God's decree that Paul's ship's company should be saved (_Acts 27:24_) did not obviate the necessity of their abiding in the ship (_verse 31_). In marriage, man's election does not exclude woman's; so God's election does not exclude man's. There is just as much need of effort as if there were no election. Hence the question for the sinner is not, "Am I one of the elect?" but rather, "What shall I do to be saved?" Milton represents the spirits of hell as debating foreknowledge and free will, in wandering mazes lost.
No man is saved until he ceases to debate, and begins to act. And yet no man will thus begin to act, unless God's Spirit moves him. The Lord encouraged Paul by saying to him: "_I have much people in this city_" (_Acts 18:10_)--people whom I will bring in through thy word. "Old Adam is too strong for young Melanchthon." If God does not regenerate, there is no hope of success in preaching: "God stands powerless before the majesty of man's lordly will. Sinners have the glory of their own salvation. To pray God to convert a man is absurd. God elects the man, because he foresees that the man will elect himself" (see S. R. Mason, Truth Unfolded, 298-307). The doctrine of election does indeed cut off the hopes of those who place confidence in themselves; but it is best that such hopes should be destroyed, and that in place of them should be put a hope in the sovereign grace of God. The doctrine of election does teach man's absolute dependence upon God, and the impossibility of any disappointment or disarrangement of the divine plans arising from the disobedience of the sinner, and it humbles human pride until it is willing to take the place of a suppliant for mercy.
Rowland Hill was criticized for preaching election and yet exhorting sinners to repent, and was told that he should preach only to the elect. He replied that, if his critic would put a chalk-mark on all the elect, he would preach only to them. But this is not the whole truth. We are not only ignorant who God's elect are, but we are set to preach to both elect and non-elect (_Ez. 2:7_--"_thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear_"), with the certainty that to the former our preaching will make a higher heaven, to the latter a deeper hell (_2 Cor. 2:15, 16_--"_For we are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life_"; _cf._ _Luke 2:34_--"_this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel_"--for the falling of some, and for the rising up of others).