John i. 12, 13. "As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God; which were born, not of the will of man, but of God." Thus also we read, Luke fi. 8. "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." John iii. S. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Verse 5. Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Verse 8. «The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Jam. 3. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures."

What Christ meant by being born again, we may learn by the abundant use of the like phrase by the same disciple that wrote this gospel, in his first epistle, who doubtless learned his language from his master; and particularly from those sayings of his concerning the new birth, which he took more special notice of, and which left the deepest impressions on his mind, which we may suppose are those he records, when he writes the history of his life. Matth. iv. 19. «F will make you fishers of men." So Mark i. 16, 20, together with Luke v. From henceforth thou shalt catch men." Compared with the foregoing story of Christ's giving them sa great a draught of fishes, which was wholly his doing, and as-cribed to him. Matth. vi. 10. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done." Matth. xi. 25.....27. « At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” So Luke x. 21, 22. John vi. 37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me." Verse 44. « No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me, 'draw him.”

John x. 16. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." Verse 26.....29. "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you; my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hands. My Father which gave them me," &c.

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Acts xv. 3, 4. "Declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they declared all things that God had done with them." Verse 9. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Therefore it is not probable, that the heart is first purified, to fit it for faith. John xiv. 12., “Greater works than these shall he do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." The meaning of it is confirmed from John xii. 23, 24, 28....32, and John xvii. 1, 2, 3. Isa. xlix. 3, 5, and xxvi. 15, and Isa. xvi. 14. Isa. xvii. 3, 4, 5, and 16, 17, and 22, 24, (especially Isa Iv. 4, 5.) Jer. xxx. 19. Rom. ix. 16., "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." By such an expression in the apostle's phraseology, from time to time, is meant the use of endeavors, whereby they seek the benefit they would obtain. So what he here says, is agreeable to what he says in chap. xi. 4, 5, 6, 7, where he particularly shows, that it is God that preserves the remnant, and that it is of the election of his grace and free kindness, and not of their works; but in such a way of freedom, as is utterly inconsistent with its being of their works. And in verse 7, that it is not determined by their, seeking, but by God's election. The apostle here, as Dr. Taylor says, has respect to bodies of men, to the posterity of Esau and Jacob, &c. Yet this he applies to a distinction made in those days of the gospel, and that distinction made between those that were in the Christian church, of the Jews and those that were not, and particularly some that were in the Christian church, and others of the same na tion that were not; which is made by some believing and accepting Christ, and others rejecting him; by that faith which they professed to exercise with all their hearts; that

faith which was a mercy and virtue, and the want of which was a fault; as appears by the objection the apostle supposes, verse 19. "Why doth he yet find fault?" The want of which faith argued hardness of heart, verse 18, exposed them to wrath and destruction, as a punishment of sin, verse 22, and exposes persons to be like the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, verse 29.

Rom. xi. 4, 5, 6, 7. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so at this present time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work.' 2 Tim. ii. 9. Eph. ii. 9. Tit. iii. 5. "What then? Isracl hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." Rom. xi. 17, 18. "If some of the branches are broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in amongst them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the branches."

Rom. xi. 25, 26, 27. "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness' from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." Together with verses 35, 36. « Who hath first given unto him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever and ever."

§ 57. That expression, Rom. i. 7, and 1 Cor. i. 2, and elsewhere, called to be saints, implies, that God makes the distinction. Compare this with what Christ says, John x. 27. "My sheep hear my voice." Verse 16. "Other sheep have I' which are not of this fold; them also must I bring; and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." 1 Cor. f. 26, 27, 28, to the end; " For ye see your call-'

ing, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of, &c. That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus," &c.'

1 Cor. iii. 5, 6, 7, 8, Rom. xi. latter end. Heb. xiii. 20, 21. 9. "Who then is Paul, or who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have planted, and Apollos watered; but God gave the in crease. So neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.... We are laborers together with God; ye are God's husbandry; ye are God's building." According to the Arminian scheme, it ought to have been; I have planted, and Apollos watered, and God hath planted and watered more especially. For we have done it only as his servants. But you yourselves have given the increase; the fruit has been left to your free will: Agreeably to what the Arminians from time to time insist on, în what they say upon the parable of the vineyard which God planted in a fruitful hill, &c. and looked that it should bring forth grapes, and what could I have done more unto my vineyard?

says,

1 Cor. iii. S. Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on the fleshly tables of the heart." They were the epistle of Christ, as the effect of the Spirit of God in their hearts held forth the light of truth; of gospel truth with its evidence to the world; as the church is compared to a candlestick, and called the pillar and ground of the truth. This is agreeable to those scriptures in the Old Testament, that speak of writing God's law in their hearts, &c. Add to this, Chap. iv. 6. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. v. 14....18. "If one died for all, then were all dead; that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creaVOL. V. 3 L

ture: Old things are passed away Behold, all things are be come new; and all things are of God?qe od tad toured

<}}2 Cor. viii.^^16, 17. Thanks be to God, who put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. For ins deed he accepted the exhortation. But being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.” So the next chapter speaks of the Corinthians' forwardness and readiness in their bounty to the poor saints, not as of necessity, but with freedom and cheerfulness, according to the purpose of their own hearts or wills; but yet speaks of their charity as just cause of much's thanksgiving to God; and speaks expressly of thanksgiving to him for such a subjection of them to the gospel, and liberal distribution to themood to grimped sdi ai wollo? doidw

Galǝie15516. But when it pleased God, who separat ed me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,b to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, compared with 2 Cor. iv. 6,157, and the account! which he gives himself of his conversion, Acts xxvi. 16....18. ni Gat.lii. 19, 20.0 bp through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ," neved ertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me?31 92mos 2 Galiov. 22, 234&c! The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Poit sit en patto e do zapon si eid' bae ; 29.elq om and to codait silt to and moog

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no§ 58. The apostle, in Eph. i. 18....20, speaks of some ex ceeding great work of power, by which they that believe are distinguished But a bodily resurrection is no such distin guishing work of power. See the words The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glo ry of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ Jesus, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places." The apostle repeats the same thing in substance again in chapter ill14, and fol lowing verses, and tells us what sort of knowledge he desired, it