Chap. 1 .Seet. 8. Looking flllto 11m. Book ti. 69 11re predtflinttte to fe Javed, we "'!IIJ live as we lift, for howfoever we (ive, th~ugh neve~ fo wtck.Jdl;? yet we /haiL befitve~. 0 fearful ! ~~iveltili rc:tfornng ! furely thts comes from the Dt- -vel and not from God, or hisWord: Marke here one of Sarans depths. in outward things he tempts men to diftrufl God, and to rely'altogether on meanes: but in heavenly t-hings, and matters of falvation he tempts men to lay all on Gods Decrees _and Godt ptt rpofe.r, witheut Ill") regard h4d to themeans.Such men m1ght as well fay, the Lord hath appointed that we fhall live to fuco a time and till then we !hall not d~e, and therefore what ·need we food' in health , or phyfick in Gcknelfe? Oh take heed of thefe reafonings ! GodsDecree doth not remove the ufe of the means, but efiabti!h and confirme _chem.--z. Tl1i~ Decree is the fame · with thar book_ of life wherein are written the names of the Elect; .. . , , P aul tels us of fome womm, .n,ith Clement, and other fe!!ow-la- Phil. 4· J• · bo1mr.r, whvfe namn are in the bcok._ of life. And Chrifi bids " his Difcip!es rejoyce, bec«ufe thrir name.r 11re written in heaven,· Luke U.lo, · And {ohn faw in his vifion the- dead, [mall and grMt Jl:and be- Rev.lo, u~ fore God, and the book! were opened, an~ another book_ was epen- ··-· eJ ·which is the book.., of life. As Captains have a book wherein th~y write the names of their fouldiers; and'Citizens have a book wherein they record the names of their Burgeffes . .So God hath his Decree or book of life, in which he regifters all'that belong to · him. Some othertcxts fpeak of a book ofl.ite, as, blot me I pray Ezod,Jq t~· . thee out of thy book_ which thou ha:ff written, faid c..Mofes in his H '!' · :Ileal for lfrael, to whom the Lord anfwered, whofoevtr finneth againft me, him rvi!l I b!ut ottt ~f my bcok._ But this was not the book (fay fome ) ofGods eternal Decree, bur the book of his providences; God hath a double book , and both in a figure ; he h~th ~book of hts re~o! ved Decrees, and a book of his acted proVJdences; thts latter is but a tranfcript, or a copy of the former: thofe l~uge ?~"JStnal volume~ of love and bleffirigs which God hath latd up tn Ius heart for h1s own people from all eternity ts the book I meane: Indeed ~his bo?k is writing out every day; , ~ the handand pen of provtdence m the ordering of all thofe af- . fa1rs whtch concerne our falvation. - - 3. This Decree is ths very fame alfo wirh G?ds feale; the foundation of Cjod ftandeth Jure , havzng thu feale, the Lord k._nDweth them that are his A . - · "' r. J · fi d · h r T · . . . · 1 T1m. 2. 1!1-J ;&1!<1 e 15 u e .tnt rce.ca1es; I; o keep thmg~ dtlhnct.. z. T 0 - · keep
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