and juftified in this world, and glorified in the next. And if the finner is awakned, and bro't into diftrefs and agony, there is the more hope that he will be found of this number, and that a purpose of mercy concerning him is beginning to be executed. How in the world does this doctrine tend to despair any more than thofe places of fcripture that speak of the difficulty of falvation, and tells us that few comparitively will be faved? Such paffages as that in our faviours fermon on the mount, Mat. 7. 13, 14. Enter ye in at the trait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to deftruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because ftrait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

But 'tis easy to load any truth with misrepresentations and abufes if men will set themselves to do fo: and fuch is the perverfeness of lome, that they will give a wrong turn to a thing that is never fo well explain'd and guarded. When we set forth the mercy of God, his readiness to pardon, and willingness to receive finners that return to him by repentance and faith in Jefus Chrift; fome will abuse it to prefumption, and from thence encourage themselves to go on in fin because grace abounds, and to defer their repentance to the laft of their

time.

time. This, fo far as we can make a judgment, is a more common cafe than the other; and 'tis full as dangerous to the fouls of men: Yet none would have us forbear it; and fome think it can't be too often treated of, nor eno' enlarg'd upon.

Indeed it is a ufual thing for perfons under their firft awakenings, to have their minds exercis'd about the doctrine of election; but fo far as I have been able to ob. ferve, it has been a belp, rather than an hindrance, to them in the work of a thorough converfion, and faving closure with the Lord Jefus Chrift; and has been us'd by the Holy Spirit as a means to excite them to give more diligence to make their calling fure, and to lay the ftronger hold on the hope fet before them, in a glorious Chrift to whom the gofpel invites them to flee for refuge.

And it feems to me that upon a fair and juft reprefentation of the ftate of the cafe, it will appear to every confiderate and unprejudic'd perfon, that a minifter in treating with troubled awakned confiences, can do it with much greater advantage upon the foot of particular election, and thofe other doctrines of grace that are connected with it, than on the foot of univerfal re-.

demption,

demption, and the opinions that follow that. For, fuppofe a perfon in deep concern about his everlafting falvation, fhou'd come to a minifter for his help and direction, and the minifter fhould tell him; God was a kind and merciful being, who delighted in the happiness of his creatures, and made none of them miferable that did not make themselves fo; and Chrift was the faviour of the world, who died for all men, and confequently for him as much as for any one; and if he did but repent of his fins, and truft in the merits of Chrift, and lead a good life, and continue to do so to the end, he need nor fear, for the gospel promis'd falvation to him. Might he not reply? And if his concern was deep and thorough, he would reply to this effect; Tho' God is a kind and merciful being, 'tis as true that he is fo holy as to hate fin, and fo juft as to punish the finner; and how much foever he delights in the happiness of his creatures, we know it will be the portion of a great many of them to be everlastingly miferable: True, he makes none of them miferable that don't make themselves fo; but this is my unhappy cafe: I fee I am a finner, tho' I was not fo fenfible of it as I am now I have revolted from him and rebelled against him; and I fear he will make me as miferable,as I have made my felf finful. And if Christ is

the

the faviour of all men, all men will not be actually and finally faved by him; this general redemption leaves the falvation of all men at an uncertainty. If I could know he died for me in particular, I fhould think my falvation fecur'd ; but I have no reason to think he died for me any more than for thofe who will perish forever. As to that faith, repentance and obedience, which the gofpel makes the conditions of an intereft in falvation by Jefus Chrift, whatever undue opinion I have had of my own ftrength before, I am now convinc'd these are things out of my power, and must be wro't in me by a divine energy. I find my heart to be hard and unbelieving, averfe to the way of holiness, and only bent to fin. And there are so many evil inclinations to be denied, temptations to be refifted, and enemies to be overcome, that I fear I fhall not hold out in the way to heaven; and without I endure to the end, I can't expect to be faved. Others have turn'd back, after they have feem'd to fet out well; and I have no better fecurity than they had. My falvation, for any thing I can fee, is very uncertain; yea, very unlikely, and next to impoffible, if I am left fo much to my felf in it.

On

On the other hand; When a minifter tells an inquiring, folicitous, anxious foul, not only that the death of Chrift is of value fufficient to purchase falvation for all men, if God had been pleas'd to design the falvation of all; but that he died to render the falvation of a very great number of them infallibly certain; and therefore has purchas'd for every one of these that faith & repentance which the gofpel makes neceffary to falvation,which are moft commonly wro't in them by the Holy Spirit in the ufe of the appointed means; and that their final perfeverance in grace, and compleat victory over fin, the world, and fatan, are fecured in a well order'd covenant, of which the Lord Jefus Chrift himself is the head and furety and if when the inquiring perfon exprefles a doubt & fear that he is not one of the happy number,& feems ready to be difcourag'd on this account, the minifter further lets him know, there is no real ground for any fuch fear, inafmuch as none can tell who are included in this number, and who are not; and many are included in it who have greatly fear'd the contrary; that the prefent concern of mind he is under renders it very hopeful that he will be found of this number at laft, inafmuch as this is the way of the Spirit with the elect of God, when he is about effectually

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