fly have I sought to prepare your minds for a few remarks I
propose making on the doctrine of election.

Election simply means _a choosing_. It is an undeniable fact that our
Lord Jesus Christ elects, chooses, accepts every one that truly
repents or turns his heart from evil to good. "_Him that cometh unto
me_," says he, "_I will in no wise cast out_." "_He that believeth and
is baptized_, SHALL BE SAVED." "WHOSOEVER WILL, _let him take of the
water of life freely_." TRUTH is the broad platform on which the
_elect_ of God forever stand; and LOVE is the golden chain that first
drew and forever binds them there.

PREDESTINATION.

There is not a living thing upon the face of the earth but is
predestinated to a certain end. The horse, in his very _creation_, is
predestinated to be the horse in kind, and to serve the end of his
creation; and his nature and characteristics as such admit of no
change. Predestination is one of the essentials of God's eternal
order. If the horse, or the ox, or anything else which God has
created, could be changed from the nature and order of its creation,
confusion would be the inevitable result.

I do not wonder that Paul wrote what he did upon predestination,
because it implies the immutable, eternal order of God's love and
wisdom. Heaven and earth may pass away, but Christ's love shall never
pass away from the lowliest and poorest soul that loves and obeys him.
His love to Christ is the seal of his predestination to eternal life.

"He that believeth the Son hath life; but he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." This is
the sum of election and predestination. God's eternal love has given
to man the way of man's salvation. All who choose that way are on that
very account elected and predestinated to eternal life in heaven.
_Elected_, because this fits them for heaven: _predestinated_, because
it is God's eternal purpose to save all such. Predestination applies
equally to the impenitent; because, according to the same plan and the
principles involved in it, they must be forever lost.

Nothing can be more reasonable than that God's elect, the people of
his choice, should be holy and without blame before him in love; that
they should be followers of God as dear children, and walk in love.
This is both the cause and the proof of their election to eternal
life.

If you will take the pains to look into a dictionary for the word
WALK, you will