G. F. To James Hutchinson’s in Ireland came many great persons, desiring to discourse with me about election and reprobation. I told them, “though they judged our principle foolish, it was too high for them, they could not with their wisdom comprehend it; therefore I would discourse with them according to their capacities. You say (said I), that God hath ordained the greatest part of men for hell, and that they were ordained so before the world began; for which your proof is in Jude. You say Esau was reprobated, and the Egyptians, and the stock of Ham. But Christ saith to his disciples, ‘Go, teach _all_ nations,’ and ‘go into all nations and preach the gospel of life and salvation.’ Now, if they were to go to _all_ nations, were they not to go to Ham’s stock and Esau’s stock; did not Christ die for _all_? then for the stock of Ham, of Esau, and the Egyptians. Doth not the Scripture say, ‘God would have _all_ men to be saved?’ Mark, _all_ men, then the stock of Esau and of Ham also. Doth not God say, ‘Egypt, my people?’ and that he would have an altar in Egypt? Isa. xix. Were there not many Christians formerly in Egypt? And doth not history say, that the Bishop of Alexandria would formerly have been Pope? And had not God a church in Babylon? I confess, ‘the word came to Jacob, and the statutes of Israel; the like was not to other nations.’ For the law of God was given to Israel; but the gospel was to be preached to _all_ nations, and is to be preached. The gospel of peace and glad tidings is to all nations, ‘he that believes, is saved; but he that doth not believe, is condemned already;’ so the condemnation comes through unbelief. And whereas Jude speaks of some, that were of old ordained (or written of before) to condemnation, he doth not say, before the world began; but, ‘written of old,’ which may be referred to Moses’s writings, who wrote of those whom Jude mentions, namely, Cain, Korah, Balaam, and the angels that kept not their first estate. And such Christians as followed them in their way, and apostatized from the first state of Christianity, were and are ordained for condemnation by the light and truth, which they are gone from. And though the apostle speaks of God’s loving Jacob and hating Esau; yet he tells the believers, ‘we all were by nature children of wrath as well as others.’ This includes the stock of Jacob, of which the apostle himself and all believing Jews were. Thus both Jews and Gentiles were _all_ concluded under sin, and so under condemnation, that God might have mercy upon all, through Jesus Christ. The election and choice stands in Christ; and ‘he that believes, is saved; and he that believes not, is condemned already.’ Jacob typifies the second birth, which God loved; and both Jews and Gentiles must be born again, before they can enter the kingdom of God. When you are born again, ye will know election and reprobation; for the election stands in Christ,