Put on therefore (as the elect of
God
, holy am
beloved) bowels of mercies, etc.
Our
author goes on to observe,[1]
"that suitable to this notion of the word election, where it respects the Jewish
nation, or the Jewish converts, is the import of it in these epistles, where
whole nations, communities, or churches, are styled the elect;" that is, that it
means converts to the Christian faith, or true believers. But surely, whole
nations are never styled the elect in such a sense; and, indeed, this author
does not attempt to propose one instance of it, and only takes notice of
churches or communities. And,
1.
Observes, that "all the faithful brethren in Colosse, are styled (Col. 3:12) the
elect of God;" and the same apostle saith to the whole church of Thessalonica,
Knowing your election of God (1 Thess. 1:4); and in his second epistle, he saith,
We ought to give thanks for you, that God hath elected you from the beginning to
salvation" (2 Thess. 2:18). All which he might say without a special revelation,
in a judgment of charity; for, though every individual member of these churches
were not chosen to salvation, yet, inasmuch as they were all under a visible
profession of religion, and the major part of them were truly believers, he
might write to them as such: nor do the cautions, exhortation, care and fear,
expressed by him, militate against this their character; since these might be
all designed, and be made use of for their perseverance as such in grace unto
glory.
2.
Another instance is in 2 Timothy 2:10, where the apostle says, I endure all
things for the elect-s sake; And we are told[2]
that "if we compare this with a parallel place in Colossians 1:24, 25, we shall
find the elect to be no other than the whole church of Christ, of which he was a
minister." But by comparing this text with that in Colossians, it appears that
the church of which the apostle was a minister, is no other than the body of
Christ; and intends the general assembly and church of the first-born which are
written in heaven (Heb. 12:28), and not any particular society, or community of
men, under a profession of Christianity; for of such a particular church the
apostle was no minister. Nor would this have been agreeable to his character as
an apostle, who was not fixed with any particular church, but had the care of
all the churches upon him. Besides, the elect here were such who were not yet
called by grace, for whose sake the apostle endured, and was willing to endure,
reproach and persecution, in preaching the Gospel; that they also, as
well as such as were already converted, might obtain that salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
3. The
apostle in Titus 1:1, styles himself an apostle according to the faith of God-s
elect; which is interpreted[3]
of the faith of Christians in general. But this interpretation will not hold
good of nominal, only of real Christians, who become so because they are God-s
elect, to whom true saving faith in Christ is peculiar; for all men have not
faith; to the elect only is it given, whilst others believe not in him,
because they are not of his sheep.
ENDNOTES:
[1] Whitby, p. 45; ed. 2.44.
[2] Whitby, p. 47; ed. 2.46.
[3] Whitby, p. 47; ed. 2.46.
