race, he will act according to his sovereign and holy pleasure; if he foreknows what number and what persons will suffer the pains of eternal death; and if he, who cannot lie, has in his blessed word declared the truth: then God has decreed that a certain part of mankind shall be destroyed.

SERMON VII.

JOHN VI. 37.

All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.

In the preceding discourses upon these words, it has been proved that God has decreed that only a certain part of mankind shall be saved. In the present discourse it is proposed,

III. To enquire why God has decreed that a certain part of the human race shall be saved; and that the other part shall be destroyed. To this enquiry it may be answered,

1. It is not because those persons, whom he has decreed to save, are more worthy of salvation than those who are lost.-No one of mankind is worthy of the least favor he ever enjoys. Jacob said unto God, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant." The rich man in the torments of hell, begged a drop of water as a favor, which he did not de

serve. Nor has one of the human race, on account of his own merit, a better claim upon God for the least favor, than had the rich man for a drop of water to cool his tongue. It is not because mankind were worthy of the Savjour, that God gave his Son to die on the cross, Nor has God decreed the salvation of the elect, because they deserve to be saved; or are more worthy of salvation than those persons who shall be lost. Manasseh, Mary Magdalene, Zaccheus the Publican, the thief on the cross, the Jews who were converted on the day of Pentecost, Saul the persecutor and blasphemer, were not chosen to salvation because they were more worthy than others. For they were the chief of sinners. The apostle says, "God hath sayed us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose, and grace, which were given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." As the divine decrees respecting the salvation of the elect, are not founded on their desert, it is evident that they are not saved be. cause they are more worthy of salvation than the non-elect. Nor,

2. Has God decreed to save only a certain part of mankind because they, who are lost, are more deserving of destruction than those persons who are saved. Though some of the human race are more sinful and more guilty than others, yet every sinner deserves, and will for ever deserve to suffer the curse of the law, which is eternal death. The damned are pun

ished according to their sin and guilt. But the redeemed are saved through the unsearchable riches of divine grace in Jesus Christ. God has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and compassion on whom he will have compassion. He does not bestow salvation upon any sinner, because his sin and guilt are small. Nor does he leave any sinner to perish, merely because his sin and guilt are great. He gives repentance and faith to sinners according to his own gracious purposes. There is reason to believe that some of the greatest sinners will be saved, and that some of the least sinners will be lost. As the elect have broken the law of God, they deserve its curse. Although they be forgiven and be raised to a state of endless joy and glory; yet they, as well as the non-elect, will for ever deserve to be punished with the endless torments of hell. It is not then because the damned are more guilty than those persons who are saved, that God has decreed to save only a certain part of the human race. Nor,

3. Is it because the atonement is not sufficient for the salvation of all mankind. The atonement renders it consistent for God to offer forgiveness to sinners. All who accept the offer are freely pardoned and saved. Though sinners naturally reject the salvation of the gospel, yet God may apply to whomsoever he pleases the benefits of the atoning sacrifice. If God were pleased to cause all men to accept the salvation of the gospel, the atonement lays a sufficient foundation for their salvation.

It is

plainly declared in the holy scriptures that Christ has died for all men; and that he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Wherever the gospel is preached, its calls and offers are addressed to sinners without any distinction, or exception. And they, who perish under the light of the gospel, are guilty of rejec ting the Lord Jesus Christ and his great salvation. If the atonement be sufficient for the pardon of one sin, and the salvation of one sinner, it is sufficient for the pardon of all the sins of mankind, and for their eternal salvation, if God were pleased to apply the benefits of the atonement to the whole world. For an atonement, that should be less than what Christ has made by his death on the cross, would not be sufficient for the salvation of one sinner. a greater atonement could not be made. atonement is as sufficient, if it were applied, for the salvation of all the sinners of the human race, as it is for the salvation of one sinner. Therefore it is not, because the atonement is insufficient for the salvation of all men, that God has decreed to save only a certain part of manKind. Nor,

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4. Is it because God has not sufficient power to save as many sinners as it is best to save. If God were able to save only a part of mankind, his want of power would be a good reason for decreeing that only a part should be saved. For it would be best to decree to do nothing, but what he could perform. But God, who created all things of nothing by the word