ca as having been from the beginning chofen tô falvation in hopes, he states in another epiftle, in hopes of eternal life which God that cannot lie promifed in Chrift Jefus before the world began. Here they are reprefented as chosen before the foundation of the world and before the world began; and what in the ordinary acceptation of words, is the meaning of thefe paffages? Sure. ly if they prove any thing, they prove that their falvation for eternity to come was decreed before they exifted; before the world was founded and confequently from eternity paft. This fame apostle again declares that they were faved and called with an holy calling, according to his own purpofe and grace given them in Chrift Jefus before the world began. The righteous are here reprefented as faved and called in time because the divine purpose had fo ordained it from eternity; that grace was given them in Chrift Jefus before the world began, and therefore as he was everlastingly elected to be the living head, they were everlaftingly elected to constitute the members of this head.

2. THIS election was free, abfolutely, unconditionally free. In this gracious, adorable deed Jehovah was not influenced by any excellence in the creature, because they poffeffed no excellence to invite his attention, or merit his favor: he loved them, becaufe he loved them; he made choice of one man to grace in time, and

glory through eternity, merely becaufe fuch was the good pleasure of his will. All men were involved in the fame fentence of condemnation; all were equally corrupted in every part; with- . out help or hope; they had not even an inclination to be restored, much lefs the ability of effecting their own restoration. He who denies this pofition gives deliberately the lie to the Holy Ghoft, because he has proclaimed it in words which he who runs may read, and by the lips of all his apoftles and prophets fince the world began. There is none that feeketh after God, is their individual and united teftimony, they are together become unprofitable there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Here is the triple teftimony of eternal truth, and he who doubts or difbelieves, cannot doubt or difbelieve through want of evidence. Seeing then all are equally. guilty, equally devoid of will, or power to perform what is fpiritually good, if they are made to differ, this difference muft originate in the good pleafure of God, not in themselves. It is impoffible that forefeen excellence could be the moving caufe of this choice, when the objects of it are altogether UNCLEAN; deceitful above all things and defperately wicked; nor foreseen faith when there is an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; nor forefeen love when the mind, is enmity against him. But what fays our fovereign, electing Father? I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compaf

fion on whom I will have compaffion. What fays one who is juftly ranked among the deepeft debtors to free discriminating grace? Not of works, left any man should boaft. Surely if works forefeen, or already performed were the foundation of this choice boafting would be reasonable; conscious of pre-eminent excellence the might lift up her voice, and command all others to fand by, being holier than they; but now her mouth is clofed in everlasting filence, for the apoftle adds, it is neither of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy. It was grace the moft marvellous which moved that any should be chofen; it was fovereignty the most adorable which pointed out the objects of this choice. They were predeftinated according to the purpofe of him who worketh all things after the council of his own will; his own will; that they Should be to the praife of his glory,

3. THIS purpose of election is unalterable. Having loved them without beginning, the Lord God loves them without end. We can conceive no reafon either in Jehovah or the creature, why this decree, once formed, fhould afterwards be reversed. Nothing unforeseen by him can poffibly occur throughout his vaft dominion requiring a change of procedure. He knew intuitively what scheme would be moft proper for fupporting the majefty of his law, and advancing the glory of his perfections, without wait

ing to deliberate with himfelf, or confult with his creatures; he forefaw as perfectly before the objects of his love were chofen, every thing in them which might lead to an alteration, as after they exit and at all the impiety and blafphemy by which many of them are debased before their converfion, and all the difcontent, the ingratitude, the fhameful unbelief and enmity with which through the defperate wickedness of their hearts they are chargeable after converfion were as obvious to his view when he enrolled their names in his volume, as when they actually commit thefe offences in their respective generations. If this forefeen unworthinefs did not prevent him from making the choice, why fhould it induce him to reject them when chofen? If the whole plan of the building was completely under his eye from eternity; if he determined the place which every ftone fhould occupy, and in his fovereign decree erected it in that place, can wę imagine that he would afterwards deinolish what he had formerly arranged? Reverence for the glory of his wifdom, and truth obliges us fecretly to abhor the fuppofition; refpect for the most plain and frequent reprefentations of his word conftrains us openly to renounce it. This immutability in all his purposes the Lord God again and again challenges as an effential, unalienable prerogative of his being. I am the Lord, I change not: I am God, and there is none elfe: I am God there is none like me ; my counfel

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fhall ftand and I will do all my pleasure. The apoftle, contemplating this attribute of Deity, endulges the animated exclamation, In hopes of eternal life which God, that cannot lie, promifed before the world began. HE CANNOT LIE, afferts this noble advocate for truth, infallibly taught by the fpirit of all truth; "he might as readily cease to be God as ceafe to be immutable, or fail to execute what his foul has purposed and his mouth fpoken or promifed: His plans like himfelf are the fame yesterday, and to-day, and forever."

4. THIS lection of man was exclufively through Chrift as Mediator. The juftice and holiness of Jehovah could acquiefce in the appointment of any to falvation only in a confiftency with their refpe&tive honors, and in a manner that fecured fatisfaction to their respective claims. As without fheding of blood there can be. no remiffion in time, fo without an immediate respect to that atonement there could be no appointment to this remiffion from eternity. The Lord God in decreeing to difplay the riches of his mercy by refloring a portion of our revolting family muft necellarily decree to vindicate his law from the injury which it fhould fuftain by our tranfgreffions, and recommend it to the efteem of all rational spectators; he therefore ordained them to glory in the profpect of that perfect, vicarious atonement which his Son, un,