A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certain doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certaine doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…

Again, with whom did the Lord enter into a Covenant of life and death, upon condition of obedience and disobedience? was it not with Adam only, and his posterity in his loins, in the state of innocency, by the law written in their heart? Was it not also after Adams fall renewed to all his posterity, both Jews and Gentiles? Then, yet God had not cast them away in the fall, though the fall had justly deserved it; but expecteth yet further to see how they will yet keep this renewed Covenant with him, before he ⟨p. 110⟩cast them off as Reprobates: Even Cain himself, the eldest son of Reprobation, is after the fall offered acceptance of Gods hand if he do well. Moreover, is it not after the fall that the Father, by his works of creation and providence, judgements and mercies, &c. the Son by his enlightening the world, by his death and ministry of his servants; and the Holy Ghost by his calling and knocking at the hearts of the wicked, do all strive with men, even to this very end, to turn them to the Lord, that iniquity may not be their destruction? If therefore all the Persons in the Trinity do provide several helpful means for the conversion and salvation of the world; of the world, I say, now after the fall lying in wickedness, surely God did not then upon the fall reprobate the world unto eternal condemnation and perdition. If you say, God might well reprobate the world unto condemnation upon the fall, and yet still after the fall us• means for their conversion and salvation; because those means do but further aggravate their condemnation: I answer, these do indeed further aggravate their condemnation, but it is but by accident only, by their neglect and abuse of them; but the proper end which God himself, of himself, aims at in the use of these means, himself plainly expresseth it to be, not the aggravation or procurement of their condemnation, but the restoring of them to salvation and life; as hath been before declared. So then, to draw all to an head, the sum of this first reason is, If God after the fall do retain a will and purpose to restore life to the world upon an equal condition, then he did not upon the fall, or upon the only consideration of the fall, reject the world of the ungodly unto their utter perdition.

Againe, with whom did the Lord enter into a Covenant of life and death, upon condition of obedience and disobedience? was it not with Adam onely, and his posterity in his loynes, in the state of innocency, by the law written in their heart? Was it not also after Adams fall renewed to all his posterity, both Jewes and Gentiles? Then, yet God had not cast them away in the fall, though the fall had justly deserved it; but expecteth yet further to see how they will yet keep this renewed Covenant with him, before hee