IV. OF ELECTION AND REPROBATION.

Supposing that all mankind became liable to the everlasting wrath and curse of God for the sin of one man, some divines say, that it was mercy in God to save any, though by an arbitrary decree, which left all the rest of the human race under an inevitable necessity of perishing. But certainly, my brethren, such tender mercy is cruelty. All the creatures of God must look up to him as the' author of their being, since it was, undoubtedly, in his power to give, or to withhold it, at his plea* sure ; and, surely, a good and merciful God would have put a stop to the propagation of such a race of creatures, rather than suffer them to be born in such shocking circumstances ; in which he infalli- bly
Qf Election and Reprobation. 15
bly foresaw, that the greatest part of them roust* be exposed to, and even actually suffer, remediless, destruction. As surely as I derive my being from, a just and merciful God, I conclude that the terms on which I came into the world are advantageous to me ; and therefore, that it must be my own fault only, if I have not reason to rejoice in it, and to be thankful for it. But, indeed, I can hardly think that any man seriously believes, that the greatest part of his fellow-creatures are born into, the world under a predetermined necessity of being for ever miserable. For, in that case, it must ap- pear probable that any children which he himself may be the means of bringing into the world will be for ever miserable ; and surely no man of real goodness or compassion would wish to nave chil- dren, or be accessary to their being born in such
eircumstances.
i
If this doctrine be true, what motive can any man have to endeavour to " flee from the wrath, to come," Matt. iii. 7. when, if it is to be his lot at all, nothing that he can do will enable him to es- cape it ? Or what motive can a man have to exert himself to " lay hold on eternal life," 1 Tim. vi. ] 2. when, if he is to enjoy it at all, he cannot pos- sibly miss of it, or of any thing belonging to it, or that is necessary to prepare him for it ? What reason had the apostle Paul to exhort Christians to " take heed lest they should fall/' 1 Cor. x. 1 2*
when
l€ Of the Divinity of Christ.
»
when none that ever did stand could possibly fall ? And what reason had he to " labour, lest, after ha- ving preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away," 1 Cor. ix. 27. when, being certain of his conversion, he must have known that that con* sequence was impossible ?
This doctrine, of absolute election and reproba- tion, is certainly a doctrine of licentiousness, and not & doctrine according to godliness ; and let di« vines employ all the ingenuity they are masters of, it is impossible for them to clear this opinion from being the cause of fatal despair in some, and as fatal a security in others. If this opinion were true,* and men were really aware of their situation, I should think it impossible to prevent their falling into absolute distraction, through terror and anxie- ty* It would be like a man having his all, his life, nay, infinitely more than his life, depending upon the cast of a die ; the decree of God being a thing that he has little power to command. Besides,, this doctrine certainly represents the God and Fa- ther of us all in such a light, as no man would ehoose that he himself should appear in.