Chapter 35. Of the Degrees of Executing God's Decree of Election.
A GOLDEN CHAIN
Chapter 35. Of the Degrees of Executing God's Decree of Election.
We have, up to here, declared the outward means by which God's decree is executed. Now follow the degrees of executing it.
The degrees are two in number. The love of God, and the declaration of His love. Eph 1.6, To the praise of the glory of His grace, with which he has made us accepted in His blood, verse 9, and has opened to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He has purposed in him.
God's love is that by which God freely loves all those who are chosen in Christ Jesus, though in themselves, they are altogether corrupt. 1Joh 4.19, We loved Him because He loved us first. Rom 5.8, God sets out His own love towards us, seeing that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Verse 10, For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
The declaration of God's love is twofold. The first is towards infants elected to salvation; the second is towards men of riper years.
The declaration of God's love towards infants is in this manner.
Infants already elected, while in the womb of their mother before they are born, or shortly after, who depart this life, are in a secret and unspeakable way, ingrafted into Christ by God's Spirit, and obtain eternal salvation. 1Cor 12.13, By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Grecians, bond or free, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. Luk
1.35, The Angel answered and said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Most
WILLIAM PERKINS
High shall overshadow you. Therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of you, shall be called the Son of God. Verse 41, And it came to pass, as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe sprang in her belly, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.
Verse 64, And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke and praised God. Verse
80, And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit. Jer 1.5, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you.
I call the manner of infants' salvation secret and unspeakable because, I. They lack actual faith to receive Christ. For actual faith necessarily presupposes a knowledge of God's free promise, which he that believes applies to himself.
But infants cannot in any possible way perform this.
And surely, if infants were to have actual faith, they generally either lose it when they become grown men, or at least show no signs of it, both of which they could not do, if they had received actual faith before. No, we see that in those of riper years, there are not so much as the shadows or sparks of faith to be seen, before they are called by the preaching of the Gospel.
II. Infants are said to be regenerated only in regard to their internal qualities and inclinations, not in regard to any inclinations or actions of the mind, will, or affections. And therefore they lack those terrors of conscience which come before repentance, as occasions of it in those who are of riper years of discretion. Again, they are not troubled with that conflict and combat between the flesh and the spirit, with which those faithful ones who are of more years are marvelously exercised.