ledge, confiftent with the Freedom of Mans Will.

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SERMON

Preach'd at

Chrift-Church, Dublin,

May 15, 1709.

Before his Excellency.

Thomas Earl of Wharton;

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,

AND THE

Right Honourable the House of Lords.

By his Grace

WILLIAM Lord Archbishop of Dublin.

The fifth Edition.

Ordered,

ON

Die Lunæ 16° Maii, 1709.

N Motion, That the Lord Viscount Powerfcourt, the Lord Viscount Blefington, and the Lord Viscount Strabane, do as from this House, give the Thanks of this House to his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Dublin, for his Sermon preach'd yesterday in Chrift-Church, and defire his Grace to cause the fame to be printed.

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Jo, Smith, Cler.' Parliamentor."

ROMANS VIII. 29, 30.

For whom he did foreknow, be also did predeftinate to be conform'd to the Image of bis Son, that be might be the First-born among many Brethren. Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them be alfo called; and whom he called, them be alfo julified and whom he juftified, them be alfo glorified.

§ I. N thefe Words the Apoftle lays down the Ieveral Steps by which God proceeds in the faving of his Elect. 1ft, He knows and confiders thofe, whom he defigns for Salvation. 2dly, He decrees and predeftinates them to be like his Son Jefus Chrift, in Holinefs here, and Glory hereafter, that he might be the First-born among many Brethren. 3dly, He calls then to the Means of Salvation. 4thly, He juftifies And laftly, He glorifies them. This is the Chain and Series of God's dealing with his beloved; in which he is reprefented to us as firft defigning, and then executing his gracious Purposes towards them.

I am very fenfible, that great Contentions and Divifions have happen'd in the Church of God about Predeftination and Reprobation, about Election and the Decrees of God; that learned Men have engaged with the greatest Zeal and Fiercenefs in this Controverfy, and the Disputes have prov'd fo intricate, that the moit diligent Reader will perhaps, after all his labour in perufing them, be but little fatisfy'd, and lefs edify'd, by the greateft part of all that has been written upon this Subject. And hence it is that confidering

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Men

Men of all Parties feem at laft, as it were by confent, to have laid it afide; and feldom any now venture to bring it into the Pulpit, except fome very young or imprudent Preachers.

Not but that the Doctrine laid down in my Text, is undoubtedly true and ufeful, if we could but light on the true and useful way of treating it; for to our Church has told us in her feventeenth Article, where the informs us. That as the godly Confideration of Predeftination is full of fweet, plea fant, and unspeakable Comfort to godly Perfons, fo for curious and carnal Perfons, lacking the Spirit of Chrift, to have continually before their Eyes the Sentence of God's Predeftination, is a most dangercus Downfal, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either. into Defperation, or into Wretchedness of most unclean living.

The Cafe therefore being thus, I fhall endeavour to lay before you that which I take to be the edifying part of the Doctrine of Predeftination; and in fuch a manner (I hope) as to avoid every thing that may give occafion to ignorant or corrupt Men to make an ill use of it.

First, Confider the Reprefentation that the Text gives of God, as contriving our Salvation; and hall endeavour to explain how these Terms of Fore-knowing and Predeftinating are to be understood when attributed to God."

Secondly, Why the holy Scriptures reprefent God to us after this manner.

Thirdly, What use we are to make of this Doctrine of God's fore-feeing, freely electing, and predeftinating Men to Salvation.

As to the first of these, you may obferve that in the Representation here given of God's dealing

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;

with Men, there are five Acts afcrib'd to him, Fore-knowing, Predeftinating, Calling, Justifying, and Glorifying. And about each of these great Difputes have arisen among Divines, and Parties and Sects have been form'd on the different Opinions concerning them. However, as to the three laft, Proteftants feem now pretty well agreed; but as to the two first, the Difference is fo great, that on account thereof, there yet remain form'd and separate Parties, that mutually refufe to communicate with one another: tho' I believe, if the Differences between them were duly examin'd and stated, they would not appear to be fo great as they feem to be at firft view; nor confequently would there appear any just reafon for those Animofities, that yet remain between the contending Parties.

III. In order to make this evident, we may confider.

(1.) That it is in effect agreed on all hands, that the Nature of God, as it is in it felf, is incomprehenfible by human Understanding; and not only his Nature, but likewife his Powers and Faculties, and the Ways and Methods in which he exercifes them, are fo far beyond our reach, that we are utterly incapable of framing exact and adequate Notions of them. This the Scriptures frequently teach us, particularly St. Paul in his Epiftle to the Romans, Ch. 11. v. 33. O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unfearchable are bis Judgments, and bis Ways paft finding out. Ver. 34. For who hath known the Mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Counsellor?

§ IV. (2.) We ought to remember, that the Defcriptions which we frame to our felves of God, or of the divine Attributes, are not taken from any direct or immediate Perceptions that we have of him or them; but from fome Obfervations we have made of his Works, and from the Confideration of

thofe