ceffity of using the appointed means | liever in him-to every one who forfakes his fins and returns to God; yet it is not in their hearts to re

of falvation, and rightly viewed, is calculated to ftimulate and excite to a diligent and careful attend-pent and return, or to render the ance on them. This doctrine leaft degree of fincere obedience teaches, that notwithstanding the to the great and fundamental requitotal depravity of mankind, and fitions of the gofpel. In this fitutheir indifpofition to return to God, ation, what could keep their hearts a number will be faved through from finking in defpair, without a fanctification of the Spirit and be- perfuafion that God is a wife and lief of the truth, accomplished in gracious fovereign, who extends the way of God's revealed meth- his faving mercy to whom he pleafod of operation by the word of es, not according to their works, truth; but leaves it uncertain to but according to the good pleasure men, who will be faved, until it is of his will-according to his own discovered by their obedience to purpose and grace, and fometimes the gofpel. Hence, it is fuited to to even the chief of finners; and excite the most serious concern in that he hath determined to fanctify thofe who are conscious, that they and fave a number of fuch guilty, have hitherto lived in fin eftranged helpless, felf-ruined, hell-deferfrom God; and, of course, to ving creatures, as they now find put them upon enquiring after the themfelves to be? way and divinely appointed means of falvation, and to engage their attention to them..

3. The doctrines of divine fovereignty and particular election, are fuited to prevent defpair in awakeped convinced finners.

4. Thefe doctrines are fuited to make us careful in examining, whether we are, in fact, the fubjects of the fanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, and to warn us against confident hopes of falvation, whilft we are wholly without any real holiness.

Since thefe doctrines, as ftated in the gofpel, clearly fhow, that none will be faved without perfonal holinefs, and teach us to look for fanctification, as the evidence of our election of God, they are evidently calculated to excite us to a careful examination, whether the effects of the fanctifying spirit are perceivable in our hearts, and vifible in our practice; and to guard us against fettling down in a firm perfuafion, that we are in the fure way to eternal life, without fome good evidence, that God hath made us partakers of his holiness.

When finners are awakened to a ferious attention to the concerns of their fouls, and thoroughly convinced of the truth refpecting their real character and ftate, they fenfibly find, that they are indeed finners, under a righteous fentence of condemnation; from which it is impoffible to obtain deliverance by any thing which they can do or offer. They are convinced, that God might juftly execute upon them the curfe of his law, and that if juftice fhould take place, without the intervention of mercy, they must be miferable without hope. Yea, they are convinced and fenfibly find, that notwith- 5. The doctrines under confidftanding the gracious promife of eration, are particularly adapted to forgivenefs and acceptance, on the promote in Chriftians thefe imporground of Chrift's atonement and tant branches of real holiness, humilrighteousness, to every penitent be-ity, gratitude, and praife.

THE following anfwer to three questions in the laft No. of the Connecticut Evangelical Mag

In a clear view and belief of the | MESS'RS EDITORS, truths imported in thefe doctrines, Christians fee themselves in a state of abfolute dependance on God, felf-ruined, helpless and loft for-azine is fubmitted to confideration.

ever, without his fovereign aid, and all their holiness and happiness originating in and proceeding from his felf-moved goodness and mercy the effect of his fovereign good pleasure. This furely is well fuited to excite low and abafing thoughts of themselves, and high and admiring thoughts of God-to fill their hearts with gratitude, and their mouths with praise.

From the obfervations which
have been made, I truft, it will
appear to candid inquirers after
truth, that the doctrines of divine
fovereignty and particular election,
in their genuine tendency, are fo
far from having an unfavorable
afpect on the intereft of true reli-
gion, that they tend to enforce it,
and to excite that serious attention
and concern, and thofe views and
exercifes in general, which are
favorable to the promotion of it;
and, of confequence, that the ten-
dency of the calls, offers and
warnings, promifes and threaten-
ings of the gofpel, in favor of
religion, is not deftroyed or weak-
ened by thefe doctrines. I fhall
only add here, that whilft the gof
pel in its whole fyftem, is as well
adapted, as it can be conceived
any fyftem of external means con-
fiftent with truth, could be, to
prove fubfervient to the awaken-
ing, conviction and converfion of
finners, it is peculiarly well calcu-
Jated to preferve and ftrengthen,
to maintain and increase the holi-
nefs of those who are born of God

to excite in them every right exer-
cife and affection, and to prompt
them to a holy converfation and
practice in all its branches.

(To be continued.)

"1. Did God from all eterni

ty, decree that a certain part of
mankind, viz. the Elect, fhould
go to heaven, do what they will ?
2. Did God from all eternity
decree that the other
of man-

part

kind, viz. the Reprobates, fhould
go to hell, do what they can ?
3. Can God be just in fo do-

ing?"

T

HERE appears to be no oc

He

cafion for anfwering each of these questions separately. The two first of them must doutlefs be anfwered alike; and, I think, in the negative. God never decreed, from all eternity nor at any time, either that the flothful and unholy should go to heaven; or that those who improve the talents given them, as his good and faithful fervants, fhould go to hell. hath faid, Gen. iv. 7. "If thou doeft well, fhalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doeft not well, fin lieth at the door." He hath faid, Ifaiah, iii. 10, 11. "Say ye to the righteous, that it fhall be well with them, for they fhall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it fhall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands fhall be given him." Our Saviour bath faid, John, v. 28, 29. "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves fhall hear his voice, and fhall come forth : they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnation." And again; "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his works fhall be." Rev. xxii. 12.

contradiction. If, therefore, the falvation of every man that is recovered to holiness and happinefs, be a work of God, he muft, from all eternity, have decreed, as well as foreknown, how many, and who were to be faved.

That none of these can by any means fail of falvation, hence alfo undeniably follows. And this is fully implied in the words of our Saviour, Mat. xxiv. 21, 22. "Then fhall be great tribulation, fuch as was not from the beginning of the world to that time; and except those days fhould be fhortened,there should no flesh be faved: but for the elec's fake, thofe days fhall be shortened." And verfe 24. "For there fhall arife falfe Chrifts and falfe prophets, who shall shew great figns and wonders; infomuch that (if it were poffible they fhould deceive the very elect."

feed to ferve him, and to reap the benefits of his obedience and death, notwithstanding fuch conditional election. In that cafe, it is true, all to whom the gofpel comes, would, in a fenfe, have been put into a falvable flat. That is, into a fituation that they might be faved, unless it were their own fault. And fault. But to what purpofe is there a price in the hand of a fool, who has no heart to improve it? All under the gospel have fuch a price. They might have life,any of them, if they would hearken to the calls of Chrift. He would have gathered the reprobate children of Je rufalem, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, only they would not. So much is done for the finally impenitent, that they need not perifh, would they forfake their fins, and accept of offered mercy. But it is not enough for depraved fallen men that they might be faved, were itnottheir own fault. To fecure their falvation, that must be done for them which will effectually prevent their perifhing, through their own fault. This, therefore God decreed to do for the elect. He determined that Chrift fhould not fail of feeing the fruits of the travail of his foul, through man's unbelief and hardnefs of heart. With refpect to a certain part of mankind, he determined to remove all fatal obstacles, to their falvation,moralas well as natural-thofe arifing from their own perverfeness, as well as from every other quarter. He determined to take away their ftony heart-to give them a penitent and believing difpofition to create them in Chrift Jefus unto good works; and then to keep them by his power, through faith,unto falvation. Very exprefs to this purpose, among a multitude of others, are the two following texts: Pfal. cx. 3.

Indeed, had the election of thefe been only conditional, as fome have fuppofed, they might have been cut off by violence before their converfion, or have been left to fatal delufions, as well as others. But this is not the doctrine of fcripture. The divine decree concerning the falvation of the elect, was not merely, that they fhould be faved, provided they fhould do their part; or what was neceffary . to be done by them. Had that been all, then before repentance and faving faith, one finner would have been a chofen veffel of mercy no more than another. It is the decree of God in regard to all men, that they fhall be faved, if they turn from the errors of their ways, become the faithul difciples of Christ, and endure unto the end. But had nothing further been decreed concerning any, the falvation of none would have been fecured. Chrift might have had no