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gracious, and is he a real chriftian? This doctrine informs him whence his happiness flows, and to whom the glory is due. Hence he learns, that Grace is an abfolute fovereign; that fhe difpenfes her favours to whomfoever fhe pleases, without being fubject to the leaft control. Here he appears, maintaining her rights and afferting her honours, with a grandeur becoming herself. Yes, reader, this doctrine prefents you with GRACE ON THE THRONE; while, as an herald, with a friendly importunity and a commanding voice, it cries in your ear, Bow THE KNEE ! And as this doctrine prefents you with a view of grace in its fovereign glory; fo it points out the objects of eternal love, as in a ftate of the utmoft fecurity. For who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect? To know your intereft in the election of grace, is therefore a matter, of great importance: and that fuch knowledge is attainable, is evident from that exhortation of the Holy Ghoft; Give all diligence to make your calling and election fure; fure to your own mind, and fatisfactory to your own confcience. That fuch a perfuafion, grounded on truth, is intimately connected with a christian's peace and joy, is beyond a doubt. Nor is there any other difficulty in attaining the certainty, than what attends a well founded perfuafion of our being called by grace. Whoever has reafon to conclude that he is called by the gofpel and converted to Chrift; may, from the very fame premises, infer, his election. For none but those that were chosen to life and happiness are born of God, or believe in Chrift.-If then you efpoufe the doctrine, you should not be fatisfied with merely avowing the fentiment as an article of your belief; but fhould confider it as a truth according to godliness,

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and feek the advantage refulting from it. For you will find it of little avail, that you have adopted the fentiment into your theological system, if you experience no benefit from it, in a way of humility and love, of confolation and joy. Viewed in fuch a connection with experimental religion, you fhould meditate on it: confidered as thus important, you should endeavour to vindicate it from the hateful charges of the fons of pride.

Are you, on divine authority, not only convinced that the doctrine is true, but alfo perfuaded of your intereft in the love it reveals? remember the exalted privileges to which you are chofen. Chofen you are, to a participation of grace, with all its immenfe donations to the fruition of glory, with all its eternal felicity. Regeneration, justification, adoption, fanctification, and perfeverance in faith; these christian, with all that inconceivable blifs which results from the enjoyment of God himfelf, are the bleffings defigned for you in the decree of election. Surely, then, with fuch bleffings in hand, and fuch profpects in view, it is but reafonable that you fhould be entirely devoted to God, and live his obedient fervant. If gratitude have any perfuafive energy, or if love have any conftraining influence, here they fhould operate with all their force. Henceforth the glory of God and the honour of that adorable Perfon, by whofe mediation you come to enjoy these wonderful favours, fhould be your main concern, and the end of all your actions. Remember the honourable character conferred upon you in the facred writings. Among thofe names of diftinction which the people of God bear, that of the elect is none of the least remarkable. Of this character the Spirit of wisdom reminds believers, when he urges upon

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CHA P. IV.

Of Grace, as it reigns in our effectual Calling.

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E have feen in the preceding chapter, that grace prefided in the eternal counfels, and reigned as an abfolute fovereign in the decree of election. Let us now confider the fame glorious grace, as exerting its benign influence in the regeneration and effectual Calling of all that fhall ever be faved.-Election makes no alteration in the real ftate of its objects. For, as they were confidered, in that gracious purpofe, in a finful, dying conditi on; fo they continue in that fituation, till the energy of the Holy Spiri., and the power of evangelical truth, reach their hearts. The means being decreed as well as the end, it is abfolutely neceffary, to accomplish the great defign of election, that all the chofen in their feveral generations, fhould be born of the Spirit and converted to Jefus; called of God, and bear his image.

That important change which takes place in the mind and views of a finner, when converted to Chrift, is frequently fignified in the infallible word, by being called of God; called by grace; called by the gospel. In performing this work of heavenly mercy, the eternal Spirit is the grand agent, and evangelical truth the honoured inftrument.-Are men, in their natural state, confidered as afleep in fin, and dead to God? when they are called, their minds are enlightened and fpiritual life is communicated.

nicated. The Spirit of God, fpeaking to the confcience by the truth, quickens the dead finner; fhows him his awful ftate, and alarms his fears. The dead fhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear fhall live- Awake thou that fleepeft.Are they confidered as having departed from God, and at a distance from him; in the way of destruction, yet afraid to return? then the language of the gofpel is, Return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out. Such a revelation of grace being made in the gospel, and such invitations being addreffed to perifhing finners, the Spirit of truth, in effectual calling, gives them encouragement from thefe declarations to return to God, and enables them to look for falvation from the hand of Him against whom they have finned, and from whom they have fo deeply revolted. Such, in a general view, is the nature of that heavenly bleffing which is the fubject of our prefent enquiry.

That any finner is called out of darkness into marvellous light, is entirely owing to divine grace. God called me by his grace, is the language of Paul; nor do the faints afcribe their converfion to any other caufe.-Man, being by nature dead in fin, unacquainted with its evil, and eleated with a fond conceit of his own abilities; looks upon his offences against God, rather as pitiable failings than shocking crimes. He extenuates his faults, and magnifies his duties. He depreciates the work of Christ, and relies on his own fuppofed good performances. Being entirely ignorant of his moral weaknefs, the total corruption of his nature, and the extensive demands of divine law; he endeavours, if at all H 2 concerned

concerned about his foul, to establish his own righteousness, as the principal ground of his acceptance with the high and holy God. He trufts in fome general mercy, to be exercised toward him through Jefus Chrift, to make up the deficiencies attending his own fincere attempts to perform his duty. In cafe of a relapfe into open and fcandalous offences, he flatters himself with the hopes of pardon, and of having an intereft in the love of God; if he do but forfake his paft tranfgreffions, be forry for them, and amend his ways for the future. This, he thinks, is the obvious and eafy way of placating an offended God, and of obtaining the divine favour. On fuch a fandy foundation are the hopes of men commonly built. Thus we lie, afleep in fin and dreaming of happiness; on the verge of a dreadful precipice, yet unapprehenfive of danger, till reigning grace exerts her influence to recover us from our native ruin.

But when the Spirit of God convinces of fin by the holy law, and manifests its extenfive demands to the confcience of a finner; when he is informed that every fin fubjects the offender to a dreadful curfe; then his fears are alarmed and his endeavours are quickened. Being aroused from his fpiritual flumber, he is more earnest and punctual in the performance of religious duties; in endeavours after holiness, and in the purfuit of happinefs. He is not content with that careless and fuperficial way of performing devotional services, which before fatisfied his confcience and gratified his pride. For now, guilt burdens his foul, and conscience sharpens her fting; while the terrors of the Almighty feem to be fet in array against him. The duties he has neglected, the mercies he has abused, and the da

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