The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures

To this I Answer, We are to look to God's Commands, not to his Decrees; to our Duty not to his Purposes. The Decrees of God are a vast Ocean, whereinto many possibly may have curiously pried to their own Horror and Despair; but few or none have ever pried into them to their own Satisfaction. This Election in particular is not written in the Word of God; but this Duty is plainly written: If thou performest thy Duty, thereby thou shalt come to know thy Election. It is but a preposterous Course, and that which will both discourage all Endeavours and fill the Soul with Despair, to look first to Gods Decrees, and then to its own Duty; whereas indeed the right Method is, first, to perform thy own Duty, and thereby to be led into the knowledge of God's Decrees. ⟨p. 65⟩Question not therefore whether thou art Elected or not, but first work for Salvation, and if thy Work be good, and thy Obedience true, thereby thou mayest come to a certain Knowledge that thou art Elected. And know this also farther, that God who Elects to the End, Elects also to the Means. Now Obedience is the means and way to Salvation, and therefore if thou art Elected to Salvation, thou art also Elected to Obedience. Say not therefore, if I am Elected, I shall be saved whether I work or not; there is no such thing: I may boldly say, if thou art Elected and doest not work, it is impossible that thy Election should save thee.¹ What says the Apostle, 2 Thess. God hath chosen us, there's Election; chosen us to Salvation, there's the End. But how? through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the Truth: Chosen us to Salvation as to the End, but it is not an End to be obtained without Sanctification. There is indeed an absolute Election to Salvation whereby God, without respect of Works, hath chosen some to Salvation; but there is no Election to Salvation absolute whereby God hath chosen any to Salvation without Works, that is, whether ⟨p. 66⟩they work or not. If therefore you believe heartily and obey sincerely, then your Election to Salvation stands firm; nay, the Scripture makes Election to be terminated as well in Obedience as Salvation. Elect, says the Apostle, unto Obedience through sanctification of the Spirit. In the former place it was, Elect to Salvation through Sanctification; but in this it is, Elect to Obedience through Sanctification: