Common Places, Discourses 1 · Discourse 2
Of Prouidence and Predeſtination.
THe doctrine of prouidence and predeſtination is moſt profitable: for in it is ſhewed the fountaine of our ſaluation. And therfore it coms that we attribute all our goodnes, not to our owne ſelues, but to the adminiſtration and diſpenſation of God: and in the reprobate we may ſée, what might alſo hauehave béene doone iuſtlie to vsus, vnleſſe that the merciemercy of God by his predeſtination had preuented. By this faith that we are predeſtinate, we receiue great comfort in aduerſities. From hence reaſoned Saint Paule to the Romans. We hauehave alſo out of this ground a certeintie of our ſaluation, which if it depended of moſt inconſtant frée will, and not of the ſtedfaſt predeſtination of God, ſhould be vncerteine.
The prouidence of God is his ordeined, The definition of prouidence.vnmooueable, and perpetuall gouernement of all things; and by the ſame eſpeciallie he directeth all things that he hath made, vntounto their proper ends. And therefore it is not a bare vnderſtanding, but there is alſo a will added therevnto, the which doth direct all things according to the pleaſure thereof.
This power cannot be ſeparated from God; For he diſpoſeth kingdoms at his owne pleaſure. All the heares of our heads are numbered. Dani. 2, 21.Mat. 10, 30. Ibid. 29. Exod. 21, 13 Deut. 19, 5.Two ſparowes light not vponupon the ground, without the will of the father. He that is ſlaine by chance, it is ſaid that God deliuered him into the hand of another. Eſai. 10, 5.Princes are in his hand as a ſtaffe and a ſawe. He beareth vp all things by the word of his power. VntoUnto the Hebrues and Epheſians; He worketh all things, according to the counſell of his will.
Therefore the holie Ghoſt ſaith; Pſal. 37, 5.Caſt thy care vponupon God, and he will ſupport or nouriſh thee. Peter; He careth for vsus. 1. Pet. 5, 7. Zach. 2, 18.He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eie. This is a great comfort of the godlie, that they knowe themſelues to be in the hand of God.
Let the wicked doo what they will, they can doo nothing, but according to the prouidence of God: Acts. 4, 27.like as Peter ſaith in the Acts; Herod and Pilate agreed to doo thoſe things, that thy hand and thy counſell had decreed to doo. And Iob ſaid; Iob. 1, 21.The Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken awaie.
Thoſe things, which ſéeme to happen by chance, are gouerned by prouidence. Gen. 45, 8.Ioſeph ſaid; GOD ſent me before into Aegypt. God ſaith, that he ſent Saule to Samuel, 2. Sam. 9, 16although it might ſéeme, that he came thither by chance. And Chriſt ſaith; There ſhall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water.Mark 14, 13
The largeneſſe of this prouidence is declared; Pſal. 139, 7.If I ſhall aſcend into heauen, thou art there; If I ſhall go downe into hell, thou art there alſo; if I take the wings of the morning, &c.
The decrées of this prouidence are immutable; Malac. 3, 6.I am the Lord, and am not changed. With God there is no variableneſſe, Iames. 1, 17. Eſai. 46, 10.nor ſhadowe of change. The counſell of the Lord abideth ſtedfaſt.
The prouidence of God dooth not take awaie mans election, neither yet dooth it take awaie chance: bicauſe things are to be eſtéemed, according to the nature of the néereſt cauſes. Therfore, ſéeing it is nothing repugnant to the will, and the order of nature, that they be doone as well one waie as another waie, the cauſes may be called contingent, in reſpect of mens choiſes, and the effects of nature. Further, the prouidence of God dooth not gouerne things, but according to their owne natures. Wherefore he ſo gouerneth cauſes contingent and voluntarie, that they may worke both by chance and by will. But if the things themſelues be referred vntounto God, there is onelie a neceſſitie by ſuppoſition; as there is a neceſſitie of propheſieng things to come. Luke. 22, 27 and 24, 36.It behooued that the ſcriptures ſhould be fulfilled, and it behooued that Chriſt ſhould hauehave ſuffered. Howbeit, in prouidence there is a greater power than in foretelling of things to come: for propheſies worke not vponupon creatures, as the prouidence of GOD dooth; although neither dooth the ſame violate the natures and properties of the ſecond cauſes. As touching the prouidence of God, things are definite or certeine from euerlaſting; for to him all things are numbered: but in our will and mind they be not definite. Wherefore yet, as touching vsus, they may be called both voluntarie and contingent, although as touching God, nothing is by chance or fortune. God ſaith in Eſaie; Eſaie. 55, 11 Ephe. 1, 11.All things that I will, I doo, &c. Paule; He worketh all things, according to the purpoſe of his owne will.
Séeing the prouidence of God is in this wiſe, there is place left for counſels, and admonitions, and deliberations, and corrections; ſith it hath decréed by theſe meanes to atteine vntounto the ends which it preſcribed. As, when it hath determined to change ſome euill will, it decréeth by theſe meanes to conuert the ſame. Wherfore, theſe meanes be the inſtruments of God.
Predeſtination is as a certeine part of the prouidence of God: Of predeſtination.for the ſame is the ſtrength and power of God, whereby he appointeth men, A definition of predeſtination.and directeth them to the obteining of eternall life, through Ieſus Chriſt.
By predeſtination, the natures of things are not changed, as touching neceſſitie, contingencie, and deliberations; as it hath beene ſpoken of prouidence.
Albeit that all things are preſent vntounto the foreknowledge and eternitie of God, yet the creatures, which hauehave had a beginning, are not coeternall with God; ſo as they may be togither with his eternitie. Therefore Paule ſaith; Epheſ. 1, 4.that We were choſen before the foundation of the world was laid. And of Iacob and Eſau it is ſaid; Before they had doone either good or euill, Rom. 9, 11.Iacob hauehave I loued, but Eſau hauehave I hated.
They which affirme, that with God, things are not appointed, but in reſpect of his foreknowledge, doo erre excéedinglie. For the ſcriptures doo put his will betwéene; Matt. 10, 29A ſparowe falleth not without the will of the father, the will (I ſaie) not new, but eternall. Iere. 25. 11. Eſaie. 3…, 5.To the captiuitie of Babylon were ſeuentie yéeres preſcribed. And vntounto Ezechias [life] were added 15. yéeres. Chriſt [ſaith;] Mine houre is not yet come. Iohn 7, 6. Exo. 33, 19. Acts 13, …8.I will hauehave merciemercy on whom I will hauehave merciemercy. They beleeued, ſo manie as were ordeined. Chriſt was crucified according to Gods determinate counſell.
Predeſtination, Diuers iudgments touching predeſtination.ſome ſaie is a preparation of grace, or a foreknowledge, or a preparation of the gifts of God; whereby they, which are deliuered, are certeinlie deliuered: but others are left in the lumpe of perdition. Some ſaie, that it is a purpoſe of taking merciemercy: others, a preparation of grace in the time preſent, and of glorie in the time to come. But I ſaie, that it is the moſt wiſe purpoſe of God, whereby he conſtantlie decréed before all ages, to call thoſe, whom he loued in Chriſt, vntounto the adoption of children, vntounto iuſtification by faith, and at length vntounto glorie by good works; that they may be conformable vntounto the image of the ſonne of God, and that in them may be declared the glorie and merciemercy of the Creator.
Predeſtination is vnchangeable. 2. Tim. 2, 19.The foundation of God remaineth ſure. The Lord knoweth who are his. Hereof commeth the certeintie of ſaluation. Wherefore Paule, when he had ſpoken of predeſtination, ſaid; Rom. 8, 32.Who ſhall accuſe vsus? Who ſhall condemne vsus? Who ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God? I am the Lord, Mal. 3, 6.and am not changed.
Reprobation what it is.Reprobation is the moſt wiſe purpoſe of God, whereby GOD conſtantlie decréed before all worlds, without anie iniuſtice, not to take merciemercy on them whome he loued not; but paſſed them ouer, to the intent that by their iuſt condemnation hée might declare his wrath towards ſinnes, and to ſhew foorth his power and glorie.
Sinnes are not the cauſe of reprobation, forſomuch as ſome are excepted from the louelove of God, and are forſaken: albeit they are the cauſes of damnation. Wherefore, if the fathers doo ſometime ſaie, that ſinnes are the cauſe of reprobation; that they vnderſtand as touching the laſt condemnation, the which is altogither laid vponupon men for ſinnes.
God predeſtinateth vsus to this end, that while we liue, we ſhould worke well: for it is ſaid vntounto the Epheſians, Ephe. 2, 10.that He hath ordeined good works, that we ſhould walke in them. But yet good works, or elſe faith cannot be the cauſes of predeſtination: bicauſe they be the effects thereof. For whome he hath decréed to bleſſe, vntounto them he hath predeſtinated to giuegive faith and good works. In the epiſtle to the Romans, as touching the two twins, when they had as yet doone neither good nor euill, Rom. 9, 11.it is ſaid; The elder ſhall ſerue the yoonger, Iacob hauehave I loued, Eſau hauehave I hated. Not of works, but by him that calleth. Ibid. ver. 16.It is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, Exo. 33, 19.but in God that ſheweth merciemercy. I will ſhew merciemercy on whome I will ſhew merciemercy. He hath merciemercy on whome hee will, and whome he will he hardeneth. The arguments of Paule ſhould be of none effect, if the predeſtination of God depended of faith, and of works that were foreſéene. 1. Cor. 7, 25I obteined merciemercy of the Lord to bee faithfull. I did not therefore obteine merciemercy bicauſe I was faithfull. Act. 13, 48.They beleeued, ſo manie as were ordeined to eternall life. They beléeued, bicauſe they were ordeined; not that they were ordeined or predeſtinated of God, bicauſe they beléeued. Our iuſtification dependeth of the election or predeſtination of God. Rom. 8, 29.Whome he predeſtinated, them he called; whome he called, them he iuſtified. But if predeſtination ſhould depend of frée will, then ſhould we be iuſtified by frée will.
The election of God and men are diuers. Men doo louelove and chooſe them, in whome they find vertues or anie good thing. But God cannot find in men anie good thing, that he himſelfe hath not put in them. Wherefore, if he chooſe whome he will in Chriſt, they hauehave it not of themſelues that they be in Chriſt, they are to hauehave that of God himſelfe: wherefore to be in Chriſt, is not the meanes or cauſe of predeſtination, but the effect.
Chriſt is the chéefe and principall effect of predeſtination. GOD gaue him, That Chriſt is the cheefe effect of predeſtination.that by him he might ſaue them that were predeſtinate. By him, as by a conduit, other effects of predeſtination are deriued vntounto vsus by the merciemercy of God.
If election ſhould depend of works foreſéene, it had not béene ſo hard with Paule that he ſhuld crie; O the deepeneſſe of the riches, &c.Rom. 11, 33
By the doctrine of predeſtination there is not opened a window vntounto idleneſſe, but rather vntounto carefulneſſe, and indeuour of right liuing. For when we beléeue that we are predeſtinate, we know that we are predeſtinate to liue well; and therefore let vsus ſtudie to make our calling certeine, and to liue according to the diſpoſition of men predeſtinate.
At the firſt vew it ſéemeth an abſurd thing, that ſome ſhould be created of God to periſh. Yet dooth the ſcripture ſaie this; Rom. 9, 21,that The potter dooth make ſome veſſels vntounto honour, and ſome vntounto diſhonour: Ibid. ver. 17, & verſ. 22.and that God ordeined Pharao, that he might ſhow his power in him. It is alſo ſaid; that Hee, to ſhew his wrath, ſuffered with much patience the veſſels of wrath prepared vntounto deſtruction. Alſo; Pro. 16, 4.He maketh the vngodlie for the euill daie.
Not all men, which be called, are predeſtinated. For Chriſt ſaid; Manie be called, Mat. 20, 16.but few are choſen. But they affirme, that the calling is vniuerſall; 1. Tim. 2, 4.And that God would hauehave all men to be ſaued. If it be vnderſtood an vniuerſall calling, bicauſe it is propounded to all; and no man by name excluded: it is true. If alſo it be called vniuerſall; bicauſe the death of Chriſt and his redemption is ſufficient for the whole world: that alſo is moſt true. But if this vniuerſalitie be ment, that it is in all mens power to receiue the promiſes, I denie it: bicauſe vntounto ſome it is giuen, to others it is not giuen. As though alſo we ſée not, that the verie preaching of the Goſpell for a long time was not giuen to manie places, ages, and nations. God would all men to bee ſaued; *He meaneth onelie all thoſe that doo beleeue. Mat. 20, 15.yet beléeuers. But faith he giueth to whome it ſéemeth good to him: for he may iuſtlie doo with his owne what he will,
Hereof dependeth the certeintie of our ſaluation. For while we ſée our ſelues both to be called, and to beléeue; we hauehave an earneſt pennie or certeine pledge of our ſaluation; Rom. 8, 16.The ſpirit of God bearing witneſſe with our ſpirit, that we be the ſonnes of God. But yet the féeling of our calling, and of our faith, is a token of predeſtination, not a cauſe thereof.
As prouidence, ſo alſo dooth predeſtination bring in no conſtraint or violence to mans will: for whatſoeuer we doo, we doo it willinglie, and of our owne accord.