had knowledge as that was which Paul spake of in that place but the place speaks not of faith in Christ onely it would have men to be fully perswaded in their hearts of the lawfullnes of what they doe and likewise to refraine things lawfull in themselves rather then to be a stumbling block to their weak Brother and so much for this Objection Object Christ dyed for all but not intentionally he taking the nature of man upon him his death must needs extend to all of that nature in the sufficiencie of it but neither God in giving Christ nor Christ in giving himself ever intended the benefits of his death remission of sins and eternall life to any but the Elect. Answ First I answer by way of concession that God never intended the benefits of Christs death to any but the Elect if we take Election according to the Scriptures for it is the will of the Father that those and none but those that believe should have eternall life and believers only are the objects and Subjects of Gods Election for Election looks not on men in Adam but in Christ I speak only of such as have the Gospell plainely and powerfully preached to them but seeing most men doe conceive that God doth elect some men to life in unbelief and leaves the rest we shall state the Question thus Whether God did ever really intend that those men which perish and are damned should have believed and so have come to life And to this I answer affirmatively for it was shewed before that God commanded all men to believe in his Son that they might be saved Mark 16.15 16. Ioh 12.36.37 That he threatneth all those which believe not with everlasting destruction from his presence and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.7 8. and that because they belive not Joh. 3.18 and because they received not the truth in the love thereof that they might besaved but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse as 2 Thes 2.10.12 That hee pittieth those that perish through the abuse of his grace extended towards them Psal 81.8.13 Matth. 23.37 Luke 19.41.42 Therefore it evidently appeares that he intended the benefits of his death viz. remission of sins and eternall life to those who by trusting inlying vanities for sake their own mercies Jonah 2.8 and drawing back to perdition Heb. 10 39. as well as to those who believe to the saving of their souls Heb. 10.39 But yet further consider these Scriptures Joh. 3.17 God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved This Scripture which sets forth the act of Gods love in sending his Son into the World declareth also his end and intention therein negatively not to condemne the World affirmatively but that the World through him might be saved Againe Iohn 12.47 If any man heare my words and believe not Iudge him not for I came not into the world to judge the world but to save the World Why will not Christ judge those men that heare his words and believe not because he came to save them Againe Ioh. 5.34.40 Christ speaking to the obstinate Iewes saith unto them these things speak I unto you for what end that yee may be saved And yee will not come to me that yee may have life Neither doth Christ herein expresle his owne desires and intentions of the salvation of those obstinate Iewes but the will and intention of his Father also For he came not downe from Heaven to doe his owne will but the will of the Father which sent him therefore it appeares that as the death of Christ was extended to all so likewise the benefits therof were both by the Father and the Son intended for all Object If God sent his Son and it be his desire to save all men and yet all men are not saved then God misseth his end and is disappointed of his desire which is very unsuiteable to him Answ If God had sent his Sonne with an absolute and peremptory resolution to save all men whether they did receive him or reject him then all must be saved or God disappointed which cannot be for he doth whatsoever he will and if he work in this sence who can hinder but God in sending of his Sonne did intend he should be a sufficient means to save all and so to save them if they did not resist and dispise this grace of his which if they did he resolved to condemne them and not to save them by his Sonne And whereas it is said that God is unwilling that any should perish and that he desires the salvation of all I conceive it is thus to be understood he is not willing that any should perish for want of sufficient means of recovery and he desires the salvation of all as they are in a lost condition unable to helpe themselves but not as they are considered malicious contemnen of all grace and savour means and mercies for that were to set his attributes at variance and divide God in himself the mercy of whose justice is to afford means of help to that which cannot help it self and the justice of whose mercie is to condemne him that refuseth such helpe and to save him that receiveth it so that his mercie cannot desire the salvation of all but his justice must afford the means of accomplishment and when his justice affordeth means his mercie is said to desire for as what men desire they use means to accomplish so what God useth means to accomplish he is said to desire neither is God disappointed if men neglect this means for the justice of Gods mercie is to render to every man according to his deeds whether good or evill as the mercie of his justice is to provide means of life or salvation so that God is not disappointed in the condemnation of any for his mercie affordeth them means and his justice condemnes them for contempt thereof so that as God cannot worke against himself so therein he is neither crossed nor contradicted but remaineth in his attributes intire and compleat The next thing I shall speak of is the sufficiencie of the means of grace or the sufficiencie of the means which God affords to worke grace or faith in every man That the Gospell was never published to men with plainesse and power but they were thereby enabled to believe and yeeld obedience That God doth enlighten invite perswade and draw all men to himself so farre and so sufficiently that did they improve the Talent and price that God puts into their hands they should certainely come to life and glory It will be needfull before I proceed further to declare what I meane by grace and what I meane by the sufficiency of the meanes of grace Grace I conceive to bee an humble and thankefull apprehension of the free love favour and goodnesse of God and when I speake of the sufficiency of the meanes which God affoords to worke grace in every man I meane
and this appeareth by what is written Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but have everlasting life God so loved the World that is all mankind that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever of them beleeved in him should not perish but live eternally 1 Obj. By World is meant the World of the Elect I Answer that the Elect in their owne sense shall all believe but this word whosoever intimateth that many of this world here meant may not beleeve for if by World here you will understand the Elect onely then this will bee the sense of the words God so loved the world of the Elect that whosoever of this world of the Elect beleeves in him should not perish c. 2 Obj. By World is meant the whole lumpe of mankind but those that are not elect can never beleeve for God will never give them faith and therefore though God doth thus proclaime his love to all yet seeing it is impossible that any other then the elect should beleeve this Text doth not hinder but that the death of Christ may still bee limited to the elect Answ Then the love of God to the greatest part of the world may bee thus expressed such and so great is the love of God towards you that when you doe that which is impossible for you ever to performe viz. believe then you shall obtaine that from him which he cannot in justice bestow upon you viz. remission of sins and eternall life And that I may illustrate the absurdity of this Objection consider what is written in Rom. 3 25 26. whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousnesse that he might be just and the justifier of those that believe in Jesus in which words we may perceive that God doth proceed in the Gospel in such a way as hee may declare his righteousnesse in justifying of sinners and moreover that that God could not bee just and the justifier of the ungodly but through the death of his Sonne for without blood there is no remission Heb. 9.22 Now if God hath so loved the world that he hath given his Sonne that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternall life then the Son must die for all otherwise if those hee did not dye for should believe an hundred times yet must they die in their sinnes yea they are as farre from Salvation as ever they were and so this opinion doth contradict the word of God denying that God hath so loved men or so given Christ that all men may have life through saith for God is able no more nor no further to extend the glad tydings of life peace and remission of sinnes then the death of Christ which is the ground of the Gospell doth extend For he may as well pardon and remit the sins of all Men without relation to the blood and Sacrifice of his Son as he way preach and proffer remission of sins or eternall life to all or any man for whom Christ did not shed his blood but as God will not do that which is unjust so neither will he profer to doe it for in him justice and mercy are inseperable that is he is mercifull justice and just mercy therefore his mercy in proclaiming salvation to all must be just in the execution which could not be if offered not intended to all the justice of his mercie must extend as farre as the mercy of his justice so that he which maketh him mercifull to offer unto all and not as just to give where as he offereth destroies both justice and mercie which is a flat deniall of God Therefore I say that as the Serpent was lifted up in the Wildernes so must the Sonne of man be lifted up in the Ministery of the Gospel as a universall ground and object of faith for all men Ioh. 3.14 Another Text for this purpose is 1 Cor. 15.3 where the Apostle speaking to the Corinthians saith For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures In which words consider first what it was that he delivered to these Corinthians and that is that Christ dyed for their sins And secondly when he delivered this unto them and that was first of all Now if Christ had not died for all Paul could not have concluded that Christ had dyed for them for they were at that time Gentiles carried away with dumb Idolls 1 Cor. 12.2 Fornicators Adulterers Theeves Drunkards and the like 1 Cor. 6.9.10.11 And Paul spake not from any speciall Revelation of God concerning these men in particular but he spake according to the Scriptures which foretold the death of Iesus Christ Now if it be objected that Paul doth not say for your sins but for our sins joining himself with the rest who were believers at that time or with the Elect I answer First that this could be no glad tydings to the Corinthians that Christ dyed for Paul and others if they were not included if Paul were not able to prove by the Scriptures that Christ dyed for them whilest they were sinners then they could not receive it nor stand in it nor be saved by it as the former verses expresse for faith comes by hearing hearing by the Word of God for wee cannot believe that of which wee have not heard Againe 2 Cor. 5.4 It is said that if one dyed for all then were all dead Paul with the rest that sent that Epistle having in the former Verses spoken of being besides themselves towards God and sober for the Corinthians cause tells them that the love of Christ did constrain them and why so because they did judge that they were dead and how do they prove that they were dead they tell them that all were dead and therefore they were dead and that all were dead appeares in that Christ dyed for all and this I conceive to be the meaning of these words If one dyed for all then were all dead 1 Tim. 2.1 Wee are exhorted to make Prayers and supplication for all men the reason is declared in vers 4. God would have all to be saved that his desire is that all should be saved he hath fully manifested in giving Christ a ransome for all Vers 6. Now it is not the will of God that any should be saved for whom Christ did not die and our Praiers must be made according to the will of God therefore if Christ dyed not for all we cannot pray in faith for any much lesse for all If we have a ground in the Scriptures to pray for the Salvation of all men then if we do pray in faith for all or any man they or
them or beneficiall to them yea they were not only empty of good if wee consider them in every respect but the end of them was full of bitternesse and death And besides if the words should bee so taken then God could not bee said to doe all those things for and before them that they might know him to bee the Lord their God as it is verse 6. for God never propounds meanes insufficient to effect the end for which hee propounds it therefore it must needs be taken according to the first interpretation and in the same sense must those words bee taken 2 Tim. 2.25 In meeknes instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure shall give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that is if peradventure the means which God useth may prevaile with them to repent and to acknowledge the Truth Againe Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure whence it is inferred that it pleaseth God to worke in some men to will and to do and not in others and that men cannot will nor do more or lesse but according as God works in them But this interpretation is not suteable to the scope of the place for he exhorts them to worke out their salvation with feare and trembling vers the 24. urging this reason it is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe but according to this explication hee might rather have exhorted them to sit still for it is God that doth all it is he which worketh in you both to will and to doe but the meaning of the place is this worke out your salvation with feare and trembling for it is God which of his goodnes and mercie worketh in you both to will and to doe as if hee should have said he is not wanting to you he enableth worketh and disposeth you and therfore be incouraged and be very carefull that you are not wanting to your selves in working out your owne salvation with fear and trembling 1 Cor. 1.26 For yee see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things c. For the better understanding of these words let us a little consider the scope of the place Paul declares that he was sont to preach the Gospel vers 17. that the gospel had a different acceptation among men some did esteem it foolishnesse and others the wisdome and power of God vers 18. and those that did esteem lightly of it were such as had much of the wisdome and understanding of this world the disputers of this world wise men after the flesh vers 19 20.26 And the reason was because God in saving men by the Gospel went in such a way that he did destroy bring to nothing and make foolish their wisdome vers 19 20. For the gospel told them that Jesus the Sonne of Joseph a Carpenter was the Sonne of God that by his death he had purchased remission of sins and being now alive whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and if they would be his Disciples they must deny themselves forsake all and follow him they must have the same mind in them towards others that he had towards them who though he was rich yet for their sakes he became poor that they through his poverty might be made rich so should they be full of bowells of mercie visiting the fatherlesse and Widdowes in their affliction doing good to all giving to every man that asketh loving their enemies as themselves returning good for evill blessing for cursing not resisting evill but overcomming evill with good not to lift up themselves above their Brethren not to mind high things but to condescend to mean things to men of Iow estate esteeming others better then themselves carrying themselves towards the meanest and poorest both in word and deed as to their Brethren and fellow-Servants striving more to minister unto others then to be ministred unto or served by others not being solicitous what to eate or what to drinke and wherewith to be clothed but to cast all their care on God who careth for them and knoweth they want these things and having Food and Raiment therewith to be content to look upon all they have and all that they are as Christs who hath bought them and to imploy all in his service using all to his glory and honour promoting whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report though with the losse of all they have and are counting all things but drosse and dung that the love of Christ may be manifested and the will of Christ performed in doing these things though men did despise them God would honour them though men did hate them he would love them and though they did forsake and lose all here they should find and enjoy all hereafter to all eternity even a Kingdome a Crowne of life with unspeakable riches and glory But their wisdome taught them to love the World to live unto it to walke by sence imbracing things present and despising things that could not be seen felt nor tasted judging all things according to outward appearance esteeming it a vaine thing to lose or forsake the life present the life in possession for a life which doth not appeare heaping up riches and trusting in them striving to partake of the pompe and greatnesse of this World to be admired served and worshipped of men to Lord it over their Brethren to look on them at a distance to sort themselves with men like themselves to love and feast their friends and rich neighbours doing good to those that doe good to them to crush their enemies to meddle no more with truth or religion then will stand with the pompe greatnesse and credit of this word not to be singular but to doe as the most and those of most esteeme doe to with-hold their hands from giving lest they should want themselves to preferre the lust of the flesh and pride of life before doing good and shewing mercy Now though the Gospel were the wisdome and power of God yet the wise men the rich men and mighty men did esteeme it foolishnesse and madnesse for saith the Apostle when God had manifested his wisdome evidently by the workes of Creation which things did appeare to the wise men of the World so that therein they might plainly see the eternall power and Godhead and yet by this they did not so know God as to worship him as God neither were thankfull then it pleased God to save men by preaching and declaring things which doe not appeare which the World accounts foolishnesse and that this is so saith the Apostle you may see by the men that embrace the Gospel for you see your calling brethren hovv that not
every where to repent Act. 17.30 To believe and yeeld obedience to the Gospel upon pain of eternall death Mark 16.16 Ioh. 12.48 1 Thes 1.8.2 10 11 12. Heb. 2.3 10 28 29. 1 Ioh. 5.10 Ioh. 3.18.36 Rom. 2.45 Now I cannot see how it can stand with that goodnes and sweetnes which dwells in God and that fulnesse and riches of mercies which the Scriptures manifest to be in him to require impossibilities of his creatures and then in flaming fire to render vengeance to them for not performance Obâ—ect God may do whatever hee will and who shall question him Answ It 's true God may doe whatever he will but he will do all things like himself suiteable to his nature For though God be infinite in power yet is his power so full of goodnes that it can effect nothing which is not agreeable to his goodnes and those that advance the power of God without his goodnes doe denie both his power and goodnes Now hee proclaimes himself in his Word to be love to the Sons of men love in the abstract to those which doe neither love him nor know him 1 Ioh. 4.8 gracious long suffering aboundant in goodnes and truth keeping mercie for thousands c. Exod. 34.6 7. Jonah 4.2 Numb 14.18 Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy Psal 103.8 ready to pardon and of great kindnes Nehemiah 9.17 31. full of compassion Psal 86.15 he delights to exercise loving kindnes Jer. 9.24 with him is mercy Nehem. 13.22 Psal 57.10.117.2 2 Sam. 24.14 1 Chron. 21.13 Psal 119.156 Dan 9.18 great goodnes Nehemiah 9.25.35 multitude of mercies Psal 5.7.106.7.45 manifold mercies Nehem 9.10.27 Lam. 3.32 a multitude of tender mercies Psal 51.1.69.1 he is rich in mercie Eph. 2.4 aboundant in mercie 1 Pet. 1.3 he delights in mercie Mich. 7.18 his tender mercies are over all his works Psal 145.9 the earth is full of his mercie Psal 119.64 he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth Ezek. 18.32 on the death of the wicked Ezek. 33.11 but that they should turn and live ver 11. he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 hee would have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 Here is a cloud of witnesses of the riches of the grace and love of God to lost men to miserable men and all the proceedings of God with his creatures are agreeable to it but how unsuteable hereunto it would be for him to require impossibilities of them upon pain of eternall death in Hell fire I leave the Reader to judge Object God is good and mercifull to lost men in that he sends them Raine and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with joy and gladnes Act. 14. â—7 in that he bestowes many outward mercies on them and useth much outward means with them though he afford them not means sufficient to enable them to believe and live acceptably in the use of all Answ God requires these men to imploy all the mercies they receive in his service To feed the hungry cloath the naked visite the sick Marth 25.42.43 he requires an improvement of every Talent that he delivers to them Mat. 25 27.30 and as God accepts according to what men have 2 Cor. 8.12 so will he judge men according to what they have received from him where he gives much he will require much Luk. 12.48 and God requires inward and cordiall obedience where he affords such mercies and means as men call outward mercies which they not performing the curse of God is pronounced against them and so the more mercies and the more means they have had here the greater miseries and the greater torments hereafter the sweeter the blessings the more bitter the cursings for ever every short and fading mercy proves a lasting and eternall misery yea Christ himselfe the guift of God the mercy of mercies is to such men according to this Objection the greatest of all miseries and that of invincible and unavoydable necessity now that is strange mercy and goodnes which doth unavoidably bring misery on them that receive it that man is most happy that partakes least of it there being no fruit to be had therein seeing the end thereof is death Object God required men to keepe the Law which they could not doe and yet hee was as full of love and grace then as now Answ The Covenant of God in Christ was confirmed foure hundred and thirty yeares before the Law was given Gal. 3.17 Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Gen. 15.6 Rom 4.3 Neither did the comming in of the Law make void the promise Gal. 3.17 but still men were justified by faith during the time of the Law now the Law was holy just and good Rom. 7.12 and God made man just and good Eccles 7.29 Gen. 1.31 but hee falling in Adam from that primitive purity and perfection became prone to all kind of evill and subject to death Now the Law did not bring death upon us but did discover what we were lyable to if it had never bin given it did manifest what the Law of our creation did require It was not ordained to drowne men in Hell but to drive them to Christ Gal. 3.24 It was added because of transgression Gal. 3.19 to keep from sin to discover sinâ— to shew us our weaknes and inability to stand before God in our owne righteousnes Rom. 3.19 20 23. least we should trust in our selves and bee deceived that so we might trust in the mercie and grace of God alone so that Gods end in giving the Law was full of love and goodnes The Law was never alone in the World that a man must needs have stood or fell to that Master We might have appealed from the Law to the gospel but there is no appeal from the gospel the Law did onely pronounce that death upon us which we were lyable to before it was given but the gospel pronounceth eternall death in Hell fire on those that obey is not which punishment wee were not lyable to either in relation to Adams sin or the Law for the sentence on Adam was In dying thou shalt dye the death Gen. 2.17 Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return and so death passed over all men Rom. 5.12 Chap. 3.19 And the Law went no further as the Scriptures doe evidently manifest where the penalties of the Law are expressed Not that I doe conceive that wicked men which dyed under the law shall escape the judgement of Hell but the Law will not pronounce it on them but the gospel Rom. 2.16 For to love God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selves was the substance of the Law Now though men could not performe this so as to be justified in relation to the Law yet they might so perform it as to be righteous in relation to the gospel and grace of God in Christ even in the time of the Law
but vvhosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that hee hath vers 12. And againe vers 13. not because seeing they might not see but because seeing they did not see nor understand that is they closed their eyes and would not see as it is expressed vers 15. so that this doth not prove any inability in men to believe the gospel vvhen it vvas preached to them but rather the contrary seeing they vvere blamed for not believing and counted unworthy to partake of further light who vvere so perverse and obstinate against the light they had Againe 1 Sam. 2.25 the latter part of the verse notwithstanding they harkened not to the voice of their Father because or for the Lord vvould or was willing to slay them Here it is conceived that Gods desire of their destruction vvas the cause of their not harkening unto the voice of their Father but this is contrary to what God professeth Ezek. 33.11 and the 18.32 that he hath no pleasure in the death of the vvicked in the death of him that dyeth but that he turne from his sinnes and live now if the repentance of a sinner be more pleasing to God and more vvilled and desired of him then his death then Gods desire or will to slay a sinner cannot be the cause of his not repenting but this word for or because is spoken only by way of demonstration of the truth of what preceeds like unto that which is spoken of Mary in the gospell that much was forgiven her for shee loved much Luk. 7.47 Not that her love was the cause or reason that her sins were pardoned but her love did demonstrate that she apprehended the pardon of many sins for to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little so in this place they harkened not to the voice of their Father because or for the Lord would or was willing to slay them this is the desire willingnes and resolution of God to destroy them vers 34. notwithstanding their Father had reproved and councelled them doth evidently demonstrate that they did not hearken unto their fathers voice for if they had harkened and turned from their wickednes they should have lived they should not have been destroyed according to Ezekiel 33.12 13 14 15 16. verses Againe it is objected from certaine places in Exodus viz. I will harden Pharaoh chap. 7.3 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you vers 4. And the Lord hardned the heart of Pharaoh that he hearkened not unto them chap. 9.12 From those and the like places men do conclude that God doth positively harden the hearts of some so that they cannot believe and obey the truth for say they God was so farre from enabling Pharaoh to do what he required of him that on the contrary he hardned his heart that he might not do it For answer whereunto consider that as God tempts no man to sin so much lesse doth he harden any man in sin Againe where it is said I will harden Pharaohs heart chap. 7.3 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you vers 4. It may as truly and more properly be read And I shall hearden Pharachs heart But he will not hearken unto you for shall and will in this place are only signes of the Future Tence serving to expresse somwhat to come For God did not exercise any coercive power upon Pharaoh that kept him from hearkening to his word or from letting the people goe but only did declare what effect the meanes which God intended to use with Pharaoh would take upon him even to harden his heart though the means used did properly and naturally tend to soften it and so God might be said to harden Pharaohs heart because he did that for or before him whereby he knew Pharaoh would take occasion to harden his owne heart as appeares in this that when God sent Moses to Pharaoh to require him to let the people goe God tells Moses that he was sure that Pharaoh would not let them goe but by a mighty hand God knew that instead of obeying his command he would be hardened by it and yet bids Moses to goe and doe the Message Object How can this agree with that love and goodnesse in God which hath bin pleaded for for if God doe that which he knowes will indirectly or by accident make us worse and harden us he might with as much love and goodnes directly doe it Answ The case is farre different for if God had positively or directly hardened Pharaohs heart then so farre Pharaoh had been without fault because God did it and he could not help it and for God to have hardened him in this sence and then to punish him for his hardnes was inconsistent with the justice and goodnes of God But if God do that which is just and good which properly and naturally leads men to do the like is his goodnesse ever the lesse or should he forbeare to doe good because he sees that men will abuse his goodnesse then God must not act like God when men will not act like men but must goe out of his way and doe things unlike himself or cease to do what is suteable and agreeable to his excellent nature to comply with their wickednesse and stubbornesse and so instead of converting evill men and making them like himself he himself would become like to them But let us a little further consider what is here done to Pharaoh Pharaoh doth oppresse afflict and grieve the people of God and their cry and their groaning by reason of their bondage came up unto God and God had a respect unto them and resolves to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them into a good and large Land flowing with Milke and Honey according to his Covenant and promise Now God sends Moses to Pharaoh to desire him to let the Hebrewes goe three dayes journey into the wildernesse to worship yet God knew that he should harden Pharaohs heart thereby or that Pharaoh would harden his heart thereupon which is all one should God have suffered his people to remaine in slavery and sorrow under their Task-masters and not have sent to tell Pharaoh of it because he knew hee would not hearken but be hardened Againe when Moses had delivered his message to Pharaoh and received that answere from him Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel goe I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel goe should God now have lest Pharaoh and not by his miracles have manifested himselfe to be the Lord because he knew Pharaoh would be hardened and not set his heart to consider it or when the judgement did soften Pharaohs heart and he desires a removall of it promising to let Israel goe should God refuse to shew mercy to him on his repentance knowing that he would be hardened upon the receipt of it should God cease to bee or doe good because Pharaoh would abuse his goodnesse and thereby take