Page 65 - Absolute Predestination With Observations On The Divine Attributes

man can amend his life to purpose' Reformation is but varnished
hypocrisy unless it proceed from grace. The elect and truly pious
are amended by the Spirit of God, and those of mankind who are
not amended by Him will perish.

"You ask, moreover, 'Who will dare to believe himself a favourite
of heaven?' I answer, 'It is not in man's own power to believe

himself such upon just grounds until he is enabled from above.' But
the elect shall be so enabled; they shall believe themselves to be
what indeed they are. As for the rest who are not endued with faith,
they shall perish, raging and blaspheming as you do now. 'But,' say

you, 'these doctrines open a door to ungodliness.' I answer,
'Whatever door they may open to the impious and profane, yet they

open a door of righteousness to the elect and holy, and show them
the way to heaven and the path of access unto God.' Yet you would
have us abstain from the mention of these grand doctrines, and
leave our people in the dark as to their election of God; the

consequence of which would be that every man would bolster
himself up with a delusive hope of share in that salvation which is
supposed to lie open to all, and thus genuine humility and the

practical fear of God would be kicked out of doors. This would be a
pretty way indeed of stopping up the gap Erasmus complains of!
Instead of closing up the door of licentiousness, as is falsely

pretended, it would be, in fact, opening a gulf into the nethermost
hell.

"Still you urge, 'Where is either the necessity or utility of preaching
predestination?' God Himself teaches it or commands us to teach it,
and that is answer enough. We are not to arraign the Deity and
bring the motives of His will to the test of human scrutiny, but

simply to revere both Him and it. He, who alone is all-wise and all-
just, can in reality (however things appear to us) do wrong to no
man, neither can He do anything unwisely or rashly. And this

consideration will suffice to silence all the objections of truly
religious persons. However, let us for argument's sake go a step
farther. I will venture to assign over and above two very important

reasons why these doctrines should be publicly taught:—

"(1) For the humiliation of our pride and the manifestation of