44 GOD'S ELECTION. of.God, andwe are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto" good works. Thus you see this blessed work of conversion, of changing the heart of man, is described in such language its ex- cludes man himself from being its original author : it is regene- ration, or a new birth, it is a resurrection from the dead, it is a new creation ; all proper expressions to shew that the work is di, vine, and must have God for the author of it, III. " The distinction that is made by this work of God in the heart of men, is attributed in scripture, not to any merit in man, which Goo foresaw, but to the free grace of God toward his people and has special choiceor election of them, to be parta- kers of these blessings." So the words of my text: We are chosen to be made holy, according to the good pleasure of his will. If some among the Jews, who were God's chosen visible church did believe in Christ, and receive this salvation, they were chosen of God, from among the rest of that nation, to be- come part of his invisible church by mere grace. When the greatest part of Israel rejected the Messiah, yet therewas a rem- nant of Jews, according to the selection of grace, who became Christians; and if it is of grace, then no more of works, otherwise grace would be no more grace; Rom. xi. 5, 6. Works and merit are inconsistent with an election of grace. If some of the Ephesian Gentiles received the gospel, they also were chosen from among the rest that lie dead in sins, and were quickened and saved by the grace of that God, who is rich in mercy according to thegreat love wherewith he loved them; Eph. ii. 4, 5, 7,.8. And theapostle ascribes his own salvation, as well as that of other sinners ; 'Tit. iii. 5. not to works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. This is the fountain of all blessings, whether conferred on Jew or Gentile ; Rom. ix. 15, 16. Good has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and compassion on whom he will have compassion. Time would fail me to show how full this chapter of St. Paul is of the distinctions, which are made between men by divinegrace, even before they had done good or evil, whether it he fora tem- poral or eternal inheritance, and the one as a type of the other. St. Johnconcurs in the same doctrine. If we love God, the first source of it was his love towards us. 1 John iv. 10-19. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us; and if we love him, it is because he loved us first. IV. °" This choice of persons to sanctification and salvation by the grace of God is represented in scripture, as before the foundation of the world, or from eternity. So my text expressly declares ; and indeed it must be so in the nature of things, for whatsoever the power or the mercy of God doth in time, he decreed to do it from eternity. He has no new designs. Known unto God are all his worksfrom the beginning of the world; Acts
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