o. We do, we ought to declare the rich and free love, grace, mercy, and bounty of God unto sinners in and by Jesus Christ. And woe unto us if we should not be found in that work all our days, and thereby encourage all sorts of sinners to come unto him for the free pardon of their sins, " without money or price," without merit
CHAP. T.] ETERNAL ELECTION, ETC. 591
or desert on their part ! for this is the gospel. But notwithstanding all this grace and condescension, we declare that he doth not de- throne himself, nor deJiy himself, nor change his nature, nor become iinlioly, that we may be saved. He is God still, naturally and essentially holy, — holy as he is in Christ, reconciling the sinful world unto himself, — and therefore indispensably requires that those whom he pardons, receives, accepts into his love and communion with him- self, should be holy also. And these things are not only consistent but inseparable. Without the consideration of this grace in God, we can have no encouragement to be holy ; and without the necessity of holiness in us, that grace can neither be glorified nor useful.
CHAPTER 11.
ETERNAL ELECTION A CAUSE OF AND MOTIVE UNTO HOLINESS.
Other ai'guments for the necessity of holiness, from God's eternal election — The argument from thence explained, improved, vindicated.
We have seen, upon the whole matter, what conclusions (as unto our own duty) we ought to draw from that revelation of the nature of God in Christ which is made unto us, and our relation unto him. If we are not thereby prevailed on always, in all instances of obedience, to endeavour to be holy universally, in all manner of holy conversa- tion, we neither can enjoy his favour here nor be brought unto the enjoyment of him in glory hereafter.
That consideration which usually we take of God next after his nature and the properties of it, is of the eternal free acts of his will, or his decrees and purposes; and we shall now inquire what re- spect they have unto holiness in us, what arguments and motives may be taken from them to evince the necessity of it unto us and to press us thereunto, especially from the decree of election, which in an especial manner is by some traduced as no friend to this de- sign. I say, then, that, —
II. It is the eternal and immutable purpose of God, that all tvho are his in a peculiar manner, all luhom he designs to bring unto blessedness in the everlasting enjoyment of himself, shall antece- dently thereunto be made holy. This purpose of his God hath de- clared unto us, that we may take no wrong measures of our estate and condition, nor build hopes or expectations of future glory on sandy foundations that will fail us. Whatever we are else, in parts, abilities, profession, moral honesty, usefulness unto others, reputation in the church, if we are not personally, spiritually, evangelically
592 ETERNAL ELECTION A CAUSE OF [BOOK V.
lioly, we have no interest in tliat purpose or decree of God whereby any persons are designed unto salvation and glory. And this we shall briefly confirm: —
Eph. i. 4, " He hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." But is this that which firstly and principally we are ordained unto, and that for its own sake, — namely, holiness and unblamable- ness in the obedience of love? No; we are firstly "ordained to eter- nal life," Acts xiii. 48 ; we are " from the beginning chosen to salva- tion," 2 Thess. ii. 13. That which God, in the first place, intends as his end in the decree of election is our eternal salvation, to the "jDraise of the glory of his grace," Eph. i. 5, 6, 11. How, then, is he said to "choose us that we should be holy?" in what sense is our holiness proposed as the design of God in election? It is as the in- dispensable means for the attaining of the end of salvation and glory, " I do," saith God, " choose these poor lost sinners to be mine in an especial manner, to save them by my Son, and bring them, through his mediation, unto eternal glory. But in order hereunto, I do pur- pose and decree that they shall be holy and unblamable in the obe- dience of love ; without which, as a means, none shall ever attain that end." Wherefore, the expectation and hojoe of any man for life and immortality and glory, without previous holiness, can be built on no other foundation but this, that God will rescind his eternal decrees and change his purposes, — that is, cease to be God, — merely to com- ply with them in their sins ! And who knows not what will be the end of such a cursed hope and expectation? The contrary is seconded by that of the apostle, Bom. viii. SO, " Whom he did predestinate, them he also called." Wherever predestination unto glory goes be- fore concerning any person, there effectual vocation unto faith and holiness infallibly ensues; and where these never were, the other never was. So 2 Thess. ii. 13, " God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit." Chosen we are unto salvation by the free, sovereign grace of God. But how may this salvation be actually obtained? how may we be brought into the actual possession of it? Through the sanctification of the Spirit, and no otherwise. Whom God doth not sanctify and make holy by his Spirit, he never chose unto salvation from the beginning. The counsels of God, therefore, concerning us do not depend on our holiness; but upon our holiness our future happiness depends iu the counsels of God.