ism. I would wish to make it understood, what we really do believe, and what we do not; and on what grounds: to obviate misapprehension, and misrepresentation; and, if it might be, to procure for us somewhat more candour, and fairness, and equity, from our opponents, than we generally meet with. This I should greatly desire for their sakes; as I must think, that many things, advanced groundlessly against us, are exceedingly criminal in the sight of God. Having before stated to the publick, in my comment of the Scriptures, my deliberate judgment, concerning the true meaning of every passage here considered, and of every other text pertaining to the argument; and not having been convinced by The Refutation,' that my interpretation is erroneous; I must refer the reader, who may wish more fully to know my sentiments, or the reasons of them, to the comment itself: and, as a more compendious method, to A Sermon on Election, and final Perseverance,' publisheda bove twenty-four years ago. P. ccxliv. 1. 19. To send, &c.'* Are not all 'who 'believe and obey,' ' certain individuals only,' to the exclusion of all, who do not believe and obey; as well

To send Christ into the world, that mankind might be saved, was indeed ⚫ the eternal purpose of God; this he decreed from the beginning; but, in ⚫ making this decree, he did not appoint, that the benefits of Christ's mission ⚫ should be enjoyed by certain individuals only, but that they should extend to all who believed and obeyed; and that every one, to whom the gospel ⚫ should be made known, should have the power of believing and obeying. There was no absolute election of particular persons who must necessarily be saved, but a conditional offer of salvation to all. If the redemption pur⚫ chased by the death of Christ be confined to the elect, the design of Christ's ⚫ coming into the world was to save the elect, and the elect only, and not "to save sinners" in general. But we find not in Scripture a single text which thus restrains the object of Christ's incarnation; and, on the other ⚫ hand, we have seen that there are numerous passages upon this subject, of ⚫ the most comprehensive signification. The impenitently wicked are alone * excluded from "the blessed hope of everlasting life which God has given "us in our Saviour Jesus Christ."

as the elect are certain individuals only,' excluding such as are not elect? Now we believe, that they are exactly the same individuals: all, who believe and obey, are elect, and prove their election, by their faith and obedience; and all the elect are, by special grace, brought to believe and obey.* Instead of necessarily, we should say, certainly: the conditional offer of salva'tion to all,' is made to all, where the word of God is preached; but is nothing more done, by the grace of God, for those who believe and obey? The effects of the redemption of Christ is confined to those, who be'lieve and obey;' eventually he will save these, and these only, and not sinners in general;' that is, he will not save men, whether they believe and obey, or no. Now, supposing all who believe and obey to have been chosen,

in Christ out of mankind,' 'by the counsel of God 'secret to us;' and, in consequence, to have been called ' according to God's purpose by his Spirit, working in 'due season; they through grace obey the call, &c:'† then the doctrine of personal election is as consistent, with the general intention of Christ's coming to save sinners; as the doctrine, that only those who believe and obey shall be saved. And to explain the general design, in any other sense, would bring in universal salvation. On our principles also, the impenitently wicked 'alone are excluded from the blessed hope of everlast'ing life, which God has given us in Jesus Christ our 'Saviour:' for, we consider none, as non-elect, but those who die impenitent and unbelieving, not by necessity, or in any other way, than by being left, without special grace, to the effects of their wicked dispositions and actions. How far the following texts may be considered, as instances, in which the Scripture thus restrains the

See Art. xvii, former part.

+ See Art. X.

object of Christ's incarnation, the reader must judge. "All that the Father giveth unto me, shall come unto "me; and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise "cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do

*

my own will, but the will of him that sent me: and "this is the will of him that sent me, that of all, which "he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should "raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will "of him that sent me; that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; " and I will raise him up at the last day."-"No man "can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, "draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.—It "is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught "of God: Every man therefore, that hath heard and hath "learned of the Father, cometh unto me." "No man "can come to me, except it were given unto him of my Father."* "Other sheep I have, which are not "of this fold;" (evidently meaning the Gentiles who should believe in him;) "them also must I bring, "and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one "fold, and one Shepherd."-" Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they fol"low me: and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them me is greater than "all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."t "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give "eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." "I pray for them; I pray not for the world; but for them, "whom thou hast given me."--" Neither pray

66

66

I for

John vi. S-40. 44, 45 65

John x. 16, 26-30

"these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word."* The election hath ob "tained it: and the rest were blinded."+ But let this "suffice,

P. ccxlv. 1. 23. Can we, &c?'t God by a po'sitive law,' forbade Adam to eat the fruit of a certain tree; and certainly he forbade the Jews, by positive law, to crucify their holy Messiah: yet he foresaw, and predicted, and consequently had decreed, "in his deter"minate counsel and foreknowledge," the crucifixion of the Messiah: and he might secretly determine to leave Adam to himself, for most wise and holy purposes; and yet forbid him to eat of the fruit of that tree. But as nothing express is spoken concerning such a decree; however it may seem to follow, from the other doctrines, which we do hold; it is presumptuous in us, to deduce unrevealed conclusions, from revealed truths; even though Calvin himself did it. Calvinists in general do not hold, that Adam by his original formation 'was absolutely unable to obey; or that the continuance ' of innocence and happiness depended on a condition, 'that he was' either physically,' or morally unable 'to obey,' nay, they maintain the contrary: but God alone is immutable; and a creature, however exalted and excellent, must be changeable; and Adam changed, and fell, by his own wilful and aggravated crime. The entrance, however, of wickedness and misery, into the creation of an Omnipotent God, who is Love, or even

• John xvii. 2. 9. 20

† Rom. xi. 7.

Can we believe that God forbade the fall, which by an antecedent de cree he had rendered inevitable? That he gave a commandment to Adam. 'which by his original formation he was absolutely unable to obey? That he 'made the possession of Paradise, and the continuance of his innocence and 'happiness, to depend upon a condition, which it was physically impossible 'for him to fulfil?'

the existence of them, is a difficulty, which the Scripture has not removed, and which man's reasonings never can remove; but which will, no doubt be cleared up, at the day of "wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." It is an undeniable fact, on every supposition, and bears equally upon the sentiments of all men, except avowed Atheists: yet it is the grand difficulty of all; and if any man could satisfacto rily solve it, all others might be more easily removed. But, though the " judgments of God are a great deep, "his righteousness is like the strong mountain." P. ccxlvi. 1, 4. 'It was, &c.'*

It is a relief to the

• ' It was indeed a decree of God, to create man and to endow him with free-agency; but the bad actions of men, which arose from the abuse of this 'free-will, are not to be considered as the decrees of God. All which can ⚫ be said of them with reference to God is, that they are the consequence of 'his decree. It is indispensably necessary to distinguish between those ⚫ works which are done by the immediate will and operation of God, and 'those works which are done by free-agents who derive their free-agency 'from him. The former may very properly be said to be the decrees of • God, because "known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the "world:" of this kind are the creation of man, the call of Abraham, and the 'Redemption through Christ. But the actions of free-agents can only be 'said to be permitted by God; and of this kind are the fall of Adam, and divine will. Many of God's de

' every other human transgression of the

crees arose from the foreseen conduct of men; such as, the deluge, the giv⚫ing of the law by Moses, and the revelation of his will from time to time <by the prophets. And God frequently makes the sinfulness of men the 'means of accomplishing his own wise and gracious purposes, of which we have a signal instance in the death of our Saviour himself, who "by wicked "hands was crucified and slain," and thus made "the propitiation for the "sins of the whole world:" in this manner was Christ "delivered by the "determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," and the Jews and Ro'man Gentiles" did whatsoever the hand and the counsel of God determined "before to be done." Not only God's own immediate works are known to him from the beginning of the world, but also all the works of all his crea"tures. All futurity is open to his view. He knows all the words, thoughts, and actions of men, and all the events passing at any one moment, or ' which will hereafter take place, in every part of the universe. He is not ' circumscribed by the relations either of time or place; past, present, and to come, near and remote, are to him the same. Nothing gives a more sublime 'idea of the attributes of the Deity, than this consideration, that the whole.