termined to have a seed from among them, to glorify the Redeemer. It is not necessary that they should know the names, or number of the elect; but it is necessary that they should know, that there is an election, according to grace. This stimulates them to " endure all things for the elects' sakes, that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus." It was a great encouragement to Paul to continue to preach the gospel in Corinth, when the Lord informed him, that he had much people in that city. It is a great encouragement to the missionary societies, and to their missionaries, to carry the gospel to the various heathen nations, to know that the heathen are given to Christ, and that the time is not far distant when, according to the prophecies, they are to be gathered into the church. They have no idea of doing any thing more than God has determined should be done; and they would have no courage to attempt any thing, if they did not believe God had determined to do something for the heathen. The purpose of God, to save some of our fallen race, by the foolishness of preaching, is the very thing which encourages ministers to preach. It is said by some, that if this doctrine be true, it does no good to preach : But if this doctrine were not true, preaching would do nothing towards raising to life sinners, who are dead in trespasses and sins.

Use 3. This doctrine is of great use to awaken stupid sinners, and promote a work of conviction in their consciences. It is an important thing in the economy of grace, to awaken the attention of stupid men to things of the greatest conse

quence; and, when awakened, to make them see that they have a heart which is enmity against God. The doctrine of election is a very awakening doctrine. No unconverted sinner can have a realizing sense of the truth of it, without having some feeling. The doctrine shows him, that there is no hope of his salvation, except what is built on the mere mercy of God;---that he will never of himself accept of gospel salvation,---and that God has a perfect right to leave him to perish in his sins, while others are saved by free grace. This doctrine, in proportion as it becomes real to the mind, makes the sinner feel naked. It greatly disturbs the hopes which he had built on his resolutions of future amendment. He cannot sit quietly and hear it preached; and he has really nothing to do with peace, so long as he remains an enemy to the Holy One of Israel. Sinners are not all brought under awakening by this doctrine; but many have been: And many others, who have been awakened by other truths, have had their convictions greatly increased by hearing this doctrine brought into view. They have thought, under concern of mind, they were gradually preparing for the new birth, and expecting every day that they should be converted; but the doctrine of election has been providentially thrown into their view, to blast all their fair prospects, which they were building on themselves. A thought of this, has spoiled all that they have done ;---it has confounded them in the Babel they were building; and being still unreconciled to salvation by free grace, they have found in themselves that carnal

mind which is enmity against God. They have, in view of a sovereign (though holy) election, felt most sensible opposition of heart to the Divine Being. And they have afterwards acknowledged the goodness of God in bringing this doctrine into their view, and thereby discovering to them the secret corruption of their hearts, and preventing them from thinking they were something when they were nothing.

Use 4. This doctrine is of great use to keep awakened sinners, who see their total depravity, from a state of total despair.

Persons while unregenerate may have such clear conviction of their rooted opposition to disinterested religion, as to know, that of themselves they shall never embrace it. They are convinced, that the opposition, which they now feel, will remain forever, if their offended Sovereign should not, of his own good pleasure, remove it. And though the doctrine of election gives them pain, by demolishing all their self-righteous schemes, still it excites a gleam of hope, when there is none arises from any other quarter. The distressed soul may reason thus; "I see I am completely hemmed in by my own selfish heart--I shall never be any more willing to come to Christ than I am now---I may have greater conviction of my guilt in not coming; but all this will do nothing towards making me come. Conviction will never beget conversion: why then had I not better dispel my fears, and take a little comfort before I lie down in endless sorrows?" In this state of distress, let us suppose the purpose of God, to make willing a great number of

rebellious sinners, is brought to the mind; it will prevent total despair, and will make conviction appear important. The sinner will reason thus ; "If God has determined to change the hearts of some sinners, in spite of their unwillingness; then it is not impossible but that he has determined to change mine. I also know, that when God designs to change the sinner's heart, he makes him first feel that his heart needs this change; if therefore I drive away my conviction, I shall have great reason to fear that I am a reprobate. My conviction is no proof that I am to be converted; but the getting rid of it will make my case appear almost hopeless." Although creatures are under obligation to love God, whether they are happy or miserable; yet where is the encouragement, that totally depraved sinners have, to attend to any means of grace, with the least hope of being savingly benefitted, if the doctrine of which we are now treating is given up? The reason why election appears to sinners to be a discouraging doctrine, is, because they are not sufficiently discouraged about trusting in a goodness in their own hearts, which they will never find there.

Use 5. The doctrine of election is of use to establish the perseverance of the saints. The Saviour makes use of this doctrine to prove the impossibility of the saints being fatally deceived by the false Christs and false prophets. He says, They shall deceive, if it were possible, the very elect. Their being elected or chosen by the God of all grace, to the salvation of the gospel, puts it out of the power of all impostors to ruin them.

Believers were not chosen merely to believe, but to be saved. "As many as were ordained unto eternal life believed." They were ordained to eternal life. Their election, and their enjoyment of eternal blessedness, are inseparably connected. In the 8th chapter of Romans, predestination is inseparably connected with final salvation.--"Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

Use. 6. Another important use of this doctrine is to exclude boasting. Christ makes this use of it when discoursing with his disciples, John xv. 16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," i. e. my choice of you was previous to your choice of me. The use which he evidently designed to make of his sovereign election of them, previous to their having any disposition to choose Him, was to promote humility in them. Such a use of sovereign preventing grace is made by the apostle in his epistle to the Galatians : "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God." By this the apostle designed to teach them, not to glory over those who still remained in a heathen state, as though they were originally any better than they; nor as though they had now made themselves to dif fer from them. The same apostle evidently makes use of the election of grace, to prevent christians from priding themselves on their own works, when he says, "Who hath saved and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose, and