Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verse 29
VERSE 29. For the gifts and calling of God, are without repentance.
THe Iewes ſhall be pardoned their obſtinacie, verſe 26.27. becauſe they are beloued of God, verſe 28. and they are beloued, becauſe of Election, and for their Fathers ſake, verſ. 28. for the Nature of Gods louelove is vnchangeable: once loued, and euer loued.
Some of the Gentiles might ſay, what if their Fathers were beloued? what is that to ſtubborne and obſtinate children, that walke not in their fathers waies? VntoUnto this Paul anſweres, that whatſoeuer they are; yet the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
The gifts, that is, of Gods ſpeciall louelove, not ordinary or common gifts, but choyce ones, which come of ſpeciall grace, and make vsus gracious.
And calling, that is, to ſauing knowledge, to obedience, and that both outward and inward.
The gifts and calling: not the gifts of calling, but diſtinguiſhed, concluding election and calling with all the effects of both.
The gifts and calling: that is thoſe gifts, and that calling are without repentance, for ſome gifts are with repentance.
Without repentance. Vſually Repentance is taken for that grace whereby our hearts are changed, and wee turne from our ſinnes to God: but not ſo heere. It is not ſpoken heere as a thing in vsus, but in God for our vnderſtanding: the fained cauſe, being put for the true effect. It is ſpoken after the manner of men, but muſt bee vnderſtood after the manner of God.
Repentance is not properly in God: It is attributed to him ſecundum modum, according to the manner, but not ſecundum rem, according to the thing. When God ſeemes to doe that which men doe indeed: then that which is the cauſe of ſuch doing in men, is attributed to God, and ſo on the contrary.
Men vſe to reuenge when they are angry: Therefore when God auengeth himſelfe vponupon ſinners, Anger is attributed to him; not indeed, but by ſimilitude, for that which in men proproceeds of Anger, in God comes from his moſt quiet iuſtice: ſo when men change that which they hauehave done, they are ſaid to repent, and when they change not, they are ſaid not to repent of their doing. So the conſtancie and truth of God is called not repenting, and when he alters that which hee hath done, repentance is attributed vntounto him, as of making man, and of making Saul King. Yet this is to be remembred, that when God changeth things, the change is in the things, not in God, who determined the change of ſuch things before the foundation of the world.
The meaning then is, that God neuer repents him of the giuing of ſauing grace to them whom he loues, and of electing them at the firſt, he holds his gifts well beſtowed, he giues not to day, and takes away to morrow. According to this is that of Eſau, who ſought repentance with teares, but found no place for it. which is not meant of his own repentance for ſin, but of his fathers repentance concerning the bleſſing: Hee would hauehave had his father hauehave changed his minde and made a new will, but his father would not.
There are three things which cauſe men to repent of their doings, and to alter their purpoſes, none of which are in God.
1. Mutabilitie of mind, but there is no variableneſſe with God, but he is euer the ſame.
2. Error through ignorance, which cauſeth new conſultations, ſome things being miſtaken, or ſome impediments happening not foreſeene, but in God is neither errour nor ignorance.
3 Impotencie, when we are not able to bring to effect, our purpoſed intendments: but God is almightie, therefore his gifts and calling are without repentance, and by conſequence hauing elected and called the Iewes to be his people; ſaluation and a time of conuerſion muſt needes bee laid vp in ſtore for them.
doctrine God repenteth not of his gifts and calling▪ 1. Sam. 15.29, Num. 23.19. Eſay 46.10. Matth. 3.6.
Vſe 1.The Iewes ſhall be called. Obiect. But they hauehave continued long in this their vnbeleefe. Anſ. True, yet this excludeth not their hope: as the continuance of ſome particular man in his ſinne, twentie, or fortie, or threeſcore yeere, abſolutely excludes him not from grace. God neuer yet ſaid of the Iews, It repenteth mee of their election and calling, therefore they hauehave hope.
Vſe 2.The graces of vocation and election are not debts, but free gifts, both in their firſt beſtowing, and alſo in their encreaſe, and continuance.
Vſe 3The couenant of God expreſſed, verſe 27. and Election, verſ. 28. are expreſſed heere, by gifts and calling. By our effectuall calling then, we may diſcerne of our being in the Couenant, and of our election. Examine then: thou heareſt what the Miniſters of God ſay to thee, calling vponupon thee to repent, beleeue and obey. What ſayeſt thou to them? doeſt thou ſo? If when thou art called to account of thy ſins, thou yet liueſt in them, thou art not in the eye of any mortall creature elected.
Alas will ſome ſay, what then ſhal become of me who hauehave heard the Word along time, and my ſelfe called to repentance, but I hauehave not repented? Is not my eſtate fearefull? Yes indeed, but yet I aduiſe thee to heare ſtill; if thou belongeſt to God, thou ſhalt heare ſomething at laſt, which will doe thee good on thy deaths bed.
Vſe 4.We louelove to day and hate to morrow, vſing friends as flowers, which when they are freſh we weare them, but when they fade we throw them on the dunghill. But the ſtrength of Iſrael is not as man, variable; but he is the vnchangeable God, if he once weare vsus, hee will neuer caſt vsus way, but renue our freſhneſſe. This is our comfort againſt our great guiltineſſe and manifold infirmities, he repents not of his louelove to vsus, but keepes vsus with watch and ward, as vnderunder locke and key to ſaluation. Hee finiſheth the good worke hee beginnes. If hee keepe not the Citie, the watchman watcheth in vaine; if hee keepe the Citie, the enemie watcheth in vaine.
Vſe 5.There are three ſorts of men goe to hell: 1. Such as continue in ſinne; a man need no great skill to reade their doome. 2. The ſecond are ſuch, who hauehave onelyonly a ſhew of Religion, theſe are hypocrites. 3. Such who hauehave true grace, but it is temporarie and continues not. A man may hauehave true grace without ſaluation, but not true ſauing grace. True grace is then ſauing when it continues.
This diſtinction of grace is gathered out of the Hebrewes, where Paul ſaith, Heb. 6.That a man may be inlightned, partake of the holy Ghoſt, and taſte of the good word of God, and of the powers of the life to come, and yet be a caſt-away. Now ſuch graces were true, but temporarie: ſo the ſtony and thornie ground had true grace, but not continuing, which is the note of good ground.
Examine then the grace thou haſt. Thou haſt true ioy and ſorrow: as at a Sermon thou art truly affected with that which thou heareſt, being mooued to ioy at the hearing of the promiſes, and it may bee to mourning, at the hearing of the threatnings againſt thy ſinnes Doe theſe things continue? or art thou Sermon-ſicke, as a man is ſea-ſicke: ſicke at ſea, and well at ſhore? a penitent within the Church, and prophane without? If theſe continue not, they are no ſauing graces.
Thou haſt true feare: as in the time of thunder or other danger: but it may be thy feare is ouerblowne with the cloud: thou wert truely afraid, but it muſt continue if a ſauing grace.
In proſperitie many beleeue in God, and in aduerſitie flye to the Diuell. This may be true faith but is not ſauing. Sauing faith is like a true friend who failes not in aduerſitie, which makes a man ſay, Though he kill me, I will truſt in him.
Thou haſt true louelove, as to the world and to godlineſſe in godly folke: but it may be thou loueſt theſe as Saul loued Dauid. Dauid muſt be ſent for, and who but Dauid? How long? till the euill ſpirit come vponupon Saul: ſo many louelove theſe things till the ill ſpirit come vponupon them, and then they ſhew that they hauehave not ſauing grace.
Many hauehave true reſolution, as in time of ſickneſſe to amend their liues: they will ſpeake ſo well then, as a man would think they ſpake as they meant, and ſo they do, as they meane then; but their meaning changes, and when they are recouered, their minde is altered, therefore ſuch reſolutions though true, yet are not ſauing. We louelove ſtuffe in our garments that will laſt, and mettall in a horſe that will laſt: ſome horſe will at firſt ſetting out ſtand vponupon no ground, and yet be ſtarke tired before noone; we like not ſuch a horſe, nor doth God like ſuch profeſſors, whoſe graces doe not continue.