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promise of the Gospel covenant, unless they are members of that Body of Christ, which is the dwelling-place of His Spirit. If "the Son of God hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true," it is because "we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ." We cannot limit indeed that abundant stream of God's

mercy, which may far overflow the channel, through which He usually bestows it. But none can claim this gift, who are not members of His Body, of His flesh, and of His bones. And this union is not obtained through the uncertain medium of such private will, as partakes rather of the waywardness of individual caprice; it has its authorized and established course through that Sacramental action of God the Holy Ghost, whereby men are engrafted into the Body of their Incarnate Saviour. It does not belong to every one therefore to claim this gift, merely because his fancy witnesses that he possesses it it is the Church's gift, just as natural reason is the endowment of the human family; and as men possess the earthly power through true descent from the family of the first Adam; so it is only through real union with the Incarnate Son, and through genuine sympathy with His Body mystical, that men can possess the higher power of the spiritual understanding.

Again, another caution regards those whose office is to minister the Gospel. Their claim to teach must be ever limited "by the proportion of faith.”

When they profess to explain the oracles of God, what right have they to prefer their individual caprice to that teaching of the Holy Ghost, whereby the common body of the Church is withheld from fundamental error? If men teach what is contrary to that public testimony, into which the Church has been guided by the Spirit, neither station nor ability will exempt them from the reproach of opposing the Gospel. When the Prayer-Book therefore preaches one thing, and the Sermon another, when one language is used at the font, and another in the pulpit this is not because the teaching of the Spirit is defective, but because the reason of man is fallacious. Would "the Priest's lips keep knowledge," he must recognize the authority of that public guidance, without which there can be no fixed interpretation of Scripture, and no lasting agreement among men..

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SERMON XXIV.

PREDESTINATION.

DANIEL, vii. 13, 14.

"I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

THUS long beforehand was the Prophet instructed respecting the certainty of those events, which must be fulfilled in their season. For "known unto God are all His works, from the beginning of the world." Nor were these great things known to Him only, as to an indifferent spectator; they were the objects of His counsel, the effects of His mercy: "He hath determined the times before appointed." And His appointments affect the indi

vidual destiny of men: "we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, according to the purpose of Him, who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will." The Holy Scriptures are distinct in their assurance that man's fortunes are in this wise bound up with the pre-arrangements of God. "Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate." And those who are thus pre-appointed are declared to be chosen or elected by Almighty God, through the free exercise of His sovereign will. Jacob was the object of His choice rather than Esau, "that the purpose of God according to election might stand; not of works, but of Him that calleth." Those who are thus favoured are spoken of as "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." And since this doctrine is so plainly revealed in Scripture, it is neither safe nor reverent to abstract from it our thoughts. Not safe, because any Scriptural doctrine, which is habitually suppressed (as by many persons is the doctrine of God's predestination), will certainly force itself again into notice, and perhaps disturb "the proportion of faith;"-not reverent, because it is presumptuous in man to esteem God's words indifferent or injurious; and to suppose that no importance can attach to truths, which were deemed weighty and practical by inspired Apostles. Does not St. Paul tell the Thessalonian Christians, "we give thanks to God always for you all-knowing, brethren beloved, your elec

tion of God?" Did he not feel himself "bound to give thanks alway to God, because God" had "from the beginning chosen" them "unto salvation ?" Why were things true at Thessalonica, which are false or dangerous among ourselves— and how venture we to suppress a matter, which the Apostle of the Gentiles felt himself "bound" to declare?

Let us, then, in the first place inquire what has led many to deny, or at least omit, this truth; and secondly, what is its due extent and meaning.

I. Predestination and election have often been objected to, because supposed inconsistent with the responsibility of man. Predestination has been understood by many to mean, that previous to man's birth or even to the world's existence, a decree was passed by Almighty God, by which some persons were inevitably fated to salvation; the residue of the world, by their omission from this favoured number, being doomed with equal certainty to everlasting ruin. Those who have thus stated the matter have not been content to affirm it as a fact, involved in a manner to us unknown by some inevitable necessity; still less have they been willing to refer it to any supernatural foresight of men's future actions: it has been brought forward as a decree, as a sentence passed on men spontaneously by their Maker before their birth, through the unchecked supremacy of His irresistible will, whereby the larger part of His intelli

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