prince? or did the Lord make him puissant and victorious, because appointed to such a work? hear what the Lord himself (who best knows the ground of his own designation) says of him: "Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden," (that is, I gave him strength, and taught him how to use it) "I will loose the loins of kings, and open to him the two-leaved gates; I will go before him:-I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron," &c. But what shall Cyrus have done, that the great God should do him this honor? he did not so much as know the Lord; which is also twice repeated, as a matter worthy our observation, Isa. 45: 1-5.

Lastly. PAUL: The Lord from heaven commissions him his preacher-general among the Gentiles; to bear his name before Kings; to maul and ransack the devil's kingdom; and to turn the world upside-down; witness his doings at Ephesus, Athens, and other places. And this he was called to, even while in the heat of his persecuting fury against that name, which he is now sent to preach: and that there was no motive on Paul's part, himself is witness, where speaking of that his call, he ascribes it to the pleasure and power of God, as much as he doth his natural birth, Gal. 1: 15. The original of all which is couched in that word, "He is a chosen vessel unto me," Acts 9: 15.

I might also bring in the stories of Samson, Josiah, John Baptist, and others to the same effect, but that time would fail. Now these instances may not be valued as historical relations only; (that would be too narrow a meaning for them), but according to the scripture way of inferring, and improving to spiritual uses; and so there will be a good preparatory proof of the business in hand: For if there be an election personal unto things of less eminent concernment; and that so long before some of the persons were in being; if also there be an absoluteness in God's decrees concerning these; how much more in matters of eternal weight! And if the Lord did not look out of himself for the moving consideration on which he selected those persons to their several honors, and achievements, (and if he had, he should have found none,) much less an election to eternal salvation, and union with himself, be founded in the creature. Doth God take care for an ox? from the less to

the greater is a scriptural way of arguing,and proves strongly.
I come now to a more direct and positive proving the prop-
osition, wherein my present scope is not so much to prove
that there is an election, as what this election is; viz. how
it is qualified and circumstanced: and this respects the
objects of election, with the manner, time, and motives of
it. And yet, as introductive to these, it may be expedient
to touch on the other; and so, for the clearer discussion.
thereof, I cast the proposition into six branches.

I. That there is an Election of men to Salvation.
II. That this Election is absolute.

III. That it is personal.

IV. That it is from Eternity.

V. That the Elect were chosen in Christ.
VI. That Election is founded upon grace.

These being made good by positive scripture, or arguments taken thence; it will not much concern us what is alleged to the contrary: They are of the deep things of God, and discoverable only by scripture light; and therefore in vain are they brought to any other touchstone; for who hath known the mind of the Lord, or can, but as himself hath been pleased to reveal it?

I. There is an Election of Men to Salvation.

That is, there are some, a certain remnant, that shall be saved: and this by virtue of election.

This is clearly implied in those noted and compendious sentences, vessels of mercy, afore prepared unto glory, Rom. 9:23. The election hath obtained, Rom. 11: 7. The Lord added to the church such as should be saved, Acts 2: 47. And as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed, Acts 13: 48. But more expressly in Rom. 11:5. There is a remnant according to the election of grace, 1 Thess. 5: 9. God hath not appointed us unto wrath; but to obtain salvation: And 2 Thess. 2: 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, &c. And these are called the election, or party of elect ones; as those circumcised, are called the circumcision; and the angels that stood, are distinguished from those that fell, by the title of elect. They are also said to be chosen vessels, vessels of mercy; as

those that are left, vessels of wrath, and sons of perdition: the scripture still sets them forth by distinguishing charac

ters.

1. As a party separate from the world; I (says Christ) have chosen you out of the world, John 15: 19. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, John 17: 9. And they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world, John 17: 16. Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them without all things are done in parables, Mark 4: 11. Of Jacob and Esau, (who were an evident type of this separation) it is said of Rebeckah, "two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people," Gen. 25: 23. And of Jacob's posterity, "the people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations," Numb. 23: 9. And this "people (says God) have I formed for myself,” Isa. 43: "These are the people of his holiness; the rest are adversaries," chap. 63: 18. 2 Pet. 2: 9.

21.

2. As men of another race or kindred; and as springing from another root. "We are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness," 1 John 5: 19. (or in that wicked one as their root and head:) "He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God," John 7: 47. The one party are said to be “children of light," the other of the night, 1 Thess. 5: 5. the one of God, the other of the world, 1 John 4: 4-6. the one is from above, the other from beneath: John 7: 23. God is the Father of the one, and the devil of the other, chap. 8: 41, 42. 44.

3. As men subject to another head. "We are thine," says the church to God; "thou never bearest rule over them," Isa. 63: 19. "all that the Father giveth me (saith Christ) shall come to me, John 6: 37. my sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me, and a stranger they will not follow," John 10: 27. and this, "because one is their master, even Christ," Matt. 23: 8. Of others, he saith, that "they will not come unto him," John 5: 40. The one party are followers of the Lamb, the other of the prince of darkness, led captive by him at his will.

4. As belonging to another world. "The good seed are the children of the kingdom," Matth. 13: 38. and they are distinguished from the children of this world, as a par

" Luke

SO

ty" accounted worthy to obtain the world to come," 20: 35. and accordingly we find, that none are admitted into the new Jerusalem but "whose names are found written in the book of life, Rev. 21:27. and whose name ever was not written there, was cast into the lake of fire," chap. 20:15. On the same account Judas is said to go to his own place, Acts 1: 25. and the elect into "the kingdom prepared for them," Matth. 25: 35. I shall bring but one only argument for proof of this branch, and it is of such weight, that there needs not another, namely, that except the Lord had thus reserved a remnant, no flesh had been saved: the whole world would have been as Sodom, Isa. 1: 9.

II. Election is absolute.

In this are two things of great import, irrevocableness, and independency. The decree is irrevocable on God's part, and independent as to human performances. The Lord will not go back from his purpose to save his people; nor shall their unworthiness or aversion make void, or hinder his most gracious purpose. And hence those various expressions of the same thing, namely, predestinate, ordain, prepare, appoint, have nothing subjoined that is like a condition. There is indeed a kind of condi tions (or rather qualifications) that must, and always do, precede the final completion of election; as "repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ:" which therefore may be called conditions of salvation; but not so to election.

Election is the great fundamental institute of the gospel: it is that which in human states is called the supreme law; which is both irreversible in itself, and requires that all inferior administrations may be accommodated thereto; so the salvation of God's elect being the highest law of the heavenly state and kingdom, must on the same (and firmer) ground remain inviolable. It is that for which all things. else have being; the plot whereby God designs to himself, the highest glory, and for which he hath been at such cost, that should his design miscarry, the whole creation could not countervail the damage. He could not therefore,—for God cannot deny himself,-I say, he could not so contrive the grandest design of his glory, as that it should ever need

to be revoked or altered: nor could he leave it obnoxious 'to disappointment; as it must have been, if ventured on a created bottom: yea, it behooved him, as supreme lawgiver, so to determine and subjugate all, that the great end of all might not be frustrated. And thus any prudent founder of a state would do, if the utmost of his skill and power would extend to it: but from their defectiveness in these, the best founded states on earth are subject to mutation: princes die, and their thoughts perish; their minds alter and depart from their first intentions; successors drive a contrary interest; unlooked for accidents entangle them; foreign enemies encroach upon them, and obstruct their work: or the people's own folly may be such, as to mar and defeat the best laid designs for their own good. Human affairs are exposed to thousand incidents, which human prudence can neither prevent nor provide against. But with God it is not so: no event can be new to him: "He declares the end from the beginning," Isa. 46: 10. his judgment and purpose cannot alter," he is of one mind, and who can turn him?" Job 23: 13. he is also immortal, and the thoughts of his heart stand fast to all generations," Psal. 33: 11. no creature can seclude itself from his government; "In his hand is the soul of every living thing," Psal. 145: 16. yea, the most casual (to us) and opposite emergencies, are by his power, and wisdom reducible to his purpose, and cannot resist their being made subservient to his will. And this may be one reason why election is so often said to be "from the beginning, and from the foundation of the world," namely, to show that whatever should be in time, should be subordinate to election, which is all one as to make it absolute. And further, this absoluteness may be evinced by such arguments as these:

66

Arg. I. If election were not absolute, it would be but after the covenant of works; which being conditional, how soon was it broken, even by one who had power to keep it! and if man in that honor did not abide in it, how should he now, when so strong a bias is grown upon his heart, that he runs counter ever since? Gen. 6: 5. "If there had been a law given that could have given life, righteousness should have been by the law," Gal. 3: 2. which shows, that the new covenant does more for us than the old; for it giveth life; and then it must give the performance of the