Objection II. "God, being infinitely merciful, good to all, his tender mercy over all his works, taking no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but willing that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, Ps 103:8; Ps 145:9; Ezek 33:11; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9,
—cannot by an act of his will, fix so many thousands of his rational creatures, who are no worse than others, in sinfulness, or require them to receive his salvation, while their inward corruptions, permitted by himself, render them incapable."
Answer 1. By what tie is this infinitely merciful God bound to preserve all his rational creatures in this original perfection of holiness, whether they will or not?—By what tie is he bound to shew favor to one sinner, who hath offended him, and sought his life?
—By what tie is he bound to shew more favor to sinful men, than to fallen angels, who are his own rational creatures of a far higher rank?
2. What avails that infinite mercy, which is supposed to have predestinated all men (and why not all devils?) to everlasting happiness, if it bring but a few of them to it, nay, can bring none of them to it, but as their wicked free will pleases; nay, if it do not so much as inform the hundredth part of mankind of the only method of their salvation through Christ?
3. Of the small part of mankind who are properly invited by the gospel as preached, to receive this salvation, multitudes, not by any influence of God's decree, but by their own self-approved enmity against it, obstinately reject it, John 5:40; Ps 81:11; Hos 11:2,7; Rom 8:7-8; Jer 17:9; Zech 7:11-12; Zech 11:8; Gen 6:5; Gen 8:21.
4. A scheme, which infallibly secures the eternal happiness, perhaps of many thousand millions of mankind, is infinitely more merciful than one which secures it for none, but suspends all upon the proper exertions of a free will, a carnal mind, enmity against God,
—a heart deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.—We allow, that every man that hears the gospel is warranted,
—is solemnly called, and earnestly entreated by God to believe on Jesus Christ for salvation. We allow, that one single act of believing, which is ten thousand times less than perseverance in faith and holiness till death, will render a man's state unalterably happy for ever more.
—We allow of God's giving, even to reprobates, the largest measures and highest degrees of the common influences of his Spirit to assist them towards acts of faith. Our opponents dare not pretend, that they allow more to their elect,
— nay, to their choicest saints.
—If men's free will can therefore turn the scale in their favor, and make them believe in Christ, we allow a method of eternal salvation a thousand times more easy to reprobates, than our opponents do to any man.
Objection III. "How can it consist with the infinite wisdom of God, to fix on the objects of his favor or of his abhorrence, without regard to their moral behavior as the cause?
—or, to appoint means of salvation for those to whom he hath decreed never to give that which is absolutely necessary to render these means effectual?
—or, to require or expect the conversion of reprobates, when he himself hinders it by his unalterable decrees?"
Answer 1. God abhors no creature, but on account of his sin, Gen 1:31; Ps 104:31. It would be very unwise in God to fix upon any of mankind as his favorites, from respect to their behavior, since, in their unconverted state, not one of them can do any thing but what is abominable to him, in matter or manner, Ps 14:1-4; Rom 8:7-8; Rom 3:10-20; Jer 17:9; Eph 2:1-3; Titus 3:3.
—But, both his wisdom and sovereignty are highly glorified in his choosing of many, the most unpromising, that so his almighty power and infinite mercy may the more abundantly shine forth in his qualifying them for the most familiar fellowship with himself, and for his service, 1 Cor 1:25-29; 1 Tim 1:13-16; Rom 5:20 21.—
2. God hath not granted the means of eternal salvation to the most of mankind:—nor doth his granting them to any exhibit his decree of saving them, but the true method of obtaining salvation, and their duty to comply with and improve it, Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31; Acts 2:37-39; John 3:14-18.
3. The Scripture never represents God as expecting the conversion of reprobates. To assert that he expects any thing which never happens, is to deny his infinite wisdom and knowledge.
4. God's requiring from gospel hearers their proper duty, is his appointed mean of effectually converting his elect,
—even as Christ's calling of Lazarus to come forth, and the widow's son and ruler's daughter to arise, was his decreed mean of actually raising them from the dead:
—and meanwhile it renders reprobates much more useful and happy in this world, than otherwise they would be.
Objection IV. "If God, by a secret and unchangeable act of his will, hath consigned multitudes of mankind to everlasting ruin, how can he, in a consistence with uprightness and sincerity, openly declare, that he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, Ezek 33:11; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9?
How can he impose a law upon them, to be obeyed under pain of damnation, while he himself is unalterably resolved to withhold from them all power and ability to keep it? How can he be serious and earnest in calling men to repentance and salvation, if by his own unalterable purpose, he hath rendered both utterly impossible?
How can he profess to wish their welfare, or promise them eternal life upon conditions which are infallibly hindered by his own decree;—or to offer it to them, upon whom he is unalterably determined never to bestow it?"
Answer 1. The Scripture never declares, that God is inclined to have every individual of mankind, Judas, Antichrist, etc. saved, but the contrary, John 17:9,12; 2 Thess 2:4,11-12; Rom 9:22. Now, if one be appointed to wrath, it will affect the sincerity of God, in the sense of the objection, as much as if it were ten thousand millions.
2. We readily grant, that men of all nations, ranks, and conditions, are actually saved, than which the Scripture never affirms anything more universal on this point, 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9; Joel 2:28; John 12:32; John 16:9; Rev 7:9.
3. Be the purpose of God what it will, his holy, just, good, and exceeding broad law, binds, and will forever bind, both devils and men to holiness, nay to perfection in holiness; otherwise, they could not commit sin, Rom 4:15; Rom 5:13; 1 John 3:4.
—And, men's attempts to obey it are rewarded in this life, or in the next, with, at least, less degrees of punishment, Matt 11:21-24; Matt 12:41-42.
4. As, in ordinary cases, no man, in this life, can certainly know that he is included in God's reprobating decree,
—and as it, in no case, lays any restraint or force upon men's will, it cannot be it, but their own inward corruption and enmity against God, which hinders their care or endeavors to promote their eternal happiness.
5. Most of those scriptures, in which God appears to wish men's welfare, and to promise them happiness on condition of their obedience, directly relate to the felicity of the Jews in Canaan, which they held upon the foot of such reformation and behavior, as was partly in their own power, without any assistance of saving grace, Deut 5:29; Deut 32:29; Ps 81:13; Isa 1:19-20; Ezek 18:30-32; Ezek 33:11; Jer 6:8.
6. Spiritual pardon and salvation are never secured by promise to any but such as have true faith, and that not as a proper condition, but as a mean of receiving them,—and hence as a fruit of election, 2 Thess 2:2,13; Titus 1:2; Acts 2:47; Acts 13:48.
7. The gospel is so far from declaring that God intends to save all men, that it plainly affirms, that he intends to save but the smaller part of gospel-hearers, Matt 7:13 15,23; Matt 20:16; Matt 22:14.
But it peremptorily declares that Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by him;
—that he and his salvation are equally suited to the needs of every hearer;
—that, by the gracious appointment and infinitely free gift of God, he is the Official Savior of mankind indefinitely considered, and will in no wise cast out any that come to him for salvation;
—that it is the duty and interest of all gospel hearers, as lost and self-ruined sinners, to exert all the powers of their soul to the uttermost, in essaying to believe on and receive him and his salvation, as fully, freely, earnestly, and indefinitely offered to them;
—that, not knowing but they are elected, they all ought, earnestly and repeatedly, to attempt this believing, in order to have certain proof that they are so;
—that by means of gospel declarations, offers, and invitations, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, the adult elect are brought into their state of salvation, and many reprobates are qualified with spiritual gifts, which render them useful companions and assistants to the elect in this world.
8. Unless, in providence, God actually should save all men, especially all that hear the gospel, which it is manifest he doth not, the whole charge of the objection will fall upon him, with all its weigh
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