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t2S
Con%
ELECTION
OF MEN
IN JESUS
CHRIST.
[sztist.
73.
in Christ
to
be
made holy and happy.
There
are
sonie
difficulties
attend
the
belief
of
it, which
ought
to
be
re-
lieved.
There
are
sonne
prdper
uses
to
which this
doc-
trine
should
be
applied.
There
are
some
practical
abuses of
it,
against
which
we
must' set a
guard; and
there
are
sonne
remarks or inferences which
may be
form-
ed upon
the whole
discourse.
_First, As
for
the difficulties which
attend
it,
and the
many
cavils
and objections
which
are raised against
it,
I
sball not
interrupt
this
half-hour
with
controversy,
so
far
as
to
take notice
of
any
of
them
in
the body
of
my
dis-
course*.
* There
is
one objection of
the greatest importance and weight, and
therefore
I
would say something to relieve
it
in
the margin.
Some persons
have argued thus
;
If
God
lias
chosen a
certain number
to
be made holy and
happy by
Jesus
Christ,
the Mediator,
while
others
are
left
out
of this
choice, and
go on in
sin
to
their
final
destruction,
will
they
not
justly
complain'
of God, at
the
last day,
as
having
laid
a
bar
against their
salvation, by not chusing
them?
Will
they
not say, there
was
ndMediator
to
undertake their
cause,
no
pardon,
no
salvation
provided
for them;
and
therefore the
Offers
of pardon and salvation,
which
are
made
to
them
in
common
with
other
sinners
in
the
gospel,
are
mere delu-
sive words, and have no
truth
in
them
?.
But
far
be
this imputation from
the
God of grace and truth
!
-
Answer I.
The
offers
of salvation by
a
Mediator,
are made
in
general
terms
to all
sinners wheresòever
the
gospel
is
preached, and
every one
that
applies himself to Christ in
the appointed
way;
and
is
sincerely will-
ing
to
receive this salvation, shall have it bestowed upon him. John
iii.
16.
"
God
so
loved
the
world,
that
he
gave
his
only
begotten
Son,
that
whosoever believeth
on
him, should
not
perish, but
should
llave
everlast-
ing life."
So
far
was
our blessed Lord
appointed the
common
Mediator
of mankind, that
none shall be able to complain
in
the day of
judgment,
that
they
perish
for
want of
a
Mediator.
"
This
is
the
will
of God
who
sent
him,"
or
the grand
commission with
which he came into
the
world,
not only
that
he should take care of those whom the
Father
had given
him,
but
it
runs
in
general,
that
he should receive all
that cone
to
him,
and
"
he
will
by no means cast them
out."
See
John vi.
37
-
--40.
None
shall complain,
that their
sins
are unpardoned
for
want
of
a
sufficiency
in
the merit
or
atonement of Christ. And though it
is
confessed,
that
his
blood
and
life
were
paid down
as
a
price
for
the certain
redemption
and
salvation
of
all
that the Father
had
given
him,
yet
the
blood
of him
who
was
"
God manifest
in
the
flesh," had
a
sufficient value in
it
to
procure
pardon; heaven and happiness,
for a
whole world of sinful men
:
And the
reason why unbelievers and
impenitent
sinners
are condemned
is,
beea
se
they
did not apply themselves sincerely
to
this Mediator,
they
did not
chuse
to
lay
hold
of
this salvation, which
consists in
a
likeness
to
God,
as
well
as
in
his
favour,
in
holiness
as
well as
happiness.
Answer II.
Nor
shall
any be able
to
say
at
that
day,
that
they
missed
of
the
salvation of
Christ,
for
want of sufficient natural
powers to lay
hold
of it,
and receive
it.
Sinners
who
hear the
gospel have a
natural
under-