Thomas Boston
1. Behold here the freedom and glory of sovereign grace, which is the sole cause why God did not leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery, as He left the fallen angels. He was no more obliged to the one than the other. Why did He choose any of the fallen race of men to grace and glory? It was His mere good pleasure to pitch on some and pass by others. He did not need any of them, and there would have been no spot either on His happiness or justice if He had passed them by, but out of His mere good pleasure He pitched His love on a select number in whom He will display the invincible efficacy of His sovereign grace, and thereby bring them to glory.
This proceeds from His absolute sovereignty. Justice or injustice does not come into consideration here. If He had pleased, He might have made everyone the object of His love; and if it had pleased Him, He might have chosen none, but left Adam and all his numerous offspring to sink eternally into the pit of perdition. It was within His supreme power to have left all mankind under His just punishment; and by the same right of dominion He may pick out some men from the common mass and lay aside others to bear the punishment of their crimes. There is no cause in the creature but all in God; it must be resolved into His sovereign will. So it is said: “He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy” (Rom 9:15,16).
Yet God did not will without wisdom. He did not act by mere will without reason and understanding. Infinite wisdom is far from acting in that way. But the reason for God’s proceedings is inscrutable to us, unless we could understand God as well as He understands Himself. The rays of His infinite wisdom are too bright and dazzling for our weak and shallow capacities. The Apostle acknowledges not only a wisdom in His ways of working, but riches of wisdom – not only that, but a depth and vastness in these riches of wisdom. Paul was wholly incapable of making an inventory of it. Hence he cries out: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements, and His ways past finding out!” (Rom 11:33). Let us humbly adore the divine sovereignty. We should cast ourselves down at God’s feet, fully resigning ourselves to His sovereign pleasure. This is more appropriate to a Christian than contentious attempts to measure God by our line.
2. This doctrine should stop people murmuring and should silence all their pleading against God. What strivings there sometimes are in the hearts of men about God’s absolute sovereignty in electing some and rejecting others! The Apostle insists much on this in Romans 9. Having quoted the Lord speaking thus by Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (v 15), he at once anticipates an objection, the strife of man with God about that saying: “Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will?” (v 19). This is man’s plea against the sovereign will of God.
But what does the Lord say by the Apostle to such a pleader? We have Paul’s reproof of him for an answer: “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” (v 20). The Apostle brings in this argument as to man’s eternal state: he must not strive with God about that; he must not say, Why does God find fault with man? God’s absolute power is His reason why He disposes of you, or any other man, thus or thus. He will give you no account why it is so, but His own will to have it so. He may choose some for the glory of His rich, free and sovereign grace, and leave others to perish in their sins for the glory of His power and justice. This should stop men’s mouths and make them sit down quietly under all God’s dealings.
3. This is a reason for the elect of God to be humble and to admire. It shows them to what they owe the difference between them and others, even to free grace. Those who are passed by were as eligible as those that were chosen. Though God has dignified them and raised them up to be heirs of glory, yet they were by nature heirs of wrath and no better than others (Eph 2:3). Well may they say with David, in another case, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my father’s house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?” All were in the same corrupt mass, and nothing but free grace made the difference between those who were elected and those who were not.
4. The elect shall not persist in their infidelity and natural state, but shall all be effectually called and brought in to Christ. Whatever good things God has purposed for them shall surely be conferred on them and wrought in them, by the irresistible efficacy of His powerful grace. God’s purpose shall stand and He will do all His pleasure.
5. People may know that they are elected. Hence that exhortation: “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet 1:10). Though we cannot break in directly on the secrets of God, yet if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, receive Him as our only Saviour and submit to Him as our Lord and Sovereign, we may know that we are elected – as the elect, and they only, are brought to believe. Others may be elected, but they cannot know it till they actually believe.
6. The Lord will never cast off His elect people. He that chose them from eternity, while He saw no good in them, will not afterwards cast them off. God’s decree of election is the best security they can have for life and salvation, and a foundation that standeth absolutely sure. Whatever faults and follies they may be guilty of, yet the Lord will never cast them off. They shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
7. This doctrine may teach us to form our judgement aright concerning the success of the gospel. The gospel and the ministry of the gospel are designed to bring in God’s chosen ones. It was never the case that all did believe, nor will it ever be so, but one thing is sure: all who are ordained to eternal life shall believe and obey the gospel (Rom 11:7).
1Taken, with editing, from Boston’s Works, vol 1.