Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

1. In the choice of some persons from Eternity. He hath set a part some from Eternity, wherein he will display the invincible efficacy of his Grace, and thereby infallibly bring them to the fruition of Glory. Eph. 1.4, 5. According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World, that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love, having Predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Why doth he write some names in the Book of Life, and leave out others? why doth he enrol some, whom he intends to make Denizens of Heaven, and refuse to put others in his register? The Apostle tells us, 'tis the pleasure of his Will. You may render a reason for many of God's actions, till you come to this the top and Foundation ⟨p. 728⟩of all; and under what head of reason can man reduce this act but to that of his Royal Prerogative? Why doth God save some, and condemn others at last? Because of the Faith of the one, and unbelief of the other. Why do some men believe? Because God hath not only given them the means of Grace, but accompanied those means with the efficacy of his Spirit. Why did God accompany those means with the efficacy of his Spirit in some, and not in others? Because he had decreed by Grace, to prepare them for Glory. But why did he decree, or choose some, and not others? Into what will you resolve this but into his sovereign pleasure? Salvation and Condemnation at the last upshot, are acts of God as the Judge conformable to his own Law of giving life to Believers, and inflicting death upon unbelievers; for those a reason may be rendered; but the choice of some and preterition of others, is an act of God as he is a sovereign Monarch, before any Law was actually transgressed, because not actually given. When a Prince redeems a Rebel, he acts as a Judge according to Law; but when he calls some out, to pardon, he acts as a sovereign by a Prerogative above Law; into this the Apostle resolves it. Rom. 9.13.15. When he speaks of Gods loving Jacob, and hating Esau, and that before they had done either good or evil: It is, Because God will have Mercy, on whom he will have Mercy, and Compassion on whom he will have Compassion. Though the first scope of the Apostle in the beginning of the Chapter, was to declare the reason of God's rejecting the Jews, and calling in the Gentiles;