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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	work_n	world_n	year_n	277	4	4.3748	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48584	A treatise of election and reprobation in vindication of the universal grace and love of God to mankind by B.L.	Lindley, Benjamin, d. 1723.	1700 (1700)	Wing L2312; ESTC R28788	51,533	66

but be it so or not there is a great Misunderstanding of them amongst many People who from hence 1. Distinguish all Mankind into Elect and Reprobate 2. The first they make but a very small Number 3. The latter an huge Number and abundance of Infants and young Children among them 4. They conclude all the first under Salvation 5. And all the last under Damnation 6. And that the first can in no wise miss of Salvation nor the latter escape Damnation by any endeavours whatsoever they are both so fixed and unavoidable upon them 7. And they also hold That the Salvation of the one and Damnation of the other are by an absolute Decree without any respect to their Good or Evil Deeds All which resolves into this 1st That God loved but a few and hated the far greater part of Mankind from all Eternity or from the Fall or at least from before they were Born 2dly That those few whom he loved he ordain'd to Salvation so positively and absolutely as that they could never in any wise or by any means miss it 3dly That that great Number whom God hated he ordain'd to Damnation after the same positive and arbitrary manner and so absolutely as they can never in any wise by what means so ever avoid it 4thly That as God of his own free-will and choice loved those few without respect to any thing in them either Good or Evil when as yet they had done nothing to deserve or procure it so after the same manner he hated the other great Multitude without any cause or respect but to his own Will having yet done nothing to procure or deserve it Now it is hereby intended to detect and remedy and to expose the Evil Tendency and Consequence of such Abuse and Misunderstanding of these and several other Scriptures of like import The First Part. Treating Principally of Reprobation CHAP. I. Wherein is laid down Two Positions opposing the Doctrine of Reprobation and the same demonstrated by sundry Arguments 1. From God's Work of the Creation in the beginning and from his Divine Nature and Attributes 2. From Solomon's Observation of that great Work 3. From the Rejoycing of the Heavenly Host over that Blessed Work 4. From the Creature made the Vniversality of Christ's Death and of the Gospel and God's Grace and Love to Mankind 5. From sundry Destructive and Pernicious Consequences naturally and clearly resulting from this Doctrine 6. From sundry clear Texts and Authorities of Scripture AND for the better ordering the Argument to treat of Election and Reprobation severally to avoid the inconvenience of keeping no Method by handling them Promiscuously I shall begin with Reprobation and shew 1. That God did not Hate and Reprobate the greatest or any part of Mankind from all Eternity or from the Fall or from before they were Born 2. But that we came forth into this World free and clear from any such fix'd Decree accompanied with the Grace and Love of God being God's Delight and so far from the wretched Condition this false Doctrine represents us in crawling under the Burden of a Decree of Destruction which let us struggle under its weight never so long and do our utmost endeavours we must at length be overcome of it and fall inevitably under Ruine thereby Both which are demonstrative § 1. From the Work of Creation that great and first of the Works of God in time that began with the beginning of Time and is the Date of Mankind in which we come to our Spring Head and are Streams from thence If this was a Work of Blessedness Goodness Grace and Love in a most comprehensive and intire Sense then no part of Mankind was Predestinated to Damnation or Hated of God from all Eternity for that would be an exception to its being a Work of Grace and Love Destruction and Misery are not from thence that sweet Fountain sends forth no such bitter Streams But that this Work of Creation was a Work of Blessedness Goodness Grace and Love is shewn From the Divine Nature and Attributes of God the great and blessed Author of it by whom we are taught That as is the Workman so is his Work A good Tree bringeth not forth corrupt Fruit neither doth a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit c. Luke 6.43 45. A good Man out of the good Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil Man out of the evil Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth that which is evil As is the Man so is his Work and as is God so is his Work But God is good in the greatest Eminency the Treasury of Blessing is with him he is abundant in Goodness Grace and Love which the Beloved Disciple makes his Definition 1 Iohn 4.8 in so many express words saying God is Love Then his chief Motive in the Creation of Man must be his own Benignity Goodness Grace and Love and his End that Man might partake of his Glory and enjoy Him for ever Which shews God did not Hate Man nor put him under any such unavoidable Decree of Destruction from all Eternity § 2. From the Observations of Solomon upon this great Work of Creation which are first Negative That God made not Death neither hath he pleasure in the Destruction of the Living Wisd 1.13 14. Then Affirmative That he created all things that they might have their Being and the Generations of this World was healthful and there was no Poison of Destruction in them or Kingdom of Death upon the Earth But we were made in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes 4.24 or Holiness of Truth And to have our Being as such is to have or injoy God the Divine Life for a Man cannot properly be said to have what he doth not in some measure possess or injoy so this End to which we were made is an high State of Glory above Death Destruction or Misery all which made their Entrance through the Fall Neither hath he pleasure in the Destruction of the Living Then he hath not from all Eternity had pleasure in Decreeing their Destruction for otherwise he was not a free Agent in so Decreeing but under some necessity of working against himself of acting and doing contrary to his pleasure which subjects him to Misery shewing as if He who is the most Soveraign and free Agent of all received Controul from some other which is absurd and blasphemous as are all the Consequences of this false Principle There was no Poison of Destruction in them or Kingdom of Death upon the Earth Then there was no Curse but all was in the Blessing then God had not Hated or Decreed the Destruction of any number of Men for if so there had been some Poison of Destruction and there had been some Kingdom of Death upon the Earth And if God had not then done it in the beginning of the World which was in Time being computed about Five Thousand Seven Hundred Years since much

less had he done it from all Eternity § 3. From the Rejoycing of the Heavenly Host over this Blessed Work of Creation Job 38.7 for then the Morning-Stars sung together and the Sons of God shouted for joy which holy pure Spirits rejoyce not at the Out-goings of Destruction or Misery or Death or Hell but at the Out-goings of the Power and Work of God and of his Life and Glory which excellently illustrates the Blessedness of this great Work its being ushered in in the Morning of it with those holy Songs and Shoutings of Joy so Divine and Heavenly § 4. From the Creature made for God created Man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him c. Even this gives us a pregnant Instance of the great Love of God to us in our Creation and secures us against the Fear of being put into the hands of Destruction by an Eternal Decree To be made in the Maker's Image and in his Likeness is sufficient warranty against it to any who know what it is to be formed after that Pattern of perfect Bliss for it must needs be that God beholds Himself above all and loves his own Image above every Image and thence hath made choice to dwell with Man delighting in him and loving him For of which of the Creatures ever said he at any time I will walk in them and dwell in them Nor doth he afflict willingly or grieve the Children of Men much less will he without cause Lament 3.33 destroy with an Eternal Destruction the Creature that with so much Wisdom he hath so curiously framed And had there been such an Eternal Destructive Decree upon Mankind then he had been created under the Curse and could not have born the Image of the Blessed on the contrary as he was created in the Image of God he could not be hated of him nor have any such Decree impending him or his Off-spring Again If there had been such a Decree Man must either have been created with the Seed of this Destruction in him which in despite of all his endeavours should increase and grow up with him till he were consumed of it or he must causlessly have been cast down of God into Perdition It cannot be the first for Man was made very good Gen. 1.31 Jer. 2.21 Mat. 13. planted wholly a right Seed sown a good Seed c. and the latter is Blasphemy As God made nothing evil so he made nothing to an evil End it is incompetent with Wisdom and Justice to make a good thing to an evil end and to be sure he that made all things good Gen. 1.30 hated no good thing for no Man willingly propagates what he hateth he must be blinder than a Beetle that gives credit to such stuff which stubs up all Wisdom and Religion by the Roots inverts all Series and Order into Confusion bereaves God of his Wisdom and Goodness and Man of his Honour and Blessing Object But it is alledged that Man forfeited his blessed Estate in the Fall and became subject to Misery so that God might justly have given him over to utter Ruin but through his infinite Mercy in Christ Jesus he choosed to save a few Vincent's Catechism p. 19 c. and pass by all the rest of Mankind So that God's Eternal Decree of Reprobation is his leaving them to perish in their Sins unto the Praise of the Power of his Wrath and infinite Justice in their Everlasting Punishment Answ If so this Forfeiture was general either all forfeited their Blessed Estate or none at all Then how is that Mercy infinite which forgives but a few or that Justice infinite which punisheth not all But as the Mercy of God in Christ is infinite there is made Provision therein for the Salvation of all if they will accept God's Salvation on God's Terms and as his Justice is infinite it is provided therein to punish all Men that despise or neglect so great Grace and Mercy And if God should leave any to perish in their Sins through their impenitency how can this be call'd his absolute Eternal Decree of Reprobation of Persons Or how doth the leaving a Man to the natural Consequence or Effect of his own evil Actions imply the Decreeing him to such an End or such Actions Put the case of a Man's stabbing himself with his own Sword Is the not forcibly hindering him from it the forcing him thereto Is the bare permitting him to do it the putting him under a fatal necessity of doing it as is imply'd in these words God 's Eternal Decree of Reprobation c. What passage can be collected out of all the Scripture to shew God's seeking to have Praise ascrib'd to his Wrath Which is not voluntary or a first Principle in him as shall hereafter be manifest So that in short these Tenents are sad ones equally void of Reason and of Gospel But I shall make it appear God did not take this Advantage against any part of Mankind or absolutely Decreed their Destruction from Eternity or from the Fall but tendered Salvation and the Gospel to them Then Neither hath he done any thing to frustrate any one's Salvation before his Birth 1. From the Benefit of Christ's Death universally extended 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 1 Tim. 2.6 Hebr. 2.9 he died for all Men he gave his Life a Ransome for all 2. From the Universality of the Gospel it brings good Tidings of great Joy to all People Luke 2.10 Mat. 28.19 Mark 13.10 and was to be preach'd to or in every Creature under Heaven all Nations to be taught c. 3. From the Universality of the Grace of God called in Scripture Titus 2.11 Gratia Salutifera the Salvation-bringing Grace or the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation This Grace hath appear'd to all Men and it bringeth Salvation it appears not empty-handed if it should cease to have such a Gift it should cease to be that Grace but all Men have the Tenders of Salvation in and through this Divine Grace and this since the Fall So God hath not taken that Advantage against any from the Fall as to leave them unavoidably to perish in their Sins c. but visits all Men in and by his Divine Grace in order to their Salvation and enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and hath not done any Act to frustrate the Salvation of any before their Birth He that is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet 3.9 1 Tim. 2.4 who will have all Men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth He hath done nothing to frustrate the Salvation of any Man before his Birth But God is not willing that any Man should perish c. So here we acquit our selves of Decretal Reprobation either Eternal or Temporal that 's previous to our Birth and indeed of all Decretal Reprobation § 5. That Doctrine which makes the cause of