17. Now this election the
Apostle demonstrating to be, not of merits going before in good
works, but election of grace, saith thus: “And in this time a
remnant by election of grace is saved. But if by grace, then is it
no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace.”2672
This is
election of
grace; that is,
election in which through the
grace of
God men are elected: this, I say, is
election of
grace which goes
before all good merits of men. For if it be to any good merits that
it is given, then is it no more gratuitously given, but is paid as
a
debt, and consequently is not truly called
grace; where
“
reward,” as the same
Apostle saith, “is not imputed as
grace, but as
debt.”
2673
Whereas if, that it may be true
grace, that is, gratuitous, it find nothing in man to which it is
due of merit, (which thing is well understood in that saying,
“Thou wilt
save them for nothing,”
2674
) then assuredly itself gives the
merits, not to merits is given. Consequently it goes before even
faith, from which it is that all good works begin. “For the
just,” as is written, “shall
live by
faith.”
2675
But,
moreover,
grace not only assists the just, but also justifies the
ungodly. And therefore even when it does aid the just and seems to
be rendered to his merits, not even then does it cease to be
grace,
because that which it aids it did itself bestow. With a view
therefore to this
grace, which precedes all good merits of man, not
only was
Christ put to
death by the
ungodly, but “
died for the
ungodly.”
2676
And ere
that He
died, He elected the
Apostles, not of course then just, but
to be justified: to whom He saith, “I have chosen you out of the
world.” For to whom He said, “Ye are not of the
world,” and
then, lest they should account themselves never to have been of the
world, presently added, “But I have chosen you out of the
world;” assuredly that they should not be of the
world was by His
own
election of them conferred upon them. Wherefore, if it had been
through their own
righteousness, not through His
grace, that they
were elected, they would not have been chosen out of the
world,
because they would already not be of the
world if already they were
just. And again, if the reason why they were elected was, that they
were already just, they had already first chosen the
Lord. For who
can be
righteous but by choosing
righteousness? “But the end of
the
law is
Christ, for
righteousness is to every one that
believeth.
2677
Who is
made unto us
wisdom of
God, and
righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption: that, as it is written, He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord.”
2678
He then is Himself our
righteousness.
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