tribes by lot ; God having reserved to himself the whole disposal of it : his it was from the beginning ; and his it continued to be ; and they must all receive it as a gift from him. Mark here the order of events;
1. The grant —
[God gave the land to Abraham, whom of his own sove- reign will he had called out from an idolatrous people, and to whom for his own glory's sake he had revealed his will. To him, I say, God gave the land ; not for any merit that was in him, either seen or foreseen, but, " for the manifestation of his own glory." And whence is it that man is taken, in preference to the fallen angels ? or whence are Christians selected from the whole world, which lieth under Pagan darkness or Maho- metan delusion ? or whence are some " recovered out of the snare of the devil, by whom they have been led captive at his will," whilst others are left still in bondage to him, wallowing in their lusts, and enemies of all righteousness ? Will any man presume to say that he "made himself to differ0," or that God chose him for his own superior goodness, either seen or fore- seen?? Let not that man ever speak of pride; for wherein could Lucifer himself exceed such presumption as this ? No : we must affirm with the Apostle, that " God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world ; and that, not because we were holy, or because he foresaw we tvould be holy, but that we might be holy, and without blame before him in loveq." He, of his own sovereign will, gave his Son to us, and us to himr; yea, he "predestinated us also unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved s."]
2. The acquisition —
[This, though a gift, was yet attained by means of their own exertions. The common objection against the doctrines of predestination and election is, that it encourages men to sit down supinely, expecting God to do every thing, whilst they themselves do nothing. But did Joshua and Caleb argue so ; or was there found one single person in the whole kingdom of Israel that argued so? No; they all knew that the gift of
0 1 Cor. iv. 7.
p Deut. ix. 4 — 6. Even such a thought is reprobated ; and how much more such an assertion !
i Eph. i. 4. r John xvii. 6, 9, 10.
s Eph. i. 5, 6. It is not expedient to be always harping upon this subject ; but we must not be ashamed of it, or afraid on proper occasions to confess it.