Page 76 - Absolute Predestination With Observations On The Divine Attributes

hand, when he discerns the signs of election, not only in himself, but also in the
rest of his fellow-believers, and concludes from thence (as in a judgment of
charity he ought) that they are as really elected as himself, how must his heart
glow with love to his Christian brethren! How feelingly will he sympathise with

them in their distresses! How tenderly will he bear with their infirmities! How
readily will he relieve the former, and how easily overlook the latter! Nothing
will so effectually knit together the hearts of God's people in time as the belief

of their having been written by name in one book of life from everlasting, and
the unshaken confidence of their future exaltation to one and the same state of
glory above will occasion the strongest cement of affection below.

This was, possibly, one end of our Saviour's so frequently reminding His
apostles of their election, namely, that from the sense of such an unspeakable

blessing, in which they were all equally interested, they might learn to love one
another with pure hearts fervently, and cultivate on earth that holy friendship
which they well knew, from the immutability of God's decrees, would be
eternally matured to the highest perfection and refinement in heaven. Paul,

likewise, might have some respect to the same amiable inference when treating
of the saints collectively, for he uses those sweet and endearing expressions,
"He hath chosen us," "He hath predestinated us," etc., that believers, considering

themselves as suneklektoi or co-elect in Christ, might be led to love each
other with peculiar intenseness as the spiritual children of one electing Father,
brethren in grace and joint-heirs of glory. Did the regenerate of the present age

but practically advert to the everlasting nearness in which they stand related to
each other, how happy would be the effect!

Hence it appears that, since the preaching of predestination is thus evidently
calculated to kindle and keep alive the twofold congenial flame of love to God
and love to man, it must, by necessary consequence, conduce to the

advancement of universal obedience and to the performance of every social and
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religious duty, which alone, was there nothing else to recommend it, would be
a sufficient motive to the public delivery of that important doctrine.

IX.—Lastly, without a due sense of predestination, we shall want the surest and
the most powerful inducement to patience, resignation and dependence on God

under every spiritual and temporal affliction.

How sweet must the following considerations be to a distressed believer! (1)
There most certainly exists an almighty, all-wise and infinitely gracious God.