ination and
election have nothing to do with man other than as pertains to quality
and fitness. The penitent, believing, loving and obeying, humble,
self-denying soul is _foreordained_ to be one of God's ELECT, now,
henceforth and forever.

I now repeat the text: "Elect ... according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit." What I have
said harmonizes with this, because the qualified fitness of the
_elect_ is through sanctification of the Spirit. Our Lord prays for
all in these words: "Father, sanctify them through thy truth: thy word
is truth." It is through the truth that men are sanctified, and the
sanctified the world over and through all time are God's elect,
according to his foreknowledge or foreordination, because no others
can be. The all-in-all of this great subject resolves itself into the
simple fact that men do not come into covenant union with God unto
salvation because God elected and foreordained it to be so in their
special behalf as individuals, unconditionally chosen beforehand,
whilst others no worse than they are left to go to destruction; but
they are elected _according to God's foreordination_ because they have
come into covenant union with him unto salvation; and have, therefore,
the fitness to be worthy of being so chosen or elected. Their election
and foreordination are not the cause but the result of the fitness. It
is foreordained that "of such is the kingdom of heaven," because it
cannot consist of any other kind.

But let us turn to Ezekiel's prophecy, 33:11, "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, ... for why will
ye die; O house of Israel?" If the house of Israel was of the elect on
an unconditional basis of salvation, they surely would return at some
time, and why such concern? If not, all the calling after them that
could be done would not fetch them back, because they were not of the
elect. This is exactly where the doctrine of unconditional election
leads.

Again, 2 Peter 3:9, God is "not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance." If God is not willing that any
should perish, why did he not make provision and save all? If it is
possible for him to save some just because he chooses to do so without
any conditions, why not save all? I know what the advocates of this
doctrine which I am combatting teach: they say G