It is confessedly true, that Gods good pleasure appointing us from eternity to Salvation, is in its kind a most full and sufficient Impulsive cause of our Salvation, and every way able (for so much as it is concerned) to produce its effect. And Christs humiliation and sufferings are a most complete and sufficient meritorious cause of our Salvation, to which nothing can be added to make it more apt and able to procure our Salvation, than it already is: yet neither the one or other can actually save any Soul without the Spirits application of Christ to it: for where there are divers social causes or concauses necessary to produce one effect; there the effect cannot be produced until the last cause have wrought: thus it is here, The Father hath elected, and the Son hath redeemed; but until the Spirit (who is the last cause) have wrought his part also, we cannot be saved. For he comes in the Fathers and in the Sons name and authority to put the last hand to our Salvation work, by bringing all the fruits of election and redemption home to our souls in this work of effectual vocation: hence the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 2. noting the order of causes in their operations, for the bringing about of our Salvation, thus states it: Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: here you find Gods election and Christs blood, the two great causes of Salvation, and yet neither of these alone, nor both together can save us; there must be added the Sanctification of the Spirit, by which Gods decree is executed; and the sprinkling (i. e. the personal application of Christs blood) as well as the shedding of it, before we can have the saving benefit of either of the former causes.
It is confessedly true, that Gods good pleasure appointing us from eternity to Salvation, is in its kind a most full and sufficient Impulsive cause of our Salvation, and every way able (for so much as it is concerned) to produce its effect. And Christs humiliation and sufferings are a most compleat and sufficient meritorious cause of our Salvation, to which nothing can be added to make it more apt and able to procure our Salvation, than it already is: yet neither the one or other can actually save any Soul without the Spirits application of Christ to it: for where there are divers social causes or concauses necessary to produce one effect; there the effect cannot be produced until the last cause have wrought: thus it is here, The Father hath elected, and the Son hath redeemed; but until the Spirit (who is the last cause) have wrought his part also, we cannot be saved. For he comes in the Fathers and in the Sons name and authority to put the last hand to our Salvation work, by bringing all the fruits of election and redemption home to our souls in this work of effectual vocation: hence the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 2. noting the order of causes in their operations, for the bringing about of our Salvation, thus states it: Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: here you find Gods election and Christs blood, the two great causes of Salvation, and yet neither of these alone, nor both together can save us; there must be added the Sanctification of the Spirit, by which Gods decree is executed; and the sprinkling (i. e. the personal application of Christs blood) as well as the shedding of it, before we can have the saving benefit of either of the former causes.
