chose him And the Apostle John 1 Ep. 4.10 sayes this is love not that we loved God first but that he loved us and for that reason sent his Son not as foreseeing our Affection but as pursuing the Intent and procuring in us the Effects of his own And the Apostle Paul doth every where assert Faith to be a Fruit and not a Cause of Election that we are chosen unto Good Works not for them i. e that they who are Predestined shall certainly Believe not they who Believe were therefore Predestined which is the summe of his Discourse Eph. 1. So that in the Act of Election men are to be considered as meerly Passive i. e as Creatures not as Believers as such who were liable to be disposed by God how he pleased but had no Possibility of meriting any thing from him This is affirmed of the Israelites in Generall Deut. 7. that God chose them not because they were better or more Righteous then other People but because he set his Heart upon them And lest they should perhaps pride themselves with a Conceit that for their own worth and Excellence this Priviledge was given them they are expressely told there was no such matter for they were a stiffenecked and Rebellious People Deut. 9.6 Able rather to thwart and if possible to undoe Gods Election then to procure it Thus we find Math. 11. that Christ preached the Gospell to Bethsaida and to them of Capernaum who were so far from meriting that our Saviour affirmes of them Sodom and Gomorrah had they enjoyed the like Favour would have been much more repentantant then they And to conclude in Particulars the Apostle Paul handling this very Argument and intending for ever so far as Scripture evidence will reach to silence the Disputer of this World that God alone may have the Glory of his Grace he instances in Jacob who was by Virtue of this Absolute Election preferred before Esau the Temporall Condition serving to shadow out the Eternall for lest any Imagination should arise as if Jacob in himselfe were the more deserving of the Two he saies it was done before any of them had done either Good or Evill Rom. 9.11 And if it should be Asked how it came to passe that one was taken and the other left what did induce God to put such a Difference between Two who were Morally Equall and Naturally Esau was to have the Advantage the Apostle addes that it was done to this End that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Workes but of him that calleth Wherein the Apostle pleading the Cause of Gods Honour and being Jealous of his Prerogative resolveth all things into Gods Purpose and referres us thither to seek the Ultimate Difference of men's either Temporall or Eternall Condition And he that will not acquiesce when he thus finds it written but will bring his Wit to strive and Wrestle against the Will of God he cannot alter that but onely does unhappily evince to himselfe that while he continues that Humor he is not of the Number of Gods Elect for all that are a Willing Humble and Obedient People Against this which hath been urged there is that I know of but one Considerable Objection and that is if the Number of those which shall be saved be limited and Certaine so that there is no Possibility for more how comes it to passe that the Prophets and Apostles are so Importunate with all indifferently to Come in and Repent that they might be saved and God himselfe is often brought in in Scripture chiding and Expostulating with Sinners for destroying themselves and for refusing Salvation which seems to be a Vain and Ludicrous thing if the Number be so Set already that there is no Roome for more This Objection is yet made more Tragicall by the many Heavy charges and Enditements which are drawn up against this as some stile it Partiall and Cruell dealing from the Common Places of Gods Justice and Mercy which men who love themselves are very willing to Enlarge and therefore easily hearken to those who dare declaime upon such Subjects But these Vaine and Empty Flourishes however insoluble they may seeme to some who are guided by the first Impression and sound of Words are of no Importance if we fix Election onely upon Gods Will for this will presently cut off all Witty Cavills if we can prove that God will indeed have it so and therefore I look upon the former Objection as their maine strength because it immediately tends to Practise and seemes to beget this Opinion that Gods Secret and Revealed will do Thwart Contradict each other Therefore I answer 1. That though few shall be saved and those Few determined yet because they are unknown to us we are to look upon all as in a saveable Condition Thus the Prophets and Apostles did in their so frequent and Repeated Instances with those to whom they preached and their Example we are to follow For peremptorily to conclude against any and to deny them the meanes of Salvation because they are not Elected is an Uncharitable Presumption in us which we shall more heavily account for then they will do for their Disobedience and Unbeliefe 2. There is no other way for those who are Elected to come to the Knowledge of the Truth but by a Generall Proposall of it Indifferently to all which is our Saviours meaning in those many Parables which intimate a Promiscuous Call from whence he concludes that though many are Called yet few are Chosen and we may invert the Proposition thus though Few are Chosen yet many must be called In this World the Tares and the Wheat must be equally Tended and though they grow together with some discernable Difference yet it is not the Ministers businesse to make a Finall Sepatation Lastly There is a Twofold end in Preaching the Gospell the first and principall is to bring in Gods Elect but Secondarily it serves to condemne the Reprobate and to make their Damnation Just .. For what can they pleade at the last day to Justifie their Unbeliefe since when they were Called as it were by name yet they did willingly exclude themselves and thereby as the Apostle sayes of the Jewes here judged themselves Vnworthy of Eternall Life Thus the Apostle saies that Gods Divinity and Spirituall Being was discovered in the Creation and if it was asked to what Purpose since so few did either Believe or Worship him as they ought he answers that it was for this End 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.20 That they might have nothing to Pleade no quirke nor Apology left to Excuse their Atheisme and Idolatry And if our Gospell be hid saith he it is Hid to those which are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 discovered to them but hid in them because they do not take paines as they should to search out its inward and Spirituall meaning So we are saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet smelling Sacrifice to God 2 Cor.
to that alone I would resigne and give up my Faith and not willingly suffer my selfe to partake either of their Fate or of their Folly who cannot endure to be Taught but in Spirituall and therefore Inconceivable Things would faine be wise above what is written For that there is a Set and Limited Number appointed to Salvation appeares from Scripture in that God is said to Know who are his 2 Tim. 2 19. i.e. Not their Natures onely but their Names also for therefore our Saviour Luc. 10.20 bids his Apostles rejoyce in that their Names were written in Heaven put into Gods Muster-roll and Catalogue of Eternity from whence they could never be blotted out Known unto the Lord saith the Apostle are all his works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Ever Act. 15.18 i. e. so known as to be disposed and ordered by him nay therefore known because ordered for so to distinguish between Gods Knowledge and his Power as in his Actions ad extrà to separate one from the other is to speake neither Sense nor Scripture for whom God for knew them all them onely them not in their Qualifications but in their Respective persons did he predestine to be conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 Math. 10.30 And if of an Elect person all the Haires are Numbred how much more of Christs Mysticall Body are all the Members numbred which Body is already compleat as to Gods Purpose concerning it and to Imagine that any shall fill a place there whom God doth not already know as particularly as if they were Actually Existing is to measure Eternity by time and to make God like our selves Fraile and Fallible The Reason of this is because every Act of God is Absolute as his Nature is so are the Actions which flow from it Unconditionall and Irrespective For the clearing of which Reason it will be necessary to explaine in the Act of Election 1. How God who Elects 2. How man who is elected are to be Considered For the First Many there be that think God in the Act of Election is to be Considered as a Judge and hence argue against this Absolute and Irrespective Election from those Known and Obvious places of Scriptures Gen. 18.25 Rom. 3.5 Act. 10.30 Shall not the Judge os all the Earth do right shall God accept persons or preferre one before another when all are Equall how is this Reconcileable to his Justice I answer that in the Act of Election God is not to be considered as a Judge because 1. A Judge as a Judge is tied to a Rule which he may not Transgresse but what Rule can be Imagined to Tye God except what he hath set himselfe which in the Act of Election that being Eternall and flowing onely from the Will of God cannot rationally be supposed 2. The Businesse of a Judge as a Judge is to Bestow Rewards and Punishments according to Merit but in Election the Motive onely on Gods part is Grace and the End is Glory 3. God is not at all Obliged to Man he that made man may freely appoint him to what Ends he pleases without doing him any Injury for hath not the Potter power over his Clay though for a man to plead with God in this Case is somewhat a worse Solecisme then for Clay to quarrell with the Potter Since there Matter strives only with its Fashioner but here Nothing contends with its Maker There the Clay though it be not a vessell of Honour yet remaines Clay still but here not the Quality only but the Substance likewise is subject to the Pleasure of its Framer Lastly The Apostle being to give a Reason of this Difference between one man and another ascribes it altogether to Gods good pleasure and for a Proofe of that Assertion he alledges a Saying of God himselfe Rom. 9.15 I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy So that the Act of God in chusing some to Everlasting Life and refusing others is not an Act of Justice for they neither did nor could deserve it nor is it properly an Act of Mercy for that any should be saved at all was meerly from Mercy but that these rather then others was not properly from Mercy ' because Mercy is Equall to all that Equally deserve it or Equally stand in need of it but here between Equalls a distinction is made Election therefore is an Act of Soveraigne Will the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.5 The good pleasure of Gods will which as none can resist so none ought to Question for neither is Man stronger than God nor ought he to think himselfe Wiser Thus God in the Act of Election is not to be Considered ut Judex sed ut Dominus as a Judge but as a Soveraigne For the second viz. how the Persons who are Elected are to be Considered Some affirme they are to be looked upon as Believers viz. That God foreseeing some would embrace Faith and Salvation when it was offered them he did therefore chuse some unto Everlasting Life And this Conceit is not onely maintained by our Moderne Arminians but that I may not seeme to mince the matter was in generall the opinion of almost all the Greeke and Latine Fathers except only Austine of the Primitive and Purer Times They who have read them will affirme as much and they who doubt may read their Sayings to this Purpose faithfully Collected by Vossius in his Historia Pelagiana But this Supposition however Plausible as indeed what is not that gives man a Power and though backed with so much Authority yet seems to me to be directly contrary both to Reason and Scripture First to Reason because 1. This puts something as a Cause to move Gods will for if Faith foreseen in man were the Cause why God chose him then something without God shall have an Influence upon him which certainly is very Absurd if not Blasphemus for if God shall be supposed to take a Reason of his Actings from something without himselfe that thing must needs alter him and consequently be greater than he Secondly because this very Faith thus foreseen is the Gift of God as the Apostle affirmes Eph. 2.8 and none that I know deny it so that if Faith foreseen were the Cause of chusing any the Decree of God must thus be ordered I foresee that I will give such a one Faith therefore I decree that I will save him i.e. I decree to give the meanes before I have yet appointed the End which is a Method of Marshalling Gods Decrees that a knowing Heathen would be ashamed to think of More might be urged but I hasten to Scripture Confutation we find our Saviour sayes of his Disciples which who sees not how Applicable it is to all the Elect that he chose them they had not chosen him Joh. 15.16 but if Faith foreseen were a Cause he must have said the cleane contrary for then he would have chosen them because they had first
Workes whether good or bad for Jacob was loved and Esau hated even before they had done either good or Evill vers 11. This Doctrine so much detracting from the merit and thereby abasing the pride of man the Apostle foresaw would not be easily digested and therefore he Repeats and Answers the most obvious of those objections which were likely upon a rationall account to be made against it and which in short doe containe the summe of whatever can be urged in this point The first Objection is couched vers 14. What shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God As if the Apostle had said You may object if it be so that the reason why one man believes and another doth not and consequently that one man shall be saved and another damned be only from God's Election and not from their merit doth not this argue some unrighteousnesse in God a kind of injust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or respect of Persons thus to preferre one man before another For as all men are equall by nature so it seemes to be most just and reasonable that they should be equall in condition too not this vast difference as to their finall estate to be put between thē without any desert or merit of the parties To the Objection thus framed the Apostle returnes a double Answer 1. In a phrase of abhorrency Is there unrighteousnesse with God God forbid let not such a thought enter into our hearts for whatever the issue of Gods dealings may be yet as to the cause of thē this foundation standeth sure that God is righteous in all his doings and will be justified when he is judged 2. By instancing in the example of Pharaoh whom God saith he raised for this very purpose to manifest His Glory from whence the Apostle concludes v. 18. That God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth i. that we are not to looke for any outward cause of Gods actings for he is not tied to mans endeavour since all our good is from him and therefore can merit nothing at his hands He ordaines happinesse and bestowes holinesse on whom he pleases they are both free-gifts we cannot naturally deserve the one nor are we willing to desire the other God therefore hardens i. He lets the sinner be a sinner still he doth not remove the stone but le ts men persist and goe on in their naturall hardnesse for he is not obliged to his creature but acts all things both in mercy or otherwise according to the Dictates of his Absolute Soveraigne and Vnaccountable Will This Answer being so strict and severe as leaving the greatest part of mankind in an hopelesse and irrecoverable conditiō it is objected again v. 19 Thou wilt then say unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will i. If it be so that it is not in him that wills nor in him that runs but only in God that showes mercy if by any action of ours barely as such we can neither merit Heaven nor escape Hell if our wills are tyed up so close to the will of God that like lesser wheeles they move onely as that great mover doth guide them then why is God so Angry with sin and sinners Why doth he forbid dehort and threaten by his Prophets To what end serve all those examples of vengeance which we tremble to read of for if it be so with us we may be miserable but we cannot be sinfull if our spirits be put into an unsuitable frame so as that we walke contrary to God it is our sad necessity and not our fault since none can alter much lesse resist the will of God which alone hath made us so And now the Objection being pressed to such a degree of impiety that it doth tacitely lay the guilt of all mens Transgressions upon God the Apostle thinkes it high time to cut off all farther Arguing which he doth in these words Nay but what art thou O man who repliest against God As if he had said Dost thou know who thou art thou bold inquisitive creature or who it is thou dealest with Consider that thou art but a man and wilt thou question thy Maker's Justice Forbeare vaine presumptuous man stand off and lay thy hand upon thy mouth for God is in the Bush God is at the bottome of this dispute and therefore admire with reverence what thou canst not comprehend with reason So that the words are a short but yet sharpe confutation of all carnall reasonings in the matters of God such Debates are evinced not onely to be sinfull but likewise unreasonable by a threefold Argument lying in these words 1. The first is taken from the meannesse and contemptiblenesse of the person disputing and that is man The Apostle brings him in with a Quis Tu What art Thou as if he was of so slight a make and value that he fell under no definition What art thou O man 2. From the Greatnesse and Incomprehensible Excellence of the Person disputed against and that is God a name able to strike dumbe and coufound the most exalted reason What art thou O man who disputes against God 3. From the Absurd Sawcy and Malapert manner of carrying on the Dispute it is not modestly making an Objection or proposing a doubt and so away but a resolved persisting in the Cavill a kind of challenging God to vy Arguments with him The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To answer againe and againe never to give over to chop Logick with God to seek to nonplus him and to drive his Almighty Power and Wisdome to an absurdity So that here is man vaine man not disputing but Cavilling and that not with his fellow-creature but with God put all this together Empty Ignorant Wretched Man contesting with a Perfect Wise and Allmighty God and that in such a way too as if Man were the better the wiser of the too Strange folly madnesse impudence this yet whoever gives his reason the reines will resolve to dispute when he should obey must needs be guilty of it The words thus explained and divided may be summed up in this one Proposition or Doctrine viz. Doct. Man in whatever Capacity considered is not a Competent Judge of the Equity and Justice of the proceedings waies and Counsells of God in the dispesing and Ordering of his Creatures This may be demonstrated two waies 1. First from the quality and nature of the Person Judging and that is Man 2. Secondly from the Quality and nature of the things to be judged The Wayes and Counsells of God In the First I shall prove that man is not fit to Judge In the Second I shall prove that the Counsells of God neither do nor can fall under mans Judgement For the First viz. That Man is not fit to Judge it will be cleare if we consider that there are Two things especially requisite to qualify a man to be a Judge 1.
11.13 both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the saved and in the lost i. e. We do God good and acceptable Service when we preach the Word whether it serves to Save or to Condemne for in the one Gods Mercy in the other Gods Justice is manifested Those that come in will find mercy for thereto they were appointed those that stand out shall be sure of Justice because when they were summoned as well as others yet they would not because they would not They did voluntarily contemne the Word of Life and therefore can blame none but themselves if at last they find it a Word of Death If any think this Harsh and Severe I cannot deny but it is so and thus the Apostle thought it Rom. 9.22 when he sayes that God herein did manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Anger as well as his Power Nay he goes somewhat farther and speaking of the same Decree Rom. 11.22 he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Extreme Rigor and sharp Severity of God but from thence he doth not take occasion to enveigh against it as our Bold and Blasphemous disputers doe but concludes as it were in a Rapture v. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the Depth c. As for those many Expressions wherein God is said to declare his willingnesse that All should be saved as 1 Tim. 2.4 c. they may either be Interpreted of Gods will as declared by the Preachers of it which is Indefinite to All that Believe and Repent or else they may be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and spoken after the manner of men in the same sense that God is said to have Eies and Eares and other Bodily Parts whereby he is pleased to render himselfe Intelligible by us For if God did indeed Will the Salvation of All then it is Certaine that All would be saved for God can do whatever he wills but since it is manifest that All are not Saved it is evident likewise that God did not will All should be saved for who hath resisted his Will As for that Velleity i.e. a kind of Longing Wishing or Woulding disposition in God which some rashly bring in to salve their Phenomena by since it is Ineffectuall and consequently Imperfect it is altogether unfit to be ascribed to God for it is nothing else but Infirmity and Want of Power in Man So much for the First Observation D. 2. The second Observation was this that the Reason why one man believes i. e. embraces the meanes of Salvation and another doth not is finally to be resolved into Gods eternall Election of the one and Reprobation of the other or more briefly thus that onely those who are ordained unto eternall Life either do or can believe And the Reason is briefly this because onely those who are designed to the End shall be made effectuall Partakers of the Meanes which leads unto it Thus our Saviour Math. 13. rendring a Reason why some did not understand his Doctrine he gives this because to them it was not given and the Apostle calls the Gospell a Savour of Life onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Saved 1 Cor. 1 i. e. Actually designed to Salvation And the same Apostle exhorting the Thessalonians to Faith and Love he gives this as a Motive 1 Thes 9. because they were not appointed to Wrath but to obtaine Salvation by Jesus Christ Where by the way we may take notice that a Certaine Knowledge of our Eternall Election is so far from hindering any in the Practise of Godlinesse that it is by the Apostle used as an Argument to quicken their Endeavour as if he had said because God hath Appointed you unto Eternall Life therefore labour after the Meanes which leads unto it There is a setled Chaine and Connexion of Causes which do immutably inferre one another To be saved presupposes Obedience That Faith That the Gift of God and that runs up to the Highest Link which is the Grace and Favour of God to every poor believer It is certaine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all have not the Grace because they want the Gift of Faith that being not thrown at Randome on all but reserved as a Peculiar Blessing for Gods chosen ones and them he calls while he leaves others to their Naturall Hardnesse and Impenitence It is not in Vaine or Figuratively spoken onely 2 Cor. 5.17 that every Believer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said to be new borne againe created and Fashioned c. but these Phrases imply this Necessary Truth that as none but those who are created men can put forth the Acts of men and such Creation they could not procure nor contribute to themselves because as yet they were not so none but those who are Created unto Good Workes can live in them because Naturally they want a Principle whereby they should understand or Relish them And this is the Benefit of that Eternall Election whereby God workes in all that he loves all their workes both in them and for them Phil. 2.13 that they might know and Confesse to the praise of his Glorious Grace that it is not in him that Wills nor in him that Runs but only in God that shewes Mercy Rom. 9.16 Before I make any Use I must prevent an Objection which every man Naturally is ready to Urge and not to take Notice of it were to prevaricate with the Truth The Objection is this if it be so that Some and that a Limited Number are Appointed to Life and onely such can believe then it follows that we may live as we list for if we are Appointed to Life we shall be saved God will in his good time Accomplish his Purpose concerning us which all our Endeavour can neither Promote nor Alter To this Objection which most Carnall Minds do not onely Reason but Live by I may Answer as the Apostle did when having asserted the Freenesse of Grace and how altogether undeserved it was on our part he brings in a profane person asking this Question shall we continue in Sin that Grace may Abound Rom. 6. i.e. what shall we put God to it and Try if we can Out-sin the Riches of his Mercy To this the Apostle replies only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it not be or it may not be such a Thought can never arise in any ones Heart who does Truly understand what Mercy meanes So may I say here if any who conceives himselfe Elected shall draw this Conclusion from hence because God hath chosen me and I am sure of my Salvation therefore I will run on and provoke him daiely and strive as it were to blot out and Crosse his Decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou canst not do it thou canst not apprehend that God loved thee with an everlasting loves and singled thee out from the lumpe of mankind when so many millions were to be undone eternally but it will worke upon thee and melt all thy affections into a gratefull returne