THE

Arminian Magazine,

For OCTOBER 1782.

[Several years ago I delivered the following Discourse, at Lon◄ donderry, in Ireland. It was printed at the request of fe veral of the Clergy. As it is little known in England, I believe the inferting it here will be acceptable to many se rious perfons.]

A DISCOURSE

On ROMANS viii. 29, 30.

Whom he did foreknow, he did predeftinate to be conformed to the image of his Son:-Whom he did predeflinate, them he alfo called: whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

1.OU

UR beloved brother Paul, says St. Peter, according to the wifdom given to him, hath written unto you: as alfo in all his epiftles, fpeaking in them of these things: in which are

1 Pet. iii. 15, 16.

VOL. V.

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Some

fome things hard to be underflood; which they that are unlearned and unflable, wreft as they do alfo the other Scriptures, to their own deftruction.

2. It is not improbable, that among thofe things spoken by St. Paul which are hard to be understood, the apostle Peter might place what he speaks on this fubject, in the eighth and ninth chapters of his epiftle to the Romans. And it is certain, not only the unlearned, but many of the most learned men in the world, and not the unflable only, but many who feemed to be well established in the truths of the gofpel, have for feveral centuries, wrefted thefe paffages to their own deftruction.

3. Hard to be underflood we may well allow them to be, when we confider, how men of the ftrongeft understanding, improved by all the advantages of education, have continually differed in judgment concerning them. And this very confideration, that there is fo wide a difference upon the head, between men of the greatest learning, sense and piety, one might imagine would make all who now speak upon the fubject, exceedingly wary and felf-diffident. But I know not how it is, that juft the reverfe is obferved, in every part of the chriftian world. No writers upon earth appear more pofitive, than those who write on this difficult fubje&t. Nay, the fame men, who writing on any other subject, are remarkably modeft and humble, on this alone lay afide all felf-distrust,

"And fpeak ex cathedra infallible.”

This is peculiarly obfervable of almost all those, who affert the absolute decrees. But furely it is poffible to avoid this : whatever we propofe, may be proposed with modefty, and with deference to thofe wife and good men, who are of a contrary opinion. And the rather, because so much has been faid already, on every part of the queftion, fo many volumes have been written, that it is fcarce poffible to fay any thing which has not been faid before All I would offer at prefent,

not

not to the lovers of contention, but to men of piety and candor, are a few short hints, which perhaps may calt fome light on the text above recited.

4. The more frequently and carefully I have confidered it, the more I have been inclined to think, that the Apostle is not here (as many have fuppofed)' defcribing a chain of caufes and effects; (this does not feem to have entered into his heart) but fimply fhewing the method in which God works; the order in which the feveral branches of falvation, conftantly follow each other. And this, I apprehend, will be clear to any serious and impartial enquirer, furveying the work of God either forward or backward; either from the beginning to the end, or from the end to the beginning.

5. And firft, let us look forward on the whole work of God in the falvation of man, confidering it from the beginning; from the first point, till it terminates in glory. The first point is, The foreknowledge of God. God foreknew those in every nation, who would believe, from the beginning of the world, to the confummation of all things. But in order to throw light upon this dark question, it should be well obferved, that when we fpeak of God's foreknowledge, we do not speak according to the nature of things, but after the manner of men. For if we speak properly, there is no fuch thing, as either fore-knowledge or after-knowledge in God. All time, or rather all eternity (for time is only that fmall fragment of eternity, which is allotted to the children of men) being present to him at once, he does not know one thing before another, or one thing after another: but fees all things in one point of view, from everlasting to everlasting. As all time, with every thing that exifts therein, is prefent with him at once, fo he fees, at once, whatever was, is, or will be to the end of time. But obferve. We must not think they are, because he knows them. No: he knows them, because they are. Just as I (if one may be allowed to compare the things of men with the deep things of God) now know the fun

fhines. Yet the fun does not fhine, because I know it: but I know it, because he fhines. My knowledge fuppofes the fun to fhine; but does not in any wife caufe it. In like manner, God knows that man fins; for he knows all things. Yet we do not fin, because he knows it, but he knows it, because we fin. And his knowledge fuppofes our fin, but does not in any wife caufe it. In a word, God looking on all ages, from the creation to the confummation, as a moment, and feeing at once whatever is in the hearts of all the children of men, knows every one that does or does not believe in every age or nation. Yet what he knows, whether faith or unbelief, is in no wife caused by his knowledge. Men are as free in believing or not believing, as if he did not know it at all.

ment.

6. Indeed if man was not free, he could not be accountable, either for his thoughts, words or actions. If he were not free, he would not be capable either of reward or punishHe would be incapable either of virtue or vice, of being either morally good or bad. If he had no more freedom than the fun, the moon, or the stars, he would be no more accountable than they. On fuppofition that he had no more freedom than they, the ftones of the earth would. be as capable of reward, and as liable to punishment as man : one would be as accountable as the other. Yea, and it would be as abfurd to afcribe either virtue or vice to him, as to afcribe it to the ftock of a tree.

7. But to proceed. Whom he did foreknow, them he did predeftinate, to be conformed to the image of his Son. This is the fecond flep, (to fpeak after the manner of men; for in fact, there is nothing before or after in God.) In other words, God decrees, from everlasting to everlasting, that all who believe in the Son of his love, fhall be conformed to his image, fhall be faved from all inward and outward fin, into all inward and outward holinefs. Accordingly it is a plain, undeniable fact, all who truly believe in the name of the Son of God, do now receive the end of their faith, the falvation of their fouls: and this

in

in virtue of the unchangeable, irreversible, irresistible decree of God, He that believeth fhall be faved; he that believeth not fhall be damned.

[To be concluded in our next.]

SERMON XI.

GAIN.

On ROMANS v. 15.

[Concluded from page 459.]

Had there been neither Natural nor Moral

8. Evil in the world, what must have become of Pa

tience, Meekness, Gentleness, Long-fuffering? It is manifeft they could have had no being; seeing all these have evil for their object. If therefore evil had never entered into the world, neither could these have had any place in it. For who could have returned good for evil, had there been no evil-doer in the univerfe? How had it been poffible, on that fuppofition, to overcome evil with good? Will you fay, "But all these graces might have been divinely infused into the hearts of men." Undoubtedly they might: but if they had, there would have been no ufe or exercise for them. Whereas in the prefent ftate of things, we can never long want occafion to exercise them. And the more they are exercifed, the more all our graces are strengthened and increased. And in the fame proportion as our Refignation, our Confi dence in God, our Patience and Fortitude, our Meekness, Gentleness, and Long-fuffering, together with our Faith and Love of God and man increafe, muft our Happiness increase, even in the present world.

9. Yet again. As God's permiffion of Adam's fall gave all his pofterity a thousand opportunities of fuffering, and

thereby