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ballance the world,even a bleffing in it, for whole fake it should not be deftroyed.

5 Wherever the gofpel is preach'd there are/ome of thefe to be gather'd in by it. It is more than probable that where God fends a faithful miniftry, and the gospel is preach'd in the purity of it, He has a defign to extend his faving grace to fome among that people, whom he will by fuch a miniftry effectually call, and bring home to himself. So the apostle Paul was fent to preach the gospel in Gorinth, because God had much people in that city, Acts 18. 10.

It follows then, that this is no fuch difcouraging doctrine as fome would reprefent it. Since 'tis a fecret with God who are predeftinated unto life, and who are not; fince the number of the elect is fuch a great number, an innumerable multitude; fince a part of them are bro't forth in every age; fince the greateft finners may be of this number, and none are excluded on account of any outward circumstances; fince the preaching of the gospel is the appointed means of gathering them in, and wherever the gofpel is preach'd, we may fuppofe there are a number to be bro't by

*. Iía. 64. 8.

it to that faith and holiness, which is the predeftinated way to eternal life; fince, I fay, these things are fo, there is enough to prevent difcouragement, to raise our hope of, and quicken our endeavours after fal

vation.

Therefore our way is, to accept of the general grace offered in the gofpel, to devote and refign our felves to God, to depend upon the merits of ourRedeemer, and put our felves under the teaching fanctifying influences of his Spirit, in the use of the appointed means, humbly waiting for his renewing and reconciling grace: Thus we may come to know the purposed love of God to us, that he hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain falvation by our Lord Jefus Christ. Inftead then of rifing up againft, and quarrelling with what we have now heard, let us turn it into a prayer; and there can't be a better prayer after this fermon, than that which the Holy Ghoft has put into our mouths, Pfal. 106. 4, 5. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou beareft unto thy people! O vifit me with thy falvation! that I may fee the good of thy chofen; that I may rejoice with the gladness of thy nation; that I may glory with thine inhe

ritance!

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SERMON II.

ROMANS, VIII. 29, 30.

For whom he did fore-know, be alfo did predeftinate to be conformed to the image of bis fon,that he might be thefirst-born among many brethren.

Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them be allo called; and whom he called, them be alfo juftifed; and whom he justified, them be alfo glorified.

T

HERE is an excellent and moft wife order and connection in all that God brings to pafs; and this order fo fettled and join'd together, that it can never be broken. The falvation children of fallen Adam, takes its rife in the eternal counsel, free purpose, and electing love of God. Whom

of any of the

he

he did fore-know, and perfonally chufer to falvation, them he did predeftinate to all the means which lead to that falvation. That which firft follows predeftination is effectual calling: Whom he did predeftinate, fays the text, them be alfo called. In his appointed time, by his word and fpirit, he powerfully draws thefe to a thankful acceptance of, and firm reliance on the Lord Jefus Chrift as their faviour, and an obedient walking in him as the way to eternal life. Upon this ensues their justification: Whom he called, them he alfo justified. Being united to Chrift in their effectual calling, they are thro' him abfolv'd from guilt, and accepted as righteous. Now, after their calling, they are in Chrift Jefus, and walk not after the flesh but after the fpirit, and fo no condemnation belongs to them. Upon these will finally follow their glorification in heaven, after they have glorified God on earth; in which God's defign of love to them, will have its full and eternal accomplishment: Whom he juftified, them he also glorified.

It was not my defign, when I began upon these words the laftLords-day, to fpeak of all these privileges in the order in which

Rom. 8. 1.

the

the text prefents them; but only of that which is the ground of them all, and from which the reft result, namely, Election, or Predeftination unto life; a plain and precious, but difrelish'd and oppos'd truth of the gofpel. That I have taken this in hand, I'm lure is not from a love to controversy, or fondness to oppofe the fchemes of others, but, I hope, from a fincere defire to fulfill the miniftry of the Lord Jefus which I have receiv'd among you, by teftifying the gospel of the grace of God in all the parts of it. We truft, my Brethren, that we aim to fpeak, not as pleafing men, butGod; and therefore we dare not baulk any truth, in its proper place and feafon, because 'tis unfashionable, oppos'd by the wisdom of the world, or run down by popular outcry. Nor am I determin'd to this opinion by the prejudice of education, but becaufe after careful fearches and researches, I am convinc'd of the truth of it, upon what - appears to me to be the ftrongeft evidence; and the more I enquire into it, the more I fee it to agree with the holy fcriptures, and the divine perfections.

4

It was the bufinefs of the former difcourfe to explain and ftate the truth under con-. fideration. That which we are next to proceed to is to prove and confirm it. The point then to be now establish'd is this,

"That

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