"Then spake the Lord to Paul...Be not afraid, but speak...for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God" (Acts 18:9-11). By "much people" the Lord does not speak of those who were converted. Paul did not need a revelation in the night to tell him that God had much people in that city, if by that was meant the persons who professed faith in Christ, for he knew all about them; night and day had he watched over them. But God knew that He had an elect people in Corinth whom He must save - a redeemed people that Christ specially bought from among men to His own people of whom the Lord had said, "Other sheep have I that are not yet of this flock." Paul was cheered by the good news that God had many chosen and redeemed ones in Corinth whom He must save. I learn from this that the doctrine of God's predestination is no check to labor. "If there are so many that will be saved," says one, "then why do you preach?" That is why we do preach. If there are so many fish to be taken in the net, I will go and catch some of them. Because many are ordained to be caught, I spread my nets with eager expectation. I never could see why that should repress our zealous efforts; it seems to me to be the very thing that should awaken us to energy-that God has a people, and that these people shall be brought in. Why, it nerves me to labor when I remember that His word shall not return void; it shall prosper in the thing whereto He has sent it. If God has ordained to save men, yet it is a part of the ordinance that they shall be saved through the preaching of the word, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"; and not without faith and the word shall any man be saved; nor has God ever said that any should, or ever purposed that any should. The purpose embraces the means for the carrying out of the purpose, and that decree which predestinates the salvation of many in Corinth predestinates that Paul shall come there, and that he shall stop there a year and a half, and night and day with tears shall seek the souls of men.
What a comfort it ought to be to all earnest workers that God has many people yet unsaved whom He will save and must save; thus we go to work under the sweet shadow of the divine decree, stimulated by it to labor with all our might.