A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 16
OF THE GRACE OF GOD. CHAP. XVI.
EPHE. 2.8. For by grace &c.
THE next queſtion is, concerning the Grace of God; there are three Attributes which are the Attributes of Gods goodneſſe; which are love, mercy, and grace; now grace, and mercy, are all one; yet the ſeverall handling of theſe, will afford a great deale of comfort: and therefore to ſpeak, of the grace of God, I have made choice of this text, wherein, I have taken liberty, not to ſhew you the coherence, &c. Now of this graee, the Scripture ſpeakes two waies: Grace as it is in the favourite, or as it is in the favourer; and heer we are to underſtand it, grace in him that ſhewes grace; that we may know what this grace is, we muſt conſider it two waies; it is either generall, or ſpeciall, called ſaving grace, which is that, we are to ſpeake of, and ſo the queſtion is this:
Queſt. What is the grace of God, or of the divine Eſſence?
Anſ. It is a communicable Attribute, whereby he ſpecially favours ſome; in this ſome, though unworthy of themſelves, bringing them to ſalvation; here in this deſcription, are divers parts, we ſhall explane them as breifely as we can: The firſt is this: grace, or the ſaving grace of God, contains 2. things; the one as the cauſe, the other as the effects; the firſt is the free favour of God, to the Elect; the ſecond, the gifts of grace, or meanes of ſalvation, which doe flow out of this: to ſhew each of theſe; firſt, grace ſignifies the free favour of God: We are ſaved by grace, Rom. 3. we are juſtified freely by grace &c. Secondly, grace is taken for thoſe gifts of grace that are beſtowed upon men, Act. 11.23. when they had ſeene the grace of God: that is, when they had ſeene the gifts; for ſo the Apoſtle ſpeakes, Epheſ. 4.17. Every one have received grace, according to the meaſure in Chriſt; and ſo the Apoſtle, 1. Pet. 4.10. Let every man that hath received grace, as faithfull diſpoſers, &c. This grace we ſpeake of, is to be underſtood of the former, and not the later, becauſe it is the grace in God, and not that grace which is from God, in man; againe we ſay, it is a communicable Attribute, the reaſon is, not becauſe this grace is communicated to any man, (that is to ſay) that it is in man in the ſame manner as it is in God, but becauſe there is ſomething in man, in a proportion like this, therefore we call it a communicable Attribute: the next thing is this, we ſay, it is that whereby he loves ſome in his ſon, we do not ſay all; it is not univerſall grace, it is univerſall of all ſorts of men, but not of every particular man, and therefore we ſay he loves ſome: Rom. 3.24. We are juſtified freely by grace, but this grace is not without faith, therefore in the 28. verſe he ſaith, We conclude that a man is juſtified by faith: now this faith is the faith of the elect: Tit. 1. againe he loves ſome in his ſonne, that is manifeſt by, Ephe. 1.6. We are elected to the glory of his grace in Chriſt: againe, unworthy in themſelves: 2. Tim. 1.9. It is ſaid we are called with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpoſe and grace: againe he loves them freely; or els grace ſhould be no grace: as Saint Auſtin ſaith, grace is no grace, if it be not every way free; and therefore it hath the name of grace, becauſe it is given freely unto man: againe, he loved ſome in his ſonne, bringing them to ſalvation, or eternall life: Rom. 6.23. Eternall life is the gift of God; we are ſaved freely by grace: faith is the inſtrument, Tit. 2.11. The grace of God that bringeth ſalvation unto all men hath appeared: therefore that, that brings a man to ſalvation, is grace: ſo we have ſeen the ſeverall parts of this deſcription opened.
Queſt. Why is ſaving grace attributed to God?
Anſw. Becauſe it is no created gift in the ſoule of man, but the uncreated grace of God, who favoureth and accepteth, according to his owne will, and pleaſure: To explane this, it is no created thing in man: Tit. 2.11. The grace of God which brings ſalvation to all men. What grace? The Apoſtle explanes, in the third Chapter and 4. verſe, that when that bountifullneſſe, and that love of God to man, did appear; what? to ſave man by workes? he anſwers no, not by works of righteouſneſſe, which we have done, but by grace we are ſaved: yet further, it is manifeſt, when the Apoſtle Paul ſpeakes after this manner, 2. Tim. 1.9. We are called with a holy calling, not according to works, but according to his purpoſe and grace, which God hath before the world was; was it before the world? then it could not be in man: that in Rom. 3.24.28 We are juſtified by grace; if that be too little, he ſaith we are juſtified freely by grace; not for the grace that is in us, becauſe that is but the effect of grace in God; if it were for any ſuch thing, it were not free, but it is free, &c.
We ſee then, we are ſaved by grace, and this muſt be grace in God, through faith: therefore it is not for the grace of faith, but of grace beſides faith, not of our ſelves; if for grace in our ſelves, then the Apoſtle would have ſaid ſo; but he ſaith, not of our ſelves that no man might boaſt: the Phariſie, boaſted of himſelfe, and his goodneſſe, but he was not juſtified; there is nothing in man to boaſt of, therefore it is manifeſt, that it is an uncreated grace, by which we are ſaved: I ſhut up this point thus: this grace is ſubjectively in God, and objectively in man; becauſe the minde of man is enlightned by faith, and findes ſweet comfort in God: therfore we call it the uncreated grace in God.
Queſt. Why ſay you that he favoureth ſome unworthy in themſelves?
Anſw. Becauſe that few only are elected, and they freely elected, and this is the grace of election; to prove this: Matt. 20.16. Many are called but few are choſen; A little to preſſe this place, I doe not ſay all, and that calling is but an externall calling, not the internall calling; for how many thouſands are there that never heard the ſound of the Goſpell: then if there be many not called outwardly, then are there but few choſen; why? becauſe thoſe that are outwardly called, are but a handfull, in compariſon of the world, and yet but few of them choſen: yet further, the very word election ſhewes there is a chuſeing; for to elect, is to chuſe ſome out of many, you have election in your companies, of Maſters and Wardens; now all are not Maſters: but election is the choyce of ſome out of many to that place, Rom. 9.22. where the Apoſtle ſpeaks of veſſels of honour, and diſhonour; there he ſhewes there is not election of all; nay further, ſome are not prepared for glory, &c. and take alſo that ſame place, 1 Peter. 2.8. they ſtumble at Chriſt for which thing they were ordained, therefore not elected, and therefore election, is but of few; Againe, election is free, Epheſ. 1.11. according to grace, for Chriſt was freely choſen to be the Sonne of God: (according to his humanity) to be the head of the Church, to be the honoured of men and Angels; Auguſtine infers upon this, every faithfull man that will truely underſtand election and reprobation, let him looke upon Chriſt and he ſhall ſee himſelfe; he was freely choſen to be the Sonne of God, and therefore freely choſen, not for foreſeen works, but by grace: for ſo the Apoſtle calls it Rom. 11. if election be by grace, and but to a few, then the ſaving grace is but to a few.
Queſt. But why ſay you he brings them to ſalvation?
Anſw. Becauſe that grace is the beginning both of ſalvation, and all meanes tending to ſalvation: but this queſtion ſhall be handled more at large hereafter.
Vſe 1. The firſt uſe: If this be the ſaveing grace of God, &c. then whoſoever hath beene once truly aſſured that he is Gods, that he is in the eſtate of election, its poſſible he may be alway aſſured of it; if a man be but once in all his life perſwaded that he is in the eſtate of grace, he may attaine to the ſame aſſurance of his ſalvation after, becauſe this grace is in God: There is a greater certainty of faith, then of ſence, becauſe faith by the grace of God aſſures a man of his ſalvation, and this grace is in God firm, immutable, and unchangeable; beſides a man may be certain by faith, though not by ſence; one place for many, Rom. 4.16. It is by faith, that it might be of grace; to the end that the promiſe might be ſure to all the ſeede; marke how the Apoſtle teaches us to reaſon; undoubtedly, the promiſe is ſure: why? becauſe it is by grace, and grace is ſure; and if the promiſe be ſure, my faith is ſure; ſo that here is the comfort, here is the certainty of our faith, in a flat oppoſition to works; then if our doubting hearts tell us that we are not the Lords, we are to preſume upon the grace of God: And if this be preſumption as Auguſtin ſaith; I will preſume: And therefore here is our comfort, and ſtay, againſt all troubles whatſoever they be: Againe, it is ſaid that this grace, it is his Sonne: what of this? not that he will make his promiſe more firme in it ſelfe, but to make our faith more firme in apprehending it: why? becauſe the ground of this aſſurance is, that God cannot, nor will not, ceaſe to favour his Sonne; ſo neither will he ceaſe to favour, thoſe that he loves in his Sonne: but as the favour of God, did never leave Chriſt, till he had brought him to glory, ſo undoubtedly, he wil never leave thoſe that he loves in Chriſt; for if he dealt thus with his naturall body, he will deale thus with his myſticall body; certainely hee will bring the myſticall body, where he hath brought the naturall body; for Chriſt hath prayed, Father, I will that they ſhould be where I am; certainely if he hath brought Chriſt to that glory, he will bring his myſticall body to it: why? becauſe he hath taken poſſeſſion of it, in our nature; and therefore, out of that love that God beares to them that are in Chriſt, he wil doe it: and as Tertullian ſaith, that our nature, hath taken poſſeſſion of heaven already; therfore he that denies thee, that art a member of Chriſt that thou ſhalt be in heaven, he denies Chriſt to be in heaven; But every man that would be prataker of the glory, muſt labour to make his election ſure, becauſe there are but ſome that ſhall be partakers of this comfort: let every man labour to ſee whether he be elected, and called; that ſo he may know whether he be in the ſtate of ſalvation. And theſe be the degrees, as the Apoſtle layes them downe in Rom. 8. Calling, ſanctification, and ſo proceeding in that order, that the Apoſtle layes downe there: every man muſt labour to have the feeling of his calling, his ſanctification, his juſtification, &c. that the guilt of ſinne is taken away, &c. Thus every man ſhould labour to make his calling and election ſure, ſo he may be certaine of his ſalvation, even then when God takes away his feeling of it: whoſoever he is that doth labour to have theſe tokens, he hath this comfort in this life, that he is the Lords; and in the life to come he ſhall have glory and happineſſe for ever.