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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	adam_n	death_n	sin_n	5,480	5	6.3830	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96425	The doctrines of the Arminians & Pelagians truly stated and clearly answered: or, An examination and confutation of their ancient errors, which by the Church of Christ in former ages were justly abhorred, but of late under the names of Comfortable truths to be embraced are newly published. Concerning I. The universality of Gods free-grace in Christ to mankind. II. Concerning election. III. Redemption. IV. Conversion. V. Perserverance. Wherein the principal arguments brought to maintaine the orthodox faith are propounded, and the principal objections against them answered. / By Thomas Whitfield, minister of the gospel at Bugbrook in Northampton-shire. The Tares of Arminian heresie showed in former times (and by the help of prelatical influence then given to them increasing) and now growing up so much in these; I conceive this book wherein the author doth learnedly state and confute those opinions, is very worthy the publike light. Joseph Caryll.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.; Carly, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1651 (1651)	Wing W2006; Thomason E646_7; ESTC R208798	87,011	101

another end in it then they had they did it out of envy to avenge themselves of their brother but he out of love for the advancing of Ioseph and preservation of his father and brethren Ashur was Gods Axe and Saw Esa 10.5 therefore wrought not alone without a hand guiding him yet he aimed at destruction God at correction Therfore it is said that Ashur was Gods rod yet he thought not so but imagineth to destroy and cut off Nations Esa 10.7 God oftentimes punisheth one sin with another thus Arminius himself confesseth that God permitted Ahab to murder Naboth that so he might fulfil the measure of his sins which is the most grievous punishment but to punish is an act of justice Therefore here God did so permit as withall he did work 3. There is no Law to tye God from the permitting of sia and from working with man in the same action which man doth sinfully for if there were then no sin at all should be committed for man is bound not onely not to commit it but not to permit it if it be in his power to hinder it by which law if God himself were bound there should never any sin at all be committed therfore it is no good Argument to reason from man to God in those things which man doth sinfully he not being subject to the same law Object But he is a law to himself the justice and holines of his nature being stronger then any law to keep him from doing evill Answ But he may work in the same action with man and what man doth ill he may do well because as already hath been shewed he works upon other grounds in another manner and to other ends then sinfull man doth He hardned Pharaohs heart but in another manner then Pharaoh did he sent Ioseph into Egypt but to another end then his brethren did he punished Israel by Ashur but to another end then Ashur did it He delivered his Sonne to be crucified but to another end then the wicked Jews did it Object But causa causae est causa causati the cause of a cause is the cause of the effect also which ariseth from that cause removens prohibens c. that which with-holdeth or taketh away a thing which being present wold hinder an event is the cause of that event as he that with-draweth a Pillar from a House that is ready to fall without it is the cause of the fall of that House but the want of supernaturall grace and of that power which being granted would keep men from falling into sin is the cause of their falling into sin and God is the cause of this want who denies to reprobates this supernatural grace and withholds this power whereby they should be kept from falling into sin therefore he is a true and proper cause of their sinne Answ God gave to Adam in the first Creation power wherby he might have stood he gave him posse si vellet as Divines speak for he created him in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4.24 which habituall righteousnesse was a power whereby the faculties of his soul were fitted to work according to the rule of righteousnesse both by abstaining from evill and doing of good and in Adam he gave this to all his posterity who were in the same covenant with him 2. Man did willingly lose this power and habituall righteousnes which God gave him in the first Creation God did not so take it away from him but he himself also cast it away yea God withdrew no thing which he had bestowed on him till man had merited such withdrawing Had God taken away originall righteousnes from man against his will or without his desert then might there have beene some shew of injustice but there was no such matter for God had made man righteous but he found out many inventions Ecclesiastes 7. last Object But Gods will is the only cause why the guilt of Adams sin rests not only on himself but his posterity also and why they are deprived of that originall righteousnesse which was bestowed on him Answ It is a just cause but not the only cause but Adams will which willingly yeelded to that sin which was the meritorious cause of the punishment that came both on himself and his posterity which punishment was justly inflicted not only on himself but his posterity because they being in his loins were to be considered as a part of himself and he being the head of mankind both might and did enter into such a covenant with God as should bind not only himself but all those which should arise from him Hence it is that the Apostle saith that by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed over all men for that all bad sinned Rom. 5.12 all men had sinned in that sin of one man and therefore death came justly on all men and further it is said by the offence of one judgment came on all to condemnation Object If Reprobation be without foresight of the fall then God doth destinate or appoint the innocent or guiltlesse Creature to destruction which is such cruelty and injustice as can in no sort agree to God Answ It doth not follow for Reprobation is such a decree wherby God appoints not innocent and guiltlesse but sinfull and wicked creatures to be destroyed for he hath appointed such to be destroyed as are destroyed but none are destroyed that are not sinfull and wicked before they be destroyed and this sin and wickednes is a cause of their destruction yet though this be a cause of their destruction and goes before that it is no cause of the decree whereby they are appointed to destruction neither doth●t go before that because the decree of God is from all eternity whereas mans sin is committed in time As on the other side God doth save none but such as live holily and obey his Commands and doth decree to save onely such as these yet though holines and obedience go before salvation they do not go before Election which is Gods purpose and decree of salvation so it is here though sin goes before the execution yet not before the decree that was from all Eternity That the foresight of sinne is not the cause of reprobation is thus proved 1. No temporall thing can be the cause of that which is Eternall but sin is a temporall thing there being no sin before the world was and the decree of God is Eternall 2. The foresight of sin is no more efficacious to move God to appoint some to be vessels of wrath then the foresight of good works is to move him to appoint others to be vessels of mercy God being in his own nature no lesse prone to shew forth mercy by bestowing reward then to shew his justice by punishing but the foresight of good works is not the cause of Election 3. How can the foresight of sin be the cause of reprobation when as the foresight

insisted upon because it is one of the Arminians strong holds Object 6 If the decree of election be absolute without any foresight of sin then such also is the decree of reprobation then as God hath decreed the end so he hath decreed the meanes namely the fall of man and so he shall be the authour of sin Answ Though where he decrees the end he decrees the means also yet he doth not decree to work all the means but only such as are agreeable to his own nature It follows not therfore though God hath decreed Adams fall that he is the authour of it because he hath not decreed to work it but onely to permit it that God decreed to permit the fall is plain because otherwise it could not have come to passe for nothing can come to passe against Gods will And none can deny that God could hinder the fall if he would If therefore he would not hinder it he was willing it should be And the Arminians themselves grant that God gave to man sufficient grace but not effectuall for then he had actually stood now if he did deny him effectuall grace without which he saw certainly that he would fall being tempted to what end or purpose did he deny him this effectuall grace but that by permitting of his fall he might make way for the manifestation of his justice and mercy 2. In mans first transgression by eating the forbidden fruit as in all other sinfull acts there was natures work and so Gods worke for though the deformity was from man yet the act it selfe was from God in whom we live and move and what God doth in time he hath determined to do before all time therefore the fall must needs be decreed Object But here not only the manner of eating but the very eating it selfe was forbidden and therefore sinfull Answ Yet in this eating we must distinguish betwixt the eating it selfe and the vitiosity of it as being things in their own nature separable and distinct otherwise they might be praedicated the one of the other which they cannot be for the vitiosity is only an accident to the act of eating And it cannot be denyed that God doth concurre in the act and is the authour of that as he is the authour of every naturall act and therefore if the vitiosity could not be separated from it he should be the authour of that also Object God doth indeed decree to concurre with reasonable creatures in their actions but this is conditionally modo ipsi velint so they themselves will do this or that Answ God did concurre with man not only in the outward act of eating but in the inward act whereby he willed to eat for not only the hand and mouth but the minde and will move by him suppose that he did decree to concurre with man in the outward act of eating upon condition that man did will to eat yet upon what condition did he decree to concurre with him in this act of his will if it shall be said on this condition if man himselfe would it may as well be said that God did decree to make man eat so be it that he hid eat what need he to concurre with him in the act of his will when man willed the thing already 3. It follows no more that God is the authour of sin by decreeing this sin then by decreeing other sins now it is plain that he decreed the death of Christ for it s said that Herod Pontius Pilate and the people were gathered to gether to do whatsoever his hand and counsell had determined should be done against Christ Act 4.27 28. therefore the crucifying of Christ was determined and decreed of God and what greater wickednesse then those things which Herod Pilate and the Jews did against Christ Object But Gods decree is an energeticall decree and what he decrees he effectually procures to come to passe neither is his permission such a bare permission wherein he hath not a working hand as those hold who hold the absolute decree Answ It cannot be denyed that God hath a working hand in the sin that man commits for the Scripture plainely affirms thus much the Lord saith that he would harden Pharoahs heart Exod. 7.3 and that he had hardned it 10.1 He threatens to David that what David had done in secret he would do in the sight of the sunne speakeing of Absoloms sin with his fathers Concubines 2 Sam. 12.12 compared with 16.12 and he gave up the Gentiles to vile affections Rom. 1.28 and many other like expressions whereby it appears that there was more then a bare permission in the committing of these sinnes yet it followes not hence that God is the authour of sinne Quest How can God be free from blame if he works with man in the same blame-worthy action Because he works in a divers manner Answ As the law works in sin so God works for it is Gods agent and instrument that the law hath a work in sin appeares because it is said that where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 and that when the Commandement came sin revived Rom. 7.9 yea the Gospell it selfe is the savour to death to some 2 Cor. 2.16 yet here neither Law nor Gospell are faulty causes of these things because they are onely causes by accident and do not per se in themselves and their owne nature tend to these ends but to the contrary the law tends to keep men from sin and the Gospell to bring life though by accident they worke sin and death God hardned Pharaohs heart not by instilling any hardnesse into it but by giving Pharaoh a charge and command to let his people go the command was good and in it self tended to a good end namely to make Pharaoh yeeld obedience and do his duty and it was good in God to propound this command and yet by accident it did irritate and stir up the stubbornnes and rebellion of Pharaohs heart so as he was hardned more then before He that stops a running stream hereby causeth the water to rise higher not by putting any more water to it but by stopping the course of that which runs already A Physitian by prescribing wholsome Physick to a distempered body may cause greater sicknes yea somtimes death yet here neither physick nor Physitian are justly to be blamed The Sun by the same beams raiseth a sweet smell from a Garden and an ill smell from a dunghill yet no fault in the Sun He that in felling of Wood by the slipping of the iron from the helve should slay his Neighbour Deut. 19.5 was the cause of his Neighbours death but not a faulty cause because only a cause by accident not intending it but man is causaper se of the sin he commits 2. Because man works to a divers end For God wrought with Iacobs sons in selling their brother into Egypt for it s said that he sent a man before them Psalm 105.17 but he had

and set forward the work of mans redemption and salvation because he effected no more then what might have been done without it for before Christ dyed it was possible for God to redeem man to grant him pardon of sin and other like benefits by what meanes himselfe should thinke fit and amongst the rest by this means namely the death of his son so that if no more be effected afterwards by the death of Christ then only a possibility to do this then this most glorious work should vanish away almost into nothing there being nothing more done by it then was done before namely a possibility procured to do that which before was possible to be done and thus God can be said no more to pardon mens sins for Christs sake then to make many worlds for his owne sake for he hath power and liberty to do this when he will 4. Then Christs merits should be of lesse value and worth then mans merits for when man meriteth any thing for himselfe he meriteth that the thing should be actually bestowed on him and not that there should be a possibility only for it to be bestowed 5. Hence it would follow that neither God nor man were the immediate objects of Christs merits but rather faith and repentance that honour might be done to those graces above others in that they be made the conditions whereto not only salvation but also redemption election and all should be fastned Quest 2 Whether Christ dyed for all and every particular man or not the Arminians answer affirmatively Si mors Christi non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oblatum et solutum pro omnibus non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nedum sufficiens pro omnibus Arm. in Perk. p. 68. Christum omnibus peccatorum remissionem impetrasse nostra sententia est Colla. Hagiens p. 172. who hold not onely that Christs death is in it selfe a price sufficient for the redemption of all but also that this was paid and offered for all alike without any difference either of elect or not elect believers or unbelievers And that Christ by his death hath impetrated remission of sinnes and other benefits of redemption for all and every one That this opinion is not agreeable to truth appeares by these reasons If Christ hath paid the price of redemption for all then all men shall be saved for the end of redemption is salvation Argument 1 Except To this their usuall answer is by a distinction of impetration and application Christ by his death hath impetrated or obtain redemption and remission of sins for all but for want of application which is made by believing this is not effectuall to all neither are all men saved for no man can have benefit by Christs redemption till it be applied by faith for all the good that Christ hath purchased is then made ours and we come to have the benefit when by faith we have laid hold of Christ and his death and sufferings and applied these to our selves Replic But against this it may be replyed that the redemption which Christ by his death hath impetrated is either an actuall and effectuall redemption or a possible and ineffectuall redemption onely 1. If he hath obtained onely a possible and ineffectuall redemption this hath been overthrown by the former arguments Besides if the redemption purchased be an ineffectuall redemption how comes it to be made effectuall if it shall be said by application and then it becomes effectuall when it is applyed against this it may further be replyed how can we apply that which is not we can apply no other redemption then what Christ hath purchased if therefore he hath purchased only an ineffectuall redemption for our application doth not change the nature of the thing or make it other then it was 2. How can we be effectualy redeemed by applying to our selves an ineffectuall redemption how can the partaking of an ineffectuall redemption effectually bring salvation to us Secondly If Christ hath obtained actuall redemption for all then likewise he hath obtained actuall remission of sinnes for all for remission of sinnes justification reconciliation redemption are all one not onely in Scripture phrase but also by Arminius his own acknowledgement pag. 76. in Perk. if he hath obtained remission of sinnes for all why are not their sinnes remitted How can it be said that remission is obtained for that sinne that never shall be remitted How can Christ be said to obtain those benefits for us which we have no benefit by or that good for us which we are never the better for the nature of the action and right of relation requires that those things be made ours and that we have the benefit of them which Christ hath obtained for us For what ever Christ by his death hath purchased for us that we have a right unto and that cannot justly be withheld from us which may thus be proved in a right forme of argument Their sinnes shall not be required of them for whom perfect satisfaction is made But for whom Christ hath dyed he hath made perfect satisfaction ergo their sins shall not be required of them for whom Christ hath dyed The second proposition is clear the first is thus proved Their sinnes shall not be required of them for whom satisfaction is accepted But for whom perfect satisfaction is made divivine justice requires it should be accepted Ergo their sins shall not be required of them The second proposition cannot be denyed the first is thus proved The debt cannot justly be required of them for whom it is fully paid But for whom perfect satisfaction is both made and accepted the debt is fully paid Ergo the debt of sin shall not be required of them or thus For whose sins Christ hath satisfyed they cannot be punished and that everlastingly for their sins without injustice But reprobates suffer everlasting punishment for their sins without injustice Ergo Christ hath not dyed or satisfied for their sins To which of these arguments or parts of them will that distinction of impetration and application be fitly applied to take away the strength and force of them God cannot in justice require a double payment of the same debt and cause so many men to pay the utmost farthing in their owne persons by suffering eternally in the place of torment when Christ hath already paid their debt and made full satisfaction by suffering for them on the Crosse for whether Christ hath merited forgivenesse of sinnes for us by the dignity of the worke and worthinesse of his death and passion or by the constitution and appointment of God the father it is certaine that God cannot in justice withhold from us that which Christ by his death hath purchased for us Besides all those for whom Christ hath dyed shall receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4.4 but all do not receive the adoption of sons ergo Christ hath not paid the price of redemption for all 3. Application ariseth from impetration

remaines in him this seed is nothing else but the word of life made good to the soule by the spirit when the spirit puts a quickning power and vertue into the word then it comes to be that immortall seed which is the cause of new birth and he that is thus borne hath the seed remaining in him this principle of life in such sort as he shall never wholy fall into sin againe so fall as to become dead in sinnes and trespasses he can never be wholy dead that hath a principle of life alwayes remaining in him Hence it is called an engrafted word Jam. 1.21 because he that is begotten and borne anew hath this word so engrafted in him as it shall never wholy fall from him and so long as this remaines life remaines Argument 9 Whatsoever the Saints do in faith pray for according to the will of God it shall certainly be granted to them 1 Joh. 5.14 but Perseverance is a principall grace they pray for therefore this shall be granted unto them so as they shall never wholy fall Objections against the former Arguments Object 1 Against the second and third Argument it is objected that all promises in the Old Testament belonging to the Covenant of grace or which Christ hath made in the Gospell touching preservation and keeping of the faithfull are conditionall namely if they shall be carefull to do their duty if they shall watch and walke in feare if they be not willingly wanting to themselves Christ will not be wanting to them but if they be negligent and carelesse bold and presumptious in their course then they may miscarry and fall away Answ 1 If this be so what solid comfort and consolation can the Saints take in any of these precious promises whereby they are assured that they shall be kept by the mighty power of God unto salvation that they shall never fall that none shall take them out of Christs hands c. when as they knowe that they have a root of deficiency in themselves that they have that which will cause them to depart from the living God if they be not continually upheld If the promise of preservation depend upon our selves and the right ordering of our owne wills so that God will not faile to support us so long as we stand fast and cleave close to him but if we faile and let go our hold he will likewise faile and let go his hold suffering us to fall what true comfort I say can this yeeld us in the time of temptation that he hath promised to keep us what comfort had it beene to Peter when Christ promised that he would pray for him that his faith might not faile if it had been with this condition namely if Peter did not let go his hold of Christ then Christ would not let go his hold of him but if he did if he should forsake or deny him as afterwards it fell out then he must shift for himselfe for he would take no further care of him 2. If man continues to doe his duty what need is there of any such promises of supports for what is his duty but to watch and walke in feare to hold fast to Christ to keep himselfe in the wayes of obedience yea to continue and be constant in doing of these things now what is this but to persevere and what need God give man a promise that he will make him persevere when he doth this already that he will make him stand fast when he sees him stand fast for by this doctrine Gods promise reacheth no farther but to make a man stand while he continues to stand and no longer 3. What priviledges by these conditionall promises belong to true beleevers that are within the Covenant of grace more then to Pagans or Infidells and all that are without the Covenant for even these if they will turne to God lay fast hold on him cleave constantly to him may assure themselves that he will receive them graciously and for ever hold them fast while they continue to do this 4 One grace which God hath promised beleevers and which is concluded in the new Covenant as a speciall branch of it is Perseverance it selfe namely that he will put his feare into their hearts so as they shall never depart from him Jer. 32.40 now how can any thing be a condition of it selfe how can it stand with good sense that God should promise his people that upon condition they preserve his feare in their hearts so as they doe not depart from him he will put his feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him Object 2 Against the third Argument it is further objected that Christ promiseth that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against them but he doth not promise that they shall never fall from grace for falling from grace ariseth from a defect in mans free-will but the prevailing of the gates of hell argues some defect in the rocke wheron the beleever is built Christ promiseth that none neither man nor devill shall take us out of his hands yet man may cast away himselfe for he may neglect or resist the continuation and confirmation of his building upon the rocke Answ 1 The promise that the gates of hell shall not prevaile is all one with the promise that there shall never be a totall defection for when ever a man wholy falls from grace the gates of hell prevaile against him because he comes under the power of Satan and eternall damnation 2. When ever Satan prevailes against a man by his temptations he doth it not by force and violence but by such enticements and allurements as wherein mans free-will doth alwayes concurre and beare a part thus he saith that he would perswade or entice Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead that he might fall 1 Kin. 22.21 the Apostle saith that our first Parents were beguiled by the serpent 2 Cor. 11.3 this was such a perswasion whereunto they willingly yeelded had they not beene willing to be deceived Satan could not have deceived them when Satan prevailed with Judas to betray his master Mat. 26. with Ananias and Saphira to lye to the Holy-Ghost Acts 5.3 they were not led to do these things by force and constraint but willingly and freely when he workes effectually in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 their owne wils do concurre with him in this worke therefore there is no opposition betwixt mans liberty and Satans working but a mutuall harmony there is not only an errour in the judgement but an evill motion in the will also when ever Satan by his temptation prevailes with men and Satan and mans will are concauses in bringing forth the same evill effect and in the greatest sins of all as in that of Apostacy mans will seldome works alone but so as it is irritated and assisted by Satan 3. If such as are built on the rocke may fall away and the sheep of Christ may perish this would argue a defect

presupposeth a decree of permitting sin for as sinne cannot be unlesse God permits it to be so he cannot foresee it shall be unlesse he had decreed this permission this decree to permit sin presupposeth an end for which God permits it which can be no other then the glorifying of his justice in the just condemnation of some men and that being the end must needs in order of nature go before the means that tend to it therefore the decree of reprobation must needs go before the decree of permitting sin to be without which there can be no foresight of it besides what is first in Gods intention if we speak of the last ends must be last in execution therefore if the decree of permiting sin shall go before Gods decree of glorifying himself in the just condemnation of some men for sin then this should be last in execution and so God should first bring condemnation upon men for sin and afterwards permit them to sin which is so absurd as all will readily reject it 2. The doctrine which makes the foresight of the fall yea of all actuall sins to go before the decree of reprobation will not clear God from all appearance of cruelty and hard dealing with man no more then the doctrine of the absolute decree for if God did certainely foresee that having created man and placed him in such or such a condition that being left to himself without a new supply of effectuall grace he would certainly fall and commit such sins as would certainly bring upon him eternall damnation and destruction if he did foresee that his Sonne being offered to him he would certainly reject and refuse him and persist in doing so to the end why did he not prevent this why did he not keep men from falling at all or not raise them up when they were fallen by bestowing such effectuall grace upon them whereby they should have layd hold of Christ and persevered in doing this to the end since God could have done this yea have done it without any wrong to his justice as well for all as for some if he bears such love to all as he earnestly heartily and inwardly desires they should be saved why doth he not procure their salvation since he is able to do it if he be so tender hearted that he cannot endure their destruction why doth he not keep them from it since he is able to do it Object They will not accept of salvation when he offers it but wilfully run to destruction Answ But he can change this rebellious will he can take away the heart of stone and put into them hearts of flesh he can make them willing to accept of salvation he can work all this convenienti modo and that in all as well as in some if therefore he doth alike desire the salvation of all why doth he not deal with all alike and bestow the like effectuall grace upon all Here the Arminians can give no sufficient answer to maintain the equality of Gods love to all unlesse that they say he gives like grace to all but one mans will makes this effectuall which anothers doth not Object But doth not God himself say I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezekiel 33.11 that he would have none to perish 2 Peter 3.9 Answ The will of God in Scripture is taken two wayes either properly or improperly either for the will of his decree or the will of his command that there is a reall difference betwixt these appears by these reasons 1. The will of his command may be resisted the will of ●●●●decree cannot be resisted Rom. 9. 2. The will of his command is mutable as were all the commands about the ceremoniall law the will of his decree is immutable 3. His commands are given forth in time whereas his decrees are from all eternity 4. His commands may be contrary one to the other as he gave command to Abraham first to kill then not to kill his son whereas his decrees are never contrary one to another 5. The will of his command is an effect that ariseth from him it is somthing that he puts forth out of himselfe but the will of his decree is the same with himself for take will properly and then velle agere and esse are all one in God To apply this to the present purpose the will of God in these and the like places is not to be understood of the will of his decree but of the will of his command he may be said not to will desire or delight in the death of a sinner because he commands and injoyns every man to do that which would keep him from death and certainly bring him to life were it observed oftimes though not alwayes as in the example of Abrahams killing his son the will of his command is an effect of his internall will and therefore by a metonimy is called by the same name 2. Somtimes will and affections are attributed to God in Scripture per modum actionis in regard of his actions as he is said to repent not because he changeth his mind but because he changeth his actions as a repenting man is wont to do so he is said to will or desire such or such a thing because he so carries himself in his actions as one that desires a thing should be his actions are such as are fit to bring forth such an effect Thus likewise he may be sayd not to will the death of a sinner or the death of him that dies because his carriage towards them and all his actions and dealings with them are such as are fit to preserve them from death and destruction and to bring them to life and safety his goodnes forbearance and long suffering lead to repentance his judgments are upon the Earth that the Inhabitants of the World might learn Righteousnes much more do his Word and Ordinances immediatly tend to life That in this and the like places the will of God is not to be taken properly for the will of his decree or good pleasure appears because this is alway fulfilled what he wills he works Our God is in heaven and doth whatsoever he will Psalm 115.3 whatsoever pleased the Lord that did hee in heaven and in earth Psalm 135.6 where will properly taken and power concurre there effect must needs follow and so no sinner should die When the Scripture mentions two things of God which cannot stand together as that he doth repent and that he cannot repent 1. Sam. 15.11.29 that he wills not the death of a sinner Ezek. 33.11 and that the Lord hardens whom he will Rom. 9.18 we are to look which of these agrees with the nature of God and this is to be taken properly the other figuratively now it well agrees with the nature of God to effect his own end and purpose when therefore it is said that he doth not will or desire the death of him that dies this is not to be taken