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When men, instead of taking their opinions on religious subjects from the Bible, bring their own opinions to the Bible; their object is not to let the Bible speak freely its own language, but that language which may most appear to correspond with their own pre-established notions. But this, it must be observed, is not to interpret the Bible so much as to interpret themselves. A mode of interpretation which, whilst it is calculated to furnish various readings, tends to put out of sight the genuine and legitimate sense of the sacred writings; and to leave Christian Professors in that lamentable condition described by the Apostle," as ever learning, and yet never able to come to "the knowledge of the truth."

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One of St. Paul's directions to Timothy, for the more effectual discharge of his ministry was, "that he would study to "shew himself approved of God, a work

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man that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing, or rightly handling the word of truth; at the same time charging his Disciples, that they should "not strive about words to no profit, " but

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"but to the subverting of the hearers." By which we understand that he was directed to avoid all those subjects which were not calculated to minister spiritual profit to his hearers; and by a judicious discrimination to confine himself to the inforcing those essential doctrines of the Gospel, necessary to establish his Disciples in the way in which they should walk, for the purpose of attaining to the end of their Christian calling.

In conformity to this direction, the great object which the Christian Minister ought to have in view is, by keeping back no part of the divine counsel, so to preach the doctrine of the cross, as it is established by the general tenor of Revelation, that no erroneous conclusion may be drawn from it. For the Gospel scheme of salvation can then only be compleat, when to the foundation of the Evangelical system, the stupendous mercy of God in Christ, is added that superstructure of Christian obligation, comprehended under the general terms of faith, repentance, and obedience, as necessary to have their

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due weight in the scale of human estimation.

But the interpreters to whom I now allude, seem as if they were governed by a direction, the very opposite to that delivered to Timothy on this subject. They divide, or handle the word of truth indeed, not rightly; but in such a manner as to set one part of it at variance with another, and by separating particular passages from connection with their appropriate subject, thereby making them appear to speak a sense which they were not originally designed to convey, they preach their own Gospel, instead of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the same time they are fond of dwelling on subjects, from which, in the manner they generally treat them, no spiritual profit can be derived; such subjects being more calculated to perplex and confound, than to communicate useful knowledge to their hearers.

The subjects immediately in view, and of which such miserable use has from time to time been made, are distinguished under the titles of Election, free Grace,

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and finished Salvation. Words which convey a very different idea to different persons, in proportion as they are acquainted or not, with that standard of Scripture, by which alone their true meaning is to be ascertained.

The words prefixed to this Discourse refer, in their primary sense, to the calling of the Jewish people to the knowledge of the Gospel; and to their not being chosen to partake in the privileges of it, in consequence of their indisposition to receive them; whilst in their secondary sense they contain a prophetical, and as it were, prefigurative illustration of the final condition of those, who having been called, and placed under the Gospel Dispensation, shall, at the final consummation of all things, be found unworthy to be made partakers of the glories annexed to that gracious system in a better world.

With these two objects in view the word election, as it occurs in Scripture, is to be understood according to the sense in which it applies to the circumstances of the parties to whom it immediately re

fers.

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fers. Hence in the 11th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle speaks clearly of two elections perfectly distinct from each other: one, an election "for the futher's sake," v. 28.; the other," the election of grace," v. 5. By the first of these elections is to be understood that choice which God made of the Jewish nation in preference to all other nations upon the earth, for the purpose of preserving the knowledge of the true God, and preparing the world for the coining of the promised Redeemer. This choice of the Jewish people, we are expressly told, was not made for their own sakes," for they were a stiff-necked "people," but for their father's sake; "that the Lord might perform the word "which he sware unto Abraham, Isaac, " and Jacob." Deut. ix. 5. "Because "God loved thy fathers," said Moses to them," therefore he chose their seed after "them." Deut. iv. 37. "For thou art

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a holy people unto the Lord thy God; "the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to "be a special people unto himself, above "all people that are upon the face of the

"earth.

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