43° A E f Dofrine: P eafon. n xpoztronupon Chap. u. time Idolatry had overfpread the Ki ng- dome of Samaria, fo in Fault time He I- lenifine and PhariCaifine prevailed in the world. For the caufe, it is the fame (to wit) Gods free ele &ion of grace, which tieing it neverfaileth nor falleth, there- fore it ever calleth and keepeth a certain number unto God in his Church viii ble, and faveth a remnant in Fauls time, as it referved a company in .Elias time : ele &ion was the eaufe of refervation of Lome then, and of a remnant now. Of thefe likeneffes °and nefemblances there iffi!ethanagreement and fimilitude, in the very phrafe and manner of fpeech ; for in Elias fiory God Paid, I have. leftj; and in Paul! Text it is falci, There is a remnant,to make all things alike, both in word and matter. And as the Apofile faith, according to the ele &ion of grace, fo there is written (I have referved to my felf,) which is all one in effe &, that they were not referved to themfelves, but bccaufe God chofe them in his ever- failing love. T r ia. What leffon is' it that.we learn by this cernparingof the efiate of thee Church ac- cording to feverall times? S t L. .That it makes much for our comfort,to Iay together the old and pre- lent efateof the Church,namely in time ofafl aion . The realon is,becaufeGod is wont for the moil part, to ufe like proceedings in the governing of his Churdi : therefore in the of hi&ed state of the Church, it will be very profita- ble ro Íook back to former times of per - fecutions, that as Faul_ by confidering Elias his time,armed himfeif again ft the fewneffe ofprofcfl-ors fo Gods children by fu, h conference of times, may flay their mindes in patience. For no crafts now happen, but "the like or woole have fallen in former aes of the Church. It is tiCuall with the PapiLfs to boat of multitudcs,how many, and how migh- ty be their friends and followers, the Gentry,the Nobles, Ladies and Lords, Dukes;Archdukes, Princes, Kings, En- perours;Learned men,Cardinals, Popes, are on their fide,and walk in their way : wherca,,ror moll par t,acompany offil- ly Tradefinen, and filly perlons, take part wide us. To whom thoughwe may truly fay, that our number is greater by agood many, then they would have it, and that if the truth of Religion went by nuinber,then the Turks and other Pagans fhould be the true Church' rather then P'apifis; which cone [boa in multi,. tude of the Pagans, Jewes, sand Turks : Yet let us cart our eye back upon Elias and Finds times,concluding that as theft the multitude of Idolaters and unbelee- `vers did not prejudice to the truth and . wor[hip ofGod, (which may be prefer- ved and profeffed by a few as well as by many;) fo now the faith ofthe Gofpei:, ifbut one only profeffed it in the world, (whereasGod is to be thanked,many na- tions and Kings do receive it,) were not the lefle wholefome and found, though the whole world befides,did go after the great whore, as fometime it did. But come nownear'er to the words of our Text, which have two parts, Firft, that a remnant of beleevers were among the Jewes when Paul preached. Secondly,the true carafe hereof is the ele &ion. T r M.Tel1 us what is meant by a remnant? S t L. It lignifies the fmalneffe of the number of the faithful], that they were far fewer then fuch as abode in unbelief and peri[hed therein; yet the number was not fo fmall but it made many thoufands. There isthe like phrafe in Item. 9.27,29. It is a Metaphorborrow- ed from a cloth, ora heap of wheat, whereof a remainder only is left c fo but a few in comparifon of the refi, durft openly profe[fe the faith of Chritt. T r M. What may we learnfrom this word for our inffruiïion ? S t L. Fir[t, that that part of men which perifheth, is fargreater then that part which is laved ; as the whole heap of corn, is more then that part which remaineth for feed : sand the piece or web of cloth, is greater then .the rem- nant : and thus it is written, That many are called;fern chofen Mat-20.c 6. and that few do enter into that narrow way which beads to life, Mat.7. 4. T t ivt. What ufe hereof ? s s L. Firft,to strive to be of this lit Vfr. tle flock, of this poor remnant, where- of Dotbixe,
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