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God has decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeable, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accompanying His decree.
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Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass. upon all supposed conditions, yet has he not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which could come to pass upon such conditions.
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By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined, or preordained to eternal life to the praise of His glorious grace; and the rest are foreordained to everlasting death, in just condemnation for their sin, to the praise of glorious justice.
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These angels and men thus predestined and foreordained, and particularly and unchangeable designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or decreased.
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Those mankind that are predestined to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto.
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As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so He has, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto; wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are .... justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation; neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.
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God determined, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by the rest of mankind, to leave and harden them in their sin to their just condemnation, and to ordain the to dishonor and wrath for their sin; nevertheles, God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, so that even reprobate men, through His kindness and forvearance, are sincerely called to faith in Christ through the indiscriminate offer of salvation in the gospel.
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The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election; so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.
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