A Practical Discourse of Gods Sovereignty, Part 3 · Section 6
VI. That Election is founded upon Grace: Or, The good pleaſure of God's will, is the only Original Cauſe and Motive of Election.
As in Men's Genealogies, there is no ſtop, until you come up to God the Father of all:Luke. 3. 23. 38. So is it in the order of Cauſes relating to Men's Salvation: The efficiency of all things that are mediate and ſubordinate, depending on God, as Firſt and Sovereign: His Willing the futurition of them, is the cauſe of their being: and We ſhall never judge Rightly, unleſs we come up to the Will and Good Pleaſure of God, as the Sovereign Rule and Law of His Works: And this, I term, The [onelyonly] Original Cauſe of Election, to ſhut out Faith foreſeen, with all the works and worthyneſs of Men, from being any way Cauſal, Influential, or Motive thereto; and ſo from ſharing in the Glory of God's Grace; which He is very jealous of, and will not impart to any.
The Ground, or Moving Cauſe of God's Election, is quite different from the manner of Men; who commonly pitch upon things, for ſome Natural Aptneſs, or Meetneſs of them for their Work: They will not take a knotty, croſs-grain'd, or wind-ſhaken piece of Timber, to make a Pillar of State: But, the Lord pitches upon ſuch (and ſuch to chooſe) the poor, baſe, weak, fooliſh, things of the world; the worſt of Men, and chief of Sinners: (The inſtances of Paul, Manaſſeh, Mary Magdalen, and others, make it evident:) and of theſe, He is pleaſed to make Pillars for the Houſe of God; (Pilluis of State indeed!) whereon to write His own Name, to manifeſt thereby His Sovereignty, Holineſs, Wiſdome, Power, Righteouſneſs, and Free Grace to Eternity.
The Lord's way and method, in bringing His Sons to Glory; is the beſt Demonſtration of the Right order of Cauſes: For, though there be a Concurrence of many things, as Cauſes and Effects, one of another; yet if obſerv'd in their Order, they will ſtill lead us up to the Goad Pleaſure of God, as Firſt and Supream; and perfectly Independent: The Current of the New Teſtament Runs wholly this way; and hangs the whole of Salvation, both Means and End, expreſly on the Divine Will: Luke 1…. 32, It is your Fathers good pleaſure to give you the Kingdom: Chap 10. 21, Thou haſt hid theſe things from the Wiſe, and revealed them to babes; For ſo it ſeemed good in thy ſight: Rom. 11. 5, A Remnant according to the Election of Grace: Epheſ. 1. 5, Predeſtinate to the Adoption of Children, according to the good pleaſure of His Will: Redemption alſo, and the forgiveneſs of Sins, according to the riches of His Grace, (the ſame Grace that Elected.) Ver. 7, The making known the myſtery of His Will; this alſo is according to that His Good pleaſure, which He had purpoſed in Himſelf, Ver. 9. Yea, all the operations of God, whether for us, upon us, or by us, they All have their Riſe from the ſame Spring, and are Carried by the ſame Rule: He worketh all things after the Councel of His Own Will; Ver. 11. And for the Old Teſtament, you have it ſufficiently exemplified there, in the Inſtances before given; and eſpecially touching the ground of God's love, to the People of Iſrael; (who, in that reſpect,Deut. 7. 8. Ch 9. 4. Ch. 10. 15. were the Arch-type of the Spiritual Election) vi…. That His own good pleaſure was the only cauſe of His Chooſing them above other Nations; He loved them, becauſe He loved them.
And good Reaſons there are, why Election ſhould be founded upon Grace; and why it could not, with reſpect either to God's Glory, or the Elect's Security, be founded otherwiſe. And the
I. Is from the Sovereignty of God: Whoſe Will being the Supream Law, admits not a Co-ordinacy; Much-leſs will it ſtand with Sovereign Power to be Regulated by the will of another: That would be a Contradiction to Sovereignty; For, that which Regulates, is ſuperiour to that which is regulated by it. Sovereign Princes (to ſhew their Prerogative) affirm their acts of Grace, to be of their own meer Motion; And their Grants are reputed the more Authentique for being ſo expreſt. The like we find in Scripture frequently aſcribed to God; That He will have Mercy, on whom He will have mercy: Rom 9. 18.That He worketh all things (not by Motives from without,Eph 1. 11. but) after the Councel of His own Will: Rom 9. 16.That it is not of Men's Willing or Running, but of God who ſheweth Mercy.
When the World had been drown'd for their obdurate impenitency; the Few that remain'd, were as bad as before; and thoſe that ſhould come after the Lord foreſaw would be the ſame. One would think, now, The natural Reſult of this Experiment ſhould be, I will utterly cut them off, and be troubled with them no more: But, the Lord's thoughts are not our thoughts; He argues and concludes in another Mode; I will not again any more Curſe the ground for man's ſake. And He is pleaſed to give the ſame Reaſon here, why He Will not; as before, why He would; asis ſeen, by comparing Gen. 6, 5, and 7. with Chap. 8. 21.
See alſo the Inſtance of God's dealing with Ephraim; He was wroth with Him and ſmote Him; and Ephraim ſo far from Relenting, That he went on frowardly: (i. e. Stubbornly, as Reſolved in his Courſe) I hid me (ſayes the Lord) and was wroth Eſa. 57. 15.This, one would think, (if Ephraim had in him but a ſpark of Ingen…ity) ſhould have Moved him to alter his Courſe. But, what cares Ephraim! He ſtill keeps the ſame way; and it was the way of his heart; not an inconſiderate Pet, or ſudden Temptation; but Natural and fixed: All which the Lord ſees and conſiders; and having laid all together, Reſolves to heal him, Iſa. 57. 18.and Reſtore Comforts to him.
On the other hand; Thoſe good Soules who feared the Lord and Obeyed the voice of his ſervant; Iſa. 50. …1.They yet walked in darkneſs, and had no light: ye may be ſure, They would gladly have underſtood their Condition, (namely, That they were ſuch as feared the Lord) Their Will could not be Wanting to a Thing ſo greatly importing their Comfort; Nor they were not Idle in ſeeking for it: They Walked though in the Dark; but could not Walk themſelves out of it: They are ſtill as they were, They had no light. By theſe contrary Examples ye may ſee, That the Sovereignty of God ſtill keeps the Throne, and His diſpenſments of Mercy (whether in purpoſe or in Act) are not Governed by the Wills of Men; They are things too low to be Councellors to God. And if it be thus in things of temporary Concernment, much more in that great buſineſs of Eternal Election; which is the Sublimeſt Act of Sovereign Power. (And yet, This hinders not, but That every Man, at laſt, ſhall be judged according to his works.)
II.Arg. 2. Election muſt be founded onelyonly upon Grace, because Grace and Works are Inconſiſtent in the Cauſe of ſalvation. The ſcripture is every Cautelous of admitting any thing as a Concomitant with Grace, in this Matter; yea, although it be a Thing that doth alway accompany Grace, and That without which a Man cannot be Saved: The Apoſtle puts them in oppoſition, and is very intent on the Argument, as a thing of great Moment, in Rom. 11. Where, firſt he ſhews, That amidſt that general Defection of the Iewiſh Nation, there ſtill was a Remnant whom God had Reſerv'd: Theſe he terms, The Foreknown, ver 2. and in the 7. ver. he calls them plainly, The Election: And then, leſt any ſhould aſcribe it to a falſe cauſe, (as in that paralel Caſe he reſembles it to,) viz, That they had not bowed the knee to Baal; but ſtuck to the True Religion, when others fell off; he tells us, No; Their Election was founded upon Grace: And as for Works they had no place in the Cauſality of it. By Grace he means, the Free Favour of God; who is not moved by any thing without Himſelf; But what He does, He does it Freely; without reſpect to Mens deſert; Nay, their Ʋndeſert rather, is an expedient Conſideration in this Act of Grace. By, Works, I underſtand All that Self-Righteouſneſs, Goodneſs, Conformity to the Law, Or what ever elſe is performable by Men. Theſe (viz, Grace and Works) he proves as inconſiſtent as Contraries can be; and that the leaſt Mixture would vary the kind. If but a ſ…ruple of Works be taken in, Grace is no more Grace; For, to him that worketh, is the Reward not reckoned of Grace, but of Debt; Rom. 4. 4. Grace and Faith, are well agreed: Theſe both have the ſame ſcope and end: But,Rom. 4. 4. Grace and Works have always Claſh'd: The ſetting up of the One, is the depoſing of the other: Either the Ark muſt Out, or Dagon down; One Temple cannot hold them both. Rom. 3. 28.
To the ſame effect is the drift of that diſcourſe in Gal. 5. It appears from Acts 15. 1. That ſome there were, who taught a Neceſſity of Circumciſion; as without which they could not be ſaved: Pretty willing they were to admit of Chriſt, ſo they might joyn Circumciſion with Him, and keeping the Law of Moſes. But, this dangerous daubing with things unmixable, our holy Apoſtle could not brook; both as reflecting on the honour of his Maſter, and undermining their onelyonly Foundation: And therefore, to keep them from or bring them off, that perillous Quick-ſand; he tells them expreſly, Theſe two cannot ſtand together in that matter: For, if they be Circumciſed, they are Debtors to the whole Law; and Chriſt is become of none effect to them; becauſe they are fallen from Grace. It is, as if he had ſaid, If you take in any part, though never ſo little of Legal Obſervances, as Neceſſary to your being Juſtified, ye forfeit the whole benefit of Goſpel-Grace. The Grace of Chriſt is ſufficient for you; He is a Saviour Compleat in Himſelf; and if you look (though but a ſquint) at any thing elſe; it is a Renouncing of Him: He will be Saviour altogether or not at all. And therefore he tells them again, and that with a kind of vehemency;Gall. 5. 2. That if they be Circumciſed, Chriſt ſhall profit them Nothing.
And as a Man may not put in his Claim for Juſtification on accompt of his Works; ſo neither of his Faith, as if That were M…terially or Influentially Cauſal of Juſtification: For, Faith it ſelf, as it is the Believers Act, comes under the Notion of a Work. Let us therefore Conſider, What part it is that Faith holds in this Matter? leaſt whiles we caſt out Works, as not ſtanding with Grace; we make a Work of Faith. It is Faith's Office, to make the Soul live wholly on Another; and to Renounce Self-ability, as much as Self-deſert: To apprehend that Righteouſneſs by which Grace Juſtifies; Not onelyonly to be Justified thereby upon your Believing; but to work in you even that Faith, by which you apprehend it;Iſa. 45. 24. anſwerable to that of the Prophet, In the Lord have I Righteouſneſs and Strength. He that will be Saved muſt come as an ungodly Perſon to be juſtified freely by the Grace of God: He muſt reckon himſelf an Ʋngodly Man, to the very inſtant of his Juſtification. True it is, The Juſt ſhall live by Faith; but 'tis alſo true, That it is not their own Faith, or act of believing, that they live by, (though not without it:) Which alſo ſeems the Apoſtle's meaning, where he ſayes, The life, which I now live, I live by the Faith of the Son of God: Where note, That as Faith is the life of a Believer; ſo Chriſt is the life of his Faith; I live (ſaith he) yet not I but Chriſt liveth in Me: Chriſt was his life; and he lived on Chriſt, by virtue of Chriſt's living in him.
Notwithſtanding all which, it is evidently true, and muſt conſtantly be affirm'd, That Grace and Works will ſtill be together in the way of Salvation; (the one doth not extinguiſh or exclude the other) Only not as Collegues or Joint-Cauſers thereof: But rather as a Workman, and his Tooles, which himſelf firſt makes, and then workes with them; By Grace ye are ſaved through Faith; Eph. 2. 8.and that not of your ſelves, it is the Gift of God: Even this believing or Acting faculty is a Creature of Grace's raiſing up; and therefore, in the Throne 'tis meet that Grace ſhould be above it. Works (therefore) how good ſoever, are not the Cauſe of Salvation; and if ſo, then not the cauſe of Election; for This (indeed) is the Cauſe of them both: And Works (if right and truly Good) will alwayes be ready to own their Original, and to keep in their own place; Where alſo they will be moſt conſiderable, and do the beſt ſervice.
III.Arg. 3. That the good pleaſure of God's Will, gives Riſe and Foundation to Election, is further argued from Men's Incapacity to afford any ground or Motive to God, for ſuch a Gift. Adam ſtood not ſo long as to beget a Son in his firſt Image: It is ſ…en by his firſt-born Cain, what all his natural S…ed would naturally be. And though there be ſome that do Magnifie Man, and preſume to ſpeak of him at another rate: yet evident it is by Scripture-light, and experience of thoſe Renewed, That Man fallen is po…r, blind, Naked, and at enmity with all that is truly good: and that he is never more Remote and farr off from God, than whiles in high thoughts of himſelfe, Glorying in his own Underſtanding, Strength, Worthyneſs, Freedom of Will, Improvement of Common Grace, and the like: For, Theſe make him proud and preſumptuous, and to have ſlight thoughts of that ſpecial and peculiar Grace by which he muſt (if ever) be Renewed and Saved. But, the Lord Himſelf (who beſt knows him) reports the matter quite otherwiſe; (and we know that His witneſs is true) viz. That all the imaginations of their heart are onelyonly evil continually: Gen. 6 5.That their inward part is very wickedneſs: Pſ. 53. 1.That every Man is brutiſh in his knowledge: Jer 10 14 ver. 8, 21.Altogether brutiſh and fooliſh; yea, even their Paſtours; (that is, the very beſt and moſt intelligent amongſt them:Ch 4. 22. Eccles. 91▪3.) They are wiſe to do evil, but to do good have no underſtanding: And their hearts are full of madneſs:—
And it was not thus only with the Gentile Nations, who were left to walk in their own way; but even with the Jews, Iſa. 5. 4.who had all the means of becoming better that could be deviſed, (Excepting that of ſpecial Electing Grace, which took-in but a Remnant:) They were called Jews, Reſted in the Law, Made their boaſt of God, Knew His Will, Approved the things that were excellent; Were confident that they were a Guide of the blind, and a light to them that were in darkneſs, Inſtructors of the fooliſh, Teachers of Babes,—And yet all this while, and in the midſt of all theſe high attainments, did not teach Themſelves: Rom. 2 from 17 ver. to 21.
And in Rom. 3. where they are Ranked together, he proves them to be All under Sin, None Righteous, None that underſtandeth, None that ſeeketh after God, None that doth good, [No not One] Yea, This depravement of Nature was ſo deep and indelibly fixed, That the Lord Himſelfe tells them The Blackmoor might as ſoon change his skin, as they learn to do well. All which, with abundantly more, be ſpeaks a condition extreamly remote from yielding a Cauſe of this bleſſed Election.
IV. If God's love to Men had its Riſe and Beginning from their love to Him, it would not have that ſingular eminency in it,Joh. 3. 16. that is juſtly aſcribed to it: [So God l…ved the World—!] So as not to be expreſt; So as not to be paralel'd; So as not to be underſtood, until we come to that State wherein we ſhall know as we are known. By this it is,1 Cor. 13. 12. that God's love to Men is ſo highly celebrated, in 1 Joh. 4. 10, [Herein] is love; Not that we loved God, but that God loved us. And, Behold what manner of love the Father hath beſtowed up on us! 1 Joh. 3. 1.Which ſurely then is not after the manner of Men;Matth. 6. 46. For, even Publicans do ſo;Luke. 6 32, 35. and Sinners love thoſe that love them: But, to love Enemies, and whiles Enemies; (as to love a Woman, (a Wife) that is an Adultereſs) this is according to God's love to His Choſen.
But, Notwithſtanding theſe Scriptures (with others) ſeem purpoſely written to obviate ſuch conceptions as would feign our loving of God, to be the ground and Motive of His love to us: Yet, great endeavours there are to Father Election upon foreſeen faith and works, which That They call the Covenant of Grace, has (they Say) qualified and capacitated all Men for; and which certain more pliant, ingenuous, and induſtrious perſons (as they ſpeak) would attain unto, by the helps they have in common with other Men: But, this pedigree of Election is excepted againſt as being not rightly deduced: For,
1. Men having (in Adam) deveſted themſelves of all that was holy and good; the Lord could not foreſee in them any thing of Worth or Deſirableneſs, but what Himſelf ſhould work in them Anew, and that of pure Grace and favour: For, ſin and deformity could not be motives of love; And, that the Elect (of themſelves) were in no wiſe better than other Men, is evident by the Scriptures late-quoted; where the Holy Ghoſt aſſerting the univerſal depravement of humane nature, ex…empts not one. But, if ſuch excellent and diſtinguiſhing qualifications as Faith and Holineſs had been foreſeen, (and ſo, imputable to them) the Spirit of Truth would not have Rank'd them Even with the Children of wrath, as He doth, Eph. 2. 3. But,
2. If they were otherwiſe, what could they add unto God? Job 37. 24. Ch. 35 7. Ch. 41. 11.Or whereby could they oblige Him? He reſpecteth not any that are wiſe of heart. If thou be Righteous, what giveſt thou Him? And who hath prevented Me (ſays the Lord) that I ſhould repay him? (i. e. Who is he that is a fore hand with God, Deut. 10. 17.in doing ought that might induce His favour?) He regardeth not Perſons, nor taketh Rewards: He is not propitious to any for what they can do for Him, or bring to Him.
Take Paul for an Inſtance: He walked up to the light he had; Was blameleſs; lived in all good Conſcience; knew no evil by himſelf; (a rare degree of legal Righteouſneſs!) But, that it was not this moved God to make him a Choſen Veſſel, he thankfully acknowledgeth, with ſelf-abaſement, upon every occaſion: Tit. 3. 5. Tin. 1. 14. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 9.
3. Faith follows Election: God reſpects the perſon before his offering. (you'l ſay perhaps) Abel was reſpected as a Believer, and his offering for his Faith? True, But that Faith of his was not the primary cauſe of God's reſpecting him. If Abels Perſon had not been reſpected firſt, he had never been a Believer: For, Faith is the work and gift of God; and (according to the courſe of all judicious Agents) he that will work, muſt firſt pitch on the Subject He will work upon; and he that gives, on the perſon he will give unto.Heb. 11. 6. Beſides,Rom. 14. 23. Abel could do nothing before he Believed, that might move God to give him Faith: therefore it could not be Abel's foreſeen Faith that was the Cauſe of his Election. The Scripture ſpeaks often of iron-ſinew'd-Necks and Brazen Brows; and of Men's being in their blood, when the Lord ſaid They ſhould live: As alſo that God loved Jacob before he had done any good thing: and that the Saints love God becauſe He loved them firſt: But no-where of Foreſeen Faith and Holineſs as the Cauſe and Ground of God's love to Men.
4. Faith and Holineſs are Middle things: They are neither the Foundation nor Top-ſtone of Election. They are to Sovereign Grace, as Stalks and Branches are to a Root; by which the Root conveyes its virtues into its principal fruit: Epheſ. 2. 8, By Grace ye are ſaved [through] Faith: 2. Theſ. 2. 13, Choſen to Salvation [through] Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth. They are no more the Cauſe of Election, than the Means of an End are the firſt Cauſe of Purpoſe: Nay, no more than Tatnai's propenſion to build the Temple, and to provide Sacrifices for the God of Heaven, was the Cauſe of Darius his Decree that thoſe things ſhould be done, Ezra 5. and 6. Chapters.
5. If men be Predeſtinate to Faith and Holineſs, (as they are) according to Rom. 8. 38, …9. and 1. Pet. 1. 2. Then they were not ſeen to be ſuch before their Predeſtination: Or if they were, then their Election (as to that particular) would ſeem impertinent: There can no Rational account be given, why Men foreſeen to be ſuch, ſhould be ſo ſolemnly predeſtinate thereto. So likewiſe, If Salvation be the inſeparable product of Faith and Holineſs, according to John 5. 24, He that believeth [hath] everlaſting life, and ſhall not come into condemnation: 1. Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the End of your Faith, the Salvation of your Souls: Then, to ordain to Salvation thoſe foreſeen to be ſo qualified, would ſeem a thing both needleſs and inſignificant: It would look like the ſending of Men where they would have gon of Themſelves.
Such ſapleſs, irregular, and injudicious Notions are very unworthy that Celebrious and for ever Adorable Act of Predeſtination. And if duely weighed, would ſet us further off from the doctrine of Self-advancement, which ſtands in ſo point-blank oppoſition to the Doctrine of God's Grace.
V.Arg. 5. It could not ſtand with the wiſdom and Goodneſs of God, to found the Salvation of His People on a failable bottom: Which it muſt be ſaid to be, if dependent on any thing beſides His own Immutable Will: For, whatever it was, that Election had being from, by that alſo it muſt be maintain'd. What then would become of it, if built on that goodneſs which is as the Morning cloud and early dew? Moſ. 6. 4.The Creature's will, even whiles in a ſtate of perfection, was too ſlight and fickle a thing to build this eternal weight upon: And if Man at his beſt eſtate was vanity, how much more afterwards, when ſo ſtrong a Bent to vanity came upon his will!
VI. Laſtly, To derive Election from any Root beſides the Good pleaſure of God, is to fruſtrate the principal End of Man's Salvation, viz. the Glory of God's Grace, Epheſ. 1. 6. and Chap. 2. 7. This Attribute (of all the Reſt) He will not have ecclipſed, nor intrench'd upon: 'Tis ſo Divinely ſacred, as not to admit the leaſt humane touch. For which very cauſe, the Lord hath ſo contrived that bleſſed deſign and Plot of His Glory, that all boaſting is excluded: And no fleſh ſhall Glory in His preſeuce. But if any thing in the Creature be intitled to the Cauſality of Election, Fleſh will Glory; and inſtead of excluding Man's Boaſting, Grace it ſelf will be excluded, (which is far from a Glorifying of it) as is plain from, Rom. 11. 6.
I would here Reſolve a Quere or two, which ſome have urged from the Scripture, As
1. How can this Doctrine ſtand with the [General] love and good will of God towards Men; who ('tis ſaid) will have all to be ſaved? 1. Tim. 2. 4.
In General; the literal ſenſe of words is not to be reſted on, when the like phraſe of ſpeech elſewhere uſed, or evident ſcope of the ſame or other Scripture, agrees not to it: The deſign and current of the whole muſt guide the conſtruction of particular parts. More particularly:
1. Though the Doctrine of General Love will not ſtand with that of Special Election; yet the Doctrine of Special Election will ſtand without That, and againſt it: For, there is nothing more plain, than that there is an Election of men to Salvation; as alſo, That the natural Import of Election, is, To Chooſe One or more out of Many: Now this neceſſarily implyes the Leaving of Some; and conſequently, The Not-willing of Salvation to All; For,
2. The Will of God cannot be reſiſted: What He wills ſhall come to paſs, becauſe with His willing the End, He Wills alſo the Means; and that ſuch as ſhall compaſs His End: Iſa. 46. 10, My councel ſhall ſtand, I will do all my pleaſure; i. e. What I pleaſe to will, That I will have done.
3. If the word [All] be here taken univerſally, it takes in Ʋnbelievers as well as Others; as if God would have them to be Saved: And if you will explain this by other Scriptures; (as, namely, If they do believe) Theſe alſo muſt be conſidered with thoſe that ſhew How and by Whom that Faith muſt be wrought; and who they are it belongs unto: and they tell us, That Faith is the Gift and operation of God, Coll. 2. 12. Eph. 2. 8. And That Election is that which intitles to Faith; Rom. 11. 7.
4. The Apoſtle is not here diſcourſing the Extent of God's ſpecial love; Whether All Men univerſally are concern'd in it: but exhorting Believers to a General duty; viz. To give thanks for Kings, and all in Authority; becauſe of the benefits we have by Government: And to pray for them; Not onelyonly for their peaceable governing of us; but if otherwiſe, that God would turn their hearts, and make them Nurſing Fathers to His Church. And to enforce the Duty, There is no degree nor ſtate of Men exempted from Salvation: God hath choſen ſome of every ſort; and therefore we ought not to ſhut any out of our prayers.
5. The word [All] is often uſed, when but a part (and ſometimes, the leſſer part) of the thing ſpoken of, is intended by it. As on the contrary, when the Ʋniverſality of the ſubject is intended, it is expreſſed by Singulars; As, He that believeth ſhall be Saved; and Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wiſe caſt out. It ſometimes ſignifies All of ſuch a ſort: ſo Eve is ſaid to be the Mother of All Living; Not of all Living Creatures, but all of her own kind. It other times intends Some of all Sorts: as where it is ſaid All the Cattle of Aegypt died, Exod. 9. 6. And the hail ſmote every tree, and every herb, ver. 25. And yet other Cattle are mentioned after, and a Reſidue of Trees are ſaid to be eſcaped, ver. 19, 25. and Chap. 10. 5. So here, God will have all Men to be ſaved; That is, some of every Sort and degree; Gentiles as well as Jews; Kings and Men in authority, as well as thoſe of a meaner Rank. The ſame in Joel; I will pour out of my Spirit upon all fleſh: Joel 2. 28.that is, upon ſome of every Age, Sex, and Degree, without diſtinction; Young, Old, Maſters, Servants, Sons, Daughters, &c. as it follows there.
6. To theſe Univerſal terms do belong divers Reſtrictions, which muſt be gather'd from the Scope; Col. 1. 23, The Goſpel is ſaid, to be preached to every Creature under Heaven: and yet Men only are intended; and not All of them neither; For the Goſpel had reached but a ſmall part of the World at that time, and not the whole of it yet. Acts 15. 21, Moſes hath in every City them that preach him: It muſt be underſtood only of Cities where the Jews dwelt and had Synagogues; which were but few in compariſon. Acts 8. 4, They that were ſcattered abroad, went every where preaching the Word; i. e. They balked no place nor perſon; but preached where ever they came: At firſt it was confin'd to the Jews, but now without limits. 1 Cor. 4. 5, Every Man ſhall have praiſe of God: It can be meant only of Good and Faithful Servants, which are but a Remnant to the whole piece. Eph. 4. 5, God is ſaid to be the Father of all; and yet, Satan (we know) is the Father of the far greater part of the World. Col. 1. 20, Chriſt is ſaid to Reconcile all things; and yet, all the Angels (which are Things, and of the Chiefeſt of Things) muſt be exempted: The Good Angels, becauſe they never were at enmity: and the evil Angels, becauſe Not Reconcilable. Eph. 1. 10, That He might gather together in One all things in Chriſt: This [All things] ſeems plainly to intend the Elect; for they are the ſubject diſcourſed of in the whole Chapter: and in Matthew, Thoſe gathered together are ſtiled The Elect, Mat. 24. 31. In Heb. 12. 8, All are ſaid to be partakers of Chaſtiſement: and yet it can be meant only of Sons; for Baſtards are not partakers of it; as it follows there. So alſo, John 6. 4…, They ſhall be all taught of God: It reſpects only the Sons of the Church, (i. e. ſuch as are Elected) whoſe iniquities are forgiven them, and their ſins remembred no more: It is the tenour of the New Covenant, which is made with the Houſe of Iſrael; that is, Jews in Spirit, or the Elect Nation, Heb. 8. 10, 11. Jer. 31. 34. And if theſe terms Ʋniverſal [All and Every] are ſometimes applied to the Elect excluſive of Others; why not as well in the place whence the Quere is taken?
I have inſtanced theſe, to ſhew what Contradictory Notions would follow, ſhould the vocal ſound of words be adhered to: What a Sandy foundation Ʋniverſal- Election is built upon: And how likely we are to loſe the Truth, whiles we liſten to an uncertain ſound; the meaning whereof may yet be had from the Context, and General Current of the Scripture.
2. How ſhall this kind of Election be reconciled with Acts 10. That God is no Reſpecter of perſons?
1. This ſhews the inconvenience of Minding the literal ſenſe of words above the Scope: The former Exception takes-in All; and now This excludes All: for, if literally taken, God ſhould have reſpect to None. 2. The Jews were an Elect Nation; and ſo, this objection will lye againſt that Election as much as this we are upon. 3. The ſcope of the place plainly intends, That God reſpects no Man's perſon either leſs or more, for his outward condition, or Carnal privileges. Till Then, the partition was up, and the Lord ſeemed to Regard only the Jewiſh Nation; ſuffering All beſides, to Walk in their own Wayes, Acts 14. 16. But Now had God to the Gentiles alſo granted Repentance unto life, Acts 11. 18. You'l ſay, They were Fearers of God whom He thus accepted? True; but That was not it which firſtly induced His Acceptance, or intit'led them to it; (although it was their Evidence for it.) If Men fear not God till He hath put His fear within them; Then, their fearing Him, doth not precede His Reſpect towards them, but follows upon it.Job. 15, 16. And this is the Favour which he bears to His Choſen, Pſal. 106. 4.
3. If Men be ordained to Salvation abſolutely, What need or uſe is there of good works?
There are divers good Uſes and Ends of good works, and good Reaſons for God's ordaining them to be walked in; without ſuppoſing our Walking in them, the Ground, Condition, or Motive of our Election: As
1. To ſhew forth His virtues whoſe Off-ſpring we profeſs our ſelves to be: Mat. 5. 45, That ye may be (i. e. that ye may appear and approve your ſelves to be) the Children of your Father which is in Heaven.
2. To Convince Thoſe without; That they by our good converſation may be won over, and learn to do well; Or elſe be compelied to Glorifie God in the day of viſitation.
3. For Encouragement and Example to Weaker Chriſtians; who yet are but Children in the good wayes of God, and are aptlier led by Example than Precept.
4. That by having our Senſes exerciſed about holy things, we might become more holy; and ſo, more capable of Communion with God here, and meetened for our Heavenly Inheritance.
5. Good works are a part of Election; and the Elect are as abſolutely ordained to them, as to Salvation it ſelf, Joh. 15. 16.