f itfelf, without confidering the ground of it, and is pleased with this, and becomes a zealous, proud advocate for the doctrine of election. Therefore, many of the oppofers of this doctrine suppose, that all who are advocates for it, are pleased with it, only from selfishness and pride, because they confider themselves as the elect of God, and hereby distinguished and favoured above others. And there is, perhaps, no other way for pride to account for it, or to be reconciled to it. The true christian receives it, as glorious to God, and exalting fovereign grace, and humbling man, while he confiders himself as infinitely guilty and vile, and wholly loft in his fins, and if he be faved, it must be by the distinguishing, fovereign grâce of God, who has mercy on whom he will have mercy, according to his decree of election, which affords the only ground of hope to man, sales and ta boshqa yarri gidi en mosb Hyout olib bolood roled to " II. WHAT has been faid in this feftion, on the doctrine of particulars election, may ferve to discover and ftate the character of a true chriftian, so far as his views and exercises relate to this doctrine, and those connected with it. 1. This is not a difcouraging doctrine to him, nor difagreeable, though he do not know that he is a chrif tian, or is elected to salvation; but has great and prevailing doubts of this. He knows that if he were left to himself, he should not determine the point in his own favour; but his impenitent, unbelieving heart, would reject Christ, and he go on to deftruction. That he is wholly dependent on God for salvation, and if he do not determine in his favour, and have not elected him to falvation, and do not diftinguifh him from others, by granting him thofe influences, and that renovation, which they who perish have not, he fhall not be faved, but perish forever. Therefore, the doctrine of election can can be no matter of difcouragement to him, it cannot render his cafe worse, than it would be if none were elect ed: for then he could have no hope of falvation; and the only hope he can have is grounded on this doctrine, and that he may be one of the elect. And his hope tifes or finks according to the evidence he has of this, by perceiving himself to be the fubject of the regenerat ing, fanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit: Or the contrary. 2. The true believer is pleased, with being entirely dependent on God for his falvation, and that he should determine whether he shall be saved or not; and does not defire, that he himself or others, fhould be fayed in any other way, but according to the eternal purpose of God. It is most disagreeable to him, that any creature fhould determine this, in any one inftance. He knows it belongs to God, to decide this important matter; that he has a right to do it, and he only is able to determine it perfectly right, agreeable to infinite wisdom and good+ nefs, fol as fhall be moft for his glory, and promote the intereft of his kingdom. He is pleased, that in this way, God is exalted, in the exercise of fovereign grace, and the finner humbled, and the moft important intereft forever fecured and promoted in the best manner. He defires no other falvation, for himself or others, but that which is the free gift of God, and the fruit of his electing love; and which infinite wifdom fees will be moft for the glory of God, and the general good; and that without knowing whether his falvation be confiftent with this, or not, and whether he be one of the elect, or not. g. All the chriftian's prayers and devotions are upon this plan, and agreeable to this doctrine. They contain in them, either an exprefs or implicit acknowledgment of his entire dependence on God for falvation, and every thing, for which he prays or gives thanks; and that all the the good he defires, must be the fruit of the determination of him, who changes not in his purpose and defign and express, or imply, an unconditional, implicit refig nation to his wife and holy will. The oppofers of this doctrine, in heart and words, do often really acknowledge it in words, in their prayers to God for falvation, &c. But the real chriftian does it with his heart. He may indeed, through the prejudices of education, or otherwise, by not understanding the doctrine in theory, and entertaining wrong conceptions of it, and of other points, which are connected with it, be led to oppofe it, in fpeculation; but fo far as his heart is renewed, all his religious exercises and devotions, are agreeable to the doctrine of election, and an acknowledg ment of it. And so far as it appears, that any person is at heart an enemy to that doctrine; there is juft so much evidence that he is an enemy to him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. SECTION XIII. Whether any of the Redeemed arrive to Perfect Holiness in this Life. THAT no man, whatever his advantages and attainments may be, does arrive to finless perfection in this life, feems to be clearly afferted in a number of paffages of fcripture. Solomon fays, "There is no man that finneth not. There is not a juft man upon earth, that doeth good, and finneth not. Who can fay, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my fin ?*Thefe are ftrong expreffions, afferting, that there is no man on 1 Kings viii. 46. Eccl. vii. 20. Prov. xx. 9. VOL, II. nion earth ין earth fo perfect, as to be wholly without fin. Job says, "If I fay I am perfect, it fhall alfo prove me perverfe."" How could his faying, he was perfect, prove him to be perverse, unless it be on this ground, that no man is perfect in this life? This being certain, if a man fay he is perfect, it proves that he is deceived, and knows not the truth, and therefore, is not a good man. The Apostle - Paul, who probably was the holiest man that ever lived, declares he was not perfect." Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which alfo I am apprehended of Chrift Jefus. Brethren, I count not myfelf to have apprehended: But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I prefs toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus." And he gives fuch a particular and fad defcription of his own finfulness, in his letter to the church at Rome, that many who are ftrangers to the corruption of the human heart, and the great degree of fin attending true christians, and their keen sensibility of it, cannot believe that he means there to defcribe his own exercises and character, or thofe of any chriftian. And this fame Apostle represents all chriftians, as in a state of warfare, by reason of evil inclinations and lufts in their hearts, which oppose that which is the fruit of the spirit, in them, and prevents their doing what they would. "The flesh lufteth against the fpirit, and the spirit against the flesh: And these are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would." To will was prefent. When they looked forward, they wifhed actually to do and be all that which christianity dictates, and of which they could have any idea; but when they came to act, they always fell * Job ix. 20. ↑ See Rom. vii. 14—24. + Phil. iii. 12, 13, 14, + fell short, and finful inclinations. prevented their doing as they defired, and defiled their beft exercises. The Apostle James teftifies to the fame truth. He fays of himself, and of all chriftians, that in many things, they all offended.* And the Apoftle John fays, "If we say, we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."+ Here it is not only afferted, that every chriftian is attended with fin, in all he does in this life: But that it is fo evident to the real christian, and fo much his fenfible burden and unhappiness, that it is certain, that he who fays, or thinks, he has no fin, is not only greatly deceived; but is a ftranger to real chrif tianity, and knows not the faving truth. Thefe paffages of fcripture are decifive, and prove that it is made certain by a divine conftitution, that no man fhall be without fin in this life: For these are declara.. tions from God, of this truth. Solomon could not say, "There is no man that finneth not-There is not a juft man upon earth, that doth good and finneth not;" if there were not a divine conftitution, which rendered it certain, that the most righteous, and beft of men, are not without fin, in this life: For this is affirmed of man, of every man in this world, in every age of it, from the be ginning to the end of it. How could the Apoftle Paul fay to a chriftian church, "The flesh lufteth against the fpirit, and the fpirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would" And how could the Apoftles John and James fay, "If we fay we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in usIn many things we all offend ;" if this were not true of all, and common to all christians, at all times? It is impoffible they should say this under inspiration, were there not a known constitution of heaven, that no man should be O 2 free |