Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Chap. I. Seet,6. Log)dng ttnto !fefus. Book. H. 1. Generally, by a general knowledge, of which <])avid [peaks; thine eyes did fee my fubftanc~, yet bein$ unferfeU, _and ri 16 : in thy book., all my members were wrztten, whzch tn conttnt1- p ,J 39· ance were fajhioned, when M yet there WM nvne of them, 2. Specially, by a more fpecial foreknowledge, which is a knowledge with love and approbation;the very fame which bare.., Iy comprehendeth that ' we call Election; fo Gods chooilng is expreffed by loving : 'facob have I loved, and Efau have I Rom. 9 13~ hated. Andthisisthat which the Apol.l:le fpeaks of, the Lord ' kpoweth who are his, (i.) the Lord from everlafl:ing knoweth~ Tim.l. 19 ; hiS with love, and with approbatior:~,hath God cast away hiJ r~~ple . wllich he forek.,new? (i.) which he before loved and approved? Rom. It.~. ht:nce we gather that after theProject was laid,and the coun[el$ of God were agreed upon it , then God fmkpew, or forefaw whom to embrace in his eternal love as his own. At one atl: he foreknew whom he would ch<!_ofe, and fet a par~ of his own free love to life and falvation. And here you have the caufe ofGods predeftinating his Saints to glory, it was onely the forekpowledge, . and free love ofGod, the Lordfromeverlal.l:ing, and before the foundation of the world fore-ordained, or fore-appointed fome to falvation, nothing movjng him thereunto but his own good pleafure ,and his own free love. This is it thatIn order ofnature, and firitl:ly goes before, and is the caufe of our pre4efiination, for whom he did forek.,now, he alfo aid predeflinate; firl.l: he fore- Rom. s z.~ · knew, and then he did predel.l:inate ; firfi he loved , and then he ' • eletl:ed ; firfi he embraced them .as his own in the armes of his e• ternallove, and then of his free love he fet them apart to life, and t? f~lvation: hence th~ Apofr.[e calls it the eleElion of l,race, fig- Rom. 11 , S~ mfymg'that our Elect1on fpnngs out of the womb of love; free - love, free grace is the caufe of our Election. Some objet!, that we are predefiinated and eletl:ed according to forek_~owledge; ( i. )fay they, according to the fore-knowledge ' ofour fa1th, and repentance, and perfeverance; but if that'were Pau(s fore-k..now!edge, why then would he fay; that thofe .whom he dtd fore-k.,now, he aljo did predeftinate to be conformed to the . image of his Sonne? if God did for~know them firfl: conformed, Rom.S. t,. why did he then predefrinat~ them to be conformed? And if that were Peters fore-!z_nowledge, why then would he fay, that they were eleEl accordmg to ;he fore-knowledge of God the F~ttherL unte· \

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