these the apostle lower down calls "God's elect:" "I did know thee in the wilderness,"I regarded thee; as, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth." Much in the same sense as when David says, "I will not know a wicked person;" or as Christ, "I know you not," to false professors at the last day. Then, 3dly, There is the predestination to the adoption, and to the inheritance, and the conformity. 4thly, The gift to Christ to undertake for them. 5thly, The calling in time to the adoption, and inheritance, and conformity. 6thly, The justification. 7thly, The glorification, which includes all the work of the Holy Spirit on earth and in heaven, in time and in eternity.

Or, to set it forth more fully still, and more impressively, we would remark as follows:-That there are several links in this golden chain, and some of them reach back into eternity. A close and accurate inspection of the scripture testimony will disclose to us the following order in the links of this chain. 1st, For "the praise of the glory of God's grace,' there is the "purpose* which he hath purposed in himself," of "bringing many sons unto glory," in "the fellowship of his Son ;" and their being "gathered together in him," as their head, "that he might be the first-born among many brethren." 2dly, There is the "foreknowledge," or "love of God in Christ Jesus," towards the individuals that shall compose this

The word półeσis, from pò, before, and rienu, to place, signifies, to speak after the manner of men, the thing in general, the great object, having place in his own mind, as the fruit of his love and wisdom.

family. 3dly, There is the actual election, or choosing them out from the rest, in his Son, to possess and enjoy the glory intended, and " writing their names in the book of life." 4thly, For the execution of the gracious purpose towards these elect, there is the predestination or pre-ordination of them to "the adop'tion of children by Jesus Christ," for which they are to be prepared by regeneration of the Holy Spirit; likewise to an inheritance as thus "sons" or children; and finally, "to be conformed to the image of God's Son," the first-born of these many brethren, in holiness, in blessedness, and in the glory that is to be revealed. All these four take place in ETERNITY. Then, in TIME, and according to God's "purpose," there is, 5thly, God's calling of them to come to him, whom he in his purpose had from eternity constituted their head. And this calling, according to the statement of Christ himself, takes effect thus:-first, there is the Father's call; this call is "heard"-the person called "learns,” so as to "see the Son," or to have him "revealed" to him; and then, in consequence, he believes and comes. Now, if this be the scriptural view of the subject, on what ground can it be asserted that there is no personal election before believing, or as believing? Here is the purposed end-the persons chosen to that end— a fore-appointment of things as subordinate to that end, and the actual calling of the person taking place, and bringing to the faith by a certain process.

If the reader will examine and compare the passages of Scripture in the margin,* he will see that the above statement is precisely that view of the subject * Rom. viii 28—33, ix. 8—26; Eph. ii. 3-14.

men.

which the Holy Spirit has thought proper to give us. And there is an analogy between the Divine procedure in this affair, and that which might obtain among Here is a rich nobleman, we will suppose, who, for the praise of the glory of his grace," or goodness, purposes to form to himself a large family, whom he would invest with all the privileges of children. This is the purpose which he purposes in himself. But who shall be the objects of this favour? He fixes on them: these are the election. But how shall they be prepared for the glorious end designed for them? They must be endued with a spirit, with principles adapted to this end. He appoints certain preparatory measures accordingly: this is his predestination. But, again, how is all this to be brought about? He must call the persons in view to the thing intended for them, and institute a process by which they shall feel and act like children, and be prepared for their high and happy situation, and then his purposed end will be effected. So much for the statement of this doctrine: we now pass on to prove it.

CHAPTER II.

THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION PROVED TO BE A SCRIPTURE DOCTRINE.

IN adducing scripture testimony, we shall cite the passages that relate to the election of ancient Israel;

to the election out of that election, as noticed by the

prophets; the same in the days of Christ and the apostles; and, lastly, the election from among the Gentiles.

1. Those that relate to ancient Israel as a nation. "God sent Joseph before them into Egypt, to put for you a remnant in the earth."* "Because he

loved their fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them." "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers." "Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you, above all people, as at this day." "Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones." And as to this election, it is a remarkable fact, that not only did he foreknow them as "obstinate," &c., but he must have foreknown them as a nation who would prove more obstinate than "many people of a strange speech" -would " change God's judgments into wickedness more than the nations," and as "corrupted more in all their ways than Samaria and Sodom." See Ezek. iii. 6; v. 5, 6; xvi. 47, 48, 51, 52.

2. The election out of the national election of Israel, as occurring in the prophets.

When God declared his name, saying, that he would "keep mercy for thousands ;" and Paul says, in his

* So the Hebrew.

3. At the same time, the doctrine thus understood is not an encouragement to presumption; for as long as a sinner is an unbeliever, he is in a state of condemnation; and as long as he hardens his heart, the doctrine of election can give him no comfort, for so far from having reason to conclude that he is an elect vessel, he has reason to fear the direct contrary, and that just in proportion to his hardness and presump

tion.

4. Since it is not an election of exclusion, but there is universal provision, and the benign aspect of the gospel is universal; the preacher of it may, unembarrassed, preach it to every creature, and use every argument to enforce his message. Nay, more, when he may have cause to fear that his hearers are unpersuadable, and as such, in a truly alarming state, knowing that God, dealing in a way of equity, might say, "Because I have called, and ye refused," &c. yet he finds a relief in God's sovereign mercy, for he has learned that God "keeps mercy for thousands," and he knows not but that the most obdurate among his hearers may form a part of them. Moreover, besides that he has a warrant to preach the Gospel to every creature, if he sees any that " labour and are heavy laden," he has particular encouragement to invite them to Christ, because he has reason to believe that they are amongst the "thousands."