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had a blessing pronounced to him by his father, ough faith, chap. xxvii, 39, though he does not seem ave had a right sense thereof, for he was at times in rofane spirit, Heb. xii. 16, 17, and in enmity and malagainst his brother Jacob, as appears by that murder: persecuting mind, that then was unmortified in him ; or (says he) the days of mourning for my father are and, and then I will slay my brother Jacob." Gen. ii. 41. But then, as his wickedness was great, his version must be by so much the more glorious. It ld be well if all murdering persecutors would (in this version) take him for an example; for instead of killhis brother Jacob, when he met him on his return to father's house (from whence he had fled) he fell on his k and kissed him, and wept. Gen. xxxiii. 4. It is hoped that no christian ear will be offended to hear The conversion and great change of this profane per, who, though he was not favoured with the blessing reference, or the natural blessing of birth-right (which ought with tears, and could not find." Gen. xxvii. 38.) the blessing of God's grace and favour, (being the gift of the Almighty to him) with the fatness of the th, he had, and it was delivered to him by his father faith, as saith the apostle, in the afore-cited epistle to Hebrews, chap. xi. 20.

Which blessing was by their father Isaac thus exssed to each of them. 1st, to Jacob, "That the pure of God according to election might stand," Rom. 11, 12: which choice or election, before they were n, or had done good or evil, was, "That the elder uld serve the younger," or the younger be preferred fore the elder; not that one should be damned, and the er saved; there is no damnation to eternity, that we d of concerning Esau, but a choice blessing of God, a quite different nature. Unto Jacob he said thus ; God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of earth, and plenty of corn and wine, be lord over thy ethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee," c. Gen. xxvii. 28, 29. And, 2nd, unto Esau he says, xceedingly trembling) verse 33, "Behold thy dwelling

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shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above, and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck :" verses 39, 40.

These blessings have not only respect to their own proper persons, but also to their posterity; but far from pre-ordaining them, or any of them to damnation; and we have good ground to believe, from (what is above, together with) the reformation wrought in Esau himself, much better things of him; for it is written, "When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness which he hath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive." Ezek. xviii. 27. So when a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in it, for his iniquity which he hath done shall he die :" verse 26.

Having thus far taken notice of the purport of the blessings of Jacob and Esau, relating to their persons; who were both blessed with the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, I would add this remark, "Let none curse him or them whom God hath blessed."

And whereas the apostle, reciting the words of the prophet Malachi, saith, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated," Rom. ix. 13. This was not said of them before they were born, or had done either good or evil; but was justly denounced by the Almighty for the cruelty and hatred of the children of Esau to the children of Is rael, as is fully and clearly expressed by the prophets, David, Ezekiel, Amos, and Obadiah; Psalm cxxxvii. 7. Ezekiel, xxv. 15. xxxv. 1-15. xxxvi. 6. Amos, i. 11, 12. Obadiah, 10 to 16, and was written many ages after.

2d. The next text under consideration is, "That the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." Exod. vii. 15. But it should be observed, he had first hardened himself against God and his people, and then God hardened him yet harder, in order to shew his great power to mor tals, which well consisted with his justice to the wicked and unmerciful; for as God is merciful to the righteous, so is he just in his judgement to the ungodly.

jo that God was clear of that evil heart of unbelief in , and it is but just, and also reasonable, that when 1, having been often visited, refuseth the offers of I's love, that he should visit such in and with his righis judgement (who have slighted his mercy and grace.) d then, according to the holy scripture, "His destrucis of himself, but his help is in the Lord." Hos. xiii. So that "God is true, and every man contradicting is a liar." Rom. iii. 4.

Wherefore may all have a care of hardening of their rts as Pharaoh did, for that is provoking to the Alghty, and then he justly gives them over to an evil rt of unbelief, and to a reprobate mind, and so they art from the living God. The Lord said unto Phah, "Let my people go," over and over, and it was the nd of God he should have done it: without those men o hold the contrary would make the Almighty such an e as themselves, to say one thing, and mean another. hat is that but to charge the Almighty with hypocrisy ? hing hated of him, and his dear Son, Christ Jesus. , no, Pharaoh might have obeyed the Lord in a day visitation: but he refused, and said, "Who is the rd, that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go? I ow not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." Exod. And he continued to harden himself against God, d his people, cruelly persecuting them, and forcing em to make bricks without straw, before we read that e Lord hardened his heart. Oh! that all hard-hearted, ersecuting, unbelieving people, might take warning by m in time, before it be too late.

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It is clear, he might have let the people go; because od by Moses commanded him so to do. And who can eny, that what God did, was more proper to soften, than harden his heart, by letting him see the miracles rought in his name, and the ceasing of the plagues he ad inflicted; therefore it was possible for him to have one what God required of him; he was not predestiated to that obduration, until he had hardened his own eart; and then it was, is, and always will be, just with God to suffer his, or any other man's heart to become

hardened, and give them up to a reprobate mind. Rom.

i. 29.

3d. The following scripture, is wrested, and falsely made use of, viz. "He that made them, will not have mercy on them; and he that formed them, will shew them no favour." Isai. xxvii. 11. This text hath, in some of the writings of those that espouse the aforesaid doctrine, been brought to vindicate that despairing, destructive, evil principle, of pre-ordination of particular persons to destruction and damnation: but this text, with the rest brought for that end, is grossly perverted; for in the same place the case is fairly stated, and the reason clearly shewn, why God will shew them no favour, viz. "Because they were withered branches, and people of no understanding; therefore he that made them, would not have mercy upon them, and he that formed them, would shew them no favour." From whence it appears, they might have been fruitful, but would not, and had been green, but were withered from their greenness; much like those whom Christ expostu lates with, when he says, "How often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Mat. xxiii..37. "If thou hadst known in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes." Luke xix. 42. Which shews the great and fervent desire of Christ to save souls, and his tender love to poor mortals, and that they had a day of visitation, in which they might have been gathered, which is far from ordaining them to destruction from all eternity.

So that God is fully clear of all men, and their blood is on their own heads, and their destruction is of themselves; whereas they might have help in the Lord, and his Christ, through faith, which he offers to man freely; but man will not receive or embrace it. And further, it should be observed, that if the whole texts of the prophecy of Isaiah in his 37th chapter be considered, it will plainly appear, that he is so far from uttering an express or positive decree of their final destruction, that he clearly and fully foretels their recovery and restoration out of that state.

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4th. They argue from the words of the apostle, Hath not the potter power over the clay, to make of same lump one vessel to honour, and another to dishour?" Rom. ix. 21. Yes, doubtless he hath; but potter doth not make vessels with design to destroy m, or to break them to pieces, but for use and sere; and it is contrary to his will and interest, when vessel mars under his hand. And it is very plainly pressed by the prophet Jeremiah, after mentioning beholding the work of the potter, in the 18th chap6th, 7th, and 8th verses, "Oh, house of Israel! not I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. hold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in hand, Oh, house of Israel! At what instant I shall eak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if it nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from eir evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.". All which is contrary to the doctrine of absolute and unconditional predestination. The Lord, his wisdom, and to show his power, doth make souls ore or less honourable, as he pleaseth; but it is very in, from scripture and right reason, that he makes ne with a design to destroy them, or hath ordained y to eternal damnation. Though he hath ordained mnation for wicked and ungodly men, yet he never dained that men should be wicked and ungodly, 5th. They urge the apostle's words, but to as little rpose as the former, "He will have mercy on whom will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." om. ix. 18. It is true, that God hath abundantly ewn us in the holy scriptures on whom he will have ercy, viz. He hath mercy on the poor in spirit; the imble he teaches of his ways; the meek he guides in dgement; he clothes the meek with salvation; he ath the righteous in everlasting remembrance; he lov h them who love him; he saveth them who love his ear Son, and believe in him; he giveth to them eteral life, and Christ loveth them, and manifesteth himelf unto them. And his beloved disciple John declar