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believing and fanctified Theffalonians, 2 ep. 2. ch. 13. v. God hath from the beginning chofen you to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth; whereunto he called you by our gofpel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift. And our text tells us, whom God fore-knew, he predeftinated to be conform'd to the image of his fon; in which is included the whole of that work of fanctification by which they are made meet for the inheritance of the faints in light. Col. 1. 12.

4. Predeftination unto life is from everlaking. Therefore those who are the objects of it, are faid to be chosen before the foundation of the world, Eph. 1. 4. before the very firft dawn of time, i. e. from all eternity. Tho' there is no inward nor visible difference between the elect and others, till the grace of God in their effectual calling in time makes it, yet the purpose of mercy concerning them was before the mountains were fettled, or the bills bro't forth; while God bad not yet made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. God's purposes are, like himself, eternal; for, fuch is his perfection that he comprehends all things referring to his creatures, together and at once, and no new thoughts or defigns ever come into

his mind, but what were there from eternity,in which there is no fucceffion. And, O the pleasure! for any to follow God's thoughts concerning them fo far back, as to apprehend him faying unto them, as to his church of old, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee. t

5. It is a perfectly free and fovereign act of God. His diftribution of rewards and punishments at the laft day will be founded in juftice, but his chufing fome to make them the objects of his love, and paffing by others, is founded in his fovereignty and fupremacy, whereby he is Lord of all, and accountable to none. This is what proud mortals are loth to ftoop to, and apt to rife up againft; but let us be ftruck into an awful adoring filence,by what the apoftle fays of this matter, in Rom. 9 ch. from the 14th v. where the divine fovereignty is both afferted and pleaded for. What shall we Say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For be faith to Mofes, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,and Iwill have compaffion on whom I will have compaffion. So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him

† Jer. 31. 3.

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that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy.--Thou wilt fay then unto me, Why doth be yet find fault? For who hath refifted his will? Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed fay to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus ? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto difhonour? The great God was under no neceffity to chufe any of us unto eternal life. He would have been perfectly. blefled himself, if our whole race had perish'd for ever. That he has chofen any is owing entirely to the good pleasure of his will. If he was pleas'd to make choice of any, he was under no neceffity to pitch upon fuch and fuch. All the reason to be given is that, † Even fo father, for (o it (eemeth good in thy fight! There was nothing in the chofen remnant to move God to place his regards upon them before others The fore-fight of their faith and obedience was not the caufe; for, as we have had occafion to hint already, they were chofen to faith and obedience, and fo it could not be for them; they are the effects of our election, and therefore cannot be the causes of it. God's fore-fight of their faith and holiness,

t Matt. II. 26.

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prefuppofes

prefuppofes his purpose to bestow faith and holinels on them; and this very purpose is a part of their election it felf. The apostle therefore tells us, Rom. 9. 11. That the purpose of God according to election, is not of works, but of him that calleth.

6. It is certain, infallible, and irrevocable. So are all the decrees of God, and therefore this of Predeftination unto life. And if it

were not fo, the people of God could not take much comfort from it. God will never go back from his purpose to fave his people; for, He is of one mind, and whe can turn him? What can induce him to alter his affection towards them? For fuch is the perfection of his knowledge, that he can never be furpris'd by any fudden new event, that may cause a change in his mind and will. He fore-faw all the fins of his people, their undutiful and ungrateful carriage towards him thro' the whole courfe of their lives. Now, if the forefight of them did not hinder his electing love in its rife, can they fruftrate its end, the bringing of them to glory? And whatever they need to have wrought in them, or done for them, is comprehended in one and the

Job, 23. 13.

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fame decree concerning them, and fo fhall be accomplish'd by the power of God. The enemies that would hinder them, are indeed numerous and powerful; but the Father that gave them to Chrift is greater than all, and none fhall pluck them out of bis band. † Every thing will confpire, that the purpose of God according to election may fand, Rom. 9. 11. The apoftle fpeaks peremptorily, 2 Tim. 2. 9. The foundation of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are bis.

7. It is in Jefus Chrift that any are predeftinated unto life. This is exprefly faid, Eph. 1. 4. He, i. e. the Father, bath chofen us in him. i. c. Chrift, before the foundation of the world. Not that we are to fuppofe that the elect are chofen for the fake of Christ, or that he is the meritorious caufe of their election. No; for tho' he has merited their falvation, purchas'd for them pardon, grace, and glory, he did not purchase their election, but they were confider'd as elected when they were given to Chrift to redeem, and fe election is not to be look'd upon as a purchafed bleffing. But they are laid to be chofen in him, be

John 10. 29.

caufe

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