Gions of the holy city new Jerusalem which came down from God out of heaven. So that each had his particu lar place allotted to him in the temple of the living God, and no other man could possibly take one of their places, of course all other beings must remain eternally nonelected as to that office which they were individually to fill, in the plan of universal grace. Jesus did according to the eternal will and purpose of God in choosing the twelve and naming them Apostles in distinction to all his other disciples Jesus next inanifests his own election in that part pertaining to the high priesthood under the law; he lays down his own life (in the figure) for the sheep, he dies for every man elect and non-elect, as he says himself. "I lay down my life for the sheep; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again." And this his own offering for sin was the closing ritual of the first covenant so that there now remains no more sacrifice for sin. Agreeable to what he said on the cross when he bowed his hallowed head and died the just for the unjust. Then he said "It is finished." Yes candid reader, then he nailed the last ritual and figrative ceremony of the first covenant to the cross. 'Then it was that he drove the last nail by which we see the first covenant, now forever disannulled. I would here observe, that the inspired Apostle to the Gentiles says "Christ appeared once in the end of the world to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself” Again he gives us to understand in plain words the end of the world had come on them, the apostles. Unquestionably in both passages, he meant the same thing, i. e. the end of the Jewish world or in other words the end of the law dispensation. From which it will appear that the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ was on the eye of the legal day of the Jewish nation. This was that due time for the Messiah to make his appearance in the Jewish world, in which time some branches of election were manifested, as has been shown. I now shall pass from that due time when Christ was tg, and did appear in the flesh to the time after his res urrection, a period between his death and second coming in his spiritual kingdom, which second coming was to come to pass, about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem as he had predicted, according to St. Mat. chap. 16-24, 25, and many other scriptures which may be added. I shall here notice some branches of election during this period. Saul afterwards called Paul was a chosen vessel unto the Lord For the Lord said to Ananias, "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings and the children of Israel." Acts 9-15. St. Paul says of himself that he was as one born out of due time. And this was the case with all who were called to preach after the death of Christ. They were manifested as belonging to the elect body of the ministry of reconcilia tion. All the embassadors of Jesus Christ are a chosen generation to show forth the praises of him who hath called them by a special call of his grace to labor in word and in doctrine for the good of the non-elect throughout the world. The elect ministry are chosen and set apart to preach "The grace of God which bringeth salvation to all men." In a word to preach that gospel which calls upon all men to Turn unto the Lord, who will have mercy and to our God who will abundantly pardon." The elect cry day and night to the non-elect in the language of divine inspiration," Peace, peace, to him that is near, (the elect) and to him that is afar off (the nonelect) and I will heal him." How true the words of Jesus," many are called but few chosen. Yet beloved reader, all both elect and nonelect, have a common call yet but a few have a special call to proclaim the universality of that good news the gospel brings. "The harvest truly is great (yes as great as the whole world) but the laborers are but few." They are as few as the number of those elected for the work of the ministry. And yet the whole universal field shall be reapt. The careful husbandman will not suffer any of his crops to be finally lost for want of labor. tle will gather in both the first and after fruits. His language is," gather up the fragments that nothing be lost." Surely his plan of election will not fail, I might mention other branches of election and dwell largely on the subject. Such as relate to temporal blessings in this world. In this world we have here and there a wise statesman who is a temporal blessing to mankind in a civil point of view, they are chosen of God and raised up for this express purpose. However the pure theology of christianity being my main object in this book, I shall not drag in those temporal matters, but pursue my present design, to illustrate the scriptural doctrine of election in a spiritual sense. However, I beg leave to introduce one comparison to throw light on this momentous subject. It is well known that in the United States of North America, the power of electing officers of state is in the hands of the people; and that those are chosen by the free voice of the sovereign people (so called) and that each officer is chosen to hold his post for a specified term as the constitution of the individual state or United States directs. Now the object of their being elected to authority is the good of the people, both the good of those elected and those nonelected And as soon as their time of holding office is out, they are on a level with ev. ery other citizen, in point of official power. It is the same with the chief magistrate as with every other subordinate office; It is meant by the people, that he who administers in the government, and he who is governed, shall have an equal share in the future blessing to the nation. Even so in a spiritual sense in the plan of God's electing grace, those who are chosen to the work of the ministry must finally come on a level with the norelect. When Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father, and puts down all rule and authority, and God is all in all, then one soul will be as full of the divine nature as another; and of course inust be as completely happy. I here observe that the divine plan and its power of election are in the hands of almighty power guided by infinite wisdom; and of course guarantees to us the greatest final and universal blessing. Whereas our own temporal plan of national election, is in the hands of short sighted men who are liable to be disappointed in their well meant objects. But God could not possibly be disappointed in his choice of means to bring about his glorious purpose for the greatest general good and his own declarative glory! We have already seen that the highest declarative glory of God the creator, and the best good of his whole creation are so indissolubly connected that no power can seperate them, as to the final purpose of infinite wisdom. Therefore we may justly conclude that if God finally makes a ful display of his own glory, the whole creation must participate with joy and rejoicing. CHAPTER 13. TRUTH PLAINLY DISTINGUISHED FROM I shall begin this chapter with the sublime prophecy of Isaiah which not only relates to the selfish Jews, under the legal dispensation, but also points us to the apostatized state of the church of Christ under the gospel dispensation, when men began to limit the grace of the true and living God, whom the inspired Apostle of a truth perceived to be no respecter of persons: And concerning whose plan of salvation another apostle says My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons." We will next read that faithful prophecy recorded in Isaiah 23. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. "Hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem, because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves Therefore thus saith the LORD God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make baste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannuled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pasa through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you for morn |