A Practical Discourse of Gods Sovereignty, Part 3
OF ELECTION.
THe Doctrine of Election, (in the latitude of it) containeth the whole Summ and Scope of the Goſpel▪ And our Mindes, if honeſtly ſubdued to the Doctrine of God's Sovereignty, cannot be employed about a more excellent Subject.
It is called, The Foundation of God; not onelyonly, becauſe of the Supereminency of it; but as a Foundation of His— Own laying, which God Himſelf and Alone, is the Author of; and the Baſis whereof is Himſelf: It is that Foundation which ſtandeth ſure, and keeps them All ſure who ſtand upon it.
ELECTION is the pitching of Everlaſting love, Or the Good Pleaſure of God-Chooſing and Decreeing to Eternal life: It is the Great Charter of Heaven; God's ſpecial and Free-Grace Deed of Gift to His Choſen Ones; Made over in truſt unto Jeſus Chriſt, for their uſe and benefit.
Now, in Deeds of Gift, to make them Authentick, there muſt be inſerted, (1) The name of the Donor, or Perſon that gives: (2) The Name of the Donee or perſon to whom: (3) The quality and extent of the Thing that is Given (4) The time when it was done: (5) The Conſideration that moved thereto: (6) In caſe of Impotency, it is uſual and neceſſary to ordain ſome Friend as Feoffee in truſt; who is to ſtand ſeized or Poſſeſſed of the Gift for the Donee's uſe: All which are evidently found in Scripture Election, and may be Summ'd into this Propoſition,
That there is a Peculiar People, who were perſonally choſen of God, in Chriſt, according to His own good pleaſure, and ordain'd to Eternal Life, before the World began.
Before I come to a down-right proof of the Propoſition,Propoſition I ſhall Firſt Explain the Terms, And Secondly Produce a few Inſtances of a lower kind of Election, ſ…il. To Matters of a lower Concern, than That of Eternal Life; which yet might be intended for a Type, and Shadow of it.
I. For Explanation: This word [Peculiar] denot…s the Exemption or Privileging of a Perſon or Thing, from the power of another, in whoſe juriſdiction it was or ſeem'd to be. It ſometimes ſignifies Riches or Subſtance, which is of a Man's own proper getting, by Labour and Induſtry. It is alſo uſed, to denominate ſuch part of a Man's Eſtate, as he keeps in his own hands; which our Law calls, his Demeſne Lands. In all which reſpects, the Elect are aptly term'd a Peculiar People: For (1) Though Satan be Prince of the world, and rules on every ſide; yet, as touching the Elect, it is but an uſurp'd and temporary juriſdiction that he hath over them: They do, indeed, belong to another Prince, to whom their Chief Lord hath given them: who therefore in the appointed time, will reſeue them from that uſurpation. (2) They are the Lord's Treaſure o… Inheritance, obtained by labour indeed, with Sweat and Blood: Than which, nothing is more a Man's own, nor hardlier parted with; Such was the portion beſtowed by Jacob on his beloved Joſeph, Gen. 48. 22.even That which he g…t with his Sword and with his Bow. And (3) They are the Lord… Demeſnes; He keeps them in His own hands: Ten…rs them as the Apple of His eye: He will not betruſt them in the hands of others; No, not of their own ſelves.
To [Ordain] is uſed here, in the ſame…ſenſe as to Predeſtinate, Appoint, Prepare, Decree, or Predetermine, things to come: Which is done in ſuch ſort and manner, that the Event ſhall certainly ſucceed; and that, juſt as was Fore-intended and Deſigned. In this ſenſe Men cannot be ſaid to Predeſtinate, becauſe they cannot, with any certainty, Determine of things not yet in being: But, all things were preſent with▪ God from Eternity; And His Decree the Cauſe of their Futurition, or Stan…ing forth.
By [Eternal life] I underſtand, Not onelyonly the Saints Actual poſſeſſion of Bleſſedneſs and Glory; (which conſiſts in their perfect Conformity to God, and Communion with Him) but alſo, Whatever is Requiſite thereto, by way of Right, Preparation, or Otherwiſe; wherein are comprehended, The Mediation of Chriſt; Effectual Calling; and Final Perſeverance in Faith and Holineſs: Which are, indeed, but ſo many parts, or Subdiviſions of Election: Ye have them all in one verſe in the Old Teſtament, both as Appropriate to the ſame Perſons, and as being inſeperable: It is in Iſa. 62. 12. Where Thoſe for whom the high way is prepared and caſt up, are ſaid to be The Holy People; (there's their Election) The Redeemed of the Lord; (That implies the Office of Chriſt as Mediator) They are alſo ſaid to be Sought out; (which imports their Effectual Calling:) And A Citie not forſaken: (This implies their Perſeverance:) And they are here put in Succeſſion, as they fall in Order of time; Election is therefore called, A Preparing unto Glory, Rom. 9. 23.
They were [Perſonally] Choſen; that is, the Objects of Election were ſingled forth and pitch'd upon by Name.
Choſen [In Chriſt, or Into Chriſt] as their Head and Mediator; That thereby, their Election might be ſecur'd; that is, that the Good things and Benefits they were Choſen unto, might (by their being in Chriſt) be Righteouſly theirs, and accordingly applied to them.
[Before the World began] The ſame thing for brevity ſake is commonly called Eternity: and in Scripture Phraſe, From Euerlaſting.
[According to His Own good Pleaſure] This ſhews us the Root of Election; Or, the great Bottom-Ground, on which it is founded; Excluſive to all things elſe, as being any way Cauſal, Contributory, or Motive thereto.
2. For Inſtances of a lower kind of Election. Conſider here, God's Chooſing and Deſtinating certain Perſons by Name; and Some of them, before they were born, to ſignal and eminent Service in the world: wherein they were Patterns of the Election we are treating of: and may well be Reckoned a Collateral Proof and Evidence of it.
Abraham was pitch'd upon, to be the Root and Father of God's peculiar people; Whom He would Own and Honour above the Nations of the World; And that in him, All Families of the Earth ſhould be bleſſed: Which contains a Promiſe, That the Meſſias, or Saviour of the World, ſhould come of his poſterity: A wonderful high Honour! But, what was there in Abraham; Gen. …2. 1… 8.that might Move God thus to prefer him above the Reſt of his Kindred? Was he any thing more to God, or had he ſerved Him better than other Idolaters with whom he liv'd? No, in no wiſe: and yet the Lord ſingled him forth and called him alone. Iſa. 51. 2.And, in truth, no other Reaſon can be given for it, than what is given for His love to Abraham's poſterity; He loved them becauſe He loved them. Nor was he pitch'd upon to be the Father of many Nations, Deut. 7 7. 8.nor Sarah to be the Mother of them, for any natural fruitfulneſs in them above others: For, Abraham's body was now dead; And Sarah, beſides her Natural barrenneſs, was paſt the age of Child bearing; which occaſioned her to laugh at the promiſe: For who (indeed) would make choice of a dry'd Stock and a barren Soil to begin his Nurſery with? In ſuch materials is nothing to induce to it.
The ſame courſe He was pleaſed to take with Abrahams immediate Seed: He takes not all of them; but, In Iſaac ſhall thy Seed be called. Thus Iſaac was taken and Iſhmael left. And though Abraham's prayer was heard for Iſhamel, ſo as to have him bleſſed with outward things; yet, as to the main thing, God rejects him; and Reſolves To eſtabliſh his Covenant with Iſaac, Gen. 17. 19.with Iſaac, who was yet uuborn.
The like alſo He doth by Iſaac's Children: Jacob he loved,Gen 25 23. Mal. 1. 2, 3. Rom. 9. 12, 13. but Eſau He hated: Which is both the Prophet's, and Apoſtle's expoſition of thoſe words [The Elder ſhall ſerve the Younger] And this difference was put before they were born; yea, and intail'd alſo upon their poſterities: The One, are the people of his wrath,Obad v. 10, 18. Eze. 35. 5. againſt whom He hath indignation for ever; Their Captivity ſhall not Return; When the whole Earth rejoyceth they ſhall be deſolate, &c. But for Jacob, the Lord will bring them back to their own Land, and plant them, and build them aſſuredly;Jer. 32 41. and do them good with His whole heart.
But let be obſerved, It was not Jacob's more worthy demeanour, whether foreſeen or acted, that procured him the bleſſing: Eſau did more for it than He, and more ſincerely; He hunted for Veniſon,Gen. 27 5. 31. 43. and for true Veniſon; ſuch as his Father loved; which he alſo makes ready, and brings with ſpeed, big with expectation of his bleſſing; which alſo he ſeeks importunately, with tears and hitter crying.
Now, what good thing doth Jacob do, to inherit the bleſſing?
1. He goes about to invade Anothers Right; for the bleſſing belong'd to the Firſt-born.
2. He ſeeks to pervert the known intention of his Father, which was to bleſs Eſau.
3. He abuſeth his Father with counterfeit Veniſon.
4. He takes the Name of God in vain,Gen 27. 20. to make his diſpatch the more probable.
5. He ſeeks it by fraud and down-right lying: He cloaths his Neck and Hands with the Kids skin; and roundly affirms himſelf to be Eſau. (Very improper means to obtain a bleſſing!)
It need not be ask'd, which of the Two's deportment was moſt deſerving: One would eaſily conclude the bleſſing to be Eſau's: But ſee the Event! He that carries himſelf unworthily, carries away the bleſſing; He that behaves himſelf dutifully to obtain, is diſmiſt without it: And though his Father bleſſed Jacob unwittingly, and by miſtake; yet, when he came to know it, he was ſo far from reverſing what he had done, That he paſſionately aff…rms it; I have bleſſed him; yea and he ſhall be bleſſed.
Would we know, now, the Reaſon of this ſtrange and (according to men) irrational Event? it was, That the Purpoſe of God, Rom 9. 11.according to Election might ſtand (The elder muſt ſerve the younger) Not of Workes, but of Him that Calleth. And 'tis wonderfull to obſerve, how God ordered the Series and whole courſe of this Tranſaction, as intending it a full and pregnant example of Eternal Election: For, it holds forth to us, The Sovereignty of God over His Creatures; The freeneſs of His Grace, in Chooſing thoſe that are leſs deſerving; The Sure effect of His Purpoſes; His wiſe and certain Ordering of things relating to ſuch an End; And His uſing of Meanes and Inſtruments therein, quite beſides the Natural Scope of them, and contrary to their own Intendment.
Then for the Iſraelites; This people the Lord Choſe in Abraham 400 yeares before He publiquely owned them:L…vi t. 20. 26. Deut. 7. 6. 14. 2. 26. 18. 19. They are expreſly term'd An Elect Nation, as being ſeperated from the Reſt of the World; An holy, ſpecial, preculiar, people unto God; He took them for His Own portion, the Lot of his Inheritance: Read his own words, (for they are precious words with thoſe to whom they appertain) Levit. 20. 26. Ye ſhall be holy unto Me: For I have ſevered you from other people, that ye ſhould be Mine: Deut. 7. 6, The Lord thy God hath Choſen thee to be a ſpecial people unto himſelf, above all people that are on the face of the earth: Chap. 26. 18, 19, The Lord this day hath Avouched thee to be His peculiar people, and to make thee high above all Nations: Deut. 10. 15, The Lord had a delight in thy fathers, to love them, and He Choſe their Seed after them, even you above all people, &c. But were they as farr above other Nations in goodneſs, in greatneſs, or excellent demeanor? And was that it which intituled them to this honour? No ſuch matter; As appeares (1) by the Reaſon there aſſigned;Exod. 19. 5. Ye ſhall be a peculiar treaſure unto Me, above all people, [For all the Earth is Mine.] It is, as if the Lord had ſaid, There is no difference between you and other Nations; All the earth is Mine, and I may take where I will; I am not ty…d to any: I might take of them, and diſcard you; They cannot carry it more unworthily than you have done, and will do; I looked from Heaven, and conſidered their works and yours; I ſee that your hearts are faſhion'd a like: And (2) Their after…demeanour did abundantly verifie it; and the Lord foreſaw it; I know that thou wouldſt deal treacherouſly, Iſa 48. 8. ver. 4.and waſt called a tranſgreſſ…r from the womb; That thou wouldſt to obſtinate, thy Neck an iron ſinew, Jer 32. 30.and thy brow braſs; and that thou wouldſt do only evill from thy youth up: &c. What then was the Cauſe or Motive of God's chooſing them above others? It was His undeſerved love and favour to them;Deu▪ 7. 8. …h. 9 4. He loved them becauſe He loved them.
Come to David: God had provided Him a King among Jeſſe's Sons, and Samuel muſt go to anoynt him: but it muſt be Him whom the Lord ſhould Name to him: 1 Sam. 16. 1. 12.Not the eldeſt, or good lieſt perſon: And therefore, ſayes he, (when they paſs before him,) The Lord hath not Choſen this; Nor this; Nor theſe, But David: 'Tis true, the Lord did not mention David's name to Samuel; but, He did what was equivalent; for, when David comes in, He tells him, This is He, Anoynt him. And obſerve, This [he] was the youngeſt, the meaneſt, and moſt unlikely; ſcarſe reckon'd as one of the family: (for he was not brought in among the Reſt.) Then, Note his Circumſtances; H…s employment was to keep the ſhéep; His exerciſe, what was it, but ſuch as is reckon'd effeminate? He addicted himſelf to Muſick: ſee alſo his Complexion or Conſtitution of body, White and Ruddy; no promiſing character of a Martial Spirit: And yet this Man (or rather, this lad and ſtripling) thus qualified and thus educated, he muſt be the Captain of the Lord's hoſt; who yet had the greateſt enemies to deal with; and therefore had need of a Man of courage and conduct to be over them. Well! let David's birth, complexion, employment, education, be what it will; Never ſo unlikely in all humane reſpects; yet, this David is, and he muſt be the man, whom the Lord will honour, to Rule his people, to fight their battels, and to do exploits. In this choice, the Lord was pleaſed to ſet-by whatever is taking with men; He ſeeth not as Man ſeeth, i. e; He regards not Men for their Natural accompliſhments: If for any thing, it muſt be (probably) for ſome excellent endowment of the Mind; and that of Wiſdome is of as weighty conſideration in the choice of a Prince, as any other: But this is no Inducement or Motive to God; He reſpects not any that are wiſe of heart: Job 37. 24.And if He did, it Was not here to be had; David had no Prince-like qualities above his brethren, until afterwards: Which thing is plainly intimated in the thirteenth verſe, where it is ſaid, The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him [from that day forward.]
Then for Jeremy, The Lord ordains him to be a Prophet; ſets him over Nations and Kingdoms; commiſſionates him to Root out and pull down; To build and to plant: &c. Why? what had Jeremy done, that the Lord ſhould call him to ſo Imperial a work? Sure, no great matter; for this he was ordained to, before he was born; Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; I ſanctified thee and ordained thee a Prophet: Jer. 1. 5. It alſo appears by his own Confeſſion, how unmeet he was for ſuch a work, and how unwilling; I cannot ſpeak for I am a Child, ver. 6.
Another Inſtance may be Cyrus; This man was decreed to a great and noble work;Iſa. 44. 28. Ch. 45. 1. 6. v. 13 It was, in brief, to deſtroy the Golden Monarchy; To break in pieces the hammer of the whole Earth, To Releaſe God's people out of Captivity, and to build His Temple: and this more than an hundred years before Cyrus was born: The Lord ſtyles him his Anoynted, His Elect, H…s Shepheard, and One that ſhould perform His pleaſure; ver. 4, 5.And He calls him by his Name too; which is twice repeated as a thing to be remark'd: And to inforce it the more, He adds a note of Narrower obſervance; I have called thee [even] by thy Name.
Was Cyrus thus choſen, becauſe he would be a puiſſant Prince? Or did the Lord make him puiſſant and victorious, becauſe appointed to ſuch a work? Hear what the Lord Himſelf (who beſt knows the ground of His own Deſignation) ſays of him;Ch. 45. 1. Thus ſaith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, wh…ſe right hand I have holden, (i. e. I gave him ſtrength and taught him how to uſe it) I will looſe the loyns of Kings, and open to him the two leafed Gates; I will go before him, ver. 2.—I will break in pieces the Gates of braſs, and cut in ſunder the bars of iron, &c. But what ſhall Cyrus have done, That the great God ſhould do him this honour? He did not ſo much as know the Lord; which alſo is twice repeated, as a matter worthy our obſervation.
Laſtly, Paul; The Lord from Heaven commiſſionates him His Preacher General among the Gentiles; to bear His Name before Kings; To Mawl and Ranſack the devil's kingdom; and to turn the World upſide-down; (Witneſs his doings at Epheſus, Athens, and other places:) And this he was called to, even whiles in the heat of his perſecuting fury againſt that Name, which now he is ſent to preach: And that there was no motive on Paul's part, himſelf is witneſs, where ſpeaking of that his Call, he aſcribes it to the pleaſure and power of God, as much as he doth his natural birth, Gal. 1. 15.
I might alſo bring in the Stories of Sampſon, Joſiah, John Baptiſt, and others, to the ſame effect: but that time would fail.
Now, Theſe inſtances may not be valued as Hiſtorical Relations onelyonly; (that would be too narrow a meaning for them) but according to the Scripture-way of inferring and improving to ſpiritual Uſes; and ſo, they will be a good Preparatory proof of the buſineſs in hand: For, if there be an Election perſonal unto things of a temporary Concernment; and that, ſo long afore ſome of the perſons were in being: If alſo, there be an abſoluteneſs in God's Decrees concerning theſe; How much more in Matters of Eternal weight! And if the Lord did not look out of Himſelf for the mo…ing conſideration on which He ſelected thoſe perſons to their ſeveral honors, and atchievments; (and if He had, He ſhould have found none) Much leſs can Election to Eternal Salvation, and Ʋnion with Himſelf, be founded in the Creature: Doth God take care for Oxen? From the leſs to the greater is a Scriptural way of arguing, and proves ſtrongly.
I come now to a more direct and poſitive proving the Propoſition; wherein my preſent ſcope is not ſo much to prove, That there is an Election; as What this Election is; viz. How it is Qualified and Circumſtantiated: And this reſpects the Objects of Election, with the Manner, Time, and Motives of it.
And yet, as introductive to theſe, it may be expedient to touch on the Other; And ſo (for the cleerer diſcuſſion thereof) I caſt the Propoſition into ſix branches.
I. That there is an Election of Men to Salvation.
II. That, this Election is Abſolute.
III. That, it is Perſonal.
IV. That it is from Eternity.
V. That the Elect are Choſen in Chriſt.
VI. That Election is founded upon Grace.
Theſe being made good by poſitive Scripture, or Arguments deduced thence; It will not much concern us what is alleged to the contrary.