vereign favour for all that he wants. Nay they des monftrate, that the unworthy and finful are the only perfons with whom grace is at all concerned. This is amazing! this is delightful! Ho! all ye children of want and fons of wretchedness! hither ye may come with the utmost freedom. Be it known to you; be it never forgotten by you; that JEHOVAH confidered your indigent cafe, and defigned your complete relief, when he erected this wonderful throne. Your names are not omitted in the heavenly grant: nay, ye are the only perfons that are bleffed with a right of accefs to this mercy-feat.-Did finners more generally know their state, and the glorious nature of grace as exalted in majefty; how would the throne of this mighty fovereign be crowded !-crowded, not by perfons adorned with fine accomplishments-but, with the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. With longing hearts and uplifted hands, big with expectation and fure of fuccefs, they would throng her courts. Thither they would flee, as a cloud for number, and as doves for fpeed: for there is provifion made to fupply all their wants. As perfons of all ranks and of every character, are equally deftitute of any righteous or valid plea for admiffion into the eternal king. dom; fo, feeling their want of fpiritual bleffings, they have equally free access to this munificent fovereign, and the fame ground to expect complete relief. Here, and in this refpect, there is no difference between the devout profeffor, and the abandoned profligate; the chafte virgin, and the infamous proftitute. For, being all criminals, and under the fame condemnation, they have not the smallest gleam of hope, except what shines upon them in that compaffionate proclamation which is iffued from the throne of grace by the eternal Sovereign*. But, as that proclamation is expreffive of the freeft favour and the richest grace; including offenders of the worst characters, publishing pardon for fins of the deepest dye, and all ratified by veracity itself; it affords fufficient encouragement to the vileft wretch that lives, who is willing to owe his all to divine bounty, without hesitation to receive the heavenly blefling, and with gratitude to rejoice in the royal donation.Yes, thine it is, O SOVEREIGN GRACE! to raise the poor from the dunghill, and the needy out of the duft. Thine it is, to fet them on thrones of glory, and to number them among the princes of heaven.' Remember this, my foul, and be this thy comfort and may the Lord enable both the author and the reader, to fee eye to eye the riches of Reigning Grace į ་ : -- Having endeavoured to fhow, how grace reigns in our falvation in general; I shall now proceed, in the following chapters, to make it appear that grace reigns more particularly, in our election-callingpardon-juftification-adoption-fanctification- and perfeverance in the faith to eternal life. Thefe are fo many effential branches of our falvation; and in the vouchfafement of thefe capital bleflings, grace reigns; manifefting an authority and exerting a power truly divine and infinitely glorious. * Ifa. lv 1. 2. 3. Matt. xi. 28. John vi. 37. and vii, 37Rev, xxii. 17. CHA P. III Of Grace, as it reigns in our Election. MONG the various bleffings which flow from A fovereign goodness, and are difpenfed by reign ing grace, that of election deservedly claims our first regard. It was in the decree of election that the grace of our infinite Sovereign did first appear, in choofing Chrift as the head, and in him, as his members, all that should ever be faved. Election, therefore, is the first link in the golden chain of cur falvation; and the cornerstone in the amazing fabrick. of human happiness. As JEHOVAH is the former of univerfal nature, the supporter and governor of all worlds; and as it is not confiftent with the perfection of an infinite Agent, to act without the highest and nobleft defign; fo the adored Creator, before he imparted existence or time commenced, propofed and appointed an end worthy of Himself, in all he determined to do. This was his own glory. This was his grand design in all the various ranks of exiftence to which his almighty fiat gave birth. Not a fingle creature in the vaft fcale of dependent being, but is connected with this as its ultimate end. The loftieft feraph that furrounds the throne, and the meanest infect that crawls in the duft, have the fame original Parent, and are defigned, in different ways, to answer the fame exalted end. To deny this, or to suppose that the most perfect Agent did did not act for the moft worthy purpose, ishighly derogatory to the dignity of the first Cause. Nobly confpicuous, among the various orders of animate and inanimate exiftence in this lower creation, was man,when firft formed and recent from the hands of his Maker. Man, therefore, as bearing the lively imprefs of his great Creator's image; poffeffing fuch elevated faculties and large capacities for operation and enjoyment; was defigned, in a peculiar manner, to answer this highest of all purposes.Nor was the entrance of fin fubverfive of the grand defign, but made fubfervient to it in various ways. It was impoffible fuch an event should bring confufion into that ftupendous plan of divine operation which confummate wifdom had formed. For,known to the omniscient God, are all his works, and all events, from the beginning of the world. All that is. comprehended in what men call contingent, is abfolute certainty with Him who is perfect in knowledge. The entrance of fin, therefore, among moral agents, whether angels or men, could not poffibly fruftrate JEHOVAH's purpose, or render his original defigns abortive. The council of the Lord fhall ftand, and he will do all his pleasure.—Though the entrance of moral evil among mankind was an awful event; though Adam, and every individual of his numerous offspring were contaminated, injured, and ruined, by it; yet it appears from divine revelation, that He who declares the end from the beginning, not only forefaw it, but from eternity determined to difplay his perfections and promote his glory by it. His determination was, to glorify himself in the complete falvation and endless felicity of fome of the apoftate race, and, in the righteous condemnation of others: fo that a revenue of glory fhall arife to the great Supreme preme from all mankind. This glory fhall arife, as well from that haughty Egyptian monarch, who renounced God's dominion and faid; Who is JEHOVAH that I fhould obey him? as from the king of Ifrael, whofe exalted character is, A man after God's own heart-As well from a traiterous Judas, who fold his Mafter's blood; as from a faithful Paul, who counted not his very life dear, fo that he might finish his courfe with joy, and promote the Saviour's honour. These fhall be the monuments of fovereign grace; those of righteous vengeance, and both for the glory of god to all eternity.-Nor is any thing more agreeable to right reason, or the facred fcripture, than to conclude; That as JEHOVAH is the first Caufe, fo he fhould be the laft End; and that he should be at the most perfect liberty, to dispose of his offending creatures, in what way he pleafes, for his own glory. To difpute this, is to deny his divine fupremacy, and, with Pharaoh, to renounce his eternal dominion. Such being the final cause of the creation in general, and of mankind in particular, that fovereign Being who has an abfolute right to do what he will with his own, having determined to create man and to leave him to the freedom of his own will, forefeeing he would certainly fall; of his free diftinguifbing love, chofe a certain number out of the apoftate race of Adam, and ordained them to a participation of grace here, and to the enjoyment of glory bereafter. In the execution of which purpofe, by means every way becoming himself, he determined to glorify all his infinite excellencies. Such is that immanent act of God which is commonly called Election, and is the fubject of this chapter. The |