The Doctrine of Justification, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAPTER III.
HAving now conſidered the places where the decree of God is moſt properly deſcribed, wee are next out of them to marke what is the ſubſtance of it, which is cleerly ſett downe to conſiſt in three thinges.
The firſt is, The Perſons who are ordayned.
The ſecond is, The thing wherevnto they are ordayned.
The third is, The Meane whereby they are to receive that wherevnto they are ordayned.
Touching the perſons, they are deſcribed in the 8. Chap, to the Rom. from Gods foreknowledge or purpoſe, where it is ſaid, Thoſe whom he knew before, them alſo he predeſtinated: and therefore is it that predeſtination is ſaid to be according to the purpoſe of God, Ephe. 1. verſ. 11. And to the ſame effect election is ſaid to be according to the foreknowledge of God, 1. Pet. 1. 1. and 2. And this is that ſure foundation of God which never fayleth: as ſayeth the Apoſtle to Timoth. the 2. Epiſt. chap. 2. v. 19. whereof alſo Iames ſpeaketh Act. 15. 18. as the ground of the calling of the Gentiles to the participation of grace with the Iewes: when he ſayth, from the beginning of the world God knoweth all his owne workes. Which two places, lead vsus to the conſideration of theſe two things: Firſt, that the foreknowledge of God, or his purpoſe doth comprehend the determinate and complete number of all that are predeſtinate, and according thereto effectually called. Secondly, that thoſe who are ſo called, that is according to Gods purpoſe or foreknowledge, doe remayne ſure, and never can ſo fall away from grace and from the trueth of God, that they ſhould erre frō the marke. But heere it is not my purpoſe to ſpeake more of the perſons that are ordayned: becauſe heereafter we wil have occaſion at greater length to entreat of them.
The ſecond thing in the ſubſtance of Gods Decree to be conſidered of vsus, is that wherevnto they are ordeyned, which by the Apoſtle is called Adoption, that is ſonneſhip or filiation. When he ſayeth, he hath predeſtinated vsus vntounto adoption: which benefire implieth all the reſt, which conſiſt in theſe things whereof we are made partakers in the ſonne of God: to make vsus conforme to his Image both in death and life, in ſuffering and reigning with him. Which as we hauehave ſaid, appeareth evidently by that other deſcription of predeſtinatiō ſet downe in the 8, chap. to the Rom. where it is ſaid, that he hath predeſtinated vsus to be made like to the Image of his Sonne. Whereby it is evident that the thing, whereto firſt and principally we are predeſtinate, is to be ſonnes, by adoption: and ſecondarily in and vnderunder that adoption, we are, by infallible conſequent, predeſtinate, to bee made like vntounto the only Sonne of God. For firſt we are made Gods ſonnes in his ſonne: & then we are made like Gods ſonne, in his ſonne, for the conforming of vsus vntounto Chriſt, ſucceedeth not only in order, but alſo in ſome reſpect, in time, vntounto our being ſonnes in him, according to that ſaying of Iohn, in his 1. Epiſt. chap. 3. verſ. 2. We are now the ſonnes of God, but yet it is not made manifeſt, what we ſhalbe: and we knowe that when hee shalbe made manifeſt, we shalbe made like him, for we shall ſee him as he is. And to the ſame effect ſpeakes the Apoſtle to the Coloſſians, chap. 3. verſ. 3. and 4. ſaying, That we are dead, and that our life is hid with Christ in God: and when Chriſt, who is our life, shall appeare, then shall we alſo appeare with him in glorie.
For this ground is to be well marked, that the likening of vsus who are made ſonnes in Chriſt, requireth neceſſarily, the manifeſtation of Chriſt vntounto vsus, to goe before in the ſame bleſſings, wherein we are to be made like vntounto him. For as to make vsus ſonnes by adoption, requireth neceſſarily the revelation of Ieſus Chriſt, as the ſonne of God vntounto vsus: ſo the conforming of vsus vntounto him, either in death or life, requireth neceſſarily that he be manifeſted to vsus in his death and croſſe, and in his life and glorie. Therefore doth Peter in his 1. Epiſt. chap. 1. verſ. 13. aſcribe the bringing of all grace to vsus, vntounto the revelation of IESVS Chriſt, ſaying: Truſt perfectly in that grace which is brought vntounto you, in the revelation of Ieſus Chriſt. And of this it commeth to paſſe, that in this preſent life, we are in ſome meaſure made like vntounto Chriſt, in the communion of the benefites flowing from his death and ſuffering, and his reſurrection from the death: becauſe he hath alreadie appeared to vsus in theſe things. But in this life, we are not, neither ſhalbe made like vntounto him in his glorie, which followeth the reſurrection frō the dead: becauſe in that, we cannot be made conforme vntounto him; vntill that he appeare vntounto vsus againe, in glorie. but we reſt in full aſſurance of it: becauſe of our conformitie in his death, alreadie begunne. For as ſayth the Apoſtle Rom. 6. 5. If we hauehave bene planted with him vntounto the ſimilitude of his death, we shall alſo be planted with him to the ſimilitude of his reſurrection. And this aſſurance made the Apoſtle Paul, to labour above all things, to know Chriſt, and the vertue of his reſurrection, and the fellowship of his ſufferings, in being made conforme to his death, Phil. 3. 10. becauſe as in the ſame place he declareth by that cōformitie, vntounto his death, he did know, that he ſhould attayne vntounto the reſurrection from the dead: that is, the glorious and immortall eſtate in all perfection, which the Saints doe enioy, in the reſurrection from the dead. In reſpect of this ground, it is, that firſt & principally, as we hauehave ſaid, we are predeſtinate vntounto adoption, as vntounto that wherein Chriſt is firſt of all to be manifeſted vntounto vsus: and in the communion whereof, is builded and grounded, our communion with him, in all other things, wherein he is heereafter to be revealed vntounto vsus: to this ende that we may bee made like vntounto him.
This is one of the mayne pointes, chiefly to be marked, in the conſideration of the ſubſtance of Gods Decree. Which not being rightly conceyved, maketh that not onelyonly the Decree of God it ſelfe, is miſtaken by many: but alſo that the benefites of God in Chriſt, are both wrongly defined, and ordered, and ſpecially the benefite of Iuſtification: as heereafter wee will ſee more cleerly.