be cherished, maintained, and increased in the heart, by the fenfe and apprehenfion of God's predeftinating love to us in Chrift Jefus. Now, our obedience to God will always hold proportion to our love. If the one be relaxed and feeble, the other cannot be alert and vigorous. And, electing goodnefs being the very life and foul of the former; the latter, even good works, must flourish, or decline, in proportion as election is glorified, or obfcured. Hence arifes a VIIth Argument for the preaching of predeftination: namely, that, by it, we may be excited to the practice of univerfal godlinefs. The knowledge of God's love to you, will make you an ardent lover of God: and, the more love you have to God, the more will you excel in all the duties and offices of love. Add to this, that the Scripture view of predeftination includes the means, as well as the end. Chriftian predeftinarians are for keeping together what God hath joined. He who is for attaining the end, without going to it through the means, is a felf-deluding enthufiaft. He, on the other hand, who, carefully and confcientioufly, ufes the means of falvation, as fteps to the end, is the true Calvinist.Now, eternal life being that, to which the elect are ultimately deftined; faith (the effect of faving grace), and fanctification (the effect of faith), are bleffings, to which the elect are intermediately appointed.-According as he hath chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we fhould be holy and without blame before him in love, Eph. i. 4. We are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we thould walk in them, Eph. ii. 10.-Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God:-Ye became followers of us and of the Lord, I Theff. i. 4, 6.-God hath chofen you to falvation, through fanctification of the fpirit and belief of the truth. 2 Theff. ii. 13.-Ele&t, according to the foreknowledge [or, antient love] of God U 4 the the Father, through fanctification of the spirit, unto obedience, 1 Pet. i. 2. Nor is falvation (the appointed end of election) at all the lefs fecure in itfelf (but the more fo), for ftanding neceffarily connected with the intervening means: feeing, both thefe and that are infeparably joined, in order to the certain accomplishment of that through thefe. It only demonftrates, that, without regeneration of heart, and purity of life, the elect themselves are not led to heaven. But then, it is inconteftable, from the whole current of Scripture, that thefe intermediate bieffings fhall most infallibly be vouchfafed to every elect perfon, in virtue of God's abfolute covenant, and through the effectual agency of his almighty fpirit. Internal fanctification conftitutes our meetnefs for the kingdom, to which we were predeftinated; and a courfe of external righteoufnefs is one of the grand evidences, by which we make our election fure to our own prefent comfort and apprehenfion of it *. VIII.. Unless predeftination be preached, we shall want one great inducement to the exercife of brotherly kindness and charity. When a converted perfon is affured, on one hand, that all, whom God hath predeftinated to eternal life, fhall infallibly enjoy that eternal life, to which they were chofen; and, on the other hand, when he difcerns the figns of election, not only in himself, but alfo in the reft of his fellow-believers; and concludes, from thence (as, in a judgment of charity, he ought), that they are as really elected, as him 2 Pet. i. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election Blair, undoubted; i, e. to get fome folid and inconteftable evidence of your predeftination to life." BC, is de quo fiducia concipitur; is de quo nobis aliquid certo perfuademus. Unde apud Thuc. 3. Bebas μ, Tolo on certa fides habetur mihi, hoc facturum me effe.-B.Caws, certò exploratò. Becaμa, fidem facio; pro comperto habeo." Scap.--So, λ Becara is an undoubting hope, 2 Cor. i. 7. And abalore hoy is a more affured and unquestionable word of prophecy, z Pet. i. 19. felf; felf, how muft his heart glow with love to his Christian brethren! How feelingly will he fympathize with them, in their diftreffes! how tenderly will he bear with their infirmities! how readily will he relieve the former, and how eafily overlook the latter;-Nothing will fo effectually knit together the hearts of God's people, in time, as the belief of their having been written, by name, in one book of life, from everlasting: and the unfhaken confidence, of their future exaltation to one and the fame ftate of glory above, will occafion the strongest cement of affection below.-This was, poffibly, one end of our Saviour's fo frequently reminding his apoftles, of their election namely, that, from the fenfe of fuch an unfpeakable bleffing, in which they were all equally interested, they might learn to love one another, with pure hearts, fervently; and cultivate, on earth, that holy friendship, which, they well knew, from the immutability of God's decrees, would be eternally matured, to the highest perfection and refinement, in heaven.-St. Paul, likewife, might have fome refpect to the fame amiable inference, when, treating of the faints collectively, he ufes those sweet and endearing expreffions, he hath chofen us; he hath predeftinated us, &c. that believers, confidering themselves as xxl, or co-elect in Chrift, might be led to love each other with peculiar intenfenefs, as the fpiritual children of one electing Father, brethren in grace, and joint-heirs of glory. Did the regenerate, of the prefent age, but practically advert to the everlasting nearness, in which they stand related to each other, how happy would be the effect! Hence it appears, that, fince the preaching of predestination is thus evidently calculated to kindle and keep alive the two-fold, congenial flame, of love to God, and love to man: it must, by neceffary confequence, conduce, To the advancement of univerfal obedience, and to the performance of every focial and religious duty which, alone, was there nothing elfe to recommend it, would be a fufficient motive to the public delivery of that important doctrine. IX. Laftly, without a due fenfe of predeftination, we shall want the fureft and the most powerful inducement to patience, refignation, and dependence on God, under every fpiritual and temporal affliction. How sweet must the following confideration be, to a diftreft believer! 1. There moft certainly exists an almighty, all-wife, and infinitely gracious God. -2. He has given me, in times paft, and is giving me at prefent (if I had but eyes to fee it), many and fignal intimations of his love to me, both in a way of providence and grace.-3. This love of his is immutable: he never repents of it, nor withdraws it.-4. Whatever comes to pass, in time, is the refult of his will from everlafting.-Confequently, 5. * Our excellent bifhop Davenant inftances, particularly in the great religious duty of prayer." The confideration of election," fays this learned and evangelical prelate, "doth ftir up the faithful to conftancy in prayer: for, having learnt, that all good, tending to falvation, is prepared for them out of God's good pleasure; they are, hereby, encouraged to call for, and, as it were, to draw down from heaven, by their prayers, thofe good things, which, from eternity, were ordained for the elect.Moreover, the same spirit of adoption, who beareth witnefs to our fpirit, that we are God's chofen children; is alfo the fpirit of prayer and fupplication, and enflameth our hearts to call daily upon our heavenly Father. Thofe, therefore, who, from the certainty of predeftination, do pretend, that the duty of prayer is fuperfluous; do plainly fhew, that they are fo far from having any certainty of their predeftination, that they have not the leaft fenfe thereof.To be flack and Duggih in prayer, is not the property of thofe, who, by the teftimony of God's fpirit, have got affurance of their election; but, rather, of fuch as have, either none, or very fmall apprehenfion thereof. For, as foon as any one, by believing, doth conceive himfelf to be one of God's elect children; he earnestly defireth to procure unto himself, by prayer, thofe good things, which he believeth that God prepared for his children before the foundation of the world." Bp. Davenant's Animadverfions on an Arminian treatise, entitled God's Love to Mankind, p. 526, & feq. My My afflictions were a part of his original plan, and are, all, ordered, in number, weight and meafure.-6. The very hairs of my head are, every one, counted by him: nor can a fingle hair fall to the ground, but in confequence of his determination. Hence, 7. My diftreffes are not the refult of chance, accident, or a fortuitous combination of circumftances: but, 8. The providential accomplishment of God's purpose: and, 9. Defigned to answer fome wife and gracious ends. Nor, 10. Shall my affliction continue a moment longer, than God fees meet. 11. He, who brought me to it, has promifed to fupport me under it, and to carry me through it. 12. All shall, most affuredly, work together for his glory and my good. Therefore, 13. The cup, which my heavenly Father hath given me to drink, fhall I not drink it? Yes: I will, in the ftrength he imparts, even rejoice in tribulation; and, ufing the means of poffible redrefs, which he hath, or may hereafter, put into my hands, I will commit myfelf and the event to him, whofe purpose cannot be overthrown, whofe plan cannot be difconcerted, and who, whether I am refigned or not, will ftill go on to work all things after the counfel of his own will*. Above The learned Lipfius thus writes to an unmarried friend, who appears to have referred himself to his judgment and direction: “Sive uxor ducitur, five omittitur, &c. Whether you marry, or live fingle, you will ftill have fomething or other to moleft you: nor does the whole courfe of man's prefent fublunary life, afford him a fingle draught of joy, without a mixture of wormwood in the cup. This is the univerfal and immutable law: which to refift, were no lefs vain, than finful and rebellious. As the wrestlers of old had their refpective antagonists affigned them, not by their own choice, but by neceffary lot; in like manner, each of the human race has his peculiar deftiny allotted to him by providence. To conquer this, is to endure it. All our ftrength, in this warfare, is to undergo the inevitable preffure. It is victory, to yield ourselves to face." Lipf. Epift. mifcell. cent. 1. ep. 43. oper. tom. 2. p. 54. edit. Vefaliens. 1675. About two years after, this celebrated Chriftian Seneca wrote, as follows, to the fame perfon (Theodore Leewius) who had married, and |