On Conditional Election and Free-Will
Observing that our Arminian friends loudly insist that their scheme of conditional election, and of Christ’s death for all men without distinction, and of men’s ability to believe, and of the possibility of falling from grace, is extremely adapted to promote the honour of the divine perfections and the comfort and holiness of men, I could not but inquire if these things were so; and, upon the most unbiassed examination, find them quite the reverse. Is that for the honour of the Deity, which supposeth him incapable to fix the plan of his whole work, relative to rational agents, before he commences it? — that supposeth him incapable to fix any plan, but when a created free -will is his counsellor; or to prosecute any plan but as free-will allows him her permission and assistance? Is that scheme honourable to God, which supposeth him to have created a free-will in rational agents, which is beyond his power to keep dependant upon himself, or manage for answering any fixed purpose? Where is the immutability of God, if he be obliged to alter his schemes as the free-will of mankind shall please to deport itself? Is this the standing of his counsel and the doing of all his pleasure? Where is the boasted universality of his benevolence, unless he hath provided a Saviour for devils as well as for men; and given them, who are his creatures, and no less excellent, an equal throne for their eternal salvation? Where was his wisdom or equity; and where his love to his eternal Son, if he took pleasure to bruise him, to make his soul an offering for the sin of all mankind — for the sin of those who, at the very time, were in hell, suffering the due reward of their deeds; and for millions who, if omniscient, he forsaw would follow them thither in due time; or to make him throw away his life for men upon the improbable supposition, that such as were in the flesh, in their natural state, should please God with their faith and repentance? Where is his wTisdom or power, his kindness or candour towards us, if his choice of us to eternal life, if the death of his Son for us, if the striving of his Spirit with us, have their whole efficacy in our favours suspended upon this impossible condition, — that our heart, deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, our carnal mind, at enmity against God, and which is not subject to his law, neither indeed can be, shall graciously convert
itself, and lend its assistance to the Deity for the securing of our eternal happiness, and effectuating that which was too hard for the Lord?
Where, my Arminian friends, is the comfort, the blessedness for men, of which you speak? If I am deeply sensible of the corruption of my heart, what comfort can it be to me, that God will fix his choice on me, — will render the death of his Son the price of my eternal life, — will render the striving of his Spirit prevalent to my eternal salvation, if I perform the (to me infinitely impossible) condition of faith and repentance, persevered in unto the end of my life? What, though Jehovah hath said to my soul, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; his loving kindness may endure but for a moment, and the everlasting covenant of his peace be removed! What, suppose he began to do me good, he may not be able or willing to finish it! he may break his everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, and turn away from doing me good! What, suppose he hath written my name in heaven, in the Lamb’s book of life — it is less tenacious than my parish register: my name may be blotted out ere to-morrow. Suppose Christ hath loved me, and given himself to the death for me, it is no more than he did for millions at that instant (in hell, and for millions that shall be eternally damned. His death can therefore be no more comfortable to me than my creation; and yet perhaps it had been better for me that I had never been born. Suppose the striving of the Holy Spirit should, in some happy moment, have the concurrence, or at least the permission, of my free-will to change my nature, and implant in me gracious principles; they are put in a bag with holes, and may be lost ere to-morrow! Suppose I had taken my place on the celestial throne, perhaps, by an inadvertant slip of my free-will, I may be tumbled headlong into hell, as multitudes of angels once were.
As good methinks, be a reprobate according to the Calvinist scheme, than an elected person according to the Arminian! According to the Calvinist, God will save no man, but in consistency with his own purpose. According to the Arminian, God neither will nor can save any man, without the permission, the assistance, of the man’s free-will; or without our performance of an infinitely impossible condition of true faith and gospel repentance, produced from a carnal mind at enmity against God?
According to the Calvinist, the divine purpose lays no bar in the w7ay of our free-will’s performing its duty; and whosoever believeth shall be saved. According to the Arminian, it is not one act of believing, nor perhaps a thousand acts of faith, repentance, and sincere obedience, that will fix my state! Alas! miserable comforter, and physician of no value!
Doth the Arminian scheme promote the earnest study of true holiness? Let experience speak. Howmany in Britain suppose themselves capable to repent and believe at pleasure, and that Christ died for all; at least, if they be sincere, and do the best they can?
yet, what students of holiness are these? Let hell blush at the thought! How many of them blaspheme as devils, and tempt their fellows to abomination! How many riot in drunkenness, gluttony, and whoredom! How many are ignorant of the first principles of our holy religion, and cannot so much as rest in the literal knowledge of the law! How many live as brute beasts, un thoughtful whether they be possessed of immortal souls! In what thousands of closets and families, the stated worship of our Maker, is equally observed as in the stable or sty! — Let reason show her opinion. According to the Arminian scheme, God cannot help me much if he would. He cannot make me willing in the days of his power, or able to serve him in the beauties of holiness; but can merely strive with my conscience, and try to sooth my free-will into a good humour.
The law of God indeed binds me to holiness, but that is the very case with devils, whose good works I suppose to be but few. What benefits I have received from God are so insignificant and common, that I scarce owe him distinguished thanks. His choice of me, the death of his Son for me, and the striving of his Spirit with me, and even his bestowal of grace upon me, do not avail, unless my free-will take heed to herself; they cannot for a moment secure me from hell. What pleasure my free-will, if left to herself, can take in the ways of holiness, I cannot conceive. When my eternal life is in danger every moment, how can I draw near to God with a true heart in the full assurance of faith? how can I be steadfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labour shall not be in vain in the Lord? If I attempt to give thanks, what if an entrance into hell turn my song into howling? If I owe my happiness more to the management of my own free-will, than to God’s election, Christ’s death, and the striving of his Spirit, why should I deny myself, have no confidence in the flesh, but rejoice in Christ Jesus? In heaven I owe no more praise to God or the Lamb, than those in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. Let my song then be not, u Worthy is the Lamb,” &c, but u Worthy art thou, my free-will, to receive honour and glory, and dominion and blessing, for thou hast taken care, and hast redeemed me to God. Salvation to our free-will that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb!”