Wesley Corpus

The Governor of heaven and earth, the IAM, over all, God blessed for ever, takes no step here but as these direct, and prepare the way before his face. This is his eternal and irresistible will, as he hath revealed unto us by his Spirit; declaring in the strongest terms, adding his oath to his word, and, because he could swear by no greater, swearing by him self, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth.” The death of him that dieth can never be resolved into my pleasure or sovereign will. No; it is impossible. We challenge all mankind, to bring one clear, scriptural proof to the contrary. You can bring no scripture proof that God ever did, or assertion that he ever will, act as mere sovereign in eternally condemning any soul that ever was or will be born into the world. 55. Now, you are probably thinking of Esau and Pharaoh. Do you then set it down as an unquestionable truth, that these were eternally condemned by the mere sovereign will of God? Are you sure that they were eternally condemned? Even that point is not altogether certain. It is nowhere asserted in holy writ; and it would cost you some pains to prove it. It is true, Pharaoh’s death was a punishment from God; but it does not follow, that he was punished everlastingly. And if he was, it was not by the mere sovereign will of God, but because of his own stubbornness and impenitence. Of this Moses has given us a particular account: Accordingly we read, “When Pharaoh saw that there was respite,” (after he was delivered from the plague of frogs,) “he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them.” (Exod. viii. 15.) So after the plague of flies, “Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.” (Verse 32.) Again: “When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.” (ix. 34.) After God had given him all this space to repent, and had expostulated with him for his obstinate impeni tence, in those solemn words, “How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?” (x.