a Matt. vii. 13, 14. vol. xv. D n
by these observations to express an approbation of worldly shame, or of the fear of man : for it is the duty of every Christian to " confess Christ" boldly, and to " follow him with- out the camp bearing his reproach :" but so it is, that, from a variety of causes, some of the Lord's people remain unknown to us, and will be found at the last day, if not before, among the " hidden ones," that were known to God and accepted of him : and it is a comfort to think, that, as " there were seven thousand men in Israel who had not bowed their knee to Baal," whilst Elijah conceived himself to stand alone, so there may be at this day thousands in the world who, in the sight of God, are " faithful and beloved," though they have not at present any name or place in the Church of Christ. Yet, after all, in comparison of the careless and ungodly world, they will be found "a small remnant," "a little flock V]
And for their distinguished privileges they are altogether indebted to the electing love of God —
[All by nature are alike "dead in trespasses and sins;" and if not quickened by divine grace, must continue dead even to the end. Look into the Scriptures, and see if you can find so much as one who raised himself to newness of life. Did the converts on the day of Pentecost ? Did Paul ? Did Lydia ? Did any make themselves to differ, or present to him what they had not previously received from himc? Can you find one that did not say with St. Paul, " By the grace of God I am what I am ?" Was there one to whom God did not " give to will, as well as to do, and that of his good pleasure?" To all without exception must it be said, as it was to the Apostles, " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. God, in choosing men, has no respect to any thing but his own glory. He is not moved by any thing in them, either present or foreseen : " he loves them, because he will love them d ;" and in predestinating them unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, he does it " according to the good pleasure of his own will," and " to the praise of the glory of his own gracee."~\
We would not state these things in a crude and rash way. We know, they are deeply mysterious ; and we are most anxious to,
II. Guard this doctrine against abuse —
Much is this doctrine hated : much too is it abused: but, however hated, or however abused, it
b Luke xii. 32. c 1 Cor. iv. 7.
<J Deut. vii. 6—8. e Eph. i. 5, 6.
1893.] THE lord's people a chosen remnant. 403
is the truth of God, and therefore must be maintained. Let none however pervert it, or draw false conclusions from it. Let none say,
1 . If this doctrine be true, no blame attaches to me —
[What ! No blame attaches to those who live in sin ; to those who live " without God in the world ! " Has any one compelled you to act thus ? Have you not been free agents in every thing that you have done ? What if you were not able of yourselves to fulfil the will of God, did not God exhort you to come to him for grace and strength, and did he not promise to give grace sufficient for you ? Has there not been much that you might have done, which yet you have neglected ? and much that you might have abstained from, which yet you have com- mitted ? Will any one go into the presence of Almighty God and say, - I sought thee, but thou wouldst not hear : I endea- voured to the utmost of my power to comply with all thine injunctions ; but thou withheldest from me the assistance that was necessary: I chose thee, but thou rejectedest me without a cause ? ' No : profane as many are, there is not a man to be found in the universe who will dare thus to insult his God. We all have a consciousness that sin at least is our own, what- ever holiness may be : it is the fruit of our own choice, the work of our own hands : and every man who has not on the wedding garment in the last day, will be dumb before his God, and not have one word to say in vindication of himself, when the Master of the feast shall order him to be tied hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness f.]