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"to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel, deter. "mined before to be done." The things to be done, and the rank and stations of the performers, are predetermined, but not the individual persons. Just like Joseph's being sold into Egypt, that was determined on, but by whom left for volunteer candidates to decide. Christ must be betrayed by an apostle. But the choice of that apostle, who shall perform the foul deed, cannot be made, until a candidate has rendered himself worthy of that disgrace, through an avoidable, voluntary, and base corruption of himself, Christ is to be "delivered unto the Gentiles, to be mocked, "spitefully entreated, spitted upon, scourged and cru"cified." But these things cannot be done, until fit instruments self qualified, offer their personal services.

Herod by forbearing truly to repent during the ministry of John, while his heart was yet tender, neglected thereby, his day of the visitations of divine grace. By shutting John up in prison, he sinned yet more: But by beheading him, he then thoroughly qualified himself to perform the part of a king, in the cruel mockery of the Saviour. And the priests, the rulers, Pontius Pilate, and the Roman Soldiers, all by rejecting, not merely, the preaching and baptism of John, but more especially, by resisting the evidence of the miracles and preaching of Christ, rendered themselves fit, and deserving subjects, of that judicial blinding influence of prejudice, unto which they were given up; whereby they mistook Christ's true and real char"For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." (1 Corinthians 11, 8.)

acter.

And such of the rulers, people, centurions and soldiers, as duly submitted to the evidence and power of Christ's ministry, were preserved, from participating in the guilt and misery, of these infamous conspirators, and murderers.

But it is highly expedient that we in this place carefully review this subject. Scriptural predestination, so far as it involves human agency, and as it is here admitted and maintained, consists of two distinct kinds. First. It implies such a subjection of human volition and action to divine control, as in reality makes them, as to cause and effect, the actions of God; as where "the king's heart, in the hand of God, is turned, as the rivers of water are turned." For rivers of water are invariably turned by a natural, and not by a moral influence. And to these we may add such predicted actions of Cyrus and Josiah, as left neither of them any possibility of refraining from the performance of these things. And secondly. It comprehends all such events, as the holy scriptures have predicted shall inevitably come to pass; but yet, not allotted unavoidably to any particular individual actors; but suspended in reserve, as punishments, to be justly inflicted on such future great transgressors, as shall so corrupt themselves, in despite of the strivings of the divine spirit, as to rush with greediness on the perpetration of those actions, when divine providence may judicially afford them the awful opportunity.

Predestination, as thus taught in the holy scriptures, is a doctrine differing widely from predestination, as taught by Calvinism and Calvinism improved. Scrip

unto whom they yielded Thus was Judas hurribetrayers and murderBut the predestination

tural predestination embraces some things only, but the predestination of the two Calvinisms comprehends all things whatsoever. Bible predestination interferes not with the essential freedom of moral agency; for though it consists with an abandonment of habitual sinners to the bondage of corruption, and delusions of errour; yet, these corruptions are the offspring of their own misconduct; and these delusions are from satan, the god of this world, themselves as willing slaves. ed on, and thus Christ's other ers were blinded and misled. of Calvinism and Hopkinsianism, admits of no moral ability, whereby the reprobate could ever, in any wise, have escaped final perdition; the former binding the sinner down from his birth, to his death, under a sup posed universal depravity of all his faculties, natural and moral, wholly depriving him of all ability to obey either the law, or the gospel: Whilst the latter, preposterously invests the reprobate wretch, with perfect natural power to perform all moral requirements; and yet fetters him from all such action, by a total moral inability and depravity, produced, not by previous misconduct, nor yet by Satan, but, by Deity himself continually operating on his heart.

And here it is important further to observe an existing errour, great in itself, and the prolific parent of other errours, originating in part, from mistaken views of predestination, and common to both Calvinisms. It consists in the belief, that no unregenerate man is capable of performing any thing as a mean, tending in

any wise, to the furtherance of the procurement of his salvation through Christ; and this for two reasons. First, because the predestinating decree of all things, has unalterably fixed the final destinations of all men, beyond the power of any means whatsoever to hasten or avert them. And secondly, because the law requiring nothing but perfect love, is only further violated, by every effort short of this love, which the sinner makes, whether by confession of sin, prayer, or such like penitentiary performances. Hence the preacher not unfrequently is involved in inextricable embarrassments, for happening to stumble on texts strongly urging repentance and reformation on sinners, but being systematically taught otherwise, and tossed to and fro, betwixt gospel and creed; he fatigues himself, and disgusts and bewilders his hearers, with a jargon of contradiction; one moment urging on sinners to do many things, and the next moment, assuring them that all their doings are worse than nothing; for they are only, an adding of further sins, to former transgressions. But though both preacher and hearers, are each perplexed and dissatisfied, yet, neither knows how to remedy the evil; by disentangling the truth from the errour.

But the way is plain and the manner obvious. Only admit what the scriptures teach, and as they teach, and there will be no difficulty.

Admit, that what God unconditionally decrees and executes, through the instrumentality of any of his creatures, necessitated to co-action with him, by his positive influence on their hearts, are acts, of God's

own righteousness; unto whom alone, belongs the supreme glory, whilst inferiour honour is confered on the favoured instrument, whom he thus graciously se lects to execute his will, whether it be a Cyrus, a Josiah, or any other person. And on the other hand, candidly allow that God's fixed, and yet conditional decrees, will eventually find accomplishment, agreeably to the predestinated condition, and as exemplified, in the several cases of Joseph and his brethren, of Christ and Judas, and of Jesus and his betrayers, and murderers. And distinctly impressed with these great truths, the preacher's mind, and the hearers understandings, will greatly be relieved as to the difficulty of clearly distinguishing betwixt the real boundaries. of divine decrees, and divine sovereignty; and of human freedom, and human responsibility. But to all this, must be added, clearly discriminating views be twixt the relation to, and the demands of law upon mankind, and the operation and extent of gospel conditional influence upon the human family, in order to detect the fallacy of calvinism, in arguing from the demands of the law, to the frustration of the demands of the gospel. The law saith, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, &c." The gospel saith to the detected sinner, "Thy heart is not right "in the sight of God. Repent therefore, of this thy "wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought "of thine heart, may be forgiven thee." And again, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. "Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your "hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn

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