The Arminian doctrine of conditional election includes the understanding that God elects to save those whom he foresees will believe in him. In other words, our faith in some sense causes our election, hence conditional election.

In his work A Body of Divinity English Puritan theologian Thomas Watson offers a rather insightful argument against this doctrine writing:

If we are not justified for our faith, much less are we elected for our faith; but we are not justified for it. We are said to be justified through faith as an instrument in Eph. 2:8, but not for faith as a cause; and, if not justified for faith, then much less elected (70).

A few days ago I read James T. Dennison, Jr.’s fine book The Market Day of the Soul: The Doctrine of the Sabbath in England 1532-1700. It is an excellent historical theological work on, what has become in our hyper-recreational age, the dying practice of Sabbath observance. Anyone unsure of exactly what the Westminster divines meant when they wrote . . .

As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.

This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their wordly employments and recreations, but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy (Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch. 21, Sect. 7-8).

. . . should read Dennison’s work for immediate remedy. Dennison offers this rich quote from the 17th century Puritan Lewes Bayly:

The Sabbath day is God’s market-day for the week’s provision, wherein He will have us to come unto him, and buy of him without silver or Money, the Bread of Angels, and Water of life, the Wine of the Sacraments, and Milk of the Word to feed our souls: tried Gold, to enrich our Faith: precious Eyesalve, to heal our spiritual blindness: and the white Raiment of Christ’s Righteousness, to cover our filthy nakedness (63-64).

Don’t miss James T. O’Brien’s new blog on reformed spirituality called J.O.B.’s Journal. Jim is currently posting a series on Puritan preaching. From the about page:

[HT: Nick Batzig]

Dr. J. Stephen Yuille, Preaching-Teaching Pastor of Grace Community Church, Glen Rose, TX hosts an excellent blog titled Deus Pro Nobis which often deals with Puritan themes. Dr. Yuille is emminently qualified to write on the Puritans as his PhD studies were on the Puritan George Swinnock. He has currently written three excellent volumes in Puritan thought, The Inner Sanctum of Puritan Piety: John Flavel’s Doctrine of Mystical Union with Christ, Puritan Spirituality: The Fear of God in the Affective Theology of George Swinnock, and Trading and Thriving in Godliness: The Piety of George Swinnock.

You will be edified as Dr. Yuille communicates the thinking of the Puritans to people today and explains their rich theology to see us grow in godly piety today!

. . . will be republished soon. From the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University blog:

Cotton Mather, one of the leading intellectuals of colonial America, has often been overshadowed by his younger Puritan contemporary, Jonathan Edwards. Now, however, the publication of this first edition of Mather’s magnum opus in the area of biblical knowledge focuses fresh attention on early New England’s second most prodigious intellect. Mather’s commentary takes the form of questions and answers on the whole biblical canon. The edition, prepared by an international team of experts in early American studies, will consist of ten volumes published over the course of a decade. This first volume introduces the project and offers Mather’s comments on Genesis. This work will be treasured by students of American church history, colonial-era Puritanism, Christian responses to the Enlightenment, American intellectual development, and the history of biblical interpretation. It is a must-have acquisition for research libraries covering these disciplines.