help myself.' No ; ye shall not thus cast the blame of your condemnation upon God. Who has told you, that you are not of God's elect? Who has searched the book of God's decrees, or been told by God that your name is not inserted there? Then you have no right whatever to conclude that you are not elect of God, or to make his supposed decrees any excuse for continuance in sin. On the contrary, I am authorized by Almighty God to declare, that " he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and liveq." " He would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth r." He even con- firms this truth with an oath : " As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he turn from his wickedness and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israels?" The truth is, as our Lord informs us ; " Ye will not come unto me," saith he, " that ye might have life." " Him that should come unto me I would in no wise cast out." Know ye then that the fault is yours, and not God's. Our Lord com- plains over you, " How often ivould I have gathered you, even as a hen gatheretli her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!" Yes; whatever excuses you may now make from the doctrine of election, your mouths shall be stopped in the day of judgment : " / would, but ye would not." Do not reply, that, till God has given you his grace, you cannot come to Christ : for, if you would only attempt in faith to stretch out your withered hand, in the very attempt he WGuld enable you to do it*. Now then, in the name of Almighty God, I call you to him, and invite you to receive freely at his hands
all the blessings of salvation11 And, if ye will not obey
the call, your blood shall be upon your own heads.]
2. Those who through grace have obeyed the call —
[Remember, brethren, " who it is that hath made you to differ*." Ye are " beloved of the Lord." " Ye have not chosen him ; but he has chosen you, and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit; and that your fruit should remain y." " Ye love him because he first loved you2:" " He loved you with an everlasting love ; and therefore with loving- kindness hath he drawn youa." " He loved you," not for any good that he either saw, or foresaw, in you ; but simply of his own will, " because he would love, you V Say then, whether
«i 2 Pet. iii. 9. * 1 Tim. ii. 4. ■ Ezek. xxxiii. 11.
* Matt. xii. 13. « Isai. lv. 1—3. x 1 Cor. iv. 7.
y John xv. 16. 7- 1 John iv. 19. » Jcr. xxxi. 3. b Deut. vii. 7, 8.