d

performed in the person of another. Christ and Adam being parallels in their head-ship, the imputation of one's guiltiness, and of the other's righteousness, are righteously applied to their respective seeds. And this was a main end of the Lord's putting those he would justify into Christ: that he " being made sin, and a curse for them, they might be made the righteousness of God in him; and so, God might be just in justifying them. Faith in this matter holds the place of an evidence or seal of that righteousness which belonged to us as being in Christ, before we be lieved (as Canaan did to Abraham's seed before they were born:) and is given us on account of our interest therein, Phil. 3: 12. that we might apprehend it, and enjoy the benefits of it, Phil. 1: 29. which is surely a far better ground to build our justification upon, than our weak and imperfect faith, which stands in need daily of righteousness of God for its own support. But let not faith lose of its due respect: it is a precious grace, and may not suffer disparagement. Though it doth not originate your title to jus tification, it is the best evidence ye can have for it; though it be not your peace-maker (primarily,) it is yet of that important usefulness, that your peace cannot be completed, nor can you know that your peace is made, without it. Your record is in heaven, and cannot be pleaded here (the court of conscience takes no notice of it,) until exemplified under the seal of faith. It is somewhat like the instrumentum pacis, where parties have been at variance; though the peace be made, and terms agreed, it has not its full effect until ratified on both sides, and exchanged: Therefore,

Infer. 5. Make it the main part of your care and business to get into Christ, and to abide in him.

VI. The founding of election upon grace, affords us divers useful instructions: as,

Infer. 1. To fall down and adore the great God, for this unspeakable discovery of his love to men. It is one of the richest mercies that he would not entrust us in our own keeping: that another (and he one that had not the least need of us) should be more provident for us than we would have been for ourselves: that our chiefest interest should have the highest security: that it should be founded upon grace; the attribute which our great King most delights to

honor: and that he should do it, as it were, against our wills; for so it is, inasmuch as to graft our happiness on the will of another, is contrary to nature; of all bottoms, we should not have pitched it there; and yet, in truth, no other ground would hold us: his name may well be called Wonderful; “ It is not after the manner of men, this is the Lord's doing, and let it be marvellous in our eyes,” Psal. 118: 23.

Infer. 2. It shews what reason we have to discard and cashier for ever that groundless and blindfold opinion, which lays the stress of salvation on a thing of nought: for what else is the will of a frail and mutable man? to forsake a living fountain, and rest on a cistern, a broken cistern, what folly is it! to cast our eagle's wings, and trust to a foot out of joint; who would do it that is not void of understanding? surely Job was aware of it, when he professeth, “He would not value a life that depended on his own righteousness," Job 9: 15. 21.

The grace of God is little beholden to that doctrine which would give the glory of it to a graceless thing; and as little have the souls of men to thank it for: it feeds them with dreams and fancies; which, when they awake, will leave them "hardly bestead, and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward," Isa. 8:21. Therefore, sit not down under the shadow of that gourd; it hath a worm at the root; and they will not be held guiltless, nor kept from the scorching sun, whoever they be, that shelter themselves in the covert of it. It is a spark of men's own kindling, wherewith, though compassed round, they will lie down in sorrow, chap. 50: 11. Therefore let those who disrelish this doctrine, because it founds not salvation upon self, look well to their standing, and shift from it in time.

Infer. 3. Fall in practically with the doctrine of elec. tion, as founded upon grace. As it was grace which gave you your elect being, so let it be your spirit and utmost endeavor to improve this your being to the praise of that grace. 1. Give it the sole honor of election's original: suffer not free-will-grace, or any thing else, to pretend to a share in the parentage of it: let not your faith, whether foreseen or perfected, be reckoned the ground-work, or motive of your election: it is a branch of it; and the

branch, you know, "cannot bear the root," Rom. 11: 18. Even faith itself must not (and if it be right faith, it will not,) "gather where it hath not strewed." Own nothing, therefore, that may detract from the honor that is due to sovereign grace. 2. Bear yourself upon this grace, against all your weakness and unworthiness: let not these discourage you, but rather plead them as occasions by which grace will be manifested and magnified, and shew itself to be what it is. Thus did David; "Pardon my sin; for it is great," Psal. 25: 11. and Moses, when all the people's obe. dience could not furnish him with an argument for God's continuing his presence with them, what is his plea? They are an honest ingenuous people; tractable to thy commands; pliant to thy will: they are worthy for whom thou shouldst do this; for they love thy company, and have built thee a tabernacle? No, there is none of this stuff in it: but, “Let my Lord, I pray thee, go with us; for it is a stiff-necked people; their neck is an iron sinew, and their brow brass," Exod. 34: 9. therefore go thou with us, to better us, to soften us, and to pardon us: and by this shall the freeness of thy grace appear to us: for, "how else shall it be known that I and this people have found grace in thy sight?" Exod. 33: 46. but yet, withal, (1.) Look that ye make not a light matter of your sins, or of your sinfulness: you cannot think bad enough of yourself, or of them; nor be too much humbled; only, be not cast down. (2.) Use the means that grace hath appointed; "Watch, and be sober; watch unto prayer; put on the whole armor of God," and keep it close about you; your sword and shield be sure you forget not: but still let your eyes be towards the hand of grace, through Christ, for counsel, strength, agency, and every good thing; and depend on it for conserving and actuating the grace it hath wrought in you, as plants do on their roots: the spouse, after married to Christ, prays to be “drawn to him," Cant. 1: 4. (3.) Whatever befals you, remember the good pleasure of God is in it; hold your peace, as Aaron did, Lev. 10: 3. or if you must speak, "let your speech be seasoned with salt: it is the Lord, let him do as it seemeth him good," 1 Sam. 3: 18.

Other useful instructions from the doctrine of election in general, and together.

I. It being a doctrine of so great importance, be not in

different about it: put yourself on the trial touching your interest in it, and bring forth your evidences for it: observe what are the properties of God's elect, and see if they stand on your side.

1. As touching the great business of salvation, do you submit to mercy without indenting, and making terms with God? have you laid yourself at his feet, with "peradventure he will save me alive;" and if he say, I have no pleasure in thee; Lo, here I am, and here I will lie: if I must perish, I will perish here; I cannot die in a better place or posture. Thus did Job, when the Lord seemed to set himself against him; as resolved to destroy him, yet still he resolved to trust in him, and to hold fast his integrity, Job 13: 15. This is a love more noble, and of an higher extract, than those are acquainted with, who conclude, that upon their doing this and that (which they suppose every man hath power to do,) they shall be saved; for such kind of love is mercenary: he will not stir, nor look towards the vineyard, until he hath agreed for his penny; the other goes in, and falls to his work, and leaves it to his master to give him what is meet, Matth. 20: 2. 7. 11. which also he leaves to his master's judgment, and not his own: and truly he speeds not the worse for his so doing. But I would not be taken to intend a contentedness or willingness to be destroyed: this I hope is pleaded before, under the first ge neral head.

2. Do you own God's sovereign commands, without disputing? Abraham did thus in the business of Isaac; although he could not see how the promise of God and the killing of his son could stand together; and so will Abraham's children do. They know that their Lord is a great King, hath absolute dominion, giveth account of none of his matters: what he is pleased to command, their duty is to obey, without asking a reason why? or, how will these things consist? such demands become not the lips of those who live upon grace.

3. Doth your love towards God hold the same course that his love hath done towards you? All that God hath done, or will do, for his chosen, is the product of electing love. Does all your obedience arise from love? and does this love of yours grow out of his? is his electing love the root of it? is all that you do towards God in a way of gratitude and duty, and with design to glorify his grace? and

when the Lord seems to go from you, do you follow the harder after him, as he for a long time followed you, waiting that he might be gracious unto you? this is truly a Godlike love; the eminency whereof lies in this, that "he loved us when enemies to him;" and loved us into a likeness to himself; answerable whereto, we should love him, even while our fears may apprehend him to be our enemy; and, through the power of his love secretly working in our hearts, go on to love him, until the glory of the Lord be risen upon us. You could not thus love God, if he had

not loved you first, 1 John 2: 19.

4. Do you rejoice in the thoughts of electing love, what it is, and whence it came? what it hath designed you for, and will bring you unto at last? is it your delight to converse with the book of life? and do you rejoice more that your names are written in heaven, than if devils were subject to you;" when your flesh and your heart fail you, do you look to electing love as your strength and portion, and count it a goodly heritage? Psal. 16: 6. Do you aim at that which electing love designed you for; and because so designed, if by any means you may attain to it? and are you better satisfied to be at the good pleasure of God, than at your own? and bless his wisdom and grace for undertaking the disposure of your eternal interest? such fruit could not be, but from that seed of God.

1.

Let me add a few tokens more of true love, according to its ordinary acceptation and conduct among men. He that loves another, will delight in his presence, and seek occasions of conversing with him. 2. Being absent, he thinks much upon him, and gives welcome entertainment to whatever may be a remembrance of him. 3. He will seek the well-pleasedness of him who is the object of his love, by presenting things lovely to him; by avoiding whatever may disgust him: by a wary preventing, or a speedy removing, what might give the other occasion to be jealous of his love to him. 4. He will candidly interpret whatever might seem a declining of the other's love to him; and not be satisfied until it be recovered, or better understood.

II. If you be of this happy remnant of election, then look for ill-usage from the world. The men of the world have always hated God's elect, and will: why did Esau hate Jacob? because of the blessing, Gen. 27: 41. And our