this infinite sufficiency, that hindrance, which arose from the perfect holiness and righteousness of God, and the inconceivable demerit of sin is once for all entirely removed: so that it would be no impeachment of the purity of the divine character, no deduction from the honour of the law, and no abatement of the horror and hatred which we ought to conceive against sin, should God through Christ pardon all the sinners who now live, or who ever shall live, on earth.

In love that surpasseth knowledge, the Redeemer having executed this part of his commission, arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, there in glory at the Father's right hand to complete the grand design; and hath all power and authority in heaven and earth, and all the fulness of the Spirit, for that purpose: and this design consists in pardoning, sanctifying, defending, and bringing to perfect holiness and felicity, all without exception who come to God through him. But this leads us to shew

II. THAT CHRIST'S COMMISSION HAS A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THOSE WHOM THE FATHER

HATH GIVEN TO HIM.

Though no obstacle from divine justice to the

not, consistently with justice, condemn any unbeliever? Doubtless he will fulfil his whole counsel, and save all he intended to save. But previously to faith in Christ, no sinner hath any claim upon his offended Sovereign: and afterwards the divine faithfulness and mercy are his sole and sufficient security.

salvation of any sinner, or of every sinner, now remains: yet a hindrance equally insuperable, except by omnipotent grace, is found in the depravity of our fallen nature. The sun is created, and placed in the open firmament, for the common benefit of mankind; there is in that luminary no defect of light, nor would there be any, were innumerable additional millions to share the benefit. Yet some men do not see; not from any defect in the sun, but from one in themselves. God, who is no debtor to his creatures, gives the blessing of sight to whom he will: but if he withhold or withdraw it, the man is benighted at noon day.

Christ was lifted up upon the cross, (like the brazen serpent on the pole,) and is held forth in the preached gospel, for "all the ends of the earth "to look unto, and be saved." This may properly be called the common benefit of mankind: there is no defect of merit, of mercy, or of grace in him; nor would be any, if millions as numerous as the sand should receive out of his fulness. But the want of a right disposition of heart, which fallen man has not, which God alone can give, but which he may justly withhold from a rebellious subject, effectually prevents the salvation of all who do not receive it. The case is parallel: except, that bodily blindness is not generally a man's fault, or a defect in his moral character; whereas the want of humility, spirituality, and love of God is sin, original sin, the fruitful parent of all other sins, in fallen men and fallen angels.

Let the blessings of the gospel be fairly proposed, with solemn warnings and pressing invitations, to two men of exactly the same character and disposition; if they were left to themselves in entirely similar circumstances, the effect must be precisely the same. But behold, while one proudly scorns and resents the gracious offer; the other trembles, weeps, repents, prays, believes! "Who maketh "this man to differ from the other? or what hath "he that he hath not received?" The scriptural answer to this question, when properly understood, decides the whole controversy. Human depravity produces different effects in vast variety, and gathers strength by habit: but, in its root and nature, it is the same and equal in all men. This can be effectually overcome by nothing except a new creation, a "work wrought by the exceeding "greatness of that mighty power, which raised "Christ from the dead."-I do not now argue with such as oppose the doctrine of original sin.

In the case before stated, the man who proudly scorned and resented the offer of free salvation from deserved perdition, had this work been wrought in his heart by the energy of the Holy Ghost, would certainly have embraced it: and had the other, who believed, been left to himself, he would as certainly have rejected it. This distinguishing grace is previously neither merited nor desired by either of them; it might justly have been withheld from both; but it is graciously

communicated to one, and not to the other, by a sovereign God "according to the counsel of his own will." He, and he alone, "hath made one

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to differ from another." Now, was this distinction intentionally made by the sovereign Disposer of all things, or was it not? If intentionally; was that intention first conceived at the moment of execution, or previously? If previously, why not from eternity? Indeed, if any of the works of God, when actually accomplished, be righteous, holy, wise, good, and faithful, the eternal purpose of performing them must have been equally righteous, holy, wise, good, and faithful: unless it can be wrong to determine to do right, if that determination was formed long before it was executed! If it consists with divine justice and goodness to leave one sinner to perish, and to save another equally guilty by an act of sovereign grace and power; it must have been equally consistent with justice and goodness, to decree the destruction of the one and the salvation of the other. In short, the two doctrines; that of man's entire depravity, and that of a new creation unto holiness by the sole energy of the Holy Ghost, without any help, and notwithstanding every hindrance, from nature, can never consistently be separated from that of personal election: nor upon this ground can a satisfactory reason be given, why any are saved and sanctified, but this,' that "God hath chosen us in Christ

Ephesians, i. 4-7.

"before the foundation of the world, that we "should be holy, and without blame before him "in love: having predestinated us unto the "adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto him"self, according to the good pleasure of his will; "to the praise of the glory of his grace, whereby "he hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in "whom we have redemption through his blood, "even the forgiveness of our sins."

"Known unto God are all his works from the "beginning of the world." In his unsearchable judgments; (Oh, how deep are they!) doubtless for wise and righteous purposes, though not clearly discernable by us purblind mortals, he was pleased to permit the first entrance of sin, the fall of Adam, and the depravation of the human race. It suits not my present limits to descant on this subject: I may scarcely pause to drop a tear for the awful catastrophe. But, that man is fallen and depraved, that "the whole world lieth in wickedness," all we see, hear, read, or experience demonstrates, and all confirms the testimony of God in Scripture to this humbling doctrine. Utterly destitute of love to the holy perfections of God, desire of his favour, delight in his service, gratitude for his benefits, or regard to his glory, man is universally disposed to inordinate idolatrous self-love, and love of worldly objects. His own honour and glory he seeks, his own imagined excellences he admires, his crimes he vindicates or excuses; he affects