of God.'"*

and their accomplished election was only the bringing forward of the system with such foreknowledge. Hear him again. "God, foreseeing with certainty that Adam would freely act in that manner if created and placed on trial, did still determine to create him and place him on trial; and THUS determined that such an event [as the fall] should take place and in just such a manner. This certainly is predestination according to the counsel and foreknowledge "In what sense are we to understand the position that" God "purposes the existence of sin? Not necessarily in the sense of his preferring its existence-to its non-existence. In affirming the doctrine of predestination, we affirm no more necessarily than that God, with the knowledge that these beings would sin in despite of the best measures of providence and government he could take, purposed to create them and pursue those measures, not for the sake of their sin, but for the good which he nevertheless saw it was possible to secure in his moral kingdom. This would be a purpose-to permit its existence rather than to have no moral system.Nothing more, touching free agency, is implied in the purpose-than a certainty, foreseen of God, that if he creates and upholds that being, and pursues wise and good measures of providence,-the being will at a given time freely choose in a given manner."+ "God then, for any thing that has been shown to the contrary, may have predetermined the existence of the sin which now takes place in his kingdom, not for the reason that he prefers sin-to holiness,-but simply for this reason, that he chooses to do the most he can for the good + 612, 13.

* 603.

of a moral system; to prevent sin and promote holiness to the greatest extent possible in such a kind of system. Sin, where it now occurs, may be regarded by him as an evil, and only an evil, and yet, (as an evil unavoidable, as to his prevention, in a moral system,) it may be reduced to the least possible limits and overruled in the best possible manner."* Dr Fisk "must acknowledge that God might choose to create and place under moral government the present universe of beings,—as one in which he could do the most possible to check and restrain sin and redeem from its power.-Now would the resolution to give such good to creatures-be in fact a predetermination of all-events ?"+ "Election is resolved simply into a gracious purpose to pursue the best possible measures for the salvation of sinners ;—which measures are foreseen with certainty to result in the salvation of a particular number only and not the whole. As to that explanation of the doctrine which denies that God is dealing with free agents who have the absolute power of choice, and who can resist all measures taken for their welfare, and which resolves renewing grace into a simple act of creative omnipotence, we frankly admit that it does load the doctrine with the charge brought against it." "The purpose of election rightly interpreted then, in our view brings the God of justice and grace into immediate contact with our rebellious world, staying the execution of justice and urging gracious terms of reconciliation on men, on purpose to bring the matter to a speedy issue and to gain whom in the methods of his wisdom he can." Thus election is only the decision of God to send the Gospel, with his gracious * 607. † 604. + 635. § 638.

providence and illuminating Spirit, to do the best they can for the recovery of all men, foreseeing at the same time the results. Again, "God purposed to introduce his measures of grace and to conduct them in the manner he does, foreseeing the exact results they would have in the recovery of fallen men.-What if by these measures of redemption some men, through their free compliance, are taken, and others in their refusal are left?"* "God, with this knowledge of the results, is still willing to go forward with the measures of his grace, and thus elect to salvation and harden in sin. To this influence," [the drawing of God,] the sinner 66 can yield, and be thus drawn of the Father; this influence he can resist, and thus harden his heart against God. Election involves nothing more as it respects his individual case, except one fact, the CERTAINTY to the divine mind whether the sinner will yield-or-continue to harden his heart till the measures of grace are withdrawn."+ Thus it seems that some sinners finally turn away from those drawings of the Father mentioned in John 6. 44. Again, "The purpose of election-is a purpose on the part of God to carry forward his works of grace such as they are, in the very manner he does, in foresight of the exact results they will have in inducing men to comply." "God, BY deciding on his present measures of grace, chose from among the lost the heirs of salvation."§ "The end is secured by the means. The purpose of God to employ the means, with a certain knowledge that they would secure the end, is the only proper account of his purposing and fixing the end."|| "We would only ask Dr Fisk whether in employing these || 624.

* 634. + 637. +624. § 626.

means in the manner he does, God did not foresee what individuals would comply and be saved. We ask again, whether in purposing to employ these means in the manner he does, God did not purpose that those individuals should comply and thus be saved. And what is this but a personal election to salvation?"*

After quoting a passage from Dr Fisk, asserting the gracious restoration of the lapsed power of the will, he says, "Supposing this scheme to be true in all its parts, and to contain the whole truth on the subject, we would inquire whether in thus placing a world on the footing of moral agency through a gracious restoration of lapsed power, God does not foresee who will and who will not abuse this gracious power. If he does not see that any will use it aright, then why does he grant it? If he does this, then he knows who they are individually. And purposing to dispense his grace to those individuals, he purposes that they shall be saved. We see not therefore but on his own principles Dr Fisk must either acknowledge the actual salvation of all men, or a personal election in the purpose of God to restore the-lapsed power of the children of Adam." This was a precious confession, dropt out in an unguarded moment, that the election he had been pleading for was fully consistent with Arminian principles ; was what every Arminian ought to believe, and every one else who admits the foreknowledge of God.

After all this, who would have expected to hear, in the next breath, that God actually selects the heirs of salvation from the rest of the world by rendering their regeneration

certain? And how does he render it certain? Why, by using the means which he foresaw the self-determining power in some would suffer to prevail, in others would defeat. If I invite ten men to my house, do I select five, merely because I foresee that, without any discriminating act on my part, only five will come? But let him speak for himself. "The question is, how comes any man to comply with this condition ?-Does not God secure that compliance? Does he not elect the individuals who shall thus voluntarily obey ?"* "His influences -render certain the return to God of all who ever do return."+ "We have solely one question to try. Is it a fact that God elects from the impenitent and unbelieving the individuals who repent and believe?-How come particular persons to be believers? Does God actually in his government induce persons to submit and believe? Does he do any thing which he foresees will actually secure the submission and faith of those very persons who become submissive believers? In other words the question is,whether God by the dispensations of providence and grace actually secures all existing faith. That he does we hold to be a fact, and the great fact involved in what is said in the Scriptures on the subject of election." "We contend that" election "always involves in it another point,viz. the purpose of God which secures the repentance and faith of those particular persons."|| Now look here. "Whatever is the degree of influence which he uses with them, it is not in its nature irresistible; but-men as free agents still keep to their guilty choice in resistance to it, or through its operation freely give up their idols and place

* 619.

† 623.

+622.

|| 631, 2.