Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verse 2
VERS. 2. God hath not caſt away his people which he foreknew.
Here is the third part of Paules anſwere which is an accurat diſtinction. The Iewes are caſt away, and are the people of God: and yet Paule ſaid verſe 1. God forbid that God ſhould caſt away his people. How can theſe things agree? Therefore Paule diſtinguiſheth of this terme (his people) which is taken two wayes: ae quiuocally, in a large ſence; and vniuocally, in a more reſtrained ſence: people which are not fore-knowne, and people which are fore-knowne: that is not elect, and elect. The firſt God caſts away: the ſecond he neuer will caſt away.
This then is Paules meaning. Whoſoeuer are borne in the Church, outwardly ſubmitting themſelues to the word and ſacraments, are in a generall ſence the people of God; of whom ſome onelyonly ſeeme to beleeue, but doe not: theſe God caſts away. Others doe truely beleeue, theſe God neuer caſts away. Though the Iewes in regard of the outward things of the couenant, were counted the people of God, yet he acknowledgeth not thoſe which beleeue not; neither purpoſes to ſaue them. A Iew not beleeuing is as far from ſaluation (in regard of hauing it) as an Infidell.
Which he foreknew: There is a knowledg attributed to God, whereby he knowes all things, euen ſuch things which never ſhalbe. This is called naked knowledge, which is order of nature, though not of time, is before the decree: this is not heere ment, for thus he knowes the Reprobates as well as the Elect.
There is a knowledge alſo which is ioyned with his decree, and that either going before it, or following it. Things are from the firſt: the ſecond is from things. The firſt is the of things, the ſecond is the effect. Of the ſecond is to be vnderſtood the ſaying; That the praeſcience of God cauſeth not things to be: for in this foreknowledge, things are, and therefore they are foreſeene. I know the ſunne will riſe; not becauſe I know it doth the ſunne riſe, but contrarily. As our remembrance of things paſt, is not the cauſe that they are paſt: ſo Gods foreknowledg of things to come in this ſecond ſence is not the cauſe that they ſhall come. This is nor heere ment.
The foreknowledge ioyned with the decree, but going before it, Act. 2.23.is the cauſe of things: and this is either largely taken, for the prouidēce: by which foreknowledg Chriſt was deliuered or more narrowly forelection; & ſo foreknowledge is here to be vnderſtood; and therefore Saint Auſtine read it, whom he predeſtinated, and ſo Anſelme expounds it: ſo doth the word implye, by an Hebraiſme, ſignifiing knowledg with louelove and care; God knoweth his (ſaith Paule) and our Sauiour to the wicked, I know you not. He knowes them well enough, but not ſo as to open Heauen gates for them.
Whom he foreknew. The relatiue is cauſally put heere, and the argument from the efficient cauſe.
Queſt. But how can they be ſaid to be the people of God whom he caſts away?
Anſw. Reprobates in regard of their being borne in the pale of the Church, and their fellowſhip with the children of God in the outward things of the couenant, hauehave this denomination, the people of God. Euen as the chaffe, while it is growing in the field, is raind vponupon, fenced in, and kept as well as the corne, and all is called corne.
doctrine Thoſe that are forknowne, that is, elected, ſhall neuer be caſt away Mat: 24:24. Reu: 8:33. 2. Tim: 2:19.
Paule ſhewed that the Iewes are reiected, and then he ſaith that not thoſe which are foreknowne threatnings of Iudgment though in regard of thepromulgation & notice taking belong to the whole Church: yet in regard of execution, they are to be vnderſtood onelyonly of rebels. As promiſes are to be reſtrained to beleeuers ſo threatnings to vnbeleeuers.
Is a iudgment threatned? what art? An vnbeleeuer? a rebell? thats thy part: take it to thee. But if thou repenteſt, its notment to thee. Indeede we deſerue to heare & hauehave nothing but the curſe. But God frees them which repēt for his ſon Ieſus Chriſt
Vſe.An elect can neuer be turned or turne reprobate. None of the elected number can periſh or be deminiſhed, becauſe God cannot be deceiued. For when he decreed to ſaue them, hee foreſaw all impediments, as our ſinnes; our frailty; the power of ill example, company; the malice & pollicie of ſathan; which not withſtanding he determined and decreed to ſaue vsus. Therefore God muſt faile if wee fayle in ſaluation. This is worth all the world; the ground of our comfort, which cheareth in all croſſes. Thy houſe is burnt ouer thy head; thy freindes turned foes. Comfort thy ſelfe: Gods louelove can neuer fayle towards thee, ſathan hath tempted thee, and foyled thee, by ſome particular ſin & now he perſwades thee that thou ſhalt be dan̄ed; ſurely ſo thou haſt deſerued. But if thou be foreknowne, God will not finally forſake thee, but giuegive thee repentāce that thou maiſt be ſaued. Hence note that Dauid, Peter, &c though committing greeuious ſins yet periſhed not.
Diuide an elect from the decree of God, he may be damned. In ſenſu diuiſo non in ſenſu compoſi. Aquin. ſum. 1. p. q. 23. artic. 3. Math. 4.But conſidering the decree he cannot. Many, as the ſpider gather poyſon from this, arguing thus: If I be foreknowne, God will not caſt me away; therefore Ile liue as I liſt: this is the diuels logicke. So ſaith he to Chriſt: If thou be the ſonne of God caſt thy ſelfe downe, God will neuer ſuffer thee to periſh. God teacheth vsus not ſo to conclude, but contrarily. Neither did euer any godly man ſo collect. No man that hath his wits will truſt his body on theſe termes, and yet there are ten thouſand ſuch fooles in the world that thus hazard their ſoules. Let profaine beaſts ſay what they will: do thou ſay thus: God hath elected me to ſaluation by faith and repentance: therefore I will endeuour to repent and beleeue, that ſo I may be ſaued according to his election.
Vſe 2.Thoſe which are elect ſhall neuer be caſt away: examine whether thou be elect or no: there is a iudgment hereof to be gathered out of our owne hearts: a mans owne conſcience will tell him; in all that are elect and of yeares of diſcretion, there are two infallibles, markes and effects of election. Faith and repentance. The Apoſtle ſaith elſewhere that, 2. Tim. 2,19.the Lord knoweth who are his, yea God knoweth, but how ſhall we know? Euen thus: they which call on the name of the Lord, there is faith: and which depart from iniquitie, there is repentance. Theſe are as a ticket whereby we paſſe from earth to heauen; he that can ſhew theſe he is ſure to paſſe for an elect.
Hath God giuen thee a new heart? Doth he giuegive thee power to beleeue? Doth he renew his image in thee? &c. If thou wert not an elect, God would neuer beſtow this coſt on thee. As a man beſtowes not lace and trimming on a filthy ragge, but throwes it on the dunghill; or as a man rubs and ſets vp a ſound veſſell, but he beates a peeces for the fier one that is rotten; ſo God will not beſtow ſuch coſt on reprobates, as to worke their hearts to beleeue and repent, but will ſuffer them to rot in their ſinnes, for they are but for hell fire, and there they will ſerue well enough. Thou art carefull to make thy land ſure, but Saint Peter bids thee to make ſure thy election.2 Pet. 1.10.
Ob. I hauehave examined my ſelfe, and I find not theſe notes of my election, what would you aduiſe me to doe?
Anſw. I will not bid thee diſpaire. But this I ſay. O that thou couldeſt repent, and that thou wouldſt ſubmit thy ſelfe to the miniſtery of the word. How posſible then might it be that thou mighteſt be ſaued? Which word, while ſome neglect and diſpiſe, they riuet themſelues in their ſinnes to damnation. Suppoſe a man looſe a ring by the way, and ſends two of his ſeruants to ſeeke it. One of them lights a candle, ſtoopes to the ground & ſearcheth eueryevery ſteppe where his Maiſter went: the other ſeekes not at all, but goes to the alehouſe and ſpends his time there, which of the two is moſt likely to find the ring? He which takes ſuch paines vſing the meanes to finde it: ſo verily he which diligently attends vponupon the word, is in a faire poſſibilitie to attaine ſaith and repentance, and by them ſaluation, when he that is negligent and contemnes the meanes is ſure to be damned.
Vſe 3.The Iewes though in regard of outward perogatiues the people of God, yet for their infidelitie are caſt off: looke then to thy faith: though thou beeſt baptized and liueſt and dyeſt in the Church, yet thou maiſt be damned. Its a lamentable thing to ſee one who hath had the reputation of an honeſt man, to ſtand forth among theeues, and murderers, and witches at the Aſſiſes: how much more to ſee men to hauehave borne the honourable name of Chriſtians, to be among the diuels at the day of iudgment. How will this make the diuells to blaſpheme, when ſuch ſhall be turned ouer to them to be tormented?
If thou liueſt profanely, thou hadſt as good hauehave beene an infidell as a Chriſtian, nay it may be better, as its a further degree of miſery to ſtarue in the middeſt, then in the want of meanes. Indeed what are a great many of vsus but infidels in practiſe. What can an infidell doe worſe, then forſweare, lye, ſlaunder, ſteale, murder, be vncleane, be drunke, deſpiſe religion &c. This is the faſhion of many; they hauehave the very manners of infidels.