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I. THAT GOD IS "NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH," APPEARS BY HIS OWN POSITIVE DECLARATIONS.

II. THAT GOD "IS UNWILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH," IS ILLUSTRATED BY THE INVITATIONS WITH WHICH THE SACRED SCRIPTURES ABOUND.

III. THE SAME TRUTH IS STILL FURTHER ILLUSTRATED BY THE ENCOURAGEMENT GOD EVERYWHERE PRESENTS TO THOSE WHO SHOW AN INCLINATION TO RETURN.

IV. THE SAME TRUTH IS ILLUSTRATED BY THE THREATENINGS AND WARNINGS WHICH ARE GIVEN TO PERSONS AND NATIONS BEFORE DESTRUCTION COMES ON THEM.

V. THE DELAY OF JUDGMENT ILLUSTRATES MY TEXT.

VI. THE MOST NOTORIOUS CHARACTERS ARE SPECIFIED IN THE OFFERS AND INVITATIONS OF MERCY WHICH WE FIND IN SACRED SCRIPTURE.

VII. THE DEATH OF CHRIST IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE PROPOSITION IN THE TEXT.

VIII. THE MEANS EMPLOYED TO KEEP UP THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST BEFORE THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH DECLARES THE SAME TRUTH.

IX. THE PAINS TAKEN TO REMOVE DISTRUST PROVE THAT GOD IS "NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH." He not only gives us His declaration that He is not willing that any should perish, but He gives us His oath.

X. THE PROPOSITION CONTAINED IN THE TEXT IS ILLUSTRATED BY MANY EXAMPLES: Manasseh. Thief on cross.

(W. Freeland, LL. D.)

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KJV: For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

WEB: For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water, by the word of God;