with God." "Now, to him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, (according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith,) to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen." (Rom. ii. 6-11, and xvi. 25, 26, 27.)

CHAPTER XI.

THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION, AND THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

THE sentiments which many professors entertain, relative to the doctrine of Election, furnish a serious objection against the foregoing doctrines, of the unlimited privilege of all men who hear the Gospel to believe on its own evidence, and of justification by the obedience of faith. And to minister all the satisfaction possible on this subject, it will be necessary to investigate this doctrine with freedom; and the more so, because in it will be comprised the burden of what is to be said on the decrees of God, what has been said heretofore being calculated to prepare the way, as being intimately connected with the main subject. For the decrees of God are considered as having a very special relation to the elect, who are finally to compose the Church of God in its happy and glorified state, in whom the decrees are to receive their special and final accomplishment.

And here let us inquire; Who are the Elect? and what is their character? A twofold answer will be requisite to afford full satisfaction on this subject. And, in the first place;

The elect of God are they who worship him in the spirit, calling upon him day and night. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (Jno. iv. 23.) And if the Father seeketh such, no doubt but these are his elect, whom he chooseth out from among others, even as they are expressly called his elect who call on him day and night, saying: "And shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him?" (Luke xviii. 7.) These, therefore, are the elect of God who are honestly devoted to his service, and have, for that purpose, come out from the rest of the world, and separated themselves from those who live in iniquity and defilement, as it is again written: "Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. vi. 17, 18.) These things show plainly enough who are the elect of God, and what is their character. They are such

as live not as the world live, according to the course of this world, and are not of the world, but have come out from among them; according to what was said of old time: "Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations." (Num. xxiii. 9.) And as Jesus himself also said: "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. " (Jno. xv. 19.) From this view of these pointed testimonies of the Scriptures, it is easy to see, that none are to be accounted God's elect while living in the practice of sin; none but those who deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Christ, denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and living soberly, righteously, and piously, in this present world, while in it; and that as fast as any will thus deny themselves and take up their cross, God will own them as being of the number of his elect.

But it is asserted, that God's election is made unconditional and eternal, "without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other good thing in the creature, as conditions, moving him thereto." But as the Scriptures speak so pointedly of God's elect as being "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father," and of God, as predestinating those whom he foreknew, we shall not hesitate to conclude that he saw in them all something worthy of his choice, previously to his making it, whether we say from everlasting or after that excellence takes place. And as for the intimation often given, that it argues weakness in God to suppose that he has any respect to the character or works of men in his purposes concerning them and his appointing of them to happiness or misery, as making his purposes and works depend more or less on the creature, none need be burdened with it, as long as it stands written that in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him. It reflects no dishonour on God to say that his acceptance of men now, as well as his final judgment and awards, rest on the character and works of each individual, for it is true that he judgeth every man according to his works. It argues no weakness in God to do justice. God is under no obligation, in his own nature, or from any other law, to do every thing which he has positive or inherent power to do. This position can no man, with any consistency or plausibility, deny; neither does this argue any weakness in him. But he is invariably fixed in all his purposes and works, not to say, bound by his own nature, to do in all things, that which is just, even to the meanest creature. And to fix any man's final state without respect to his personal character or works, can never be reconciled with justice. "And that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. xviii. 25.) It argues no weakness in God, it reflects no dishonour on his charcter to have created and to govern a race of conscious beings, and accountable to him as free agents, and then to award them, each one according to his works, after giving them fair warning, as he has done.

But for the sake of chasing the darkness out of every secret corner, the silencing argument, that God appoints men to life or to wrath without respect to their works, is proposed, That with God is

no succession of time, consequently no foreknowledge, because times past, present and to come, are all present with him; therefore when he appoints or elects men to eternal life, from everlasting, it is not done according to his foreknowledge of their faith or good works, for they are all present to his view; or when he passes by, or appoints to wrath, it is not according to his foreknowledge of their unbelief or disobedience, for these also are all present to his view, with all their characters. This argument is indeed weak enough towards the defence of that point, as it implicitly, though effectually, confirms the contrary, that the reward of eternal life or death, and consequently, the justification of individuals now, rests on their works.

But the impossibility of justifying the principle of decreeing some men to eternal life and others to eternal death, without respect to their personal characters and works, leads those who believe it, or affect so to believe, to use weak and unreasonable measures. The above argument of no foreknowledge in God, has been used with greater propriety on the other side of the question, to show that, admitting the state of all men to be fixed in the mind of God, even before their existence, that state is fixed by the just judgment of God according to their personal character and works, God having all these before him as the foundation of his judgment. And this view of the matter is infinitely preferable to that which supposes God to have from eternity fixed the state of all men, without respect to their works, as it exonerates the character of God from the charge of arbitrarily appointing some men to life and excluding others, and so ordaining them to wrath, without any possible opportunity of doing justice to God by obeying, or to themselves by laying hold on eternal life; God acting, in all these things, according to what men call his sovereign will, an attribute unknown to God. We read of the purposes of him (of God no doubt) who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will; but counsel, in a wise being, implies rational deliberation and a reasonable conclusion. But to say there is no foreknowledge in God, is improper. It is contrary to the Scriptures, and represents God as an inconsistent being, always consulting and purposing to do things which are already done, or in the state of doing. For if no futurity, because no succession, then no anteriority ; God is therefore represented as now, and for ever to remain, consulting and purposing to create this world and all others, to create man and all other works which are already done.

But in the second place. It is not unreasonable, neither is it unscriptural, that God hath an election of certain individuals to fill certain lots or places, to execute certain labours in carrying on the work of redemption for the whole. Every duty or work necessary for the edification of the whole, must be done by some one or more; and every man is not capable of filling every place. It is therefore no injury, but a real advantage to the whole, that God should select and furnish with suitable commissions and gifts to lead the way and be helpers of the faith of others, those who are capable of performing such duties. These are often called to bear many burdens and to endure many sufferings, or to perform duties of which the physical powers of mind, according to natural creation, render others incapable. And whatever privilege such may be supposed to have

being chosen to such duties, their election and calling cannot at all be any hindrance to the free access of others to the same salvation, or to their receiving a full reward according to the utmost of their obedience of faith; but on the contrary, these are necessary to promote the good of the whole, and without them the Church could not be built up in Gospel order. "And he gave some, [that is, some of those whom he gave were,] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Should God therefore send a special message or angel to these to waken them up and prepare their minds for the Gospel, and so prethe way pare for its introduction to any land or people, who are coming to a readiness for its reception; this could be no injustice to the rest, but a real privilege; for the light which they would receive, they would unfold to others as being free to all: Freely ye have received, freely give. When the Gospel is to be introduced among any people who are in readiness for it, that introduction must be effected through some means; there must be an instrument or more to bring it in, and room in the heart of some to receive it, a sanctuary where the testimony might rest, until borne to all, a people made ready and prepared for the Lord; as the few who first believed at Ephesus were a sanctuary to the Gospel testimony, while Paul disputed for two years in the school of Tyrannus, until all they of Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus. (Acts xix. 10.) It is not expected for a nation to be born at once. If God therefore should send a special message of the Gospel to those who are the most likely to receive it, and give it room, among a people prepared for it; that could be no injury to the rest, neither could it at all stand in competition with their salvation, but on the contrary tend to promote it by establishing the Gospel among them, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith. to faith." (Rom. i. 17.)

But in all these things there is nothing to contradict that God should have respect to qualifications, natural and moral, to the character and works of those whom he thus elects, making choice of those who are best calculated to be of use to others while they secure their own salvation. And who can say there is any weakness or dishonour attached to God, by supposing that he fixes on the most capable instruments to perform so important a work, as leading the way in the Gospel, and bearing it to others? It would seem by the sentiments of some, that reasonable dealings in God towards his creatures would be a disgrace.

But to constitute a real subject of the kingdom of grace and of glory, it is necessary to be called, and chosen, and faithful. Not all the called and chosen are found faithful on trial. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil!" (Jno. vi. 70.) In like manner many who have been called, and chosen, and prepared, with great light and power, have tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come, in the preparatory work of the Gospel, in Kentucky and the adjacent States, and some of them public

teachers and leaders of the people, who were called to stand as doorkeepers to open to the true shepherd, on trial proved unfaithful, having stumbled at the cross, under which the shepherd appeared.

Further it was necessary that a proper train should be laid, and the way prepared for the introduction of the Gospel into the world at the first, against the fullness of time should come; it was necessary that the name and worship of the true God should be preserved on the earth, among a people to whom promises should be made and proper testimony deposited with them, of the work which God was about to do, to be a witness of its truth when it should appear, according to the times and seasons before appointed and foretold; that men might believe on rational principles which they could also present to others for their conviction; principles established by their duration, their continued testimony, and their fulfillment, as well as the evidence which should attend the work when it should appear. For this purpose God chose Abraham to be the father of the faithful; that in him and in his seed through Isaac all nations might be blessed; as it is written: "And in thee shall all nations be blessed." And again: "For in Isaac shall thy seed be called." (Gen. xii. 3, and xxi. 12.) These are they, "who are Israelites; to whom pertain the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the givings of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." Thus the calling of Abraham and blessing him, furnished a people to preserve the name and worship of the true God, and also to be a figure of the work of the Gospel when it should appear. "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." "And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the mise." (Rom. ix. 4, 5, 6, 8; Gal. iii. 29.)

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These things being so, were a great advantage to the Jews who were the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, because they had the writings of Moses, and the other oracles of God to be to them a witness of the character of Christ when he appeared. "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way; chiefly, because to them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid." (Rom. iii. 1, 2.) By this arrangement of things, the Jews were prepared to stand as the first living temple of God, in whom his Christ should appear and find a habitation, the first deposit of the treasures of the Gospel of salvation among men. Accordingly the Gospel is called the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth, but to the Jew first.

But this first benefit to the Jew is no disadvantage to the Gentile ; for the same Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one who believeth; To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. And the special election and calling of Abraham and his family from among the nations who were all lost in idolatry, were no injury to any individual among them, but on the contrary prepared the way for the greatest blessings, For in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. This election, therefore, of Abraham is not partial to the