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will he shew no disapprobation of their conduct? They have forfeited all claim upon him, and deserved his awful indignation; and how far it may be proper for him to shew them favour, must be unreservedly left to his unerring wisdom. Should those who hold universal salvation take up this argument, I cannot see how they could be answered, in any other way than by such arguments as we use in defence of our sentiments against the reasonings of our opponents. Except it would have been just to leave fallen men to perish in their sins, without hope or possibility of escape; their salvation is not, properly speaking, an act of entire mercy for to remit an undeserved punishment is not clemency, but justice. Every thing then pertaining to the salvation of guilty and polluted creatures is mercy, and might justly have been withheld. But mercy must be exercised in consistency with all other divine perfections: and we short-sighted sinful creatures are not competent to determine any thing concerning the conduct of Him, "who doeth according to his will in "the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants "of the earth; and whose hand none can stay, or say unto him, What doest thou?”1

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Some use such language concerning the glorious God as I do not choose to repeat, on the supposition of his dealing with men according to the rigour of his holy law and others, on the supposition of his not sending to all men the means of salvation; or not saving them without these means: and in various ways men presume to decide on the appointments and dispensations of the Almighty:

'Dan. iv. 35.

communicate either the means of salvation, or "the things which accompany salvation," in the same manner as he does the bounties of providence. Yet, even in the latter, some regions and some individuals are far more highly favoured than others. Are we, in this land of peace and liberty, no more favoured than the inhabitants of those regions which are desolated by the horrors of war, or groaning under the iron rod of cruel oppression Does this peculiar kindness of providence towards us more than others evince partiality? Shall we say that we deserve our special advantages? Shall we ascribe them to our own wisdom? When looking abroad with deep compassion on the wretched sufferers, ought we to forget the words of God by the prophet ;-" Shall there be " evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it ?” Though he 'protecteth men continually from mis'chief and danger,' yea, " openeth his hand, and "satisfieth the desire of every living creature; yet in the event he leaves every human being to endure the stroke and agony of death; the greatest temporal punishment which can be inflicted. The analogy therefore in this respect is very unfavourable to the hopes of those who expect impunity, or happiness, hereafter, in any other way than that which is revealed in the word of God: for if He, who" is Love," yet pursues sinners to death, because of his anger, how can it be known that he will not pursue them after death, if no reconciliation have previously taken place?—This kind ' and benevolent Being will not neglect the spi' ritual welfare of his rational creatures,' as such; but, if they are apostates, rebels, and enemies,

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will he shew no disapprobation of their conduct? They have forfeited all claim upon him, and deserved his awful indignation; and how far it may be proper for him to shew them favour, must be unreservedly left to his unerring wisdom. Should those who hold universal salvation take up this argument, I cannot see how they could be answered, in any other way than by such arguments as we use in defence of our sentiments against the reasonings of our opponents. Except it would have been just to leave fallen men to perish in their sins, without hope or possibility of escape; their salvation is not, properly speaking, an act of entire mercy for to remit an undeserved punishment is not clemency, but justice. Every thing then pertaining to the salvation of guilty and polluted creatures is mercy, and might justly have been withheld. But mercy must be exercised in consistency with all other divine perfections: and we short-sighted sinful creatures are not competent to determine any thing concerning the conduct of Him, "who doeth according to his will in "the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants "of the earth; and whose hand none can stay, or say unto him, What doest thou?”1

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Some use such language concerning the glorious God as I do not choose to repeat, on the supposition of his dealing with men according to the rigour of his holy law and others, on the supposition of his not sending to all men the means of salvation; or not saving them without these means: and in various ways men presume to decide on the appointments and dispensations of the Almighty:

'Dan. iv. 35.

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but at length" every mouth shall be stopped, and "the whole world become guilty before God; and all, who do not humbly and thankfully receive his salvation, as a gift of entire free mercy, in all respects, will find their awful mistake when it is too late.

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SECTION II.

The Subject more particularly considered from Scripture.

'The whole nation of the Jews, including both good and bad, is said to be elected or chosen by God, and the word is never applied exclusively to those of the Jews who were obedient to his ' commands. "Because he loved thy fathers, 'therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight, with his mighty power out of Egypt." "The Lord thy God hath 'chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, ' above all people that are upon the face of the 'earth."'1

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The whole nation of Israel is, no doubt, spoken of in the Old Testamentas elected or chosen of God,' without discrimination of character. The nation descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Israel were, for the sake of their fathers, chosen to special advantages, as to the means of salvation,' as well as to peculiar temporal benefits; 2 but they were not "chosen unto salvation," as Christians are said to be.3 They were, however, peculiarly distinguished by this national election from the

'Ref. 202. 2 Ps. cxlvii. 12-20. 32 Thess. ii. 13.

rest of the world: and, if the other nations of the earth had any claim on God, which required him to care alike for them,' I cannot see that the objections about partiality and respect of persons might not have been brought forward by them, as fairly as they are now by the opponents of Calvinism. Indeed no man can fairly and fully justify the divine conduct in this particular, without conceding all the leading principles on which Calvinism is grounded. The same is the case, with all those nations which are favoured with the means of salvation. If all have any right to them, and an equal right to them, why are some so highly favoured above others? Is "God a re"specter of persons?" But, if all be undeserved, and contrary to man's deservings, according to our principles; then all have as much as they deserve, yea, more: none have a right to complain all have cause of gratitude: but some more than others; as Israel had more cause for thankfulness than the surrounding nations had.

But, though Israel was chosen nationally to external privileges, temporal and spiritual, is there no intimation in scripture of another election, even in respect of Israel? Not to speak of the frequent intimations given by the prophets, of a remnant whom God would, or did distinguish from other Israelites, what says the apostle "They are not all Israel which are of Israel." If so, there is an Israel within Israel: but how is this? "Even so, at this present time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace." 2 This refers to "the seven thousand in Israel," whom the Lord had "reserved to himself," in the days of Rom. xi. 5, 6.

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' Rom. ix. 6.

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