Reprobation asserted, or, The doctrine of eternal election & reprobation promiscuously handled in eleven…

The Elect are always under Eternal Mercy, but those not Elect always under Eternal Justice: For you must consider this, There is eternal Mercy and eternal Justice, and there is present Mercy and present Justice: So then, for a man to be in a state of Mercy, it may be either a state of Mercy present, or both present and eternal also. And so again for a man to be in a state under Justice, it may be understood either of present Ju••ice only, or of both present and eternal also.

The Elect are always under Eternal Mercy, but those not Elect always under Eternal Justice: For you must consider this, There is eternal Mercy and eternal Justice, and there is present Mercy and present Justice: So then, for a man to be in a state of Mercy, it may be either a state of Mercy present, or both present and eternal also. And so again for a man to be in a state under Justice, it may be understood either of present Ju••ice onely, or of both p•esent and eternal also.

That this may yet further be opened, I shall somewhat enlarge.

I begin with present Mercy and present Justice. That which I call present Mercy, is that Faith, Light, Knowledge, and taste of the good Word of God, that a man may have, and perish. This is called in Scripture, Believing for a while, during for a while, and rejoicing in the Light for a season. Now I call this Mercy, both because none (as men) can deserve it, and also because the proper end thereof is to do good to those that have it. But I call it present Mercy, because those that are only blessed with that, may sin it away, and perish; as did some of the Galatians, Hebrews, Alexandrians, with the Asians, and others. But yet observe again, I do not call this present Mercy because God hath determined it shall last but a while absolutely; but because it is possible for man to lose it, yea determined he shall, conditionally.