BE 66 - predestination

BE 66

But what more hurtful, or more cruel notion
could have been hatched out and believed
concerning God,
than that any part of the human race
are predestined to damnation?
For it would be a cruel belief,
that the Lord,
who is love itself and mercy itself,
willed that a multitude of men
should be born for hell,
or that myriads of myriads
should be born devoted to destruction,
or in other words, born to be devils and satans;
and that, out of His Divine wisdom, which is infinite,
He would not and did not provide for those who live well,
and acknowledge God,
that they should not be
cast into everlasting fire and torment;
whereas the Lord is the Creator and Savior of all,
and He alone leads all,
and wills not the death of any.
. . . Yet this is an offspring
of the faith of the present church;
but the faith of the New Church
abhors it as a monster.