nd, as such, is to be abhorred.

IV. It has a tendency to render all means useless.--I know it is
asserted, that He who has ordained the end, has appointed the means
thereunto: And this observation, understood rightly, is a great
truth. But has God so ordained, that there is no liberty left for
free agency? Has he appointed that one must be a preacher, and
another a curser and swearer? that one must give his goods to feed
the poor, and another must steal and plunder, and so live upon spoil
and rapine? Or has the Lord given a power to every man either to
choose or refuse? This is what the Bible maintains, or otherwise the
many exhortations, reproofs, expostulations, and threatenings are in
vain. Now we are exhorted to pray: "To pray! for what?" Such things
as we are sensible we stand in need of. Yea, and it is said, "Ye
have not:" "And why had they not? Was it because God had decreed to
give them nothing?" No such thing; they have not, because they did
not ask. For if God had decreed to give them nothing, then they had
not been to blame; but they are charged with neglect in not asking,
and that is assigned as the reason of their not receiving. This is
perfectly consistent with what our Lord has said, "Ask, and it shall
be given; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened."
Well, but all this asking, knocking, seeking, is all lost labour, if
there be any such decree as is mentioned above. For can all this
praying, and asking, and seeking, alter what is irreversibly decreed
to be done? Indeed this borders upon deism; for the deists argue,
"Do you think that praying will make God change his mind?" Now if we
believe the Bible, we must ask God to give us the blessings we stand
in need of, and cannot warrantably expect to receive without asking.
The same holds good with regard to family prayer. I ask eternal life
for my wife, children, or friends. How vain is all my labour! For if
God has decreed to give them eternal life, they shall have it in the
way, time, place, and manner it is decreed for them, whether I pray
or not. And if God has not decreed to give it unto them, all my
praying can never change the decree.

I find a love to poor perishing sinners in some town or village, and
I go to persuade them to be reconciled to God: Many of them use me
ill, not only with reviling language, but even with sticks, or
stones, or clods, or rotten eggs. Why, what a fool was I to expose
myself on any such account! If they a