a complete right and title to all the blessings promised by the Gospel Co venant. Having now shewn (I hope clearly) that Predestination refers only to the general and gracious purpose of God, to offer to all Redemption on stipulated conditions; having shewn that the Election does not arbitrarily refer to the state of individuals in a future life, I will proceed to analyze our seventeenth Article, and explain it according to reason and Scripture. Seventeenth Article of Religion. A paraphrase and explanation of the Doctrine as set forth in this Article.* To grant eternal life and salvation to man, was the predestinated, or pre-ordained, purpose of God, before the creation of the world. He always decreed (though his councils, unless declared by himself * It is requested, that the original words of the Article may be placed before the reader at the same time with the paraphrase. in the Scripture, must be secret to us,) to deliver from eternal punishment those who embrace Christianity, and act according to its precepts, and who for that reason become "chosen vessels," (as St. Paul was,) and to bring them through their faith in Christ, and in his allsufficient Atonement, to everlasting salvation. Wherefore those who are thus called by God to so inestimable a blessing, and who, through grace, obey the call in consequence of their humble but firm faith, and the aid of the Holy Spirit influencing their minds according to the purposes of God, they receive his free gift of justification; they are adopted and admitted to be considered as the children of God, they are made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, they walk religiously in good works, as far as the weakness of human nature will allow, and by repentance for any accidental error, and humble hope in Christ, they at length, by God's mercy, attain to everlasting felicity. As the godly consideration of the predestined and gracious purpose of God, and of our Election in Christ, is an unspeakable comfort to sincere Christians, who feel conscious that their prayers for the aid of the Holy Spirit are heard, and that he influences them (though in a manner not distinguishable from the ordinary operations of the mind,) to mortify the works of the flesh, and that he draws their minds from carnal to spiritual, from earthly to heavenly things. He (the Holy Spirit) thus confirms their faith in eternal salvation, which they will enjoy through the precious blood of Christ, and kindles an ardent gratitude for this inestimable benefit. So for sceptical persons, who attend solely to the things of this world, and are so carnally minded, that they avoid thinking of spiritual and heavenly things, nor try to understand them, and are never influenced by the Holy Spirit, because they never implore his aid, are in a perilous situation; and whenever the great subject of God's purpose, that the unbelieving and the profligate should suffer the penalty for their obstinate infidelity and unrepented conduct, is forced upon their minds, they are driven to the depth of despair, or rush headlong (because void of all hope of salvation) into sin and profligacy. Yet be it observed, that we must interpret the promises and declarations of God, as they are generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture; i. e. we must take the whole tenor of Scripture together, and not argue from particular and insulated texts; and we must, in our conduct, follow the precepts of our Maker, as they are clearly and expressly declared unto us in the Word of God. Election and Reprobation. These terms comprehend the same Doctrine precisely as the Calvinistic interpretation of "Predestination." I have already alluded to the well-known cause of the Jews being chosen to be the elect people of God. No one will deny that this was a national election, and not an election of individuals. The old covenant was a general covenant to the Jews as a people, and so is the new covenant of the Gospel to all the world. They were both conditional. An individual Jew was not acceptable in the sight of the great Jehovah, because he was circumcised as a sign of his admission to judaism, unless the circumcision of the heart attended the circumcision of the body. As Bishop Horne observes, in his most convincing Sermon on "the case of the Jews," that the descendants of Abraham would not be accounted his seed or children, unless they did the works of Abraham; and the same argument will hold good in the covenant of the Gospel. A baptized person, though born again by that sign, or ceremony, from the death of original sin, will not secure to himself salvation, unless the heart be right towards God, and he proves in his life, |
