Gospel Truth Stated and Vindicated, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of the State of the Elect before effectual Calling.
Truth. IT is certain from God's Decree of Election that the Elect shall in time be justified, adopted, and saved in the way God hath appointed; and the whole meritorious Cause and Price of Justification, Adoption and Eternal Life, were perfect, when Christ finished the Work of Satisfaction. Nevertheless, the Elect remain Children of Wrath, and subject to Condemnation, till they are effectually called by the Operation of the Spirit.
Errour. The Elect are at no time of their Lives under the VVrath of God, nor are they subject to Condemnation, if they should die before they believe; yea, when they are under the Dominion of Sin, and in the Practice of the grossest Villainies, they are as much the Sons of God, and Justified, as the very Saints in Glory.
Proved that this is Dr. Crisp's Opinion.
The Doctor tells us, Pag. 363. 364. It is thought by some, that in case such a Person should happen to die before God call him to Grace, and give to him to believe, that Person had been damned; and that Elect Persons are in a damnable Estate in the time they walk in excess of Riot, before they are called. Let me speak freely to you, and tell you; that the Lord hath no more to lay to the Charge of an elect Person, yet in the height of Iniquity, and in the excess of Riot, and committing all the Abominations that can be committed; I say even then, when an elect Person runs such a Course, the Lord hath no more to lay to that Person's Charge, than God hath to lay to the Charge of a Believer: Nay, God hath no more to lay to the Charge of such a Person, than he hath to lay to the Charge of a Saint triumphant in Glory. Pag. 368. The Elect of God, they are the Heirs of God, and as they are Heirs, so the first Being of them puts them into the Right of Inheritance, and there is no time but such a Person is a Child of God. And this is a Principle he oft asserts, and labours to prove, P. 354, 355, 365, 577, 578, 579.
But the Readers will object, Sure he meaneth no more, than that the Elect are sure to be justified and adopted, and that Christ hath fully merited it for them; but not that they are actually justified and adopted before they are called. Answer: The Doctor frequently endeavours to prove, that we are actually justified before we are born, before we are baptized, before we believe, before we are converted, and reduceth the Sum of his Thoughts, P. 374. in these VVords, But when did the Lord do this? Viz. Justifie us. He answers, He did it from Eternity, in respect of Obligation; but in respect of Execution, he did it when Christ was on the Cross; and in respect of Application, he doth it while Children are in the Womb. And then shews, that they do mistake, who judge that God applies the Pardon of Sin at the time of Conversion. In other Places, he saith, We are actually justified, &c.
Wherein the Difference is not.
The Difference is not, 1. Whether God hath eternally decreed, That certain Persons freely elected by him, shall certainly be justified and adopted. 2. Nor whether these elect Persons are the Objects of God's Love of Good-will, even while they are Sinners. 3. Nor whether God continues his gracious Purpose of doing them good in his appointed, ways: notwithstanding their Provocations. 4. Nor whether Christ hath made full Atonement for Sin, and merited eternal Life for the Elect, which shall be in God's time and way applied; and that he left nothing to be done by us in a way of Atonement and Merit. 5. Nor whether there be not a great Difference between an elect Sinner and others, as to what they shall be in time. All these I affirm.
Wherein the real Difference. is.
1. VVhether the Elect, while uncalled, are actually pardon'd and adopted to Life. This the Doctor affirmeth, and I deny. 2. VVhether the Elect, while dead in Sin and Unbelief, are Children of VVrath, condemned by the Law, and not justi ed by the Promise. This I affirm, and the Doctor denies.
The Truth confirmed.
1. The Scriptures expresly declare the Elect, before they be effectually called, to be Children of Wrath, Eph. 2. 2, 3. Enemies. Col. 1. 21. Which were not my People, and not Beloved. Rom. 9. 25.
2. The Gospel bars all Unbelievers and dead Sinners from Pardon and Adoption, and denounceth the Continuance of Condemnation against them, limiting its Benefits to such as believe. Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned. Ver. 36. The Wrath of God abideth on him. 1 Cor. 16. 22. And if any Man love not the Lord Jesus, let him be Anathema. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you, but you are justified.
3. If it were not so, neither the Spirit nor the VVord of God have any Influence in the saving of Sinners, which so oft they are affirmed to have. This is plain; for these influence on our Persons in time, and therefore suppose us in no State of Salvation before. See Tit. 3. 5. He saved us by the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Joh. 5. 34. These things, I say, that you may be saved. 2 Thes. 2. 10. They received not the Love of the Truth, that they might be saved. Jam. 1. 21. Receive the Word which is able to save. But the want of the Gospel would be no Damage, if we be Heirs in the VVomb; we should be freed from VVrath if we never heard it.
4. Gospel Benefits imply that there is a time, when we are actually guilty and miserable: There could be no Forgivenss, if … were not guilty, Rom. 4. 7. They were at Enmity, of whom the Apostle saith, Now hath he reconciled. Col. 2. 12. If Men were always Sons, they could not be said in time to be adopted, nor to pass from Death to Life.
5. The Doctor may as well infer, VVe are sanctified, and possessed of Heaven in the VVomb, for God hath elected us to these, as well as to Pardon, and Christ merited these also.
Reader, Dost thou not find God justifies none but whom he calleth? Rom. 8. 30. Would there be such Joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a Sinner, Luk. 15. 7, 10. if they be pardoned and safe before? How much is our Ministry or Concern for Souls debased, if all that we can prevail with are actually pardoned? Who can reconcile to this Notion the Pleadings of God with Sinners? He speaks to them as wounded, undone, and miserable. Look to me and be saved, why will you die? Turn to me and live, Ezek. 33. 11. Least they should be converted, and I should heal them, and the like. These sound strange, if Matters are so perfected before they be born.
Testimonies.
The Assembly at Westminster, Conf. ch. 10. a. 1. and the Congregational Elders at the Savoy, Chap. 10. a. 1. are both fully of this Mind. All those whom God hath predestinated to Life, he is pleased in the appointed and accepted time, effectually to call by his Word and Spirit, out of that State of Sin and Death, in which they are by Nature, to Grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ, by enlightning their Minds, and taking away the Heart of Stone, &c. Both also Ch. 11. a. 4. say, God did from Eternity, decree to justifie all the Elect, and Christ did in the fulness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their Justification; nevertheless they are not justified, untill the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them. None that have read the Assembles lesser Catechism, but will see that the time the Spirit applies Christ, is in our effectual Calling. The Reverend Dr. Owen is as express, Treatise of Justification, P. 305. Saith he, Notwithstanding the full, plenary Satisfaction of Christ, yet all Men continue equally to be born by Nature Children of Wrath, and whilst they believe not, the Wrath of God abideth on them, they are obnoxious unto, and under the Curse of the Law.
See more of this Point in Chap. 11. and 12. wherein I speak of Union and Justification.
The Grounds of the Doctor's Mistake.
The Doctor mistakes the Nature of God's Decree, because a Decree ascertains a thing shall in time be, therefore he thinks it gives a thing a present subjective Being: Because Jacob was an elect Person, or the Object of Electing Love in the Womb; therefore he was then actually a pardoned and adopted Person: Because an eldest son is an Heir in the Womb; therefore an elect Person, who is in time to be adopted, is an Heir in the Womb too: tho' the Scripture be express, that it's they who receive Christ which only have Power to become the Sons of God, Joh. 1. 12. and ye are the children of God by Faith. Gal. 3. 26.