one grand objection to election, and obstruction of it,-God creating man in a happy state, with ability to continue in it.

2dly, Another thing, that looks as dark the other way upon election, is, God's permitting all mankind to fall. Creating man was God's work, and permitting man to sin was God's act for sin could no more have entered into the world but by God's permission, than a creature could have entered into the world but by God's creation. The entrance of sin into the world was permitted by God; Will any be so bold, and so daring as to say, God could not have hindered Adam's sinning if he would? he would be a bold person, indeed, that would say so. God permitted sin to enter into the world, and he permits it to continue in the world; the providence of God about sin is the greatest glory that he gets in the world, though there are but few who have eyes to perceive it. Now the creating all mankind at first, in their head and root, perfectly holy and happy, seemed to have put a stop to election one way some would think, " Surely all Adam's posterity "shall be saved;" that all his offspring should have been a happy company of saved persons. But when sin came in, all things seemed quite lost; then the natural conclusion ran the other way, "Surely all the world will now be damned: for

they are all made sinners." By one man's discbedience sin entered into the world, and death by sin, Rom. v. 12. Therefore the devil might think (as doubtless he did think) I have now undone all mankind; (for I do not think the devil knew any thing of election at that time :) but this was the time wherein electing grace began to appear. Election-grace lay in the heart of God; he never designed to save man by his own obedience, nor did he design that all mankind should be lost by their own disobedience. Now began election to appear.

1st, It appeared in the first promise, that great promise which hath a great deal of gospel in it, the first gospel that we have in the Bible, and therefore we should the more prize it. I will put enmity between thee and the woman; between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel, Gen. iii. 15. Sirs, the first birth of a divine purpose is a promise. A purpose is a thought in God's heart, what he means to do; and a promise is a word from God's mouth,

assuring what he will do; and his promises are all commensurate to his purposes. The first appearance of election-grace is a promise, a promise of distinction; a promise that pointed forth the provision grace made for fallen sinners, and the blessed issue that it should have.

2dly, Election-grace appeared in the dispensation of grace towards men; for not only doth election appear in what God promiseth, but in what God doth. We find he dispenseth grace to some, and withholds it from others; and always with distinction. It is but a small account we have in the book of Genesis, and that but of a few persons; but there is still a distinction according the election of grace. The first two men that were born into the world, and it is like enough they were born into the world both at a birth; Cain, the first-born, and Abel his brother; and there, if I may so say, we find the line of election running upon one hand, and passing by upon the other; the elder brother is passed by, and left to be a murderer, and the younger brother is taken, and honoured to be a martyr of God, he is accepted of God, honoured to be a witness for him, and persecuted to death. Election appeared most singularly in Noah; this man was chosen and set apart, though the whole world was drowned; one man and his family was set apart, electing grace passed upon him, and he found grace in the sight of the Lord, and that was grace indeed; the whole world was drowned, and one man and his house only found grace: and not all that house nei ther. When, after the flood, the world was drowned again. in profaneness and idolatry, a little more than four hundred years after the flood, electing grace fell upon Abraham; God chose him and called him: he is called God's chosen in several places of the Old Testament. Abraham had two sons, and there we find the grace of election running one way, and passing by the other way. Isaac had two sons, and there we find the same distinction is made; Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated; the children not being born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, Rom. ix. 11, 12, 13. This seems a strange thing, Sirs; Rebecca was near twenty years, she and her husband, crying to God for the blessing of posterity: for the

promise lay, as it were, in her loins, and that made her the more earnest; and when she had the blessing of conception, and the children struggled together within her, she said, If it be so, why am I thus?" Whence comes this trouble?" and she went to inquire of the Lord; and the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger, Gen. xxv. 22, 23. This is expounded by the apostle, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. And indeed it was a very dark-like dispensation, when the good woman had been so long earnest for the blessing of the womb, and had conceived two children, the Lord tells her, one is an elect person, and the other is not; they lay in the same womb, they were begotten by the same father; they were conceived by the same mother, as the answer to the same supplication to God; yet "One have I "loved, and the other have I hated!" This was an awful hint of a dispensation according to the election of grace. It was, saith the apostle, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, Rom. ix. 11. And thus it went through all the Old Testament, till it came to the people of Israel, the nation of the Jews; and they, as a nation and a church, were chosen of God, and the rest of the world passed by; and thus it goes on to this day.

3lly, Another great fruit of election was, the sending of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the fulness of time, into the world. Election-grace sent Christ: This our Lord himself tells us, concerning his own agony, Father, save me from this hour; nevertheless, for this cause came I unto this hour, John xii. 27. "I knew that the design of God, in order to the saving of the "lost world, was, that I should engage in this hard and bitter "work, and I came into the world for this cause;" For this cause, saith he, came I unto this hour.

4thly, From election-grace flows the sending forth of the gospel, after our Lord's ascension, through the whole world. The election of God of old for a long while, lay among the Jews, and a few proselytes that were brought into the church; but when our Lord was risen again, and ascended into hea ven, the gospel was sent through the whole world, and elec

tion-grace takes place every where. None knew where election-grace lay; it is a vein known only to God; we do not know where it lies; but wherever it lies, God will send forth his labourers to dig for it. When our Lord went to heaven, there were may veins of election scattered through whole nations. If I may so say, the devil was never so busy in sinning, and God and Jesus Christ were never so busy by his grace as they were at that time. The nations had many of the elect among them: indeed, if there be but one penny lost, the candle shall be lighted to search for it; if there be but one sheep lost, the great shepherd will search for it from mountain to mountain, and will bring it home upon his shoulders. But at that time election-grace ran through many parts of the world, and a great many were gathered in. It was our Lord's own words: Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are ripe already for the harvest, John iv. 35. That was a happy time indeed! It may be, though it is very hard to be sure of it, and none should pretend to be sure of it, but I am apt to think that within thirty years after our Lord ascended to heaven, there were more converted to the faith of Christ than there hath been for some hundreds of years after, at another time. Election-grace was working then, and the vein of it was known to God. It is hopeful, blessed work to preach the gospel where election grace is going forth; where the line of election is laid in the purpose of God, preaching the word will have great effect.

5thly, and lastly. As to the fruit of this electing grace, there is the giving of faith to believe the gospel; the working of faith to believe the gospel, to believe in Christ. The gospel is sent to the elect, in the love of God, and upon them whom he hath a mind to call, in his due time he pours out his Spirit, and works faith in them. To you it is given, saith the apostle, on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, Phil. i. 29. They who had believed through grace, saith the apostle, Acts xviii. 27. Grace works believing in the word; the grace of election wrought upon their hearts in working faith in them: As many as were ordained to eternal life believed, Acts xiii. 48. Now when this grace of election is come this length, revealed in his promise,

and in his covenant, and in the singular dispensations of it, as he sees good; when he hath sent his Son to ripen it, and to purchase all the fruits of this electing grace; when he hath sent his gospel to reveal all this to us, and at last sent his Spirit to work faith in us; and when all this is done, then the poor creature comes under the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit; which are the words of my text. There are two or three things farther that

I would add about this.

1st, This is one of the most awful, and the greatest depth of God towards man; and is not to be searched into too curiously, nor is it to be known particularly, but by its fruits. I say, this election-grace of God is one of the greatest depths of God towards man about his salvation, and is not knowable of itself immediately, but by its fruits. Can we know what is in the heart of God? can creatures of yesterday know the eternal counsels of God? Unless he declares them, who can know them? and therefore this of election is only to be known by the effects of it. The devil gets great advantage by this over many poor sinners; when they hear of election, as an eternal, immutable purpose in the heart of God, about the salvation of men, the devil tries them this way, Dost thou know that thou art elected? No, saith the man; Then, saith the devil, thou mayest be eternally lost. But the thing itself. is utterly unknowable but by the fruits of it. And therefore try it this way, Election grace appears in its fruits; am I "then under the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus? have I the "sancufication of the Spirit unto obedience? if I have, then "clection-grace hath passed on me from eternity:" and this is the only way to know it.

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2dly, Election-grace passes over, and passes through a world of aughty impediments; and this is the glory of it, and should be regarded by us. Election-grace passes over, and passes through many great impediments; if I may so say, election never regards what state the elected are in, but will overcome all difficulties. Who would have thought that the once poor wretch Saul was an elect vessel? that mad persecutor of Jesus Christ, when he was keeping the clothes of them who stoned Stephen, as one that would make himself an officer, and encou