1st. That there always has been a number of persons, whom God, by his distinguishing providence, has separated from the world, who have enjoyed the ordinances, or means of grace, and to whom the promises of eternal life have been made. We do not say that these are all chosen to eternal life; but it appears, from the design of providence herein, that there have been some, among them who were ordained to eternal life. If God gives the means of grace to the church, it is an evident token that some are designed to have grace bestowed upon them, and consequently brought to glory.
2dly. They who have been favoured with these means of grace, have had some peculiar marks of the divine regard to them. Thus we read, in the early ages of the world, of the distinction between those, who had the special presence of God among them, and others, who were deprived of it; as Cain is said, to go out from the presence of the Lord, Gen. iv. 16. as one, who, together with his posterity, was deprived of the means of grace, and also of God’s covenant, in which he promised to be a God to some, from which privilege others were excluded: thus he was called the God of Shem, chap. ix. 16. and afterwards of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Exod. iii. 6. whose descendants were hereby given to expect the ordinances and means of grace, and many instances of that special grace, which a part of them should be made partakers of: and would he have made this provision, for a peculiar people, in so discriminating a way, if there had not been a remnant among them, according to the election of grace, to whom he designed to manifest himself here, and bring to glory hereafter? No, he would have neglected, or over-looked them as he did the world; whereas both they and their seed had the promises of the covenant of grace made to them which argues, that there was a remnant among them, whom God designed hereby to bring into a state of grace and salvation, and, in this respect, they are said to be the objects of divine love.
This leads us to consider the meaning of that text, which is generally insisted on, as a very plain proof of this doctrine, in Rom. ix. 11, 12, 13. The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election, might stand; not of works, but of him that calleth: It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger; as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Here is an express mention of the purpose of God, according to election, and Jacob is, pursuant thereunto, said to be the object of divine love. For the understanding of which, let us consider the sense that is given of it, by those on the other side of the question; and how far it may be allowed of, and what there is in the words to prove this doctrine, and wherein our sense of them differs from their’s.
It is supposed, by those who deny particular election, that Jacob and Esau are not here considered in a personal capacity, but that the apostle speaks of their respective descendants, as referring to two divine predictions; in one of which, Gen. xxv. 23. God told Rebekah, before her two sons were born, that two nations were in her womb; and the elder, that is, the posterity of Esau, should serve the younger, namely, that of Jacob; and in the other, Mai. i. 2, 3. he says, I loved Jacob, and hated Esau, and laid his mountains waste; so that if, in both these scriptures, referred to by the apostle, nothing else be intended but the difference that should be put between them as to the external dispensations of providence, or that Jacob’s family, in future ages should be in a more flourishing state than that of Esau, we must not suppose that he designed thereby to represent them as chosen to, or excluded from eternal life.
This seems a very plausible sense of the text; but yet the apostle’s words may very well be reconciled with those two scriptures, cited to enervate the force of the argument taken from it; and at the same time, it will not follow from thence, that there is no reference had to the doctrine of eternal election therein. Therefore,
1. We will not deny, when it is said, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated, that their respective descendants were intended in this prediction, yet it will not follow from hence, that Jacob and Esau, personally considered, were not also included. Whoever reads their history, in the book of Genesis, will evidently find in one the marks and characters of a person chosen to eternal life; whereas, in the other, we have no account of any regard which he expressed to God or religion, therefore he appears to have been rejected; yet,
2. So far as it respects the posterity of Jacob and Esau we are not to suppose that God’s having loved the one, and rejected the other, implies nothing else, but that Jacob’s posterity had a better country allotted for them, or exceeded Esau’s in those secular advantages, or honours, which were conferred upon them. This seems to be the principal sense, which they, on the other side of the question, give of the apostle’s words; when comparing them with those of the prophet Malachi, who, speaking concerning Esau’s being hated, explains it, as relating to his lands being laid waste for the dragons of the wilderness. This had been foretold by some other prophets, Jer. xlix. 17, 18. Ezek. xxxv. 7, 9. Obed. ver. 10. and had its accomplishment soon after the Jews were carried captive into Babylon, from which time they ceased to be a nation; but, certainly, though this be that particular instance of hatred, which the prophet Malachi refers to, yet there is more contained in the word, as applied to them by the apostle Paul. It is true, the prophet designs, in particular to obviate an objection which the Jews are represented as making, against the divine dispensations towards them, as though they had not such an appearance of love, as he supposes them to have had, therefore they are brought in as speaking to this purpose: how canst thou say, that God has loved us, who have continued seventy years captives in Babylon, and since our return from thence, have been exposed to many adverse dispensations of providence? The prophet’s reply is to this effect: that, notwithstanding, they still remained a nation, and therefore were in this respect, more the objects of the divine regard, than the posterity of Esau were, which is represented as hated, for they never returned unto their former state; or what attempts soever they made to recover it, they were all to no purpose. This the prophet alleges, as a sufficient answer to the Jews’ objection, in the same sense in which they understood the words, love or hatred; but, doubtless more than this was contained in the prediction before Jacob and Esau were born, and in the apostle’s application of it, in the text before-mentioned. If nothing were intended but outward prosperity, or their vying with each other in worldly grandeur, Esau’s posterity, in this respect, might be concluded to have been preferable to Jacob’s; thus when they are reckoned, by their genealogies, Gen. xxxvi. they are many of them described as dukes and kings who made a considerable figure in the world. When Jacob’s posterity were few in number, and bondmen in the land of Egypt, and when the Israelites were carried captive into Babylon, the Edomites are represented by the prophet, as looking on, and rejoicing in their destruction, as being, at that time, in all appearance, secure, and enjoying their former liberty.
Neither could this love or hatred signify nothing else but the descendants of Jacob being planted in a more fruitful soil; for there is little difference put between them, in this respect, in the patriarchal benediction pronounced by their father, who tells Jacob, that God would give him the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine; and to Esau he says, Thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and the dew of heaven from above, chap. xxvii. 28, compared with 39. therefore, when one is described, in the prediction, as loved, and the other as hated, we are not to suppose, that outward prosperity on the one hand, or adversity on the other, are, principally intended thereby, for that might be said of both of them by turns; therefore let me add,
3. That God’s loving or hating, as applied to the posterity of Jacob or Esau, principally respects his determining to give or deny the external blessings of the covenant of grace, or the means of grace, and therewith many special tokens of his favour. In Jacob’s line the church was established, out of which, as has been before observed, there was a remnant chosen, and brought to eternal life; how far this may be said of Esau’s, is hard to determine.
Object. 1. But to this it will be objected, that Job and his friends were of Esau’s posterity, as is more than probable; but these were far from being rejected of God.