profess to have it; it cannot be said with certainty that such an one is an elect person, yet in charity it may be so concluded: however, a truly gracious man may know for himself his election of God, as the apostle affirms; and that in this way, the gospel being come to him, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, Thess. i. 4, 5. who by means of it has begun, and will carry on and perform the work of grace in him; wherefore such persons will not be filled with doubts and fears about their salvation, nor be led into distress and despair through the doctrine of election; nor need any be distressed about it that are enquiring the way of salvation, or have any knowledge of it; for the first question to be put to a man by himself, is not, am I elected? but, am I born again? am I a new creature? am I called by the grace of God, and truly converted? If a man can arrive to satisfaction in this matter, he can have no doubt about his election; that then is a clear case and out of all question. The doctrine of regeneration, which asserts that a man must be born again, or he cannot see and enter into the kingdom of heaven, may as well be objected to, as that of election; since it is as difficult to come to satisfaction about a man's regeneration, as about his election; and when once the one is a clear case, the other must be likewise; and when it is, what thankfulness and joy does it produce? And if the apostle thought himself bound to give thanks to God for his choice of the Thessalonians to salvation; how much more reason had he to bless the God and Father of Christ for his own election, as he does 2 Thess. ii. 13. Eph. i. 3, 4. With what exultation and triumph may a believer in Christ take up those words of the apostle, and use them with application to himself, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? Rom. viii. 33. yea our Lord Jesus Christ exhorts his disciples, rather to rejoice that their names were writ ten in heaven, than that the spirits were subject to them, or that they were possessed of extraordinary gifts, as to cast out devils. With great truth and propriety is it expressed in the seventeenth Article of the church of England, that the consideration of this doctrine is full of sweet, pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons: and as for the charge of licentiousness, what is there but what a wicked man may abuse to encourage himself in sin? as even the patience and long-suffering of God; ungodly men may turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, and every doctrine of it; and so this, contrary to its nature, use and tendency. Strange! that this doctrine should of itself lead to licentiousness, when the thing itself, contained in it, is the source of all holiness; men are chosen according to this doctrine to be holy; they are chosen through sanctification of the Spirit, which is secured by this decree as certainly as salvation itself; wherefore those reasons are not sufficient to intimidate and deter us from receiving this doctrine, professing and publishing it; and the ra ther, since it is the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, frequently suggested and declared by them; what means else when our Lord speaks of the elect of God, for whose sake the days of tribulation should be shortened; and that it was impossible the elect should be deceived; and that God will avenge his own elect?

Matt. xxiv. 22, 24. Luke xviii. 7. how clearly and fully does the apostle Paul enlarge on this doctrine of election in Rom. ix. and xi. and in Eph. i. and 2 Thess. ii. and in other places? and since it is so plentifully declared in the Bible, and is a part of scripture given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, and is written for our learning, to teach us humility, to depress the pride of man, and to magnify the sovereign grace of God in his salvation; we need not be ashamed of it, nor ought we to conceal it; and the apostle exhorts to make our election as well as calling sure, 2 Pet. i. 10. but how should men do this, if they are not taught the doctrine of it; led into an acquaintance with it; instructed into the truth, nature and use of it, and the way and means whereby it is to be made sure? I proceed then,

1. To observe the phrases by which it is expressed in scripture, whereby may be learnt what is the true meaning of the words election and elect, as used in scripture with respect to this doctrine. It is expressed by being ordained to eternal life, Acts xiii. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed; by which ordination is meant no other than the predestination, choice and appointment of men to everlasting life and salvation by Jesus Christ; and from whence it appears that this is of particular persons, of some and not all, though many; that it is not to temporary privileges and enjoyments, but to grace and glory; and that faith is not the cause, but the sure and certain fruit and effect of it; and that both eternal life through Christ, and believing in him, are infallibly secured by this act of grace. Some, in order to evade the force and evidence of these words in favour of election, would have them rendered, As many as were disposed for eternal life, believed; but this is not agreeable to the use of the word throughout the book of the Acts by the divine historian, where it always signifies determination and appointment, and not 'disposition; and so by our translators it is rendered determined in Acts xv. 2. and арpointed in chap. xxii. 10. and xxviii. 23. and here preordained, in the vulgate Latin version, and by Arias Montanus; and besides, there are no good dispositions for eternal life in men before fa'th; whatsoever is not of faith, is sin; and men, in a state of unbelief and unregeneracy, are foolish and disobedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures; living in malice, hateful, and hating one another; without hope, and without God in the world; and injurious to good men, Rom. xiv. 23. Tit. iii. 3. Eph. ii. 12. 1 Tim. i. 13. and admitting there may be what may be called dispositions for eternal life; let a desire of it, and seeking for it, be accounted such; this may be where faith in Christ does not follow; as in the young man, who asked what he must do to obtain it; and yet, when instructed by Christ, was so far from receiving his instructions, and believing him, that he turned his back on him, and went away from him sorrowful, Matt. xix. 16, 22. Let an attentive hearing of the word be reckoned a good disposition for eternal life; this was found in many of Christ's hearers, and yet they believed not the report he made, of which he complains; and it is highly probable, that many of those attentive hearers of him, were in a few days,

among those that cried, Crucify him, crucify him, Luke xix. 48. and xxiii. 18, 21. Isai. liii. 1. and after all, one would think that the Jews, who were externally religious, and were expecting the Messiah; and especially the devout and honourable women, were more disposed for eternal life, than the ignorant and idolatrous Gentiles; and yet the latter rejoiced at hearing the word, glorified it, and believed; when the former did not, but persecuted the preachers of it: from whence it follows, that the faith of the believing Gentiles did not spring from previous dispositions to eternal life; but was the fruit and effect of divine ordination.

This act of God is also expressed by the names of persons being written in heaven, and in the book of life, called, the Lamb's book of life; because his name stands first in it, was present at the writing of it, and is concerned in that eternal life which it has respect unto, Luke x. 20. Heb. xii. 22. Phil. iv. 3. Rev. xiii. 8. All which shews that it is an act of God in heaven, and respects the happiness of men there; is of particular persons, whose names are in a special manner known of God, and as distinct from others; and is sure and certain, and will abide. But the more common phrases used concerning it, are those of being chosen and elected; hence the objects of it are called God's elect, and the election; that is, persons elected, Eph. i. 4. 2 Thess. ii. 13. Rom. viii. 33. and xi. 7. which clearly imply, that only some, and not all men, are the objects of it; I speak not of you all, says Christ; I know whom I have chosen, John xiii. 18. not all, but some of you; where all are taken, whether persons or things, no choice is made; if some are chosen, others are not, but left; and in this case the number chosen is but few; Many are called, but few chosen, Matt. xx. 16 hence those that are chosen, are called a remnant, according to the election of grace; and those that are not chosen, the rest that are left, Rom. xi. 6, 7. Wherefore the election treated of is not,

1. An election of a nation to some external privileges, as the people of Israel, who were chosen of God to be a special people above all people on the face of the earth; not for their quantity or quality, their number or their goodness; but because such was the pleasure of God: but this choice of them as a nation, was only to some outward benefits and blessings; as, besides the good land of Canaan, the word, and worship, and ordinances of God, with others, mentioned in Rom. ix. 4, 5. but in the same context it is observed, that they were not all Israel, or God's elect, redeemed and called people, in the most special sense; nor all children of God by adopting grace; nor were all predestinated to the adoption of children by Christ; it was only a remnant of them that were of this sort, which should be eternally saved; and whom, if God had not reserved, they had been as Sodom and Gomorrah, verse 6-29. And so this nation of ours is selected and distinguished from many others, by various blessings of goodness, and particularly by having the means of grace; yet all the individuals of it cannot be thought to be the objects of election to special grace, and eternal glory.

2 Nor of an election to offices; as the sons of the house of Aaron were chosen to minister, in the office of priests, to the Lord; and as Saul was chosen to be king over Israel; and the twelve were chosen to be the apostles of Christ; for there were many in the priestly office very bad men; and Saul behaved so ill, as to be rejected of God from being king, that is, from the kingdom being continued in his family; and though Christ chose twelve to be his apostles, one of them was a devil: so that though those were chosen to offices, and even to the highet offices in the church and state, and yet not to eternal life,

3. Nor of an election of whole bodies and communities of men, under the character of churches, to the enjoyment of the means of grace: Eph, i, 4. is no instance of this, It is not certain the apostle wrote that epistle to the Ephesians, as to a church, but to some there described, as saints and faithful in Christ Jesus; and it is quite certain, that those who he says were chosen in Christ, were not the Ephesians only, but others also; the apostle, and others, who were not members of that church, yet shared in that grace, and other blessings aftermentioned, and were they that first trusted in Christ; and though the Ephesians may be included, yet it is not said of them as a church; besides, the phrase of being chosen in Christ, is sometimes used of a single person, and so is not appropriate to communities and churches, Rom, xvi. 13. To all which may be added, that those said to be chosen in Christ, are not said to be chosen as a church, or to be one, or to church-privileges; but to holiness here; and to a blameless state, or a state of perfection hereafter; even to grace and glory, Nor is the character of elect, given to the Colossians, chap, iii. 12, given to them as a church; for the same may be observed of them as of the Ephesians, that they are not wrote to as a church; but described by the same epithets as they are; and if they were, this might be said of them in a judgment of charity, since they all of them professed faith in Christ; and the greater part of them doubtless, in reality were possessed of it, as a fruit and effect, and so an evidence of their election; by which the apostle enforces their mutual duties to one another. And in like manner the Thessalonians are said to be chosen of God, and to know their election of God, since the gospel was come to thein, attended with the power and Spirit of God, 1 Thess, i. 4, 5. 2 Thess. ii. 13. and all of them had made a profession of Christ, and therefore it might be charitably hoped they were the elect of God; not chosen merely to outward means; but, as it is said, to salvation by Christ, and to the obtaining of his glory. And when the apostle Peter speaks of some he writes to as elect, according to the foreknowledge of God, and as a chosen generation, 1 Pet. i. 2, and ii. 9. he does not write to them, and speak of them, as a church; for he writes to stran. gers, scattered abroad in several countries; nor as chosen barely to the means of grace and outward privileges, but to grace and glory; since they are said to be chosen through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus.

4. Nor is this act of election under consideration, to be understood of the ef

4,

fectual vocation of particular persons; though that is sometimes expressed by choosing men out of the world; when they are separated and distinguished from the men of it; and by choosing, that is, calling the foolish things of the world, and by choosing the poor of it, who become rich in faith, and appear to be heirs of the kingdom, John xv. 19. 1 Cor. i. 26, 27. James ii. 5. the reason of which is, because vocation is a certain fruit and effect of election, and is a sure and certain evidence of it; For whom God did predestinate, them he also called, Rom. viii. 30. But then election and vocation differ, as the cause and the effect, the tree and its fruit, a thing and the evidence of it. But,

5. This is to be understood of the choice of certain persons by God, from all eternity, to grace and glory; it is an act by which men are chosen of God's good will and pleasure, before the world was, to holiness and happiness, to salvation by Christ, to partake of his glory, and to enjoy eternal life, as the free gift of God through him, Eph. i. 4. 2 Thess. ii. 13. Acts xiii. 48. And this is the first and foundation-blessing; according to which all spiritual blessings are dispensed; and is, by the apostle, set at the front of them all; and is the first link in the golden chain of man's salvation, Eph. i. 3, 4. Rom. viii. 30.

11. The next thing to be considered is, by whom election is made, and in whom it is made: it is made by God, and it is made in Christ. 1. It is made by God, as the efficient cause of it; God, who is a sovereign Being, who does and may do whatever he pleases in heaven and in earth, among angels and men; and has a right to do what he will with his own; as with his own things, temporal and spiritual blessings; so with his own creatures. Shall he be denied that which every man thinks he has a right unto and does? Do not kings choose their own ministers; masters their servants; and every man his own favourites, friends, and companions? And may not God choose whom he pleases to communion with him, both here and hereafter; or to grace and glory? He does this, and therefore it is called election of God; of which God is the efficient cause, 1 Thess. i. 4. and the persons chosen are called God's elect, Rom. viii. 33. Luke xviii. 7. This act is sometimes, and for the most part, ascribed to God the Father, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; as he is said to bless men with spiritual blessings, so to choose them in Christ, before the foundation of the world, Eph. i. 3, 4. and the persons chosen are said to be elect, according to the fore knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. i. 2. where the Person that chooses is not only described as the Father, but is distinguished from the Spirit, through whose sanctification, and from Jesus Christ, to whose obedience, and the sprinkling of whose blood, men are chosen by him. Sometimes it is ascribed to Christ, and he takes it to himself, I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen, John xiii. 18. this cannot be understood of Christ's choosing his disciples to the office of apostleship, for all the twelve were chosen to that; but of his choosing them to eternal life; and this is what he could not say of them all, for one of them was the son of perdition;