Matt. ix. That revelation, which is here designed, is no other than the execution of the divine purpose in election; and the only reason assigned by Him, who is the wisdom of God, and perfectly acquainted with the counsels of heaven, why the mysteries of the Gospel are revealed to some, while others of superior abilities and greater reputation among their fellow-creatures are left in absolute ignorance of them, and suffered to oppose them to their aggravated ruin, is the sovereign pleasure of Him, who "giveth no account of any of his matters,"

Much to our purpose are the words of Paul, when professedly handling the subject, and largely defending the doctrine of divine election. "The children being not yet born," and consequently "neither having done any good or evil," to obtain the approbation, or provoke the resentment, of their Creator; " that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works," or worthiness in the objects of it, but of the grace of "him that calleth;" it was said, concerning Jacob and Esau, as an instance of the divine procedure towards mankind in general, and as an evidence of the truth of the doctrine," the elder shall serve the younger." Rom. ix. 11, 12. And again: "There is a remnant," a very small number, “according to the election of grace." This assertion the sacred disputant proceeds to confirm by the following nervous argument—an argument taken from the nature of grace, as contradistinguished to all works and worthiness of every kind: "And if by grace, it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work." Rom. ix. 5, 6. Here the truth under consideration is asserted in the plainest manner: here it is defended by the strongest reasoning.

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Among the various blessings which flow from sovereign goodness, and are dispensed by reigning grace, that of election claims our first regard. It was in the decree of election that the grace of our Infinite Sovereign did first appear in choosing Christ as the head; and in him, as bis members, all that should ever be saved. Election, therefore, is the first link in the golden chain of our salvation, and the corner-stone in the amazing fabric of human happiness.

Booth.

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Good works, indeed, are not the causes of God's act of election; "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger; as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Rom. ix. 11-13. Nothing that is temporal can be the cause of that which is eternal; nor the will of man, nor any thing done by it, be the cause of the will of God; but yet good works are what "God has fore-ordained," that his chosen people should walk in them." Eph. ii. 10. Holiness is a means that is fixed in election, and an end that is secured by it. All those who, from the beginning, from everlasting, are chosen unto salvation by Christ, are chosen to it "through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth;" 2 Thess. ii. 13. all that are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, are so " through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus;" 1 Pet. i. 2. which sanctification is as infallibly secured as salvation itself; for, though men are not chosen because they were, yet they are "that they should be holy; and, in consequence of electing grace, become so, through the sanctifying influences of the Spirit of God. Election is the source and spring of all true and real holiness. There would not have been such a thing as holiness in the world, since the fall of Adam, had it not been for electing grace. "Except the Lord had left us a seed, and reserved a remnant for himself, according to the election of grace, the world had been as Sodom and as Gomorrah." Gill's Sermons.

The book of life, like the tree of life in the garden of Eden, hath a tree of knowledge growing hard by, which cannot with safety be tasted of. There are some nice and needless questions started, concerning election, which questions ought to be forborne. But these lofty walls and aspiring sons of Anak should by no means prevail with us to act the part of the unworthy spies, sent by Israel to explore the land of Canaan. We ought not to bring up a bad report, or give credit to any brought up by others, on a land that flows with so much milk and honey, as the doctrine of predestination doth. Not to insist on this doctrine, were to stop up those wells, which the

prophets, the apostles, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself, have digged, in their writings and ministrations, for the refreshment of thirsty souls; yea, it would be endeavouring to cancel the first great character of our salvation. Arrowsmith.

By a work of grace in thee, thou mayest as surely know thou art elected, as if thou hadst stood at God's elbow, when he wrote thy name in the book of life. Gurnall.

Election is a promotion that cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south; but from God, who, as he puts down one, and sets up another; so, some he chooses, and others be passes by, as seemeth him good, and none can say to him, What doest thou? or, Why hast thou made me thus? for election, as it always supposeth a greater number, out of which the choice is made; so, an arbitrary power in him that chooseth, to choose whom he will, without giving account to any for what he doth. But the ground and motive of divine election is very different from the manner of men; for they commonly pitch upon things for some natural aptness of them for their work; they will not take a knotty, cross-grained, or wind-shaken piece of timber to make a pillar of state; but the Lord pitches upon such, and such to choose, the poor, base, weak, foolish things of this world, the worst of men, and chief of sinners. The instances of Paul, Manasseh, Mary Magdalen, and others, make it evident; and of these, he is pleased to make lively images of his Son, and pillars for the house of God, (columns of state indeed!) whereon to write his own name; to manifest thereby his sovereignty, holiness, wisdom, power, righteousness, and free grace to eternity.

Elisha Cole.

To suppose God to perform any work which he did not first design, is to charge him with a degree of folly, and with acting below an intelligent agent. On the other hand, to suppose him to design to do any thing which he doth not effect, is to tax him with inpotence. If it is an instance of the wisdom and power of man, first to design a work, and then to perfect it, the great God (who is infinite in both these perfections) must design what he effects, and effect what he has designed. If we consider trin, as infinite in wis

dom, and of almighty power, there cannot be a more rational way of arguing than from his aets to his designs.

If God hath designed to save any person, then he must be saved; otherwise God must repent and change his mind concerning him, or be overpowered by some superior agency to his. To suppose ether of which, is not only to degrade, but to deny the divine perfections. Sladen.

It is objected, If this doctrine be true, then is man reduced to a mere machine. No: a mere machine has no sensibility, no consciousness, no reason, no will. But he is acted upon, (they say) and therefore not an agent. Is it then essential to an agent not to be acted upon? Then there is but one agent in the universe; for every thing but the First Cause is acted upon more or less. The fact is, there is no contrariety in these two things: angels and men are acted upon, yet they are moral agents. The holy agency upon them respects chiefly their disposition itself, but the agency they exert is the exercise of their faculties, will, and disposition. Dr. Williams.

Whence is it that the doctrines of special election, of efficacious grace in regeneration and conversion, of justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ, and of the infallible perseverance of the saints, though so clearly revealed, and so strongly proved in the word of God, are, notwithstanding, so generally denied, opposed, and ridiculed? Because they give all to the glory to God, and will not allow man so much as to boast a little. Anon.

Few, if any, among us are disposed to deny, that God did foreknow from all eternity who should be saved. He must then foreknow that the requisite qualifications to salvation shall be found in them; that they would repent, and believe, and obey the gospel; for none can be saved without these: and since the Scripture is plain, that these are God's gifts, of his working, wherever they are found; he cannot be said to bave foreknown that these would repent and believe, without an unalterable determination in his own mind to bestow these moving graces on them in particular. Therefore, foreknowledge and predestination are linked together. Rom. viii. 29. Whom he did foreknow, them he did predestinate.

Rev. Wm. Cooper.

SIR,-I think the doctrine of election never can agree with human merit; one will be always barking at the other. Every man, who seeks to justify himself by works, will loathe the doctrine heartily, and load it lustily with most reproachful names. Yet men reject the doctrine, not for want of scripture evidence, but for want of humbled hearts. We are not willing to be saved by an election of grace, till we know ourselves and find our just desert. A furnace is the most proper school to learn this doctrine, and there I learnt it.

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Nor men nor books could teach it me; for I would neither hear nor read about it. A long and rancorous war I waged with it; and when my sword was broke and both my arms were maimed, I yet maintained a sturdy fight, and was determined I would never yield; but a furnace quelled me. Large afflictions, largely wanted, peep gave me such experience of my evil heart, that I could electing grace without abhorrence; and, as I learned to loathe myself, I learned to prize this grace. It seemeth clear, if God had mercy for me, it only could be for this gracious reason, because he would have mercy, (Rom. ix. 18) for every day and every hour my desert was death. Bishop Beveridge.

Those who are ordained unto eternal life, are not so elected on account of any worthiness foreseen in them, nor yet for their future faith; but purely and solely of free, sovereign grace, and according to the mere pleasure of God. This is evident, among other considerations, from this; that faith, repentance, and holiness, are no less the free gifts of God, than eternal life itself. Eph. ii. 8. Faith is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. Phil. i. 29. Unto you it is given to believe. Acts v. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand, for to give repentance. Acts xi, 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. In like manner holiness is called the sanctification of the Spirit, 2 Thess. ii. 13. because the Divine Spirit is the efficient cause of it in the soul, and of unholy makes us holy. Now, if repentance and faith are the gifts, and sanctification is the work of God; then these are not the fruits of man's free will, nor what he acquires of himself; and so can neither be motives to, nor conditions of, his election, which is an act of the Divine Mind, antecedent to, and irrespective of, all qualities whatever in the persons elected. Be