ix in Saint Paul's writings. 161 



assurance." J Although Saint Paul had heard the 

 voice of Jesus Christ after His ascension, and had 

 been caught up into the third heaven, 2 he did not 

 pretend to know more than the newest of his con- 

 verts about the secret purposes of God : it was not 

 a matter of revelation to him that the Christians of 

 Thessalonica were elect to final glory in God's in- 

 scrutable counsel "before eternal times"; and it is 

 not possible that during his sojourn in Thessalonica 

 he could have acquired so intimate an acquaintance 

 with every member of the Church as to be able to 

 say that he was morally certain of the final persever- 

 ance unto salvation of them all. 



In one well-known passage, however, he departs 

 from his customary use of words, and speaks of a 

 calling not to Christian privileges only, but to eternal 

 glory. "To them that love God, all things work 

 together for good, even to them that are called 

 according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, 

 He also foreordained to be conformed to the image 

 of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among 

 many brethren ; and whom He foreordained, them 

 He also called ; and whom He called, them He also 

 justified ; and whom He justified, them He also glori- 

 fied. What then shall we say to these things 1 If 

 God is for us, who is against us 1 . . . Who shall lay 

 anything to the charge of God's elect 1 ? It is God 

 that justifieth ; who is he that shall condemn ? " 3 



1 1 Thess. i. 4, 5. 2 2 Cor. xii. 2 et stq. 



3 Rom. viii. 28-34. 

 M 



