entertainment if they do come, but also that he will afford fuch grace and affiftance that they may come To think that God means otherwise than he expreffes himself, is to think worfe of God, than any good-natured and fober perfon would be thought of, or doth deserve. Therefore if we are called upon by God, to wash and make ourselves clean, these words do import, that God is in readiness, and will contribute neceffary affiftance, and thro' his grace and affiftance we may do that which he requires of us. And that I may fully state this matter, I will do it in these three particulars.

First, I will fhew, that God doth primarily defire the good of all his creatures.

Secondly, That he doth not defire man's falvation without his return.

Thirdly, That he doth not defire man's return," without his own confent.

First, God doth primarily defire the good of all his creatures; elfe I pray you what can you make of these scriptures, that God would have all men to be faved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, I Tim. ii. 4. He faith, what would I have done more for my vineyard that I have not done: Ifa. v. 4. Can he fay this, who doth not that which is neceffary and requifite on his part: Why will ye die, faith God to the house of Ifrael: Ezek. xviii. 31. The anfwer were easy, if God were wanting in neceffaries to his creatures; can he be faid in good earneft to defire any thing, that doth nothing of that which is within his power to effect it.

When

When God faith that thy deftruction is of thy felf : Hof. xiii. 9. if some doctrines be true, may not it be faid, no, it is of thee, because I am under an abfolute neceffity of being destroyed? The wife man faith, That God hateth nothing that he hath made; Wifd. xi. 14. but his love is very little, if he doth nothing to fecure his creation. To what purpofe is that exhortation of our Saviour, Matth. xi. 28. Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you reft, if men cannot come unto him? And also blame is laid upon men that they would not come unto him, that they might have life, John. v. 40. Could not they which were fo perverse, if they had imagined such a thing as this, of God's being wanting to his creatures in neceffaries, easily have retorted these words upon our Saviour? Prov. i. 31, It is faid, I called, but ye refused to come; I cried, but Je gave me no anfwer. But further let us confider the means that God has provided for our recovery. The scripture exprefly faith, that Christ tasted death for all men, Heb. ii. 9. and declares that he is a propitiation, not only for our fins, but for the fins of the whole world, John. ii. 2.

Nothing more certain, than that God had no hand in making any of thofe three things, in refpect of which we are liable and in danger to eternity, to wit, fin, death and hell. And this hath been ac knowledged, as you read, God made not death, Wifd. i. 13. And in another place, God made not hell. Thefe are not of God's product, they are not things of God's intention, they are not things that God decreed, defigned, or contrived. He never laid

the

the foundation of any of these; but they are confequent upon degeneracy, defection and apoftacy; as it is express'd, the backflider in heart fhall be filled with his own ways; Prov. xiv. 14. He fhall reap the fruit of his own doings. But here I must answer an objection, and it is this:

If God were fo well-minded toward men, and fo much defired their good and welfare, why did he not prevent fin, and make it impoffible that ever fin fhould enter into the world; fince he hath wisdom enough, and power enough to prevent it? To this I will reply three things.

First, Can we blame God, that he doth not pervert the order of fecond caufes? Is this a failure in God, that he fuffers fecond caufes to act that which is proper to them? If God doth make a voluntary and intelligent agent, it doth neceffarily follow, unlefs he fruftrate his own workmanship, that he must suffer a voluntary agent to act according to his own will.

If this do not fatisfy, I add in the second place; can we blame God, that he did appoint a probationftate, which could not have been, unless man had been left free and voluntary; especially confidering that in this probation-ftate, God was not wanting in those things that were requifite and fit for this creature, that was put in a state of probation and trial, preparation and exercise: and if this will not fatisfy; I fhall add a

Third, And that will put all out of doubt; and that is this; that all those things confidered, which are the provifion of God; man (to fay no more) is

more fufficient to his effect, and the purposes of his creation, than any other creature whatfoever: I fay, confidering the provision of God, and the accomplish ments of man in that state; man is no lefs fufficient to his effect, than any creature to the effect of his own nature. For, as that to which man is called and required, is of a higher nature, than any other creature below him; fo also are his faculties and principles higher and nobler; and there is over and above thefe, the affiftance of grace, which is fupernatural, and more than is due to him. This is fuch an affistance as is able to raise a man to that which is fupernatural, and to fit him for the state of glory; and yet you fee inferior nature is fufficient to its end and it hath not failed, and we are confident that it will not fail. Now, why a man that is invested with nobler principles should not act at a higher rate, according to these principles and endowments, is a thing not to be anfwered: And that he should fit ftill, and ill reflect upon God in undutifulness and unthankfulness, is without the leaft appearance of reason in the world. And this is enough to vindicate the honour of our maker. But then,

Secondly, We cannot fay, that God defires any man's falvation without his return. For it is repug nant and impoffible, that any man should be happy in a way of obftinacy and rebellion againft God, that fhall live in contradiction to his maker. For can any man be happy in conjunction with his enemy, in a state unnatural to him, where he hath no harmony, takes no pleasure and fatisfaction? It

cannot

cannot be that a man fhould be faved, unless he return; for these terms cannot ftand together, to live in oppofition and contradiction to God, and yet to be reconciled to him, and to be made happy by him. If we live in fin, and take delight therein; we cannot take delight in the most righteous God. You may as foon conjoin light and darkness, Chrift and Belial together. So that you cannot say, that God defires a thing which is fo abfurd and contrary to all reason, that any should be brought to happiness without restoration, and return to God.

Thirdly, Neither can we fay, that God defires man's return without his own confent; for if he fhould defire this, he should defire that which cannot be for being intelligent and voluntary agents, we cannot truly be said to do that, which we do against our minds. For to an human act two things are neceffary; that there be the judgment of reason in the understanding, and the choice of the will. If the mind do not confent, 'tis not a free act; and if not done freely and of choice, it cannot be an act of virtue; and if not an act of virtue, it cannot be of any moral confideration. That God that doth graciously allow for all our involuntary weaknesses, imperfections, and failings, being furprised and diverted from our duty; yet he will not dispense with the want of two things; fincerity, that is honeftmeaning and intention; and the act of our will; without these, he will not be fatisfied nor in the least dispense; and this is called in fcripture, a perfect heart, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. where a man doth honeftly intend and mean. My fon give me thy heart,