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To Regenerate or not.

him only shalt thou serve.

22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. [See 280.]

242. God's right to regenerate, or not—to give or withhold success to means—and to form, turn and control the hearts of men.

Dt. 29: 4 The LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

1 S. 26: 19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go serve other gods.

Ps. 33: 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

Is. 45: 9 Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Mat. 13: 10 The disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? is thine eye evil because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last for many be called, but few chosen.

Rom. 9: 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.

2 Tim. 2: 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves: if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.

[See 234, 264, 435.]

To try us by Tempters - To require Human Life.

243. God's right to try us by tempters, temptations, and stumbling-blocks.

Dt. 13: 1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

1 K. 22: 20 The LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. 23 Behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

Job 2: 6 The LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole ◆f his foot unto his crown.

Jer. 6: 21 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbor and his friend shall perish.

Ezk. 3: 20 When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die.

Mat. 4: 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

1 Cor. 11: 19 There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

244. God's right to require human life at his pleasure.

Gen 22: 2 He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt-offering.

Dt. 20: 16 Of the cities of these people which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them, namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD thy God

To appoint Rulers to visit Iniquity-to use Men
to use Men - to Vindicate.

hath commanded thee: 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

1 S. 15: 3 Go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

245. God's right to appoint rulers and statutes in judgment.

1 K. 19: 15 The LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

2 K. 8: 12 Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel.

Ezk. 20: 24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. 25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; 26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.

Dan. 4: 17 The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Hos. 13: 11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

246. God's right to visit the iniquity of fathers upon children, etc.

Ex. 20: 5 I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. [See 497.]

247. God's right to use men instrumentally.

1 Ch. 6: 15 Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. [See 265.]

248. God's right to vindicate himself and servants.

Dt. 32: 35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense. [See 558.]

175

Perfect Immutable-Universal - include evils.

PURPOSES OF GOD.

246. God has a perfect plan of operations.

Dt. 32: 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect.

Ec. 3: 14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. [See 304.]

250. The purposes of God eternal and immutable.

Ps. 33: 11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Pr. 19: 21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

Is. 14: 24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? 46:9 I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

Ep. 3: 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. [See 217.]

251. The purposes of God universal and particular.

Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.

Is. 14: 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

Ac. 17: 26 Hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.

Ep. 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. See [307.] 252. Purposes of God include natural and moral evil.

Ac. 2: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. - 4: 27 Of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and

National Election-Individual Election.

Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 13: 29 When they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

1 Pet. 2:8 A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Jude 4 There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev. 17: 17 God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. [See 3, 264-7.]

253. National election.

Dt. 4: 20 The LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day. -7: 6 Thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 32: 9 The LORD'S

portion is his people; Jocob is the lot of his inheritance. 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

Ps. 33: 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. Is. 45: 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name.

Rom. 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because unto them were committed the oracles of God. 9: 4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.

254. Individual election.

Mat. 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.-24: 22 For the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Jn. 13: 18 I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen. 15: 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit,

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