jection from the impoffibility of the condition, and the ufeleffnefs of threats founded thereon, is answered in the preceding number.

IV. I fee not why the fupplement, any man, should not ftand, made by our tranBlators, which the grammatical construction of the words feems to require; Grotius owns the juftnefs of it: Now this carries off the fenfe, from the just man that lives by faith, to any of those who had made an external profeffion of religion, but were withdrawing themselves from the communion of the faints, through fear of perfecution, who are threaten'd with the juft refentment and difpleasure of the almighty; but left this fhould be ftartling and furprizing to true believers, the apostle adds, but we are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe, to the Javing of the foul. So far is this from proving the final and total apoftafy of real faints, that it establishes the doctrine of their final perfeverance; for he that is juft or righteous, by the everlasting righteousness of Chrift, will ever remain fo; who will live fpiritually, and that by that faith, which will never fail, and is infeparably connected with falvation, and fo he fhall never die.

NUMB.

NU MB. LIII. 2 Pet. i. 10.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give dili gence to make your calling and election fure; for if ye do these things ye shall never fall.

IT

T is faid, "That the election mention, ed in the holy fcriptures, is not that of particular perfons, but only of churches and nations; that it is to the enjoyment of the means of grace, which puts them in a capacity of having all the privileges and bleffings which God hath promifed to his church and people; and is only a conditional one, upon Our perfeverance in a life of holiness, and is to be made sure unto us by good works, according to this exhortation". But,

I. Though it will be granted, that there was a national election of the Jew

enjoy'd the means of grace

dinances of God, and b

and privileges in confe choice of them as a r an election to falva and about which therefore in vai duced by Dr. W

ftament, to P

Whitby,

word

And though fometimes whole communities or churches are, by the apoftles, ftiled the elect of God, as the churches of Coloffe, Theffalonica, Babylon, and others; yet they were not chofen as fuch; nor is it to be thought that all of them were ordained to eternal life; though the apoftles speak of them in the bulk as the elect of God, being under a visible profeffion of religion; just as they call them all faints, the fan&ified, and faithful in Christ Jesus; though it is not to be fuppofed, that all the individual members of these churches were real faints. However, it does not appear that the perfons the apostle Peter wrote his epiftles to, were either a nation or a church, being • the frangers fcattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia and Bithynia; they are indeed called a chofen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; but that is only in allufion to typical Ifrael, and the fhadowy election of that people as a nation: 'Tis certain that thefe perfons were chofen not merely to external means and outward bleffings and privileges, but to grace here, and glory hereafter; for they were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through fanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and fprinkling of the blood of Fefus; and in confequence of this,

f

I Theff. i. 4. 2 Theff. ii. 13. 1 Pet. v. 13.

Chap. ii. 9.

were

12

were begotten again to a lively betrof an inberitance incorruptible and writid, mi that fadeth not away, rejerved in tessen, and were kept by the power of God, throug's faith unto falvation. They were a lett of particular persons, who had obtained like precious faith with the apostles, and were every one to use diligence, to make jure their own, and not another's calling and election, and so not a national or church election, buc a personal one.

II. This election is not a conditional one, depending on perfeverance in a life of holinefs. The text does not fay, if ye do these things, ye shall be elected, or your election shall remain firm and sure; but, ye jhall never fall; meaning, not into letler fins and infirmities of life; for in many things we offend all, lasμer anaries, we all fall; but into the great evil of a final and total apoftafy, or ye shall never fall, io as to be loft and perish. The final perfeverance of the faints is fecured by electing grace; that is not the caufe, but the fruit of election; election does not depend upon that, but that upon election.

III. Election, and calling here mentioned with it, are to be made fure; not that they

Pet. i, 2, 3, 4, 5•

2 Pet. i. 1.

X James iii. 2.

can

can be made furer in themselves, or with res fpect to God, than they are; being both, not according to our works, but according to the purpose and grace of God, which cannot be fruftrated; and fo ftand upon a fure foundation, which can never fail, and are infeparably connected with glorification, Rom. viii. 30. nor are these to be made fure by the faints to themselves; for though they may have fome doubts and fcruples in their minds, about their intereft in these things, and an affurance of which may be attained yet it is not their work, but the work of the Spirit of God, to certify or affure them of their vocation and election of God. But diligence is to be used by the faints, to make fure their calling and election to others; either to their fellow Chriftians, which they may do by converfing with them about the work of grace upon their fouls; or rather to the world, and that διὰ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων, by good works; as thefe words are read in two manufcript copies of Beza's, and by the Syriac, Ethiopic, and Vulgar Latin; and then the meaning is, be careful to maintain good works, be diligent in doing these things, which, through the grace of God, will not only be the means of your final perfeverance, but also of making your calling and election fure to others; you will hereby certify and affure others, give the best evidence to the world you are capable of

I

giving,