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their hearers, and afcribed all the thing which they do, in willing or beneficial effects of their preach-running but from God, who show

ing to the gift the agency of God; and at the fame time clearly afferted, that they were inftruments, whofe miniftry God had employed in caufing the Corinthians to believe, as he faw fit to give to every man. The apoftle accordingly faid, "In Chrift Jefus I have begotten you through the gospel." To thofe Theffalonians, whom God had chofen to falvation through fanctification of the fpirit, and belief of the truth, he likewife faid, "Whereunto he called you by our gofpel, to the obtaining the glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift." And the apostle James, fpeaking of the unchangeable God as the fource and author of every good and perfect gift, faid, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." Thefe paffages clearly fhow, in conformity to the general tenor of the fcriptures on this fubject, that although a change of heart by the fpecial agency of the Holy Spirit is abfolutely neceffary; yet according to God's eftablifhed mode of operation, men have no reafon to expect they fhall be converted and faved, without hearing, and attention to the gofpel-the word of truth.

eth mercy.

Such doctrine, fome seem to have fuppofed, tends to make men think it a matter of perfect indifference, fo far as respects their own falvation, whether they are religious, or not; or whether they take any care or pains to be fo, or not. To this'it may be replied,

1. The doctrines of God's abfolute fovereignty, and particular election, as ftated in the gofpel, and viewed in connection with the whole gofpel-fyftem, do not deftroy or difprove, but fully prove and establish the neceffity of perfonal holinefs, in order to falvation. The apostle Paul informed the Ephefian faints, that God had chofen them in Chrift, before the foundation of the world, that they fhould be holy, and without blame before him in love. Holiness and unblameablenefs in love, being an end to which they were chofen, this choice or election furely did not difprove, but eftablifhed the neceffity and certainty of their perfonal holiness. The fame apofle told the church of the Theffalonians, that God had from the beginning chofen them to falvation through fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. This again proved the neceffity of their faith and fanctification, or perfonal holiness, as without these, the divine purpose or choice respecting them, would fail of its effectwithout thefe, they could not ob

An objection, fimilar to that which we have now been confiderering, has also been taken from feveral declarations of Chrift and his apoftles, which plainly import, that God, in the bestowment of his fpecial grace, acts as a fovereign, doing what he will with his own-tain falvation as God had chofen, having mercy on whom he will, and leaving whom he will, to their own chofen rebellion and hardness; and particularly, that he made choice of the objects of his faving mercy, before the foundation of the world; fo that men's falvation takes its first rife, not from any

or in the way that he had chofen them to it. For he chofe them to it in no other way, than thro' fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.

2. The doctrine of particular election, doth not remove, but ful. ly proves and establishes the ne

ceffity of using the appointed means | liever in him-to every one who forfakes his fins and returns to God; yet it is not in their hearts to re

of falvation, and rightly viewed, is calculated to ftimulate and ex cite to a diligent and careful attend-pent and return, or to render the ance on them. This doctrine teaches, that notwithstanding the total depravity of mankind, and their indifpofition to return to God, a number will be faved through fanctification of the Spirit and be lief of the truth, accomplished in the way of God's revealed method of operation by the word of truth; but leaves it uncertain to men, who will be faved, until it is discovered by their obedience to the gospel. Hence, it is fuited to excite the most ferious concern in those who are confcious, that they have hitherto lived in fin estranged from God; and, of courfe, to put them upon enquiring after the way and divinely appointed means of falvation, and to engage their attention to them.

3. The doctrines of divine fovereignty and particular election, are fuited to prevent defpair in awa kened convinced finners.

When finners are awakened to a ferious attention to the concerns of their fouls, and thoroughly convinced of the truth refpecting their real character and state, they fenfibly find, that they are indeed finners, under a righteous fentence of condemnation; from which it is impoffible to obtain deliverance by any thing which they can do or offer. They are convinced, that God might juftly execute upon them the curfe of his law, and that if justice fhould take place, without the intervention of mercy, they must be miferable without hope. Yea, they are convinced and fenfibly find, that notwithftanding the gracious promife of forgiveness and acceptance, on the ground of Chrift's atonement and righteoufnefs, to every penitent be

leaft degree of fincere obedience to the great and fundamental requifitions of the gofpel. In this fituation, what could keep their hearts from finking in despair, without a perfuafion that God is a wife and gracious fovereign, who extends his faving mercy to whom he pleafes, not according to their works, but according to the good pleafure of his will-according to his own purpose and grace, and fometimes to even the chief of finners; and that he hath determined to fan&tify and fave a number of such guilty, helpless, felf-ruined, hell-deferving creatures, as they now find themfelves to be?

4. Thefe doctrines are fuited to make us careful in examining, whether we are, in fact, the fubjects of the fanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, and to warn us against confident hopes of falvation, whilst we are wholly without any real holiness.

Since thefe doctrines, as stated in the gofpel, clearly fhow, that none will be faved without perfonal holiness, and teach us to look for fanctification, as the evidence of our election of God, they are evidently calculated to excite us to a careful examination, whether the effects of the fanctifying spirit are perceivable in our hearts, and vifible in our practice; and to guard us against fettling down in a firm perfuafion, that we are in the fure way to eternal life, without fome good evidence, that God hath made us partakers of his holiness.

5. The doctrines under confideration, are particularly adapted to promote in Chriftians thefe important branches of real holiness, humility, gratitude, and praife.

In a clear view and belief of the truths imported in thefe doctrines, Chriftians fee themselves in a state of abfolute dependence on God, felf-ruined, helpless and loft forever, without his fovereign aid, and all their holiness and happiness originating in and proceeding from his felf-moved goodness and mercy -the effect of his fovereign good pleasure. This furely is well fuited to excite low and abaling thoughts of themselves, and high and admiring thoughts of God-to fill their hearts with gratitude, and their mouths with praife.

MESS'RS. EDITORS,

THE following anfwer to three questions in the last No. of the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine is fubmitted to confideration.

"1. Did God from all eterni

ty, decree that a certain part of

mankind, viz. the Elect, fhould

go to heaven, do what they will?

2. Did God from all eternity kind, viz. the Reprobates, fhould decree that the other part of mango to hell, do what they can? 3. Can God be just in fo doing?"

HERE appears to be no occafion for answering each of thefe queftions feparately. The two firft of them must doubtless be anfwered alike; and, I think, in the negative. God never decreed, from all eternity nor at any time, either that the flothful and unholy fhould go to heaven; or that those who improve the talents given them, as his good and faithful fervants, fhould go to hell. hath faid, Gen. iv. 7. "If thou doeft well, fhalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doeft not well, fin lieth at the door." He hath faid, Ifa. iii. 10, 11. "Say ye to the righteous, that it fhall be well with them, for they fhall eat

He

From the obfervations which have been made, I truft, it will appear to candid inquirers after truth, that the doctrines of divine fovereignty and particular election, in their genuine tendency, are fo far from having an unfavorable aspect on the interest of true religion, that they tend to enforce it, and to excite that ferious attention and concern, and thofe views and exercises in general, which are favorable to the promotion of it; and, of confequence, that the tendency of the calls, offers and warnings, promises and threatenings of the gofpel, in favor of religion, is not deftroyed or weakened by these doctrines. I fhall only add here, that whilft the gof-the fruit of their doings. Woe unpel in its whole fyftem, is as well adapted, as it can be conceived any fyftem of external means confiftent with truth, could be, to prove fubfervient to the awakening, conviction and converfion of finners, it is peculiarly well calculated to preferve and ftrengthen, to maintain and increase the holinefs of those who are born of God to excite in them every right exer. cife and affection, and to prompt them to a holy converfation and practice in all its branches.

(To be continued.)

to the wicked! it fhall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands fhall be given him." Our Saviour hath faid, John v. 28, 29. "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and fhall come forth: they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the ref urrection of damnation." And again; "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his works fhall be." Rev. xxii. 12.

Such are the revealed decrees of Heaven. Such are the folemn divine affurances given us, not only in the beginning, and middle, and end, but all over the bible. Certainly, then, thofe who believe the word of God, can have no ground to fear, or hope, that he hath Secret decrees; dooming fome to everlafting punishment, let them do ever fo well; and ap. pointing others to obtain eternal life, let them do ever fo wickedly. And if it be certain that the Judge of all the earth has no fuch dark unequal decrees, the third queftion will be fuperfeded.

Imight here ftop; only it would probably be fuppofed, that the good old Calvinistic doctrine of election, was wholly given up: So that by thus briefly fatisfying many, fome others might be diffatisfied. If, therefore, the querit has leifure, and can have patience, we will examine carefully, not what Calvin taught, but what the holy fcriptures teach, and what reafon obliges us to believe, concerning this doûrine.

fore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the fpoil with the ftrong, because he hath poured out his foul unto death: and he was numbered with tranfgreffors, and bore the fin of many, and made interceffion for the tranfgreffors." Of thefe, our Saviour exprefsly speaks, John xvii. 1, 2. "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son alfo may glorify thee: As thou haft given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." And verfe 6. "I have manifefted thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world." And verfe 9. “ I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom thos haft given me; for they are thine."

That this happy number were thus elected of God, and given to Chrift, from all eternity, we are plainly and abundantly told. See Eph. i. 3. "Bleffed be God, who hath bleffed us with all spiritual blefings in Chrift, according as he hath chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world." And 2 Tim. i. 9. "Who hath faved as, and called us with an ho

We have, indeed, once learnt by heart, that God, out of his mere good pleafure, from all eternity, elected fome to everlaftingly calling, not according to our life" but this was when we were little children; and now we are become men, it may be time, perhaps, to put away thefe childish things.

works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which was given us in Chritt Jefus before the world began."

And indeed, that all the purpofes of a being whois infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in every natural and moral perfection, muft have been from all eternity, reafon

It must be admitted, however, that mention is made, both in the old teftament and the new, of a certain number of mankind, who were given to Chrift in the cove-obliges us to believe."Known unnant of redemption; and whom, in that covenant, he engaged to fave. Thefe feem to be fpoken of in the 53d chap. of Ifaiah, almoft throughout; particularly in the last verfe where God the Father fays of the Son, "There

:

to God are all his works from the beginning of the world." This, though an apoftle had not faid it, must have been evident. And if known, then decreed. For to fay God knew he fhould do, what he had not determined, is a plain

contradiction. If, therefore, the falvation of every man that is recovered to holiness and happinefs, be a work of God, he muft, from all eternity, have decreed, as well as foreknown, how many, and who, were to be faved.

22.

That none of these can by any means fail of falvation, hence alfo undeniably follows. And this is fully implied in the words of our Saviour, Mat. xxiv. 21, "Then fhall be great tribulation, fuch as was not from the beginning of the world to that time; and except thofe days fhould be fhortened, there fhould no flesh be faved but for the elea's fake, those days fhall be shortened." And verfe 24. "For there fhall arife falfe Chrifts, and falfe prophets, who fhall fhew great figns and wonders; infomuch that (if it were poffible) they fhould deceive the very elect."

:

Indeed, had the election of these been only conditional, as fome have fuppofed, they might have been cut off by violence before their converfion, or have been left to fatal delufions, as well as others. But this is not the doctrine of fcripture. The divine decree concerning the falvation of the elect, was not merely, that they should be faved, provided they should do their part; or what was neceflary to be done by them. Had that been all, then, before repentance and faving faith, one finner would have been a chofen veffel of mercy no more than another. It is the decree of God in regard to all men, that they fhall be faved, if they turn from the errors of their ways, become the faithful difciples of Chrift, and endure unto the end. But had nothing further been decreed concerning any, the falvation of none would have been fe cured Chrift might have had no

feed to ferve him, and to reap the benefits of his obedience and death, notwithstanding fuch conditional election. In that cafe, it is true, all to whom the gofpel comes, would, in a fenfe, have been put into a falvable ftate. That is, into a fituation that they might be faved, unless it were their own fault. But to what purpofe is there a price in the hand of a fool, who has no heart to improve it? All under the gospel have fuch a price. They might have life, any of them, if they would hearken to the calls of Chrift. He would have gathered the reprobate children of Jerufalem, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, only they would not. So much is done for the finally impenitent, that they need not perish, would they forfake their fins, and accept of of. fered mercy. But it is not enough for depraved fallen men, that they might be faved, were it not their own fault. To fecure their falvation, that must be done for them which will effectually prevent their perishing, through their own fault. This, therefore, God decreed to do for the elect. He determined that Chrift fhould not fail of feeing the fruits of the travail of his foul, through man's unbelief and hardnefs of heart. With respect to a certain part of mankind, he determined to remove all fatal obftacles, to their falvation, moralas well as natural-thofe arifing from their own perverfenefs, as well as from every other quarter. He determined to take away their ftony heart-to give them a penitent and believing difpofition-to create them in Chrift Jefus unto good works; and then to keep them by his power, through faith, unto falvation. Very exprefs to this purpose, aniong a multitude of others, are the two following texts : Pfal. cx. 3.

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