wrought in the Heart by the determining Efficacy and Power of another, instead of its being owing to a felf-moving Power; that in that Cafe, the Good which is wrought, would not be our Virtue, but rather God's Virtue; because it is not the Perfon in whom it is wrought, that is the determining Author of it, but God that wrought it in him. But the Things which are the Foundation of thefe Objections, have been confidered; and it has been demonftrated, that the Liberty of moral Agents does not confift in felf-determining Power; and that there is no Need of any fuch Liberty, in order to the Nature of Virtue; nor does it at all hinder, but that the State or Act of the Will may be the Virtue of the Subject, though it be not from Self-determination, but the Determination of an extrinfic Caufe; even fo as to cause the Event to be morally neceffary to the Subject of it. And as it has been proved, that nothing in the State or Acts of the Will of Man is contingent; but that on the contrary, every Event of this Kind is neceffary, by a moral Neceffity; and as it has also been now demonstrated, that the Doctrine of an univerfal determining Providence, follows from that Doctrine of Neceflity, which was proved before: And fo, that God does decifively, in his Providence, order all the Volitions of moral Agents, either by pofitive Influence or Permiffion: And it being allowed on all Hands, that what God does in the Affair of Man's virtuous Volitions, whether it be more or lefs, is by fome pofitive Influence, and not by mere Permiffion, as in the Affair of a finful Volition: If we put thefe Things together, it will follow, that God's Affiftance or Influence, must be determining and decifive, or must be attended with a moral Neceflity of the Event; and fo, that God gives Virtue, Holiness and Converfion to Sinners, by an Influence which Dd 3 deter determines the Effect, in fuch a Manner, that the Effect will infallibly follow by a moral Neceffity; which is what Calvinifts mean by efficacious and irresistible Grace. The Things which have been faid, do likewise answer the chief Objections against the Doctrine of God's univerfal and abfolute Decree, and afford infallible Proof of that Doctrine; and of the Doctrine of abfolute, eternal, perfonal Election in particular. The main Objections against these Doc'trines are, that they infer a Neceffity of the Volitions of moral Agents, and of the future moral State and Acts of Men; and fo are not confiftent with those eternal Rewards and Punishments, which are connected with Conversion and Impenitence; nor can be made to agree with the Reafonableness and Sincerity of the Precepts, Calls, Counfels, Warnings and Expoftulations of the Word of God; or with the various Methods and Means of Grace, which God ufes with Sinners, to bring 'em to Repentance; and the whole of that moral Government, which God exercifes towards Mankind: And that they infer an Inconfiftence between the fecret and revealed Will of God; and make God the Author of Sin. But all thefe Things have been obviated in the preceding Difcourfe. And the certain Truth of thefe Doctrines, concerning God's eternal Purposes, will follow from what was just now observed concerning God's univerfal Providence; how it infallibly follows from what has been proved, that God orders all Events, and the Volitions of moral Agents amongst others, by fuch a decifive Difpofal, that the Events are infallibly connected with his Difpofal. For if God difpofes all Events, fo that the infallible Existence of the Events is decided by his Providence, then he doubtless thus orders and decides Things know ingly, and on Defign. God don't do what he does, nor order what he orders, accidentally and unawares; either without, or befide his Intention. And if there be a foregoing Defign of doing and ordering as he does, this is the fame with a Purpofe or Decree. And as it has been fhewn, that nothing is new to God, in any Respect, but all Things are perfectly and equally in his View from Eternity; hence it will follow, that his Defigns or Purpofes are not Things formed anew, founded on any new Views or Appearances, but are all eternal Purposes. And as it has been now fhewn, how the Doctrine of determining efficacious Grace certainly follows from Things proved in the foregoing Difcourfe; hence will neceffarily follow the Doctrine of particular, eternal, abfolute Election. For if Men are made true Saints, no otherwise than as God makes 'em fo, and diftinguishes 'em from others, by an efficacious Power and Influence of his, that decides and fixes the Event; and God thus makes fome Saints, and not others, on Defign or Purpose, and (as has been now observed) no Designs of God are new; it follows, that God thus diftinguished from others, all that ever become true Saints, by his eternal Design or Decree. I might also fhew, how God's certain Foreknowledge muft fuppofe an abfolute Decree, and how fuch a Decree can be proved to a Demonftration from it: But that this Discourse mayn't be lengthen'd out too much, that must be omitted for the prefent. From thefe Things it will inevitably follow, that however Chrift in fome Senfe may be faid to die for all, and to redeem all visible Christians, yea the whole World by his Death; yet there must be fomething particular in the Defign of his Death, with Refpect to fuch as He intended fhould actuD d 4 ally ally be faved thereby. As appears by what has been now fhewn, God has the actual Salvation or Redemption of a certain Number in his proper ahfolute Defign, and of a certain Number only; and therefore fuch a Defign only can be profecuted in any Thing God does, in order to the Salvation of Men. God purfues a proper Design of the Salvation of the Elect in giving Chrift to die, and profecutes fuch a Defign with Refpect to no other, most strictly fpeaking; for 'tis impoffible, that God fhould profecute any other Defign than only fuch as He has: He certainly don't, in the highest Propriety and Strictnefs of Speech, purfue a Design that he has not.-And indeed fuch a Particularity and Limitation of Redemption will as infallibly follow from the Doctrine of God's Foreknowledge, as from that of the Decree. For 'tis as impoffible, in Strictness of Speech, that God fhould profecute a Defign, or Aim at a Thing, which He at the fame Time moft perfectly knows will not be accomplished, as that he fhould use Endeavours for that which is befide his Decree. By the Things which have been proved, are obviated fome of the main Objections against the Doctrine of the infallible and neceffary Perseverance of Saints, and fome of the main Foundations of this Doctrine are established. The main Prejudices of Arminians against this Doctrine feem to be thefe; they fuppofe fuch a neceffary, infallible Perfeverance to be repugnant to the Freedom of the Will, that it must be owing to Man's own felf-determining Power, that he first becomes virtuous and holy; and fo in like Manner, it must be left a Thing contingent, to be determin'd by the fame Freedom of Will, whether he will perfevere in Virtue and Holinefs; and that otherwife his continuing steadfast in Faith and Obedience would not not be his Virtue, or at all Praife-worthy and Rewardable; nor could his Perfeverance be properly the Matter of divine Commands, Counfels and Promises, nor his Apoftafy be properly threaten'd, and Men warned against it. Whereas we find all these Things in Scripture: There we find Steadfastnefs and Perfeverance in true Chriftianity, reprefented as the Virtue of the Saints, fpoken of as Praife-worthy in them, and glorious Rewards promised to it; and alfo find, that God makes it the Subject of his Commands, Counfels and Promifes; and the contrary, of Threatenings and Warnings. But the Foundation of thefe Objections has been removed, in its being fhewn that moral Neceffity and infallible Certainty of Events is not inconfiftent with thefe Things; and that, as to Freedom of Will lying in the Power of the Will to determine itfelf, there neither is any fuch Thing, nor any Need of it, in order to Virtue, Reward, Commands, Counfels, &c. And as the Doctrines of efficacious Grace and abfolute Election do certainly follow from Things which have been proved in the preceding Dif courfe; fo fome of the main Foundations of the Doctrine of Perfeverance are thereby established. If the Beginning of true Faith and Holiness, and a Man's becoming a true Saint at firft, don't depend on the felf-determining Power of the Will, but on the determining efficacious Grace of God; it may well be argued, that it is fo alfo with Refpect to Men's being continued Saints, or perfevering in Faith and Holinefs. The Converfion of a Sinner being not owing to a Man's Self-determination, but to God's Determination, and eternal Election, which is abfolute, and depending on the fovereign Will of God, and not on the free Will of Man; as is evident from what has been faid And it being very evident from the Scrip tures, |