lent enemies of these sentiments? If these doc trines disturb the peace of families and societies, do they not produce the very effects, which were produced by the doctrines of Christ and the apostles, and the most thorough, faithful and devout ministers and Christians in every age of the church? If these doctrines cause divisions in churches and among the professor's of religion, why do you charge these divisions upon the friends, rather than upon the enemies of these doctrines? If all the churches, and all the professors of Christianity, and all the professed ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, loved God and his law, and his decrees, and his conduct; would they be divided by these sentiments, which give the fullest and brightest view of the divine glory? Are not these doctrines chiefly opposed by worldly and carnal churches, by false and unholy professors, by wicked and unfaithful ministers? It is agreed that these doctrines perplex the minds of awakened and convinced sinners. Such sinners are always perplexed with truth and duty, until their hearts are humbled, and they become obedient and submissive unto God, who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and hardeneth whom he will harden. "The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble. They grope at noon day as in the night, and they grope as if they had no eyes." But it is objected that these sentiments disturb young converts. Young converts desire, and they greatly need instruction.

When these doctrines are plainly and fully taught, they delight and nourish the hearts of young converts. Young converts and other Christians always feel uneasy and restless until their minds are informed and established in the great and blessed doctrines of the gospel. If respecting these doctrines, the minds of young converts are troubled, they are troubled by those false teachers and false professors, who practise the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive." Such persons misrepresent the true doctrines of the gospel, and wrest the scriptures to their own destruction, and to the grief of pious souls, who are so unhappy as to be ensnared by their subtlety, and affected by their poisonous and pernicious influence.

If these doctrines damp the zeal and fervor of religious revivals, it is of such revivals as resemble the flames of hell, where there is much heat, but no light. If these doctrines are abused and perverted, if they are opposed and misrepresented, the unhappy effects are not to be charged against the doctrines, nor against the Holy Spirit who reveals these doctrines in the blessed bible, but they are to be charged to the ignorance and the errors, the folly and the wickedness of their enemies and opposers. "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them who are lost, in whom the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine

unto them." Why do they, who are thus blinded by Satan, and led captive by him at his will, pretend that the great doctrines of the gospel are unfavorable to piety and morality? What is our professed love to God, our devotion and our piety, while we are ignorant of his perfections, of his designs, his decrees, his law, his gospel and his conduct? Without the true knowledge of God, true piety never exists. While ignorant of God, what is our professed repentance towards God? While ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ, what is our professed faith in his name? Without repentance and faith, what is our morality, our benevolence, and our compassion towards our fellow creatures? To many persons, who think highly of their piety and morality, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ may be truly applied: "Woe unto you, scribes, pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. Even so ye outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." But they, who are taught, and who receive the pure doctrines of the gospel, are humbled into an holy obedience and submission to the Lord their God and Saviour.While they behold the glory of the divine perfections, decrees and conduct, in the face of Jesus Christ, their love is pure and fervent; their repentance thorough and permanent; and their faith lively and powerful. By the great

doctrines of the gospel, their minds are fixed on God in Christ Jesus, and all the graces of the Spirit are excited and strengthened in their hearts. And these divine graces shine in every expression of love to God, and love to man; in all the deeds of piety and morality. The elect are able truly to say, "We all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." AMEN.

SERMON X.

JOHN VI. 37.

All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.

Ir is now proposed to mention some reflec

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tions, which arise from what has been said in the preceding discourses.

REFLECTIONS.

I. The doctrine of election is an essential doctrine of the gospel.

It is closely connected with the fundamental articles of natural and revealed religion. It results from the perfections of God, and it gives the fullest and clearest view of the divine glory. To the eternal purpose of God to redeem his chosen people must be traced the gift of the Saviour, and the atonement which he has made for sin by his death on the cross. When the Saviour is given, and the atonement made, and the gospel published, and salvation freely offered to sinners, the doctrine of election lays the only foundation of hope for the salvation of immortal souls. They therefore who understand the bible, clearly perceive that this doctrine is one of the principal and distinguishing articles of the Christian faith. Accor