These

divine nature, and the manner of personal election, and those tenets his own existence, to adopt the which immediately depend on it, doctrine of a "Trinity in Unity," and are connected with it. among other reasons of still greater were still foolishness to me, and, moment, in order to preserve con- so late as August, 1777, I told my sistency in my own scheme. It friend Mr. N. that I was sure I was, however, a considerable time never should be of his sentiments before I was disentangled from my on that head. To this he answered, embarrassments on this subject. that if I never mentioned this subHitherto my prejudices against ject, he never should, as we were Mr. Hervey, as a writer upon doc- now agreed in all he judged absotrinal subjects, had been very strong.lutely needful; but, that he had I thought him a very pious man, not the least doubt of my very and I had read with pleasure some shortly becoming a Calvinist, as I parts of his Meditations; yet, look- should presently discover my system ing on him as an enthusiast, I had of doctrine to be otherwise incomno curiosity to read any other of his plete, and inconsistent with itself. writings. But, about July, 1777, I Indeed, I had by this time so reprovidentially met with his Theron peatedly discovered myself to be and Aspasio; and, opening the book, mistaken where I had been very I was much pleased with the first confident, that I began to suspect passage on which I cast my eye. myself in every thing, in which I This engaged me to read the whole entertained sentiments different with uncommon attention: nor did from those with whom I conversed. I, in twice perusing it, meet with This, however, did not influence any thing contrary to my own sen- me to take their opinions upon timents, without immediately be- trust: but it disposed me more seeching the Lord to guide me to particularly and attentively to conthe truth; I trust the Lord heard sider them; and in every perplexity and answered these prayers; for, to have recourse to the Lord, to be though I could not but dissent from preserved from error, and guided him (as I still do) in some few to the truth. things; yet I was both instructed About the same time, also, I and convinced by his arguments and began to have more frequent appliillustrations in every thing relative cations made to me by persons to our fallen, guilty, lost, and help-under deep concern for their souls. lessly miserable state by nature; My heart was much interested in and the way and manner in which this new employment; as I was the believer is accounted, and ac- greatly concerned to see their presscepted as righteous, in the presence ing anxieties, and to hear their of a just, holy, and heart-searching, a faithful and unchangeable God especially his animated description and application of the stag-chase, cleared up this important matter to my mind, more than any thing I had hitherto met with upon the subject.

doubts, difficulties, and objections against themselves: and, being sincerely desirous to give them good instruction, and to lead them on to establishment and comfort, I felt my deficiency, and seemed to have no ground to go on, nor any counsel to give them, but what, instead of I had now acceded to most of the relieving them, led them into greater doctrines which at present I believe perplexity. In this case, I earnand preach; except the doctrine of estly besought the Lord to teach

unto them.

me what word in season to speak yet too curiously to be searched into by man's natural reason; but While I was thus circumstanced, humbly received by faith, just as I read Witsius's Economy of the far as it is plainly revealed in God's Covenants, and observed what use unerring word. I was therefore he made of the doctrine of election constrained to leave many objections for this very purpose. This con- unanswered, or to resolve them into vinced me that the doctrine, if the incomprehensible nature of God, true, would afford that ground of whose judgments and counsels are, encouragement which the people as the great deep, unfathomable; wanted. They had been awakened and into the sovereignty of God, from ignorant formality, open un- who doeth what he will with his godliness and vice, or entire care-own, and gives no account of any of lessness about religion, to an earnest his matters, let who will presume to and anxious inquiry after salvation; find fault; and into his declarations, they appeared truly penitent, and that his thoughts and ways are as real believers, and heartily desirous far above our thoughts and ways, as of cleaving unto the Lord; and they the heavens are above the earth. wanted some security that they Here I left the matter, conscious, at should not, through the deceitful-length, that such knowledge was ness of their hearts, their weakness, too high for me: and that, if God the entanglements of the world, and had said it, it was not my place to the temptations of Satan, fall back cavil against it. I acknowledge this again into their former course of way of proceeding is not very satissin. This, if genuine, was the re-factory to man's proud curiosity, generating work of the Holy Spirit: who would be as God, and know all and if wrought in consequence of that God knows; and who even the determinate purpose and fore- dares to dispute with him! and knowledge of God respecting them, there are times when I can hardly it would follow, from the entire and acquiesce in such a solution. undeserved freeness of this first gift surely it is highly becoming the bestowed on them, when neither dependent state and limited underdesiring nor seeking it, but while standing of the creature, to submit in a state of enmity and rebellion the decision of all such high points against God, and neglect of his ser- implicitly to the award of the infivice, and from his unchangeableness nitely wise Creator. Indeed, the in his purpose, and faithfulness to Christian religion expressly requires his promises, that he would as-it of us; for our Lord declares, that suredly carry on and complete the Except we receive the kingdom good work of his grace, and keep of God (not as disputing philosothem by his power, as in a castle, phers, but) as a little child, we shall through faith unto salvation. in no wise enter therein." The day Having now discovered one use is coming when we shall be able to of this doctrine, which before I answer all objections. Here " we objected to as useless and perni- walk by faith,' "" and see in part, cious, I was led to consider how through a glass, darkly;" "" herethe other objections which I had after we shall see face to face, and been accustomed to urge against it, know even as we are known*." might be answered. It is true, I *The doctrine of personal election to now began to consider it as a mys-eternal life, when properly stated, lies open to no objection, which may not likewise, tery, not to be comprehended, nor with equal plausibility, be urged against

But

Leaving, therefore, all difficulties [crisy. It still indeed appeared of a metaphysical nature to be probable to me, that the preaching cleared up in that world of light of them might at first occasion some and knowledge, I began to consider trouble of mind to a few well-disthe abuses of this doctrine, which 1 posed persons: but I considered. had always looked upon as a very that by a cautious declaration, and formidable objection against it. But contrasting them with the general I soon discovered, that though un- promises of the Gospel to all who godly men, who make profession of believe, this might in a great meareligion, will turn the grace of God sure be prevented; at the worst, a into licentiousness; yet we might little personal conversation with so explain and guard these doc-such persons, would seldom, if ever, trines, that none could thus abuse fail to satisfy them, and enable them, without being conscious of them in general to derive encouit, and so detecting their own hypo- ragement from them: while the the conduct of God in placing one nation abated by it. I have often observed that in a more favourable condition than ano- some persons, who declaim most vehether, especially as to religious advantages; mently against the Calvinistical doctrine -without the previous good or bad be- of divine decrees, seemed perfectly reconhaviour of either of them, or any discernible ciled to predestination, when persuaded that reasons for the preference. In both cases we God hath eternally decreed the salvation of may say, Unmerited favour to one person all men! On the other hand, no consciously or people, is no injustice to others; and the impenitent sinner is cordially reconciled to infinitely wise God hath many reasons for the general declarations of Scripture, conhis determinations, which we cannot discerning the everlasting misery of all impecern, and which he deigns not to make nitent sinners, whatever he may think about known to us. personal election.

If sinners deserve the punishment inflicted In fact, the grand difficulty in the whole on then, it cannot be unjust in the great of the divine conduct, equally embarrasses Governor of the world to predetermine their every system of Christianity, and every condemnation to it. The contrariety to scheme of Deism, except men deny that justice and goodness, if there be any, must God is the Creator and Governor of the certainly be found in the Lord's actual world. For wickedness and misery actudealings with his creatures, and not in his ally exist and abound; the fact is undenipredeterminations thus to deal with them. It able: the Almighty God could have precould not be inconsistent with any of the vented this; and we should have thought divine attributes, for the Lord from all that infinite love would have preserved the eternity to decree to act consistently with creation from all evils of every description. all of them. The clamours excited against Yet infinite Wisdom saw good to permit predestination, if carefully scrutinized, are them to enter, and amazingly to prevail! generally found to be against the thing Till this difficulty be completely solved, decreed, and not against the circumstance let none object to truths plainly revealed of its having been decreed from eternity. in Scripture, on account of similar difficulThe sovereignty of God, when duly con- ties. But let us remember, that our narrow sidered, appears to be nothing more than capacities, and scanty information, do not infinite perfection determining and accom qualify us to judge concerning what it be plishing every thing in the very best man- comes the infinite God to determine and ner possible; and infallibly performing the to do; and let us adopt the language of the counsels of everlasting knowledge and wis- apostle on this subject:-" Oh! the depth dom, justice, troth, and love; notwith-of the riches both of the wisdom and knowstanding all the plans and designs of innu- ledge of God! how unsearchable are his merable voluntary rational agents which judgments, and his ways past finding out! might seem incompatible with them; nay, For who hath known the mind of the performing those counsels even by means of these voluntary agents, in perfect consistency with their free agency and unaccountableness; but in a manner which we are utterly incapable of comprehending. We should scarcely object to this infi nitely wise and holy sovereignty of God, As for the objections made to these dochowever absolute, did we not, from con-trines as inconsistent with free agency, sciousness of guilt and carnal enmity of accountableness, commands, invitations, heart, suspect that it might probably be calls to repentance, faith and holiness, and found at variance with our happiness: and, diligence in the use of the means, they I apprehend, should any man be fully per universally and altogether arise from missuaded that God had decreed his eternal representation and misapprehension of the happiness, however groundless that per subject.-See the Author's Sermon on Elecsnasion might be, he would find his aversion tion and Final Perseverance, &c. to the doctrine of election exceedingly

Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Rom. xi. 33-36.

unsettling of the minds of such through the Redeemer's righteouspersons as are carelessly living in ness and atonement, received by an unconverted state, is the great faith, the gift and operation of God; end of all our preaching to them;as born again, born of God, or new and therefore we need not fear any created unto good works, and to bad effect of this doctrine in that the divine image, by the power of respect. The great question there the Holy Ghost. It now, therefore was, Are these doctrines in the fore, occurred to me to inquire, from Bible, or not? Hitherto I had wil-what source these precious blessings, fully passed over or neglected, or thus freely flowing through the endeavoured to put some other con- channel of redemption, to poor struction upon all those parts of worthless sinners, could originally Scripture which directly speak of spring? And thus my mind was them: but now I began to consider, carried back from the consideration meditate, and pray over them; and of the effects to that of the cause; I soon found that I could not sup- and from the promises made to port my former interpretations. fallen man, to the counsels and They would teach Predestination, purposes of God which induced him Election, and Final Perseverance, to give those promises. I was enin spite of all my twisting and ex-gaged in frequent meditations on pounding. It also occurred to me, the divine omniscience, unchangethat these doctrines, though now in ableness, and eternity; and the end disgrace, were universally believed which the all-sufficient God had in and maintained by our venerable view in all his works, even the reformers; that they were admitted, manifestation of the glory of his own at the beginning of the reformation, perfections; and perceived that reinto the creeds, catechisms, or arti- demption itself, as planned by God, cles, of every one of the Protestant to whom were "known all his churches; that our articles and ho- works from the beginning of the milies expressly maintained them; world," must be the result of his and consequently that a vast num-eternal purpose of displaying the ber of wise and sober-minded men. glory of his mercy and grace, in who in their days were burning and harmonious consistency with his shining lights, had upon mature de- most awful justice and holiness; liberation, agreed, not only that and thus manifesting the inexhaustithey were true, but that they ought ble resources of his manifold wisto be admitted as useful, or even dom, in glorifying at once all these as necessary articles of faith, by attributes which, considered as perevery one who deemed himself fect, seem to created understanding called to take upon him the office irreconcileable to each other. I of a Christian minister. considered that, until the fall of

In the course of this inquiry, I man and his redemption had maniperceived that my system was in-fested the attribute of mercy to complete without them. I believed sinners, it had, as far as we can that men, by nature born in sin, the learn, been unexercised and undischildren of wrath, and by wicked played, and consequently unknown works the enemies of God, being to any but God himself, from all in themselves ungodly and without eternity; nor could he have the strength, were saved of free mercy glory of it, but must have been conand grace, without having done any sidered as so perfect in justice and thing, more or less, to deserve it, holiness, as to be incapable of mercy,

D

had he not chosen some objects on were many, my anxiety great, and whom to exercise it, and devised my resistance long, yet by the evisome method of displaying it in con-dence which, both from the word of sistency with his other perfections. God and from my own meditation, Thus I perceived redemption to be crowded upon my mind, I was at the effect of a settled design, formed length constrained to submit; and, in God's eternal counsels, of mani- God knoweth, with fear and tremfesting himself to his reasonable bling, to allow these formerly decreatures, complete and full orbed spised doctrines a place in my creed. in all conceivable perfections. But Accordingly, about Christmas, 1777, as all have transgressed the divine I began cautiously to establish the law, and as none are disposed of truth of them, and to make use of themselves to embrace his hum- them for the consolation of poor bling and holy salvation, or even distressed and fearful believers. to inquire after it; so I was con- This was the only use I then knew vinced that the merciful and gra- of them, though I now see their cious nature of God, the fountain influence on every part of evangeliof goodness, alone moved him to cal truth.

choose any of them as objects of However, I would observe that, his favourable regard; that his un- though I assuredly believe these constrained will and pleasure are doctrines as far as here expressed the only assignable causes of his (for I am not willing to trace them choosing one rather than another; any higher, by reasonings or conseand that in fact the whole work was quences, into the unrevealed things his own; his wisdom having de-of God), and though I exceedingly vised the means; his love and all-need them in my view of religion, sufficiency having, in the person, both for my own consolation, and offices, and work of Christ, made security, against the consequences all things ready; his providence of a deceitful heart, an ensnaring directing absolutely to whom the world, and a subtle temper, as also word of invitation shall be sent ; for the due exercise of my pastoral and his Holy Spirit alone inclining office: yet I would not be underand enabling the soul to embrace it stood to place the acknowledgment by faith. Hence I concluded that of them upon a level with the belief God, who knoweth the end from of the doctrines before spoken of. the beginning, and is a Sovereign, I can readily conceive the character and, when none have deserved any of a humble, pious, spiritual Christhing, may do as he will with his tian, who is either an utter stranger own, actually" chose us (even to the doctrines in question, or who, every individual believer) in Christ, through misapprehension or fear of before the foundation of the world, consequences, cannot receive them. that we should be holy, and without But I own I find a difficulty in conblame before him in love; having ceiving of a humble, pious, spiritual predestinated us unto the adoption Christian, who is a stranger to his of children by Jesus Christ himself, own utterly lost condition, to the according to the good pleasure of deceitfulness and depravity of his his will: to the praise of the glory heart, to the natural alienation of of his grace, wherein he hath made his affections from God, and to us accepted in the beloved." (Eph. the defilements of his best duties; i. 4-6.) who trusts, either in whole or in In short, though my objections part, allowedly, to any thing for