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We ny hecis predestinated uitlior to lis o to duath his God has not ini testified in particular persons, ut has giVen specimen oscit in the whol posterit of Abraham, hich should evidently ho the future condition os ver nation to dependupon his decision non the Mostmigh dividod the nations, Wheni separated the fons os Adam, the Lord' portion as
separation is bufore the yes os ali in the person o Abraham,as in the dry trunk of a tree, ne eopte is peculiari chOSento the rejectior of thors: O reason for this appearS, XCestthat Moses, o deprive thei posterit os ali occasionis glorying, te hos them that thoi exaltation is holi from God' gratuitous ovo. me assigias his reason sor thei de Veranee, that i love thoi sathors, and hos thei sese aster them. V m)
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that the ma lino xv that of al th bene sit thuy njoy God is no only the Author, ut derived the cause rom himself, herebein nothim in them deservin os sueti reat horiour. eulso enjoin them to se content illi the mere good plensureos God in these ortis foed of Abraham hi servant, y childron os Iacob his hosen. ' An aster hau in recountsed tho continua benefiis esto wed by God a fruits of lection, heat longili concludos that he had actod with suchibera ty be- CRUS he re membere his ovenant. V t Consistent illi his doctrine is the son os the wholo Church Thy right and ,
and thine arm and thoight of thy counte ance, gave ur sa- thors the land bocause thou adst a favour uni them. V su)It must be obsorvod that here mention is made friti land , it is a visibi symbolis the secret Separation, hicli comprehend adoption David in another place exhort the eoplet the fame gratitude Blesse is the nation hos God is
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the sirs doliveranco as et a by the econ and other intermediate lessings, tho ord choose is transferre tori in Isaiah The Lord ill hau muro on Iacob, and will et choose Israel V a bucause, contemplatin afuture period ne declares that tho collectionis the residue of the eople, homo hastappeared to have forsalion, ould e a Sigia os the tablo and Sur election, hicli ad likemis suo med i fail. Whenio Say also in unother place, clinave chOSen thee, undiso castille aWay, V b he commoniis tho continuat Oursu os his Signat boralit und paterna benevolenoe. The anget in Zechariali, Spealis more plaint The Lord shal choos Ierusalem again V c a though his severe hastisenient ad Qen nrejection, or heir Xile had been an interruption os lection; Whieli, novertheless, rem aliis inviolabie, though the tot oris fit are notini ny viSible. VL o mus no procuod to a second degre os election, stili more rostrictod, o that in hiel ille Divine grace Wasdisplayed in a more specia manner, When f the Sume nee of Abraham God rejecto sonio, and by nouris in other in the Church, proved that he retainest them mon his hildron. Ishmaol ut sirs obtained the samo station a his rother Isaac, for the Spiritua covenant as equali sented in him by thusymbol os circumcision H is ut is asterWard Esau; lastly an innumerabio multitudo, and utinos ali Israel. In Isaae tho foed was callex tho Samo callin continuod in Iacob.
God Oxhibit illa simila examplo in the rejectionis Saul, hi chi magnificently celebrato 1 by th Psalmis rosusust thotabernaclem Ioseph, and hos no the tribu of Ephraim, ut chos tho tribo of Juduli V d and this the sacro histor frequently repents that the onuersu se re os Divino grace nybe more manis est in that hango. I grant, it a by thoi omncrimo an guit that Ishmaset Esnu, an perSotis of simila Characters, set froni tho adoption ecause the condition anneXod
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tion Os graco, tho insequatit os hicli demonstratos it to botrui gratuitous Theros ore Malachi aggravate the ingratitudo Os Israel, ecause, though Dot ni elected ut of tho holorace of manliinit, ut also separa ted rom a sacrod fami ly to ea peculiar eopte the perfidiotist y and impioiasty despissed Godthei mos beneficent ather. us no Esau Iacob' brothor aith th Lord 0 I loved Jacob, and Phalud Esau. ' f)For God alios it forarant ii, sine both ore sons os a holysather, Successors of the covenant, and branches rom a SacredrOOt, that tho hildron of Jacob ero uti eno lai unde more thun common obligations by thei admission to that honour but Esau the rst-borii avin been rejected, and thei sather, though inferior by birth, havin boon ad the heir, he proves them uili of doubie ingratitude, and complain Os thei violatin this Wosold laim. VII. Though it is sufficienti clear, that God in his secretcounset, reel chooses hom he Will, an reject Others, his gratuitous election is ut hali displayed illi, come o particula individuals to honi o no Otii Oiser Salvation, ut as- Signit in Such a manner, that the certaint of tho effect is Labie to O suspense o do ubi These are inchidost in thalone eed mentioned by Paul; so though the adoption a deposito in tho and of Abraham, ut many of his poSterilybein cut os as putri members, in orde to maintain the essicae an stabilit os lection, it is necessar to ascen to thohead in hom thei heavent Fatho has bound his eluc to
member os Christ there is a conspicuous exhibition os the Superior essicae os graceri ecause, ein unite to the trioad, tho nove sat o salvation. Paul, heres ore, hi Sit reRSonsi rom the passage of Malachi hic si I have jus quotod that where God introducing the covenant os et ornatis , invito anypeopte omina suis, there is a peculia k in os oleotion a to partos them, O that holoes no efficaci oust choos ali illa indiscriminate grace. The declaration, Iacob aveo ovod, ' rospectes the whole posterit of the patriarch, hom the prophetthere oppoSes O the descendant of Esau. et hi is no objection to uriaviniin the person fine individua a specimen of the eloction, hicli an neve fati os attaining iis fuit effeci. These Wh trui bolon to Christ, aut correcti ObSerVeS, are alled a remnunt V for experiene proves, that fis reatinuit de the mos pari sal aWay an disuppear, O that ostenoni a mali portion rematiis. That the genera electionis a
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sideration Os his Ovenant, hieli, o in violato by the multitude, he restricte to a se , to prevent iis tota saluti e Lastly, tho genera adoption of the eed os Abraham asin visibi representation os a reater tessing, hicli God conseri ed on aso out of tho multitude This solio reason that aut socarofuit distinguishes the descendant of Abraham ac ordirigio th flesti, rom his spiritual childron callo restor the Xampleos Isaac. o that the mere descent froni Abraham asin alnandis prositable thing, hich could O bo asserte Without depreciatin the covenant; ut beenus to tho alter alono the immutabie counso os God in hicli e prodestinated homho ould, as of itSel effectual to salvation. ut 1 advis myreader to adoptino rejudice on ither Sido, ill it hali appostrsrom adduce paSsage of Scripture hat sentiment Ought tobe entertained. In Cons Ormity theres ore, O tho clea doctrine of the Scripture, e assert, that by an tornat an immutablecounset, God has nee so ali determined both Whom h wouldadmi to salvation, and homoe ould condemno destruc
is 1 unded on his gratuitolis mercy, totali irrespective os human morit; ut that to thoS WhOm ho devote to condem nation the gate of lis is losed by a jus an irreprelisensibio. but incomprehenSible judgment. In the eieci, e considercallin a an videlice of election, and justification a renothertoken oscit manifestation, ill tho arrive in glory, hicli constitutos iis completion As God eat his loci by vocationand justification, o by Xcludin the reprobate rom the knowledge of his nam and tho sanctificationis his Spirit, herus ordsan indication os the udgmon that wait them. ore eis allpassive man fictionifabricate by oolisti men to vorthrow predestination di is uianecessar to refute hing Whicli, S
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that God foresupin What ould e the respective merit Osever individual, malles a correspondent distinction etweendiisserunt person that he adopis us his hildren Suchos hesorolinows Will e deservin os his graco, an devotes to the damnation os denti Othors, hos disposition sine ees Wil beinc ne to ichodnes and impiety. Thus the no onlyobscure election by covering it illi the vel of foret noWledge, ut preten that it originates in unother cause Nor isthis commoni received notion the opinion Os the Vulgarinly,
forcit has ad great advocatos in ali ages; hicli I candidlyconsess, that Omne a chorish a confidonee Os injuring our CauSe by OppoSin us With thei nantes. For the truth of Godon his potnt is to certa in orae halion, O clearo b OVe thrown by the authorit of men Others, neulier aequainted With the Scripture, nor deservin os an attention oppΟSe thesound doctrine illi extremo presumption an intolerable es- frontery God 'S OVereign election o Some, und preterition Osothers, the malle tho subjec os format accusation against
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God' varioris distributioii of his avour necordinii the me sur of his udgment. Is the mali a transition to persons where the nequalit is more offensive to them, the Xampleos Christo leas ought o deter them rom ea releSSi prat ingconcerning this sublime mystery A mortui man is conceivedos tho suo os David: to tho merit of What virtuos ill theyascribo his bella made even in the omb the Head os anguis, the only egoiten Son o God the Imago and lor of thus ather, th Light Righteousness, an Salvation of the woridi It is judiciousi remarked by Augustine, that there is thebrightest Xample o gratuito us election in the oad of tho Church himself, that it ma not perplecus in the member ;that horai no bocomu th Son os God by leadiri a righteous lise, ut a gratuit usi invested with his hi gli honour, that
uia rojecting, let heminis talio a Way What salven to Christ. Νow, it is os importane to attendo What the Scripturo declares respecting Ver individunt. PauPS assertion, that e
ΙΙ rende the proos more complete, it mill se usosul tonotice at the clause of that passage, Whicli, alien in connec-
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tion, leave o oona sorioubi By the appellationis the loci, O chosen, he certainly designate believerS, RS he oon aster declares: heres recit is corrupting the termi a Shamos ut fictionto restrict it to the age in hicli the gospe Was published Hysaying that the were elected efore the creation Os the orid, he prechides Ver consideration Os merit. For hat could both reason for discrimination etWoen hos Who et ad noeXiStence, nud hos condition as sterWard to e the samo
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causes os electioni A subsequent clause Seem surther o confirm Whati had sald accordin toti good pleaSure, hichii purposed in himself. V l For the assertion, that God pur- posed in himself, is equivalent o saying that he considerednothing ut of himself, With any vie to innuenc his determination Theres ore e immediatet subjoins, that the reato nil otii objectis Our election is, that o hould e to theprais of V Divine viraco. V Certainly the grace os God deserves no the Sole ruis Ostia election, unies this election e gratuit ous. O , it could n Ot e gratuitous, is in choosin hispo opte God imself considere What ould bo the natur osthei respective Ortis. The declaration os Christrio his discipleS, therei ore, is universali applicabie to ali et iuvers have no chosen me, butes have chosenlou nι Whichnotini exclude past mortis, but signifies that tho had nothingin thomsolves o cause thei election, independently of his pre-Vent in merey. his also is the mean in of that passage Os
goodnes aliogether anticipate mora, finditi nothin in them, eitho pastis future, to conciliate his favour toWard them. IV. In tho Episti to the Romans, here e goos to thebottoni of this argument, an pursuescit more a tengili, he SayS,
covenant, et contend that mos of them a re Stranger toti and thatio orit be auso the degenerate, rom legitimatechildren eoomin Spuriou onos, ut ecuus the preeminence
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re of Abraham, and bothinolosed in thei mother' Nomb tho transsur os tho honour os primogeniture t Jacob as by a preternaturali unge, hieli Paul, however, contentis indicatsed hoelection of the ne and the reprobation of the ther. The origin and the enus are inquirest, hiel the champion os fore-knowlud ge maintain toto oXhibited in the virtves and the vicos osmon. For thicis thei stiori and eas doctrinoe That odias showed in the personis Iacob that he eleet Such us are,orthyos his graco an in the personis Esau that he rejecis those Whom e foroseos o omnWorthy. his, in deed the assert
he had not et dono any good for it ill bo immedia tolyreplied that nothiniis conoealed rom God, and thorosor thepiet os Jacob mus have been present bosor him. I graculo the reWard of Works tho ought to ham ha thoi just aliis attributen to them es oro Jacob a borii, a muchos is hewere Biready groWn to maturity. ut the postlo proceed in unravolling tho difficulty, and enchos that the adoption of Jacob flowed not rom ortis, ut rom tho cassin os God. In Spen in os ortis, he introduce no timo, statur Or a St, ut positivel opposes them to the cassin os God intendin theest abiistiment of tho ne and tho absollite subversion of theothera a though he had a id, o must consido tho good plen- Sure o God, and no the productions Os mori Lastly the eryterm S, election and purpose, certaini eXchide rom his subjectat tho ausus frequently invented by men, independenti os