greenbaggins
Puritan Board Doctor
Goodwin sought to do justice both to the ends and the means of election. Possible resources lie here in considering various doctrinal debates. Goodwin writes,
The devotional point to be considered here is how much more comprehensive and "interpenetrating" is God's understanding of His decree than our understanding can possibly be. We sometimes debate infra- and supralapsarian positions, but I suspect that God sees His own decree rather differently. The danger in such debates is that we will always be tempted (I am not saying that we always fall into this trap, but I think it is always a danger) to curtail God's decree into a form that is human. There is a reason why the decree has not been revealed to us. Why do we think we could understand it if it was revealed to us?
God having all afore him in his immense Understanding, had in his purpose of Election to the End, a respect unto Man considered as unfallen, but in that to these Means unto Man considered as fallen, and decreed both, and all in one and the same determination of his Divine Will. (from "A Discourse of Election," in Works, 9:86).
The devotional point to be considered here is how much more comprehensive and "interpenetrating" is God's understanding of His decree than our understanding can possibly be. We sometimes debate infra- and supralapsarian positions, but I suspect that God sees His own decree rather differently. The danger in such debates is that we will always be tempted (I am not saying that we always fall into this trap, but I think it is always a danger) to curtail God's decree into a form that is human. There is a reason why the decree has not been revealed to us. Why do we think we could understand it if it was revealed to us?
