When the design of saving them was formed, they were not in being, and "had done neither good nor evil.” During the whole of their unregenerate state, they were opposing God and contemning the Son of his love. The moment before their regeneration, they were his determined enemies. It could not therefore, have been from regard to any thing in them, that they were taken and others left, but from a regard to the mere good pleasure of God. It was a sovereign purpose. It was that all the glory might redound to God's great and holy name.

7. Nor is it less important to subjoin, that this sovereign and eternal purpose was formed in view of the atonement of Christ. In its practical influence it regarded men as already fallen by their iniquity, and beyond the possibility of deliverance except by atonement. When God determined to save a part of mankind, he had it in prospect to provide such an expiation for the sins of the world, as to justify him in the unlimited offer of pardon, and in the full and complete justification of all who accept it. He owed it to himself, in forming the purpose to save, to devise a consistent method of salvation. It would have been a violation of the rights of moral government, to have received rebels into favor "without the shedding of blood." Hence the elect are said to be "chosen in Christ." In other places they are said to be "Christ's seed." In others they are represented as 66 given to him" by his Father. When in the covenant of peace, he engaged to lay down his life for the sins of the world, a stipulated number was given him" as his reward. In view of mankind as already plunged in guilt and ruin, and of Christ as making an adequate atonement, God "chose them to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.'

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This is what we suppose the scriptures mean by the doctrine of election. The apostle represents himself and the Christians at Ephesus to be "chosen "—" chosen in Christ"-" chosen in him before the foundation of the world ;" and that, not upon condition they would be holy, nor because of any foreseen holiness; but "that they should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated them unto the adoption of children

by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."

With this illustration of the doctrine, we pass,

II. To show that it is true.

We think the truth of this doctrine may be evinced, 1. From the divine immutability.

God is unchangeable. "He is of one mind, and none can turn him." But if God is unchangeable, then every thing that has been, or will be, was unalterably fixed and determined in the divine mind from eternity. Hence it is written, "The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." Hence God himself claims this exalted character: "I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done; saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” If we could suppose the Deity to be wiser, and better, and mightier at some times than at others, we might suppose, that with every accession of knowledge, goodness and power, he would form some new design. But he is always the same. And as his character never alters, so his purposes never alter. Hence the divine immutability secures the doctrine of election. If the divine mind has formed any new purpose with regard to the salvation of men, then he has altered his plans, and is mutable; but if he has always been of the same mind, then unless he actually saves the whole, he must have formed the purpose of saving a certain part. Every individual he saves, he must have " always meant to save," he must have always chosen and determined to save. But this is nothing more nor less than the doctrine of election. the objections, therefore, that are made against the doctrine of election, are levelled equally against the divine immutability.

All

2. The doctrine of election may be conclusively argued from the divine foreknowledge.

The mere light of nature is enough to teach us, that God knows all things present, past, and to come. It is impossible that a being of infinite wisdom, should commience a system of operations, without knowing what he is about to do. If God does not know all events before

they actually take place, then his knowledge may increase, and he may be wiser to-morrow than he is to-day. In short, if he does not foreknow all things, he may not only from day to day, discover things that are new, but he may deduce new 'results from them, may misjudge in his arrangements, and be frustrated in his purposes. But the Bible puts this question beyond a doubt. "Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world." It is a settled point, then, that God knew from all eternity, every thing that would take place.

God, therefore, knows who will at last be saved. In the ages of eternity, he beheld the long track of time from the fall of Adam to the general judgment, and fixed his eye on every individual of the human family, that would at last enter into his kingdom. He knew the exact number, and he knew with absolute certainty. I say, he knew with certainty; for there is nothing else that deserves the name of knowledge, except that which is certain. God did not know how many, and who would probably be saved, but how many would certainly be saved. Absolutely to foreknow a mere contingency, is impossible. To know who might be saved, and who might not be saved, is to know nothing about it. Certainly to know that a thing will be, and yet certainly to know that it may not be, is the same thing as certainly to know, and not certainly to know at the same time; which is palpable contradiction. It must be conceded, therefore, that God must have known with absolute certainty, the exact number of those who would be saved. But how could this be known, unless it were a determined event? If it were undetermined, it was uncertain; and if uncertain, it could not certainly be known. Let any man but an Atheist, look at this with an unprejudiced mind, and he must receive the doctrine of election. How could God know from eternity, how many would be saved, unless he had from eternity determined to save precisely this number? In eternity, there was no being but God himself. There were no heavens and no earth; no angels and no men. God existed alone. And when he existed alone, he certainly knew how many intelligent beings would exist, and how many would be saved. But where did he obtain this knowledge? Not from any other being beside

himself, for there was no other; and not from himself, unless he had formed the determination to save them; for if he had not formed the determination to save them, he could not have known that they would be saved. It is just as certain therefore, that God determined from eternity who would be saved, as that he knew from eternity who would be saved. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. But this is nothing more nor less than the doctrine of election. All the objections which lie against the doctrine of election, lie with equal force against the divine prescience.

3. In proof of this doctrine, we shall make our appeal to the holy scriptures.

We consider the doctrine unanswerably demonstrated from the preceding considerations; but "to the law and the testimony." We receive the scriptures as the word of God, and the infallible rule of faith and practice. Here then we have a standard to which every thing must bow. From this oracle, there is no appeal. Let us go then to the Bible; and let us go-not to alter, not to expunge, not to supply, not to wrest from its plain and obvious meaning á single word; but simply to inquire, what the Lord hath spoken, and to yield our preconceived opinions to the paramount authority of eternal truth. Here, if we are not deceived, you will find the doctrine of election revealed as plainly as language can reveal it.

Before we extend this investigation, let me beg you to read with care the words of the apostle, in Ephes. i. 3, 4, and 5: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."-" According as God hath chosen us in Christ;" and as though this were equivocal, he adds, "according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world ;" and to give emphasis to the sentiment, he subjoins, "having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Is not this the doctrine of election?

"In

Turn to the eleventh verse of the same chapter : whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Does this bear no resemblance to the decree of election ?

The same thought you will also find in that noble chailenge of the apostle, toward the close of the eighth of Romans. Paul had hopes of an elevated character. He "knew that all things worked together for good to them that love God." And how did he know this? He looked through the miseries and the darkness of time, to the counsels of eternity. "And we know," saith he, "that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them who are the called according to his purpose. For 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. What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" How characteristic of this noble apostle to say, in the opening of this epistle, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ!" and how delightful to hear him thus glorying in electing grace!

In the ninth chapter of the same epistle there is a remarkable passage, which, with all their efforts, the opposers of this doctrine have found it hard to pervert or misunderstand. The apostle's affection for his countrymen had led him to see with grief, that "all are not Israel which are of Israel," and in this lamented fact, to acknowledge that the destinies of men were in the hands of a sovereign God. He saw sovereignty every where. He could not tell why Ishmael might not have been as fit a subject of the promise as Isaac. Both were the seed of Abraham, and yet it was the pleasure of God to fix his love on Isaac. Hence it is written, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called."—" And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, (for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth,) it