OLBGrk;
As many as were ordained to eternal life believed, Acts 13:48. Here our Saviour giveth this as one reason of the Jews unbelief, that they were not of his sheep. Were they not Israelites? Yes, but all are not Israel that are descended of Israel. It seems a very hard interpretation that some would put, upon these words, Ye believe not, because you are not teachable, and fit to be made my sheep; the words are ou gar ete ek twn probatwn twn emwn. Nor can such interpretation be paralleled from any other scripture. That by sheep, here, cannot be meant members of the church, is plain; for they were of the church of Israel, whom the Lord led as a flock, as the psalmist speaks, Psalms 80:1. That believers, and such as are truly called and sanctified, are not meant, is as plain; for then the sense would be: You believe not because you believe not; besides, our Saviour had before said, he had other sheep that were not of that fold, (by which he meant the Gentiles), such for whom he prayed, 1 Thessalonians 17:20, being such as should believe on him. By sheep therefore he meaneth, certainly, such as were ordained to life, as Acts 13:48. Nor will it therefore follow, that God's not ordaining of them to life, was the near and immediate cause of their not believing; but their own stubborn and perverse wills in not repenting, that they might believe; as our Saviour tells them, Matthew 21:32: that is, not turning from their gross and sinful ways, which they might have done by virtue of that common grace of God which was afforded them in the gospel, by the preaching of John the Baptist, and of Christ himself.