One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 46
SERMON XLVI. Of Free-Grace, oppoſite to Arminianiſme; Tending to raiſe the hearts of thoſe that are Godly to Joy and Thankefulneſſe.
JOH. 17.9.
I pray not for the world, but for thoſe thou haſt given me, for they are thine.
WE handled that dreadful paſſage, I pray not for the world, at which ſaith Gerard, Mundus debet coherreſcere, ſed exiſtimat ludum, ac jocum ſuo cum preſtantiſſimo exitio.
We come to a ſecond deſcription of thoſe that are included in Chriſts Praier, and they are characterized by this, They are given by the Father to Chriſt; Certainly there muſt be much in this Conſideration; For our Saviour doth no leſſe then five times uſe it in this Praier, and Joh. 6. it's uſed ſeverall times.
I handled it before but then I conſidered it much as it did imply the truſt and charge Chriſt had by this gift: God the Father gave them to Chriſt as a faithful Mediatour, he betruſted him with them as a people whoſe Salvation he ſhould obtain, and accordingly Chriſt was faithfull to make theſe a peculiar people and Gods precious Jewels; They were given him as a King to govern, as a Phyſician to heal, as a Mediatour to ſave, and as a Shepherd to feed, and this propriety that both God and Chriſt hath in them is a great ground why God ſhould hear Chriſts Praier for them.
But I ſhall now conſider this phraſe, as it tels us the manner how they were made Chriſts, and that is by meer gift and grace; God did not ſee or foreſee any merits or works in thoſe Diſciples more then others, for all are alike corrupted in that common maſſe of mankinde, but it was his meer and ſole good pleaſure, For Gratia non eſt gratia ullo modo, niſi ſit gratuiha omni modo; We ſee then here what is the womb that firſt giveth a being to all thoſe thar are ſaved, and that is Gods grace in giving ſome to Chriſt; Now what is meant by this giving to Chriſt; It cannot be any other thing but Gods Predeſtination and Election of ſome with the neceſſary effects of it in time, as Vocation, Juſtification, &c. It's a phraſe that is like an hard ſtone to the Arminians teeth, it troubleth them exceedingly, and therefore ſee what violence they offer to this phraſe; By this giving to Chriſt is meant ſay they, the diſpoſition and ready Obedience which ſome give to Gods call; O monſtrous Tranſubſtantiation, like that of the Papiſts of the bread into Chriſts body; For that which the Scripture giveth expreſly to God they take away and give to man; The Scripture ſaith, God giveth them, and they ſay man giveth himſelf; We ſee that not only the ignorant and unlearned but even learned men corrupted may wreſt the Scripture to their deſtruction; But to diſcover this Interpretation is refutation enough; Indeed it cannot be denied but that in this Chapter there is a twofold giving of ſome to Chriſt.
1. By Election and Sanctification to Eternal Life.
2. A peculiar ſegregation or deſtination to ſome Office; Of this latter our Saviour ſpeaks afterwards, ſay ſome, when he ſaid, None had periſhed of thoſe whom the Father had given him but the Son of Perdition; But of the former he ſpeaks v. 2. He giveth Eternall Life to every one that was given him, and v. 9. They were given him out of the world, wheras Judas was alwaies of the world, and thus it is taken here; So that to be given by Chriſt is for the Father freely out of his meer good pleaſure to chooſe ſome in Chriſt to Eternall Life, ſanctifying and calling of them in time, So that the Fountain of all the good we have is the meer grace and love of God; The diſcriminating difference why Chriſt prayeth not for the world but his Diſciples, and in them all beleevers, is not from any good or worth in them, but meerly from the meer gift of God.
Doct. That all the ſpirituall good the godly enjoy is only the gift of God.Obſ. That all the ſpritual good the godly enjoy is meerly and ſolely from the gift and grace of God; This is a Point that the Scripture doth moſt diligently preſſe and that over and over again, becauſe we are ſo apt to attribute ſomething to our ſelves; Thus the Apoſtle ſpeaks generally, Jam. 1.17. Every good and perfect gift comes from above; The earth is no more able to give light to the world then we can do that which is truly good of our ſelves; Therefore 2 Cor. 21.4. What haſt thou thou haſt not received? The Apoſtle makes an univerſall charge, ſo that to ſay I have received from my ſelf and made my ſelf to differ from others, (as Grevinchovius the Arminian) is to blaſpheme in an high manner, and to put our ſelves in the place of God; You ſee whatſoever priviledge Gods people have, it is becauſe they are given to Chriſt.
For the full diſcovery of this we ſhall inſtance in ſome of the choiceſt and moſt fundamental priviledges the godly have, and you ſhall finde they are all ſo many beamlings from the glorious Fountain of grace; They are ſo many ſprouts from that Root.
I. Election is free.And firſt of Election which is the firſt ſtep of Gods love to us, this we ſhall finde to be only of Gods gift, and that is demonſtrated thus.
Reaſons. 1 1. From the Original of it; It's only the meer pleaſure of his will: If it be asked why hath God mercy on this or that man ſo as to make him happy to all Eternity, the anſwer is, So is the will of God, Eph. 1. Rom. 9. You ſee there all is reſolved into this, The counſell of his will: and Mat. 11. Even ſo Father, for ſo it pleaſeth thee: Hence Rom. 9. It's not of him that willeth or runneth, but of him that ſheweth mercy; Thoſe therefore that finde the certain effects of this ancient and unchangeable love of God, with what praiſe and glory are they to break out unto God, if they had not only the tongues but the hearts of men and Angels, they were not ſufficient for this work to glorifie God, for what is a drop to the Ocean, a ſpark to the fire, a ſtone to the Moutain, a candle to the Sunne: Hence it is for this uſe that it's neceſſary, as the Apoſtle doth often to inform the Children of God concerning their Election, becauſe that is the firſt round in that Ladder of Gods mercies deſcending upon us: Oh then be thou aſtoniſhed at this goodneſſe of God, it lay in his will to refuſe thee and take another; There was nothing but his meer Soveraignty and abſolute good counſell hath made thee a fit veſſell for glory, and left others as veſſels of wrath by their own voluntary Apoſtacy in Adam; Oh ſay in thy Meditation, O Lord I am ſilenced, I can go no further, the waters overflow me.
Reaſons. 2 2. This Election is meerly of Gods goodneſſe, becauſe it's not for any foreſeen merits or faith; We had nothing at all to be more acceptable to God then others, for there are ſome who are enemies to the grace of God, and under the praiſe of nature and free-will hide their ſecret oppoſition to Gods grace; Whereas Bonaventure ſaid well, If we muſt erre it's ſafer to erre in giving too much to grace, then too much to free-will; Theſe corrupt Doctors they have no way to vent their poiſon but by ſaying and maintaining, that though God hath choſen ſome before others, yet it was becauſe he did foreſee who would by Faith and good works, with perſeverance therein, continue faithful to God; But how extream injurious is this to Gods Election, for by this means we ſhall chooſe God firſt and not God us? But what ſaith our Saviour, I have choſen you and not you me, 1 Joh. 4.10. Not that we firſt loved God but God us: Here you ſee that it's God who firſt beginneth with us, God firſt choſe us, God firſt loved us, and then we loved him: Therefore let not the Godly heart endure ſuch Doctrines that ſhall tell us, God ſaw a better uſe of thy free-will in thee then in others; And hence it is that thou art Elected to glory and not others, for then it would not be pre-deſtination but poſt-deſtination; And beſides, then no man could be Elected before the laſt moment of his life; For who can tell whether he ſhall perſevere or no? So that theſe Doctrines rob God of his honour, and his people of their comforts.
Reaſons. 3 3. Election must needs be of Grace, and ſo we are given to Chriſt, becauſe of that wretched and ſinfull eſtate we are all in by Adams Fall; Upon his Apoſtacy we are all involved in his guilt, We are by nature Children of wrath, Epheſ. 2.3. Though there were no actuall ſinnes to witneſſe againſt us; Seeing then there was nothing in us but ſinne and miſery, it's no wonder if God doth what he doth out of his meer grace and favour, I acknowledge there are many eminent and learned Divines called Supralapſarians becauſe they hold an Election of ſome and a pretention of others even before Adams Fall, and thereupon make Election not an action of grace, becauſe it ſuppoſeth no ſinne but of meer dominion and ſoveraignty, whereby he may diſpoſe of his creature as he pleaſeth, but I think it more conſonant to Scripture to hold an Election that ſuppoſeth mans fall, and that we are all in a corrupt lump and maſſe, and hereby the grace and free favour of God is made more illuſtrious; Hence the Apoſtle to the Epheſians is large to ſhew what they are by nature, and how corrupt of themſelves, that ſo the grace of God may be made more manifeſt; Such thorns as we are, cannot bear any grapes, Such polluted Fountains as we are, cannot ſend forth ſweet ſtreams.
Reaſons. 4 4. Our Election muſt needs be free and gracious, becauſe all the good we are able to do, and all the holineſſe we have is the fruit and effect of Election; He hath choſen us to be holy and unblameable, Eph. 1.4. So ſome beleeved becauſe they were ordained to Eternal Life, to be holy, not becauſe we were holy; They were not ordained to Eternal life becauſe they beleeved, but they beleeved becauſe they were ordained to Eternal life: Thus you ſee that godlineſſe being the effect of our Election it cannot be the cauſe, and therefore the godly have cauſe to cry out oh the depths and unſearchable riches of grace!
Laſtly. If we conſider Election comparatively, ſo it must be wholly of Gods meer gift; That is, why God chooſeth ſome and not others, yea, why ſometimes the vileſt and worſt of ſinners are taken, and others more civill and better moraliz'd are left: The Apoſtle 1 Cor. 2. aggravateth this, Not many wiſe, not many noble hath God choſen, but the fooliſh things of the world to confound the wiſe; And thus our Saviour Mat. 11. Thou haſt hidden them from the wiſe and prudent, and revealed them to babes; And it muſt needs be thus amongſt men, for ſo it was with the Angels; The Scripture ſpeaks of Elect Angels, Now why did ſome Angels fall and others are confirmed in their eternall happy abode, it cannot be any other cauſe but their Election; Therefore when all things are duely conſidered we muſt ſay with the Apoſtle Eph. 1. That we are predeſtinated before the foundation of the world that we ſhould be to the praiſe of his glorious grace.
II. Vocation is of grace.The ſecond ſtep of that Ladder whereby the grace of God deſcends upon us is Vocation and Regeneration; That whereby the Lord doth graciouſly repair his loſt image in us, and of dead in ſinne makes us live a ſpiritual life.
Now that this alſo is wholly of grace appeareth,
Reaſons. 1 1. From that original ſin defiling the whole man with all the curſed effects thereof, for we are not meerly deprived of all good but poſitively inclined to all evil, and filled with a curſed oppoſition to what is holy; The Scripture is very plentiful and emphatical in deſcribing this ſinful miſery of ours; We are brambles and briars in the Wilderneſſe till he plant us goodly plants in his Garden; We are compared to all manner of beaſts for the ſinful qualities in us, till he make us Sons of God, ſo that we would wonder to ſee the preſumption and arrogancy of thoſe Doctrines that would make man free to do good; Whereas our Saviour ſaid, Then are we free when the Son hath made us free, Joh. 8.36. Tunc arbitrium eſt liberum, quando liberatum.
Reaſons. 2 2. It's all of grace, becauſe the Scripture attributeth this work ſolely to God; That famous promiſe I will take away an heart of ſtone, Eze. 11.19. I will give an heart of fleſh, I will write my Law in their hearts, do argue he muſt be wilfully blinde that will not acknowledge this to be Gods work alone; Now then if it be Gods work it cannot be ours alſo, unleſſe ſubjectively, not cauſally; Hence it's called the New Creature, becauſe God immediatly gives us ſuch a being, and indeed the experience of the godly ſoul doth evidently witneſſe this; How long ſhould I have wallowed in my luſts? how unwillng to leave them till God changed my heart; If God had ſtaied for my conſent and cooperation, I had ſtill been in the gall of bitterneſſe; It's God then and not man who laieth the firſt ſtone in this ſpiritual building: Doth not the heart of a godly man inform him of more Orthodoxy in this Point then moſt Books will do? Didſt thou not keep thy luſts with all might? Didſt thou not wage open war againſt God? Didſt thou yield thy ſelf by agreement, or not rather by full conqueſt?
Laſtly, That our vocation and converſion is wholly of grace appeareth, if we conſider many perſons who are thus called, as many prophane and wicked perſons; Men in league with divers temptations to ſin, ſuch as Paul, Mary Magdalene, Matthew the Publican, What condignity or congruity, which the Papiſts ſpeak of ſo much, could be in theſe men? And therefore obſerve how Paul upon all occaſions doth willingly enlarge himſelf to ſpeak of the grace of God to him the chiefeſt of all ſinners: Auſtin in his Confeſſions do… excellently acknowledge the unwillingneſſe in himſelf to be turned from his luſts till God had overpowerd him, and therefore he cals grace verticordis very emphatically.
III. Juſtification is of grace.The third ſtep of theſe eminent gifts God giveth his people is Juſtification from their ſinnes; This is ſo great a matter that the Apoſtle makes our bleſſedneſſe to conſiſt in it; And David Pſa. 32. out of the ſenſe of this mercy overlooks all temporal comforts, though never ſo great, and admireth this: Now this is wholly of grace, Rom. 3.24. Being juſtified freely by his grace; The Apoſtle puts two words to ſhew that it is altogether from the meer grace of God that we partake of ſuch a priviledge.
Reaſons.Now the Grounds why Juſtification and pardon of ſinne muſt needs be of Grace, is
1. Becauſe the Juſtice of God is like himſelf infinite; and ſo all the tears and grievances we may put our ſelves upon are not able to recompenſe God; We ſee the damned in hell are therefore detained in thoſe chains of darkneſſe to all Eternity, becauſe they are not able to ſatisfie the juſtice of God, if they could pay to the laſt farthing then they would be ſet at liberty; Every ſin then even the leaſt hath an infinite guilt in it in reſpect of Gods infinite Majeſty againſt whom it is committed, ſo that neither one man, no nor all men or Angels are able to expunge the leaſt blot; Oh then tremble under the leaſt ſinne rhou art guilty of; Little doſt thou conſider how inſupportable the guilt of it is, how impotent thy ſelf and all the world is to cancell and wipe out this debt.
2. It muſt needs be of grace becauſe Chriſt made himſelf an expiatory atonement and ſacrifico for our ſinnes; God made our iniquities to meet upon him, Iſa. 53. yea, he was made a curſe for our ſakes, ſo that the doing away of our iniquities is wholly of grace to us, for that was Chriſts work, he undertook this load, which would have cruſhed us into the loweſt hell; If he that was God as well as man did yet ſweat drops of bloud under this Agony, and cried out, My God, My God, why haſt thou forſaken me? If the green Tree burn thus what ſhall the dry do? For thee therefore to think by thy tears and Repentance to expiate thy ſinne is wholly to miſtake the neceſſity of Chriſt a Mediatour; This is to put an Atlas his burthen upon a Pigmies ſhoulder; See what the weight of ſin did upon Cain and Judas? though they would have given a world, yet they could not obtain the leſt drop of water to eaſe their ſpirits, but like Dives were tormented in hell while here on earth; Oh then that wicked men would conſider more, they lay load upon load, but who at laſt ſhall take it off; Thou thinkeſt not that though ſin for the preſent be ſweet, yet it hath an eternal ſting with it; What wilt thou do when at laſt thou ſhalt cry out with Cain, My ſinne is greater then I can bear.
Laſtly,IV. Glorification is of grace. The laſt and utmoſt ſtep of Gods mercy to us is glorification and making of us happy for ever; When he hath done this there remaineth no more to be done, and even this Crown of Glory is put upon our heads becauſe of grace, Rom. 6.23. The gift of God is Eternal Life; And Tit. 2. We are ſaved by grace, not by works; The Apoſtle doth in that place with exact diligence ſhut them out from any ſhare in our Salvation:
Now that all this, from the firſt to the laſt,Reaſens. even ſalvation it ſelf is of grace will appear,
1. From the imperfection that cleaveth to the beſt things we do; Inſomuch that they need grace to pardon, ſo farre are they from having any worth in them for heaven; This made the Apoſtle Paul, account all that he had and did dung and droſſe for the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt; This made David pray that God would not enter into judgement or be ſtrict to mark what is done amiſſe; When we have done all we muſt ſay we are unprofitable Servants, how much more when we come farre ſhort of all.
2. If we conſider the tranſcendant dignity of that glory God will beſtow on us; It muſt needs be ſolely of grace; For the Apoſtle tels us The eye hath not ſeen it▪ nor the ear heard it, nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of is, 1 Cor. 2.9. It's no leſſe then enjoying God himſelf, The immediate fruition of himſelf is the only happineſſe we ſhall have; Now what compariſon is there between our graces, and God himſelf, Again the Tranſcendency is ſeen in the duration: Suppoſe our graces were preſent yet are they but for a ſeaſon; They are tranſient expreſſions; Whereas our happineſſe doth endure for ever.
3. If we are enabled to do any good thing, we are ſo farre from deſerving at Gods hand, That we are the more obliged to him, and ought to be the more thankfull, Coronat dona ſua, non merita nostra; The more thou art enabled to repent or beleeve, the more thankfull art thou to be to the grace of God: Thus all is of grace.
But you will ſay, Is not heaven called a reward? At the day of Judgement doth not God pronounce a bleſſing becauſe of the good works they have done? Are they not called Bleſſed that die in the Lord becauſe their works follow them? Rev. 14.13.
All this is true, but this proveth no more then that an holy life and godly works they are via Regni not cauſa Regnandi, as Bernard long ſince; If we do not ſtrive and labour we ſhall never have this Crown; If we uſe not violence we ſhall never get this Kingdom, So that grace doth not encourage to ſinne, or maintain ſlothfulneſſe, but we as the Apoſtle urgeth, Phil. 2. are encouraged to work out our ſalvation becauſe that it's God who giveth us to will and to doe.
Ʋſe 1 Ʋſe of Inſtruction to the godly, Are they wholly the gift of God in Chriſt? Is all from the grace of God, then let the people of God walk humbly and thankfully? Oh it's a cloſe ſecret ſinne to have ſelf-dependance, ſelf-confidence, and yet there is no ſinne hath greater enmity to the Goſpel of Chriſt then this; Neither do thou think to divide the matter between grace and thy duties, as the Papiſts make our hope to be coming partly from our merits, and partly from the grace of God; What ſhall David, Shall Paul, ſuch eminent Cedars in Lebanon, fear their own ſelves, and doſt thou a low ſhrub boaſt of thy ſelf? Herein commonly is the difference between a true godly man and a civil vertuous man, the one hath a ſecret hope in himſelf, but the other looks for and expects grace as meerly from God, as if he never had done a good work in his life.
Ʋſe 2 Ʋſe 2. Let this grace of God quicken thee to all life and zeal for God; Grace is like fire to melt thee; If mans kindeneſſe worketh upon a good nature, how much rather ſhould Gods kindeneſſe upon a ſanctified and a renewed nature.