Chap.,.sea. 2. Book ll. 27 or of t;,e members of Chrifl: : Cluifl: himfelf was firfl: predefl:inated; this appears by that faying of God , Beholdmyfervant whom l uphold, mine Ele;p,.iil whom myfoul deli,~ht- !fa. 41. r. eth, Jh~ve put r.y fpirit ."fo" him, he Jha!l brin~ forth J"dgemem to the Genrtles: Thefe ~1atth. 12. 18. ' very words the Evange\llt mterpr~rs of Chnfc lumfelf,. Matth.r2. 18. Ano;l Chnfl: bemg predeflinate, the members ofChnfl: were predelltnaced m hun; So the Apoide, According Ephcf. •· 4· "'be hath cbofw uo in him before t?efo~<ndation of the_ world: we are chofen m Chnfl: as in a common perfon, he was the firlt perfon eldted rn order, and we m lum: Suppofe a new Kinodom eo l>e fee up, a new King is chofen, and all his fucceffors are chofen in him; why God lmh erecreda Kingdom ofglory, and he hatb chofen JefrlsChr_ifl: for the King ofthis Kingdom, and in him he hach chofen us, whom he hach made Kmgs and Pnefl:s unto the moll: high God. But obferve we this ofche Apoi\le, he hath cho(en U'_ in himbeforcthe foitndation of the world. I. f!e J hath chofen, (i.e.) God the Father lmh chofen. not that che Son and Spirit chofe not alfo; for if three of us had but one Will commo'n to us all, one could not will any thing, which the Will of the other two lhould not 3 1fo wili . bur bel:aufe the Sonfu!lains the perfon ofone elecred, and the Spiri; is the wimefs feali~g thi; grace (\nto our hearts, therefore the Father onely is expreffed; as the Father alone is often naQ;t~d in prayer, not that che other perfons are not to be prayed unto, but becaufe che S11n is conudered as the Mediator, and the Spirit as chelnfl:ructor, reaching us to pray as we ought, therefore the Father onely isexpreffed. 2. Hebath chofen ,., ;,. him J This him J denotes Chritt God-man ; and this in him J notes the fame Chrift God-man , as the head and firfl: elecr, in whom, and after whom inonkrofnarure, all his body areelecred; mark here che order, but not the caufe of our elecrion; though Chrirl be thecaufeofour falvation, yet Chrifl: is not the caufe of our election; it is onely the fore-knowledge of God, and his free love that is the canfe thereof. 3. Hehath cho(en '"'in him l~efore the foundation of the world.] (i.e.) From all eter– nity; but becaufe within eternity God,doth forefee the things which are done in time, therefore this phrafe ( fay fome ) may be extended not onely to refpect the actual crea– tion, but the decree it felf of the worlds being; q. d. he hath chofen"' in order ofnatnre, befcre hi< decree did lay thefotmdation oftheworld. My meaning is not to enter into con– troverues ; this ail grant that the ancient love which the Lord hath born us in Chrifl: is not ofyefl:erJzy, bu, before all worlas. Paul mentions grace giw:n U< before all worlds. 1 · 01 I 9 • But that whi,h is the moll: obfervable in the text, as eo our pnrpofe, is, that we are chofen' 1 • ' ' in him; we read of threephrafes in Scripture [peaking ofChrifl:; fometimes we are faid to have blellings in him, and fometimes for him, and fometimes thro~<gh him. Sometimes in him, as here, he hath chofen uo in him l fometimes for him, as dfewhere, to you it i5 J;iven for Cbtift h's.fAk!, not onely to believe, but tofu/fer; fometimes through him, as m tharofPiml, th2nl!JbetoGodwhich givcth us theviftory through our LordJefm Chrift. Phi/. 1• ''· Now bJeJii,.gscome through Chrift, in refpecr that Chrifl: is a Mediator not onely of imI ilor.r1·!1· pecration, but execution; not onely obcaining and receiving from grace all good for us but in executing and applying dlicacioul1y the fame unto us: And bleJiings come fo; G_brift., 111 refpecrthatChrifl:doth by his obedience obtain every good thing, which in tune ts communicated eo us: And we have bleftingsm Chrift, becaufe that in Chri!l,' as a common frore-houfe, every thing is firfl: placed, which is eo be imparted afterwards to any of us. And rhus we are chofen in Chrifras in a common perfon. This graceofeleetion began firfl: at Chrifl our head, and fo defcends downwards on us his members· Chrifl is the firfl: begotten amongfl: all his brethren, ·having the preheminence ; or Chriftwas the R0~>.8.z9. firft-b,orn among many brethren, the firfl: that op(ned the womb : ChriJl was fealed and fet aPlrt to bnhe Prince of our falvation, before (in order of nature) we were elecred. _Cruu:enung thts elecrion, or predefl:inationofChrifl:, the Apofl:te puts all out of que!hon, •vi,. verily wasfore-ordained before thefottndationsof the wcrld, bHt wru man if eft in 1 Pet. 1 • 20 , thefe /,rft t•mesfor yo11. S E C T. III. '·1 Of rh.t great treaty in cte;nity betwixt God and chrift to fave fouls. ' NOw wa_s it that God che Father called forth his Son t~ perform the office of the Me~ . drator ; I hat mhtm all thofnbac lhould be fav~d mrght be chofen.. Concerning thts call of God the Father ma (pwal !()re the Apofl:le 1~ clear, Nqrr;an ta~th thn/1onollr He!>. 5• 4, 5; E ;z, Ill/tO
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=