306 S ER MONS upon Serm.XL. his wifdoni or for the worfe, and that refle ð on his goodnefs; nothing without God can binder God, when he applyeth himfelf to the performance of what he hath purpoled 5 for all creatures are at his beck, can do nothing without him, much lets a. gain(t him, Pfal. 115. 3. But our God is in the Heavens, he hash done whofoever be pleafed. None can refiß the counsel of his will, feconded by his Almighty power; or the work of his hands; men may wilh things, but God effeð them; nothing is faulty, nothingis wanting, when he will work; therefore his purpofe backed with Almighty power, cannot be difappointed. 3. Whatever fo cometb to pats, is brought about in the moll convenient order. The pur- polè of his will, is alfo called the counfel of his will, Eph..r. r r. He worlteth all things according to the counfel of his will; not that God deliberateth or confulteth as men con - fult, out of ignorance or doubtfulnefs, of what is moo convenient; but Gods will is called counfel, becaufe there is depth of wifdom to be teen in what he doth ; the Cre- ation (hewed his wifdom, for the world is eftablilhed in an excellent order, Pfal. 104. 24. Lord, How manifold are thy works? in wifdom haft thou made them all. God bath difpofed variety of excellencies in the world, by a wife contrivance, which ftriketh the heart of man with reverence, when ever he beholdeth them. So for his Providence, There is an excellent contexture of occurrences, which maketh the whole frame the more beautiful, Eccl. 3. a r. He bath made every thing beautiful in its time : there is at , firlt a teeming cohfufion in the government of the world, and the events that happen in it; but when we fee all in their frame, when his whole work is done, it is full ofor- der.. So in the work of Redemption, and all the means to bring the effe& of it about ;. there is much more a great deal of wildom to be leen ; 'as laid, Eph. a. 8. (in the dif- penfation of his grace by Chri(t) He hath abounded towards us in all wifdom and prudence. Means are fitly ordered to bring Gods purpofe about withrhonour to himfelf, and be- nefit to us; and are fo fer as links in a chain , that not one of them can be left out ; and fo,' as no violence is offered to the creature, and the liberty of fecond caufes is not taken away. For though the decree be fixed and abfolute, yet the difpenfation thereof is conditional; for whom he bath predeftinated, them he bath called. God will not difcover his eternal differencing intentto any perlon, before the a&ual application of Chri(t by faith; our particular ele &ion cannot be known, till we do believe: All to whom the Gofpel cometh, are Children of wrath, Eph.2. 3. in the fentence of his law, whatever they may be in the purpofes of his grace ; and fo they can only look upon themfelves as all alike in fin, and Co all alike in danger of cot demnation 5 and fo God proceedeth with them in fach a way as is moll agreeable to a reafonable creature, by perfwafion, and propofal of arguments, to come out of this wretched cane; and the outward difpenfation being alike to ele& and reprobate, the one having no more favour than the other; thole that are paffed by, are found without excufe for their unbelief. Jefus Chrill is propounded to them as an Allfufficient Saviour, and allo a promife, that whofoever believeth (hall be raved; more than this in refpe& of extetnal means is not tendered to the ele &, nor lefs than this to reprobates: though the eleûs receiving be the fruit of fpecial grace, the others reje&ing ii without excufe ; God indeed giveth to the one an heart to receive ; yet the external offer is made to both; and if they imbrace it not, 'tis long of themfelves 5 this then is the wildom of God, that his abfolute fixed purpofe taketh place, by an efficacious conditional difpenfation. 4. That God doth not find this order in caufes, but maketh it. For all good is the fruit and effe& of prede(tination, not the motive and caufe of it; otherwife it would be a poft- deftination, not a predeftination: effe&ual calling, and jollification, and glory, are effe &s of Gods eternal purpofe , and flow from it, as (trams out of a fountain ; and herein differeth the purpofe of God to do good, from the purpofe of man. Something is prefented to us as good and convenient,. that moveth our will to poi-pore, and chufe, and indineth us for its own goodnefs to feek after it, and let about the means whereby we may Obtain it ; but nothing in the creature can move God ; what is the effe& of the decree, cannot be the motive of it. Indeed God willeth one thing in order to ano- ther, as effe&ual calling, in order to juftification, and. both in order to glory; but then there are co-ordinate caufes; his will and good pleafure, is the original of this order, and the free grace of God is the only fupream and fountain - caufe of our falvation. 2 Thef. 2. 13, 14. Becaufe God bath from the beginning chofen you tofalvation, through fanthifrcation of the fpirit, and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our Gofpel po the obtaining of the glory of the Lord jefus Chrifi. The caufe is our ele &ion, the means
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