The great mystery of godlinesse opened being an exposition upon the whole ninth chapter of the epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans / by the late pious faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Edward Elton.

As he saith in Hosea, I will call them my people which were not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved, &c.

COme we now to the words of the Testimonie it selfe, in these two verses. And herein the Apostle doth invert the Order of the words of the Prophet, putting that which is first, last; yea the Apostle doth some∣thing alter and change the words of the Prophet, and keepeth not strictly, and precisely to the very words of the Prophet, citing word for word, yet he keepeth the scope, sense and meaning of the Prophet, sound and intire without any alteration, or change, hence then note we thus much;

That it is not alwayes necessarie that the very words of the Scripture, [Doctrine.] should be strictly, orderly and precisely kept in the preaching of the Word, so that the sence, and scope, and meaning of the place be kept sound and intire without wrong, change, or alteration.

The Preachers of the Word must look unto it, that they neither deprave nor corrupt the places of Scripture, that they doe not cut them off, and leave out something needful; this was the sinne of the Devil in Matthew 4.6. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, and leaveth out (to keep thee in all thy wayes;) Nor that they doe not wrest and wring the places of Scripture to a wrong sence and wrong purpose, and make them as a nose of waxe, and draw them to a wrong purpose, and vex the Holy Word of God, which is the dealing of all hereticks, and especially such as doe turne the places of Scripture, and the plain Stories of the Bible into Allegories; and so wrong the sence of the Scripture: yet Ministers of the Word; they may alledge and cite places of Scripture with some alteration, so they keep the sence safe, sound and intire, John 7.38. He that believeth in me, as saith the Scripture, out of his belly shall flow rivers of water. Where doth the Scri∣pture say so? Surely in no place that we finde in the Old Testament ex∣presly, & totidem verbis, in the very same words; yet for the matter and substance of these words they may be collected and gathered out of the ho∣ly Prophets, as out of Esay 44.3. and 49.10. Joel 3.18. in all which places mention is made of pouring water upon the drie and thirstie ground, and of diving into the Waters of Life, and of a fountain that should issue out from the house of the Lord. Now the Lord Jesus doth apply these words of the Prophets (having respect to Christ who is the Fountain of Life, and of all Spiritual graces) he doth apply them to all those that truely believe in him, that though they were drie and barren, yet out of them shall flow the rivers of water of Life; so that though he doth not set down the words of the Prophets expresly, yet he keepeth the sence, and meaning of the words.

So that it concerneth the Preachers of the Word to be very well ac∣quainted with the scope and drift of the Scriptures, that howsoever they may misse of the words, yet they must keep the sence intire, and see that they doe not swerve from the intent and purpose of the Holy Spirit of God in the Text.

And as they must be careful that the places of Scripture be fit and perti∣nent to the purpose they have in hand, so also that the places they doe al∣ledge be truely understood, and rightly applied according to the meaning of the Word, and then they are the true Word of God, and are a notable means to beate down the strong holds of sinne, and of Sathan; (to pass by that.)

Come we now to the Testimonie it self recorded by the Prophet, and here alledged by the Apostle [I will call them my people which were not my people, and her beloved, which was not beloved.] These words are a plain Text, and doe evidence unto us the vocation and calling of the Gentiles, which was long agoe foretold, and now fulfilled, the Gentiles are

called, the Gentiles embrace the faith of Christ, which is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel, and of Religion. 1 Tim. 3.16. VVithout controver∣sie great is the mysterie of godliness; what was that? God manifested in the flesh, seen of Angels, justified in the Spirit, preached to the Gentiles; a high and excellent mysterie. Now touching this mysterie of calling the Gentiles observe the Lord saith, [I will call them my People, which were not my peo∣ple, and her beloved, which was not beloved.] Hence appeareth the free mer∣cy; and the free grace of God in calling the Gentiles out of the estate of igno∣rance and unbelief into the estate of true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ, into the estate of grace, hence then ariseth this point, viz.

[Doctrine.] That God calleth men effectually out of their natural estate, into the estate of grace, and doth work grace in them effectually by the power of his Spirit through the preaching of the Word, out of his meer good will and free mercy, nothing moving him thereunto, but onely his free mercy, the Lord he is pleased to reveal the Gospel to none but to those who out of his meer good will hee pleaseth to cause to understand it, and the light of the Gospel, though it shine most clearly and resplendantly, yet it doth en∣lighten none, nor worke upon none, but onely such as it pleased God to illuminate and enlighten by the preaching of the Word, though it fall upon their eyes, and sound in their eares, and shine about them, yet the hearts are shut up of all such, unlesse those whom God doth illuminate, Eph. 1.9. The Apostle speaking of himselfe and other true believers, saith expresiy, God hath opened unto us the mysterie of his Word, the secrets of his Gospel according to his own good pleasure. And in the same Chapter, the 17. verse, He prayeth that the Ephesians might have the Spirit of Revelation, and the Spirit of Wisedome. Oh Lord open the eyes of their understanding that they may clearly see the riches of his calling, and the sweet comforts of the Gospel. And hence it was that the Apostle saith, in 2 Cor. 4.6. That God by the same Almightie power, whereby he brought light out of darkness, causeth them to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; yea, the Lord doth afford the outward sound and preaching of the Word out of his free mercie where it pleaseth him; He appointeth the drops of rain to fall in this place, and not in that, so he doth cause the dew of his Word to fall upon the clay the Gentiles, in Matth. 10.6. into the Cities of the Samaritans enter not; and in Acts 16.6, 7: we find that Paul and Timothy they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia. Yea, when they had a mind to goe to Bythinia, the Spirit of God would not suffer them, but sent them to Macedonia, Acts 16.9. Come over into Macedonia and help us; so that the outward preaching of the Word it is vouchsafed to some, and not to others, as when Christ lived upon the face of the earth, the bodily eyes of all men were not opened, but onely some, and others remaine blind, some blind persons were left in their blind∣ness; And the dead bodies of all were not raised, though some were, at the death of Christ; so dealeth the Lord with the minds and souls of men, he onely out of his gracious pleasure doth open the minds of some men, and make them to see, know, and understand and believe by the preaching of the Word, according to his gracious pleasure; therefore we may resolve upon it (as a certain truth,) that God doth call men out of the estate of nature, into the estate of grace effectually out of his free grace and mercy.

[Ʋse 1] If this be so, it is not then upon foreseen merit that God doth call men effectually, and doth work upon them powerfully by his Spirit; that is the error of the Papists, they hold indeed that the election of God, and conse∣quently the revelation of the truth of God, it is upon their merit foreseen, because God doth foresee some worthiness in them; we are to renounce this as a gross Popish errour, yea the truth now made known unto us, being due∣ly considered and thought upon, it beareth strongly against that position that is held by some, that redemption wrought by Christ is universal, that

Christ died for all men universally without any exception of any. Now not to stand upon this erroneous position, which is a dangerous errour in the ground of it, it making the sin of men the sins of the world; death and hell, to be stronger then Christ, that Christ should die for all men, and yet some of those men goe to hell, a fowl and a gross errour: besides this, it cannot stand with the truth now delivered, that Christ died effectually for all men, without exception of any; for if so be Christ did die for all men ge∣nerally, and universally, then doubtless all are acquainted with it, savingly as a benefit belonging to themselves such as are redeemed, assuredly God doth bring them to the saving knowledge of their redemption. Now this is not so; the preaching of the Word, and plain experience doth tell the con∣trarie; for God out of his mere good will and pleasure doth call none effectually, but such as are redeemed by Christ, and so all men are not, for then they should savingly be brought to the knowledge of their redempti∣on, but all are not so, for as in the time of Christ all men that were blinde had not their eyes opened, so all have not their minds enlightned, and therefore universal redemption wrought by Christ is a meer fancie of the brain of man forged in hell, and there is no truth in it; to say that Christ died for all, and if we rest upon this; we shall finde a deceiving ground of comfort. Howsoever some will say, how shall we comfort a poor soul, a prisoner that is to be executed but by telling him Christ died for all, up∣on what ground? No Christ died not for all.

Again, is it so that God worketh freely upon the minds and souls of men out of his free grace and mercy; Oh then such as find themselves to be in [Ʋse 2] the number of the called of God and throughly wrought upon by the power of the preaching of the Word, that are brought to the saving knowledge of God in Christ, they are bound to acknowledge the riches of his free grace and mercy, and be thankful unto God for the same. Consider it thou that hast good evidence of thy effectual calling that art transformed and changed and brought into a new mold and fashion; consider with thy self that many are left in their natural ignorance and unbelief; yea many are given over to Popish superstitions, many living in the same place, frequent∣ing the same means, hearing the same sermons, sitting in the same seat with thee, they remain ignorant in their blindnesse of minde, and hardnesse of heart, but God hath given thee not onely his Word and Gospel preached, but a heart enlightned to receive it; therefore thou hast cause to magnifie the mercy of God for this blessing of all blessings: And learn thou to break out and say, [Lord, what am I, that thou shouldest vouchsafe unto me such a mercie, I see thousands in their natural estate and ignorance, I was born and brought forth in sinne like other men, and have increased and multiplied my sinnes exceedingly, my unthankefulnesse is great, and my unworthinesse greater, and yet thou hast vouchsafed mercy unto me above many thousands, Lord thou art gracious and merciful unto me.]

Thus we ought to be stirred up our selves to magnifie the mercie of God, in that many thousands are given to Popish superstition, and God hath given thee a flexible heart to his Word: Oh thou canst not be sufficiently thankful for so great a favour.