who hath called them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light. Expreffions so clear, that they neither need, nor will they well admit of any Explanation. And indeed what is all this but using the Word to elect or choose, in its primary, most proper, and I had almost faid natural Signification? For what is a rational Choice but a Preference given to some Persons or Things before others, on Account of some real or supposed Excellence, or Aptness in the Person or Thing, to promote the Designs intended to be carried on by them. 2. The fecond Observation is, that in most of these Places where we find the Words which we tranflate Elect and Election, they are used as equivalent to the general Term Christian, and fignify no more than a Person's being chofen out of the World, and in a particular Manner dedicated to God by the Profeffion of the most pure and holy Religion. St. John addresses his second Epistle to an ELECT Lady, and tells her in the Close of it, that the Children of her elect Sifter greet her; which, whether understood of particular Perfons, or of fome particular Churches, fignifies no more than that Person's, or that Church's Profession of the Christian Faith. The same Evangelist, speaking of the War between the Lamb and the Kings, Rev. xvii. fays, ver. 14. That the Lamb shall overcome them, for be is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are, or shall overcome, with him, are called, and chosen, or elected, and faithful; that is, are called to profess him, and chofen out of the World to be dedicated to him, and faithfully discharge the Duties of that Profeffion. Thus St. Peter calls all the Christians, to whom he addresses his first Epistle, Elect, ver. 2. according to the Foreknowledge of God, &c. that is, as appears evident from the whole Chapter and Epistle, Persons chosen by God, to a more pure Profeffion than the rest of the World, and therefore more strictly obliged to be boly, as he who called them is holy. It is very hard to conceive, either that all the Strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia, should be elect in the Predeftinarian Sense; or that St. Peter, if he thought them such, should so earnestly exhort them to live well, which was utterly needless, if they were by an irresistible Decree fated to do so. In like Manner St. Paul says to his Coloffians, (iii. 12.) Put on therefore, as the ELECT of God, holy, and beloved, that is, as Persons chofen by him to profess his Name, in a purer Manner, and upon that Account dear to him, Bowels of Mercies, Kindness, Humbleness of Mind, Meekness, Long-Suffering, and so forth. Persons who were predestinated to the Means of Salvation, as well as the Enjoyment of it, could not want such Virtues. Salute Rufus chosen, or elected, in the Lord, says the same Apostle to the Romans, (xvi. 13.) plainly in the same Sense as he defires, that the Brethren, and the Saints, that is, the Christians in such and such Families may be saluted. Thus St. Peter expreffly says, in the Close of his first Epistle, The Church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, that is plainly, to the Profession of Christianity, faluteth you, and Jo doth Marcus my Son. And in this Sense only can he be understood, when he exhorts those whom he had in his former Epistle called Elect, according to the Foreknowledge of God, to give all Diligence to make their Calling and ELECTION, that is, their Profeffion of Christianity, fure; and that for this Reason, because if they did these Things, that is, the good Works before-mentioned, they should not fall. Had their Election been an absolute Decree to eternal Life hereafter, and to Holiness here, as the Means of it, it was infallibly fure, without any Diligence of theirs; and they would have been so far from any Danger of falling as to be beyond a Possibility of doing so finally. Thus St. Paul calls himself (Tit. i. 1.) An Apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the Faith of God's ELECT, and the acknowledging of the Truth which is after Godliness, or in other Words, according to true Christianity; and in this Sense he is called by God himself a chofen or elect Vessel unto him, (Acts ix. 15.) or, as in another Place, (Rom. i. 1.) A Perfon feparated unto the Gospel of God, before the Foundation mans, : Foundation of the World; not decreed absolutely and unconditionally to eternal Life, but chosen by God before he was born, to bear kis Name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and Children of Ifrael, And in this Sense he plainly tells his Son Timothy, (2 Tim. ii. 10.) That he endured all Things for the ELECT'S Sake, that they might also obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal Glory. The Elect, if predeftinated to eternal Life, could be in no Danger of forfeiting it, neither could his Sufferings or Example be at all necessary to obtain that End for them. The Apostle must therefore mean the Christian Church in general, for whose Sake he suffered such Things with Chearfulness and Joy, in Hopes of furthering thereby the Steadiness and Perfeverance of the Brethren in the Faith, and confequently their Salvation. In like Manner as he rejoices in the Theffalonians, (1 Theff. i. 4.) because he knew their Election in God, that is, their fincere Profefion of the Gospel, as plainly appears from the following Words, For our Gospel came not unto you in Word only, but in Power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much Assurance; and as he had before observed, they had shewn their Works of Faith, and Labour of Love, and Patience in Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. And in this Sense the Evangelists use the Word, when they relate our Saviour's Predictions of the Destruction of Jerufalem, the Signs and Appearances which should be the Forerunners of it, and the wonderful Manner in which the Faithful should be delivered from it. Except those Days should be Shortened, fay they, no Flesh should be faved; but for the ELECT's Sake those Days frill be Shortened; the falje Christs and Prophets frall Shew Signs and Wonders, injomuch that they Shall deceive, if it were possible, the very ELECT; God Jhall send his Angels, and shall GATHER HIS ELECT from the four Winds, from one End of Heaven to the other. That the Calamities here foretold relate to the Jewish Capital and Nation can need no Proof. And that by the Elect is here meant the Jews converted to Christianity, the few chofen People whom God preserved for himself amidst this corrupt Nation, is generally acknowledged. And it appears plainly from the Historians, that in Point of Fact, the Days of those Afflictions were very providentially shortned for the Christians Sakes, especially with Regard to Antioch, the chief Seat of the Christians; that Impostors wrought fuch Signs as would have deceived the Christians themselves, had they not been very steady in the Faith; and that the Christians of those Days were very wonderfully delivered from those Miseries which the Jews underwent. |