-- CHAPTER I: The necessity of an election
-- CHAPTER VII: That God orders his election, so as to run in a successive line from godly parents to their children, does not infringe the freedom of election grace --CHAPTER VIII: How largely God extends his acts of grace and favour.
BOOK I Wherein is proved the necessity of an election grace, if any of the rational creatures he certainly saved: and that God hath made an election of some out of pure grace, proved by the event, out of the stories of all times, throughout the Old and New Testament.
CHAPTER I
The necessity of an election, or super-creation grace, if either angels or men (whether fallen or unfallen) be certainly and securely saved.
BY the necessity of an election, I mean not as if God had been necessitated thereunto, for nothing with him is more free; and that it is termed an election of grace sufficiently testifies it; but the necessity lay in respect of the eternal salvation of either angels or men.
Nor, secondly, do I mean, as if it must have been an act of election; understanding it a calling forth but of some persons only; for that way of salvation, which is the grace itself, God might have saved all of either sort by, and not have made an election of it, that is, of some, although he was pleased so to do. It is true, indeed, in making an election but of some, the freeness of God's grace was the more manifested; that is, in the point of the freedom of it; and that, de
facto‚ there was such an election but of some, both angels and men, I shall after shew; but the dint of my present assertion, whilst yet I term it election of grace (because de facto so it was), lies in this: that, take the substance of that, grace itself, which election hath chalked out as the way of salvation thereby, and that is it I now alone affirm to have been necessary; I add securely‚ to bring to salvation both angels and men. And my assertion issues in this, that not any one of his creatures were, or had been eternally and effectually saved (that is, none of his understanding rational creatures), without such a grace as election hath pitched upon; no, not one of either sort, neither angels nor men, as, de facto‚ it appeared.
God, though he made angels and men in a state of perfect holiness, able to stand with the innate pondus‚ or poise and bias of holiness, joined with that concurrence or assistance of God's that did accompany it; yet that assistance being then suited to the laws and dues of creation merely; that is, look what preservation in that state a creature could challenge, by the covenant of creation, as a due from God as his creator, so far forth there was an assistance did accompany that holiness; and therefore was but such an assistance as was proportioned to that present state, whereby the will of the creature had a power to continue, if he would use that assistance, and those creation powers and principles, as he ought, so as it was every way such as the creature could not, but at any time (till the act of falling), say, I find myself able to stand if I will; but so as the keeping of this holiness with that assistance, was committed to the free-will of man, as likewise of angels, which at the best was a mutable slippery thing, fickle and changeable. To make instance in the angels, by and from the example of whom it is that I make forth this necessity of election for the creature to be saved. In Job 4:18,
'Behold, he puts no trust in his servants, and the angels he chargeth with folly.' We have the like in chap. 15 ver. 15, 'He putteth no trust in his saints.' The angels were perfectly holy, but if he would give them no other assistance but what was their due from creation, there was no trust to be put in them, or their standing. If they were holy to-day, they might sin to-morrow. If God but sent them of an errand down
into this world, they might sin before they came up again. The folly there was their mutability; and to be carried on unchangeably to eternity, without the hazard and danger of miscarriage, was beyond the due of creation, which was their first creation covenant they all appeared afore God in; and therefore immutably to have kept them, had been grace, which must flow from another well-head and original than the pure covenant of works or of creation, and that can be no other than grace; and the indispensable ground why the creature, by the law and covenant of creation, should be thus dealt with as aforesaid, and so he left to a mutability, is, that it is only proper unto God, and that essentially, not to be subject to change.
And it was fit this difference betwixt God's being, and the being of the creature (which it had by creation) should be thus stated by the creation-law as purely it came out of God's hand; and so as that if God would impart the image of his immutability of holiness to any, and fix them in it, it might appear to be of grace. This is grace, and grace to the angels themselves. In James 1:13, you have it, that it is
'God only that is not tempted with evil, nor can be tempted.' The creature, by what from the law of creation they have upon the terms of creatureship, may be tempted to sin; and not only so, but fall and be lost, and then never to be able to recover itself again.
This being our creation state, God foresaw that if all of these his creatures were left to the conduct of their wills, assisted but only with these creation helps, that they were in a continual hazard of falling, and that they would all fall at one time or another, one after the other; he therefore made an election of grace to put all out of hazard in some; and if you will not see the truth of it through the doctrine, you may view it by experience, for it fell out, as to their fall, both of angels and of men. Jude tells you, there was a first estate in which angels were created, but they fell from it; and the rest would have done so too, at one time or another, for they were all made of the same metal, if they had been left to the mutability of their wills. It proved true of men. Take Adam and Eve their wills, they were perfectly holy, and yet what became of those two stout wills? If but one of them indeed had fallen, you would have thought the other
might have been immutable; but you may see they both fell, and so it was experimented they were mutable; and that all their children they should have put forth were such, and would at one time have fallen as these have done, who were all of mankind that were then in the world. Well, God foresaw all would be a-going; there is a happy word in the text, Rom. 11:4, κατέλιπον, he made a reserve of some before the world was; he laid his hand upon them; nay, said he, I will have a remnant; I will have some. He made a reserve when he foresaw all would, or might in the end, be lost; and that reserve was made by election. It was election itself; the apostle interprets that word, ver. 5.
The great God had reason (shall I say, or rather that his infinite grace joined with wisdom) to have something out of all what he had made
(for whom are all things) that should live with him, be happy in him, blessed of him, that might eternally bless him again. And accordingly he kept some of the angels, and caused them to abide with him, and ordained some of men, though when fallen, who should return to him again; and this was done by election, which is that other wellhead of all super-creation, or supernatural grace, opposed to that of creation-holiness and assistance.
You read of the angels who stood, 1 Tim. 5:21, that they are called the 'elect angels.' You read elsewhere that they are called 'the holy angels,' for they never sinned; and they had as great a holiness as any creature could be capable of by creation; also 'they excel in strength,' and so their holiness was a strong holiness. But was it that which kept them? No; you heard God could not trust them in the hands of their own wills; therefore it was that they were elect angels; that kept them. In that new super-added title, you read the grace of God expressed as that which kept them in that holiness, and so fixed them.
Now, further, consider that where election is, there is grace; whether the creature be fallen or not fallen, it is called 'the election of grace;' and whatsoever is above the dues of creation, and the rules thereof, is grace, and as truly such as that which is called mercy, as shewn to a sinner or creature actually fallen, is called grace. Grace and works,
we read in the words of Rom. 11:6, are so opposed, as those which intermingle not. The privileges of grace are eternally separated by an eternal law. If a thing be of grace, it is no more of works; and if of works, it is no more of grace. It was not, therefore, their creation holiness fixed them, for that was works, both in the principle and in the assistance of it. Indeed, without their holiness they had not stood; but what was it fixed their holiness but grace? To ascribe their standing unto their own holiness, is to found a privilege of grace upon works. Grace were no more grace, if that took place. A perfect holiness, and a stronger holiness than man's, was their due by creation; but to be kept by so strong an assistance as should effectually fix their wills, and for ever after keep them so, this was above the ordinary creation-law, and so above the law of works. Had the evil angels had such a prevalent super-creation assistance, they had not fallen; and therefore it must be super-creation grace kept those other. And all grace that saves is from election; and election is the fountain of such a gracious stream, the channel of which should run on to eternity without failure or drying up, as this in them did and doth. Election and grace are never to be served;* the angels then were saved by it, and not any one angel, but those who were elect, were saved: for all that stood are called elect. And, on the contrary, all of them that were elect were saved, and none miscarried. The election obtained it amongst them; and you know what became of 'the rest.' Thus you see what made the difference even amongst them also. Oh, let us therefore adore God for his election grace, as without which none of his creatures had infallibly been saved. Thus much for a demonstration of this, taken from the angels.
For the case of mankind, now they are fallen, if God had not made an election among thorn, what would have become of them, if it were so with angels that never sinned? O brethren, how much more with filthy man! as Job 15:15, 17, 'Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight; how much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?' and we may argue on this point as he doth there in that other If not the angels, not one of them, were saved from the ruins of their nature
but by election, then surely not man fallen. If election were necessary but for their confirmation in holiness, as our divines say (though I think there is a farther privilege joined with it), then how much more for man, that was irreparably fallen, as by himself, and that needed the whole of salvation for substance, and continuance therein also!
What a blessed provision did God make to make an election! There is a scripture that hath often affected my heart: Rom. 9:29, 'As Esaias said before,' saith Paul out of him, 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been like unto Sodom and Gomorrha.' It is spoken of election, he had discoursed of in that chapter. And what is that seed there? It is plainly a reserve‚ a relic or remnant. And that speech in Rom. 11:5, of a 'remnant according to the election of grace,' is all one with that 'seed' there; for many passages in the ninth chapter and in this hold a correspondence. O my brethren, if God had not taken such a remnant, not Israel only, but all mankind, had been like unto Sodom and Gomorrha. Not a man, woman, or child in Sodom or Gomorrha wore saved, but whom God took out, Lot and his family. Therefore, say I, bless God for election, we had been undone else to a man. And shall not this affect? Oh, despise not election! therein lies all your hope, that there is a remnant shall infallibly be saved.
After this narration of the angels, suppose that the case of us men were res integra‚ and that we were still in that happy estate God at first created our first parents, and us with him, and were you now all as holy as Adam was—I will make that supposition—yet the case of us was but the same for changeableness, and would have been the same in the issue with that of the fallen angels, who are besides the weaker creatures of the two, and in that respect more subject to mutability.
So as suppose Adam had stood, by the assistance of the power vouchsafed him by the covenant of works, so long till he had put us forth an holy seed, yet we must all have then personally stood upon our own single bottoms, which himself did at first stand (shall I say, or fall?) upon, and so been in the same continual danger to drop away from God one after another. And as for that if he had stood, that both he and we should have been immutably confirmed in grace,
as the good angels, there was no such promise made either to him or us under that his covenant and state by creation; for if there had, it must have been by election-grace super-added to the covenant of works, which in the case of the angels is said to be; and if so, then promises proper to election must be supposed made to works of creation and the covenant thereof, and so grace be brought into works, founded upon works, which the apostle in Rom. 11:6 makes incompatible: 'And if by grace‚ then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work.'
But I will make this further supposition, that if we in that state had heard that there was an election of grace, such as the holy angels stood by, whether would you have stuck and betook yourself unto creation-holiness barely, with the mutability of it, or election of grace for the way of your eternal salvation? Were I as perfect as Adam, I promise you I would for my part betake myself to that of election, that super-creation privilege, [rather] than adventure my eternal condition in any free-will holiness, were it never so perfect.
Well, but we all with his holiness soon miscarried, we are irrecoverably (as of ourselves) fallen by it; yet there is a fancy that hath possessed the minds of men, and hath run down throughout all ages of the world,—nothing can root out or dispossess men of it, neither constant experience, nor the view of the ruins of the generality of mankind that have perished by it,—and it is this, that if God doth set up the will and heart of man by furnishing it with new helps and assistances, vamp or recruit this old degenerate frame with fresh and new supplies, that then their wills may make a second hopeful venture to obtain, although no such election-grace (as our doctrine sets forth) should be superadded nor strike in, to work the will and deed itself overcomingly on their hearts, or undertake for them invincibly so to work. And the use as to this respect which they make is, that Christ should have been, 1, intended (as a second
Adam), for he was to purchase the pardon of sins; 2, to purchase helps for all; 3, and to give grace and assistance so far as they may, if
they will use those helps well, with promise that if they do, and by these come to believe and be converted, then, 4, God's electing grace comes upon them, and then it is he chooseth them to eternal life, upon the intuition of this good usage of their wills; election only follows hereupon, and hath no influence at all afore their wills have cast it thus; if God would but set up the will and heart of man anew, vamp this old, worn, and degenerate frame, assist it and furnish it with new helps and advantages.
And thus men will needs wilfully perish a second time, by venturing to sea again in that rotten leaking old vessel, their own free wills, in which and by which they shipwrecked so miserably once before, when they had wind and tide, and a new vessel, strong, and tight, and well built, with all other advantages to have preserved her; but this their will being pilot, so steered as all was cast away, and yet they will adventure to sea again therein. Adam's will had, besides the concurrence of God's assistance (such as was sufficient), an inward principle of habitual and inherent holiness, the image of God as a vital principle of motion within him, whereby not only to he able to act holily, but which also as a weight or pondus did sway and incline his will to act holily, even as sin dwelling in us doth, as a weight bung on, incline us now to evil.
But, alas, there is now that vast difference and disadvantage in our case, beyond, infinitely beyond, what was in his as to these respects; that instead of a perfect holiness possessing and inclining the will and mind, there is no such vital habitual principle in our hearts left; nay, an utter disability unto what is spiritual, holy, and good; yea, contrary enmity and opposition there is unto 'holiness in truth,' as the apostle calls it. Men err, not knowing the power of original sin, nor the depth of corruption that is in their own hearts. The will of man now is the prime and proper seat of sin, and the throne thereof is seated therein. And as no prince's will, in full and actual possession of regal power, can be brought by ordinary or any persuasions to be willing, much less to be indifferent, to be dethroned, so nor may we think that sin in our wills will upon easy
terms lay down his crown: 'The flesh is enmity to God, and is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be,' says the apostle. The will and mind, and whole heart of man, must first have that corruption which is in possession dethroned from its dominion, and then the same vital habitual principle of inherent holiness created in it anew: 'A new heart and a new spirit' must be given it, and 'a heart of stone taken away' (whereof with the affections the will is the subject, as the reins are of the other stone in our bodies). The will and affections are the seat of this spiritual stone, and as incapable to act one holy act as the stone in the kidney is to act an action of life or vital motion. They must be made an heart of flesh that hath a new life, and sense, &c., given it, and thereby that which must be the cause and subject of any one the least such living operation, otherwise you may as well 'gather grapes of thorns, and figs of thistles, as good fruit of a corrupt tree.' Mat. 7:16, 17, 'The tree must therefore be made good ere its fruit can be made good,' as Christ (the root) hath told us. Mat. 12:33, 'Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.' And what are all those helps they talk of, either that τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, that light of God from the works of creation which God gave to heathens of himself, Rom. 1; or the light of conscience, of the law, Rom. 2; and a natural devotion suited to it in the will and affection, whereby men have a reverence and addiction to a Deity, accompanied with impressions of moral honesty
(which we call virtue); and let these be impregnated with the light of the law and gospel, delivered with all the signs with which God once did enforce the law, and Christ the gospel, yet the corrupt will will inwardly and habitually be a corrupt will still. And though all these helps, with the assistance from God they speak of, may stir and affect it, yet they will never be able to write the holy and spiritual law in the heart in new and living characters, and dispositions conformable and suitable unto the inward holiness of it, unless God put forth an omnipotent power and efficacy to change it. All the helps they speak of, they are all short and deficient; helpers of no value, as in Job
30:13. A refiner or chemist may as soon, by his common earthly fire, with the mixtures and arts he useth, sublimate a clod of earth or a
globe of brass into a star, such as are in heaven, as these helps, and the use of them all, can take away the innate corruption of the will, and make it spiritual, or endow it with a spiritual life; for nothing works above the sphere of its activity. Those helps, elevated with the aforesaid light of the law and gospel, and enforced with outward signs and wonders to the utmost, and accompanied with a striving power of the Holy Ghost, may wonderfully stir, and affect, and demulce this will of man; but if God do not over and above endow it with a new principle of inherent holiness and workmanship created to good work, it will be still utterly unable to bring forth one act that is pleasing to the holy God.
This truth was experimented both under the law and gospel. The Jews at Sinai had God's voice uttering the law to them. You have the manner of it both in Exodus, and in brief recapitulated by Moses:
Deut. 5:22–28, 'These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and added no more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness (for the mountain did burn with fire), that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of the tribes, and elders; and ye said,
Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory, and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of our God any more, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say; and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it, and do it. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the Lord said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.' And yet all this did not change the will, nor give the generality of that people an heart spiritually to
obey; for in the next words, ver. 29, God himself doth thereupon make this remark upon it, 'Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!'
And again, at last, Deut. 29:2–4, 'And Hoses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles. Yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.'
Not their wills only remained as they were, but they had not understandings enlightened with spiritual light, spiritually to discern and perceive the holiness in truth that was therein.
The case and condition of the whole world I gave instance in afore.
They had all those helps, with the advantages of time and improvement of them, living so many years. They had also the Spirit of God striving with them, Gen. 6:3, and the righteousness of the gospel preached with power, from the assistance and concurrence of the divinity of Christ, appearing in it with power; of whom yet Peter, by the Holy Ghost, declares, 1 Peter 3:8, 'Christ,' says he, 'being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit' (namely, of his
Godhead); ver. 19, 'By which also' (that Spirit, namely) 'he went and preached to the spirits in prison' (that is, that are now in hell), 'which sometimes in the days of Noah were disobedient' unto that Noah's preaching the gospel to them, with which Christ's Spirit had gone forth and preached in and by Noah to them. And yet, with all these helps of free-will grace (as we may call it), they remained flesh, or unregenerate and ungodly, as Moses in Gen. 6 and the same Peter tells us; yea, an whole 'world of ungodly' ones, 2 Peter 2:5, and but one Noah with his family were saved. And how came that to pass, but as God says of him, 'Noah hath found grace in my sight;' answerable unto 'By grace you are saved,' as the apostle to the elect Ephesians, chap. 1:4, 5 compared with chap. 2:4, 5, whilst the world round about them continued 'dead in trespasses and in sins' (with all their helps,
that could not quicken them), Eph. 2:1–4. I might go over the instances in Christ's and the apostles' times, wherein you would see the same issue; but let these suffice.
Only because some may perhaps inquire, that if the wills and affections of these Jews were really affected and stirred, then they had the power to will and to turn; and wherein were these helps defective then, and not sufficient?
The answer is, that they still wanted a power spiritually to will and discern, as hath been said. Their wills remained still in their native corruption, and had not new inherent habitual power infused into them, without which they could not will any one act truly good. This habitual change of heart is that new heart which God complained was wanting, even whilst, and in the midst of their being so affected.
The will of man is, as was said, the proper seat of sin; and the strength of that sin, that is therein seated, is the predominancy of self-love; and that self-love remaining in its predominancy, is that which the Scriptures do term flesh, as well as any other lust. And this self in the will remaining still in its predominancy, as it doth until a new principle of holiness towards God chiefly be infused, may be affected with many things, both in Jaw and gospel. And from out of that principle so affected and stirred, man's will may use those helps and assistances, and act accordingly; and so the issue falls as it did afore; that the heart and will remaining a thorn as afore, and not turned into a fig-tree, you cannot gather figs on it. There is a work, and it is the highest work, of the word and gospel, that is short of saving; it is a work accompanying the word and Spirit, which greatly affects the heart, so as to suffer persecution, and yet is short of a saving work, or of the heart its being made the 'good ground,' and an 'honest heart.' It is the 'thorny ground,' as Christ in the parable hath told us, that though the word took root in it, yet it changed not the thorns, but was the thorny ground still; and so the heart remaining inwardly such, is therefore in all it brings forth, plainly said to be unfruitful: Mark 4:19, 'And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in,
choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful;' yea, ver. 7, 'to yield no fruit.' Why? For all actings of the heart, though about things spiritual, that are only for a man's self, are said to be 'no fruit to God:' Hosea 10:1, 'Israel is an empty vine, that bringeth forth fruit to itself;' which whilst it doth only for and to itself, self-love then is said to continue in its predominancy. And it is said, that regeneration is
'not of the will of the flesh,' John 1:13, that is, of the will still remaining flesh, which yet it is, though a man be never so much affected with what the word delivers, if his will and affection be moved chiefly or only by what affects self-love, without having an higher principle ingenerated or begotten in it by election-grace. And therefore no wonder if the apostle says, 'It is not of him that runs, or him that wills;' for men's wills may be greatly moved and incited unto a running, which is the swiftest motion, and yet be deficient of regeneration. So that to conclude;— One of the foundation causes of this error, doating on this free-will grace, is, that whilst they imagine such helps and assistances as they define may give a το posse‚ a power to turn, &c., leaving it to the will to cast the act, they withal do suppose the will to remain a principle in itself, as it were inclinable in itself unto spiritual good, and able to move to good, if its shackles were once off, and that the knowledge of God and the gospel doth but once visit it, and come in, and that the Spirit presents the motives thereof to it, in a way of persuasion, &c.
Oh, but I demand who or what shall create a new principle of holiness, 'a new spirit' in the will, and take the 'heart of stone' out of it? Until which be done, the will is the most averse principle, and fullest of enmity, both to God and his law, in the spiritualness and true holiness of them, and cannot rise or act (though never so much otherwise affected) beyond the sphere of its own inward activity, as no creature else we see can do; as a stone will not ascend upward, but whilst it is moved by force, and some outward hand that throws it out, for it hath not a natural principle thereto, as fire hath. But this is not all that goes unto calling, to give a new spirit of habitual holiness, and then assist it in acting, but so far as Adam's holiness was assisted by the law of creation; and that it is the most which the highest of
free-willers do desire of God, to be out of his grace assisted withal.
Nor are these all that the omnipotent power of God is laid forth upon in our calling, and afterwards in keeping us; but there is an exceeding greatness of power concurs to every act or work that is good and holy all along, even the same that wrought in Christ his rising from the dead, according to that Eph. 1:19, 20, 'And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,' &c. It is not such an assistance only as Adam had, but as Christ had in rising from the dead. A principle of holiness, though it be a disposition and inclination to holiness, may and doth lie dead, and besides, is clogged and hindered in its motion with a weight of sin that is contrary to it in us (read Rom. 7:23, 24); if electing grace strikes not in with an omnipotent sweetness (as Austin's word is), or an invincible secret power (for by that place now quoted, the saints are not always sensible of the greatness of it) that draws this will and its principle of holiness into act. And upon the Spirit's drawing forth, and carrying on, the actings of holiness in us, it is that Austin, and Jansenius out of him, do set the crown, as that which is the complete eminency of efficacious grace; for since the fall, all other helps are short of causing us to act, though holiness be dwelling in us without effecting power. The promise therefore is not only to give a new heart, as in Ezek. 36:26, 'A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh;' but it further follows, ver. 27, 'And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them;' that is, I will work in you the act itself also, even the will and the deed.
Now the giving of this new heart, &c., in which doth consist the mark of the true inward power, is the proper fruit of election-grace, and of that alone, with difference from what this free-will grace, as it is stated by these men, doth suppose necessary; and the covenant of grace (which is the transcript of election-decrees indefinitely
expressed) runs in those terms, 'a new heart will I give you, and a new spirit,' &c., Ezek. 36:26. And thereupon also it is that electiongrace doth always infallibly and invincibly, at one time or another, work this by effectual calling in those it bath predestinated, as many
Scriptures shew; as Rom. 8:28, 30, 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.' And in Rom.
9, in the case of Jacob, he speaks thus, 'That the purpose of God according to the election might stand, not of works' (wrought by free will), 'but of him that calleth.' Which shews that God, having from everlasting first elected, doth manifest the firmness of that his purpose to save by effectual calling, as he did in Jacob, by virtue of election. The same you have also confirmed towards the conclusion of his discourse about election, in the same chapter. Having just afore said, ver. 23, 'That he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory;' he immediately subjoins, as adequate thereto, ver. 24, 'Even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.' As if he had said, even us whom he hath thus ordained by electing mercy, to make known the riches of his glory upon, are those that are called, and likewise those that shall be. So as let no man think that when we say, 'the election hath obtained it,' that we should mean, that the elect by election only, without an effectual work of calling, doth obtain. No; none that are grown up to years of knowledge but God calleth if he hath elected them; and by calling, endows them with a new heart, and a new spirit (as hath been spoken).
Also, understand between, that when the apostle speaks of election grace, Rom. 11:6, we confine it not to those purposes of grace in God's mind from everlasting, but take in that operative grace in calling, as comprehended under it, the whole grace in calling us in that election grace in the test; for election set it a-work, and did design it. And the same election grace is that which runs along, and is immediately at the head of calling, &c., it is the same grace. The
one is the grace of purposing, as it is abstractly considered in the decree and intention; the other in calling is the grace of execution.
My conclusion from all this therefore is, that we, the fallen sons of men, would see and be convinced of the necessity of this election grace, so far beyond what the draught of their free-will grace sets forth, as which if God had not peremptorily resolved in his purposes to put forth to work in us, to save those of mankind whom he chose; or if less than this, not any of mankind had obtained; but now the election, through the operation of this grace, hath and doth obtain salvation to a man. And do you in reason consider, that there being but those two ways to obtain salvation by, ever started or pretended unto by the sons of men; and all being reducible to one of these two, as in the fore-cited text, Rom. 11:6, you see works (the head and principle of which is man's will, acting in and by itself) and election grace, divide them into these two, and do but set them in opposition one to the other, as the Scriptures likewise throughout; both which the apostle hath summed up in that short sentence, 'It is not of him that runs, nor of him that wills, but of God who sheweth mercy;' namely, the true and right act of willing and running by an election grace (and election grace is his argument there in hand), round about, and afore, and after. For otherwise, without running and willing no man is saved: as in Philip. 3:12, 13, 'Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ
Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.' Our salvation is wrought out by God's giving the will and the deed. If, then, the first hath failed them that have betaken themselves unto it, and never no man was yet saved by it (as hath been already declared), nor could be for the reasons aforesaid, and that the Scriptures still cry, and peremptorily, 'Not by works,' and then positively and conclusively, by being 'called with an holy calling, according to his purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world begun,' then let us not only be convinced, but further adore and bless God for this election grace, without which also Christ had died in vain, and not saved a
man, and been in heaven alone, to lament that be had come short in this work, by having omitted to put in one clause into his covenant in dying, viz., that besides his purchase of helps, whereby men might be saved if they would, he had not further purchased an invincible overcoming of their wills for whom he died, but had left to the will of man itself, to use or not to use those according to the pleasure of their wills, and had not meritoriously also procured of God efficaciously to work the will and the deed, 'according to his good pleasure.' And so Christ should be left to satisfy himself with this relief, that he had done his part, but the obstructions lay in man's will, that would not put forth the act of willing, though he had given them sufficiency of helps to do it. Yea, God himself must have suspended, and have forborne his dearest delight and highest first blessing, as Eph. 1:4, 5, viz., the exercise of his electing grace,
'according to the good pleasure of his will' towards any, until man's will had first used those helps well, and put itself forth into willing out of its liberty to act, or not to act; and so all electing grace might have been for ever frustrated. All which necessarily follows, that it might thus have been, upon the doctrine of free-will grace, if the way thereof had been God's way for salvation; and if that God should have kept to the laws thereof, which men have set for the salvation of themselves and others. But, oh! blessed and thrice blessed be he, the God of all grace, who foreseeing all this, peremptorily struck in with an election grace, whereby to be sure he would save some, whom ho had afore by election given to Christ, who a few hours afore his death professeth to die for all that God gave him, John 17.
Use. Now, then, we may enter a just complaint against the world, that although election grace is thus necessary unto salvation, yet all the thanks God hath from the unthankful sons of men, ignorant of their own interest, and the ways of God, is, for him to be quarrelled at for this his election, in that he took not all, as well as some (for in so much as they quarrel with those that hold it, they quarrel with God himself therein, even as Christ said, 'In that ye did it to those, ye did it unto me'); that whereas God before the fall was free of any obligations unto the creature, but those by the laws of creation,
which he exactly performed, and yet notwithstanding man fell; and whereas by the fall he was absolutely quit and discharged of all obligations to men, by the forfeitures of the dues and assistances by all the laws of God due to them; yea, and on the contrary, was by his justice provoked to damn them, that it had been infinite grace to save, though but one man; yet these would impose upon him a necessity to give forth a common grace, and that he should purpose upon free-will terms to save all, or else with them, it is not grace to mankind, nor worth the name of it; so zealous are they in pretence for their own nature. Whereas, on the contrary, according to their draught of what is their common grace, when all is summed up, and it comes unto the event, it would not save a man; corruption in man is so strong, and their assisting grace which they propose is so weak.
I do not say that those that hold that way of free-will grace, none of them are saved; but this I say, if God should deal with them but only according to their own model and draught, to the measure and proportion of that grace and the works of it, which they do judge sufficient, that work would not save a man of them, if God should not out of grace work beyond the extent of their opinions. It is as if the angels should have said, out of zeal to their common natures, that because God has let go so many of us, that is our nature, to fall, whom he did not choose, but suffered to perish eternally, that therefore we will not accept that grace of election by which we stand, and which was offered us at first for confirmation of us.
But this is not all, viz., this unthankfulness, but there is an higher encroachment made upon God in their denying him this way of salvation by election, and an entrenchment made upon his freedom;
I do not now say, upon his sovereignty. They will not allow him the ordinary privilege of choice, to and for himself, of whom he will.
They would restrain him in what is ordinarily the privilege of kings, yea, of all men. They allow to every man to choose their wives, because they choose for themselves; to choose their friends, because it is for themselves. The Persians allowed it as a due and just maxim,
'What shall be done to the man whom the king will honour?' They allow to kings to have their friends and bosom favourites, as
Solomon had Zabud, 1 Kings 4:5, that is called the king's friend; yet they quarrel with God if he chooses Abraham to be his friend, unless it be with a respective decree, that he foresees he will be so through the creature's free will. They quarrel with him that ho chooses the seed of Abraham his friend, as Isaiah 41:8, 'But thou Israel art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,' as rather than others; where as it is in his freedom to choose the person, so it is in his power to make that person his friend, and work him so to be.
Yea, and in this they quarrel with him that he should bestow what is properly his own, which to give and communicate as a man pleases is an allowed principle by all the sons of men. Now there is nothing so much his own as election grace; yea, and is purely his own, without any pretence of a dueness upon creation, or any the like condition from the creatures, for it is the bestowing himself. It is to admit them to see his face immediately, which election grace ends in, and creation grace reached not unto. Now the promise made to Adam it is* to carry the will of a creature on invincibly to love himself, who hath an overcoming sweetness and goodness in himself, when he shall but manifest it to the creature, invincibly to persuade it omnipotente suavitate‚ as Austin's word is. The super-creation grace is most properly his own riches, and called 'the riches of his grace. To give holiness to Adam was a creation due; but to give grace and glory, which election doth, this was a super-creation grace to Adam as it was to the angels. Our Saviour Christ enforceth that maxim that is so common amongst men: Mat. 25:15, 'Shall not a man do what he will with his own?' Now this grace was so his own as no creature could lay claim to it. As in the city freedoms one-third of a man's estate his wife may claim; another third his children, but they have reserved a liberty that one-third part is so their own as to bestow it where they please, and in this case yourselves would think much to he deprived of this privilege, or that laws must be set you how you must bestow that third part you call appropriately your own. Now, is not God's grace God's own? Why is it called free? As the Israelite 'limited the holy One of Israel,' so these would do the gracious One of Israel.