N34404:501
Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses. / By Mr. Thomas Boston, late Minister of the Gospel at Etterick.
United States : s.n. Printed for the booksellers., M,DCC,LXXXVII. 1787
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now, Sirs, is it not absolutely necessary to be broken off from this our natural stock? What will our fair leaves of a profession, or our fruits of duties avail, if we be still branches of the degenerate, dead and killing stock? But, alas! among the many questions tossed among us, few are taken up about these, Whether am I broken off from the old stock, or not? Whether am I ingrafted in Christ, or not? Ah! wherefore all this waste! Why is there so much noise about religion amongst many, who can give no good account of their having laid a good foundation, being mere strangers to experimental religion? I fear, if God do not, in mercy, timeously undermine the religion of many of us, and let us see we have none at all; our root will be found rottenness, and our blossom go up as dust, in a dying hour. Therefore, let us look to our state, that we be not found fools in our latter end.
II. Let us now view the supernatural stock in which the branches, cut off from the natural stock, are ingrafted. Jesus Christ is sometimes called the branch, Zech. ii. 8. So he is, in respect of his human nature; being a branch, and the top branch of the house of David. Sometimes he is called a root, Isa. xi. 10. we have both together, Rev. xxii. 16. I am the root, and the off-spring of David: David's root, as God; and his off-spring, as man. The text tells, that he is the Vine: he, as Mediator, is the vine-stock, whereof believers ⟨p. 174⟩are the branches. As the sap comes from the earth into the root and stock, and from thence is diffused into the branches; so by Christ, as Mediator, divine life is conveyed from the fountain unto these who are united to him by faith, John vi 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. Now Christ is Mediator, not as God only, as some have asserted: nor yet as man only, as the Papists generally hold: but he is Mediator as God-man, Acts xx. 28 —The church of God, which he hath purchased with his blood. Heb. ix 14. Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God. The divine and human natures have their distinct actings, yet a joint operation in this, discharging the office of a Mediator. This is illustrated by the similitude of a fiery sword, which at once cuts and burns: cutting it burneth, and burning it cutteth; the steel cuts, and the fire burns. Wherefore Christ, God-man, is the stock, whereof believers are the branches: and they are united to whole Christ. They are united to him in his human nature, as being members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, Eph v. 30. and they are united to him in his divine nature; for so the Apostle speaks of this union, Col. i. 27. Christ, in you, the hope of glory. And by him they are united to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost, 1 John iv. 15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. Faith, the bond of this union, receives whole Christ, God-man: and so unites us to him as such.
Behold here, O believers, your high privilege Ye were once branches of a degenerate stock, even as others: but ye are, by grace, become branches of the true Vine, John xv. 1. Ye are cut out of a dead and killing stock; and ingrafted in the last Adam, who was made a quickening Spirit, 1 Cor. xv. 45. Your loss by the first Adam is made up, with great advantage, by your union with the second. Adam, at his best estate, was but a shrub, in comparison with Christ the tree of life. He was but a servant, Christ is the Son, the Heir, and Lord of all things, the Lord from heaven. It cannot be denied, that grace was shown in the first covenant: but it is as far exceeded by the grace of the second covenant, as the twilight is, by the light of the mid-day.
Behold here, O believers, your high privilege Ye were once branches of a degenerate stock, even as others: but ye are, by grace, become branches of the true Vine, John xv. 1. Ye are cut out of a dead and killing stock; and ingrafted in the last Adam, who was made a quickning Spirit, 1 Cor. xv. 45. Your loss by the first Adam is made up, with great advantage, by your union with the second. Adam, at his best estate, was but a shrub, in comparison with Christ the tree of life. He was but a servant, Christ is the Son, the Heir, and Lord of all things, the Lord from heaven. It cannot be denied, that grace was shown in the first covenant: but it is as far exceeded by the grace of the second covenant, as the twilight is, by the light of the mid-day.
III. What branches are taken out of the natural stock, and grafted into this Vine? Ans These are the elect, and none other. They, and they only, are grafted into Christ; and consequently none but they are cut off from the killing stock. For them alone he intercedes, that they may be one in him, and his Father, John xvii. 9, 23. Faith, the bond of this union, is given to none else: it is the faith of God's elect, Tit. i. 1. The Lord passed by many branches growing on the natural stock, and cuts off only here one, and there one, and grafts them into the true Vine, according as free love hath determined. Oft does he pitch upon the most unlikely branch, leaving the top-boughs; passing by the mighty, and the ⟨p. 175⟩noble, and calling the weak, base, and despised, 1 Cor i. 26, 27. Yea, he often leaves the fair and smooth, and takes the rugged and knotty, and such wer• some of you, but ye are washed, &c 1 Cor. vi 11. If ye enquire, why so? We find no other reason but because they were chosen in him, Eph • 4 Predestinated to the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, ver. 5. Thus are they gathered together in Christ: wh•le the rest are left growing on their natural stock, to be afterwards bound up in oundles for the fire Wherefore, to whomsoever the gospel may come in vain, it will have a blest effect on God's elect, Acts xiii. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed! Where the Lord has much people, the gospel will have much success, sooner or latter. Such as are to be saved, will be add•• to the mystical body of Christ.
IV. I am to show how the branches are cut off from the natural stock, the first Adam, and grafted into the true Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks to the husbandman, not to the branch, that it is cut off from its natural stock, and ingrafted into a new one. The sinner, in his coming off from the first stock, is passive; and neither can nor will come off from it of his own accord; but clings to it, till almighty power make him to fall off, John vi 44. No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him. And chap. v. 40. Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. The ingrafted branches are God's husbandry, 1 Cor. iii. 9 The planting of the Lord, Isa. lxi. 3. The ordinary means he makes use of in this work, is the ministry of the word, 1 Cor. iii 9 We are labourers together with God. But the efficacy thereof is wholly from him, whatever the minister's part or piety be, ver. 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase. The Apostle preached to the Jews, yet the body of that people remained in infidelity, Rom. x. 16. Who hath believed our report? Yea, Christ himself, who spoke as never man spoke, saith concerning the success of his own ministry, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, Isa xlix. The branches may be hacked by the preaching of the word: but the stroke will never go through, till it be carried home on them, by an omnipotent arm. However God's ordinary way is, by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, 1 Cor i. 21.
IV. I am to shew how the branches are cut off from the natural stock, the first Adam, and grafted into the true Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks to the husbandman, not to the branch, that it is cut off from its natural stock, and ingrafted into a new one. The sinner, in his coming off from the first stock, is passive; and neither can nor will come off from it of his own accord; but clings to it, till almighty power make him to fall off, John vi 44. No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him. And chap. v. 40. Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. The ingrafted branches are God's husbandry, 1 Cor. iii. 9
The cutting off of the branch from the natural stock, is performed by the pruning knife of the law, in the hand of the Spirit of God, Gal. ii. •9. For I, through the law, am dead to the law. It is by the bond of the covenant of works, as I said before, that we are knit to our natural stock: and therefore, as a wife, unwilling to be put away, plead• and hangs by the marriage tie; so do men by the ⟨p. 176⟩covenant of works. They hold by it, like the man who held the ship with his hands; and when one hand was cut off, held it with the other; and when both were cut off, held it with his teeth This will appear from a distinct view of the Lord's work on men, in bringing them off from the old stock▪ which I now offer in these following particulars.
The cutting off of the branch from the natural stock, is performed by the prunning knife of the law, in the hand of the Spirit of God, Gal. ii. •9. For I, through the law, am dead to the law. It is by the bond of the covenant of works, as I said before, that we are knit to our natural stock: and therefore, as a wife, unwilling to be put away, plead• and hangs by the marriage tie; so do men by the ⟨p. 176⟩covenant of works. They hold by it, like the man who held the ship with his hands; and when one hand was cut off, held it with the other; and when both were cut off, held it with his teeth This will appear from a distinct view of the Lord's work on men, in bringing them off from the old stock▪ which I now offer in these following particulars.
First, When the Spirit of the Lord comes to deal with a person, to bring him to Christ; he finds him the Laodlee• 's case, in a sound sleep of security, dreaming of heaven and the favour of God tho' full of sin against the holy One of Israel. Rev. iii 17. Thou know si•n• no that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. And therefore he darts in some beams of light into the dark soul; and lets the man see he is a lost man, if he turn not over a new leaf, and betake himself to a new course of life. Thus by the Spirit of the Lord, acting as a spirit of bondage, there is a criminal court erected in the man's breast; where he is arraigned, accused, and condemned for breaking the law of God, convinced of sin and judgment, John xvi. 8. And now he can no longer sleep securely in his former course of life. This is the first stroke the branch gets, in order to cutting off.
Secondly, Hereupon the man forsake his former profane courses; his lying, swearing, Sabbath-breaking, stealing, and such like practices, though they be dear to him as right eyes, he will rather quit them, than ruin his soul. The ship is like to sink, and therefore he throweth his goods over-board, that he himself may not perish. And now he begins to bless himself in his heart, and look joyfully on his evidences for heaven; thinking himself a better servant to God than many others, Luke xviii. 11. God, I thank that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, &c. But he soon gets another stroke with the axe of the law, showing him that it is only he that doth what is written in the law, who can be saved by […]; and that his negative holiness is too scanty a cover from the storm of God's wrath. And thus, although his sins of commission only were heavy on him before: his sins of omission now crowd into his thought•, attended with a train of law-curses and vengeance. And c•th o• the ter• commands discharges thunder-claps of wrath against him, for his omitting required duties.
Secondly, Hereupon the man forsake his former profane courses; his lying, swearing, Sabbath-breaking, stealing, and such like practices, though they be dear to him as right eyes, he will rather quit them, than ruin his soul. The ship is like to sink, and therefore he throweth his goods over-board, that he himself may not perish. And now he begins to bless himself in his heart, and look joyfully on his evidences for heaven; thinking himself a better servant to God than many others, Luke xviii. 11. God, I thank that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, &c. But he soon gets another stroke with the ax of the law, shewing him that it is only he that doth what is written in the law, who can be saved by 〈…〉; and that his negative holiness is too scanty a cover from the storm of God's wrath. And thus, although his sins of commission only were heavy on him before: his sins of omission now crowd into his thought•, attended with a train of law-curses and vengeance. And c•th o the ter commands discharges thunder-claps of wrath against him, for his omitting required duties.
Thirdly, Upon this he turns to a positively holy course of life. He not only is not profane, but he performs religious duties: he prays, seeks the knowledge of the principles of religion, strictly observes the Lord's day, and, like Herod, does away things, and ••ars sermons gladly. In one word, there is a great conformity in his •••ard conversation, to the letter of both tables of the law. And now there is a mighty change upon the man, that his neighbours cannot miss to take notice of. Hence he is cheerfully admitted by the godly into their society, as a praying person, and can confer with them about religious matters, yea, and about soul-exercise, which some are not acquainted with. And their good opinion of him confirms his good ⟨p. 177⟩opinion of himself. This step in religion is fatal to many, who never get beyond it. But here the Lord reacheth the elect-branch a farther stroke. Conscience flies in the man's face, for some wrong steps in his conversation: the neglect of some duty, or commission of some sin, which is a blot in his conversation: and then the flaming sword of the law appears again over his head: and the curse rings in his ears, for cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the law to do them, Gal. iii. 10.
Fourthly, On this account he is obliged to seek another salve for his sore. He goes to God, confesseth his sin; seeks the pardon of it, promising to watch against it for the time to come; and so finds ease, and thinks he may very well take it, seeing the scripture saith, If we confess our sins▪ he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 1 John i. 9. not considering that he grasps at a privilege, which is theirs only who are ingrafted into Christ, and under the covenant of grace; and which the branches yet growing on the old stock cannot plead. And here sometimes there are formal and express vows made against such and such sins, and binding to such and such duties. Thus many go on all their days; knowing no other religion but to do duties, and to confess, and pray for pardon of that wherein they fail; promising themselves eternal happiness, though they are utter strangers to Christ. Here many elect ones have been cast down wounded, and many reprobates have been slain; while the wounds of neither of them have been deep enough, to cut them off from their natural stock. But the Spirit of the Lord gives yet a deeper stroke to the branch which is to be cut off; showing him, that, as yet, he is but an out-side saint; and discovering to him the filthy lusts lodged in his heart, which he took no notice of before, Rom vii. 9. When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. Then he sees his heart a dung-hill of hellish lusts; filled with covetousness, pride, malice, filthiness, and the like. Now, as soon as the door of the chambers of his imagery is thus opened to him, and he sees what they do there in the dark, his out-side religion is blown up as insufficient; and he learns a new lesson in religion; namely, That he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, Rom. ii. 28.
Fourthly, On this account he is obliged to seek another salve for his sore. He goes to God, confesseth his sin; seeks the pardon of it, promising to watch against it for the time to come; and so finds ease, and thinks he may very well take it, seeing the scripture saith, If we confess our sins▪ he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 1 John i. 9. not considering that he grasps at a privilege, which is theirs only who are ingrafted into Christ, and under the covenant of grace; and which the branches yet growing on the old stock cannot plead. And here sometimes there are formal and express vows made against such and such sins, and binding to such and such duties. Thus many go on all their days; knowing no other religion but to do duties, and to confess, and pray for pardon of that wherein they fail; promising themselves eternal happiness, though they are utter strangers to Christ. Here many elect ones have been cast down wounded, and many reprobates have been slain; while the wounds of neither of them have been deep enough, to cut them off from their natural stock. But the Spirit of the Lord gives yet a deeper stroke to the branch which is to be cut off; shewing him, that, as yet, he is but an out-side saint; and discovering to him the filthy lusts lodged in his heart, which he took no notice of before, Rom vii. 9. When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. Then he sees his heart a dung-hill of hellish lusts; filled with covetousness, pride, malice, filthiness, and the like. Now, as soon as the door of the chambers of his imagery is thus opened to him, and he sees what they do there in the dark, his out-side religion is blown up as insufficient; and he learns a new lesson in religion; namely, That he is not a Jew which is one outwardly,
Fifthly, Upon this he goes further, even to in side religion; sets to work more vigorously than ever, mourns over the evils of his heart, and strives to bear down the weeds he finds growing in that neglected garden. He labours to curb his pride and passion; and to banish speculative impurities; prays more fervently, hears attentively, and strives to get his heart affected in every religious duty he performs; and thus he comes to think himself not only an outside, but an in-side Christian. Wonder not at this: for there is nothing in it beyond the power of nature, or what one may attain to under a vigorous influence of the covenant of works. Therefore another yet deeper stroke is reached. The law chargeth home on the man's conscience, that he was a transgressor from the womb; that he came into the world a guilty creature: and that, in […] ••ints of his ignorance, […] ⟨p. 178⟩even since his eyes were opened, he has been guilty of many actual sins, either altogether overlooked by him, or not sufficiently mourned over: (For spiritual sores, not healed by the blood of Christ, but skinned over some other way, are easily ruffled, and as soon break out again.) And therefore the law takes him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.
Fifthly, Upon this he goes further, even to in side religion; sets to work more vigorously than ever, mourns over the evils of his heart, and strives to bear down the weeds he finds growing in that neglected garden. He labours to curb his pride and passion; and to banish speculative impurities; prays more fervently, hears attentively, and strives to get his heart affected in every religious duty he performs; and thus he comes to think himself not only an outside, but an in-side Christian. Wonder not at this: for there is nothing in it beyond the power of nature, or what one may attain to under a vigorous influence of the covenant of works. Therefore another yet deeper stroke is reached. The law chargeth home on the man's conscience, thal he was a transgressor from the womb; that he came into the world a guilty creature: and that, in 〈…〉 ••ints of his ignorance, 〈…〉 ⟨p. 178⟩even since his eyes were opened, he has been guilty of many actual sins, either altogether overlooked by him, or not sufficiently mourned over: (For spiritual sores, not healed by the blood of Christ, but skinned over some other way, are easily ruffled, and as soon break out again.) And therefore the law takes him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.
Sixthly, Then the sinner says in his heart, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all: and so falls to work to pacify an offended God, and to atone for these sins. He renews his repentance, such as it is; bears patiently the afflictions laid upon him; yea, he afflicts himself, denies himself the use of his lawful comforts, sighs deeply, mourns bitterly, cries with tears for a pardon, till he hath wrought up his heart to a conceit of having obtained it; having thus done penance for what is past, and resolving to be a good servant to God, and to hold on in outward and inward obedience, for the time to come. But the stroke must go nearer the heart yet, ere the branch fall off. The Lord discovers to him, in the glass of the law, how he sinneth in all he does, even when he does the best he can; and therefore the dreadful sound returns to his ears, Gal. iii. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, &c. When ye fasted and mourned, saith the Lord, Did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? Will muddy water make clean clothes? Will you satisfy for one sin with another? Did not your thoughts wander in such a duty? Were not your affections flat in another? Did not your heart give a whorish look to such an idol? And did it not rise in a fit of impatience under such an affliction? Should I accept this of your hands? Cursed be the deceiver, which sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing, Mal. i. 13, 14. And thus he becomes so far broke off, that he sees he is not able to satisfy the demands of the law.
Seventhly, Hence, like a broken man, who finds he is not able to pay all his debts, he goes about to compound with his creditor. And being in pursuit of ease and comfort, he does what he can to fulfil the law; and wherein he fails, he looks that God will accept the will for the deed. Thus doing his duty, and having a will to do better, he cheats himself in a persuasion of the goodness of his state: and hereby thousands are ruined. But the elect get another stroke, which looseth their hold in this case. The doctrine of the law is born in on their consciences; demonstrating to them, that exact and perfect obedience is required by it, under pain of the curse: and that it is doing, and not wishing to do, which will avail. Wishing to do better will not answer the law's demands: and therefore the curse sounds again, Cursed is every one that continueth not—to do them; that is, actually to do them. In vain is wishing then.
Eighthly, Being broken off from hopes of compounding with the l•w, he falls a borrowing. He sees that all he can do to obey the law, and all his desires to be, and to do better, will not save his soul: therefore he goes to Christ, entreating, that his righteousness may ⟨p. 179⟩make up what is wanting in his own, and cover all the defects of his doings and sufferings; that so God, for Christ's sake, may accept them, and thereupon be reconciled. Thus doing what he can to fulfil the law, and looking to Christ to make up all his defects, he comes at length, again to sleep in a sound skin. Many persons are ruined this way. This was the error of the Galatians, which Paul, in his epistle to them, disputes against. But the Spirit of God breaks off the sinner from this hold also: by bearing in on his conscience that great truth, Gal. iii. 12. The law is not of faith; but the man that doth them shall live in them. There is no mixing of the law and faith in this business; the sinner must hold by one of them, and let the other go: the way of the law, and the way of faith, are so far different, that it is not possible for a sinner to walk in the one, but he must •o•e off from the other: and if he be for doing, he must do all alone; Christ will not do a part for him, if he do not all. A garment pieced up of sundry sorts of righteousness, is not a garment meet for the court of heaven. Thus the man, who was in a dream, and thought he was eating, is awakened by the stroke, and behold his soul is faint; his heart sinks in him like a stone; while he finds he can neither bear his burden himself alone, nor can he get help under it.
Eighthly, Being broken off from hopes of compounding with the l•w, he falls a borrowing. He sees that all he can do to obey the law, and all his desires to be, and to do better, will not save his soul: therefore he goes to Christ, intreating, that his righteousness may ⟨p. 179⟩make up what is wanting in his own, and cover all the defects of his doings and sufferings; that so God, for Christ's sake, may accept them, and thereupon be reconciled. Thus doing what he can to fulfil the law, and looking to Christ to make up all his defects, he comes at length, again to sleep in a sound skin. Many persons are ruined this way. This was the error of the Galatians, which Paul, in his epistle to them, disputes against. But the Spirit of God breaks off the sinner from this hold also: by bearing in on his consience that great truth,
Ninthly, What can one do, who must needs pay, and yet neither has as much of his own as will bring him out of debt, nor can he get as much to borrow; and to beg he is ashamed? What can such a one do, I say, but sell himself, as the man under the law, that was waxen poor? Lev. xxv. 47. Therefore the sinner beat off from so many holds, goes about to make a bargain with Christ, and to sell himself to the Son of God, (if I may so speak) solemnly promising and vowing, that he will be a servant to Christ, as long as he lives, if he will save his soul. And here oft-times the sinner makes a personal covenant with Christ, resigning himself to him on these terms; yea, and takes the sacrament, to make the bargain sure. Hereupon the man's great care is, how to obey Christ, keep his commands, and so fulfil his bargain. And, in this the soul finds a false, unsound peace, for a while; till the Spirit of the Lord fetch another stroke, to cut off the man from this refuge of lies likewise. And that happens in this manner: When he fails of the duties he engaged to, and falls again into the sin he covenanted against; it is powerfully carried home on his conscience, that his covenant is broken: so all his comfort goes, and terrors afresh seize on his soul, as one that has broken covenant with Christ, and commonly the man, to help himself, renews his covenant but breaks again as before. And how is it possible it should be otherwise, seeing he is still upon the old stock? Thus the work of many, all their days, as to their souls, is nothing but a making and breaking such covenants, over and over again.
Ninthly, What can one do, who must needs pay, and yet neither has as much of his own as will bring him out of debt, nor can he get as much to borrow; and to beg he is ashamed? What can such a one do, I say, but sell himself, as the man under the law, that was waxen poor? Lev. xxv. 47. Therefore the sinner beat off from so many holds, goes about to make a bargain with Christ, and to sell himself to the Son of God, (if I may so speak) solemnly promising and vowing, that he will be a servant to Christ, as long as he lives, if he will save his soul. And here oft-times the sinner makes a personal covenant with Christ, resigning himself to him on these terms; yea, and takes the sacrament, to make the bargain sure. Hereupon the man's great care is, how to obey Christ, keep his commands, and so fulfil his bargain. And, in this the soul finds a false, unfound peace, for a while; till the Spirit of the Lord fetch another stroke, to cut off the man from this refuge of lies likewise. And that happens in this manner: When he fails of the duties he engaged to, and falls again into the sin he covenanted against; it is powerfully carried home on his conscience, that his covenant is broken: so all his comfort goes, and terrors afresh seize on his soul, as one that has broken covenant with Christ, and commonly the man, to help himself, renews his covenant but breaks again as before. And how is it possible it should be otherwise, seeing he is still upon the old stock? Thus the work of many, all their days, as to their souls, is nothing but a making and breaking such covenants, over and over again.
III. What branches are taken out of the natural stock, and grafted into this Vine? Ans These are the elect, and none other. They, and they only, are grafted into Christ; and consequently none but they are cut off from the killing stock. For them alone he interceeds, that they may be one in him, and his Father, John xvii. 9, 23. Faith, the bond of this union, is given to none else: it is the faith of God's elect, Tit. i. 1. The Lord passed by many branches growing on the natural stock, and cuts off only here one, and there one, and grafts them into the true Vine, according as free love hath determined. Oft does he pitch upon the most unlikely branch, leaving the top-boughs; passing by the mighty, and the ⟨p. 175⟩noble, and calling the weak, base, and despised, 1 Cor i. 26, 27. Yea, he often leaves the fair and smooth, and takes the rugged and knotty, and such wer• some of you, but ye are washed, &c 1 Cor. vi 11. If ye enquire, why so? We find no other reason but because they were chosen in him, Eph • 4 Predestinated to the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, ver. 5. Thus are they gathered together in Christ: wh•le the rest are left growing on their natural stock, to be afterwards bound up in oundles for the fire Wherefore, to whomsoever the gospel may come in vain, it will have a blest effect on God's elect, Acts xiii. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed! Where the Lord has much people, the gospel will have much success, sooner or latter. Such as are to be saved, will be add•• to the mystical body of Christ.
