SERMON IX.

ON PREDESTINATION.

Rom. viii. 29, 30.

Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

No question in theology has been more agitated, or more perplexing, than the doctrine of election and predestination, or the purpose and decrees of Almighty God respecting future events and the eternal salvation of mankind. There are few doctrinal points more evident and incontrovertible, than the foreknowledge of God, and the moral freedom of the human will; and yet to reconcile them, and obviate every objection, is a matter of no small difficulty. "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." Being infinite in knowledge, as in every other perfection, all times and events, (whether past or future to us,) to him are probably present. His works, his creatures, and

their volitions, are continually before him; and he orders all things, and governs the universe according to the counsel of his own unerring wisdom. That in his eternal purpose, and the determined system of his providence, some part of the human race will be actually saved in Jesus Christ, and enjoy with him immortal glory in heaven, is clearly revealed in the scriptures, and is what no Christian will deny. But what views exist in the divine mind; what is his secret purpose; on what principles his decrees respecting our salvation are planned; whether his election of some to eternal life has regard to what he foresees of their faith and obedience, or is the mere sovereign determination of his own will; whether it be actually in the power of mankind, by their own volitions, or by any thing which they can will or do, to commend themselves to the divine favour, and obtain future blessedness; or whether all things, both causes and events, are so immutably fixed by the decree of God, and his foreordination, that men are under absolute necessity to act in all things precisely as they do, are questions which have been long and ardently controverted, and are not likely, in this world, to be soon decided. That these disputes have been injurious to the interest of religion, and the unity of the church, will hardly admit of a question.

In the ardour of disputation, men are apt to charge on their opponents, doctrines and inferences which they disavow, and to expose themselves to the like misconstruction. Some, reasoning from the nature and foreknowledge of God, advance doctrines respecting his sovereignty and decrees, which seem, by natural inference, to annihilate the distinction between

good and evil; to represent God as the author of whatever we be or do. Others have inclined to the opposite error, and have so represented our power to will and to do, as in appearance, to dishonour God's free grace, and make man the author of his own salvation.

The intellectual endowments of the human mind, áre among the most noble gifts of God; but great has been their abuse. Men venture to reason on the nature, and will, and decrees of God, with the same assurance, as if the immense system of his providence and the secrets of eternity, were open to their view. To the inspired psalmist, it was a comforting reflection that he had restrained his aspiring thoughts, and had not presumptuously spoken of things which are too high for human investigation. And St. Paul, after discoursing on what is revealed of God's "purpose of election," observes, that his judgments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out.

The text now before us, is a beautiful summary of what the scriptures teach on the subject of predestination to eternal life; but this passage is silent on the points most controverted, and on which uninspired men are too ready to decide. What it does teach, it is our present duty and purpose to investigate, and practically apply.

"Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate." These first words, have indeed the appearance of deciding an essential, and one of the most controverted points; they seem to teach, that God predestinates according to his foreknowledge; and some infer, that those whom God has decreed to bring to glory, are they whom he foresaw would believe in

Christ, and obey the gospel. Such is, indeed, the sense of this English word foreknow; but the corresponding Greek has other meaning, and may relate to things past as well as future. Thus does St. Paul use it in the twenty-sixth chapter of the Acts: "They (the Jews,) knew me from the beginning." If this were rendered, "they foreknew me," it would be nonsense, or certainly not the true sense. To know, in the scriptural language, often means to approve, or to view with favour. And to foreknow, is sometimes to approve of before. In his eleventh chapter to the Romans, the same apostle writes, (as we have it translated,) "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew." But God foreknows all men; and the true meaning, we must suppose is, that God has not utterly cast away those whom he has before approved and owned as his people.

But admitting (what other texts of scripture indeed seem to teach,) that God's predestination is according to his foreknowledge; yet, whether this means his foreknowledge of the faith and obedience of the elect, or more generally what he foresees, will be most wise and fitting for accomplishing the designs of his providence, is not explicitly declared. Nor is it certain that the word predestinate, has in the scriptures, or ought to have the sense which many, with much confidence, attach to it. The nature, the mode, the influence, and the effect of God's predestination, are, in a great degree, certainly "secret to us." "Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor?" Some seem to believe, that predestination is God's arbitrary decree, determining, by an irreversible fatality, all actions and events. Others

think that it takes into view the faith, and volition, and deeds of men, and is so ordered, as to leave them truly free and accountable creatures. Others still suppose, that predestination regards chiefly the plan, and way, and means of our salvation in Jesus Christ. And a fourth class suppose, that this purpose of God according to election, has respect to nations or descriptions of people, and not to individuals; or that it has regard to the character and qualifications of the elect, and not to their persons.

The apostle further says, "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called." And of this calling Christians think differently. Some understand by it, that he called them sons; some that he called them by the preaching of his gospel; and others, that he calls by irresistible and indefectible grace; that the elect can neither reject the call, nor totally fall from their Christian state.

With regard to these abstruse and controverted points, our church has admirably shown her wisdom and moderation. All the doctrines of grace she takes simply as they are taught in the holy scriptures. She prescribes no test respecting the hidden counsels of the Almighty; but leaves those mysteries as she finds them, in the word of God. She pretends not to untie the knot of such inexplicable difficulties, but allows to her members a latitude of opinion on these speculative points, and between those who controvert them, she maintains a neutral ground. In her artiticles, and liturgy, and homilies, she clearly teaches. and uniformly maintains what are truly called the doctrines of grace. In the seventeenth article, the doctrine of election and predestination is set forth in scriptural

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