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…

Now is it congruous to say, that because man is dead in sin, therefore it is just with God not to revive him? Because a man is blind, therefore it is just with God not to open his eyes? Or, because he is deaf, therefore it is just with God not to open his ears? Suppose sin were but the sickness of the soul, is it congruous to say, that because a man is sick, therefore it is just with God not to cure him? Whereas it is manifest, that unless a man were first sick, it were impossible to cure him; unless first blind or deaf, it were impossible ⟨p. 139⟩to restore sight or hearing unto him; unless first dead, it were utterly impossible to revive him.

Now is it congruous to say, that because man is dead in sinne, therefore it is just with God not to revive him? Because a man is blind, therefore it is just with God not to open his eyes? Or, because he is deafe, therefore it is just with God not to open his eares? Suppose sin were but the sicknesse of the soule, is it congruous to say, that because a man is sicke, therefore it is just with God not to cure him? Whereas it is manifest, that unlesse a man were first sicke, it were impossible to cure him; unlesse first blinde or deafe, it were impossible ⟨p. 139⟩to restore sight or hearing unto him; unlesse first dead, it were utterly impossible to revive him.

Come we now to salvation and damnation; you seem to say that God of his free grace doth save a man. In my judgement it is an improvident speech. For, consider, whom doth God save of ripe years? Doth he save any other but those that die in the Lord? That is, such as die in the state of grace, in the state of faith and repentance? Now judge, I pray, Is it fit to say, It is free and indifferent with God, either to save or damn them who die in the Lord, in the state of grace, in the state of repentance? For, hath not God made as well such a law, that, whosoever believes and repents, he shall be saved? As such a law, Whosoever believes not, nor repents, shall be damned? And, in respect of the former law, is not God as much obliged to save them that believe and repent, as in respect of the latter law, he is obliged to damn them that believe not, that repent not? So that the comparison is miserably to blame, made between the freeness of Gods grace in saving the one, and his severity and justice in condemning others: And the confounding of effectual vocation and salvation on the one side, and obduration with damnation on the other, hath exposed you to this incongruity ere you are aware. So that, whereas I thought to have least to do about this use, a greater business is made unto me in clearing the truth of God herein then I could imagine: and yet I am not come to an end. This may suffice to discover the unsoundness of the main body of your comparison. But there are some other things to be considered on the by: First, by way of amplifying the largeness of the riches of the grace of God. You tell us how the Lord carrieth the salvation of his Elect in all the ways of it, &c. And forthwith by way of addition you say, that under them also are spread the everlasting arms of Gods power and eternal love, to guide them to his eternal kingdom: Which is no different thing, but merely the same with the former, of carrying their salvation along in all the ways of it. These expressions, I confess, are momentuous, to stir up gracious affections in the apprehension of the freeness and power of Gods grace. But, if hereby our judgement (in the mean time) is not a little disturbed