Page 56 - Absolute Predestination With Observations On The Divine Attributes

elect, body and soul, into glory, and by passing sentence on the non-elect (not
for their having done what they could not help, but) for their willful ignorance
of Divine things and their absolute unbelief, for their omissions of moral duty
and for their repeated iniquities and transgressions.

POSITION 9.—Notwithstanding God's predestination is most certain and
unalterable, so that no elect person can perish nor any reprobate be saved, yet it

does not follow from thence that all precepts, reproofs, and exhortations on the
part of God, or prayers on the part of man, are useless, vain and insignificant.

(1) These are not useless with regard to the elect, for they are necessary means

of bringing them to the knowledge of the truth at first, afterwards of stirring up
their pure minds by way of remembrance, and of edifying and establishing them
42
in faith, love and holiness. Hence that of Augustine: "The commandment will
tell thee, O man, what thou oughtest to have, reproof will show thee wherein
thou art wanting, and praying will teach thee from whom thou must receive the

supplies which thou wantest."

(2) Nor are these vain with regard to the reprobate, for precept, reproof, and

exhortation may, if duly attended to, be a means of making them careful to
adjust their moral, external conduct according to the rules of decency, justice,
and regularity, and thereby prevent much inconvenience to themselves and

injury to society. And as for prayer, it is the duty of all without exception. Every
created being (whether elect or reprobate matters not as to this point) is, as such,
dependent on the Creator for all things, and, if dependent, ought to have

recourse to Him, both in a way of supplication and thanksgiving.

(3) But to come closer still. That absolute predestination does not set aside, nor
render superfluous the use of preaching, exhortation, etc., we prove from the

examples of Christ Himself and His apostles, who all taught and insisted upon
the article of predestination, and yet took every opportunity of preaching to
sinners and enforced their ministry with proper rebukes, invitations and

exhortations as occasion required. Though they showed unanswerably that
salvation is the free gift of God and lies entirely at His sovereign disposal, that
men can of themselves do nothing spiritually good, and that it is God who of

His own pleasure works in them both to will and to do, yet they did not neglect
to address their auditors as beings possessed of reason and conscience, nor
omitted to remind them of their duties as such; but showed them their sin and

danger by nature, and laid before them the appointed way and method of