Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verse 6
VERSE. 6. And if by Grace, then is it no more of workes, otherwiſe Grace were no more Grace? But if it be of workes, then is it no more grace, otherwiſe worke is no more worke.
THeſe words (as was before ſaid) are an amplificatiō of the ſumme of the 5. verſ. namely, that the Reſeruation is according to election of Grace: from whence this Conſectary takes place. If by election of grace, then not by workes.
Though this doe not much pertaine to Pauls Argument in hand, yet by the direction of the Spirit he takes that little occaſion offered, to ſpeake ſomething in commendation of Grace, becauſe he had to deale with the Iewes, which ſtood greatly vponupon their owne Righteouſneſſe; which indeed was one of their maine diſeaſes; and therefore he neglects not by the way to touch this ſort, and to giuegive them a iog for remembrance, that we are ſaued by grace, not by workes.
Pauls example muſt teach Miniſters a point of wiſedome; which is, to take notice of the ſpeciall ſinnes of their Auditors, and in the courſe of their teaching, if any occaſion offer, though it lie not ſo plaine in their way, to giuegive them a memento.
Paul breakes out here into a new queſtion, that he might meete with the Iewes in eueryevery corner. When Miniſters ſpeake againſt the ſinnes of their Auditors: O, ſay they, he findes not that in his text; but we know, by the direction of Gods Spirit, and by the warrant of Pauls example, if we find ſuch in you, how to find it in our text to reproue you for it, and yet not to be guiltie of rouing or digreſſing.
But to the Conſectary. If election and preſeruation be of grace, it is not of workes. This is proued by the nature of grace and workes, which are contrary, and deſtroy one another. And it is ſet downe with inuerſion of the termes. That which is of grace, is not of workes; elſe grace were not grace (that is, free:) That which is of workes, is not of grace; elſe works were not workes, that is, did not make indebted.
The myſterie in this verſe plainly appeares, if we vnderſtand what is meant by grace, and what by workes.
The Schoolemen and Ieſuites diſtinguiſh grace, into grace making gracious, and grace freely giuen. Aqin. Sum. p. 2. q. 111. art. 1.The firſt, they ſay, is charitie, a grace whereby we are conioyned to God: the ſecond is faith, and the reſt of Chriſtian vertues. But firſt, both theſe are coincident, for charitie alſo is a grace freely giuen. Secondly, they make this grace to be in man; they know no other: and therefore Bellarmine, and the reſt, when they write of this ſubiect, they write de gratia hominis, of the grace of man: but the Scripture onelyonly ſpeaketh of the grace of God, and of the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
Grace is taken three wayes: Firſt, for the free fauour of God, the alone cauſe of our election, which is ſubiectiuely in God, one of the imminent vertues of the Deitie, being his eſſence. This is meant here.
Secondly, for the energie, operation and working of this grace, which Auſten calleth the mouing of merciemercy: Motum miſeric. Auſt. lib. 3. Hyp.the leſuites call it, an helpe, or grace preuenting, or following: of grace preuenting, is that place, Eph. 2.8. of following 1. Cor. 15.10. of both together, 2. Cor. 12.9.
Thirdly, for the gifts of grace, which hauehave a different appellation ordinarily in Pauls Epiſtles, as faith, hope, louelove, patience; and this is diſtributed into habituall grace and actuall. This in no wiſe is here to be vnderſtood, nor either of the parts before ſpoken of from the Schoole. For charitie and faith are workes; but we muſt hauehave a grace oppoſite to workes.
Workes are either good or bad: bad workes not here vnderſtood, but good.
Ob. But grace and good workes are agreeing as the cauſe and the effect.
Anſ. To ſpeake properly, the anger of God is contrary to his grace: and vntounto workes, are no workes, or bad workes contrary. So that the contrarietie here to be holden is not ſimply, but in the caſe of iuſtification and ſaluation. Vnderſtand not here, workes themſelues, but the merit of workes. and yet not the merit of all workes, (as Chriſts) but of Our workes. And then the rule of contraries here takes place, that one being put, the other is taken away. The nature of grace is to be free, the nature of workes to be of due debt: ſo that if it be free, it is not of debt, elſe were grace no grace: if it be of due debt, it is not free, elſe were workes no more workes.
The legerdemaine of the Papiſts is here to be noted, who leaue and wipe out the laſt halfe of this verſe, And if of workes, then not of grace, elſe workes are no more workes, blaſphemouſly ſaying that it is ſuperfluuos. But we can eaſily ſpie out the reaſon of this their doing, namely becauſe their doctrine of merit is hereby ingulated. As they hauehave dealt with the bookes of other writers, ſo hauehave they attempted here, purging and curtailing off that which makes againſt them. And then they would make vsus beleeue that their abſurd vulgar Tranſlation is perfecter then the originall Greeke text it ſelfe. As if a man hauing but one eye or oneleg, ſhould thinke all others deformed that had two eyes or legs.
The ſumme is, that, what is of grace, is not of workes; and è diuerſo.
doctrine Election and ſaluation are of grace, not of merite, Act. 15.11. Epheſ. 2.8.9. Tit. 3.5. and this, that God might hauehave al the glorie, but if it be of merit then corrupt fleſh will boaſt.
Vſe 1.The Popiſh conceit of Merit, of their workes of congruitie, which (they ſay) it is fit that God ſhould reward, and of condignity and ſupererogation, which it is iuſt that God ſhould reward, is by this text like chaffe, blowne away and blaſted: The finite creature cannot merit of the infinit Creator. The Papiſts hauehave three ſhifts for this.
1. They ſay that Paul is to be vnderſtood of the workes of Nature, not of grace: If ſo: then the Phariſee (alſo the Pelagian) is not to be blamed, for he acknowledged his goodnes in which he truſted, to bee a gift of God, Luk. 18.11.I thanke thee Lord that I am not &c. And all merit is contrary to grace: Beſides, our Sauiour bids his diſciples, Luk. 17.10.when they hauehave done all they can, to thinke themſelues vnprofitable ſeruants. I trow they will not deny that the Apoſtles were in the ſtate of Grace.
2 Their ſecond euaſion is, that ſaluation is of grace indeed, but alſo of workes, making a mingle-mangle of grace and workes, which is as if a man ſhould attempt to make fire and water agree. But Saint Auguſtine takes away this in a word: Grace (ſaith he) is grace no way, if it be not free eueryevery way: It is all of grace, or no whit at all of grace. This golden ſaying is digged out of this mine.
3 They exclaime againſt vsus that we are enemies to good workes: Why doe they ſo? Not becauſe we doe thoſe euill works, which they auoid; but becauſe we doing good works which they neglect, yet aſcribe our ſaluation only to grace. They deale with vsus, as the Phariſies with Chriſt: He tels them that Harlots ſhall goe before them into the kingdome of heauen, and they preſently ſay, that hee is a friend of Publicans and ſinners, and an enemie to good workes.
Concerning good workes, this wee hold, that they are neceſſary to ſaluation, not by a neceſſity of efficiency, but of preſence, and that in three reſpects. 1. Of worſhip, for God is ſerued by doing them. 2. Of good conſcience, which is loſt by the neglect of good works. 3. Of duty to our neighbors, who is hereby to be wonne to God: we muſt do good works if we will be ſaued, but we muſt not looke to be ſaued by their merit.
Vſe 2.Many ignorant ſoules, ſay they hope to be ſaued by their ſeruing God, and their good prayers. They know no other Diuinity but this, which is Popiſh and naturall. Theſe are not paſt grace, they are not yet come at it. Alas, if there were no other way to come to heauen but this, no fleſh ſhould be ſaued, but only the humanity of our Lord Ieſus.
The Diuels prime deſire is to draw thee to abominable courſes; if he cannot preuaile this way, but thou wilt be doing good workes; this will pleaſe him, if thou wilt be conceited of meriting thereby. For a truſt in thine owne righteouſneſſe will bring thee to hell, as well as vnrighteous living. Truſt perfectly on the grace of God, ſaith Peter, 1. Pet. 1.13.if wee truſt to any thing elſe, it wil lay vsus in the duſt, and bee as a broken reed, which if a man leane vponupon it, the ſhiuers runne into his hand.
Vſe 3.Gods children onelyonly, diſcerne a world of wickedneſſe in themſelues, for which they are much caſt downe: comfort thy ſelfe, God elected thee freely to ſaluation, and not for thy worthineſſe: If we were to be ſaued for our workes, then wee had cauſe to doubt becauſe of their defects. This muſt be wel learned: it is ſoone ſaid, but not ſo ſoone practiſed: if a man hauehave fruit of his own planting, he thinkes there is no fruit like to his. So by nature wee are opinionated of our owne goodneſſe.
Hence is it that God ſuffers many times, euen his deare children fouly to fal, to cure them of this pride as Peter, or to ſuffer them to be ſore tempted and buffeted, that they may giuegive God the glory, as Paul.
Vſe 4.This teacheth vsus humility, becauſe all is giuen of meere grace.
Vſe 5.The grace of God teacheth to be gracious, not graceleſſe: becauſe of the mercies of God, we muſt offer vp our ſelues to his ſeruice. Rom. 12.1.Then cōclude thy ſelfe to be of the number of the ſaued, when thy conuerſation is godly. If you ſayeſt, thou hopeſt to be ſaued by Gods grace, and yet liueſt in vile ſinnes: thou art a preſumptuous and blaſphemous Atheiſt. Preſumptuous, becauſe thou lookeſt to be ſaued in an eſtate to which is threatned damnatiō; blaſphemous, becauſe thou denieſt God in thy life, whoſe grace thou wouldeſt ſeeme to implore.