37 / 652
GERM.
II.]
GOD'S
ELECTION
OF
MEN
IN JESUS CHRIST..
27
the
"
promise
of the Holy Spirit
;
`
Luke
xxiv.
49.
that
he
might send him down in
a variety
of
gifts
and graces,
upon
his
apostles
at
first,
to begin
his
gospel-church
on
earth, and upon
all
his
chosen people for
their
sanctifi-
cation through all
ages, to
the
end of
the
world.
He'
appointed
'him
of
old to be
the judge of
men
and
angels
;
and all this
authority
and glory
was
promised
him
in
that
early covenant, partly
as
a proper recompence
for his
sufferings,
and partly
as
a means
to
enable
him to
fulfil
all
the articles
of
his
engagement to God,
his
Father.
"
Father,"
said
he,
"
glorify thy Son, for he
bath
finished
the
work thou gayest him to do
on
earth
;
and
thou
hast
given
him,
that
is,
promised to
give hire,
power over
all
flesh,
that
he
may give
eternal
life to
as many as
thou hast
given him
;"
John
xvii.
1
-4.
These
things
are recorded
in
a variety
9f
scriptures,
which
it
would
be
too large
at
present
to
rehearse.
A
glorious covenant
!
with
sacred and
divine
engagements,
which are fulfilled on
both
sides,
with
perfect honour
and faithfulness!
What
an effectual security
is
derived
hence, for
the salvation
of
all
that
believe.
in
Christ
!.
What
an assurance
is
hereby
given,
that
none
of
his
chosen ones shall
perish
!
What matter of
delightftil
meditation,
of
holy wonder,
and devout thankfulness,
may the
saints
of
God
derive from this blessed
covenants
which
reaches beyond
the
limits
of
this world
and
time,
and extends
from one
eternity
to
another
!
In
condes-
cension to our understandings, the
holy
prophets
com-
pare the
firmness
of
this
covenant to
the
ordinances
of
heaven, to
the foundations
of
the earth, to the certain
periods
of
the moon,
and the established course of na-
ture
:
But by the light of the New Testament,
we
may
venture
boldly to rise higher,
and
say,
that
when these
heavens shall
be
folded up
as
a,
curtain, when the
sun
shall
be
turned into darkness, and
the moon
be
deprived
of
her
light,
when
the foundations
of
the
earth
shall
totter,
and
all things in
it
be
burned
up, this
covenant
shall
remain
in
its full force, shall
bring everlasting ho-
nours
to
God
the
Father,
and
his
Son
Jesus, and
for
ever
establish all
the children
of God
in
holiness
and
Joy
There are
yet four things
that
remain to be done, with
relation
to
this
great doctrine
of
the election
of
sinners