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mity of his carnal mind against the way of salvation by Christ and all who heartily embraced it. But at length he was made a signal subject of that special grace, which he had opposed. This change of heart produced as great a change in sentiment, He became the most zealous and able advocate of the doctrines of grace. To explain and inculcate these doctrines is the capital point in his epistles. He dwells upon grace in his epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians, but especially in his epistle to the Romans. He traces grace from step to step to its original and eternal source. He begins the epistle with a lively and just description of human nature in its present fallen state. He proves both Jews and Gentiles to be totally depraved and justly condemned. He brings into view the great atonement of Christ. He points out the way, by which sinners become interested in it. He shows their renovation of heart and justification before God to be of grace, and finally he traces their fall and recovery to the grace of God in his original, eternal purof election. These doctrines pose he fairly states and clearly illustrates. He mentions instances of election and reprobation. And by these instances he makes it appear, that God fits some for destruction and others for heaven for the same benevolent and important purpose: that is, to display the riches of his He says, "What if God grace. willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction; and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory?" Here the apostle, at one view, exhibits, in the most affecting contrast, the destruction of the non-elect and the

salvation of the elect. And he
plainly teaches, that it is the pur-
pose of God to destroy the non-
elect, in order to display the rich-
es of his grace towards the elect.

That God means to destroy the
non-elect is plainly taught in the
scriptures. We are expressly told,
that Judas was a reprobate; that
he was the son of perdition; that
it had been good for him if he had
never been born; and that he went
to his own place; the place to
which he was originally appointed.
The unbelieving Jews in Christ's
day were such, as God had repro-
bated and meant to destroy.-
Hence we read in the twelfth
chapter of John's gospel, "There-
fore they could not believe, be-
cause Esaias said, He hath blind-
ed their eyes and hardened their
heart, that they should not see
with their eyes nor understand
with their heart and be converted
and I should heal them." Peter,
speaking of believers and unbe-
lievers, represents certain unbe-
lievers as appointed to destruc-
"Unto you, therefore, who
tion.
believe, he is precious; but unto
them, who be disobedient, the
stone, which the builders disallow-
ed; the same is made the head
of the corner and a stone of stum-
bling and a rock of offence, even
to them who stumble at the word,
being disobedient; whereunto also
they were appointed." Jude men-
tions certain ungodly men," who
were of old ordained to condem-
nation." But Paul, in his epistle
to the Romans, more fully proves,
that God means to destroy the
non-elect. In the ninth chapter
of this epistle he treats of election
and reprobation. Of Esau and
Jacob he says, "For the children
being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to elec-
tion might stand, not of works,
but of him that calleth; it was

serious question to every conscience, What, if God willing to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction; and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory?" As if he had said, "Tho God does fit some men for destruction who were originally designed to be vessels of wrath; yet even in fitting them for destruction he displays great love, grace, patience and long-suffering to

said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger; as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declar-wards them, in giving them a fair ed throughout all the earth." Here are two instances of personal reprobation; Esau and Pharaoh were appointed to destruction, The apostle then proceeds and opposes these two instances to God's general conduct and purpose respect ing all the elect and non-elect. "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Here he starts an objection, in order to set the doctrine of reprobation in a more clear and convincing light. You will say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? Nay, but O man, who art thou, that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour?" Here the apostle illus trates God's sovereign right to reprobate, harden and destroy whom he pleases of the fallen, guilty race of men. But he would not have men imagine, that God's sovereignty in dooming sinners to ruin, was arbitrary and capricious, but wise and benevolent; aiming at the most amiable and desirable end, even the display of the riches of divine grace. For he puts the

opportunity to be saved; and besides all this, he finally destroys them to answer a most gracious and merciful design, even to display his own glory and the riches of his grace in the salvation of those, who are ordained to eternal life." This same sentiment he exhibits in the strongest terms in the eleventh chapter of the same epistle: "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded; according as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day." Thus it appears that God has reprobated some of mankind and that according to an original and avowed purpose, he hardens their hearts and by the influence of divine truth fits them for destruction; the end to which they were appointed.

But why should God design to destroy any of the human race? He is as able to save all as a part. He has the hearts of all in his hand, as the clay is in the hand of the potter. He can form a vessel of mercy as easily as a vessel of wrath. He can as easily soften as harden the human heart. And he has actually softened the hearts of

levolent and odious. And this difference between themselves and. the most wretched and hateful creatures, they will be obliged and disposed to ascribe to the exceeding riches of divine grace.

saints in heaven will perpetually see that eternal destruction, from which God sent his Son to save his vile and ill-deserving creatures, It will appear becoming him, by whom are all things and for whom are all things, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. The infinitely important end will justify the extraordi

It will appear that no other being than the Son of God, was sufficient to accomplish the amazing work of man's redemption. And hence they will feel their infinite obligations to God the Father for his astonishing grace in the gift of his Son to save a perishing world,

3. The continued view of the adamned will give them a constant and lively sense of that punishment, which sin justly deserves. In this world they had seen tem-nary means of their redemption. poral punishments and only read of eternal punishments. But when they shall see God showing his wrath and making his power known in pouring out the vials of his indignation upon the vessels of wrath, without mixture and without end, they will see a difference, an infinite difference, between any temporal and eternal punishments. The vessels of wrath will exhibit a most affecting picture of keen sensibility, intolerable anguish and perpetual despair. Lying under the weight of the Almighty power and infinite wrath of an holy and unchangeable God, they will make all heaven and especially the redeemed and sanctified realize what they have deserved at the hand of their injured and offended sovereign. The vessels of mercy, in this situation, can never forget, that they might have justly been the vessels of wrath, and that they might eternally have felt what they eternally behold.

5. The continual view of the miseries of the damned will keep up a constant sense of the beauty, excellency and grace of Christ, who poured out his soul unto death on the cross, to deliver them from the wrath to come. It is because saints on earth lose a sense of their ill desert and exposedness to eternal destruction, that they so often lose a sense of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom they are indebted for all their present happiness and future hopes and prospects. But every time the vessels of mercy cast their eyes upon the vessels of wrath, they will feel their obligations to Christ and be ready to exclaim in raptures, "Worthy is the Lamb, that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing, for thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and the Father."

4. The continual view of the damned will give the vessels of mercy a lively sense of the grace of God in providing a Saviour for them. The reason why mankind in this world so generally make light of redeeming love, is, that they have so little sense of the damnation of hell. If they had a clear view of that bottomless pit, into which they are exposed to fall every moment, they would have a greater sense of God's grace in providing a Saviour for such guil-in forming them vessels of mercy. ty, hell-deserving creatures. The In the vessels of wrath will be

6. A clear and constant view of the vessels of wrath will give the vessels of mercy a most affecting impression of the irresistable and distinguishing grace of God