parties on this question, and the arguments grounded on them. Suffice it to observe, that they are generally opposed by other arguments and other texts; and that each party has generally succeeded better in this, than in refuting and explaining those adduced by their opponents. In particular, the explanations given by the opponents of the Calvinistic scheme, of the passages urged in favour of it, appear to some even of themselves, (I will not say unsatisfactory, but) so far incapable of being satisfactorily laid before the mass of ordinary Christians, that they are disposed to apprehend danger from the study of St. Paul's epistles, and rather to draw the attention of their flocks to other parts of Scripture in preference.

I cannot but think that an attentive examination of the Old Testament will go far towards furnishing a key to the true meaning of St. Paul's and the other Apostles' epistles; and will furnish an answer, not only satisfactory, but capable of being made clear to the unlearned, of the three great questions on which the whole discussion turns; viz. 1st, Whether the divine election is arbitrary, or has respect to men's foreseen

conduct; 2dly, Who are to be regarded as the Elect; and, 3dly, In what does that Election

consist?

In treating of these questions, it should be premised that I design, in the first instance, to look exclusively to the testimony of Scripture; leaving wholly, at present, the abstract questions respecting Fate and Free-will, which belong more properly to the province of natural-religion, or of metaphysics; and also that my examination of Scripture will be confined to the light thrown generally on the Gospel scheme by the books of Moses. The Christian Church being confessedly the successor of the Jewish, and the Christian dispensation, of the Mosaic, nothing can be more réasonable than to aid our judgment respecting the one by contemplating the other.

§ 3. Now, with respect to the first question before us, were the Israelites who were evidently God's Called, Elect, or Chosen, Holy and Peculiar people, were they, I say, thus chosen, arbitrarily, or not? Moses clearly and repeatedly states that this selection of them was arbitrary. He often reminds them that they were not thus singled

out from the midst of other nations for their own righteousness, since they were a stiff-necked people, but of God's free goodness, "who will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and will be gracious to whom He will be gracious;" and "because He had a favour unto them." And with respect to their fathers, though Abraham indeed was tried, and found faithful and obedient, there was certainly an arbitrary choice made of Jacob in preference to his elder brother Esau; which, indeed, is one of the cases referred to by St. Paul; who remarks, that "while the children were yet in the womb, and had done neither good nor evil," it was declared by the oracle of God, that "the elder should serve the younger." Nor again (it should be observed) could that selection of the children of Jacob have been decreed with reference to their foreseen faith and obedience; since we know how eminently deficient they were in those qualifications; stubborn and rebellious,--continually falling into idolatry and other sins,-forgetting what great things God had wrought for them, and undervaluing their high privilege.

The divine election then under the old dispensation was, it is manifest, entirely arbitrary; but,

in the second place, who were the objects of it? Evidently the whole nation without any exception. They were all brought out of Egypt by a mighty hand, and miraculously delivered from their enemies, and received the divine commandments through Moses, who uniformly addressed them,--not some, but all,---as God's chosen, holy, and peculiar people.

But, lastly, what was the nature of this election of the Israelites? To what were they thus chosen by their Almighty Ruler? Were they elected absolutely and infallibly to enter the promised land, and to triumph over their enemies, and to live in security, wealth, and enjoyment? Manifestly not. They were elected to the privilege of having these blessings placed within their reach, on the condition of their obeying the law which God had given them; but those who refused this obedience, were not only excluded from the promised blessings, but were the objects of God's especial judgments, far beyond those inflicted on the heathen nations, who had not been so highly favoured, whose idolatry and wickedness was, generally speaking, far less uniformly and severely visited: "With a mighty hand, and with a stretched

out arm, and with fury poured out will I rule over you," was the threat denounced against the disobedient Israelites; of the fulfilment of which, numerous instances are recorded in Scripture; and one most striking one is before our eyes; the forlorn and ruined condition, as a nation, at the present day, of those who rejected the long-promised Messiah, and invoked his blood upon "themselves and on their children." Still, however, whether obedient or rebellious, they were all of them the peculiar and elect people of God; because on all of them, on every individual without exception of that people, the privileges were bestowed; and to every one of them the offer made, of God's especial blessing and protection, on condition of their conforming to the commands he had condescended to give them. But whether they would thus conform or not, was all along studiously represented by Moses as a matter entirely dependent on themselves; "Behold," says he, "I have set before you this day good and evil, blessing and cursing; now, therefore, choose blessing." The election then of the Jews was arbitrary indeed; but it was an election not to blessing absolutely, but to a privilege and