FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
Free Grace. 
 
 A 
 
 SERMON 
 
 Preach'd at 
 
 BRISTOL, 
 
 By John'Wesley, M. A. 
 Fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford. 
 
 BRISTOL: 
 Printed by S. and F. Farley, 1739, 
 
( "i ) 
 
 
 To the Reader. 
 
 JsJOthing but the firongeji Con- 
 viEiion, not only that what is 
 here advanced, is the Truth as it 
 is in Jefus, but alfo that I am in- 
 difpenfably obliged. To declare this 
 Truth to all the World, could have 
 induced me openly to oppofe the 
 Sentiments of thofe, whom I high- 
 ly ejleem for their Works fake : 
 At whofe Feet may I be found, in 
 the Day of th$ Lord jfefus ! 
 
 Should any believe it his Duty 
 
 To reply hereto, I have only One 
 
 Requefi to make, Let whatfoever 
 
 A 2 you 
 
( fr ) 
 
 you do be done in Charity ', in Love 
 and in the Spirit of Meehnefs. Let 
 your very Difputing Jhew, 'That 
 you have put on, as the Eled: of 
 God, Bowels of Mercies, Gen- 
 tlenefs, Long-fuffering : That q- 
 ve7i according to this time, it may 
 be /aid, " See> how thefe Chrijiians 
 love one another. ' 
 
 Rom. 
 
[5l 
 
 Rom. viii. -22 
 
 j> 
 
 H 
 
 He that /pared not his own Son, but de- 
 livered him up for us all, how Jhall he 
 . not with him alfo freely give us All 
 things ? 
 
 O.W freely does God love the 
 World ! While we were yet Sin- 
 ners, Chnft died for the Ungodly. 
 While we were Dead in Sin, God /pared 
 not his own Son, but delivered him up for us 
 all. And how freely with Him does he give 
 us all things! Verily Free Grace is all 
 in all ! 
 
 2. The Grace or Love of God, whence 
 cometh our Salvation, is Free in all, and 
 Free' for all. 
 
 2. Brfi, It is Free in all to whom it is 
 given. It does not depend on any Powder 
 or Merit in Man : No, not in any Degree ; 
 neither in whole,, nor in part. It does, not 
 in any wife depend either on the Good 
 A 2 Works 
 
[6] 
 
 Works or Righteoufnefs of the Receiver : 
 Not on any thing he has done, or any thing 
 he is. It does not depend on his Endea- 
 vours : It does not depend on his good 
 Tempers, or good Defires, or good Pur- 
 pofes and Intentions. For all thefe flow 
 from the Free Grace of God ; They are the 
 Streams only, not the Fountain. They are 
 the Fruits of Free Grace, and not the Root. 
 They are not the Caufe, but the Effe&s of 
 it. Whatfoever Good is in Man, or is done 
 by Man, God is the Author and Doer of 
 it. Thus is his Grace Free in all, that is, 
 no \vay depending on any Power, or Merit 
 in Man : But on God alone, who freely 
 gave us his own Son, and with him freely 
 giveth us all things, 
 
 4. But is it Free for All, as well as in 
 All ? To this fome have anfwer'd, " No : 
 " It is free only for thofe whom God hath 
 <c ordained to Life; and they are but a 
 ac little Flock. The greater Part of Man- 
 €e kind God hath ordained to Death ; and 
 <c it is not Free for them. Them God 
 cc hateth ; and therefore before they were 
 " born, decreed they fhould die Eternally. 
 " And this he abfolutely decreed 5 becauie 
 " fo was his good Pleafure : Becaufe it was 
 « his fovereign Will. Accordingly, they 
 " are born for this, To be deftroy'd, Body 
 " and Sou), in Hell. And They grow up 
 
 "under 
 
[?] 
 
 m under the Irrevocable Curfe of God, 
 " without any Poflibility of Redemption. 
 €< For what Grace God gives, he gives only 
 " for rhis, To increafe, not prevent, their 
 u Damnation. 
 
 5. This is That Decree of Predefti na- 
 tion. But methinks I hear One fay, " This 
 " is not the Predeftination which I hold. 
 " I hold only, " The Eledion of Grace. 
 " What I believe is no more than this, That 
 cc God, before the Foundation of the 
 " World, did ele& a certain Number of 
 " Men, to be juftified, fan&ified and glo- 
 " rifled. Now all thefe will be faved, and 
 u none elfe. For the reft of Mankind 
 u God leaves to themfelves. So they fol- 
 cC low the Imaginations of their own Hearts, 
 " which are only Evil continually, and 
 <c waxing worfe and worfe, are at length 
 " juftly punifhed with Everlafting De- 
 " ftrudion. " 
 
 5. Is this All the Predeftination which 
 You hold ? Consider. Perhaps this is not All. 
 Do not You believe, " God ordained them 
 to this very thing ? " If fo, you believe the, 
 Whole Decree ; you hold Predeftination in 
 the full Senfe, which has been above de- 
 fcribed. But it may be, you think you do 
 not, Do not you then believe, God har- 
 dens 
 
[8] 
 dens the Hearts of them that perifh ? Do 
 not you believe, He (literally) hardned Pha- 
 roati% Heart, and that for. this end 'he rais'd 
 him up (or created him? ) Why this a- 
 mounts to juil the fame thing. If you be- 
 lieve Pbaroab y or any one Man upon the 
 Earth, was created for this End, to be 
 damn'd, you hold all that has been faid of 
 Predeitination. And there is no need you 
 fhould add, that God feGonds; his Decree, 
 which is fuppofed Unchangeable and Irre- 
 fiiHble, by hardening the Hearts of thofe 
 Veflels of W rath, whom that JDecree had 
 before fitted for Deflru&ion. 
 
 6. Well ; but it may be, you do not be- 
 lieve even this. You do not hold any De- 
 cree of Reprobation. You do not think 
 God decrees, any Man to be damn'd, nor 
 hardens, irrefiftibly fits him for Damnation. 
 You only fay, " God eternally decreed, 
 cc That All being Dead in Sin, he would 
 " (ay to fome of the Dry Bones, Live, and 
 <c to others, he would not. That confe- 
 cc quently, Thefe fhould be made alive, and 
 <c Thofe abide in , Death: Thefe fhould 
 <c glorify God by their Salvation, and Thofe 
 cc by their Deffru&ion. 
 
 7. Is not this what you mean by the E- 
 Jefficn of Grace ? If it be 3 I would ask one 
 
 or 
 
[9] 
 or two Queftions. Are any who are not 
 
 thus 'Ele&ed, favcd ? Or were any, from 
 the Foundation of the World ? Is it pom- 
 ble any Man (hould be fived-, unlefs he be 
 thus Ele&ed ? If you fay No, you are but 
 where you was. • You are not got one Hair's- 
 breadth further. You . flill believe, that in 
 confequence of an unchangeable, irrefifti^ 
 ble Decree of God, the greater part of Man- 
 kind abide in Death, without any Poflibility 
 of Redemption : Inafmuch as none can 
 fave them but God : And He will not fave 
 them. You believe he hath abfolutely de- 
 creed, Not to fave them ; And what is this, 
 but decreeing to damn them ? It is, in ef- 
 fect, neither more nor lefs : It comes to the 
 fame thing. For if you are dead, and alto- 
 gether unable to make yourfelf alive; then 
 if God has abfolutely decreed,. He will make" 
 others only alive and not you ; He hath 
 abfolutely decreed your Everlafring Death;. 
 you are abfolutely confign'd- to Damnation. 
 So then, rho' you ufe fofter Words -than 
 fome, you mean the felf-fame thing. And 
 God's Decree concerning the Election of 
 Grace, according to your own Account of 
 it, amounts to neither more nor lefs, than 
 what others call, u God's Decree of Re- 
 probation, [| 
 
 8. Call 
 
[ ">] 
 
 8. Call it therefore by whatever Name 
 you pleafe, " Ele&iqn, Pretention, Pre- 
 " deftination or Reprobation, " it comes in 
 the end to the fame thing. The Senfe of 
 all is plainly this. " By virtue of an Eter- 
 * c nal, Unchangeable, Irrefiftible Decree 
 ** of God, One Part of Mankind are in- 
 <fc fallibly faved, and the reft infallibly 
 <c damn'd : It being impolfible, that any of 
 " the former fhould be damn'd, or that any 
 " of the latter fhould be faved. " 
 
 9. But if this be fo, then is All Preach- 
 ing Vain. It is needlefs to them that are 
 Elected. For they, whether with preaching 
 or without, will infallibly be faved. There- 
 fore the End of Preaching, " To fave 
 Souls, " is void with regard to them. And 
 it is ufelefs to them that are not Ele&ed. 
 For they cannot poflibly be faved. They, 
 whether with Preaching or without, will 
 infallibly be damn'd. The End of Preach- 
 ing is therefore void, with regard to them 
 likevvife. So that in either cafe, our Preach- 
 ing is vain, as your Hearing is alfo vain. 
 
 10. This then is a plain Proof, that the 
 Do&rine of Predeftination is not a Doct- 
 rine of God, becaufe it makes void the Or- 
 dinance of God ; And God is not divided 
 
 againft 
 
[ » ] 
 
 againft Himfelf. A Second is, That it di- 
 reftly tends to deflroy that Holinefs, which 
 is the End of all the Ordinances of God, 
 I do not fay, " None who hold it are Ho- 
 ly. " (For God is of tender Mercy to thofe 
 who are unavoidably intangled in Errors of 
 any kind.) But that the Doctrine irfelf, 
 " That every Man is either Ele&ecl or not 
 c< Elected from Eternity, and that the one 
 " mufl inevitably be faved, and the other 
 ,, ineuitably damn'd, " has a manifeft Ten- 
 dancy to deilroy Holinefs in general. For 
 it wholly takes away thofe firft Motives to 
 follow after it, fo frequently proposed in 
 Scripture, the Hope of Future Reward and 
 Fear of Punifhment, the Hope of Heaven 
 and Fear of Hell. That thefe /hall go away 
 into everlafting Punijhment, and thofe into 
 Life Eternal : Is no Motive to Him to 
 ftruggle for Life, who believes his Lot is 
 caft already : ft is not reafonable for him fo 
 to do, if he thinks, he is unalterably ad- 
 judged either to Life or Death. You will 
 lay, " But he knows not, whether it is 
 " Life or Death. w What then ? This 
 helps not the Matter. For if a fick Man 
 knows, that he muft unavoidably die, or 
 unavoidably recover, tho' he knows not 
 which, it is not reafonable for him, to take 
 any Phyfick at all. He might juftly fay, 
 (and fo I have heard feme fpeak, both in 
 
 Bodily 
 
[12 ] 
 
 Bodily Sicknefs and in Spiritual) " If I am 
 *\ ordained to Life, I fhall live ; If to 
 " Death, I fhall die. So I need not trou- 
 " ble myfelf about it. " So dire&ly does 
 this Do&rine tend, to fhut the very Gate of 
 Holinefs in general, to hinder unholy Men 
 from ever approaching thereto, or flriving 
 to enter in thereat. 
 
 II. As directly does this Doctrine tend 
 to deftroy feveral Particular Branches of Ho- 
 linefs. Such are Meeknefs and Love : Love 
 I mean of our Enemies, of the Evil and 
 Unthankful. I fay not, That none who 
 hold it, have Meeknefs and Love : (For as 
 is the Power of God, fo is his Mercy.) 
 But that it naturally tends to infpire or in- 
 creafej a Sharpnefs or Eagernefs of Temper, 
 which is quite contrary to the Meeknefs of 
 Chrifr. : As then efpecially appears, when 
 they are oppofed on this Head.- And it as 
 naturally infpires Contempt or Qoldnefs to- 
 ward thofe , whom we fuppofe Outcaffcs 
 from God. " O, (but you fay) I fuppofe 
 no Particular Man a Reprobate. " You 
 menu, you wou'd not, if you could help it. 
 You can't help fometimes applying your Ge- 
 neral Do&rine to Particular Perfons. The 
 Enemy of Souls will apply it for you. You 
 know how often he has done fo. c j i:ut you 
 € * rejected the Thought with Abhorrence. " 
 
 True; 
 
[ i3 1 
 
 True ; as foon as you could. But how did 
 it four and fharpen your Spirit in the mean 
 time? You well know, it was not the 
 Spirit of Love, which you then felt towards 
 that poor Sinner, whom you fuppofed or 
 iufpe&ed, whether you would or no, to 
 have been hated of God from Eternity. 
 
 12. Thirdly, This Do&rine tends to de- 
 ftroy the Comfort of Religion, the Happi- 
 nefs of Chriftianity : This is evident as to 
 all thofe who believe themfelves to be repro- 
 bate I, or who only fufpe£t or fear it. All 
 rhe great and precious Promifes are loft to 
 them. They afford them no Ray of Com- 
 fort. " For they are not the ElecT: of God. 
 M Therefore they have neither Lot nor Por- 
 " tion in them. " This is an effe&ual Bar 
 to their finding any Comfort, or Happinefs 
 even in that Religion, " whofe Ways were 
 defigned to be Ways of P leaf ant nefs y and all 
 her Paths Peace. 
 
 13. And as to you who believe your felves 
 the ElecT: of God, what is your Happinefs ? 
 I hope, not a Notion, a Speculative Belief; 
 a bare Opinion, of any kind : But a feeling 
 Poffeffion of God in your Heart, wrought 
 in you by the Holy Ghoft ; or, the Witncfs 
 of Gods Spirit with your Spirit, that yen are 
 a Child of God. This, otherwite terrn d the 
 
 jull 
 
[74! 
 
 full AJfurance of Faith, is the true Ground 
 of a Chriftian's Happinefs. And it does in- 
 deed imply, a full Aflurance, that all your 
 pafl: Sins are forgiven, and that you are now 
 a Child of God. But it does not neeeflarily 
 imply, a full Aflurance of our Future Per- 
 ieverance. I do not fay, This is never join'd 
 to it : But that it is not neeeflarily implied 
 therein ; for many have the one, who have 
 not the other. 
 
 14. Now this Witnefs of the Spirit Ex- 
 perience fhews to be much obftru&ed by 
 this De&rine : And not only in thofe who 
 believing themfelves Reprobated, by this 
 Belief thruft, it far from them : But even 
 in them that have tafted of' that good Gift, 
 who yet have foon loft it again, and fallen 
 back into Doubts and Fears and Darknefs, 
 Horrible Darknefs that might be felt. And 
 I appeal to any of you who hold this Do&- 
 rine, to fay between God and your own 
 Hearts, Whether you have not often a Re- 
 turn of Doubts and Fears, concerning your 
 Election or Perfeverance ? If you ask, 
 Who has not ? I anfwer, Very Few of 
 thofe that hold this Do&rine. But many, 
 very many of thofe that hold it not, in all 
 Parts of the Earth : Many of thofe who 
 kn w and feel, they are in Chrift to Day, 
 and take no Thought jor the Morrow ; who 
 
 abidi 
 
[ i*l 
 
 abide in him by Faith from Hour to Hour, 
 or rather from Moment to Moment. Many 
 of thefe have enjoy'd the uninterrupted 
 Witnefs of his Spirit, the continual Light 
 of his Countenance, from the Moment 
 wherein they firfl believed , for many 
 Months or Years to this Day. 
 
 15. That Aflurance of Faith which thefe 
 enjoy, excludes all Doubt and Fear. It ex- 
 cludes all kind of Doubt and Fear, concern- 
 ing their Future Perfeverance : Tho' it is not 
 properly (as was faid before) an AfTurance 
 of what is Future ; but only of what now is. 
 And this needs not for its Support, a Specu- 
 lative Belief, That whoever is once ordain'd 
 to Life, mud live. For it is wrought from 
 Hour to Hour, by the mighty Power of 
 God, by the Holy Ghoft which is given unto 
 them. And therefore that Do&rine is not 
 of God, becaufe it tends to obftruft, if not 
 deftroy, this Great Work of the Holy 
 Ghoft, whence flows the Chief Comfort of 
 Religion, the Happinefs of Chriftianity. 
 
 16. Again, How uncomfortable a thought 
 is This, That Thoufands and Millions of 
 Men, without any preceding Offence or 
 Fault of theirs, were unchangably doom'd 
 to Everlafting Burnings? How peculiarly 
 uncomfortable muft it be, to thofe who have 
 
 put 
 
( i6 ) 
 
 put on Chrift ! To thofe who being fillM 
 with Bowels of Mercy, Tenderness and Com- 
 pa/fion, could even wifh themfehes accarft 
 for their Brethren s fake. 
 
 tj. Fourthly, This uncomfortable Do£- 
 rine dire&ly tends to deftroy our Zeal for 
 Good Works. And this it does firft, as it 
 naturally tends (according to w 7 hat was ob- 
 ferv'd before) to deftroy our Love to the 
 greater Part of Mankind, namely, the Evil 
 and Unthankful. For whatever leflens our 
 Love, muft fo far leflen our Defire to do 
 them good. This it does, Secondly, as it 
 cuts off one of the ftrongeft Motives to all 
 Ads of Bodily Mercy, fuch as feeding the 
 Hungry, cloathing the Naked, and the like, 
 viz. The Hope of faving their Souls from 
 Death. For what avails it to relieve their 
 Temporal Wants, who are juft dropping 
 into Eternal Fire? cc Well; but run and 
 fnatch them as Brands out of the Fire ' 
 Nay, this you fuppofe impoffible. They 
 were appointed thereunto, you fay, from 
 Eternity, before they had done either Good or 
 Evil. You believe, it is the Will of God 
 they fhould die. And who hath rejtfted his 
 VfiR? But you fay, " you do not know, 
 " whether thefe are elected or not." What 
 then ? If you know they are one or the 
 jother, that they are either Elected or not 
 
 Elected, 
 
[ 17] 
 
 Elected, all your Labour is void and vain. 
 In either Cafe, your Advice, Reproof or 
 Exhortation, is as needlefs and ufelefs as our 
 Preaching. It is needlefs to them that are 
 Elected ; for they will infallibly be faved 
 without it. It is ufelefs to than that are 
 not Ele&ed ; for with or without it they will 
 infallibly be damn'd. Therefore you cannot, 
 confidently with your Principles, take any 
 Pains about their Salvation. Confequently 
 thofe Principles dire&ly tend to deftroy your 
 Zeal for good Works : For all good Works ; 
 but particularly for the Greateft of all, The 
 faving of Souls from Death. 
 
 1 8. But, fifthly, This Do&rine not only 
 tends to deftroy Chriftian Holinefs, Happi- 
 nefs, and Good Works, but hath alfo a di~ 
 re& and manifeft Tendency to overthrow 
 the whole Chriftian Revelation. The Point 
 which the wifeft of the Modern Unbelievers 
 moft induftrioufly labour to prove, is, That 
 the Chriftian Revelation is not neceiTary. 
 They well know could they once fhew this, 
 the Concluiion would be too plain to be de- 
 nied, " If it be not Neceflary, it is not 
 True. " Now this Fundamental Point you 
 give up. For fuppofing That Eternal, Un- 
 changeable Decree, one Part of Mankind 
 muft be faved, tho' the Chriftian Revelation 
 were not in Being ; And the other Part of 
 B Man.- 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 Mankind muft be damn cf, notwithftanding 
 that Revelation. And what would an Infi- 
 del defire more ? You allow him all he asks. 
 In making the Gofpel thus unneceflary to all 
 Sorts of Men, you give up the whole Chrif- 
 tian Caufe. O tell it not in Gath ! Publijb it 
 not in the Streets of Ajhkelon ! Leaft the 
 Daughters cf the Uncircumoifed rejoice i leafi 
 the Sons of Unbelief triumph ! 
 
 i p. And as this Do&rine manifeftly and 
 dire&ly tends to overthrow the whole Chrif- 
 tian Revelation, fo it does the fame Thing, 
 by plain Confequence, in making that Re- 
 velation contradi£t itfelf. For it is grounded 
 on fuch an Interpretation of fome Texts 
 (more or fewer it matters not) as flatly, con- 
 tradicts all the other Texts, and indeed the 
 whole Scope and Tenor of Scripture. For 
 Inftance ; The Afferters of this Do&rine, 
 interpret that Text of Scripture, " Jacob 
 <c have I loved, but Efau have 1 hated, " as 
 implying that God in a literal Senfe hated £- 
 fan and all the Reprobated from Eternity. 
 Now what can poflibly be a more flat Contra-, 
 di&ion than this, not only to the whole Scope 
 and Tenor of Scripture, but alfo to all thofe 
 particular Texts, which expreffly declare, 
 ** God is Love " ? Again, they infer from 
 that Text, " J will have Mercy en whom 1 
 cc will have Mercy, " (Rom. ix. 15.) That 
 
 God 
 
[ i9 i 
 
 God is Love only to Tome Men, viz. The 
 £le&, and that he hath Mercy for thofe 
 only : Flatly contrary to which is the whole 
 Tenor of Scripture, as is that exprefs De- 
 claration in particular u The Lord is loving 
 " unto every Man, and his Mercy is over 
 <c all his Works. n (Pf. cxlv. 9 ) Again, 
 They infer from that and the like Texts, 
 " It is not of him that willeth, neither of him 
 <c that runneth, but of God that fjjeweth 
 iC Mercy, " that he fheweth Mercy only to 
 thofe whom he had Refpeft from all Eter- 
 nity. Nay, but who replieth againjl God 
 now ? You now contradift the whole Ora- 
 cles of God, which declare throughout, 
 " God is no RefpeSer of Perfons. " (Ads x. 
 34.) <c There is no Refpetf of Perfons with 
 " him. " (Rom. ii. 11.) Again, from that 
 Text, cc The Children being not yet born, 
 " neither having done Good or Evil, that the 
 <£ Purpofe of God according to Election, might 
 ct Jland, not of Works, but of him that calletb. 
 " It was faid unto Her, (unto Rebecca) The 
 " Elder pall ferve the Younger : " You in- 
 fer, that our being Predeftinated or Ele£t, 
 no Way depends on the Fore-knowledge 
 of God: Flatly contrary to this are all 
 the Scriptures 3 and thofe in' particular, 
 ' Eletf, according to the Fore-knowledge of 
 " God. " (1 Pet. i. 2.) " Whom he did 
 tfc foreknow, he alfo did Predejlinate. " (Rom. 
 *&• 29.) B 2 20. And 
 
[ 20 ] 
 
 20. And, " *tbe fame Lord ever all is rich 
 " in Mercy to all that call upon him. '''' 
 (Rom. x. 12.) But you fay, " No, He is 
 tc fuch only to thofe for whom Chrift died. 
 " And thofe are not All, but only a Few, 
 " Whom God hath chofen out of the World : " 
 <c For he died not for All, but only for thofe 
 cc who were chofen in him he fore the Founda- 
 " tion of the World. " (Eph. i. 2.) Flatly 
 contrary to your Interpretation of thefe 
 Scriptures alfo is the whole Tenor of the 
 New Teftament ; as are in particular thofe 
 Texts, cc Dejlroy not him with thy Meat, 
 "for whom Chrifl died. " (Rom. xiv. 15.) 
 A clear Proof that Chrift died, not only 
 for thofe that are faved, but alfo for them 
 that perifh. He is, <c the Saviour of the 
 World. " (John iv. 42.) He is " the Lamb 
 " of God that taketh away the Sins of the 
 " World. " (John i. 29.) " He istheProp- 
 iC tiation, not for our Sins only, but alfo for the 
 cc Sins of the whole World. (1 Johnii. 2.) 
 <c He (the Living God) is the Saviour of all 
 cc Men. " ( 1 Tim. iv. 10.) " He gave 
 " himfelf a Ranfom for All. (1 Tim. ii. 6.) 
 " He to/led Death for all Men." (Heb. ii. 9.) 
 
 21. If you ask, cc Why then are not all 
 cc Men faved ? " The whole Law and 
 the Teftimony anfwer, iirft, not becaufe of 
 any Decree of God, not becaufe it is his 
 
 Pleafure 
 
[21 ] 
 
 Pleafure they fhould die. For, cc as I lhe> 
 cc faith the Lord God, 1 have no Pleafure 
 " in the Death of him that dieth. " (Ezek. 
 xviii. 32.) Whatever be the Caufe of their 
 perifhing, it cannot be his Will, if the 
 Oracles of God are true ; for they declare, 
 " He is not willing that any fhould peri/b, 
 " but that all fhould come to Repentance. " 
 (2 Pet. iii. 9) He willeth that all Men 
 fhould be faved. And they, fecondly, de- 
 clare, What is the Caufe why all Men are 
 not faved ; namely, that they will not be fa- 
 ved: So our Lord expreflly, " 'they will not 
 u come unto me that they may have Life. " 
 (John v. 40.) " The Power of the Lord is 
 " prefent to heal them. " But they will not be 
 healed. " They reject the Council y ' the 
 merciful Council of God againjl themfefoes, 
 as did their Stiff-necked Fore-fathers. And 
 therefore are they without Excufe, becaufe 
 God would fave them, but they will not be 
 faved : This is the Condemnation, " How 
 iC often would I have gather d you together , 
 cc and ye would not. " (Matt, xxiii. 37.) 
 
 22. Thus manifeftly does this Doctrine 
 tend to overthrow the whole Chriftian Re- 
 velation, by making it contradict itfelf ; by 
 giving fuch an Interpretation of fome Texts, 
 as flatly contradicts all the other Texts ; and 
 indeed the whole Scope and Tenor of Scrip- 
 ture. An abundant Proof that it is not of 
 
 God 
 
[ 22 j 
 
 God. But neither is this all. For, feventh- 
 ly, It is a Do&rine full of Blafphemy ; of 
 fuch Blafphemy as I ihould dread to men- 
 tion, but that the Honour of our gracious 
 God, and the Caufe of his Truth, will not 
 fuffer me to be filent. In the Caufe of God 
 then, and from a fincere Concern for the 
 Glory of his Great Name, I will mention 
 a few of the Horrible Blafphemies, contain- 
 ed in this Horrible Do&rine. But firft, I 
 inuil warn every one of you that hears, as 
 ye will anfwer it at the Great Day, not to 
 charge me (as fome have done) with blaf- 
 pheming, becaufe I mention the Blafphemy 
 of others. And the more you are grieved 
 with them that do thus blafpheme, fee that 
 ye confirm your Love towards them the more, 
 and that your Heart's Defire, and continual 
 Prayer to God be, " Father, forgive them, 
 •* for they know not what they do. " 
 
 23. This premifed, let it be obferv'd, 
 That this Do&rine reprefents our Bleffed 
 Lord, Jefits Chrijl the Righteous, the only 
 begotten Son of the father, fall of Grace and 
 Truth, as an Hypocrite, a Deceiver of the 
 People, a Man void of common Sincerity. 
 For it cannot be denied, that he everywhere 
 fpeaks, as if he was willing that all Men 
 ihould be faved. Therefore to fay, He was 
 not willing that ^11 Men Ihould be faved is 
 !G reprefent hirn as a mere Hypocrite andDif- 
 
 fembler, 
 
[*3 1 
 
 fembler. It can't be denied that the graci- 
 ous Words which came out of his Mouth, 
 are full of Invitati6ns to all Sinners. To 
 fay then, He did not intend to fave all 
 Sinners, is to reprefent him as a grofs De- 
 ceiver of the People. You cannot ' deny, 
 that he fays, " Come unto me all ye that 
 c< are weary and heavy laden. " If then 
 you fay He calls thofe that cannot come, 
 thofe whom he knows to be unable to "come, 
 thofe whom he can make able to come but 
 will not, how is it poflible to defcribe greater 
 Infincerity ? You reprefent him as mocking 
 his helplefs Creatures, by offering what he 
 never intends to give. You defcribe him as 
 faying one Thing, and meaning another : As 
 pretending the Love which he had not. 
 Him in whofe Mouth was no Guile, you'll 
 make full of Deceit, void of common Sin- 
 cerity : Then efpecially, when drawing nigh 
 the City, He wept over it, and [aid, " O 
 " Jerufalem, Jerufalem, Thou that killeji 
 <c the Prophets, and ftoneft them that are 
 " fent unto Thee ; How often wou'd I have 
 tc gathered thy Children together — -and Yi 
 " wou'd not. ' (m94ah<t* ^ ** n&itoo-ari) 
 Now if you fay, They woud, but He woud 
 not, you reprefent him, (which who could 
 hear ?) as weeping Crocodile's Tears, weep- 
 ing over the Prey which himfelf had doom'd 
 to Deftru&ion. 
 
 24. Such 
 
[ 2 4 ] 
 
 24. Such Blafphemy this, as one would 
 think might make the Ears of a Chriftian 
 to tingle. But there is yet more behind ; 
 for juft as it honours the Son, fo doth this 
 Do&rine honour the Father. It deftroys all 
 ,kis Attributes at once. It overturns both 
 his Juflice, Mercy and Truth. Yea, it re- 
 prefents rhe moft Holy God as worfe than 
 the Devil ; as both more falfe, more cruel 
 and more unjuft. More Falfe ; becaufe the 
 Devil, Liar as he is, hath never faid, <c . He 
 " willeth ail Men to be faved. " More Un- 
 juft, becaufe the Devil cannot, if he woifd, 
 be guilty of fuch Injuftice as you afcribe to 
 God, when you fay, That God condemned 
 Millions of Souls to everJafling Fire prepa- 
 red for the Devil and his Angels for .confi- 
 rming in Sin, which for want of that Grace 
 He' will not give them, they cannot avoid : 
 And more Cruel, becaufe that unhappy Spi- 
 x\t feeketh Rejl and find eth none ; fo that his 
 own refllefs Mifery is a Kind of Temptation 
 to him to tempt others. But God refteth in 
 his high and Holy Place : So that to fuppofe 
 Him of his own mere Motion, of his pure 
 Will and Pleafure, happy as he is, to doom 
 his Creatures whether they will or no, to 
 endlefs Mifery ; is to impute fuch Cruelty 
 to Him, as we cannot impute even to the 
 great Enemy of God and Man. It is to 
 
 reprefent 
 
[2 5 ] 
 
 reprefent the moft High God (He that hath 
 Ears to hear, let him hear !) as more Cruel, 
 Falfe, and Unjuft than the DeviL 
 
 2 5 . This is the Blafphemy clearly contain- 
 ed in the Horrible Decree of Predeftination. 
 And here I fix my Foot. On this I join If- 
 fue with every Afferter of it. You repre- 
 fent God as worfe than the Devil : More 
 Falfe, more Cruel, more Unjuft. " But 
 you fay you will prove it by Scripture. " 
 Hold ! VVhat will you prove by Scripture ? 
 That God is worfe than the Devil ? It can- 
 not be. Whatever that Scripture proves, 
 it never can prove this. Whatever its true 
 Meaning be, this cannot be its true Mean- 
 ing. Do you ask, " What is its true 
 Meaning then ? " If I fay, " I know not, " 
 you have gain'd nothing. For there are 
 many Scriptures, the true Senfe whereof 
 neither you nor I {hall know, till Death is 
 fwallowed up in Vi&ory. But this I know, 
 Better it were to fay, It had no- Senfe at 
 all, than to fay it had fuch a Senfe as this. 
 It cannot mean, whatever it mean befides, 
 that the God of Truth is a Liar. Let it 
 mean what it will, it cannot mean that the 
 Judge of all the World is unjuft. No Scrip, 
 cure can mean, that God is not Love, or 
 that his Mercy is not over all his Works : 
 
 That 
 
[26] 
 
 That is; Whatever it prove befide, no 
 Scripture can prove Predeftination. 
 
 2 6. This is the Blafphemy for which, 
 
 (however I love the Perfons who affert it) 
 
 I abhor the Do&rine of Predeftination : A 
 
 Do£fcrine upon the Supposition of which, if 
 
 one could poilibly fuppofe it for a Moment, 
 
 (call it Ele&ion, Reprobation, or what, you 
 
 pleafe, for all comes to the fame Thing) one 
 
 might fay to our Adverfary the Devil, 
 
 r Thou Fool, why doft Thou roar about 
 
 <c any longer ? Thy lying in Wait for Souls 
 
 cc is as needlefs and ufelefs as our Preach- 
 
 <c ing. Heareft thou not, That God hath 
 
 Cf taken Thy Work out of Thy Hands? 
 
 f c And that he doth it much more effe&u- 
 
 <c ally ? Thou, with all Thy Principalities 
 
 <c and Powers, canft only fo aflault that we 
 
 " may refill: Thee. But He can irrefiftibly 
 
 6C deftroy both Body and Soul in Hell ! 
 
 canft only intice. But His un- 
 
 migeable Decree, to leave 1 houfands 
 
 c< of Souis in Death, compels them to con- 
 
 <c tinue in Sin, till they drop into everlaft- 
 
 cc Burnings. Thou tempteft. He forceth 
 
 <c us to be damn'd. For we cannot refift 
 
 <c his Will. Thou Fool, why goeft thou 
 
 <c about any longer, feeking whom Thou 
 
 <c mayeft devour ? Heareft thou not that; 
 
 " God is the devouring Lion, the Deftroy- 
 
 " er of 
 
( 2 7 ) 
 
 " er of Souls, the Murderer of Men ? Mo 
 " % b CaU A fed ° nly ChiIdren to P& thro' thl 
 « rt te \ that Fire was foon quenched 
 
 « j C " e ^ rru P tible Body being confum- 
 « c ™> »s Torment was at an End. Bu 
 God, Thou art told, by his Eternal De- 
 
 « r ee ,' flXe ^ before the y had done Good oj 
 Evil, caufes not only G&;««» of a Spats 
 long, but the Parents alfo to pafs thro : 
 the Fire of Hell : That B« wA«A *«,« 
 
 <( /^/ £« ? «miW ; ana the Body whjch is 
 
 caft thereinto, being now incorruptible 
 
 and immortal, will be ever confuming, 
 
 « ^ n £ ver confu ™d : But the Smoke of 
 
 u their Torment, becaufe it is God's good 
 
 feature, afcendeth up for ever and ever." 
 
 2 7. O how wou'd the Enemy of God and 
 Man rejoice to hear thefe Things were fo ! 
 How won d he cry aloud and fpare not ! 
 How woud he lift up his Voice and £ y 
 
 « P y T u Te ^' ° V ratli Flee fr om the 
 x-ace ot this God, or ye fhall utterly pe- 
 ■ nfh. But whither will ye flee? Into 
 u Heaven? He ,s there. Down to Hell? 
 u He is there alfo. Ye cannot flee from an 
 £< omn.prefent, almighty Tyrant. And vvhe- 
 
 « Thron! . v t& ^ Cal1 H ™ hi * 
 <£ Ihrone, and Earth his Footftool to wiV 
 
 nels againft you, ye fhall p en m, ye 
 die eternally. Sing, O Hell, and re: 
 
[ 28 ] 
 
 1 ye that are under the Earth ! For God, 
 
 ' even the mighty God. hath fpoken, and 
 
 c devoted to Death Thoufands of Souls, 
 
 V c from the rifing up of the Sun, unto the go- 
 
 t ing down thereof. Here, O Death, is thy 
 
 c Sting! They {hall not, cannot Efcape. 
 
 I \ For the Mouth of the Lord hath fpoken 
 
 1 it. Here, O Grave, is thy Vi&ory ! 
 
 ;< Nations yet unborn, or ever they have 
 
 '" done Good or Evil, are doomVi never to 
 
 " fee the Light of Life, but thou fhalt 
 
 |* gnaw upon them for ever and ever. Let 
 
 r all thofe Morning-Stars fing together, who 
 
 " fell with Lucifer, Son of the Morning. 
 
 " Let all the Sons of Hell fhout for Joy ! 
 
 I* For the Decree is paft, and who fhall dif- 
 
 " annul it? 
 
 28, Yea, the Decree is paft. And fo it 
 was before the Foundation of the World. 
 But what Decree ? Even this : " I will fit 
 " before the Sons of Men, Life and Death, 
 " BUffing and Cur/ing. And the Soul that 
 " chufeth Life fhall live, as the Soul that 
 " chufeth Death fhall die. " This Decree, 
 whereby " whom God did foreknow, he did 
 " predcflinate, " was indeed from everlaft- 
 ing: Ihis, whereby all who fuffer Chrift 
 to make them alive, are " EletJ, according 
 Cl to the Fore-knowledge of God, " now 
 Bandctb faft, even as the Moon, and as the 
 J J faithful 
 
[2 9 ] 
 
 IVitnefs in Heaven : And when Heaven an 
 Earth fhall pafs away, yet this fhall not pa: 
 away : for it is as Unchangeable and Etei 
 nal, as is the Being of God that gave i 
 This Decree yields the ftrongeft Encourage 
 ment, to abound in all good Works, an 
 in all Holinefs : And it is a Well-fpring c 
 Joy, of Happinefs alfo, to our great and enc 
 lefs Comfort. This is worthy of God. ! 
 is every Way confiftent with all the Per 
 fe&ions of his Nature. It gives us the no 
 bleft View both of his Juftice, Mercy, an 
 Truth. To this agrees the whole Scope c 
 the Chriftian Revelation, as well as all th 
 Parts thereof. To this Mofes and all th 
 Prophets bear Witnefs, and our Bleffed Lor 
 and all his Apoftles. Thus Mofes, in th 
 Name of his Lord, cc / call Heaven am 
 Earth to record againfl you this Day, that 
 have fet before you Life and Death, Bleffin± 
 and Curfing ; therefore chufe Life that thoi 
 and thy Seed may live. " Thus Ezekiel (t< 
 cite one Prophet for all) " The Soul that Jin 
 neth it pall die : The Son fhall not bear (eter- 
 nally) the Iniquity of the Father, (xviii. 20. 
 The Righteoufnefs of the Righteous pall h 
 upon him, and the Wickednefs of the Wicket 
 (hall be upon him. " Thus our Bleffei Lord 
 " If any Man thirfi, let him come to in 
 and drink. " (John vii. 37.) Thus his grea 
 Apoflle St. Paul, (Ads xvii. 30.) God com- 
 manded 
 
[3°] 
 
 tandeth all Men, every where, to repent, * 
 All Men, every where : " Every Mail 
 i every Place, without any Exception, ei- 
 ier of Place or Perfon. Thus St. James, 
 If any of you lack Wifdom, let him ask of 
 Jod, who giveth to all Men liberally, and 
 obraideth not, and it pall be given him. " 
 James i. 5.) Thus St. Peter, 2 Pet. iii. 9.) 
 he Lord is — not willing that any fhculd 
 \rip, but that all /hould come to Repentance :?' 
 'aid thus St 'John, iC If any Man fern, we 
 *ave an Advocate with the Father,— and he 
 '• the Propitiation for our Sins : And not for 
 irs only, but for the Sins of the whole World." 
 1 Johnii. 1, 2.) 
 
 29. O hear ye this, ye that forget God ! 
 e cannot charge your Death upon him. 
 -lave I any Plea-fur e at all, that the Wicked 
 mM die, faith the Lord God ? (Ezek. xviiL 
 3 . £fc. ) Repent and turn from all your* 
 ranfgrejjtons : So Iniquity pall not be your 
 ~t.uin.Cajl away from you allyourTranJgrc/jions, 
 vhereby ye have tranfgrefl, — for why will ye 
 He, O Houfe of Ifrael ? for 1 have no P leaf are 
 n the Death of him that dieth, faith the Lord 
 jod. Wherefore tarn your [elves and live ye" 
 c As I live, faith the Lord God, / have no 
 D leafure in the Death of the Wicked. — Turn 
 k, turn ye from your Evil Ways : For why will 
 •e die, O Houfe of Ifrael ? (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.) 
 
Univerfal Redemption. 
 
 HEAR, Holy, Hoi/, Holy, Lord, 
 Father of all Mankind, 
 Spirit of Love, Eternal Word, 
 In My flick Union join'd. 
 
 Hear, and infpire my ftammering Tongue, 
 
 Exalt my abjeft Thought, 
 Speak from my Mouth a Sacred Sono- 
 
 Who fpak'ft the World from nought. 
 
 Thy darling Attribute I praife 
 
 Which all alike may prove, 
 The Glory of thy boundlefs Grace, 
 
 Thy univerfal Love. 
 
 Mercy I fmg, tranfporting Sound, 
 The Joy of Earth and Heaven ! 
 
 Mercy by every Sinner found, 
 Who takes what God hath given. 
 
 Mercy for All, thy Hands have made, 
 
 Immenfe, and Unconfm'd, 
 Throughout thy every Work difplay'd 
 
 Embracing all Mankind. 
 
 Thine Eye furvey'd the fallen Race 
 
 Where funk, in Sin they lay, 
 Their Mifery call'd for all thy Grace. 
 
 But Juilice ftopp'd the Way. 
 
 Mercy the fatal Bar remov'd, 
 
 Thy only Son it gave, 
 
 To fave a World fo dearly lov'd, 
 
 A finful World to fave. 
 
 For 
 
[ 3>] 
 
 For every Man He tailed Death* 
 
 He fuffered once for All, 
 He calls as many Souls as breath, 
 
 And all may hear the Call. 
 
 A Power to chufe, a Will to obey* 
 
 Freely his Grace reftores ; 
 We all may find the Living Way, 
 
 And call the Saviour ours. 
 
 Whom his Eternal Mind foreknew^ 
 
 That they the Power would ufe, 
 Afcribe to God the Glory due, 
 
 And not his Grace refufe j 
 
 Them, only them, his Will decreed* 
 
 Them did He chufe alone, 
 Ordain'd in J efts' Steps to tread. 
 
 And to be like his Son. 
 
 Them, the Ele£t, commenting few, 
 
 W T ho yield to proffered Love, 
 Juftify'd here he forms anew, 
 
 And glorifies Above. 
 
 For as in Adam All have dy'd, 
 
 So All in Chriji may live, 
 May (for the World is juflify'd) 
 
 His Righteoufnefs receive. 
 
 Whoe'er to God for Pardon fly, 
 
 In Chriji may be forgiven, 
 He fpeaks to All, " Why will ye die 5 
 
 And not accept my Heaven ! " 
 
 No ! in the Death of him that dies, 
 
 (God by his Life hath fworn) 
 He is not pleas'd ; but ever cries, 
 
 Turn, O ye Sinners, turn. 
 
 He would that All his Truths fhould own. 
 His Gofpel All embrace, 
 
 Be 
 
L 33 1 
 
 Be juftif/d by Faith alone, 
 And freely fav'd by Grace. 
 
 And mall I, Lord, confine thy Love, 
 
 As not to others free ? 
 And may not every Sinner prove, 
 
 The Grace that found out me ? 
 
 Doubtlefs thro' one Eternal Now 
 
 Thou ever art the fame, 
 The Univerfal Saviour Thou, 
 
 And Jefus is thy Name. 
 
 Ho ! every one that thirfteth come ! 
 
 Chufe Life ; obey the Word ; 
 Open your Hearts to make him Room, 
 
 And Banquet with your Lord. 
 
 When God invites, mall Man repel ? 
 
 Shall Man th' Exception make ? 
 Ci Come, freely come, whoever will, 
 
 And Living Water Take ! " 
 
 Thou bid'ft ; and would'ft Thou bid us chufe, 
 
 When purpos'd not to fave ? 
 Command us all a Power to ufe, 
 
 Thy Mercy never gave ? 
 
 Thou can'ft not mock the Sons of Men, 
 
 Invite us to draw nigh, 
 Offer thy Grace to All, and then, 
 
 Thy Grace to Moil deny ! 
 
 Horror to think that God is Hate! 
 
 Fury in God can dwell* 
 God could an helplefs World create, 
 
 To thru* them into Hell ! 
 
 Doom them an endlefs Death to die, 
 
 From which they could not flee, 
 No Lord ! thine Inmoft Bowels cry, 
 
 Againft the Dire Decree .1 
 
 D Beli 
 
| [ 34 ] 
 
 Believe who will that Human Pam ? 
 
 Pleafing to God can prove : 
 Let Molod feair. him .with the Slain s 
 
 'Our Go u, we know* is Love, 
 
 Lord, if indeed, without a Bound, ' 
 - Infinite Love Thou art, 
 The horrible Decree confotmd s 
 Enlarge thy People's Heart! 
 
 Ah ! Who is as thy Servants blind, 
 . So to misjudge their G6u ! 
 Scatter the Darknefs of their Mind, ; 
 And fried thy Love abroad, 
 
 therri Conceptions, worthy T 
 Give them in y<?/5/s -Face, 
 Thy merciful Defign to fee. 
 Thy all-redeeming Grace. 
 
 Stir up thy Strength, and help us, Lord, 
 ' The Preachers multiply, 
 
 forth thy Light, and give the Wc 
 And let the Shadows fly. 
 
 Oh ! if thy Spirit fend forth 
 
 ThcmCaneil of .the Throng, 
 I'll fing thy Grace divinely free, 
 
 And teach Mankind the Song. . 
 
 :e will I fmg, thro' jefii: 
 • On All Mankind beftow'd ; 
 The everiafting Truth proclaim, 
 And feal that Truth with Blood. 
 
 Come then,' thou all-embracing Love, 
 , Our frozen Eofom warm ; 
 Dilating Fire within us move, 
 
 ji and MeeUhefsarm. 
 
 Let u ride on, 
 
 - Conquerors prove. 
 
 ^ r Mightily. 
 
Meeknefs bear th' Oppcfers do 
 And bind with Cords of Love. 
 
 Shine in our Hearts Father of Light., 
 • Jefu thy Beams impart, 
 Spirit of Truth our Poinds unite. 
 And mal$e us one in Heart. 
 
 Then, only then our Eyes fhall fee 
 Thy promised Kingdom come ;• 
 
 And every Heart by Grace fet free, 
 Shall make the Saviour Room, 
 
 Thee every Tongue fhall then confers. 
 
 And every Knee fhall bow. 
 Come quickly, Lord, we wait thy Grace, 
 
 We long to meet Thee now. 
 
 E END,