Puritan Nuggets of Gold # 23

Election

A king, consulting with himself and purposing to declare his honor and authority, enacteth such laws and statues as the best industry of his subjects shall not be able to observe, pretending nevertheless, of his own especial grace, to be favorable or merciful to some and upon the remnant of transgressors to execute justice. From this spring (the honor of the king) do distill two streams, the one for his beloved subjects to drink at and live, the other for the malignant to drown in. (Arthur Dent)

Moreover, as God respects no persons, so He respects no conditions upon which He gives salvation to us. (Thomas Goodwin)

It is absurd to think that anything in us could have the least influence upon our election. Some say that God did foresee that such persons would believe, and therefore did choose them; so they would make the business of salvation to depend upon something in us. Whereas God does not choose us FOR faith, but TO FAITH. "He hath chosen us, that we should be holy," (Ephesians 1:4), not because we would be holy, but that we might be holy. We are elected to holiness, not for it. (Thomas Watson)

Let us then ascribe the whole work of grace to the pleasure of God's Will. God did not choose us because we were worthy, but by choosing us He makes us worthy. (Thomas Watson)

The purpose of God is the sovereign cause of all that good that is in man, and of all that external, internal and eternal good that comes to man. Not works past, for men are chosen from everlasting; not works present, for Jacob was loved and chosen before he was born; nor works foreseen, for men were all corrupt in Adam. All a believer's present happiness, and all his future happiness springs from the eternal purpose of God. (Thomas Brooks)

This doctrine affords comfort: thy unworthiness may dismay thee, but remember that thy election depends not upon thy worthiness but upon the will of God. (Elnathan Parr)

Election is ascribed to God the Father, sanctification to the Spirit, and reconciliation to Jesus Christ. This is the chain of salvation and never a link of this chain must be broken. The Son cannot die for them whom the Father never elected, and the Spirit will never sanctify them whom the Father hath not elected nor the Son redeemed. (Thomas Manton)

If so be that free-will were our tutor, and we had our heaven in our own keeping, then we would lose all. But because we have Christ for our tutor, and He has our heaven in His hand, therefore the covenant it must be perpetual. (Samuel Rutherford)