Christ's righteousness imputed to us; so that true christians are truly righteous, not only by imputation, but by action also. Oh! that those who make profession of holy Jesus would deny themselves, and take up their daily cross, and follow him in the regeneration! otherwise, how can they be his disciples or ministers? And then would true christianity flourish in the earth; then would Christ be exalted over all, who, with the Father and Holy Spirit, is God blessed forever.

Now to return a little to Christ's baptism, viz. "He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved." Here our great baptizer, and chief minister, is positive, that they shall be saved who are baptized with his baptism; from which, with strong reason, we may conclude, that the baptism which is absolutely necessary to salvation is not water baptism, which was John's, but spiritual baptism, which is Christ's; and for this reason also, that most christians that have any spiritual understanding, do plainly see, that notwithstanding people being baptized, or sprinkled, with elementary water, many live wicked ungodly lives, and die in that state; but quite the contrary effect hath that baptism which is of the Holy Ghost, and spiritual fire, which is Christ's baptism; for that where it is witnessed, and where people not only talk of it, but live according to its holy operation on the soul, it saveth and cleanseth from sin and evil, and it washeth by regeneration, and reneweth the soul by grace, with divine life and power,

The call of a true minister, is from and by Christ, he must come to the school of Christ, and take his degrees there; in the universal love of God he must learn and experience patience, humility, faith, hope, and charity: "Learn of me, (saith he) for I am meek and lowly in heart;" yet notwithstanding, he was the heir of all things, and all power in heaven and earth was given unto him, he humbled himself to the death of the cross, for the sake of mankind; and as the living Father sent his Son, so the Son sends his servants contrary to the will of man, as the apostle Paul said, "But I certify unto you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me, is not af

Iman; for I neither received it of man, nor was I ght it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Gal. i. 11, Hereby it is plain he thought there was no absolute essity of outward learning, nor outward call by man. And as there is no absolute necessity of outward learnto make a minister of Christ, so there is no need to e an outward maintenance; for Christ will take care is servants, and feed and clothe them, when he sends em, as he did his disciples, who went forth without for scrip, yet acknowledged, after their return, that y lacked nothing, and as Christ said, "Freely ye have eived, freely give:" so there is no outward compulor force in Christ's doctrine or religion: some are eed of another opinion, and have practised the contrary, bring those words of Christ to uphold them in the ctice of forcing religion, where he says in the parable he marriage supper, "Go, compel them to come in;" ich was no other compulsion or force but that of love, ich is the greatest power in heaven or earth; to conue our Saviour's words in any other sense, would be surd, and contrary to the whole tenor and doctrine of holy ministry.

Thus then the work of Christ's ministers is to bring people to Christ, as he is their redeemer and saviour m sin, and as he is their comforter, and good rememancer, and their spiritual guide into all truth, in the permance of which work, they will have their reward in this orld, and in the world to come everlasting life. Amen.

CONCERNING

PERSONAL ELECTION

AND

REPROBATION.

CONCERN came upon me, in christian love to the nest-hearted of the Presbyterian way, to show unto em how their teachers have misled them, and misrepented the words of God, in their pretending to prove : doctrine they hold of their personal election and robation, and in their wresting the scriptures in suprt of it.

Some of the texts of scripture whereby they vainly deavour to defend it, whereupon they chiefly found eir tenet, are these, viz.

1st. Concerning Jacob and Esau. Rom. ix. 13. Mal. 2, 3.

2d. Concerning the Lord's hardening Pharaoh's art, Exod. ix. 16. Rom. ix. 17.

3d. "He that made them, will not have mercy upon em, and he that formed them, will show them no vour." Isa. xxvii. 11.

4th. "Hath not the potter power over the clay of the me lump, to make one vessel to honour and another dishonour?" Jer. xviii. 6. Rom. ix. 21.

5th. "Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will ave mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Rom. . 18.

1st. Relating to Jacob and Esau, the case was thus: he Almighty shewed Rebecca (the mother of them both) -hile the children were yet unborn, that the elder should erve the younger. Gen. xxv. 23. Rom. ix. 12. Not at the elder should be damned to eternity, and the ounger only saved, as it is hoped will appear plain and

clear in the sequel, and the contrary be plainly proved, both by scripture and right reason. First then, These

two (Jacob and Esau) were the sons of godly Isaac, to whom, with faithful Abraham, was the promise of God, and to their seed, Gen. xvii. 18, and both Jacob and Esau were blessed in the name of God, and in his faith also: "For (saith the author of the Hebrews) Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau by faith." Heb. xi. 20. This he wrote when he was illustrating the invincible and mighty power of faith, by the many wonderful works that had been done thereby; and doubtless the faith there spoken of, is the true faith; and whatever is foretold in and through true faith will most certainly be fulfilled, as this great and significant blessing of Isaac to his sons was: the good old man, calls his eldest son to him, being disposed to bless him, and bids him seek venison, and make him savoury meat, Gen. xxvii. 3, 4, (such as he knew his father loved) "that my soul may bless thee before I die ;" and Rebecca their mother knowing (from what God had shewn her before they were born) that the elder should serve the younger, Gen. xxv. 23, for whom she had also the greatest love; she calls Jacob and opens the matter to him, and bids him get savoury meat for his father, Gen. xxvii. 14, 17, 18, which, through her importunity he did, and after he had prepared it, he brought it to his father before his brother came, and his father blessed him in faith, verse 28; but he did it against his natural inclination; for he would have had his son Esau to have had the blessing of preference, verses 24, 25, because he was the eldest son, and by nature it was his birth-right; but he, in his profane state and condition, had despised it and sold it to his brother Jacob for a thing of little value; so that Jacob, having, by his brother's consent, bought it of him, had a right to it on a double account, both by promise and purchase. 1st. By the promise of God before he was born. And, 2d. By purchase from his brother. But pray let it be observed, that this was the blessing of preference only, that blessing which Esau sought with tears, but could not find it; nevertheless