debt or default of his own to be charged with. Our Lord and Saviour did not make his soul an offering for somebody's sins, but uncertain whose. Aaron knew whose

trespasses he offered for: their names were graven on his breast-plate: not their national name or qualification (namely, Israelite, or believer,) but their personal names, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, &c. So had our great high priest, or he could not have made atonement for us: and that place, Rev. 13: 8. points at the same time for both. Those words "from the foundation of the world," do refer as well to the writing of their names in the book of life, as to the lamb's being slain; as is evident from the 8th verse of the 17th chapter, where, deciphering those "who shall wonder after the beast," he says, they are such whose " names were not written in the book of life, [from the foundation of the world,"] as were theirs who followed the Lamb, and whom "God had from the beginning chosen to salvation," 2 Thess. 2: 13.

Arg. II. The design of God, in the death of Christ, could not otherwise be secured. Had the design been, to purchase salvation for believers, without ascertaining the persons that should believe, it had been uncertain whether any would be saved, because uncertain whether any would believe. If certain that some would believe, this certainty must be decreed: for nothing future could be certain otherwise. And if it was decreed that some should believe, the individuals of that some must be decreed also: for faith is the gift of God, and could not be foreseen in any, but whom he had decreed to give it unto. Which laid together, are a good demonstration, that those Christ should die for, were as well pre-ordained, as that he should die for them; and that definitely, and by name.

Arg. III. It may be further argued, from the Father's preparing a kingdom from the foundation of the world," and mansions or places in it. To prepare the way of this argument; consider the punctuality of God's disposements in things of a lower concern: he did not create the earth in vain (that is, to stand empty and void, as at its first form ation;) nor the several quarters thereof to be inhabited indefinitely, by some nation or other, who should happen to get possession of them, but "he divided to the nations their inheritance, and the bounds of their habitation,"

Deut. 32: 8. Acts 17: 26. Mount Seir was given to Esau, and Ar to the children of Lot, chap. 2: 5. 9. each nation had its limits staked out, and this from the days of old. And if we may distinguish of acts in God, and of time in eternity; his purpose to form and bring forth those nations, must needs be as early as to create and furnish those parts of the world which they should inhabit. Now, earthly settlements being of trivial moment to the heavenly mansions; it seems a good consequent, that if yet particular nations were fore-appointed for particular provinces on earth; much more should particular persons be designed for those particular mansions in heaven: and if either were appointed first, it must be the person: for," the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." Heaven was made at the beginning of the world; but election was before.

The domestics of God's house, or place of glory, are a sacred state or order of kings and priests; and each indi vidual person hath his place or apartment set out for him. Those glorious places were not prepared for believers indefinitely; but for certain determinate persons particularly: the twelve apostles shall have their twelve thrones, and each one his own. This is evident by our Saviour's answer to the mother of Zebedee's children: "To sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father," Mat. 20: 23. If for believers indefinitely, why not for these two brethren, especially since they first made request for them? The truth is, those places were not now to be disposed of; it was determined who should have them long before, even "from the foundation of the world," chap. 25: 34. The scope of this answer was not to shew that the places requested were prepared for believers indefinitely (for these were believers who made request for them;) but that they were appointed for certain particular persons, and they must have them. Much might be added, in confirmation hereof; but by these (I hope) it is clear, that election is personal, and from eternity.

V. Election is in Christ: or, the elect were chosen in Christ.

It was requisite the new covenant should have a head

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and mediator, as well as the old; that righteousness and life might flow from him into all the elect seed, as sin and death had done from Adam: in which respect, Christ and he are set forth as parallels, in Rom. 3: from verse 12. to. The benefits which the elect were chosen unto, they are made partakers of, by their union with Christ: he is the root, in whom all fulness dwells. Not only the foundation on which the church is built; but the rock which af-. fords all the spiritual materials of the heavenly temple; even the cement that holds one part to another, and the whole to himself: and this by virtue of the decree. For we are to consider that there is a decretive union before the actual; and the one influenceth the other into being; and that as really, as the determined death of Christ did the salvation of those who died before him. Though Christ be not the cause of election, yet he is the grand means, by whom we obtain the blessedness we were chosen unto: by him it is, that "we have access unto that grace wherein we stand," Rom. 5: 2. And we shall find, that the epis tles generally, when they speak of the great things relating to salvation, do still bring in Christ, as the person principally concerned about it. Salvation, indeed, is a gift; it is perfectly free; yet not to be had, but in Christ: "It comes upon us through his righteousness; as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so by the righte ousness of one (by means of their oneness with him) shall many be made righteous," Rom. 5: 18, 19. Mankind (by their apostacy in Adam) had destroyed in themselves the whole of that principle which would have led them to God, as their life and blessedness: and had, withal, contracted such an enmity against him, and repugnancy to all overtures for returning to him (and this gulph was so fixed,) as would for ever have kept God and us asunder, had not that blessed project of choosing in Christ been set on foot to dissolve it. It could not be done by any created power; nor could creatures so much as propound a way for it: and if they could, who durst so harden himself, as to mention the thing which only could do it? But the great God, blessed for ever, he finds out a way for it: and the same love that ordained to eternal life, would also put it in such a way, as should surely take effect. And to this end (namely, that those ordained to salvation might be both

rightfully entitled thereto, and successively brought into it,) they were put into Christ by election: he was the chief and eminent elect one; the first-born, and prince of the family: and all the elect besides were given to him, as younger brethren, to be maintained upon his inheritance. It is plain to him that reads, that the whole of salvation was laid upon Christ; that he bears up the pillars of it, and that all shoulders else had been too weak: he is both the means and centre, by whom, and in whom, God will have all things gathered together in one. He was made" God , with us, "" that we might be made one in God; as appears by the scope of his prayer in the 17th of John. In him the father is well pleased; and out of him there is nothing pleasing to God, or eternally good for men: we are therefore said to be chosen in him, Ephes. 1: 4. to be called in him, Phil. 3: 14. to be created in him, Ephes. 2: 10. to be preserved in him, Jude 2. and in him to be blessed with all spiritual blessings, Ephes. 1: 4. Blessings in themselves would not be so to us, if not in Christ; and being in him, all things are turned into blessings to us: for now nothing can come at us, but as coming through him: and whatever so comes, is tinctured by his divine excellence, and made propitious to us: and hereby it is, that the thing we were chosen unto, is effectually and infallibly provided for. There are divers good reasons and ends for God's choosing the elect in Christ. As,

Arg. I. That by bringing in man's restoration this way, he might, as it were, baffle his great adversary, and out. shoot him in his own bow: and it well became the wisdom and grace of God thus to do. The devil thought, by poi soning the root, to vitiate and ruin the whole stock and progeny; and he failed not of his design. The Lord would therefore retrieve that ruin, by putting his elect into an head incapable of degeneracy; and not only recover them, but bring them into a better estate than they had lost: he would set up a man that should be too hard for the devil, and be able both to destroy him, and dissolve his works; and he hath accordingly done it. In which method of man's recovery, is a great answerableness to the method of his ruin: and it is a thing the Lord would have us to mind, as appears by the parallel before mentioned, Rom. 3: 1221.

Arg. II. That by shewing us his righteousness in the way and manner of our recovery, we might the more readily subscribe to his righteousness in the imputation of Adam's sin: for, without a sight and knowledge of the one, we cannot, with any heartiness, submit to the other. Hence, some, in their too bold arguings against election, have alleged, that what Adam did was without their consent: but will they abide by this allegation? In the matter of Achan, each single person stood in the place of the whole nation; and so on the trespass of one, wrath came upon all; yet had not that confident people the hardiness to plead, that Achan's act concerned not them; they did not consent to it: but let them take heed, lest while they thus excuse themselves from Adam's sin, they do not, by parity of reason, seclude themselves from the righteousness of Christ: since the setting up the second Adam was as much without their consent as the first.

Arg. III. If the elect had not been in Christ, the satisfaction he undertook for sinners could not have availed them. As Adam's sin could not have been ours, if not in him; so neither the righteousness of Christ, if not in him. Divine justice could not have punished him for us, nor absolved us through him; we could not have been justified and reconciled by the blood of his cross, had not he sustained our persons, and stood in our stead; another's act cannot be mine, either in profit or loss, if there be not a legal oneness between us.

Arg. IV. If not in Christ, we could not have been sanc. tified. The lump was sanctified in the first-fruits; and so is the church in Christ, 1 Cor. 1: 2. The wild olive-nature could not be suppressed and changed, but by grafting into the true: "For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches,' Rom. 11: 16. A man cannot be naturally born, but from Adam, as his natural head; and as impossible it is to be born again, without a like relative union to Christ, as our spiritual head. There is no being a new creature, but by being in Christ: "They that are joined unto the Lord (and they only,) are ope spirit with him," 1 Cor. 6: 17. 2 Cor. 5: 17. The branch must be in the vine, before its sap can be derived into it: he that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, must be one. There must be a contact (a