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THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION CONCORDED WITH FREE GRACE.

his spirit is relieve the wants and miseries of man, and to forgive sins, and to give life to such as to obey his on and his Spirit:  Man's part is, to humble himself for his sins to GOD his Creator, to believe in Christ his Redeemer, and to yield himself to be led by the Holy Spirit his sanctifier.  Acts xx. 21.  This part of man, in the covenant, the whole gospel speaketh of, requiring repentance, faith, and new obedience.  Here are two things affirmed, which may seem to require proof.
1. That the covenant of grace was made with all mankind.
2. That GOD supplieth by his Spirit whatfoever is needful to keeping of this covenant, on the behalf of man, who is confessed to be impotent through his fall.
These two shall, by GOD's assistance, be sufficiently proved hereafter.  Now let these suffice to observe,
1. That we find here, in the day of the first publishing of the covenant, all mankind in Adam and Eve, receiving the promise of the gospel, at the fame time that they received their punishments, which we see are universal to all their feed.  It is therefore certain, that promise also should be taken as universal; since it is a maxim, that favours are to be interpreed in the largest sense. 
2. That we find left, after the fall, the remains of some of the image of GOD, as life, understanding of good and evil, liberty of will in natural and civil things, conscience accusing or excusing, &c. which, though they were given at first by creation, and so belonging to nature, yet the permitting of them to reamin in man, after his fall, was of grace, both to make him capable to contract and covenant withal, and also to be some beginnings and principals in order to his restoration.  But since these alone are not sufficient to make him able to rise again, or to recover rightousness, or keep the new covenant of the gospel, we cannot think but GOD, who doth nothing imperfectly, and who is covenanting is no hard master, would supply by his Spirit whosoever was needful more to the keeping of that new covenant, whereupon depends the eternal woe, or the eternal happiness of the party covenanted with; feeling it is a true maxim, that no body can be obliged to that which is impossible.
The covenant of grace being once made with mankind, in the root of all men Adam, it pleased the goodness of GOD that made it, to preserve, continue, and keep it afoot, (and so he will do it to the end of the world) by proclaiming it from time to time, by renewing it often, and calling men to the knowledge thereof; otherwise it would long since have been forgotten, and utterly lost.
This is the act of GOD which is termed the heavenly calling, wherein his divine power giveth us all things that pertain to life and godliness, by the right use whereof men are brought to that high end, happiness:  or by the neglect and abuse whereof, they fall into endless misery.
Hence St. Paul, speaking of the saints, as he had joined those two together, whom he did foreknow, he also did predestined; so he joineth these two together, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, by calling putting that into act, which he had seen and allowed in predestinating, in a successful course bringing them to glory.  And St. Jude speaking of ungodly men, faith, they were before of old written to condemnation, being such as turn the grace of GOD into lasciviousness, and deny GOD the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ; whence the author to the Hebrews give a good caveat, Let us thereore fear, lest a promise being left us, of entering into his rest, any of us should come short of it. 
This point having more connexion with the doctrine of predestination, hath more controversy:  and therefore I must of necessity be more large in it, intreating the patience of some contrary-minded, who, in their writings, use a certain censorious, and magisterial severity, which I rather pray GOD to forgive, than purpose to return upon them. 
Calling is the revelation and proclamation of the gospel, the covenant of grace, commanding repentance towards GOD, and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ, and promising forgiveness of sins and life everlasting to all that obey.
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