gave himself for it c. The Sheep of whom Christ speaks can be understood to be no other but Believers even such as Dy'd in the Faith before his Incarnation with the Believers of that present day and all who in time to come were to Believe in him And these are the Souls who were by the Father committed to the Pastoral care and charge of Christ the Great Shepherd of the Sheep as Sheep are committed to the care and charge of an under Shepherd For these Christ lays down his Life To these he by his Spirit actually applys the virtue of his Death Over these he Watches And to these only excluding all others he gives Eternal Life That these were given to Christ by the Father to be redeemed and brought to Glory appears from Jo. 6.39 And this is the Fathers Will which hath sent me That of all which he hath given me I should loose nothing but should raise it up at the Last Day Jo. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me c. And Verse 2. As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him ☞ Mark this Reader To as many as thou hast given him This plainly proves that God did commit to the care and faithfulness of Christ his Shepherd a certain particular number to be Justified and Saved by him and therefore not all the Race of fallen Mankind as Papists Arminians Quakers Free-Willers c. vainly teach and hold Another Consideration which is full of clearness to convince and satisfie any right in their Minds That not Adams Posterity in General as the Hereticks above named would fain have it but a certain particular and definite number were Elected and Chosen by God and by him given to Christ his Son to be Redeemed and Saved is Christ his refusing to concern himself for any others in the discharge of his Office of Intercessor as appears from Jo. 17.9 I Pray for them that is for the Elect for whom he had undertaken as Vedemâ—â—y and Surety I Pray not for the World that is those of the World who were by God left in a Reprobate State and Condition as is evident from Jo. 17.14 I have given them thy Word
THE Doctrine of Particular Unconditionate ELECTION Before Time Asserted and Prov'd by God's Word against the Quakers Papists and Arminians In Answer to a Challenge given the Author by the Quakers to make good by the Scriptures of Truth the abovesaid Doctrine Wherein is evidently discovered I. That the abovesaid Doctrine rightly understood and believ'd with Application to ones self is the great Enemy of Sin both in the Heart and Life of a true Believer and that which keeps the Believer from Despair in the deepest Desertion and Temptation II. That the Doctrine of Free-will and General Redemption c. is an Inlet to and an Encourager of Sin and which leads in the end to horrid Despair under powerful Awakenings in the natural Conscience of an Unregenerate Man For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Mat. 24.24 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure c. 2 Pet. 1.10 By Ja. Barry an unworthy Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for the Author 1700. TO THE Impartial READER Courteous Reader I Am to inform thee that in the time of the Popish Government when Popery and Quakerism smil'd so amicably on each other as the two Religions if I might so call them which are nearest of Kin of all the Religions visibly profess'd in these Kingdoms the People called Quakers sent me a Thrasonical Challenge in Writing which was afterwards published in Print to prove from the Scriptures of Truth the Four Doctrines here following 1. The Doctrine of the Resurrection of this fleshly Body which Dies and turns to Duft 2. The Doctrine of Justification by the alone Righteousness of Jesus Christ freely imputed 3. The Doctrine of Imperfection in Sanctification in the most Mortified Believer while in this World 4. The Doctrine of Particular Unconditionate Election before Time All which the Quakers do stiffly and peremptorily deny as by their Printed Book against me doth evidently appear Their Challenge I was resolv'd to answer in Print to let the World see what Heterodox and Heretical Principles that deluded and seduced People do hold and teach for true Religion Besides my Resolution herein I oblig'd my self by promise to my Congregation that I would in the Strength of Christ prick the Bladder of their Blasphemous Pride by proving and making good by the Scriptures of Truth the abovesaid Doctrines For my Encouragement wherein my Congregation did unanimously stand by me resolving I should be at no other Charge hereabout but the Studying part Paper was Bought the Printer agreed with and just as the Press was ready to begin the Storm came so suddenly on the Protestants in Dublin that we were soon scattered asunder The Providence of God calling on us to secure our Lives instead of Printing Books The reason why I have been so long silent in this Cause is the want of that help I had from my Flock in Dublin If any generous noble Spirited Christians who love Christ's Cause better than they do the Mammon of this World will step in to my Encouragement in supplying the room of my absent Friends they shall in a very short time see the Four Doctrines above-mention'd clear'd up and made good from God's Word Maugre all the Jesuitical Craft and Subtilty whereof that People seem to be Masters The reason why I have singled out the last of the four Doctrines rather than any of the other three to discover and confute the Quakers pernicious Heterodoxy in the foundation Principles of true Christianity is twofold First because that in denying and opposing the Doctrine of particular unconditionate Election before time they do manifestly Rob God of his Soveraignty and Praise Secondly because of the Natural tendency which the denial of this Doctrine of a particular unconditionate Election before time and the holding and propagating its contrary viz. The Doctrine of Free Will to good in every Man of General Redemption and a Temporary Conditional Election with falling from Grace hath to encourage Men in Living a licentious loose Life and to necessitate Mens final despair of Salvation when the Naural Conscience in Vnregenerate Men comes to be under powerful Awakenings for Sin committed against the Law of God That I do the Quakers no wrong in charging them with Robbing God and encouraging Men to Live in Sin as also their laying a Foundation for Mens despair of ever being saved in their way of Conditional and Temporary Election will evidently appear to him who reads and compares with Gods revealed Will what is discovered in this small Tract And in case any noble Spirited Christians will but encourage the Work as already hinted I do not so much as doubt but that the Spirit of God will enable me to demonstrate from Gods own Word that the Quakers in denying the Resurrection of the Body and the Justification of a Sinner by the alone Righteousness of the Son of God freely imputed without any regard had to any Qualifications inhering in the Person of the Sinner Justified do deny all sound and saving Religion And as touching their Sinless Perfection attainable in this Life whereof they make such Brags it shall be made plain that herein they both belye the Spirit of God and contradict the experience of all saved Believers both in Heaven and Earth CHAP. I. Of Election before Time GOD did before all Time by his unchangeable Counsel most freely unchangeably and from all Eternity elect and choose unto himself out of Lapsed Adam's fallen Posterity a certain number of Persons which can neither be lessened nor encreased to partake of his special saving Grace to Salvation by Jesus Christ his Son to the Praise of the Glory of his own Grace What I have now asserted for truth if God enables me to demonstrate and make good by Scripture as I doubt not he will then will it unavoidably follow all the Wit and Malice of Men and Devils cannot overthrow it that God hath passed by and Reprobated others In the Proposition now laid down there are three things to be considered in order to a clearing up and making good the Point in Dispute First The Act of God and the Objects thereof which are both held forth and intended in the Scriptures following Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him Jo. 15.19 I have chosen you c. 2 Thes 2.13 God hath chosen you c. In the Scriptures now quoted we have God Electing or Choosing and then the Objects of his Election or Choice viz. Particular Persons on whom that Election of God fixeth viz. Some particular Persons That God's Act of Election hath fixt on some particular Persons not on all in general as the Enemies of Election would fain have it the following Arguments will evince Arg. 1. If God hath made a Promise of Life and Salvation to some particular Persons only then hath he elected and chosen
for there is no Argument which more stongly proves a Man or Woman to be of the number of Reprobates than to expect or hope to go to Heaven in the continued and approved Neglect of Believing in the Son of God Repenting of Sin living a Holy Life and Persevering in the same to the end of Life Object 4. The Doctrine of Election before time doth not only encourage to Sin but it leads People to final Desparation for preventing of which all imaginable care ought to be taken to suppress and decry it Answ To this Horrid and Blasphemous Objection I shall in Christs strength Answer in four Particulars And First I do boldly affirm in the Name of the ever Blessed Trinity That this Blasphemous Objection did originally spring from that Spirit which charged the Son of God with casting out Devils by Beelzebub which if I mistake not is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost and such as peremptorily with allowance and approbation persist in making and liking the same against the Doctrine of Election so plainly revealed and so positively asserted by the Holy Ghost I am not afraid to declare and pronounce them the Children and Successors of those Pharisees now in Hell who vented that unpardonable Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Mat. 12 24.32 Let all Cavilling Adversaries who bring this Objection against the Doctrine of Gods absolute and free Election before time have a care they be not found Ranked among those mighty Sinners who in the height of their Wickedness run themselves most desperately upon the thick Bosses of the Almighties Buckler Job 15.26 Secondly If the Doctrine of Election be such a dangerous Doctrine as leads to Licentiousness and which in the end brings Men to Desparation I would fain know how it comes to pass that the Enemies of this Doctrine are such Slaves to their Brutish Lusts and why so many of them Die in Despair when under powerful Awakenings and common Convictions in their guilty Consciences Thirdly I do with greatest confidence and certain assurance grounded on the Word of God and backt with my own Personal experience affirm That as the right Knowledge and Believing of the Doctrine of Election before time with a particular application thereof to ones self is the only Doctrine that sets the Heart of a true Believer against all Sin and which secures and keeps the Believer from Desparation in the time of the deepest Desertion and most violent Temptation so the Doctrine of Free Will and general Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation Here two things are to be demonstrated First That the Doctrine of Election before time rightly understood and particularly applied by Faith is the only Doctrine which engages the Heart of a sound Believer against all known Sin and which fortifys and secures the Believer against Desparation in the time of the deepest Desertion and the most violent Temptation Secondly That the Doctrine of Free Will and general Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation The first of these will evidently appear to him that rightly considers and believes the Particulars following First the Purpose and Design of God the Father in Electing which was That his Elect and Chosen who were fallen into Sin and Misery in Adam their Natural and Faederal Head might be delivered and by strong hand rescued out of that state of Sin and Misery and made effectual Partakers of that Liberty and Redemption purchased by Christ his Son the Sponsor and Surety of his Elect. Secondly the design of Christ the Surety and Sponsor of the Elect in the whole Work of Mediation which he undertook to go through for the Elect which his Father had chosen in him which was to purchase for and in time to apply actually to the Elect the saving Benefit of that Freedom and Redemption purchased by himself Thirdly The design and office of the Holy Ghost which is to sanctify and renew the Souls of the Elect in effectual Calling and to carry on and maintain the Work of Grace begun in the Believer to the end Fourthly The design of the Gospel in revealing and discovering the Mistery of Gods Love and Grace to his Elect and Chosen which is that Believers might by virtue of Christs Death savingly applyed Dye unto all Sin and that they might by virtue of Christs Resurrection walk in newness of Life before God Fifthly The design of Divine Providence towards true Believers which is to purge them from the remains of indwelling Sin more and more and to make them more and more to abound in Holy Conformity to Christ their Mystical Head All these as so many Lines in a Center do meet in the Doctrine of particular Election the which when the Believer seriously considers and by Faith applys to himself he is so far from being drawn either to Sin or Desparation thereby as that he finds the quite contrary in himself viz. an admirable Aversion and Repugnancy to yield consent to the flattering Sollicitations of Sin and an Anchor hold which powerfully keeps him from descending into the Darksom Valley of Desparation which is as I may say the very entrance into Hell it self When the Believer is at any time attacked by Satan his enticing Instruments or by indwelling Corruption to yield to the motions of Sin he fetcheth Arguments against Sin from the Doctrine of Gods Election thus Hath God from all Eternity fixt his gracious purpose of Delivering and Rescuing me out of that state of Sin and Misery into which the Apostacy of Adam my Natural and Faederal Head plunged me and that by choosing out and fixing on his own Son to be a Surety and Saviour to purchase a liberty and to work out a perfect and compleat Redemption for me and shall I can I with approbation yield my full consent to grieve and offend this freely and this dearly Loving God I cannot do it neither can all the Craft and Pollicy of my Spiritual Enemies ever work me to a willingness to go back into that state of Spiritual Captivity under Sin and Satan from which the Grace of God in Election and effectual Calling hath set me free Secondly Hath Christ the Son of God pursuant to his Fathers Holy Decree and Gracious Purpose and in compliance with so noble and glorious a Design as Redeeming Captive Sinners and reconciling them to his Father consented to become a Mediator for me to work ou a work of perfect Redemption for me that I might be set at liberty from the Laws Curse from the dominion of Sin and the Usurpation and Tyranny of the Devil and shall I consent to commit Sin against such Bowels of Mercy and Love I cannot do it Thirdly Hath the Holy Ghost who in conjunction with the Father and the Son had a Hand in my Election to Eternal Life vouchsafed to take on him the Office of a Sanctifier to Sanctifie and Renew the Elect in effectual Calling
and who hath begun in me the Work of Special Sanctification and will never finally leave me till he hath perfected his Work begun in me and shall I can I willingly grieve and offend that Holy Spirit by whom I am Sealed to the day of Redemption I cannot do it Fourthly Is the Gospel appointed by Father Son and Holy Ghost to be a Word of Revelation to discover to me how the Heart of God his Christ and Holy Spirit stood affected towards the Elect and toward me in particular from Eternity and to endless Eternity and not only so but that the same might be a rule of Direction to me all my Days to discover the false ways I am to shun and avoid as also the Paths I am to walk in in order to a pleasing the Holy Trinity and coming safe to Heaven and shall I can I consent to abuse so sweet and excellent a Gospel I cannot do it Fifthly Is the design of Divine Providence in all its various Dispensations to the Elect and to me in particular to purge Believers from the remains of indwelling Corruption and to make them more and more to abound in Holy Conformity to Christ their Mystical Head and shall I abuse it by Sinning against it and taking an occasion therefrom to be vain and secure in my Conversation I cannot do it And as the true Believer is enabled being taught and guided by the Holy Ghost to fetch Arguments against Sin from the five Sacred Topicks now mentioned so is he in like manner enabled being savingly influenced by the Inhabitation of the Holy Ghost in him to fetch from the above Named Topicks Arguments to keep him from final Desparation in the most violent Hurrycane of Temptation which can attend on a deserted or an afflicted Condition To evince and clear up this Truth for the comfort and encouragement of the Poorest Believer in an Hour of sore Distress when the Waters of Affliction reach even to the very Soul to a sensible endangering the extinguishing the little Grace lodged in the Soul let it be seasonably and seriously considered that the Believer when he finds Satan his wicked Instruments and indwelling Corruption all conjunctly together pressing and working his Soul within to despair of Mercy and Salvation he falls on Arguing from the sweet Doctrine of Gods Election thus shall I can I who am secured of Life Eternal by the Gracious and Unchangeable Decree of the immutable God despair of Mercy and Salvation as Satan the wicked World and my own Carnal reason would have me do I cannot do it If it were possible that my finking Soul should drop through the very Jaws of Despondency into Hell it self from thence would Gods unchangeable purpose of Grace fetch and deliver it Secondly Shall I or can I for when Christ the Son of God hath undertaken as a Sponsor and Surety and for whom he hath wrought a perfect Reconciliation by his own Mediatorial Righteousness in which no Spot or Defect ever was or ever shall be found by God Angels or Men despair of Mercy and Salvation as Devil wicked Men and my own Carnal reason would fain perswade me to do I cannot do it Thirdly shall I to and for whom the Holy Ghost is become a Sanctifier and a Renewer of my Nature and who by his saving influential Presence dwells in me never finally to leave me till his good work of Grace begun in my Soul in effectual Calling be compleatly perfected despair of Mercy and Salvation as the Devil wicked Men and my own Carnal reason would have me do I can by no means do it Fourthly Shall I who have all the sweet and precious Promises of the Gospel of Gods Love and Grace to comfort and assure me that God Christ and the Blessed Spirit will never never fail or forsake me despair of Mercy and Salvation as mine Enemies would perswade me to do I cannot do it Lastly Shall I who have the Divine Providence engaged for me to uphold me to purge out the remains of indwelling Sin in me and to forward me in conforming to my Mystical Head Christ in Holiness despair of Mercy and Salvation as mine Enemies would have me I not do it This is the use which a true Believer makes of the Doctrine of Gods Election before time while Faith in the Believer is in its right Exercise none will stumble at it so as Eternally to Perish but such as are not by that Act of Gods Electing Decree given to Christ before time to be actually Redeemed in time Secondly The Doctrine of Free Will and General Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation I shall offer two things to consideration for evincing and clearing up this for Truth the which I desire the Reader to weigh and consider without prejudice First The use which all unregenerate Men make of the Doctrine of Free Will which sad experience teacheth is this I will turn to God by Repentance I will Believe in an Attoning Saviour I will fall on the work of Reformation and thereby prevent my perishing by the deserved Judgments of God when I see my own time and when I am thereto disposed who sees not except one Spiritually Blind how greatly this Doctrine doth encourage to Sin For saith my Carnal reason as often it hath while I was in a state of Nature if I do not return to God upon his Call and Invitation this Day this Month this Year I fully purpose and resolve to do it the next for God hath implanted in my Soul a Principle of Free Will whereby I am enabled to answer his Call by Repenting Believing and Reforming the which when I do though not at present God will have Mercy on me and I shall be accepted being secured by that General Redemption provided for all who so Repent Believe and Reform Woful and sad experience convinceth me that many God provoking Follys and Vanitys of Youth in my Heart and Life have been indulged by this deceiving cursed Doctrine Oh! how often hath Carnal reason within me cryed out when the common Notions of the Spirit of God hath toucht my Conscience to call on me to convert and turn to God I will Repent I will Convert I will turn to God to morrow to morrow As Augustin confesseth of himself he often put God off with his Free-will Cras Cras To morrow to morrow Till at length he grew both asham'd and weary of his graceless to morrow crying out to the Almighty in the very hour of his effectual Conversion Quam Diu Domine Clamabo Cras Cras Quare Non Hodiè Domine c. How long O Lord shall I cry to morrow to morrow Why O Lord should I not be Converted this veryday And as an Unregenerate Man takes Encouragement from this Principle to go on in Sin so it leads him to Desparation Of this also my sad Experience hath fully convinc'd me as plainly appears by the near approach I made to
Hell in my own Apprehensions while I bordered so near the Confines of final Desparation finding in my self how vastly short my Personal Qualifications came of answering the Laws demand as a Condition of Life and Salvation I found that nothing could possibly quiet or satisfy my wounded despairing Conscience but what doth effectually appease and satisfy that Holy God against whom I have so many thousands of times offended which can be nothing short of an infinite Righteousness which Righteousness can be had no where but in Christ God Man and no way to be had but in a way of Believing of which Mystery my blind and perverted Reason was as ignorant as a Beast And not only so but my Heart and Soul were Zealously set against looking for Life and Salvation in any other way than that of Free-will and general Redemption This Principle so every way Quadrating with my Legal Frame of Heart which was acted by no other Principle But do and Live Here it might not be amiss or unseasonable for the relief and encouragement of a poor tempted Soul who as touching this very point of Election may be walking in Darkness having no light of Comfort in his own Spirit to answer or resolve this needful Question How shall a poor bewildred tempted Soul come to know that it self in particular was elected of God before time To this Question about which many of God's called ones are not a little distressed in their own Spirits I shall answer in three Particulars First The way to know thou art elected before time is to go about it in a right way or manner By this I mean thou art not to attempt to pry into the Secret Counsels of the most High concerning this Matter knowing that secret things belong to God and to none else until he pleaseth to reveal them Deut. 29.29 Therefore in order to know this Mystery to thy comfort do as thou wouldst do if thou wert to bring both ends of a Bottom of Thread or Yarn to meet together the way is not to begin at that end which is hid in the very centre of the Bottom but to take the end which is outmost and next to thee and by thus doing thou wilt soon bring both ends to meet whereas if thou go about it in any other way as by cutting or ravelling the Bottom to hasten the work thou wilt but fret and vex thy self and which is worse thou wilt marr and spoil the work Do not then attempt as the Devil and Carnal Reason would have thee to climb up to Heaven to inform thy self of this Matter God's Work must be done in the way of his own Appointment which is that thou begin first with thy own Heart See examine and search thy own Soul to find out whether his Holy Spirit hath ever been at work there The Cause must be known by its proper Effects not the Effects by the Cause 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 2 Pet. 1.10 Election the thing thou wouldst fain be resolv'd about is the cause this is a Secret in God's Breast which can be known by thee no other way ordinarily but by its Effects which are Faith in thy Heart and Obedience to Christ's Commands in thy Life and Conversation If the Spirit of God hath called thee to embrace and close with Christ held forth in the Gospel and if the Fruits of that thy closing with Christ do discover themselves in thy Life and Conversation thou hast no Ground or Reason to question thy Election but what the Devil and thy Carnal Reason suggest Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Jo. 10.26 But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you In the Scriptures now quoted Election to eternal Life is held forth as the Cause of Faith and Faith or believing in Jesus as the undoubted Fruit or Effect of Election Secondly Art thou frequently tempted to doubt of and question thine Election to eternal Life This is an undoubted Argument that the Devil discerns in thee the Fruits and Effects of God's electing Love to thy Person which puts him upon tempting thee to question and doubt of God's Love to thee Where the Devil knows he hath the full and quiet Possession of a Sinner there he suggests that the Man is a good Christian His Faith is a good Faith and God is his Father and that he is elected and shall be Saved notwithstanding he lives after the Flesh On the contrary where the Devil sees and discovers the Fruits and Effects of God's Grace and Love appear there he pesters the Soul with Infernal Suggestions and Temptations to put the Soul on mis-believing and questioning the Truth of God's Grace bestowed on the Sinner Thou art but a painted Hypocrite thou art none of God's Elect it is in vain for thee to hope or expect to go to Heaven Thus he dealt with the Believers Redeemer Mat. 4.3 6. If thou be the Son of God c. And if the Adversary hath done this to the green Tree what will he not attempt to do to the dry Luke 23.31 Thirdly Dost thou find thine Heart fixedly resolved come Life come Death to cast thy Soul at the foot of Divine Soveraignty in the way of Duty shunning all known Sin and pressing after Holiness resting entirely on the Grace and Merit of Christ after Life and Salvation Thou art to know for thine everlasting Comfort and Encouragement that no Reprobate ever was or ever shall be able to do this Time will discover that thou art one of God's Elect go on in the strength of thy God Fear not CHAP. II. Of Reprobation BY what hath been discoursed out of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Act of God's Election of some to Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ to the praise of the Glory of his own Grace it unavoidably and by necessary consequence follows that the same Soveraign God hath Reprobated or Rejected the rest not so elected and that from all Eternity having decreed never to recover them by converting Grace but hath fixedly purposed for Sin to Damn them and that for the Praise of the Glory of his own Justice Nothing can be more plain than that if God hath elected and chosen a certain number out of the whole corrupted Mass or Lump of fallen Mankind in whose Salvation he hath purposed to Glorify his Mercy and free Grace by Jesus Christ then hath he refused or passed by the rest as will most evidently appear in all the parts of it The Decree of Reprobation hath in it four parts to each of which I will speak as plainly and as briefly as I can First God hath refused or rejected some particular Persons on whom he purposed never to have Mercy this is most evident from the Scriptures following Jo. 10.26 But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you Rom. 11.7 But the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Rom. 9.18 Therefore hath