goodness in general: And he does this by aflerting an election of grace among that people, which wou'd certainly take effect. The rejection, he fays, was not total. They were caft off indeed, but not all. There was a chofen remnant among them, that obtain'd righteousness and life by faith in Jefus Chrift, tho' the body of that people remain'd in unbelief; of which number he reckons himself to be one; and he fuggefts too that it was a larger number than fome might imagine, as was the number of the chofen, preferv'd and faithful, in the days of Elias. From the ift to the 7th v. I fay then, bath God caft away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Ifraelite of the feed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he FORE-KNEW. Wot ye not what the fcripture faith of Elias? How be maketh interceffion toGod against Israel, Saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they feek my life. But what faith the anfwer of God unto him? I have referv'd to my felf Jeven thousand men, who have not bowed the kuce to the image of Baal. Even fo then at this time also there is a REMNANT ACCORDING TO THE ELECTION OF GRACE. And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no

more

more work. What then? Ifrael bath not obtained that which he feeketh for; but THE ELECTION HATH OBTAIN'D IT, and the reft were blinded.

He begins his epiftle to the Ephefians with a moft devout and folemn thanksgiving to God, for thofe fpiritual bleffings wherewith believers are blefled; and not only mentions their election and predeftination as one, but as the fecret Spring from whence all the reft do flow. Chap 1. v. 3, 4, 5: Bleed be the God and father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who bath bleffed us with all fpiritual bleffings in heavenly things in Chrift:

ACCORDING AS HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM, BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love: Having predeftinated us to the adoption of children by Jefus Chrift to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace. Surely this muft contain much more than their being appointed to the outward privileges of the church ftate of the gofpel; for tho' this is a great favour,yét all who are thus favour'd can't be laid to be blefled with ALL fpiritual bleffings in Chrift, as thofe here fpöken of are faid to be. The apoftle leaves us at no lofs about the perfons here intended; for he calls them in the 1ft v. The faints at Ephefus, and faithful in Christ Jesus; and

I

they

they are farther defcribed in the 7th v. as having redemption thro' bis blood, even the forgiveness of fins; which things can't be faid to belong to thofe who are no more than visible or nominal chriftians

To the Theffalonians he writes, as knowing their election of God, because the gospel had come to them, not in word only but in power; which plainly fhews fomething more is intended than their election to the injoyment of the gofpel; for its coming in word only would have been a fufficient proof of that. I Ep. 1. ch. 45. v. This is farther explain'd, in his 2d epiftle, the 2. ch. at the 13th & 14 verfes; where the gofpel is confidered as the means of their attaining that falvation which they are faid to be chofen to; for he fays to them, God bath, from the beginning, chofen you to falvation, thro' fanétification of the spirit, and belief of the truth; whereunto be called you by our gospel, to the obtaining the glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift Hitherto our quotations have been out of thofe Epiftles of Paul which are directed to churches. He allo wrote fome to particular perfons; as to Timothy his own fon in the faith, to direct him how to discharge his office as an Evangelift: Him he charges to hold fast the form of found words, which he had heard from himself;

and

;

and we find this to be fome of those found words, a part of the chriftian doctrine in which he inftituted this young divine That salvation takes its rife, from the free grace, and eternal purpose of God in Jefus Chrift. 2 ep. 1 ch. 9th v. Who bath faved us, and called us with an boly calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Chrift Jefus, before the world began. That he might be willing to do and fuffer any thing, to promote the falvation of others, he propofes to him his own example, in the 2 ch. the roth v. I endure all things for the ELECTS SAKE, that they may obtain the falvation in Chrift Jefus, to which they are defign'd. And left he fhou'd be difcourag'd when corrupt teachers fhou'd advance dangerous and deftructive opinions, as Hymences and Thiletus had done, and the faith of many nominal chriftians fhou'd be overthrown by them, he lets him know, That as many as God had fet apart for himself, would be preferved thro' faith unto falvation, v. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, the Lord knoweth them that are bis. Nor does he leave this out of the scheme of principles he taught Titus, another Evangelift; whofe bufinels was to water the churches planted by the apostles, and to strengthen and carry on the work which

I 2

which they had begun. In the preface of his epiftle to him, he fpeaks of himself, as a fervant of God, and an apostle of Jefus Chrift according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godlinefs: in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promifed before the world began. In the body of the epiftle he charges him, to Speak the things which become found doctrine; and not only to inculcate the duties of practical religion, but to fet forth the free grace of God in man's falvation by Jefus Chrift; and to urge obedience from this peculiar motive of the gofpel, the end of Chrift's death, Who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purifie to himself a PECULIAR PEOPLE, who fhould be zealous of good works. Tit. I ch. 1, 2. V. 2 ch. 1. 13, 14. v. 3 ch. 4, 5, 6. verfe.

There was a union of the other apostles with Paul in teaching this doctrine. It is more than implied in thofe words of James, (ch. I. v. 18 ) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, &c. His own will there, means nothing less than his purpos'd grace: It is the fame with what the apostle Paul calls his good pleasure, which be hath purpofed in himself. † And when

Eph. 1. 9.

he