ber, which no man can number; yet, comparatively, they are but few, many be called, but few chofen, Matt. xx. 16. 2. They are the objects of the love of God, of his everlasting and unchangeable love; and because they are the beloved of the Lord, therefore they are chofen by him unto falvation: fo the people of Ifrael were chosen as a nation to outward privileges above all nations, not because they were more than others, for they were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved them, Deut. vii. 7, 8. Electio præfupponit dile&tionem, "Election presupposes love." Love is the fource and original of it: whom God did foreknow, them he did predeftinate, as in the context; hence they are ftiled elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, 1 Peter i. 2. which is to be understood not of the bare prescience of God, which reaches to all the fons of men, for then all would be the elect of God; but of fuch foreknowledge of them as includes in it the strongest love and affection for them; of which his choice of them to everlasting life, is a glaring inftance and evidence. 3. They are chofen in Chrift, as is expressly asserted in Ephefians i. 4. Chrift himself, as mediator, is God's elect; he is fo by way of eminency; he was first chofen and then the elect in him; he is the first-born of the election of grace; he was first conceived in the womb of election, and brought forth, and then the many brethren among whom he is the first-born; he was chofen as the head, and they as members in him: hence all grace was given to them in him, and they were blessed with all spiritual bleffings in him; yea, hence it is, that they being fanctified, or fet apart by God the Father in election, were preserved in him, notwithstanding the fall of Adam, and their own actual tranfgreffions, in order to be called by grace, Jude 1. 4. The choice of them in Chrift is unto eternal life and falvation; not unto external bleffings and privileges, as the Ifraelites were, nor to any outward office, though ever fo great, as that of apostleship, as Judas the fon of perdition was, but to special grace here, and eternal glory hereafter: these are perfons ordained to eternal life, veffels of mercy, afore prepared for glory; they are appointed not unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jefus Chrift; which he has been appointed to work out for them, has effected, and will put them into the poffeffion of. 5. This choice of them was made before the foundation of the world, as is affirmed in Ephefians i. 4. The Theffalonians are said to be chosen from the beginning, 2 Thefs. ii. 13. not from the beginning of the preaching of the gospel to them, nor from the beginning of their converfion, but from the beginning of time; or, in other words, from eternity; the phrafe being the fame with from everlasting, as appears from Proverbs viii. 23. This is an act, that does not commence in time, but bears date from eternity; it paffed before the men who who are the objects of it, were born, and had done either good or evil, Rom. ix. JI. 6. It is owing to the fovereign good-will and pleasure of God, who does all things after the counsel of his own will: he predeftinates to the adoption of children, according to the good pleasure of his will; he has mercy on whom he will bave mercy, and is gracious to whom he will be gracious; and his election of perfons to everlasting life, is an election of grace, and is ftrongly denied to be of works, Romans xi. 5, 6. It is irrespective of faith, holiness, or good works, as caufes, motives, and conditions of it; thefe all follow upon it, and are fruits, effects, and evidences of it. 7. This choice of men to happiness is through certain ways and means of God's own appointing; fuch as fanétification of the fpirit, and belief of the truth, 2 Thefs. ii. 13. which, as they are fixed in the decree of the means, have their fure and certain accomplishment. God chooses men, not because they were, or because he knew they would be, but that they might be holy; and this he fecures for them; for by virtue, and in confequence of their being chofen, he fends the Spirit down into their hearts to fanctify them; and though the work of fanctification is at prefent imperfect, in pursuance of the divine purposes it fhall be compleated. So likewife belief of the truth, or faith in Chrift, who is the truth, and in every doctrine of the word of truth, relating to him, is another mean ascertained in the decree of election, and is fure by it: as many as are ordained unto eternal life, have believed, do believe, and shall believe, in all ages of time; and none truly believe, but fuch; and therefore true faith is called the faith of God's elect, Titus i. 1. It fprings from electing grace; it is the fruit of it, it is the gift of God's grace, and is insured by it; and because of it, as the work of faith is begun, it shall be performed with power. Hence, 8. Perfons thus chofen are peculiarly his, the elect of God, yea, they are emphatically called his own elect, Luke xviii. 7. They are not only his by creation, as all mankind are, but they are the people of his choice, a peculiat one; they are elect according to his foreknowledge, they are fet apart for himself, for his own ufe, fervice and glory; they are chofen by him for his peculiar treasure. But, Secondly, I am next to show you in what fenfe no charge can be laid against, nor condemnation come to these persons. Firft, No charge, no accufation of them, no crime to be alledged against them: But, 1. Is there nothing they are chargeable with? Are they in every fenfe clear of all crimes? Can nothing be objected to them, and laid against them? yes, many things. They are, as the defcendents of Adam, chargeable with his fin: they were in him feminally, as the root and parent of mankind; they were in him him federally, as their covenant-head and reprefentative; in which he was the figure of Chrift that was to come; and fo they finned in him, and were made and constituted finners, through his difobedience; the guilt of which, is imputed to them, and they in themselves are liable to condemnation by it: they are chargeable with a corrupt nature, they bring into the world with them, being conceived in fin, and fhapen in iniquity; they are justly called tranfgreffors from the womb; they are chargeable with the lofs of original righteoufnefs, and of the image of of God, and with a want of conformity to the law of God; they are chargeable with a multitude of actual tranfgreffions committed before converfion, and fome with very grievous and notorious ones; not only as being foolish, and disobedient, ferving divers lufts and pleasures; but, as living in malice, bateful, and bating one another: fo Saul, afterwards Paul, was guilty of injury, perfecution and blafphemy; and the Corinthians are faid to be fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, and every thing that is bad, 1 Cor. vi. 9-11. And after conversion they are all chargeable, with many fins of thought, word, and deed; with fins of omiffion and commiffion; with daily infirmities and frequent backflidings; in many things they all offend; and their errors are fo many, they cannot understand; and fome of them are suffered to fall into very grofs enormities, as Noah, Lot, David, Peter, and others. Wherefore, 2. Are there none that will rife, ftand up and charge, these perfons? yes, enow: their own hearts rife up againft them, and charge them; their confcience which is as a thousand witneffes, does often accuse them: there is in every man a confcience, which excufes or accufes for good or bad things done, unless where it is feared as with a red-hot iron: but this is not the cafe of good men, their consciences are tender; and though they are fometimes tempted to extenuate their faults, yet, at other times, they are ready to aggravate them, and put them in the worst light; and write difmal, defperate, and bitter things against themfelves likewife, they are very apt to charge one another; they are sometimes too forward this way, too inquifitive after each other's weakneffes; bear too hard upon one another for them; and are too fevere and cenforious: indeed, they are not to fuffer fin upon one another; charges may be very lawfully brought, whether in a private, or in a public way, as the nature of the cafe requires, provided the rules of God's word are obferved, and they are exhibited in a kind and tender manner, with a view to the glory of God, and the good of the perfon or perfons charged: moreover, the men of the world are full of charges against the people of God, and traduce them oftentimes very wrongfully, as the Jews did our Lord; and as Tertullus the orator, the apostle Paul; and it is the common lot of the faints to go through good report and bad report; but no weapon formed against them shall profper, and every every tongue that riseth up in judgment against them shall be condemned: they have real faults enough in them; and there is no need of falfe ones to be imputed to them; to which may be added, Satan is the adversary of believers, armin, "a court adverfary;" one that enters a fuit at law, and brings in an action in open court against another, as the word fignifies; he goes about the world, and obferves the failures of the faints, takes all advantages, and every opportunity against them; picks up their faults, and aggravates them, and accuses them before the throne: whence he is called the accufer of the brethren, Rev. xii. 10. To fay no more, the law accuses of the breaches and violations of it; one commandment fays, Thou haft finned against me; and another, Thou haft finned against me; and the law is able to make good, and fupport its charges, and give evidence of them; and it proceeds to pronounce the whole world guilty before God, and fo the elect of God among the rest. But then, 3. What will these charges fignify? Of what avail will they be? and to what purpose are they laid? fince God juftifies and difcharges from them all, who is fuperior to all, and from whofe judgment there can be no appeal. Though the faints bring charges against themselves, and bring heavy ones against each other; and though the world, Satan, and the law, lay charges against them; yet none of the divine perfons bring any, nor will they bring any against them, Not Jehovah the Father, as may be learnt from the text and context; he predestinates them to be conformed to the image of his Son; he calls, justifies, and glorifies them; he is on their fide; he is for them, and it matters not who is against them; he has not fpared his own Son, but has delivered him up for them all, and gives all things freely with him, ver. 29-32. and therefore he will lay nothing to their charge: nor will the Son of God; he is the furety for them; he has died for their fins, and has made an end of them, and brought in everlafting righteousness; and is an advocate for them; wherefore, he will exhibit no charge against them: nor will the holy Spirit; for though he convinces of fin, of righteousness, and of judgment; yet he brings near the righteousness of Chrift unto them; works faith in them, to lay hold upon it, and pronounces them righteous on the account of it; he takes of the things of Chrift, and fhews them to them; he is the comforter of them, and the Spirit of adoption to them; and as Chrift is an advocate for them, in the court of heaven, he is an interceffor for them in their own hearts. 2dly, No condemnation can befal them; for if no charges can be laid against them with fuccefs, no condemnation can follow. Who is be that condemnetb? that is, the elect of God: these are the persons that are understood, though not expreffed. Others may be, and are condemned, even all mankind are in Adam; through his offence judgment came upon all men to condemnation, Rom. v. 18. And fome being ungodly men, and fuch who turn the grace of God into lascivious nefs, ness, are righteously appointed unto eternal condemnation; yea, every one that believes not, and who lives and dies in impenitence and unbelief, is condemned already; and there is a world that will be condemned at the last day; but the elect of God, who shall condemn? They are indeed, with the rest of mankind under the fentence of condemnation as confidered in Adam, in whom they finned; and fo the fentence of death paffed upon them in him. They are by nature children of wrath, and deferving of it, and in their own perfons commit. things worthy of death; and when they are thoroughly convinced of fin by the Spirit of God, they have the fentence of death within themselves, and fay, as the Egyptians did, when their first-born were killed, we be all dead men, Exod. xii. 33. Whatever vain opinion they entertained of themselves before the commandment came with power into their confciences, as it did in the apostle Paul; fin then revives, as it did in him, and they die, as to all hopes of attaining happiness by their works; they see themselves dead in law, dead in fin and after converfion, their hearts often fmite and condemn them for fin, though God is greater than their bearts, and knows all things; his own covenant-transactions and agreement with his Son; what his Son has done, and what fatisfaction he has made to his law and juftice, and therefore will not condemn them. They are too apt to condemn one another: hence that advice of our Lord's, condemn uot, and ye shall not be condemned, Luke vi. 37. The men of the world are very forward to condemn them as hypocrites, as the worft of men, and not fit to live upon the earth; but the Lord ftands at the right hand of the poor to fave him from those that condemn his foul, Pfalm cix. 31. The God of this world, as he accuses them, and ftands at their right hand to refift them; fo he feeks, and calls for judgment against, and upon them, but in vain. The law is a ministration of condemnation and death to them that are under it: indeed, the elect of God are redeemed from it, and from the curfe and condemnation of it; Chrift being made a curfe for them; and be it fo; that it should pass as many fentences of condemnation upon them, as there are fins committed by them; for every fin deferves a sentence, yet axeu, "there is not one condemnation to them ♪ "that are in Christ Jesus," and redeemed by him; not one fentence can be executed upon them: and though these may all condemn, yet neither Father, Son, nor Spirit, will condemn them: not the Father, for he justifies them; not the Son, for he died for them; and is the Lord their righteousness: he came not into the world to condemn the world, but that it might be faved by him; nor the bleffed Spirit, for these are justified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God. To which may be subjoined, that these persons are loved by God with an everlasting love, which God has swore shall never depart from them: they are predeftinated to eternal life, and shall be glorified; they are in Christ, and to fuch there is no condemnation; they are brought to believe in Chrift, and VOL. I. fuch 3 K |