M GOD'S ELECTION. Abuse H. Another abuse of this doctrine is, when per- sons indulge despairing thoughts under this pretence : " If I am never so watchful, never so diligent I cannot be saved' un- lessI am elected ; and therefore it is in vain for use to seek after salvation : for the scripture tells me ; Rom. ix. 16. " It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." Answer. But remember also, O tempted and despairing souls that there was never anyone who had a will to obey the gospel, and who didran the christian race, but that he obtained the blessed prize of salvation. It is granted indeed that theHoly Spiritis the first, but secret agent in this important affair : Pray earnestly then for the Holy Spirit, and set thyself in a course ofduty according to the appointment of Christ in his gospel, and thou hast many promises to support thy hope, that such prayers shallbe answered. Lukexi. 13. " Your heavenly Father will give hisHoly 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 public call of the gospel, repent of every sin and receivethe grace that is there offered ; and when thou art become a lover of God anda believer in Christ, thou mayest then trace up these graces to their original spring, even to thy election in Christ Jesus beforethe foundation of the world. The last thing I proposed is to make some few remarks on this subject. ' Remark I. I infer that there are some doctrines wherein the reason of man finds many difficulties, andwhich 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 diffi- culties as well as they, andwe 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 unwillingto 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 asserted in scripture, that we cannot resist the light and force of it : The ex- press words of God demand our submission 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 perverted ; yet *suce it isa truth God has seen fit to revealin several parts of hi s
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