demn it, See. Prov, 10. 23, Rom, 1. Jaft, By Unrighteouſreſs, ſoma Expoſitors underſtand fa/ſe Do&rtn, or Error, becauſe it is ſet i Opro- fition here ro Truth, as Sin 1s ſet in oppoſton to it, Foh. $. 45, ang that the Apoſtle hath peculiar reference tv the corrupt Dottrines of Sins Magus ar the Nicolaitans, that gave liberty to the Lufts of the Eleh, But why not rath<r to the Dottrins of the Mar &f Sin, which he had been before [peaking of ? 1 rather take the word in the largeſt enſ- ſo all fin is unrighteouſneſs ; and the Apoſtle St. Fobn faith, All unrigþ. 2ouſneſs is Sin, 1 Folm 5. 17, where unrighteouſneſs is expreſs'd by *Ayopia, a word which imports tranſgreſſon of the Law, as in thi; Textby *ANxia, a word which ſignifies Injuſtice. So that we ſee here an erroneous Mind, and a vicious Life going together, And when fin is come to this height, that Men take pleaſure in it, it makes them xr; for Damnation. And how well theſe things agree to the Anti-chriftian Church, let Men confider and judge,
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to Ged for you y, brethren, beloved of the Lord z,becauſe God hath from the beginning choſen you to ſalvation a, throngh ſanRification of the Spirit b, and belief of the Truth.
» The Apoſtle here exempts theſe Theſſalonians, out of the numher g& thoſe Reprobates, that he had before ſpoken of, and ſpeaks of thoy 2; ſuch as ſhould be preſerved from Apoſtahie in Faith or PraQice, and . tain Salvation. And this he mentions for comfort to them, and with chankſgivings to God, He had often before given thanks for they: 1 The/. 1, 2. and 2+ 12, and 3. 9. and in the former Chapter of this t1;. ſile,ver. 3, and both here and there mentions it as a Debt he was bcyr! unto, or a Duty he owed 3 we ought to give thanks, as in the Gre:!-, ; And here he ſtiles them, not only Brethren, as often before, hut 74. loved of the Lord ; ſuch as have been, and are beloved, And therefor: not in the number of them that ſhould be damned, mentioned in th former verſe, a Which words are either to give the reaſon of the Ag. ſtles Thankſgivings,or rather are Arguments to evidence they were beloved of theLord.And he inſtanceth in theirEle&ion as a proof of it, There is an EleQion to Office, as David to be King, 2 Sam. 6, 21, an Fudas to be an Apoftle, 5 oh. 6. 70. and elettion to a viſible Charch; and means of Salvation 4 and thus the Seed of Abrahai were choſn, Deut, 26. 18, Pjal. 135. 4. and 147. 19, 20, and election to Saivation, as in the Text ; which is either that which follows Faith, as fore :n. derſtand that place, Mar, 22. 14. 0r rather that which goes before ir, ſaid here to be from the beginning ; not from the beginning of the Go- ſpel, as ſome ſay ; nor from the beginning of our Preaching ts you, cr of your effe&tual Calling, as others ſay ; no, nor yet is it mear: ron the beginning of the World, which was the beginning of the time ; or immediately upon Adam's Fall ; but by beginning is here meant irer- nity it ſelf, as Ele&ion, Eph. 1. 4. 1s ſaid to be from before the fon tion of the World, which is from Eternity, Though beginnins ſeems to relate to time, yet the Scriptures often expreſs Eternity by ſuch Wordsas rejate to time, As when God is called the Anci:n; if Diys, Dan, 9. 9. it ſignities his Eternity : And Fude ſpeaks of ſome that were of old ordained to condemnation, TIzAa& TEHYVEZMMELN, Goll's Etcre nal Decrees heing compared to a Book wherein Names are written Fude 4.W hen was their ordaining but from Eternity ? And it is EleGi- on to Salvation, compleat Salvation, which is here meant, in the full fruition of it ; not in the Title to it by Faith, or the firſt froits of it in SanCification, becauſe they are here mentioned as the means that tend to it, 5 Elettion is to the means as well as the end, as #pb, 1. 4 Holineſs is not the cauſe of God's Eleciion, but God hath decreed it to be the way to Salvation z without hulineſs none ſpall ever ſoe the Lori, Heb, 12, 14, c And therefore thoſe were ſpoken of as Ferſons to he damned, who believed not the Truth in the former Verſe. And fits evident, EleQion is not upon the foreſight of Faith, it is throy-h it we have Salvation, but not Election. Bur of this before, x Fyi(i, 4, \nd
. 4 [1
the Apoſtle joins Santtification and'Fzith together,for they are not and
ſometimes falſe Divinations, Feb. 22, 28, Zech, 10, 2. ſometimes falſe
cannot be put aſunder, Now by all this the Apoftle proves they were beloved of the Lord, He faw the fruits of El:ion in their Santtilicas
propheiyings and predicuuns, F-7. 14. 14, 23, 25, 26. and ſome- [tion and belief of the Truth, thence concludes they were elcetcil, and
times falie Dotrines, as 1 7m. 4. 2. where we read of jalſe Prophets, who ſhall ariſc in the laſt time, and /peak 1es 77 byjocrt/ie, &c. and falle Apoſtlcs are ſail to be Liars yon that account, Rev, 2, 2. and ſuch are many Popiſh Dottrines which the Apoſtle here probably refers to. What is Tranſubftantiation but a Lie ? Purgatory, Infallibility of the Church, Mediation of »aints, their opus operatum, &c, Men muſt be ſtrongly deluded to believe ſuch Dottrins, and it is mentioned as a great Judgmenr of Go upon them to believe ſuch Lies,as it is a great mercy to bclieve the 'Iruth,eſpecially if we conſider what follows upon It.
12 That they all might be |] damned 4 , who believed
cherefore loved. 14 Whereunto he called yon by cur Goſpel 4, to the
obtaining of the glory of our Lord ſeſvs Chrilt e,
d Before the Apoſtle mentioned their Election, now their Calling,
and are often in Scipture put together, &om. 8, 30. 2 Pet. x. 10. and are both applied to Chriſt himſelf, 1/2. 4.2. 1, 6, They are thoſe tiw9 Soveraign Acts of God, prerequifice to a ſtate of Salvation, ile one eternal, the other in time ; the one immanent in God, the other tran- fient upon the Creature, and it is the firft tranſient ARthat flows fron _ And —_ there isan outward and inward Call mentioaci RI . in oCripture, we mult here underſtand the Apoſtle of both « For *F:s 9 not the truth w, but had pleature In unrighteouſneſs X, | whereunto, or to which thing, mentioned in bag, beginning of this Veries