"of his servants; that I might show these my signs be"fore him."* Yet just after, "Moses and Aaron came "in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him: Thus saith the "LORD God of the Hebrews; How long wilt thou re"fuse to humble thyself before me? Let my people

go, that they may serve me." Here, it is evident, that God used warnings, exhortations, and menaces to Pharaoh; even after he had repeatedly stated his purpose of hardening him: and who will say, that this was inconsistent and superfluous?

Again it is said: "The LORD hardened Pharaoh's "heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel

go:" and also, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and ." he shall follow after them: and I will be honoured upon "Pharaoh and his host." Now, whatever interpretation may be put on the words, "I will harden Pharaoh's "heart;" it cannot be doubted, but that the event respecting Pharaoh was certainly predetermined: yet this did not interfere either with his free-agency, or responsibility. He was not compelled, against his will, to act as he did; nor was the glorious God the Author of his sins. Neither did he, in all this, decree, or do, any thing inconsistent with his own perfections of justice, holiness, goodness, and mercy. He did not punish Pharaoh more than he deserved. On the other hand, he showed mercy to Israel, when guilty of the most abominable and aggravated idolatry: and he says, " I "will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." I act as a sovereign; without assigning any reasons; and, without taking any of them from the merits of the criminals. These two instances the apostle contrasts; and adds as an inspired comment on them, "Therefore "hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and

* Ex. x. 1, 2.

† Ex. x. 3, 4.

Ex. xi. 10. xiv. 4.

"whom he will he hardeneth." "Thou wilt then," he adds, "say to me, Why doth he yet find fault? for "who hath resisted his will?" Will any one maintain, that Pharaoh, dying in his most daring contest with Omnipotence, was only punished with temporal vengeance? Had he no'immortal soul? Was he fit for heaven? Was he not "driven away in his wickedness?" Or, would the worshippers of the golden calf, if they had been destroyed in a moment, as one man, in the very act of idolatrous rebellion, have suffered only temporal punishment? Had they no immortal souls? Were they meet for the worship, joy, employment, and company of heaven? They were spared: and the mercy of God in sparing them, gave them space for repentance; and this doubtless was eternal salvation to numbers of them So that even the facts adduced in illustrating the apostle's main subject, had to do with far more than the ' present world only.' God deals with some of our fallen rebellious race, as he did with Pharaoh, in awful justice, and displays his glory in so doing. He deals with others, as with the rebellious Israelites, and herein glorifies his mercy in harmony with his justice. He hath ' constantly decreed by his counsel, secret to us, to de'liver from curse and damnation those, whom he hath 'chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ, to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to 'honour."* The evil both of heart and conduct, in "the vessels of wrath," is wholly from "themselves:" but the repentance, faith, love, newness of heart, and newness of life, in "the vessels of mercy, whom he hath "afore prepared unto glory," are wholly from the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may 'have a good will; and working with us, when we have 'that good will.'†

These are our sentiments on the subject: and, though I have no expectation, or ambition, of rendering these sentiments general: they do not surely constitute so monstrous a doctrine; so replete with every thing evil, and deserving of such severe philippicks, as they constantly meet with; nor are they pregnant with such dire consequences, to the cause of practical godliness, as multitudes seem to suppose.

Let any man make out to his own complete satisfaction, that the dealing of God with Pharaoh, as recorded by Moses, and adduced by the apostle; were consistent with the divine justice and goodness; with Pharaoh's free-agency and responsibility; and with the moral government of God by rewards and punishments: and he will at once perceive what we have to plead on our own behalf, on the general subject. Indeed, we are neither called, nor authorized, nor inclined, to use such strong language concerning any individuals, or collective body, upon the supposition, that they are not the elect, as has been stated concerning Pharaoh. Had Pharaoh been unjustly doomed to temporal destruction alone; how could the divine conduct towards him be justified? But if deservedly and justly doomed to eternal damnation; no hesitation can be reasonably admitted, in respect of the dealings of God with him. For, at last, the question is not about the previous decree, concerning destination, or predestination; but the justice of God, in what he eventually has done or will do. If what he does and will do be wise, holy, just and good; no previous decree can render it unwise, unholy, unjust, and evil. While vindicating the Judge of all the. earth, from a presumptuous charge of injustice, in dooming sinners to eternal punishment; we must not concede, that he acts unjustly in temporal judgments: and if, in executing temporal judgments, "the wicked

" is driven away in his wickednes," and is cast down. into destruction, is "God unjust who taketh ven"geance?" The words, " arbitrarily and capriciously," in connection with the Lord's decrees, or dispensations, are used exclusively by the opponents of Calvinism, and are not found in the writings of Calvinists.-How ⚫ the example of the potter' can show, that the apostle is speaking of this life only;' when connected, with " vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction;" and " ves"sels of mercy, which he had afore prepared to glory," cannot easily be conceived. For surely these terms mean something extremely different from the ranks in 'society, into which men, by divine appointment are 'born,' as the apostle shows, when he particularly mentions himself, and both Jewish and Gentile converts to christianity, as "vessels of mercy.' "vessels of mercy." The election of a peculiar people, (even in the Calvinistick sense,) 'does not suppose the rest of the world neglected, or punished, except so far as they deserve it.' But had we all been punished as we deserved, we should all have perished everlastingly. O Lord, Deal not with us. ' after our sins; neither reward us according to our ini

quities.'* Even original sin, according to the doctrine of our church, in every person born into this ' world, deserveth God's wrath and damnation.'t We suppose, therefore, that the divine decree is positive, in respect of the elect, to deliver from curse and damna. 'tion, those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of man' kind, and to bring them by Christ, to everlasting sal❝vation, as "vessels made to honour;" (ut vasa in honorem efficta;) but that the purpose of God is negative, as to others; that is, he purposes to leave them to themselves, and to do nothing to deliver them from the pun

ishment which their sins deserve, or from the consequences of their depraved hearts and rebellious conduct. It is certain that the compilers of our articles did not think, that "the vessels whom God had afore prepared "unto glory," related to God's gracious offer of the gospel to those, whom he foreknew would accept of it: but to the effect of his special grace given unto them; for, after the words before quoted, it follows; Where'fore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit ' of God, be called according to God's purpose in due season, they through grace obey the calling; they be 'justified freely, &c.'* And indeed, if it be acknowledged, that man has not the disposition, and consequently not the ability, to do what in the sight of God ' is good, 'till he is influenced by the Spirit of God;'t his foreknowing that the persons spoken of, would accept the blessings of the gospel;' implies, that he purposed to give them his Holy Spirit, and so to "work "in them to will, and to do, of his good pleasure." But the words, " and to make known the riches of his "glory on the vessels of mercy, whom he had afore "prepared unto glory," denote more, than merely their effectual calling: they signify the same benefits, which the apostle elsewhere expresses in these words: "Giv

ing thanks to the Father, who hath made us meet to "be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; "who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, "and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear "Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, " even the forgiveness of our sins." And I could as casily believe, that our Lord's words, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," relate to this

Article xvii.. Page 61, Refutation.

Col. i. 12--14.