meant that this Ordination was of God; for otherwife Men could not have thought of a Decree of God in this Place, confidering that the Word imports no such Thing. But it is only faid fimply, As many as were τεταγμένοι; from whence it is plain, that we are left to the common ufual Senfe of that Word.

This is the firft Thing. In the second Place, if St. Luke be fuppofed in the Text to have spoken of any particular Election of Perfons to Salvation, then his Words must carry this Senfe, That of those who heard St. Paul preach at that Time, as many of them as were from all Eternity decreed to everlafting Salvation, all those did, at that Time, believe in Jefus Chrift. This, I fay, according to this Interpretation, must be the Sense. But now fee what abundance of Abfurdities will follow upon this Interpretation of his Words.

In the firft Place, by admitting this Senfe, you fuppofe that all those that heard St. Paul's Sermon, and did not at that Time become Converts to Chriftianity, were Reprobates; for if all thofe that were predeftinated to eternal Life did then believe, all thofe that did not then believe were Reprobates. But now this Doctrine feems quite different from the Doctrine of the Gospel, for that tells us, that all Men are not called at once, but fome at one

time, and fome at another. And I do not doubt but that feveral of those that then heard St. Paul, and were not convinced by his Sermon, might afterwards, upon further Confideration, and further Inftruction, and hearing St. Paul preach again upon the fame Argument, at laft become Chriftians, tho' they did not believe at the first.

In the fecond Place, there is this Abfurdity follows likewife upon this Interpretation, that it fuppofeth all those that then believed, upon St. Paul's preaching, were eternally faved; for certainly if they were particularly elected to eternal Life, they could not mifcarry. But now this feems likewise very different from the Senfe of the Gofpel; for Chrift hath told us, that many are called, but few are chofen: That is, a great many may give in their Names to Chrift, and take upon them the Profeffion of his Religion; but few are those that do approve themselves true, fincere, choice Chriftians, fuch as fhall be thought worthy of eternal Life. It is too much to fay (I am fure it is more than we can prove) that all those that believed the Gofpel upon St. Paul's preaching, did infallibly go to Heaven. It is probable there might be feveral among them, that tho' they then believed, yet either did not per- 1 fevere, or did not bring forth the Fruits of the Gospel in an holy and pure Life. Now Gg 4

if

if there was but one Man in all the Company, that fell under this Cenfure, it quite deftroys that Interpretation of the Text we are now speaking of.

But in the third Place, I urge this. St. Luke, that wrote this Hiftory of the Acts of the Apofiles, tells us here, that upon fuch a Sermon that St. Paul made, all that were ordained to eternal Life, believed. We now would expound his Words, that all that were predeftinated to eternal Life, believed. The Thing I ask now is, whether, according to this Expofition, we do not make St. Luke to fay a great deal more than he knew? For how could he pronounce (tho' we fuppofe him prefent at the making of the Converts) that all thofe particular Perfons, that were then convinced by St. Paul's Doctrine, fhould infallibly be faved; and all the rest of the Hearers, that were not then converted, fhould be infallibly damned? Sure he could not pretend to know any thing of this; for we have reafon to believe that he knew no more about the final Condition of particular Men, than the Apoftles of our Lord did. And yet none of them pretended to make any fuch Judgment concerning the particular Converts that came in to them. For the Election of God concerning particular Perfons (if there be any fuch) is only known to God. The

Cone

Conclufion therefore is, that it is extremely improbable, if not impoffible, that St. Luke fhould mean any fuch Thing as we would faften upon his Words.

But what then is the Meaning of his Words? As many as were ordained to eternal Life, believed. Why, to that, I fay,the whole Thing depends upon the Tranflation of one Word, and that, as I told you, is τέταγα Mvc. We render it Ordained. But our Tranflators, if they had pleafed, might have pitched upon three or four other Words, that would better have expreffed the Signification of it, and have cleared the Senfe beyond all Exception. This Word, if you will confult the Ufage of it in Authors, cannot be more naturally rendred than fitted, or prepared, or fet in order, or difpofed for. Take now any one of these Rendrings, and it will fully hit the Senfe of my Text, and avoid all those Abfurdities that I have been speaking of. The Cafe before us is this; The Jews put away the Gospel from them, and judged themfelves unworthy of eternal Life. The Gentiles, on the contrary, glorified God for the good News that eternal Life fhall be offered to them; and accordingly, as St. Luke here tells you, as many of those Gentiles as had fitted and felves, or were fet in order, eternal Life, all thefe did,

prepared themor disposed for upon St. Paul's preaching,

preaching, believe the Gospel, and became Chriftians. If you remember, in the 9th of St. Luke, our Saviour fpeaks of fome Persons that were not fit for the Kingdom of God; and fuch would not believe in him. But now thefe People were fit for the Kingdom of God, and therefore they did embrace the Gofpel as foon as ever they heard of it.

This now, I dare venture to say, is a natural eafy Expofition of this difficult Text; and that which, if you will stand to the Judgment of the moft learned Expofitors, is the only true Meaning of it. But here is nothing in all this, of any eternal Decree of God concerning any particular Man's Salvation, (nor indeed was there any Reason to expect it) which was the Thing to be proved.

Having thus given you a full Account of this Text, I now come to draw fome Inferences from it by way of Application. And the first Thing you may take notice of from hence is this, That all Men are not equally prepared and difpofed for eternal Life; for you fee plainly by this Text, that fome were unworthy of eternal Life, and others were fitted and difposed for it. If you ask a Reafon of this Difference in Men, the Text will thus far give you it, that this Difference in Men, as to their Fitnefs and Unfitnefs for eternal Life, doth

not