not mean their calling and election to the Gospel, for of this they were sure before; nor would their assurance of this prevent their fall, nor procure that an entrance should be ministered to them abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which he tells them their making their calling and election sure would do. It may be said, if, by election he meant the eternal purpose of God to save them, why does he exhort them to make their election sure, when it was sure already? for the purpose of God according to election shall stand. To this it may be replied: It was sure indeed, in the immutable decree of God, but it might not be sure to them; they might not have an assurance in their own souls of their election; and therefore the Apostle, in order to their establishment and comfort, advises them to make their calling and election sure to themselves, or to make their election certain by their vocation.

[6.] We have Scriptures which positively assert an election to salvation. And, besides our text, which holds forth this truth, in direct terms, we read of the vessels of mercy, which God hath before prepared to glory, Rom. ix. 23, before prepared, even in his eternal purpose: for if they had prepared themselves, by their faith, for glory, they would improperly be called vessels of mercy; nor would this preparing of themselves be at all agreeable to the meaning of the text, which expressly says, that God had before prepared them to glory. Again, we are said to be predestinated to an inheritance; in whom we have obtained an inheritance, or a right to an inheritance, "being predestinated thereto, according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will," Eph. i. 11. Now, what is the inheritance that the Apostle says they were predestinated to? No other than the inheritance among the saints in light; the inheritance incorruptable, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, which is reserved in heaven for them, 1 Pet. i. 4. the inheritance of the children of God, and of which the Holy Spirit is the earnest. Now this inheritance,

to which they were predestinated, they are said to obtain, because they were "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession," Eph. i. 13, 14. Again, the Apostle tells the Thessalonians, that God had not "appointed them to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thess. v. 9. which appointment is no other than God's election of them to obtain salvation, according to the explication of it in our text, where it is said, of these same Thessalonians, that God had, "from the beginning, chosen them to salvation." Besides these several texts we read of many that were ordained to eternal life, Acts xiii. 48. This, I know, is a text very much controverted; but, as I have not room to enter into the litigations upon it, I will take it for granted that the translation is just, and refer those who desire further satisfaction to compare the criticisms and explications of others.

Thus have I laid before you those Scriptures which prove a particular election to salvation, in refutation to their opinion, who tell us, that election is only of nations and societies, and not of particular persons, and only to the enjoyment of the Gospel, Church privileges, and the external means of salvation, and not to salvation itself.

To sum up this argument: Whereas it is suggested, that it is not easy to imagine how the Apostle Paul should know who were elected to salvation in any church, without a special revelation; nay, that he did not know this, because he speaks of some who would fall away, and cautions all against it. To this I would beg leave to reply, by observing that it is very evident that the Apostle did speak of particular persons, as elect to salvation, which certainly he would not have done had he not known them to be such; that we are not able to prove that he did not certainly know whom God had chosen to salvation; that he had a spirit of discerning, and why might he not know the elect from this spirit? That God did give him a special re

velation, as to this matter, is not easy to disprove; that he had many peculiar marks given him of their elec tion, from whence he knew it; that though he sometimes wrote to the churches, as professing societies of Christians, yet, at other times, we find him addresing himself to them as persons elected to salvation; that he might write to the churches in general, as elect though some few of them, by falling away, should appear to be otherwise. Though we were to allow that some, in the churches, to whom the Apostle wrote, did fall away, yet it will be hard to prove that they were of the number that he stiled elect to salvation; seeing, after his time, many might be added to the churches who might prove reprobates. But, however, the cautions and exhortations that the Apostle gave to the churches, are no way inconsistent with his knowing them to be elect to salvation; for though as elect they could not miss of salvation, yet they were to obtain it in the use of means, such as cautions and directions, which made these highly necessary; nay, had the Apostle known any particular church to be non-elect, he would never have cautioned and advised it at all.

SERMON II.

2 THESS. ii. 13.

We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord; because God hath, from the beginning, chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.

In order to treat of the doctrine of particular election, from this text, I proposed to explain it, and I gave the various senses of the word election, especially in the book of God; and laid down the different opinions of persons concerning it. My second head was to prove, that God has immutably designed the salvation of a

certain number of Adam's children: The truth of this doctrine I argued from the Divine perfections, and then came to examine what proof we have of this doctrine from the word of God: I produced such texts as prove a personal election, in contradistinction to a national one; and then offered such as assert an election to salvation, in opposition to those who affirm, that election refers only to the means of salvation, or to church privileges: there is another thing I proposed under this head, and to that I shall proceed.

(3.) I am now to prove the certain salvation of a chosen people; or that all those whom God elected to salvation shall be saved; and to refute the notion of a conditional mutable election.

God did not determine to save all men, upon uncertain conditions, nor has he altered his purpose as to any that he determined to save; but all those whom he elected, with a design to save them, shall believe, be holy, and obtain eternal life. We may as well suppose, that any of God's elect should be without the necessary means of salvation; as imagine that any of them should miss of it at last: If any of God's chosen should fall short of eternal life, there would be no difference between them and the reprobate; especially, if, as some affirm, the reprobate may be saved, as well as the elect fall away: But this is to confound both reason and Scripture. The elect shall be saved; this I might prove from the wisdom and power of God: For if God has designed to save any persons, then they must be saved; otherwise God must repent, and change his mind concerning them, or be overpowered by some superior agency of theirs; to suppose either of which, is not only to degrade, but to deny the Divine perfections. This might be proved from the decrees in general. If the decrees of God, in general, are absolute and immutable, then this of election must be so; but the proposition we have before confirmed, and the latter is an undeniable conclusion from it: If election is an absolute purpose of God to save any, independent of any conditions to be performed by them, which

may render this purpose effectual to their salvation, then it must be unchangeable; and if it is an unchangeable purpose of God to save, then all those whom he thus purpose to save, must necessarily and infallibly be saved: nothing can hinder, prevent, or disannul their salvation. This may also be argued from the intercession and declaration of Christ; who thus said, whilst on earth, "Father, I will, that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me," John xvii. 24. "I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of my hand," ch. x. 28. Now, both these places refer not only to Christ's disciples, that then were, in particular, but to all the elect of God, to all who shall afterwards believe through their word. This may also be proved, from what our Saviour said of the elect, that it is "impossible they should be deceived," Mat. xxiv. 24. i. e. so far deceived and carried away, by false christs, as to miscarry of salvation.-This might also be strongly argued, from that passage of the Apostle, where, having spoken of the wicked apostacy of some, he said, "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his," 2 Tim. ii 19.-This truth stands with unshaken firmness on that text, where God, who cannot lie, is said to "promise eternal life to his elect before the world began," Tit. i. 1, 2.-Those places also would yield no small proof in the case, where it is said, that Christ's "people shall be willing in the day of his power ;" and that "all that the Father gave to him shall come to him :" For that by Christ's people, and those who were given to him, the elect, and not actual believers, must be intended, is plain, because they are called Christ's people, and are said to be given to him, before they are willing, and before shall come to him, but they shall be willing, and they shall come to him.-If to what has been offered were added all those texts of Scripture, where mention is made of the names of the elect being written in heaven, and in