selves and being sincerely desirous to give them good instruction, and to lead them on to establishment and comfort, I felt my deficiency, and seemed to have no ground to go on, nor any counsel to give them, but what, instead of relieving them, led them into greater perplexity. In this case, I earnestly besought the Lord to teach me what word in season to speak unto them.

While I was thus circumstanced, I read Whitsius' Economy of the Covenants, and observed what use he made of the doctrine of election for this very purpose. This convinced me that the doctrine, if true, would afford that ground of encouragement which the people wanted. They had been awakened from ignorant formality, open ungodliness and vice, or entire carelessness about religion, to an earnest and anxious inquiry after salvation; they appeared truly penitent, and real believers, and heartily desirous of cleaving unto the Lord; and they wanted some security that they should not, through the deceitfulness of their heart, their weakness, the entanglements of the world, and the temptations of Satan, fall back again into their former course of sin. This, if genuine, was the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit: and if wrought in consequence of "the determinate purpose and foreknowledge of God" respecting them; it would follow, from the entire and undeserved freeness of this first gift bestowed on them, when neither desiring nor seeking it, but while in a state of enmity and rebellion against God, and neglect of his service; and from his unchangeableness in his purpose, and faithfulness to his promises, that he would assuredly carry on and com

plete, the good work of his grace, and keep them by his power, as in a castle, through faith unto sal

vation.

Having now discovered one use of this doctrine, which before I objected to as useless and pernicious, I was led to consider how the other objections, which I had been accustomed to urge against it, might be answered. It is true, I now began to consider it as a mystery, not to be comprehended, nor yet too curiously to be searched into by man's natural reason; but humbly received by faith, just as far as it is plainly revealed in God's unerring word. I was therefore constrained to leave many objections unanswered, or to resolve them into the incomprehensible nature of God, whose judgments and counsels are as the great deep unfathomable: and into the sovereignty of God, who "doeth what he will with his own," and "gives no account of any of his matters," let who will presume to find fault; and into his declarations, that his thoughts and ways are as far above our thoughts and ways as the heavens are above the earth. Here I left the matter, conscious, at length, that such knowledge was too high for me: and that, if God had said it, it was not my place to cavil against it. I acknowledge this way of proceeding is not very satisfactory to man's proud curiosity, who would be as God, and know all that God knows and who even dares to dispute with him! and there are times when I can hardly acquiesce in such a solution. But, surely, it is highly becoming the dependent state, and limited understanding of the creature, to submit the decision of all such high points implicitly to the award of the infinitely

wise Creator. Indeed, the Christian religion expressly requires it of us; for our Lord declares, that "Except we receive the kingdom of God" (not as disputing philosophers, but)" as a little child, we shall in nowise enter therein." The day is coming when we shall be able to answer all objections. Here

we walk by faith," "and see in part, through a glass, darkly;" hereafter we shall see face to face, "and know even as we are known."*

The doctrine of personal election to eternal life, when properly stated, lies open to no objection which may not likewise with equal plausibility be urged against the conduct of God, in placing one nation in a more favourable condition than another, especially as to religious advantages; without the previous good or bad behaviour of either of them, or any discernible reason for the preference. In both cases we may say, Unmerited favour to one person, or people, is no injustice to others; and the infinitely wise God hath many reasons for his determinations, which we cannot discern, and which he deigns not to make known to us.

If sinners deserve the punishment inflicted on them, it cannot be unjust in the great Governor of the world to pre-determine their condemnation to it. The contrariety to justice and goodness, if there be any, must certainly be found in the Lord's actual dealings with his creatures, and not in his pre-determination thus to deal with them. It could not be inconsistent with any of the divine attributes, for the Lord from all eternity to decree to act consistently with all of them. The clamours excited against predestination, if carefully scrutinized, are generally found to be against the thing decreed, and not against the circumstances of its having been decreed from eternity. The sovereignty of God, when duly considered, appears to be nothing more than infinite perfection determining and accomplishing every thing in the very best manner possible; and infallibly performing the counsels of everlasting knowledge and wisdom, justice, truth, and love; notwithstanding all the plans and designs of innumerable voluntary rational agents, which might seem incompatible with them: nay, performing those counsels even by means of these voluntary agents, in perfect consistency with their free agency and accountableness; but in a manner which we are utterly incapable of comprehending.

We should scarcely object to this infinitely wise and holy sovereignty of God, however absolute; did we not, from consciousness of guilt and carnal enmity of heart, suspect that it

Leaving therefore all difficulties of a metaphysical nature to be cleared up in that world of light and knowledge, I began to consider the abuses of this doctrine, which I had always looked upon as a very formidable objection against it. But I soon dis

might probably be found at variance with our happiness; and I apprehend, should any man be fully persuaded that God had decreed his eternal happiness, however groundless that persuasion might be, he would find his aversion to the doctrine of election exceedingly abated by it. I have often observed that some persons, who declaim most vehemently against the Calvinistical doctrine of divine decrees, seem perfectly reconciled to predestination, when persuaded that God hath eternally decreed the salvation of all men! On the other hand, no consciously impenitent sinner is cordially reconciled to the general declarations of Scripture, concerning the everlasting misery of all impenitent sinners, whatever he may think about personal election.

In fact, the grand difficulty in the whole of the divine conduct equally embarrasses every system of Christianity; and every scheme of Deism, except men deny that God is the Creator and Governor of the world. For wickedness and misery actually exist and abound: the fact is undeniable: the almighty God could have prevented this; and we should have thought that infinite love would have preserved the creation from all evils of every description. Yet, infinite wisdom saw good to permit them to enter, and amazingly to prevail! Till this difficulty be completely solved, let none object to truths, plainly revealed in Scripture, on account of similar difficulties. But let us remember, that our narrow capacities, and scanty information, do not qualify us to judge concerning what it becomes the infinite God to determine and to do, and let us adopt the language of the apostle on this subject: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor! Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

As for the objections made to these doctrines, as inconsistent with free agency, accountableness, commands, invitations, calls to repentance, faith and holiness, and diligence in the use of means; they universally and altogether arise from misrepresentation and misapprehension of the subject. (See the Author's Sermon on Election and Final Perseverance, &c. 5th Ed.)

covered, that though ungodly men, who make profession of religion, will turn the "grace of God into licentiousness;" yet, we might so explain and guard these doctrines, that none could thus abuse them, without being conscious of it, and so detecting their own hypocrisy. It still indeed appeared probable to me, that the preaching of them might at first occasion some trouble of mind to a few well-disposed persons: but I considered that by a cautious declaration, and contrasting them with the general promises of the Gospel to all who believe, this might in great measure be prevented; at the worst, a little personal conversation with such persons would seldom, if ever, fail to satisfy them, and enable them in general to derive encouragement from them: while the unsettling of the minds of such persons, as are carelessly living in an unconverted state, is the great end of all our preaching to them; and therefore we need not fear any bad effect of this doctrine in that respect. The great question therefore was,—Are these doctrines in the Bible, or not? Hitherto I

had wilfully passed over and neglected, or endeavoured to put some other construction upon, all those parts of Scripture which directly speak of them: but now I began to consider, meditate, and pray over them; and I soon found, that I could not support my former interpretations. They would teach predestination, election, and final perseverance, in spite of all my wresting and expounding. It also occurred to me, that these doctrines, though now in disgrace, were universally believed and maintained by our venerable reformers; that they were admitted, at the beginning of the reformation, into the creeds, cate>