Behold! your house is left unto you desolate." Matt. xxiii. 37. Never did history record a more dreadful infatuation, blindness, or hardness of heart, than that which possessed the inhabitants of this highly favoured city. And yet, the cause of this hardness, and the calamities which followed

it, was, they loved darkness rather than light." John iii.

19. "He came to his own, but his own received him not." -Though he would often have gathered them, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, (a striking illustration of parental love,) yet they would not; and therefore it was, that the things which belonged to their peace were hid from their eyes; and an awful desolation came upon them.

The example of Judas is a further illustration of this principle. He was chosen-had obtained a part of the ministry of Christ, and was numbered with the twelve; but by transgression fell.

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It may be objected, that our Saviour remarks of him:"Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

But this does not change the view of the subject. The two parts of this sentence relate to different periods of time. The act of choosing was long before the time at which he was called a devil. Two years, or thereabout, before the latter period, he was sent to preach the gospel-received as full a commission as any of the apostles; and in that commission, he, in common with the others, was empowered "to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils." Matt. x. 8. Now our Lord himself clearly proves, that the devil cannot cast out devils. Matt. xii. 26. And therefore Judas, at this time, was not a devil, but an eminently qualified minister of Jesus Christ.

We may also advert a little more fully to Saul; as it is evident from the text, that his rejection was in conse quence of his disobedience. And so of all that ever became monu. ments of the justice and judgments of God. Indeed it is impossible to be otherwise. "The judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether;" Ps. xix. 9. and therefore the subjects of these must have done despite to the Spirit of Grace, and so become abandoned by it, and given up to a reprobate mind.

That such was the process of hardening, in numerous

instances recorded in the holy scriptures, is evident, from the plain, obvious language of the texts. That this explains the dealings of God with man, without involving unconditional decrees, is equally plain. And if we reason from analogy at all on the subject, we must consider the case of Pharaoh in the same light.

Though it is said of him: "For this purpose have I raised thee up,” even this passage does not support the doctrine in question. To raise up, is a figurative form of expression. It is applied to recovery from sickness; to the acquisition of power or notice; to the advancement from infancy to manhood, and to many other conditions and changes of condition; but seldom or never to being brought into existence. But in all its various applications, it shows a state of weakness, imbecility, and dependence, on the part of him that is raised, and of power in him that raises. It has, both literally and figuratively, a strong affinity to sustain. So we find the marginal reading : 66 made thee to stand up." These expressions, therefore, very strikingly conveyed to Pharaoh his own impotency. For his life, his faculties, and his power, he was dependent on the Almighty. And when he had openly despised the Great Jehovah, and set his own power and authority in opposition to the divine command, then it was that he was sustained in his usual power, brought strikingly into notice, and overthrown in a remarkable manner. Perhaps it may not be improper to state concisely the events of those times. I will begin with the preceding reign. Then it was that the male infants were ordered to be murdered, and a cruel and exterminating policy adopted towards the Hebrews. When this Pharaoh died, his successor, no doubt, pursued the same cruel policy. The Israelites were oppressed, and, at least, as grievously as ever. We must necessarily suppose that this new king was also a cruel and wicked man. God, now determining to release his Israel from their sufferings, gives Moses his commission. In doing this, he opened to the understanding of this eminent servant, some future events, and among the rest this expression occurs: "I am sure that [Pharaoh] will not let you go." This was but a revelation from the omniscience of the Deity; and implied no coercion.

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On delivering the first message to Pharaoh, he demanded : "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice, to let Israel go? I know not the Lord; neither will I let Israel go." He then ordered Moses and Aaron to their burdens; and the same day added beyond any former example, to the severity of the tasks imposed on the Hebrews. After this occurs the expression : I will harden Pharaoh's heart." The query may naturally occur, Why does God harden the hearts of the wicked?

The apostle, in the first chapter to the Romans, tells us why it takes place. He begins by testifying: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them; for God hath shown it unto them." And, referring to the testimony which the visible creation bears to the important truths of which he is speaking, he adds. "So they are without excuse. And resuming the subject he proceeds: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."- Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lust of their own hearts."- "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator. -For this cause God gave them up to vile affections." "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." And after enumerating many of the gross crimes which mark the reprobate state, he comes to the conclusion: “ Who, knowing the judgments of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." And the next sentence resumes the sentiment, with which the preceding quotations begin: Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man! whoever thou art."

Let it be remembered, that these expressions occur in the first chapter to the Romans, as if the apostle intended, thus, at the very beginning of his epistle, to guard against any misconstruction on this ground.

And seeing this cause of hardening is so clearly expressed by the apostle, and in so many varied forms of expression, as to place it beyond all doubt, why should we attempt to find out another cause, that would equally militate against the whole scope of the Scriptures, and the very attributes of the Deity! It places the justice and goodness of God in a fair point of view; it satisfactorily explains his dealings with us; and places our obedience to his laws, and our responsibility for our actions, on the only rational grounds. And here the pious Christian can repose, without resorting to unconditional decrees.

Nor is it unworthy of remark, that in the 9th chapter to the Romans, which has been supposed to be more conclusively in favour of unconditional election and reprobation, the apostle makes the following brief summary review: "What shall we say then? That the gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness." This opens the whole ground of the doctrine before us: and when he asks the question, "Wherefore?" it would seem inevitable for him to have replied, "Because the secret will of God had determined it to be so," if this had been the case. But mark his language: Because they sought it not by faith; but as it were by the works of the law."

"As

That passage in Acts xiii. 48, where it is said: many as were ordained to eternal life, believed," has been supposed very strongly to favour the doctrine of unconditional election and reprobation, But it is only by looking at this passage, through the medium of that doctrine itself, that such a construction can be put upon it.

To that the word "ordained," related to unconsuppose ditional decrees, existing from all eternity, and securing the salvation of all that are saved, would make this passage convey a meaning, not at all to the purpose for which it has been advanced. It would go to show, not that the conversion of that day, among the gentiles, was confined to the elective decrees: but that the election was confined to the conversion of that day: and of course, no further conversion there ever could take place. As many as

were ordained to eternal life, believed;" consequently, the whole work of conversion there was completed.

But leaving this consequence, we may return to the word ordained, which means to appoint, put in office, or invest with certain powers or privileges. Thus Matthias was ordained to take part of that ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell. In this sense also the seven deacons were ordained. And yet one of them introduced that offensive doctrine, so emphatically denounced in the Revelations, ch. ii. v, 6, 15. (Dupin's Church Hist. vol. 1, p. 30.) The Bishops, in the primitive Church, were ordained; and these again ordained elders. Tit. i. 5. In all these cases we see nothing that conveys the idea of irrevocable decrees. We can speak of ordaining an apostle, a deacon, a bishop, or elder, yet suppose that a preparation for such office was necessary, and of course became a condition; and further conceive, that in case of apostacy, they might become unfit for such office, and be cast out of it.

But if it be said, that the ordinations that have been mentioned were the acts of men, while the other is the act of God; it may be replied, that in those cases which have been quoted, the Holy Spirit did concur, and therefore they are not to be considered as cases of mere human appointment.

But there are cases purely of divine ordination, which may further illustrate the subject. In the message delivered to David, when he had proposed to build a temple, it is said: "Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them; and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more. 1 Chron. xvii. 9. And yet this ordaining was evidently conditional; because the temple has been demolished the nation has been destroyed— and the remnant of the Jewish stock are scattered from that place, through all civilized nations upon the earth.

Cases parallel to this might be found in numerous periods of the Jewish history. But I conceive it unnecessary to multiply quotations of the kind. A few cases, however, from the New Testament, may not be improper. It is said in Mark iii. 14, that Jesus "ordained twelve, that they should be with him,”- and have power to heal