REFLECTIONS.

1. It is by the knowledge of the law and of sin, together with the knowledge of the wrath and curse and damnation that follows the sin, especially as promoted by trouble, that God SUBDUES the mind, so as to induce it to seek for salvation.

2. It is by the knowledge of the plan and way of salvation, and particularly of Jesus Christ, and him crucified, as connected with the promises of the gospel, that God DRAWS the mind to the Saviour. Therefore

3. In order to subdue, such subjects should be preached as tend to produce a knowledge of the law and of sin, with the solemnities of death and judgment, and hell and eternity: and in order to draw, the love of God in the redemption of sinners, the love of Christ in his mediatory undertaking, and the almighty power of the Holy Spirit, should be exhibited, together with the provisions and promises of gospel grace.

4. That, since it is not only a method suited to our rational nature, but since it was the practice of Moses and the prophets, of Christ and the apostles, to reason with and persuade, and particularly as God is expressly said to "plead" with persons, such method should be adopted by all God's ministers; and that both with saints and sinners, praying for "the demonstration of the Spirit and of power" to accompany it.

5. That while the damnation of the sinner is occasioned by his own stubbornness, the salvation of a sinner is of effectual grace; and that, while the former is the award of equity, the latter is the gift of sovereign goodness.

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PART II.

THE BOOK OF LIFE,

OR THE SUPERADDED DISPENSATION OF SOVEREIGN GRACE TOWARDS A PECULIAR PEOPLE, GOD HEREIN ACTING AS A GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN.

CHAPTER I.

ON GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY IN GENERAL, AND OF ITS EXERCISE IN REFERENCE TO MAN'S FUTURE CONDITION IN PARTICULAR.

SECTION I.

On God's Sovereignty in GENERAL.

In ascribing sovereignty to God, we mean that he does, and that he has right to do, what he will with his own, salva justitia, or not infringing on the claims of justice.

It is thus expressed in Scripture: "What his soul desireth that he doeth."* "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places."+" He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth." "Who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will."

It is exercised as to nations. "He hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."§ "When Eph. i. 11.

*Psalm cxxxv. 6.

† Dan. iv. 35. § Acts xvii. 26.

"It is not for

the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel." "I have made the earth, the man, and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power, and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet to me." As to times: "He hath determined the times before appointed." you to know the times and seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." As to kings: "He setteth up kings," &c. "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and he turneth it whithersoever he will." So, as to individuals in common: "The Lord killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich; he bringeth low, and raiseth up." "9*

This sovereignty is exercised also in reference to religious privileges. Thus the seed of Isaac was preferred to that of Ishmael; Jacob and his seed to Esau and his seed. Thus, it was according to the commandment of the everlasting God, that the gospel was at such a time to be "made known to all nations for the obedience of faith." And when Paul was engaged in executing his general commission to the Gentiles, to show this sovereignty, "the Spirit suffered him not," at least at that time, "to go into Bithynia;" while he is made to see a vision calling him into Macedonia.

This sovereignty is founded on the consideration that Jehovah is the great Creator and Proprietor of all things, and that thus all are absolutely dependent upon him, and he is dependent upon none; and that

* 1 Sam. ii. 6, 7.

"he made all things for himself." What more rea sonable than that he should be "Lord of heaven and earth," seeing he has made them, and that they are absolutely his own? On this the apostle founds it in that memorable passage, "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 of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen."*

But this sovereignty is not arbitrary will or caprice. It is always exercised consistently with righteousness. It never does wrong. Although it may mitigate or remit the punishment awarded by justice, yet it never lays upon men more than is right." Thus, while in the exercise of sovereign goodness, God says,

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May I not do what I will with my own?"-with my own world with my own spirit-he also says, "Friend, I do thee no wrong." It is always wise too; for "he worketh all things according to the counsel of his will." But we should do well to remember, that "he giveth not account of his matters," at least at present; and that "it is the glory of God to conceal a thing,"an aphorism applicable to the Divine conduct in creation, in providence, and in redemption.

SECTION II.

God's Sovereignty as to Men's Eternal Condition.

The sovereignty of which we are about to treat, having respect to man's eternal condition, it becomes us to treat it with peculiar and holy caution. We observe then

*Rom. xi. 33-36.

1. That we do not consider it as exercised on men as innocent, but as guilty. Concerning whom was it that God said, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy?"* Concerning Israel, a people who had broken his covenant, and who deserved to be "consumed." Indeed the Indeed the very word "mercy," implies that they were liable to the sword of justice. As Mr. Henry observes, "God does not damn by prerogative, though he saves by prerogative." And again: "All that are saved, are saved by prerogative of grace; but those that perish, are cut off by an act of Divine holiness and justice, not of absolute sovereignty."

2. We consider it as exercised on persons who were foreseen as guilty not only of disobedience to the law of works, but of disobedience to the "law of faith;" on persons considered as proved, or certainly foreknown, to be disobedient if proved ;-vessels new made out of vessels "marred in the hand of the potter;"+ "vessels of mercy;" and "vessels of wrath" out of persons “endured with much long-suffering." Nor does it alter the case, that this sovereignty takes its date "before the foundation of the world;" for not only "known unto God are all his works before the foundation of the world," but to his infinite mind must have been known all our works, and our wills too, as has been proved in another place. To him, in whose view "a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years," the whole period of the world's existence, and all the works and wills of its inhabitants, * Exod. xxxii. 33; xxxiii. 19; Rom. ix. 15—24. Jer. xviii. 4; xix. 11.