ere they believe me Num. 14. 11. So it may be extended more generally we are too ready and apt to doubt of or be unbelieving concerning what he speaks unto us and therefore because of our backwardness and unaptness to believe he confirms his Saying with his Oath Our Saviour saith to his Disciples Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil or is from or out of evil Not that he hereby condemns all swearing but instructs his Disciples that Oaths though in some Cases useful and needful are yet out of evil And so amongst other things mens unbelief or doubting of the truth of what is affirmed by a bare Word occasions an Oath for the Confirmation of it So warily understanding it we may say as with respect to Gods swearing it is at sometimes out of or from evil Matth. 5. 37. And so here particularly The House of Israel being convinced of their evil and Judgment being threatned against them therefore thus they spake saying If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how then should we live Ezek. 33. 10. They were ready to despond and despair of Gods mercy towards them Now then God thus swears unto them because of their slowness of heart to believe him on his Word Thus also it is said An Oath of Confirmation is an end of all strife gain-saying or contradiction Heb. 6. 16. So here God because of their readiness to contradict and gain-say in their hearts at least swears by himself As also to the end they might not gain-say any more but firmly believe the truth of that so Affirmed and Confirmed he interposeth himself by an Oath Exod. 17. 15 16. And that he might lift up their hands which hang'd down and they might have strong Consolation in returning to him from their evil and wicked ways And as God interposed himself by an Oath to Abraham to the end that the Heirs of his Promise might by this Immutable thing also assuredly know and believe the truth of that so confirmed and might have strong consolation Heb. 6. 16-18 So here also God hath sworn by himself that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked That men might give glory to him in believing and have solid Consolation in this great Encouragement set before them to the truth whereof he hath as it were bound himself or his soul with the Bond of this most Indubitable Oath as Num. 30. 2-4 Acts 23. 12-14 3. We have in the next place to consider and speak unto the subject-matter thus Affirmed and Confirmed by this most excellent Person And by this undeniable Oath And that is laid down and propounded to us 1. Negatively I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked Now hereto we may speak in this Order to wit 1. By way of Explication or explaining the words 2. We shall give some further Evidences of the Truth hereof 3. We shall note some Instructions here-from 1. By way of Explication let us enquire into and consider these things 1. What Death is that here spoken of and intended 2. Who are the wicked in the Scripture account 3. What are we to understand by this Phrase no pleasure 4. What time is that in which he hath no Pleasure I have 1. What is the Death here spoken of and intended when he saith I have no Pleasure in the Death of the wicked c. Now in Answer thereto we may say The Scripture speaks onely of two Deaths in General As the Wages of Sin In one of which all lesser Deaths are contained and comprehended namely 1. There is that Death which is intimately called the first Death which was threatned unto the First Man Adam Male and Female in case they should eat of the forbidden Fruit As it is said Of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof in dying thou shalt die Gen. 2. 17. And under the Sentence whereof Adam and all his Posterity fell upon his eating of that Tree whereof God commanded him he should not eat As the Apostle saith By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. By Man even by the first publick man came Death for in Adam all die 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. And this First Death had been an Eternal Death had not our Lord Jesus Christ by the Grace of God tasted it for every man and overcome and abolished it 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. And he will in due time destroy it 1 Cor. 15. 26. It is a strange unreasonable and dangerous mistake of some who say that Christ died not for this first Oflence or the necessary Branches thereof or that he tasted not this first Death for men For if so how then came he to be promised of God before he passed the Sentence upon our First Parents Gen. 3. 15-19 Or how shall men be Raised out of this First Death but by him who was delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification By Man came the Resurrection of the Dead for as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive To wit Quickned and Raised out of the First Death 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. God hath given Christ authority to execute judgment And by his Voice to Bring forth all Men out of their Graves Because he is the Son of Man John 5. 27 28 29. 2. There is another and worse Death which is several times called expresly The second Death To wit as with respect to Men into which such will be cast for their own personal transgressions after they are raised out of the first Death and judged by Christ who remained in their Impenitency Unbelief and Disobedience till the Day of Grace and Patience was ended and died therein Mark 16. 16. 2 Thes 1. 8 9. This Death was not prepared for Men for or by reason of their sinning in the first Publick Man simply but for the Devil and his Angels But they must go into it and be hurt by it who personally and voluntarily listned to and were led by Satan and followed after him and did his Lusts and died the first Death in such transgression Mat. 25. 31-41-46 Of which second Death they shall not be hurt who overcome their spiritual enemies On such the second Death shall have no power Rev. 2. 11. and Chap. 20. 6. But whosoever shall not be found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death Rev. 20. 14 15. The fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev 21. 7 8. This second Death is called the wrath to come because it
lifts up his hand to Heaven and saith I live for ever Deut. 32. 40. And thus also men in former times did swear As it is said Saul sware as the LORD liveth he shall not be slain 1 Sam. 19. 6. And Thou shalt swear the LORD liveth in truth in judgment and in righteousness c. Jer. 4. 2. And in many other places so here we are to understand it The Lord God assures us of the truth of his saying and confirms it by his Oath Say unto them I live saith the LORD GOD. ... Now in this Oath let us diligently mind 1. The Oath it self 2. The Reason and end of it 1. The Oath it self I live saith the LORD GOD. He here swears to the truth of what he saith By his life that is to say By himself For so this Oath is explicated to us Hence whereas it is said in one place I live saith the Lord It is in another thus rendred I have sworn by my self Compare Rom. 14. 11. with Isa 45. 23. So here we may understand it because he could not swear by a Greater he sware by Himself by his Life Heb. 6. 13. As he hath Life in and of himself and lives for ever And here that which he swears by is without Controversie or confessedly true and unquestionable with all but gross Atheists For he is the living God and an everlasting King Jer. 10. 10. Indeed sometimes he swears by that which he doth or may abhor as it is said in one place The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob. Whereas in another place it is said Thus saith the LORD the God of Hosts I abhor the excellency of Jacob and hate his Palaces c. Compare Amos 8. 7. with Chap. 6. 8. Nah. 2. 2. And when he so swears it might be question'd by some whether he in such an Oath swears as he thinks because he swears by that which he saith he abhors and hates Sometimes he swears by his right hand As it is said The LORD hath sworn by his right hand and by the arm of his strength Isa 62. 8. But that may not sometimes or in some Cases be exerted but cease from acting as it were As the Psalmist intimates saying Why with-drawest thou thine hand even thy Right hand pluck it out of thy Bosom Psal 74. 11. And so his Arm the Arm of his Strength may be sometimes as it were asleep and feeble there-through As it is intimated when it is said Awake awake put on strength O Arm of the LORD awake as in the ancient days in the generations of old c. Isa 51. 9. And when he swears by this Oath it might be supposed what he swears to is not duly regarded while his Right hand is in his Bosom and the Arm of his Strength asleep and laid to rest Sometimes he swears by his Name As it is said Behold I have sworn by my Great Name saith the LORD Jer. 44. 26. But of that many are too too ignorant Who hath known his Name or his Sons Name Prov. 30. 4. Psalm 9. 10. And therefore when he so swears many might be ready to say Alas why should we set our hearts hereto or give credit unto what he swears by his Name for we do not know what his Name is or what it means Sometimes he swears by his Holiness As it is written The LORD GOD hath sworn by his Holiness c Amos 4. 2. But such may be his Providences as that sometimes his holy Ones have been put to a stand how to reconcile his Providential Government with his Holiness Though yet without all peradventure he is infinitely Holy yea Holiness it self Compare Amos 4. 2. with Chap. 6. 8. Thus the Prophet intimates in his expostulation with God saying Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he And makest men as the fishes of the Sea as the creeping things that have no Ruler over them c. Hab. 1. 12 13 14-17 and Ch. 2. 1-4 Thus also the Psalmist relates Gods Oath in this manner Once have I sworn by my Holiness if I lye unto David his Seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me But thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast been wroth with thine Anointed Thou hast made void the Covenant of thy Servant thou hast prophaned his Crown by casting it to the ground c. Psal 89. 34-39 c. But now here he swears by a most unquestionable and undubitable Oath he swears by himself by his life which is from everlasting to everlasting As 't is said The Angel lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever who created Heaven and the things that therein are c. Rev. 10. 5 6. he swears by his Being by his Eternal Power and Godhead which he hath manifested unto all men by the Works of his Creation and Providence as Rom. 1. 20. Let this be seriously considered by us 2. Mind we also the Reason and End of his Oath and that is 1. On his Part For the Confirmation of the Truth of what he saith and swears to and so it is called by the Apostle An Oath of Confirmation Heb. 6. 16. to ascertain the Truth of what is so assured and confirmed So also the Covenant which God made with Abraham to wit That in his Seed all the Families of the earth should be blessed And at the making whereof he sware by himself is said to be confirmed of God in Christ Gal. 3. 15-17 and Act. 3. 25. with Gen. 22. 16-18 As also God is said to swear by himself to evidence unto others the unchangeableness of his purpose As the Apostle saith God willing to shew more abundantly the immutability of his Counsel interposed himself by an Oath which is also immediately called An immutable thing Heb. 6. 17 18. So here we may say The LORD sware and will not repent as Ps 110. 4. He hath herein sworn in truth and will not turn from it as Psal 132. 11. To assure us of the Immutability of his Counsel he therefore sware by his life And we may therefore know and be confident that his Thoughts and Pleasure are the same toward wicked Ones now as then they were For he is Jehovah he changeth not with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning Mat. 3. 6. Jam. 1. 17. He is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. 2. The Lord God also swears by himself for the Confirmation of his Word and to shew the Immutability of his Counsel on our part or as with respect to us because we are so slow to believe him on his Word As he saith concerning his people in former times How long will it be
Christ and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness 1 Tim 6. 3 4 5. 5. This unworthy and unreasonable Distinction tends to over-throw the Faith and gives men ground to believe God in nothing he Asserts or Promises For if he hath a Secret Will and a Revealed Will in one thing Repugnant the one to the other then why not in every thing And whatever be propounded to us ftom the Scriptures to encourage us to believe and hope in God may presently be repelled and rejected with this Distinction As to say when with the Apostle we say God our Saviour will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3 4. Yes say some He wills this with his Revealed Will but not with his Secret And why may not others make use of this Distinction else-where As when our Saviour saith He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned May not this Distinction of Gods two Wills be here brought in by some as rationally as where it is And may they not say This is his Revealed Will but his Secret Will agrees not therewith Mark 16. 16. Or where our Saviour saith This is the Will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6. 40. Very true may some also here say This is his Revealed Will but this is not his Secret Will And by this latter such may perish and not have everlasting life were this Distinction good and right Whereas indeed it is most corrupt and pernicious and to be abominated by us for it makes the Pen of the Scribe in vain By this Tradition the Word of God is made of none effect as to all therein Asserted or Assured as Jer. 8. 8 9. Mark 7. 9-13 Object If any should say But God hath engaged himself by his Oath unto the Heirs of Promise to wit to all hearty Believers that they shall be happy and blessed for ever to the end they might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them as Heb. 6. 17 18. Answ To that I say Doth not God here also bind himself with an Oath of Confirmation as is before said that he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked And is not his Oath as valid and authentick here as there Yes doubtless and if by the force of the Distinction we are disproving and opposing his Oath may be frustrated in one place why may it not also be so in another and in a third and in all those places and cases wherein he hath interposed himself by his Oath Let this be duly minded and considered by us 6. And lastly as to this Our Lord Jesus who is in the Bosom of the Father and who knows the Father as the Father knows him who knows his Mind and Will and hath declared him and it to us in these last Ages more plainly than he was made known in former times He I say doth assure us That his Fathers Secret Will is a Gracious Will toward the worst of men while it is to day And that as he hath said and sworn That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked which is as they speak his Revealed Will So also his Secret Will perfectly accords therewith and by this also he is not willing that any should perish To this purpose our Lord spake while he was on the Earth The Son of Man saith he is come to save that which was lost How think ye If a man have an hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray doth he not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray And if so be that he find it verily I say unto you he rejoyceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not astray Which Parable our Lord in another Evangelist speaks concerning the Publicans and Sinners who were and were lookt upon to be notorious sinners And then it is added as the Application of the former Even so it is not the will of your Father which is â—â—â—m Heaven that one of these little Ones called before lost should perish Or rather as the words should be read Even so there is not a will before your Father which is in the Heavens that one of these little Ones should perish Which is in substance the same as to have said Your Father hath no secret will or pleasure in the death of lost Ones of Publicans of notorious sinners Nay he hath no secret will in their death not onely as indefinitely and generally considered but also he hath no pleasure in their death individually considered I mean not in the death of any One of them There is not a Will before him that One of them should be lost Let this be seriously considered Matth. 18. 11-14 with Luke 15. 1-7-24 Now here our Saviour who perfectly knows what his Fathers Secret Will is and who onely doth so for none knows the Father save the Son Matt. 11. 27. Luke 10. 24. plainly assures us that Gods Secret Will or that Will which is before him in the Heavens is good-will towards every sinful lost Creature of Mankind as Luke 2. 10-14 And we are required to hear him in all things whatsoever he speaks unto us And saith the Apostle Peter It shall come to pass that every Soul which will not hear this Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Matth. 17. 5. with 2 Pet. 1. 17. Acts 3. 22 23. Oh! let us then give this Honour to our Lord Jesus and unto his Father to hear his Word and believe on him that sent him According to that Revelation he hath given of his Father and so we shall have everlasting life and not come into condemnation c. John 5. 23 24. And in so doing we shall be led to reject and abominate this ungodly Distinction and be assured That Gods Secret Will is as Gracious towards sinful wicked Ones as is his Revealed Will Yea let me say his Secret Will is more Gracious than is contained in any Revelation of it For as his Power Wisdom Truth and Holiness are infinite and unsearchable so as they are not fully Revealed and manifested to us in any Revelation vouchsafed Rom. 11. 33. 1 Cor. 13. 9. So his Merciful-kindness is greater toward poor sinners than is exprest in any Revelation given to us Or then that it can be conceived much more exprest by finite Creatures The Love of Christ who is One with the Father passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. Hence we see how the Psalmist magnifies the Mercy of God and saith It is great unto the Heavens Psal 57. 10. In the Heavens Psal 36. 1-5 Nay It is above the Heavens great above the Heavens And therefore he resolved to sing Praises unto him among
the people and among the heathen Psalm 108. 3 4. And when he thus saith Thy Righteousness is like the great Mountains or Mountains of God thy Judgments are a great deep He presently adds thereto by way of Admiration How excellent is thy Loving-kindness O God! To wit toward the Children of Men As if he would intimate to us and to our shallow Capacities That though he could compare Gods Righteousness and Judgments to somewhat yet his Mercy or Merciful-kindness is admirably inconceivably incomparably Great so as he knew not what to compare that unto Psal 36. 6 7. and 144. 3 4. and 145. 8 9. And doth not our Blessed Saviour speak also after such a rate when he saith So God loved the World c. John 3. 16. 1 John 4. 11. So that from what hath been said we do and may safely conclude That the LORD GOD hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked none at all Not onely no Revealed pleasure therein But also no Secret or hidden Will or Pleasure therein as he swears unto us And what hath been said about this Third Enquiry meets with and gives Answer unto another evil Distinction and Opposition of some against the Current of the Gospel Namely say some It is true indeed God hath no delight or pleasure in the death of the wicked simply considered But he hath pleasure therein Respectively to wit in order to the manifestation of the Glory of his Justice Answer Now to this I say briefly If he hath pleasure in their Death or in the Death of some of them in order to the manifestation of the Glory of his Righteousness or Justice then he hath some pleasure in their Death for as is usually said He that wills the End wills the Means conducing thereto And so also it is in this particular if their evil Distinction were true as indeed it is not But in their so saying they contradict this Text and deny the truth of Gods Oath who swears by himself by his life That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked And besides God needs not the Destruction of any of Mankind for the Glory of his Justice for the Glory of his Righteousness is manifested in giving to every One according to his works And so in Acts of Grace and Mercy toward men that they might Repent and towards such as do turn to him from their Iniquities Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful Ps 116. 5. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 9. 2 Thes 1. 5. And his Mercy is magnified in destroying implacable and impenitent sinners As it is said He over-threw or shaked off Pharaoh and his Host in the Red-Sea for his mercy endureth for ever Who smote great Kings for his mercy endureth for ever And slew famous Kings for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136. 15-20 But we shall add no more unto the Third Enquiry but consider the next namely 4. When or during what time hath he no pleasure none at all neither Revealed nor Secret in the Death and everlasting Destruction of the wicked Indefinitely considered And to that we may say It is plainly intimated to us in the Words as they are rendred with us During what time he hath no Will Pleasure or Delight in their Death namely Now in this present Day of his Grace and Patience As it is here expressed I have no pleasure c. To wit while it is called to Day As the Holy Gost saith To Day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation c. Heb. 3. 7 8. and Ch. 4. 7. All the time Christ is interceding for Transgressors in Heaven and that is while he is vouchsafing Gracious Means to them on Earth Behold now is the accepted time Behold now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 5. 20. with Chap 6. 1 2. According to what the Apostle Peter saith The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. Indeed this time or season will not last always his Spirit will not always strive with men as Gen. 6. 3. When once the Day of Grace is fully ended he that now swears he hath no pleasure in their Death will swear in his wrath that they shall not enter into his rest as Heb. 3. 7-11 He will then have pleasure in their Destruction As it is said Because ye have set at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord They would none of my counsel they depised all my reproof Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own devices Prov. 1. 24-26-31 Then He that made them will not have mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour as Isa 27. 11. And when he pleases he can put an end to that Day and to mens Lives for their times are in his Hand to continue or cut off as is good before him The Consideration whereof is proper and powerful to excite us all to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is near Isa 55. 6. To make haste and not delay to keep Gods Commandments For if he cut off or shut up or gather together then who can hinder him No man hath power over the Spirit his own or God's to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of Death And there is no casting of Weapons in that War neither shall wickedness deliver them that are given to it Eccl. 8. 8. Now therefore in the opportune season turn we from our Iniquities that we may understand his truth For in the Grave whither we are a going there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom Eccles 9. 10. Then there will be a great Gulf fixed so as there will be no possibility of passing from one state to another What-ever our hand therefore finds to do let us do it with our might in the present opportunity To this purpose and upon this account our Lord thus instructs and counsels Strive saith he to wit in the present time to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in namely when it is too late and shall not be able When once the Master of the house is risen up and shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open unto us
it from us or from any thus to turn the truth of God into a lye as we are too forward to do How shall we that are dead to sin to wit by the Death of Christ live any longer therein Rom. 6. 1 2 3. See also Rom. 3. 3-8 Gal. 5. 13. But now to rhe end we may not think that what God swears to the truth of is in favour to our sins but in love to our Souls Therefore he not only swears Negatively I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked But also Affirmatively But I have pleasure that the wicked turn from his way and live In which he plainly intimates to us his Abhorrency of Sin while he assures us of his love to Sinners and of his no-pleasure in their everlasting misery and perdition That none of us should wrest his Sayings to our own destruction as 2 Pet. 3. 16. But to this we may have further occasion to speak somewhat in what follows and therefore shall here add no more to it 2. In that this is also contained in what the Lord God swears to to wit That the wicked turn from his way and live Herein is also intimated to us That the wicked may turâ— while it is called to Day from his wicked ways and live He may turn there-from possibly and successfully This is also implied and supposed in this Oath For we cannot reasonably believe that this most Excellent One would so solemnly swear that he hath pleasure in that which is utterly impossible for his Creatures to do or which he doth not render or make possible unto them as we may afterwards further shew But that such may turn appears 1. In that he hath opened a Door of Repentance for poor sinful wicked Ones in and by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. We were indeed Gods banished Ones 2 Sam. 14. 14. And no man could by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a Ransom for him Psal 49. 7. But God hath prepared himself a Lamb for a Burnt-Offering and hath accepted a Sacrifice He that was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation without controversie or confessedly Great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh Gods own Son was made of a Woman and so became our Goâ— our Kinsman and Redeemer Thereby the Right of Redemption appertained to him Lev. 25 48 49. And He by the Charity of God tasted death for every man and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and gave himself a Ransom or Price of Redemption for all men whereby he hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us And hath opened away for our being brought back to God He hath broken the Gates of Brass and cut the Bars of Iron asunder Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of Men. Psal 107. 15 16. Christ once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. The Law opened no Door of Repentance but it clapt the Curse upon every one that did not perfectly and constantly keep and observe it As the Apostle saith As many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. But Christ hath opened a way and is the way by which any sinful One may come unto God John 14. 6. He is the Door by which any one may enter into the Fold because he died for All yea rather is risen again without which we had been necessarily left in our sins there had been no Repentance from them nor Forgiveness of them John 10. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 15-17 Heb. 9. 22. And in his Name there is preached Repentance unto all Nations even unto the greatest and most notorious Sinners while men are joyned to all the living And our Lord Jesus was sent and came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And answerably did so even the greatest Sinners while he was upon the Earth Matth. 9. 11-13 Mark 1. 14 15 And sent forth his Apostles to preach not the Law but the Gospel that men might repent Matth. 10. 7. with Mark 6. 12. So when he was Raised again from the Dead he enlarged their Commission and commanded them to go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature of all the Nations of Mankind and there-with to call to Repentance to repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentanee Mark 16. 15. with Luke 24. 46 47 48. Acts 26. 17 18-20-23 God now commandeth all men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained having given or exhibited faith unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Acts 17. 30 31. Rev. 14. 6 7. And upon this ground the Wicked and Ungodly are expresly called upon to turn from their Iniquities because Christ who was delivered for their Offences is raised again As it is said Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thought and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him Isa 55. 3 4-7 with Acts 13. 34. 2. It further appears also That the wicked may turn from their evil and wicked ways while it is to day not only because they are called to Repentance and commanded to Repent as is said But also because he who thus calls and commands them doth also enable them so to do especially where the Scriptures are vouchsafed and the Gospel is plainly preached to men The wisdom of God doth not only call unto such as have long loved simplicity delighted in scorning and hated knowledge and saith Turn ye at my reproof But to encourage and enable them so to do she adds Behold mind and consider this well I will pour out my spirit unto you to wit to strengthen them to what she requires of them she doth not call them to repentance simply but also stretcheth forth her hand to help their Infirmity and relieve their Impotency Prov. 1. 22 23 24. In saying That the wicked may turn from their wicked ways we do not suppose nor believe that they have any sufficiency of themselves so to do as of themselves or that they have naturally any freedom of will or power to turn themselves for in them there dwelleth no good thing but they are carnal and sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. But we are assured from the testimony of the Lord that he who sent his Son into the world to be the Saviour of the world hath also exalted him to his right