The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Of Gods election, the cauſes, ſubiect, obiect, and properties thereof.
IN this definition is ſet downe firſt the efficient cauſe or author of our election, namely God himſelfe, the Father, the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt; and this appeareth Eph. 1.4. He hath choſen vsus in him before the foundation of the world, that we ſhould be holy &c. And Ioh. 15.16. Ye hauehave not choſen me, but I hauehave choſen you, and ordained you that ye goe and bring foorth fruite, &c.
Secondly, the motiue or impulſiue cauſe of Gods election is expreſſed, namely, Gods free louelove, meere goodwill and vndeſerued grace. And this alſo is manifeſt Luk. 12.32. Feare not little flocke, for it is your fathers pleaſure to giuegive you a kingdome. And Eph. 1.5. who hath predeſtinated vsus to be adopted through Ieſus Chriſt vntounto himſelfe, according to the good pleaſure of his will.
Here therefore are excluded all other cauſes, wherewith diuers hauehave imagined God was moued to elect vsus; as namely our owne will, the foreſeeing of our workes worthineſſe or faith, and the merits of our Sauiour Chriſt. And that theſe were not the cauſes which mooued the Lord to elect vsus, it may be prooued by manifeſt teſtimonies of ſcripture. Firſt, our owne will is expreſſely excluded, Rom. 9.16. It is not in him that willeth or runneth, but in God that ſheweth merciemercy. Secondly, not the foreſight of our owne workes, for the Apoſtle plainly affirmeth Rom. 9.11.12. that before the children were borne, and when they had neither done good or euill, that the purpoſe of God might remaine according to election, not by workes, but by him that calleth. 12. It was ſaid vntounto her, the elder ſhall ſerue the younger, 13. As it is written, I hauehave loued Iacob and hated Eſau. And chap. 11.5.6. he ſaith, that Gods election is of grace, and if it be of grace it is no more of workes, or els were grace no more grace. Thirdly, not the foreſight of any worthineſſe in vsus more than in others; For there is no difference, for all hauehave ſinned and are depriued of the glorie of God: as it is Rom. 3.23. And the Apoſtle affirmeth both of himſelfe and others, that they were all dead in their ſinnes, and by nature the children of wrath as well as others, Eph. 2.1.3. Fourthly, the Lord reſpected not our faith as an impulſiue cauſe mouing him to elect vsus, but only as an effect of our election; neither was the Lord mercifull vntounto vsus in making choiſe of vsus to bee partakers of euerlaſting happineſſe, becauſe we were faithfull, but, that we might be faithfull, as Paul profeſſeth of himſelfe 1. Cor. 7.25. And the holy Ghoſt affirmeth, Act. 13.46. that as many of the Gentiles as were ordained vntounto eternall life beleeued. Laſtly, although the merit of Chriſt was the onelyonly meritorious cauſe of our ſaluation, yet it was not the cauſe of Gods election, for Gods election was from all eternitie, and the cauſe of Chriſts merits, which were in time and the effects of Gods election, and therefore that which came after could not be the cauſe of that which was from all eternitie, neither can the effect produce the cauſe, but the cauſe the effect. Moreouer, we are not ſaid in the ſcriptures to be choſen for Chriſt, but in Chriſt, Eph. 1.4. And the Apoſtle Iohn affirmeth, that Gods eternall louelove was the cauſe which moued the Lord to ſend his ſonne to redeeme vsus by his death, and not that his death was the cauſe of his louelove, Ioh. 3.16. And ſo much concerning the efficient cauſe of our election. The materiall cauſe thereof was the purpoſe or counſaile of God himſelfe, whereby hee determined to elect vsus.
The formall cauſe was the ſeuering and ſetting apart of certaine men which were to bee ſaued, § Sect. 2 ſelected from the reſt who were reiected.
The end of Gods election was two-fold: the firſt and chief end was the glorie of God, ſet forth by manifeſting his grace and merciemercy in the ſaluation of the faithfull. And this the Apoſtle plainly expreſſeth Rom. 9.23. namely, that the end of Gods election is, that he might declare the riches of his glorie in the veſſels of merciemercy, which he hath prepared vntounto glorie. And Eph. 1.4, 5, 6. he ſaith, that he hath choſen vsus in Chriſt, and predeſtinated vsus, to the praiſe of the glorie of his grace.
The ſecond end which is inferiour and ſubordinate to the other, is the ſaluation of the elect, and this alſo is expreſſed by the Apoſtle Rom. 9.23. where hee ſaith, that the elect are prepared vntounto glorie. And Act. 13.48. the holy Ghoſt ſaith, as many as were ordained to eternall life: thereby implying that the ſaluation of the elect is the end of Gods election. And theſe are the cauſes of Gods election. The effects which inſeparably follow-hereupon, are Chriſt the Mediatour, and the whole worke of his mediation and our redemption wrought by him, our adoption, effectuall calling, iuſtification, ſanctification, and glorification; and theſe are the degrees and meanes of our election, which are as well contained in Gods decree as our ſaluation it ſelfe.
The ſubiect in which we are elected, is Chriſt Ieſus our Mediatour and head; not in regard of his deitie alone, for ſo he is the efficient cauſe; nor in reſpect of his humanitie alone, but as he is God and man. And wee are therefore elected in him, both becauſe in our ſelues we were not capable of ſuch glorious dignitie, as alſo becauſe hee alone is a fit Mediatour in whom we ſhould be elected, ſeeing with our election there is an vnion & coniunction of vsus with God who hath elected vsus.
The obiect of Gods election are all thoſe who are preordained vntounto euerlaſting life, and whom the Lord will eternally ſaue; which being conſidered in themſelues are a great number, but yet in reſpect of the number of the reprobates but a ſmall and little flocke; for though many be called, yet few are choſen, as Chriſt himſelfe affirmeth, Matth. 22.14.
The laſt thing, which alſo is expreſſed in the definition, are certaine properties attributed to Gods election; namely, that it is eternall, free and immutable. That this decree is eternall, it appeareth Eph. 1.4. He hath choſen vsus in him before the foundation of the world. So Rom. 9.11.
Secondly, that it is free and of his meere grace, it is manifeſt Rom. 9.18. He hath merciemercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardneth. So Eph. 1.11. In whom we are choſen when wee were predeſtinate, according to the purpoſe of him which worketh all things after the counſaile of his owne will.
Laſtly, that it is immutable and moſt firme and certaine, it plainly appeareth 2. Tim. 2.19. The foundation of God remaineth ſure; and hath this ſeale, the Lord knoweth who are his. Where we may obſerue, that this immutabilitie and certaintie of Gods decree, doth not depend vponupon vsus or our perſeuerance, but vponupon Gods good pleaſure and foreknowledge, for it is a foundation in it ſelfe firme and ſtable, and hath not the ſeale of our worthineſſe or perſeuerance in grace, but of Gods foreknowledge whereby he knoweth who are his.