QUESTION XII. 341 The very representation of those scenes of iniquity and mis- chief, sorrow and death, which attend all mankind, and which have been before exhibited, is a sufficient proof of the con- tinuance and power of original sin all over the world, and the dreadful effects and punishments of it; and. shews that mankind In general is not released from it, nor is any part of them imme- diately and totally delivered. If therefore someof our divines, when they havebeen expounding the fifthchapter to the Romans, have been heard to say, that the obedience, the atonement and death of Christ have put an end to the effects of the sin of Adam, and brought in as extensive a blessing as Adam did a curse, they must not be supposed to mean that original sin, with all the sinful, painful and mortal effects of it in men, women and ,children,is as entirely done away, as though theyhad never been, or as though Adam had not sinned : For this is contrary to the witness of our senses, and the observation of our minds, every day of our lives. 4. Nor did this grace of God provide an absolute, certain and effectual salvation for all mankind from the penalties and effectsof the broken law of innocence, for it is evident enough that all man will not he saved. But lest this method of grace should be utterly ineffectual to all men, the blessed God, who saw the universal degeneracy and corrupt principles of mankind, would not leave it to such an uncertainty, whether any men should befinally saved orno. It was not fit so glorious aprovi- sion for our salvation should be left in so doubtfula manner. And it is highly reasonable to think, that God foresaw, no man would repent and accept of this grace, if they were all entirely left to their own choice and their own follies. Therefore he resolveda number should effectually accept of it. Nowhad it been possible that such a numbercould be secured in an indefinite manner, without appointing and naming every particular person, perhaps God might have left it in such an in- definite manner. But since that could not be done, therefore he saw it necessary to provide an effectual security for some certain and determined persons, which in scripture are called the sheep of Christ, whom he must bring into hisfold, and they shall hear his voice ; the children given him, his church, the elect of God, chosen before the foundation of the world ; those who were given to Christ by theFather, those whose names were written in the Lamb's book of life: those which werepredestinated or ordained to eternal life, who were redeemed from the earth, chosen to be holy, 85.c. John x, 11, 14, 16. Wm. viii. 33. Eph. i. 4. John x. 29. Rom. viii. 30. lleb. ii. 14. Acts xiii. 48. and many other places, as Rev. xiv. 3, 4. and chapter v. 9. And I cannot but make this observation in my reading of the New Testament, that though there are-some scriptures which Y3
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