Iv. By Vvhat Order God Proceedeth To Declare And After A Sorte To Execute His Election
The fourth Chapter.
By vvhat order God proceedeth to declare and after a sorte to execute his Election.
WHEN God had determined with himself the things before mentioned, he, by a more manifest order of causes, which notwithstanding was eternal (as all things are present to him) disposed orderly all the degrees, whereby he would bring his elect unto his kingdom. Forasmuch therefore as he is merciful, and yet could not forget his justice, before all other things it was necessary that a mediator should be appointed: by whom man might be perfectly restored, and that this should be done by the free mercy & grace which doth appear in the salvation of his elect. But man, besides that he is so weak, that it is not possible for him to sustain the weight of God's wrath, doth also so much flatter himself in that his most miserable blindness, that he cannot perceive it
(1) because he is wholly in bondage to sin (2) so that the law of God is to him as death (3), so far is he unable of himself to recover his liberty, or to satisfy the law of God in the very least jot. God therefore the most merciful father of the Elect, moderating in such sort his justice, with his infinite mercy, appointed his only son, who was the very same substance, and God eternal with him, that at the time determined, he should by the power of the holy (4)
Ghost be made very man (5), to the end that both the natures being joined in Jesus Christ alone (6), first, all the corruption of man should be fully healed in one man (7), who should also accomplish all justice (8), and moreover should be able enough to sustain the judgment of God, and be a Priest sufficient and worthy of himself to appease the wrath of God his father, in dying as a just and innocent for them that were unjust and sinners, covering our disobedience, and purging all our sins which were laid upon him (9). And finally with one only offering and sacrifice of himself should sanctify all the elect, mortifying & burying sin in them by the partaking of his death and burial: and quickening them into newness of life by his resurrection (10): so that they should find more in him than they had lost in Adam (11). And to the intent this remedy should not be found and ordained in vain, the Lord God determined to give this his son with all things appertaining to salvation (12), to them whom he had determined in himself to choose: and on the other side, to give them unto his son, that they being in him, and he in them (13), might be consummate & made perfect in one, by these degrees that follow after, according as it pleased him to bring forth every one of his elect into this
world. For first, when it pleaseth him to disclose that secret which he had purposed from before all beginning (14), at such time as men least look for it
(15), as men are blinded and yet think they see most clear (16), when as in very deed death and damnation hangeth over their head (17), he cometh suddenly, and setteth before their eyes, the great danger wherein they are, & that they might be touched more sharply and lively, he addeth to the witness of their own conscience, being as it were asleep and dead, the preaching of his law (18), and the examples of his judgments, to strike them with the horror of their sins: nor that they should remain in that fear, but rather that beholding the great danger thereof, should fly to that only mediator Jesus
Christ (19): in whom after the sharp preaching of the law, he setteth forth the sweet grace of the Gospel, but yet with this condition, that they believe in him (20), who only can deliver them from condemnation (21) and give them right and title to the heavenly inheritance (22). Yet all these things were but vain if he should only set before men's eyes these secrets by the external preaching of his word written & published in the church of God, which notwithstanding is the ordinary means whereby Jesus Christ is communicate unto us (23): therefore as touching his Elect (24), unto the external preaching of his word, he joineth the inward working of his holy spirit, the which doth not restore (as the Papists imagine) the remnants or residue of free will (for what power soever of free will remaineth in us, serveth to no other use but willingly to sin (25), to fly from God (26), to hate him (27), and so not to hear him (28), nor to believe in him (29), neither yet to acknowledge his gift
(30), no not so much as to think a good thought (31): & finally to be children of wrath and malediction,) but contrariwise changeth their hard hearts of stone into soft hearts of flesh (32), draweth them (33), teacheth them (34), lighteneth their eyes (35), & openeth their sense (36), their heart, their ears, and understanding: first to make them to know (as we have said before) their own misery: and next, to plant in them the gift of faith, whereby they may perform that condition, which is joined to the preaching of the Gospel. And that standeth in two points, the one, whereby we know Christ, in general, believing the story of Christ, and the Prophecies which are writ of him (37), the which part of faith, as we shall declare in due place, is sometimes given to the reprobate. The other, which is proper, and only belongeth to the elect, consisteth in applying Christ (who is universally and indifferently preached to all men) to ourselves, as ours: & that every man make himself sure of his
Election, which hath been hid before all time in God's secret (38), and afterwards revealed unto us, partly by inward testimony of our conscience through the holy ghost, joined to the external preaching of God's word (39): and partly also by the virtue and power of the same spirit, who delivering the Elect from the servitude of sin (40), persuadeth and conducteth them to will and work the things which please God. These then be the degrees, whereby it pleaseth God to create & form by his especial grace, that precious & peculiar gift of faith in his elect, to the intent that they may embrace their salvation in Jesus Christ. But because this faith in us is yet weak & only begun, to the end that we may not only persevere in it, but also profit (which thing is most necessary for all men to do) first according to the time that our adoption is revealed unto us, this faith is sealed in our hearts by the Sacrament of Baptism: and after every day more and more is confirmed and sealed in us by the sacrament of the Lord's Supper: of the which two Sacraments, the principal end is, that they be sure and effectual signs and pledges of the communion of the faithful with Christ (41) who is their wisdom, justice, sanctification, and redemption (42). For this occasion it is so oftentimes mentioned with Paul, that we being justified by faith, have peace with God
(43): For whosoever hath obtained the gift of true faith, hath also by the same grace and liberality of God obtained the gift of perseverance (44). So that in all manner of temptations and afflictions, he doubteth not to call upon God, with sure confidence to obtain his request (as far as it is expedient for him) knowing that he is of the number of God's children, who can not fail him (45).
Moreover he never swerveth so from the right way, but at length by the benefit of God's grace, he returneth again: for although faith sometime seem in the Elect (as it were for a time) hid and buried, so that a man would think it were utterly quenched (46) (which God suffereth, that men might know their own weakness) yet it doth never so far leave them, that the love of God and their neighbour, is altogether plucked out of their hearts. For no man is justified in Christ, who also is not sanctified in him (47), and framed to good works, which God prepared that we should walk therein (48). This is then the way whereby God by his mercy doth prepare (to the full execution of his eternal counsel) them amongst his Elect, whom it pleaseth him to reserve, till they come to ripe age and discretion. As touching the other whom he calleth into his kingdom so soon as they are born, or in their tender years, he useth a
more short way. For seeing he doth comprehend in that his free covenant, whereof Jesus Christ is the mediator (49), not only the faithful, but also their posterity (50), into a thousand generations (51), calling the same by express words, holy (52): there is no doubt but the children of the Saints, which appertain to election, (whom he only knoweth) he hath given to his son, who will not cast them out (53).
Notes of the fourth chapter.
(1) John 9.41. (2) Rom. 1.18; 7.14; 8.7; 1 Cor. 2.14; 2 Cor. 3.5; Eph. 2.3. (3) Rom. 7.10 (4) Matt. 1.20; Luke 1.35. (5) John 1.14; 1 John 1.1-3. (6) Rom.
1.3, 4; 2 Cor. 5.19; Col. 2.9. (7) Rom. 8.3. (8) Matt. 3.15; 5.17, 18; 1 Cor.
1.30. (9) Isa. 53.4, 5, 7, 11; Rom. 3.25; Acts 20.28; Col. 1.20; Rom. 5.19; 1 Pet. 2.24; 3.18; 2 Cor. 5.21. (10) Rom. 6.3, 4, 5. &c. Col. 3.1; 2.12; John
17.19; Heb. 9.13; 10.14. (11) Rom. 5.15,16, 17, 20. (12) Rom. 8.32; John 3.16. (13) John 17.2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 23. (14) Gen. 3.15; 22.18; Rom. 3.25. &
16.25; 1 Cor. 2.7; Gal. 4.4; Eph. 1.9, 10; Col. 1.26; 2 Tim. 1.9; Titus 1.2; 1 Pet. 1.20. (15) Josh. 24.2; Ezek. 16.8, 9; Isa. 65.1; Eph. 2.3, 4, 5, 12; Rom.
5.10; 1 Pet. 2.10. (16) John 9.41; John 3.19. (17) Rom. 1.18, 19; 2.15; Acts 14.17. (18) Rom. 1.18, 19; 2.15; Acts 14.17. (19) Rom. 7.7; 1 Tim. 2.5; 2
Tim. 2.25, 26; Acts 2.37, 38; 1 John 2.1. (20) John 1.12; 3.16; Rom. 1.16, and almost in every page of the whole Scripture. (21) Rom. 8.1; 1 John 2.1. (22)
John 1.12, and 3.16; Rom. 1.16, and 5.1. (23) Rom. 10.8,17; 2 Cor. 5.18, 19; Jam. 1.18; 1 Pet. 1.25. (24) Eph. 1.5, 9; Col. 1.27. (25) Rom. 6.19,20. (26)
Gen. 3.8; John 6.44, 65. (27) Rom. 5.10; 8.7. (28) John 8.47. (29) Isa. 53.1; John 12.39. (30) Matt. 13.11; John 4.10; 3.3; 1 Cor. 2.14. (31) 2 Cor. 3.5. (32)
Ezek. 11.19; 36.26; Psalm 51.12. (33) John 6.44. (34) John 6.45; 16.13; Psalm 119.33. (35) Psalm 119.130; Eph. 1.17. (36) Isa. 50.5; Psalm 10.17;
119.18, 73, 130; Col. 1.9. Jer. 31.18, 19; 2 Tim. 2.25. (37) Luke 24.45, Acts 16.14. (38) 1 Cor. 2.10, 11, 12, 16; Col. 1.26, 27; Eph. 1.17-19; 1 John 3.24;
5.20. (39) Rom. 8.15; Gal. 4.6. (40) Rom. 8.14; 1 John 3.10, 14; 4.14; Phil.
2.13; John 8.36; Rom. 6.18. (41) Mark 16.16; Acts 2.38; Rom. 6.3, 4; Gal.
3.27; Col. 2.12; Eph. 5.26; 1 Pet. 3.21; 1 Cor. 10.16; Rom. 4.11. (42) 1 Cor.
1.30. (43) Rom. 3.20-22; 4.2, 5; 5.1; and in divers other places. (44) & (45) Num. 23.19; Psalm 23.6; 27.1-3; Psalm 91 at large; Matt. 24.24; John 6.37;
17.15; 10.28, 29; Rom. 5.2-5; 8.15,16, 38, 39; 1 Cor. 2.12, 16; 2 Cor. 13.5;
Eph. 1.9; Phil. 1.6; 1 Thes. 5.24; 2 Cor. 1.21; James 1.6; Heb. 4.16; 10.22; 1 John 4.17. (46) So Moses, Aaron, David, Peter fell. 1 John 1.8. (47) Rom.
6.1, 2; & 1 John 3.9, 10; 4.20; 2 Pet. 1.9. (48) Eph. 2.10; 1.4. (49) 1 Tim. 2.5;
Heb. 9.15. (50) Gen. 17.7. (51) Exod. 20.6. (52) 1 Cor. 7.14. (53) John 6.37.