3rd, Concerning exemption from the condemnatory charges of enemies-" Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right-hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." 4th, Concerning exemption from any alienating influence in reference to Christ's gracious regard -"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" In addition to the ground of confidence and patience which the apostle lays in the appointed state of conformity to Christ in sufferings, he draws additional support from the page of prophecy: "As it is written, (Ps. xliv. 22.) For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Such, however, is the love and power of Jesus Christ, that a most signal deliverance from all the evils incident to the state of conformity to Christ, shall be effected in behalf of all those who love God. "Nay," says the apostle, "in all these things we are

more than conFor I am per

querors through him that loved us. suaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2nd, Rom. v. 8. "But God commendeth his love to us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for

us." The question to be solved here is, who are meant by us? Certain particular persons of mankind? or sinners in general? In a preceding verse the apostle says, "while we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly," ver. 6.

3rd, Rom. ix. 13. "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." It has already been shewn, that this passage refers exclusively to the temporal circumstances of the Israelites and Edomites. But supposing that it refers to the spiritual state of Jacob and Esau, our author's view of sovereign election of the one, and judicial rejection of the other, would not stand; for it is said of them, "The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil," &c. ver. 11. Now, unless our author had been prepared to reject the doctrine of judicial reprobation, and adopt that of sovereign reprobation, the doctrine of sovereign election to eternal life could not be founded on this passage; for the election of Jacob is no more sovereign than is the rejection of Esau: and our author admits, as will appear in a subsequent page, that the reprobated are predestinated to eternal destruction for their sins.

4th, John iii. 16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This passage, we presume, is not cited to prove the eternal election of certain individuals, but the end for which the elect are forechosen, viz. “everlasting salvation.”

5th, 1 Pet. i. 2. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

The persons here designated the elect, were "the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," verse 1. The same persons are afterwards designated " a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people," chap. ii. 9. Now we know, that they were not a chosen generation until they believed in Jesus Christ, and were instated in the Christian calling; for, before that time, they were not the people of God, and had not obtained mercy, ver. 10. Hence we infer, that their being designated a chosen generation, or strangers elect, was owing to their being separated from the ignorance and wickedness in which they formerly lived, through the divinely constituted dispensation of the gospel, and by the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit. Our opinion is confirmed by what follows; "That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Agreeable to this view is the exposition which the first and second verses of the first chapter force upon us. Those strangers were elect, according to the foreknowledge or appointment of God; it being God's purpose from the foundation of the world, that the believing Gentiles should rank among his chosen ones. The apostle further adds, " through sanctification of the Spirit;"

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it being the work of the Spirit to constitute them a holy nation." Hence it follows, that the foreknowledge of God, as mentioned in this passage, has a reference to the privileged state of the church of Christ, and not to the limitation of the number of its members.

6th, 2 Tim. ii. 19. "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Among other instructions, the apostle exhorts his son Timothy (i. 13.) to be steadfast in the faith, and to instruct others, in order that they should also become teachers, so that the truth as it is in Jesus might abound and prevail, ii. 2. The doctrine which the apostle most particularly presses upon the attention of Timothy, is that of the resurrection of Jesus Christ: "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead, according to my gospel," ver. 8. Having mentioned the persecution which he was suffering on account of the gospel of Christ, (ver. 9.) he states his readiness to endure all the evils that may happen unto him, that the elect might "also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory," ver. 10. Now, as the salvation of which he had been speaking includes the resurrection of the body, he adds, "It is a faithful saying; For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him," ver. 11. The doctrine of the resurrection of the body necessarily brings after it the

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doctrine of future glory. reign with him," ver. 12. And as it is possible that men might shrink from participating with Christ in his sufferings, the apostle adds, "If we deny him, he also will deny us," ver. 12. Now, lest any should object to this mode of procedure on the part of Jesus Christ, and call in question his faithfulness, he adds, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself, ver. 13. After urging Timothy (ver. 14, 15.) to put the brethren in mind of these things, he exhorts him to shun profane and vain babblings, ver. 16. One fruit of such things he assigns to be, that "their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." These persons had set themselves up in opposition to the apostles, and seem to have taught, among other heresies, that the resurrection promised to believers in Jesus Christ, was a spiritual one; and as such a resurrection had already taken place in true believers, they were led to say, that the resurrection was past.

"If we suffer, we shall also

It appears that, by the craftiness of these false teachers, the faith of some, as the apostle says, had been overthrown, and consequently the foundation of their hope had become insecure. The apostle however observes, that notwithstanding the foundation of some had been found insecure, the foundation of God, in reference to the reality of the resurrection, and the