pose, gives over to the Son to be
redeemed, and these the Son receives. And thus the glory of mercy and
justice shines most brightly, yea, more brightly, than if he had at first
pardoned. O how doth his love and mercy appear, that he will transfer our
sins upon his holy Son, and accept that redemption for us; and his
justice, that a redemption and price he must have, even from his Son, when
once he comes in the stead of sinners! And in this point do the songs of
eternity concentre.

Lecture XVI.

Of Predestination

Rom. ix. 22.--"What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make
his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of
wrath fitted to destruction." Eph. i. 11.--"In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own
will."

We are now upon a high subject; high indeed for an eminent apostle, much
more above our reach. The very consideration of God's infinite wisdom
might alone suffice to restrain our limited thoughts, and serve to sober
our minds with the challenge of our own ignorance and darkness; yet the
vain and wicked mind of man will needs quarrel with God, and enter the
lists of disputation with him, about his righteousness and wisdom in the
counsel of election and reprobation: "But, O man, who art thou that
repliest against God, or disputest?" ver. 20. This is a thing not to be
disputed, but believed; and if ye will believe no more than ye can
comprehend by sense or reason, then ye give his majesty no more credit
than to weak mortal man. Whatever secret thoughts do rise up in thy heart
when thou hearest of God's foreordaining men to eternal life, without
previous foresight or consideration of their doings, and preparing men to
eternal wrath, for the praise of his justice, without previous
consideration of their deservings, and passing a definitive sentence upon
the end of all men, before they do either good or evil; whenever any
secret surmises rise in thy heart against this, learn to answer thus;
enter not the lists of disputation with corrupt reason, but put in this
bridle of the fear of God's greatness, and the consciousness of thy own
baseness, and labour to restrain thy undaunted and wild mind by it. Ponder
that well, who thou art who disputest; who God is, against whom thou
disputest--and if thou have spoken once, thou