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On Divine Sovereignty in the Division of Canaan; -the Treatment of the Tribes of Ifrael;-the Choice of a Place of Worship;-the Employment of Means and Inftruments of Judgment or Mercy-the Distribution of Gifts ;-the Management of our Lot;-the Afflictions of the Children of God;-with respect to earthly Kingdoms ;in relation to the Church-Severe Judgments inflicted for the Denial of this Perfection.

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11. THE fovereignty of God is illuftrated by the manner in which he divided the land of Canaan among the tribes of Ifrael. This was by lot, as it was declared by Mofes m: "The land "fhall be divided by lot; according to the names "of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. According to the lot fhall the poffeffions thereof "be divided, between many and few." While by this ordination God taught his people their dependance upon his fovereign pleasure for all temporal mercies, it had a further and a fpecial reference to those which " pertain to life and godli"nefs." No tribe, no family could fay, "We "have obtained from Joshua a better inheritance "than such another tribe or family, because we

m Num. xxvi. 55, 56,

"had

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"had a fuperior claim by our fervices." For "the lot was caft into the lap, and the whole difpofal thereof was of the LORD." No one could fay, "I fhall dwell here, because it is my choice." For the choice was wholly God's. In this was prefigured the choice of the fpiritual Ifrael; which is "not of him that willeth, nor of him "that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy." This very language is applied to the feed of the antitypical Jacob. Jacob. Thus in the forty-feventh Pfalm, which contains a celebration of the afcenfion of our Lord, of the true Jofhua's entering into his reft, and of the bleffed fruits of it in the fubjection of the nations to the faith, the Church adopts this language, as afcribing all spiritual bleffings to "the good pleasure of his will;" "He fhall choose our inheritance for us; the ex'cellency of Jacob whom he loved "."

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Nay,

that Elect in whom the foul of the Father delighteth, employs the fame language concerning himself, in his public character. "Thou main"taineft my lot." He acknowledges that his defignation to the work of redemption, and the confequent reward, were primarily to be afcribed to the fovereign choice of the Father, who "hath "chofen us in him P."

The fame language runs through the whole of the New Testament. Hath God chofen his people to a glorious inheritance? It was not for their foreseen faith, good works, or perfeverance, It is as much of fovereignty as the appointment

P4

• Pfal. xvi. 5.

p Eph. i. 4.

n Ver. 5.

of

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of the tribes of Ifrael to particular inheritances. The Gentiles are, therefore, faid to "receive an "inheritance," literally, "a lot among them who "are fanctified "." We are "made meet to be partakers of the lot of the faints in light P." Here creature-merit is excluded on every fide. For the inheritance is not only called a lot, but we are faid to be "made meet for" it, which, plainly fhews, that we are naturally unmeet, and cannot qualify ourfelves by any thing that we can do. Not only is the inheritance faid to be given to the people of God by lot but the expreffion is reverfed. They are faid to be chofen to it, in the fame manner. For in Chrift" we "have obtained an inheritance," or, "we have "been defigned by lot:" and no wonder fuch language is ufed, as it follows," being predef"tinated according to the purpose of him who "worketh all things after the counfel of his own "will." The latter language fhows the reason why the former is ufed. It is said, that we are defigned by lot; because our enjoyment of the inheritance depends wholly on the fovereign pleafure of God. This mode of expreffion does not denote any thing accidental or contingent with refpect to him; but that he pays as little regard to merit in the objects of his choice, as if they were chofen by lot; as little, as a creature would do, who should decide with refpect to an earthly inheritance in this way. We receive the inheritance willingly. But it is God who "worketh in us to "will."

o Acts xxvi. 18.

p Col. i. 12.

q Eph. i. 11.

"will.". We are eventually qualified for it. But this is only as he "worketh in us to do."

12. As God manifefted his fovereignty, in the inftance already mentioned, with refpect to the tribes of Ifrael in general, he did fo, in other inftances, as to particular tribes, families and perfons. It is generally admitted, that before the giving of the law, the firft-born of the different families of Ifrael had acted as priests. It appears, that for a time God fanctioned this practice, by hallowing the firft-born. Now, Levi was not the firft-born. Yet his pofterity were separated to God for the work of the priesthood. Was it because of any fuperior worth in their progenitor? Surely no. For Levi was brother to Simeon in cruelty. His children could not be better qualified than their brethren for the fervice of the altar, because their father had made a facrifice of the Shechemites. This defignation is wholly referred to the pleasure of God. "The

"LORD feparated the tribe of Levi, to bear the "ark of the covenant of the LORD, to ftand before "the LORD, to minifter unto him, and to blefs in "his name." "The priests, the fons of Levi "fhall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chofen to minifter unto him ."

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Neither was Judah the firft-born. But God conferred the fceptre on the tribe which bore his name. He" chofe not the tribe of Ephraim: "but chofe the tribe of Judah "."

Numb. iii. 13. μ Pfal. Ixxviii, 67, 68.

To it also he

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gave the exclufive promife of the defcent of the Meffiah. In this tribe, the regal power was confined to the family of Jeffe, although it was not distinguished for wealth or greatnefs. Thence fome fpake contemptibly of David: "Who is "David? or who is the fon of Jeffe?" From this confideration David himself extols divine fovereignty: "What am I, and what is my father's "house, that thou haft brought me hitherto ?" Bethlehem was but a mean village. Yet here muft the Meffiah be born: "And thou BethlehemEphratah, although thou be little among the "thousands of Judah, yet out of thee fhall he "come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in If"rael w." The family of Jofeph feems to have been one of the meaneft in the house of David, or belonging to Bethlehem. For Jofeph and Mary could find no lodging but in a ftable. Yet from, this family muft the Meffiah spring.

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13. God fignalized his fovereignty in the choice of that particular place where he would be worfhipped. All places are alike to Him, to whom "the earth belongs, and the fulness thereof;" who "filleth heaven and earth;" whom "hea"ven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain." But, under the law, he inculcated the doctrine of his fovereignty on the church, by not only regulating the whole manner of worship, but by limiting the place. That the might have ftill more reafon for learning unreferved fubmiffion to his will, fhe was long kept in fufpenfe. All that she

VI Sam. xxV, 19.

w Micah v. 2.

was

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