I know there are fome that would give another Account of making our Calling and Election fure. They fuppofe that they are already fure in the Event; fo that no Man, who is called and elected, can finally lofe the Benefits of them. But the Apostle would have us further to make them fure to ourselves; that is, to ufe all Diligence to get ourselves affured that we are in the Number of those that are called and elected to Salvation; and that this is all that he meant by this Exhortation. But, I think, this Glofs is without any Foundation; nay, is rather exprefly contrary to the Design of the Apostle in this Place. For it is plain, that he here speaks of fuch a Calling and Election, as that one, who is fo called and elected, may yet fall away, and finally miscarry Elfe why doth he add in the next Words, If ye do thefe Things, ye fball never fall; which plainly implies, that if they did not do them, they might fall. Befides, the very Words he here ufeth, will hardly bear fuch a Conftruction as thofe Perfons would put upon it; for Babu'v o doth not fignify to get ourselves affured of a Thing, as they would have it, but to make a Thing firm and fure; which is quite a different Matter.

To this Purpose therefore we may suppofe St. Peter spoke to the Chriftians in my Text. Great, O Chriftians, are the Favours that God hath vouchsafed to you.

He

All

He hath called you from the Darkness of Idolatry and Superftition, to the Light of his glorious Gospel. Ye, who were once not a People, are now the peculiar Treafure of the Lord. Ye, who were once the Children of Wrath, are now, through Faith in Chrift Fefus, begotten again to the Hope of an eternal Inheritance among the Sons of God. God hath chofen you out of the World to be his Favourites here on the Earth, and to crown you eternally in Heaven. thefe great Things he hath done, and defigned for you. But then you must remember, that there is fomething to be done on your Part, in order to the effectually reaping the Benefits of these Privileges. Thefe Promifes of God are made to you upon certain Conditions ; which Conditions, if you do not perform, you may fail of obtaining them. Far therefore be it from you to live at random, without taking any further Thought, prefuming on the Favour of God, because you have the Honour of being Retainers to his Son. Far be it from you to be careless and unconcerned, as if indeed you were already fecure of eternal Happiness, because you have God's Calling and Election thereto. On the contrary, it will concern you to ufe your utmoft Care and Diligence to qualify yourfelves for the receiving the Fruits and Benefits of thefe Mercies and Favours of Chrift Jefus, and by this means to render

them

them firm and fure; that is to fay, effectual to the Good of your Souls: Which, indeed, otherwife will be fo far from being Advantages to you, that they will prove Aggravations of your Guilt and of your Mifery. For how fhall you efcape, if you neglect fo great Salvation, as is brought to you by the Lord? Fear therefore, left a Promife being left you of entring into his Reft, any of you fall short thereof. Give all imaginable Diligence to make fure to yourJelves thofe gracious Defigns of Mercy that God had towards you, when he brought you to the Knowledge of Jefus Christ. And thus much of the first Point, What it is to make our Calling and Election fure.

II. The next Thing is to inquire how, or by what Means this is to be done. Now as to that, the Text itfelf will afford us a fufficient Anfwer, if we will follow the reading of the vulgar Latin Tranflation, and many likewife of the antient Greek Copies For they read it thus; Wherefore the rather, my Brethren, give all Diligence by your good Works to make your Calling and Election fure. Which Reading doth indeed extremely well fuit with what follows, for if ye do thefe Things, ye hall never fall. So that, according to this Account, it is good Works, or a Course of virtuous Actions, that muft fecure to us our Calling and Election. And this is a VOL. VI.

Dd

truc

true and certain Account of the Matter, whether the Text be to be read thus or no; for it may plainly be concluded from the Apoftle's Difcourfe, both before and after the Text, If ye do thefe Things (fays he) ye shall never fall. Thefe Things! What Things? Why certainly either good Works, as I faid before, are here referred to; or, if that Claufe be not in the Text, then thofe Things that the Apostle had just been fpeaking of in the Verfes before the Text, must be here understood. Now what these were, you may fee in the 5th Verfe; and befides this, fays he, giving all Diligence, add to your Faith Virtue, and to Virtue v. 6. Knowledge, and to Knowledge Temperance, and to Temperance Patience, and to Patience Godliness, and to Godliness Brotherly-kindv.8. nefs, and to Brotherly-kindness Charity. For if thefe Things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye fhall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord V.9. Jefus Chrift. But he that lacketh thefe Things is blind, and cannot fee afar off, and bath forgotten that he was purged from his

V. 7.

old Sins. And then follow the Words of V.10. my Text, Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give Diligence, to make your Calling and Election fure; for if ye do thefe Things, ye fhall never fall; but an Entrance fhall be adminiftred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jefus. So that it is plain, from the Apoftle's Dif

V.II.

course,

courfe, that the Things, by which we muft make our Calling and Election fure, are no other than the Things which he had been before recommending, viz. the adding to our Faith Virtue, Temperance, Patience, Godliness, Brotherly-kindness, Charity; in a Word, all the Fruits of a holy Converfation. Thefe are the Things which if we do, we shall never fall: Thefe are the Things, upon our Performance of which, an Entrance fhall be adminiftred unto us abundantly into the everlafting Kingdom of our Lord Jefus. Faith alone will not do; but Faith joined with univerfal Obedience will; that is to say, a fincere and conftant Endeavour in all our Thoughts, and Words, and Deeds, to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lufts and to live righteously, foberly, and godly in this prefent World; this is that by which we must make our Calling and Election fure. And thus much of the second

Point.

III. The third Thing is to inquire what is meant by giving all Diligence to make our Calling and Election fure. Now this Phrafe doth certainly import thus much, viz. that we must shake off all Sloth and Idlenefs, and with great Induftry, and Fervor, and Activity, fet ourselves upon the Work.

We must not think that the eternal Welfare of our Souls can be fecured by a few Dd 2

good