from the Jews. Has not God punished them at last ? " Go to Shiloh, and see what he did to them there :" go to Judaea, and see how his anger has burned against them there : look at them in every quarter of the globe ; and know, that, as he has scattered them, so will he fulfil his threatenings upon you : and when he shall say, " Bring hither those mine enemies, and slay them before me," ye will be silent, not having a word to say in arrest of judgment. Be prevailed on then to seek his face, yea, to seek him with your whole hearts. Take encouragement from the patience he has already exercised towards you, and ** account his long-suffering to be salvation." Be assured, that at this moment he waiteth to be gracious unto you ; and that if you will only be content to " go on your way weeping, bearing precious seed, ye shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing your sheaves with you," even an everlasting harvest of felicity and glory.]
Rom. xi. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
IT is the part both of wisdom and of love to guard our statements against misconception. We are of necessity constrained sometimes to state truth in strong and general terms : but in all such cases it becomes us to anticipate, and to remove, as much as in us lies, all occasion for misapprehension or mis- take : we should make every thing so clear, that the ignorant should have nothing to ask ; the captious nothing to object. St. Paul was ever alive to this duty : he foresaw and answered every objection that could be urged against the truths he maintained. He had in the preceding chapter spoken of the Gentiles as adopted into God's family, whilst the Jews, for their obstinate disobedience, were cast off. Hence it might have been supposed, that God had cast off his people altogether : but he tells them, that this was not the case ; for that he himself, though a Jew, was a partaker of all the blessings of salvation : and that, as in the days of Elijah, there were among the Jews more faithful servants of Jehovah than was
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supposed, so it was at that time ; " there was a rem- nant," and a considerable remnant too, " according to the election of grace." We will,
I. Shew that God's people are " a chosen remnant" — The Lord has at this day a remnant of faithful people —
[In every age of the world there have been some faithful worshippers of Jehovah. Even in the antediluvian world, when all flesh had so corrupted their way that God deter- mined to destroy them utterly, there was one pious man, who boldly protested against the reigning abominations, and, with his family, was saved from the universal deluge. Abraham, Melchizedec, and Lot, were also rare instances of piety in a degenerate age ; as were also Job, and his little band of friends. In Israel too, even under the impious and tyrannic reign of Ahab, there was an Elijah, who was a bold and faithful witness for his God. Thus at this day also there are some who serve their God with fidelity and zeal. Neither the example of the multitude, nor the menaces of zealots, can induce them to bow down to Baal, or " to walk after the course of a corrupt world." " They are not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world ;" "nor will they conform to it " in its spirit and conduct : they will " have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but will rather reprove them." To serve, to enjoy, to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, is all their desire ; and they " cleave unto him with full pur- pose of heart."]
They are however but a remnant — [" The world at large lieth in wickedness." The broad road that leadeth to destruction is crowded ; whilst those who enter in at the strait gate, and walk in the narrow way that leadeth unto life, are fewa. True it is, that the servants of God may now, as in Elijah's days, be more numerous than we imagine : there may be many, who, being remote from public ordinances, are unknown ; or, from being poor, are unobserved ; or, from peculiar diffidence, are kept from joining themselves to the Lord's people ; or, from their weakness, are not yet able to encounter the opposition which they expect to meet with. We are persuaded that there are many Nico- demuses and Nathanaels at present in the shade, who yet in due time will come forth to light, and be " burning and shining lights " in their day and generation. We mean not