And

The

hands. And again they said Alleluia. her smoke rose up for ever and ever.' destruction of Pharaoh and of Antichrist, were types of the destruction of the reprobate at the day of judgment. As there are good reasons to praise God for destroying Pharaoh and Antichrist, so there will for ever be good reasons why the elect should praise God for the endless damnation of the reprobate. There will be as good reasons to praise God for destroying the reprobate, as there were to induce God to decree and effect their destruction. The reasons of the divine decrees, and of the divine conduct respecting the reprobate, will be for ever appearing more evident and glorious to the elect. As they shall more fully and clearly behold the divine perfections displayed on the vessels of wrath, the louder and sweeter will be their songs of praise. They will for ever perceive and realize that God ought to be praised for decreeing to show his wrath, and make his power known upon the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, as well as for decreeing to make known the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy prepared unto glory.

XI. The doctrine of election affords Christiains a permanent foundation for comfort and delight. In view of this doctrine they may be comforted and delighted respecting their own salvation. For though they have hated God and the law, Jesus Christ and the gospel, tho' they have grieved the Holy Spirit and deserve

the damnation of hell; yet God will glorify his great name in their forgiveness and salvation. By their salvation he will also promote the knowledge, the holiness and the happiness of all holy creatures. Although Christians, in the present state of sin and sorrow, differ in some respects, and are at variance among themselves; yet in heaven they will be perfectly of one heart and of one mind. Their love will be pure and fervent. Their joy will be complete and eternal. "God shall wipe away all tears from ' their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away. ." They will be assured that their God and Saviour has raised to their holy and happy society, the very number and the very persons, whom it was best to redeem from sin and sorrow. With the purest and sweetest joy they will for ever unite in singing, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father: to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen."

XII. The doctrine of election lays a founda tion to hope for the conversion and salvation of sinners. Though they hate God and his holy law with all their hearts, though they hate the Lord Jesus Christ and his blessed gospel without a cause, though they resist the Holy Spirit, and abuse all the means which are used for their conversion and salvation; yet God is able

to open their eyes, to unstop their ears, to enlighten their consciences and to destroy the enmity and the unbelief of their hearts. He can quicken sinners, who are dead in trespasses and sins. He can renew and sanctify and glorify the very number and the very persons, whom he has given unto the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the number and these are the persons, whom it is wisest and best to save from hell and raise to heaven. If we reject the doctrine of election, we leave no foundation to hope for the salvation of the least sinner. But this doctrine lays a foundation to hope for the salvation of the greatest sinners, who are yet prisoners of hope in this state of probation. When we behold the errors and the sins of many persons, who profess to be the ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ; when we behold the great number of formalists and hypocrites, who are found in the churches; when we behold the folly and the vanity of children and youth; when we behold the violent enmity of the more aged and hardened sinners against Jesus Christ and the gospel of his grace; when we behold the prevaÎent and damnable delusions of the great destroyer; yet we need not despair respecting the salvation of sinners. For the Lord Jesus Christ hath said, "All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." AMEN AND AMEN.