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the word necessary. See Psalm ciii. 17. and cxxv. 1, 2. Isaiah xlv. 17. and liv. 9, 10. Jer. xxxi. 38. and xxxii. 40. John vi. 39. and x. 28, 29. and xiv. 19. and xvii. 12. Rom. viii. 30, 38, 39, and xi. 29. 1 Cor. i. 8, 9. Phil. i. 6. 1 Pet. i. 4, 5.

Thus St. Austin,* "Of those whom God hath predestinated, none can perish, inasmuch as they are his own elect." And, ib. "They are the elect, who are predestinated, foreknown, and called according to purpose. Now, could any of these be lost, God would be disappointed of his will and expectations; but he cannot be so disappointed therefore, they can never perish. Again, could they be lost, the power of God would be made void by man's sin; but his power is invincible: therefore, they are safe." And again, cap. 9. "The children of God are written with an unshaken stability, in the book of their heavenly Father's remembrance." And, in the same chapter he hath these words; "Not the children of promise but the children of perdition shall perish: for the former are the predestinated, who are called according to the divine determination; not one of whom shall finally miscarry." So likewise Luther, "God's decree of predestination is firm and certain; and the necessity resulting from it is, in like manner, immoveable, and cannot but take place. For we ourselves are so feeble, that if the matter was left in our hands, very few, or rather none would be saved but Satan would overcome us all." To which he adds: "Now, since this steadfast and inevitable purpose of God cannot be reversed nor

Tom. 7 De Corr. & Grat. cap. 7. t In Præfat. ad Epist, ad Rom.

disannulled by any creature whatever; we have a most assured hope, that we shall finally triumph over sin, how violently soever it may at present rage in our mortal bodies."

Pos. 5. The salvation of the elect was not the only, nor yet the principal end of their being chosen; but God's grand end in appointing them to life and happiness, was to display the riches of his own mercy, and that he might be glorified in and by the persons he had thus chosen.

For this reason, the elect are styled vessels of mercy, because they were originally created, and afterwards, by the divine Spirit created anew, with this design, and to this very end, that the sovereignty of the Father's grace, the freeness of his love, and the abundance of his goodness, might be manifested in their eternal happiness. Now God, as we have already more than once had occasion to observe, does nothing in time which he did not from eternity resolve within himself to do: and if he in time creates and regenerates his people, with a view to display his unbounded mercy; he must consequently have decreed from all eternity to do this with the same view. So that the final causes of election appear to be these two: 1. and principally, The* glory

Let it be carefully observed, that, when with the scriptures we assert the glory of God to be the ultimate end of his dealings with angels and men, we do not speak this with respect to his essential glory, which he has as God, and which, as is infinite it is not susceptible of addition, nor capable of diminution: but of that glory which is purely manifestative, and which Mircroelius in his Lexic. Philosoph. col. 471. defines to be, "Clara rei, cum laude, notitia; cum, nempe, ipsa sua eminentia est magna, augusta, et conspicua." And the accurate Mastright, Celebrato, ceu manifestatio, (quæ magis proprie glorificatio, quam gloria, appellatur) qua, agnita intus eminentia, ejusque congrua æstimatio, propalatur & extollitur. Theolog. lib. 2. cap. 22. s. 8.

of God; 2. and subordinately, The salvation of those he has elected: from which the former arises, and by which it is illustrated and set off. So, Prov. xvi. 4. "The Lord hath made all things for himself." And hence that of Paul, Eph. i. "He hath chosen us to the praise of the glory of his grace.'

Pos. 6. The end of election, which with regard to the elect themselves, it is eternal life; I say this end, and the means conducive to it, such as the gift of the Spirit, faith, &c. are so inseparably connected together, that whoever is possessed of these, shall surely obtain that; and none can obtain that who are not first possessed of these. Acts xiii. 48. "As many as were ordained to eternal life," and none else, "believed." Acts v. 31. "Him hath God exalted-to give repentence unto Israel, and remission of sins :" not to all men, or to those who were not, in the counsel and purpose of God, set apart for himself; but to Israel, all his chosen people, who were given to him, were ransomed by him, and shall be saved in him with an everlasting salvation. Tit. i. 1. "According to the faith of God's elect;" so that true faith is a consequence of election, is peculiar to the elect, and shall issue in life eternal. Eph. i. "He hath chosen us— that we might be holy; therefore, all who are chosen, are made holy, and none but they and all who are sanctified, have a right to believe they were elected, and that they shall assuredly be saved. Rom. viii. 30. "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Which shews, that effectual calling and justification are indissolubly connected with election on one hand, and eternal happiness on the other: that they are a proof of

the former, and an earnest of the latter. John x. 26. 66 Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep;" on the contrary, they who believe, therefore believe, because they are of his sheep. Faith then is an evidence of election, or of being in the number of Christ's sheep, consequently, of salvation: since all his sheep shall be saved. John x. 28.

Pos. 7. The elect may through the grace of God attain to the knowledge and assurance of their predestination to life; and they ought to seek after it. The Christian may, for instance, argue thus ; 66 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed:" through mercy I believe, therefore I am ordained to eternal life. "He that believeth shall be saved:" I believe, therefore, I am in a saved state. "Whom he did predestinate, he called, justified, and glorified:" I have reason to trust that he hath called and justified me therefore I can assuredly look backward on my eternal predestination, and forward to my certain glorification. To all which frequently accedes the immediate testimony of the divine Spirit, witnessing with the believer's con-. science, that he is a child of God, Rom. viii. 16. Gal. iv. 6. 1 John v. 10. Christ forbids his little flock to fear, inasmuch as they might, on good and solid grounds, rest satisfied and assured, that "it is the Father's unalterable good pleasure to give them the kingdom," Luke xii. 28. And this was the faith of the aposle, Rom. viii. 38, 39.

Pos. 8. The true believer ought not only to be thoroughly established in the point of his own election, but should likewise believe the election of all his other fellow-believers and brethren in Christ. Now, as there are most evident and indubitable marks of election laid down in scripture ; a child

of God, by examining himself, whether those marks are found on him, may arrive at a sober and well-grounded certainty of his own particular interest in that unspeakable privilege and, by the same rule whereby he judges of himself, he may likewise (but with caution) judge of others. If I see the external fruits and criteria of election on this or that man; I may reasonably, and in a judgment of charity, conclude such an one to be an elect person. So St. Paul, beholding the gracious fruits which appeared in the believing Thessalonians, gathered from thence, that they were elected of God, 1 Thess. i. 4, 5. and knew also the election of the Christian Ephesians, Eph. i. 4, 5. as Peter also did that of the members of the churches in Pontus, Galatia, &c. 1 Pet. i. 2. It is true indeed, that all conclusions of this nature are not now infallible, but our judgments are liable to mistake: and God only, whose is the book of life, and who is the searcher of hearts, can absolutely know them that are his, 2 Tim. ii. 19. yet, we may without a presumptuous intrusion into things not seen, arrive at a moral certainty in this matter. And I cannot see how christian love can be cultivated, how we can call one another brethren in the Lord, or, how believers can hold religious fellowship and communion with each other, unless they have some solid and visible reason to conclude, that they are loved with the same everlasting love, were redeemed by the same Saviour, are partakers of like grace, and shall reign in the same glory.

But here let me suggest one very necessary caution; viz. that though we may at least very probably infer the election of some persons, from the marks and appearances of grace which may be discoverable in them; yet, we can never judge

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