By what order God proceedeth to declare & after a sort to execute his election.
WHen God had determined with himselfe 1 the things before metioned, he, by a more manifest order of causes, which notwithstanding was eternall (as all things are present to him) disposed orderly all the degrees, whereby hee vvould bring his elect vnto his king dome. Forasmuch therefore as he is merciful, & yet could not forget his iustice, before all other things it was necessary, that a Mediator should 2 be appointed: by who man might be perfectly restored, & that this should bee done ⟨…⟩y that free mercy and grace which doth appeare in the ⟨…⟩aluation of his elect. But ⟨…⟩an, besides that hee is so ⟨…⟩eake, that it is not possible ⟨…⟩r him to sustain the weight ⟨…⟩f Gods wrath, doth also so ⟨…⟩uch fl⟨…⟩tter himselfe in that ⟨…⟩is most miserable blindnes, ⟨…⟩ he cannot perceiue it 1: ⟨…⟩ecause he is wholly in bon ⟨…⟩age to sinne 2: so that the ⟨…⟩ ⟨…⟩ lavv of GOD is to him as death 3, so farre is he vnable of himselfe to recouer his libertie, or to satisfie the law of God in the very least ⟨…⟩ote.
God therefore the most mercifull father of the elect, moderating in such sort his iustice, with his infinite mercie, appointed his onely son, who was the very same substance, 3 and God eternal with him, that at the time determined, he shold by the power of the holy 4 ghost bee made very man 5, to the end that both the natures beeing ioyned in Iesus Christ alone 4 6, first, all the corruption of man shold be fully healed in one man 7, who should also accomplish all iustice 8, and moreouer should bee able enough to sustaine the iudgment of God, and be a priest sufficient & worthy of himselfe to appease the wrath of God his father, in dying as a iust and innocent, for them that were vniust and sinners, couering our disobedience, and purging all our sinnes which were laid vpon him 9. And finally with one onely offering and sacrifice of himselfe, should sanctifie all the elect: mortifying & burying sinne in them, by the partaking of his death & buriall: and quickning them into newnes of life by his resurrection 10: so that they should finde more in him, then they had lost in Adam 11. And to the intent this remedie should not be found and ordayned in vaine, the lord God determined to giue this his sonne, with all things appertaining to saluation 12, to them whom hee had determined in himself to chuse, and on the other side, to giue them vnto his Sonne: that they beeing in him, and hee in them 13, might bee consummate, and made perfit in one, by these degrees that follow after: according as it pleased him to bring forth euery one of his elect into this world.
For first, when it pleaseth him to disclose that secret which he had purposed from before all beginning 14, at such time as men least looke 5 for it 15 (as men are blinded and yet thinke they see most cleare 16, when as in verie deed death & danation hangeth ouer their head 17) hee commeth sodenly, & setteth before their eyes the great danger wherin they are; and that they might be touched more sharply and liuely, hee addeth to the witnes of their owne conscience, beeing as it were asleepe, and dead, the preaching of his law 18, and 6 the examples of his indgements, to strike the with the horror of their sins: not that they should remaine in that feare, but rather, that be holding the great danger thereof, should flie to that onely Mediator Iesus Christ 19: in who~ after the sharpe preaching of the law, hee setteth forth the sweet grace of the Gospell, but yet with this condition, 7 that they belieue in him 20, vvho onelie can deliuer them from co~demnation 21, and giue them right and title to the heauenly inheritance 22: Yet all these things were but vaine if he should onelie set before mens eyes these secrets, by the externall preaching of his word written, & published in the Church of God, which notwithstanding is the ordinarie means wherby Iesus Christ is communicated vnto vs 23: therfore, as touching his elect 24, vnto the external preaching of his word, he ioyneth the inward working of his holy Spirit, 8 the which doth not restore (as the Papists imagine) the remnants or residue of free will (for what power soeuer of free will remaineth in vs, 9 serueth to no other vse, but willingly to sinne 25, to flee from God 26, to hate him 27, and so not to heare him 28, nor to belieue in him 29, neither yet to acknowledge his gifts 30, no not so much as to thinke a good thought 31: and finally to be children of wrath and malediction) but contrariwise changeth their hard harts of stone, into soft harts of flesh 32, draweth them 33, teacheth them 34, lighteneth their eyes 35, and openeth their sense 36, their heart, their eares, and vnderstanding: first to make them to knowe (as wee haue said before) their owne miserie: and next, to plant in them the gift of faith, whereby they may performe that condition, which is ioyned to the preaching of the Gospell. And that standeth in two points: the one, whereby wee knowe Christ in general, 10 in belieuing the storie of Christ, and the Prophecies which are writ of him 37: the which part of faith, as vvee shall declare in due place, is sometimes giuen to the reprobate. The other, which is proper, and onely belongeth 11 to the elect, consisteth in applying Christ (who is vniuersally and indifferentlie preached to all men) to our selues, as ours: and that euery man make himselfe sure of his election, which hath been hid before all time in Gods secret 38, and afterwards reuealed vnto vs, partly by the inward testimonie of our conscience through the holy Ghost, ioyned to the externall preaching of Gods word 39: and partly also by the vertue and power of the same spirit, who deliuering the elect from the seruitude of sin 40, perswadeth and conducteth them to will and vvorke the things which please God.
These then be the degrees, whereby it pleaseth God to create and forme by his especiall grace, that precious and peculiar gift of faith in his elect, to the intent that they may imbrace their saluation in Iesus Christ. But because this faith in vs is yet weake & onely begun, to the end that we may not onely perseuere in it, but also profit (vvhich thing is most necessary for al men to do) first, according to the time that our adoption is reuealed vnto vs, this faith is sealed in our harts by the sacrament of Baptisme: 12 and after, euery day more & more is confirmed and sealed in vs by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper: of the 13 which two Sacraments, the principall end is, that they be sure, and effectuall signes, and pledges, of the communion of the faithfull vvith Christ 41, who is their wisedome, iustice, sanctification, and redemption 42.
For this occasion, it is so oftentimes mentioned with Saint Paul, that wee beeing iustified by faith, haue peace with God 43: for whosoeuer hath obtained the gift of true faith, hath also by the same grace and liberalitie of God, obtained the gift of perseuerance 44. So that in all maner of temptations and afflictions, hee doubteth not to call vpon God, vvith sure confidence to obtaine his request 14 (as farre as it is expedient for him) knowing that hee is of the number of Gods children, who cannot faile him 45.
Moreouer, he neuer swarueth so from the right way, but at length, by the benefit of Gods grace, he returneth againe: for, although faith sometime seeme in the elect (as it were for a time) hid and buried, so that a man would thinke it were vtterly quenched 46 (which God suffereth, that men might knowe their owne weakenes) yet it doth neuer so far leaue the~, that the loue of God & their neighbor is a together plucked out of their hearts. For no man is iustified in Christ, who also is not sanctified in him 47, and framed to good works, which God prepared that we should walke therein 48. This is the~ the way wherby God by his mercie, doth prepare (to the full execution of his eternall counsell) them amongst his elect, who~ it pleaseth him to reserue, till they come to ripe age and discretion.
As touching the other, who~ he calleth into his kingdome, so soone as they are borne, or in their tender yeeres, he vseth a more short way. For seeing he doth comprehend in that his free couenant, whereof Iesus Christ is the Mediator 49, not onely the faithfull, but also their posteritie 50, into a thousand generations 51, calling the same by expresse words holy 52: there is no doubt but the 15 children of the Saints, which appertain to election (whom hee onely knoweth) he hath giuen to his Sonne, who will not cast them out 53.
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Footnotes
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The foundation of that electio~ which is manifest to vs. ↩
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A Mediator was necessarie. ↩
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Iesus Christ our Mediator. ↩
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Iustification & sanctification in Christ. ↩
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Externall vocation. ↩
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The Law. ↩
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The Gospel. ↩
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The inward calling. ↩
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What free will is, after the fall of Adam. ↩
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Faith hath two parts. ↩
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Faith which doth aporehend iustification by Christ, and sanctification. ↩
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Baptisme. ↩
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The Lords Supper. ↩
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A sure confidence. ↩
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Gods adoption or free choise of Infants. ↩