everlasting mifery: but confidering that the Jews, who were of old the elect people of God, the objects of his love, fell from his favour through their infidelity, and that the final fentence of every Chriftian, who is now in the number of God's elect people, depends on his fidelity to God; I would rather moft earneftly admonish you, to improve the grace that he fupplies you with, fo that you may ultimately work out your falvation;" and to "give all diligence to make your calling "and election fure." Such is the practical inference, which the Apostle drew from his own doctrine of election, for the benefit of the early converts to Chriftianity; and fuch is the inference, which he has left behind him, for the benefit of Chriftians of every age. "Thou wilt "fay then," he argues with the converted Gentile, "the branches were broken off," the children of Ifrael were rejected from being the people of God, "that I might be graffed in. "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou ftandeft by faith. BE NOT HIGH-MINDED, BUT FEAR. For if God fpared not the natural branches, take heed left "he alfo fpare not thee. Behold therefore the "goodnefs and feverity of God; on them which "fell, feverity; but toward thee goodness, if "thou continue in his goodness; OTHERWISE THOU ALSO SHALT BE CUT OFF."

66

Now unto God the Father, who hath made us and all the world;" unto "God the "Son, who hath redeemed us and all man"kind;" and unto "God the Holy Ghoft, "who fanctifieth us and all the elect people of "God;" be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

;

DISCOURSE IV.

JOHN iii. 16, 17.

God fo loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God fent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be faved.

I CONCLUDED my laft Difcourfe after remarking, that the doctrine of Calviniftic predestination appears to me irreconcileable with the notions, which the Holy Spirit gives us in the Scriptures, of God's attributes and of his moral government of the univerfe; with the general conditions of the Gofpel covenant; and with the promises of God, as they are generally fet forth to us in holy Scripture.

Amongst an innumerable multitude of pas fages, which contribute to give a confistency and a harmony to the facred volume, the declaration of our bleffed Redeemer in the text, concerning the motive, which caufed him to N S

be fent from God, and the purpose, for which he was fent, holds a confpicuous place. It was from the able application of this paffage by Epifcopius, that the ever-memorable Hales, who had been educated in the Calvinistic opinions, and went a Calvinift to the Synod at Dort, was there perfuaded, as he was himself ufed to declare, to renounce the doctrines of Calvin: nor does the fact deserve our aftonishment, when we confider, how incompatible those doctrines appear with the universal love of God to man, and with the univerfal tender of falvation and everlasting life, which this paffage evidently propofes. It is not, however, fo much upon this, or upon any other individual paffage of Scripture, (unanfwerable as many of them are,) that I would reft our defence, as upon the general scope and tenor of the whole: and that, not only because I confider fuch an appeal, as the mode, whereby we may be best defended; but also because I confider it as the most equitable method of inveftigating, and the fafeft and

a "I am very glad to hear you have gained those letters into your hands, written from the Synod of Dort. You may please to take notice, that in his younger days he was a Calviuist, and even then when he was employed at that "Synod; and at the well preffing St. John iii. 16. by "Epifcopius-There I bid John Calvin good night, as he ❝ has often told me." Farindon's Letter prefixed to Hales's Golden Remains.