This Section teaches the following propositions :

1st. That as God has sovereignly destinated certain

persons, called the elect, through grace to salvation, so

he has sovereignly decreed to withhold his grace from

the rest; and that this withholding rests upon the unsearchable counsel of his own will, and is for the glory of his sovereign power.

2d. That God has consequently determined to treat all those left in their sins with exact justice according to their own deserts, to the praise of his justice, which demands the punishment of all unexpiated sin.

This decree of reprobation, as it is called, is the aspect which God^s eternal purpose presents in its relation to that portion of the human family which shall be finally condemned for their sins.

It consists of two elements: (1.) Negative, inasmuch as it involves a determination to pass over these, and to refuse to elect them to life. (2.) Positive, inasmuch as it involves a determination to treat them on the principles of strict justice precisely as they deserve. In its negative aspect, reprobation is simply not election, and is absolutely sovereign, resting upon his good pleasure alone, since those passed over are no worse than those elected. In respect to its positive element, reprobation is not in the least sovereign, but purely judicial, because God has determined to treat the reprobate precisely according to their deserts in the view of absolute justice. Our Standards are very careful to guard this point explicitly. This Section says that God has ordained the non-elect ^' to dishonour and wrath for their s'm, to the praise of his glorious justice J^ The same is repeated in almost identical language in the answer to the thirteenth question of the Larger Catechism.

This doctrine, instead of being inconsistent with the principles of absolute justice, necessarily follows from the application of those principles to the case in hand.

(1.) All men alike are *' by nature the children of wrath/^ and justly obnoxious to the penalty of the law antecedently to the gift of Christ to be their Saviour. It is because they are in this condition that vicarious satisfaction of divine justice was absolutely necessary in order to the salvation of any, otherwise, the Apostle says, " Christ is dead in vain." Hence if any are to be saved, justice itself demands that their salvation shall be recognized as not their right, but a sovereign concession on the part of God. None have a natural right to salvation. And the salvation of one cannot give a right to salvation to another. (2.) Salvation is declared to be in its very essence a matter of grace, and if of grace, the the selection of its subjects is inalienably a matter of divine discretion. Lam. iii. 22 ; Rom. iv. 4 ; xi. 6 ; Eph. i. 6, 7 ; John iii. 16 ; 1 John iii. 16 ; iv. 10.

This doctrine as above stated is true, (I) because it is necessarily involved in the scriptural doctrine of election taught in the preceding Sections.

(2.) It is expressly taught in Scripture : " Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Rom. ix. 18 ; 1 Pet. ii. 8 ; Rev xiii. 8 ; Jude 4.

(3.) God asserts the right involved as his righteous prerogative : " Thou wilt say then unto me. Why doth he yet find fault ? Who art thou that repliest against God ? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump, to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour ? 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 : and that he might make known the riches of his glory on

the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glorj." Kom. ix. 19-23.

The doctrine of predestination is, indeed, a high mystery — one of the deep things of God, which our feeble intellects cannot fully comprehend. In our inquiries about it, we ought to repress a vain curiosity, and not attempt to be wise above what is written. But, since the doctrine is revealed by God in his Word, it is a proper subject for sober investigation,

aud ought to be published from the pulpit and the press. Calvin justly remarks, "That those things which the Lord hath laid up in secret, we may not search; those things which he hath brought openly abi'oad, we may not neglect; lest either on the one part we be condemned of vain curiosity, or on the other part, of unthankfulness." "Were this doctrine either dangerous or useless, God would not have revealed it; and for men to attempt to suppress it, is to arraign the wisdom of God, as though he foresaw not the danger which they would arrogantly interpose to prevent. " Whosoever," adds Calvin, " laboureth to bring the doctrine of predestination into misliking, he openly saith evil of God; as though somewhat had unadvisedly slipped from him which is hurtful to the Church."* This doctrine, however, ought to be handled with special judgment and prudence, avoiding human speculations, and adhering to what is plainly revealed in the Scriptures. When prudently discussed, it will neither lead to licentiousness nor to despair; but will eminently conduce to the knowledge, establishment, and comfoi-t of Christians.

It ought ever to be remembered, that no man can know his election prior to his conversion. Wherefore, instead of prying into the secret purpose of God, he ought to attend to his revealed will, that by making sure his vocation, he may ascertain his election. The order and method in which this knowledge may be attained is pointed out by the Apostle Peter, when he exhorts Christians to " give all diligence to make their calling and election sure." — 2 Pet. i. 10. Their eternal election must remain a profound secret until it be discovered to them by their effectual calling in time ; but when they have ascertained their calling, they may thence infallibly conclude that they were elected from eternity. Election, then, gives no discouragement to any man in reference to obeying the calls and embracing the offers of the gospel. The invitations of the gospel are not addressed to men as electa but as sinners ready to perish; all are under the same obligation to comply with these invitations, and the encouragement from Christ is the same to all, — " Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." And the doctrine of election must have a sanctifying and consoling influence on all who sincerely obey the gospel. It is calculated to inspire them with sentiments of reverence and gratitude towards God; to humble their souls in the dust before the eternal Sovereign; to excite them to diligence in the discharge of duty; to afford them strong consolation under the * Caivin's Institutions, book iii., ch. 21, sec. 4.

6*0 CONFESSION OF FAITH. [cHAP. IV.

temptations and trials of life ; and to animate them with a lively hoi)e of eternal glory.