An Exposition of Ephesians

BOOK I.

Wherein is proved the necessity of an election grace, if any of the rational creatures be certainly saved : and that God hath made an election of some ont of pore grace, proved by the event, ont of the stories of all times, throughout the Old and New Testament. ..... 8 BOOK II.

Of the order of God's decrees about man's election and reproba- tion.— Of the end to which we are ordained ; a supernatural union with God and communication of himself. — The infinity of grace discovered therein. .... 84 BOOK III.

The infinity of grace in God's choosing us, proved firom the nature of election, both simply considered in itself, and also com- pared with that other act of reprobation. 160 BOOK IV.

The mighty and powerful grace which God dispenses to his elect, in eflectually calling them, in preserving them firom tempta- tions and sin, in strengthening and enabling them to persevere onto the end, and in bringing them at last securely to an eternal glory, by all which, the greatness of election grace is more fully cleared and proved. . 281

yi CONTENTS.

Page BOOK V.

Election, in the ordinary oonrse of it, rons in a line of succession from believing parents to their posterity. — The covenant of grace is entailed on the children of believers. — God most nsaally makes such his choice. — What judgment we are thereupon to have of them. .... 426

A DISCOURSE OF ELECTION, &c.

TOL. EU

A

DISCOQRSE

OP

ELECTION,

OPTHB

Free and Special GRACE of GOD Manifested therein ;

THE

AbeolnteneBS and XJnchangeablenesa of his DECREES ; and their Infallible Accomplishment.

BY

THOMAS GOODWIN, D.D.

LONDON,

Printed in the Year, MDOLXXXII.

OF ELECTION.

BOOK I.

Wherein is proved the necessity of an election grace, if any of the rational creatures be certainly saved: and that God hath made an election of soms out of pure ffrac^, proved by the event, otU of the stories of all tinies, through- out tlic Old and New Testament.

CHAPTER I.

The necessity of an election, or super creation grace, if either angels or men {whether fallen or unf alien) be certainly and securely saved.

Bt the necessity of an election, I mean not as if God. had been necessitated thereunto, for nothing with him is more free ; and that it is termed an election of grace sufficiently testifies it ; but the necessity lay in respect of the eter- nal salvation of either angels or men.

Nor, secondly, do I mean, as if it mnst have been an act of election ; understanding it a calling forth but of some persons only ; for that way of salvation, which is the grace itself, God might have saved all of either sort by, and not have made an election of it, that is, of some, although he was pleased so to do. It is true, indeed, in making an election but of some, the freeness of God's grace was the more manifested ; that is, in the point of the freedom of it ; and that, de facto, there was such an election but of some, both angels and men, I shall after shew ; but the dint of my present asser- tion, whilst yet I term it election of grace (because de facto so it was), lies in this : that, take the substance of that grace itself, which election hath chalked out as the way of salvation thereby, and that is it I now alone affirm to have been necessary ; I add securely, to bring to salvation both angels and men. And my assertion issues in this, that not any one of his creatures were, or had been eternally and effectually saved (that is, none of his understanding rational creatures), without such a grace as election hath pitched upon ; no, not one of either sort, neither angels nor men, as, ds facto, it appeared.

God, though he made angels and men in a state of perfect* holiness, able

4 OF ELECTION. [BoOK I.

to stand with the innate pondna, or poise and bias of holiness, joined with that concurrence or assistance of God's that did accompany it; jet that assistance being then suited to the laws and dues of creation merely ; that is, look what preservation in that state a creature could challenge, by the covenant of creation, as a due from God as his creator, so far forth there was an assistance did accompany that holiness ; and therefore was but such an assistance as was proportioned to that present state, whereby the will of the creature had a power to continue, if he would use that assistance, and those creation powers and principles, as he ought, so as it was every way such as the creature could not,* but at any time (till the act of falling), say, I find myself able to stand if I will ; but so as the keeping of this holiness with that assistance, was committed to the free-will of man, as likewise of angels, which at the best was a mutable slippery thing, iickle and change- able. To make instance in the angels, by and from the example of whom it is that I make foilh this necessity of election for the creature to be saved. In Job iv. 18, * Behold, he puts no trust in his servants, and the angels he chargeth with folly.' We have the like in chap. xv. vcr. 15, * He putteth no trust in his saints.* The angels were perfectly holy, but if he would give them no other assistance but what was their due from creation, there was no trust to be put in them, or their standing. If they were holy to-day, they might sin to-morrow. If God but sent them of an errand down into this world, they might sin before they came up again. …