EERM. II.1 GOD'S ELECTION OF MEN IN CHRIST JESUS. 33 . granted indeed, that the Holy Spirit is the first, but se- cret, agent in this important affair: Prayearnestly then for the Holy Spirit, and set thyself in a course of duty, according to the appointment of Christ in his gospel, and thou hast many promises to support thy hope, that such prayers shall be answered. Luke xi. 13. " Your hea- venly Father will give his Holy Spirit to them who ask him." Thy first business is not to enquire after thy election, which is a secret thing, but hearken to the pub- lic call of the gospel, repent of every sin, and receive the grace that is there offered and when thou art become a lover of God, and a believer in Christ, thou mayest then trace up these graces to their original spring, even to thy election in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the world. The last thing I proposed is, to make some few re- marks on this subject. Remark I. I infer, that there are somedoctrines wherein the reason of man finds many difficulties, and which the folly of man would abuse to unhappy purposes, which yet are plain and express truths asserted in the word of God. Among these, we place the great doctrine of the election of sinners in Christ to be made holy and happy. We intreat our brethren who differ from us in this point, to be so candid as to suppose, that we feel the difficulties as well as they, and we see the awful consequences which seem to affright them from receiving it;- we have had our doubts about it, and found our reasoning powers a little perplexed and unwilling to receive it, 'lest God should be represented as partial in his favours, and lest man should ,cavil against his proceedings : But we feel ourselves overpowered with evidence and conviction, when we see the doctrine so plainly and frequently as- serted in scripture, that we cannot resist the light and force of it: The express words of God demand our sub- mission and constrain our belief, and we are persuaded our brethren would believe it too., if they saw it in the same light. We are sensible also of the abuses of this doctrine, and the sinful purposes to which it is sometimes pervert- ed; yet since it is a truth God has seen fit to reveal, in several parts of his word, and since it has some valuable purposes and uses in the Christian life, we cannot bu4 VOL. III. D
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