vealed will to poor sinners, and especially to comfort and instruct his people. Man, in his poor short-sighted judgment, supposeth this man and the other are proper persons for the special work of God, but Jehovah sees as an infinite God, and knows the end from the beginning; and “his ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are his ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts." Therefore, keeping these truths in view, let us be modest in deciding upon the secret decrees of God, which he has reserved to himself, and take the scriptures as they stand, and not according to the wisdom of the schools, which generally contains more sophistry than common sense, and let us learn the practical lesson which the Jacob and Esau allegory presents.

JACOB AND ESAU.

In the 25th chap, 20th verse, it states, that Isaac, in the fortieth year of his age, took Rebekah to wife. Verse 21. "And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her and she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."

I am fully aware that the above allegorical figures, Jacob and Esau, have been used by a cer

tain order of Christians to establish the doctrines of Absolute Election and Reprobation, which in a certain sense they do; but, when men attempt to draw deductions therefrom, to establish the doctrine that God has predestinated certain individuals, before they were born, to a state of eternal reprobation, and hath actually created them, without any choice, power, or will on their part, for that state, and absolutely rejected them from any interest in the atonement of Christ-and that before they were born: such men teach a most blasphemous lie, and libel the character of God, who hath by his apostle declared, 1 Tim. ii. 4, that he will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth;" and in the 4th ch. 10th v., that he "is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." Thus showing that all men stand in the general redemption, by the covenant made known to Adam before the foundation of this evil world, that is, before the curse was pronounced, consequently to all his posterity, who were in his loins. Yet the special election is only to those who believe, that is, to those who hath the commandments of Christ, and keepeth them." And, in order to understand what is meant by the allegory of Jacob and Esau, we must take the word of God as a whole, not in detached parts, here and there. Therefore when God, by his prophet Malachi, i. 2, 3, says, "I loved Jacob and I hated Esau ;" and then, in Psa. cxlv.9, saith, "The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works;" and in Ezek. xxxiii. 11, says unto them, "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way

and live.

Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

I say, when they meet with such texts as the above, which apparently contradict each other, they should be very cautious not to decide upon the secret decrees of God by their limited understandings; because, if God in one part of his word (as they say) hath declared that he hath created some men for eternal wrath, without any interest in the general redemption by Jesus Christ, and then in another part appeals to such men, and asks why they will die, and swears, " as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked"—then, most evidently, according to the creed of those high doctrine teachers, (as they are called,) those two declarations contradict and destroy each other. But let us go to St. Paul, and hear what he says about the matter, who spake and wrote by the unerring Spirit of God. Therefore I will offer a few remarks upon the 9th chap. Romans, from the 14th verse, where the apostle asks concerning the matter, 'What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he

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vet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou, that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto 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 glory." Now, concerning the foreknowledge of God. We must conclude, that, known unto him are all things from the beginning." He knew before Esau and Jacob were born, what kind of men they would be, and declared while they were yet in their mother's womb that "two nations were there, and that two manner of people should be separated therefrom." And these two children which were about to be born, although two different nations, two different types, symbolizing two opposite characters, St. Paul declares were two different vessels, made out of the same lump. Now what is meant by the same lump? Why, this: that all mankind by nature are one common lump of sinful corruption; all going astray from the womb, speaking lies. Therefore he cannot choose one any more than another, as vessels of mercy, because of their fitness, seeing none are fit until he make them so; neither can he choose others for vessels of wrath, because they are more vile in nature than the rest of mankind-for they are all one lump-but because he "will have all men to besaved, and to come unto

the knowledge of the truth," 1 Tim. ii. 4. And, inasmuch as Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all men," 4 ch. 10 v., he hath out of the same lump, chosen some vessels in which he will show his mercy to the world, whilst others he has appointed as vessels of wrath, in which he will show his wrath and hatred to sin. But why he chooseth one for honour, and another to dishonour, it is not for us to know, because we, by our finite minds, cannot understand what is meant by "Christ subduing all things unto himself, and giving up the kingdom to the Father, when God shall be all and in all"-seeing Christ hath absolute power over all things now; therefore it must allude to something more, which he will accomplish in his own time and way. Which mystery I cannot pretend to unravel; but this I know, that, as his love is infinite to save, so are his works infinite in wisdom; for it is written, "God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all," Rom. xi. 32. He is no respecter of persons, as he showed by the two characters, Jacob and Esau; for, although, by the privilege of birthright, Esau claimed pre-eminence over his brother, who was the younger, yet God chose the younger; showing that neither birthright, title, nor any thing else, capacitates a man to be a vessel of honour, but it is of God that showeth mercy; but both are useful in his hands, to accomplish his purpose. And when we consider the characters of the two brothers, we shall see, that by nature they were both alike—both born in sin-though of different dispositions; for, according to 27th ver. Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field ; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents."

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