The love of God to his offending creatures must be considered, in the whole of its exercise, as under the direction of his divine understanding: and as his boundless intelligence comprehends all possibilities, his love must be consummately wise in all its operations. The supreme perfection of Jehovah's nature forbids our supposing, that he can decrec without wisdom, any more than govern without rectitude, or punish without justice. Hence the apostle, when discoursing on that profound subject, eternal predestination, concludes thus ; 0, the depths!

of what? An arbitrary will, or an absolute sovereignty, detached from wisdom? far from it. But of the riches, both of the WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE of God!--To resolve those eternal decrees, which constitute the great plan of Providence, into the divine will, detached from divine wisdom; is neither the doctrine of Scripture, nor agreeable to sound reason is to represent the supreme Lord under the notion of an Eastern tyrant, rather than to give an idea of GOD, ONLY WISE.

If, then, we consider the Almighty as choosing any of the fallen race to life and happiness, we behold him exercising the mercy of a compassionate Father, to his miserable offspring. But if we consider him as choosing this person rather than that, when both were equally wretched; we view him as vested with the character of a sovereign Lord, and as the sole proprietor of his own favours. If, therefore, the question be asked; Why any were chosen to salvation, when all deserved to perish? The answer is; Because our Maker is merciful. But if it be further asked; Why Paul, for instance, was chosen rather than Judas? The answer is; Because he is Lord of all, and has an indisputable right to do what he will with his own-But if this answer will

nor

not satisfy the curious inquirer, he is directed by
the Spirit of inspiration to ask the potter, what was
the reason of his very different procedure with the
same lump of clay; and why he formed the vessels
into which it was wrought, for such different and op-
posite uses? The artificer will readily answer, as
directed by common sense; "Not any thing in the
clay itself; but my own deliberate and free choice.
For it was of the same kind, and possessed the
same qualities, throughout the whole mass :
could one part dictate how it would be formed, or
for what uses, any more than another." Thus the
most ignorant potter, without hesitation, would as-
sert a kind of sovereignty over his clay. And are
not mankind in the hand of God, as clay in the hand
of the potter? Or, shall Jehovah's sovereignty over
Iris offending creatures, be inferior to that of a puny
mortal over passive matter? Reason and revelation
forbid the thought.-In election, therefore, we have
a striking display of divine grace in its utmost free-
ness; and of God's dominion in its highest sovereign-
ty.
Of the former, toward the vessels of mercy;
of the latter, toward all mankind. That, we behold
with admiration and joy; this, we revere in silence :
well remembering who it is that says; BE STILL, AND
KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Having shown in the preceding paragraphs, that election is an act of sovereign grace; I now proceed to consider the great end which the supreme Lord intended by it. The ultimate end is his own eternal glory; and subordinate to it, the complete happiness of all his people. The glory of the supreme Being is, as before observed, the final cause of all the eternal councils, and of all divine operations; especially of those which respect the salvation of sinners. They were all designed for THE PRAISE OF HIS

CLORIOUS GRACE.

**

Too ready we are to imagine, that the purpose and pleasure of God terminate in the happiness of those that are chosen, and in the misery of those rejected; as though the eternal felicity, and the everlasting torment of sinful creatures, were the final cause of the divine decree. But this is a great mistake, and represents the doctrine of predestination. in a very false, as well as unfavourable light. For as it would be pregnant with blasphemy to suppose, that he who is supremely blessed and supremely good, should take delight in the infinite misery of a rational being, without reference to a further and nobler end ;* so we cannot conceive, on any principles of reason, or of scripture, that he should propose any thing short of his own glory in the wonderful economy of human salvation. For as it would be highly injurious to the divine character to suppose, that the misery of apostate creatures is the ultimate end at which the eternal Sovereign aims, in the damnation of those who perish; or that any thing short of his own glory, in the displays of his spotless purity and inflexible justice, was the end which he had in view; so it would be greatly unworthy of his infinite wisdom and boundless perfection for us to imagine, that the glory of his own grace, and the everlasting honour of all his adorable excellencies, were not his supreme design in the free election and complete felicity of all his people. Does he execute vengeance on any of the works of his hands? it is to

It is indeed said, I will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh. But then, as the learned VITRINGA observes ; Quod de Deo anthropopathos dictum prudenter intellig; debet; non vere, acsi exitium hominis miseri, et stultitia sua voluntaria pereuntis, Deo, delectationem adferat; sed quod mala, quæ gravissimi peccatores juste perserunt, maxime conveniant rationibus Divinæ justitiæ in cujus exercitio Deus acquiescit,et sibi placet." Comment. ad Canticum Mosis, p.133,

demonstrate the infinite opposition of all his perfections to moral evil, and for the honour of his eternal justice, as a righteous Governor. Does he spare any of the rebellious subjects of his vast dominions, and save them from the death they deserved? it is to display his mercy, in connection with truth and righteousness, and for the glory of all his unchangeable attributes. We may therefore conclude with Paul, that the great end of election, and of all its consequent blessings, is no other than to make known the RICHES OF GOD'S GLORY on the vessels of mercy.

As the eternal glory of God, in the consummate happiness of all his chosen, is the exalted end of the decree of election; so the means appointed to accomplish the wonderful design, are equally worthy of infinite wisdom. They are such as proclaim, the just God and the Saviour; such as demand the testimony of conscience, that the Lord is holy in all his ways, and righteous in all his works. The princi-pal of these means undoubtedly are, the incarnation of the eternal Son, and his divine mediation; the sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. For thus we read: God hath appointed us to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ-He hath chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth-Redemption by the blood of Jesus, and sanctification by the Spirit of God, are equally necessary to accomplish the great design. For as there is no remission without shedding blood, so without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. As none shall be condemned to final perdition, but those who did such things as were worthy of death, so none shall enjoy the inheritance of glory, but those whom impartial justice shall entirely acquit, and immaculate holiness completely approve. And asnone of the damned shall ever be able to assign any

other cause of their infinite punishment, but that sin which they freely committed; so all the elect shall ascribe their salvation, to the grace of God and the work of Immanuel. We may therefore conclude, that though Christ and his mediation were not the cause of election; yet his obedience and death were the grand means appointed for the execution of that gracious purpose. And though the Almighty chose no man to glory, because of his future faith and obedience, yet provision was made, in the sovereign decree, for the sanctification of all its objects, prior to their enjoyment of blessedness.

The purpose of God in election is immutable, and infallibly connected with the eternal felicity of all its objects. That this decree is unchangeable, appears from the immutability of the divine purposes in general. For there is the same reason that the ap. pointment of God, in the choice of his people, should unchangeably stand, as there is for any other of his eternal designs; and that immutability is stamped upon the divine decrees in general, the scriptures abundantly show. Thus it is written : The Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it ?. My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure -He is in one mind, and who can turn Him 2 and what his soul desireth, even that He doth-To show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel-Who hath resisted his will ?That the purpose of God according to election might stand-With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.*

Nor can we suppose that God should reverse his decrees, or alter his purposes, without impeaching, either his omniscience, as though he did not foresee

* Isa. xiv. 27. and xlvi. 10. Job xxiii. 13. Heb. vi. 17. Rom. ix. 11, 19, James i. 17.