gS6 Chap.9:O f the honour due to thofe that excel in gifts, c.Conn, 5 , honour, as they pleafe, as if Election were not res premii , matter of reward, for thofe that deferve belt, but that Election is ex mera gratia, meerly out oftheirgood- will, without any defert in the perfonchofen. But this is not Gods mind, for he ih appointing men for any Officeor Imploymenr,choofes fuch its hebath fitted bygifts. EfaY 49. a. The Prophet was acbofen(haft in Godsquiver. When Saul'iùas`irejeded'by God;;he chofe aNeighbour of his, (David) and why ? becaufehe wars' ,better than the other. r Satn. 19. 28. Therefore when a better is neglected, and a worfe elected; it is not Gods; ! but the Devils Ele &ion. 4 It was 7ebu'smeffage to the Rulers ofSamaria, tochóofe'the belt ofAlbaNtbns, a Kings Io. 3. and'fet him on his Fathers Throne. The Heathens- themfelves obferved this Rule. 84Ft r9 Ahafuerur depofeth Vafthi, andgives her Royal Eflate to a better than the. And it was Pharaohs reafon inpreferring 7ofepb, though a t}ranger, becaufe there is none fo drf= Gen. 4 t. 39. erect andmire as thou art. Samuel was to chufea King ; at firtt he was overfeen in chufing Eliab, but when God had directed him not to regard the ttatttre ; but the rSam. ró.9,8, gift, becaufe God looks at that, then he goes on roundly ; ofall I ai's children, ne- 9, r , que hunt, neque hunt, neque hot, nor this, nor this, nor theft were to be chofen, till he came toDavid, and then hie e(t ipfe, this is he. r. For conclufion of this point. If right choice be made, there is aBidingpro- mifed. And ifEledionbe made of thofe in whom theLord'delighteth not, there is Efap 56,r;g. a fearful curie denounced, which thould bea principal reafon why care fhould be 69. ra. taken in Elections. 2. A fecond reafon is, that fuch as are irregularly chofen prove afterwards vain Zeph. 3.4. and light, unprofitable, ventres otiofi, meet bellies, fit for nothing. God never bleffeth I Sam. a. 29, themthat are not rightly chofen. Eli was blamed by God,for not corrodingHaphni, now it is far worfe to make a Hopbni, than not to coned aHopbni. 3. It is a Maxime in Divinity, Indignant premovere decipere eft, it is afraudandde- ceitful dealing topromote an unworthy perfon. It is a breach of themitt whidt the Founder repofed in them, and fo theydeceive the party that gave his Ettate to pro- mote thofe that are worthy. They deceive the world too, for they make a lye to the world, and do evidently bear falfewitnefs, for they fay in effect ; This man isfitteli. Theydeceive the Church and Kingdom: If any thould come to a temporal Lord, and commend to him an unprofitable fervant promifing one that thould ferve his turn, this wereplain deceit ; and fuch treachery is in their dealings, that place un- profitable fervants in the ferviceofGod, or the Common-wealth. 4. By this means they do panere frsbporiculo, endanger the foulsofthofé committed tothem. For, let anunfit workman about any thing,and the work will be indanger tobe marred, and this danger is four-fold. r. Thofe that come in by favour, know they are like clay in thehand of the Pot- ter, and their creatures that bring them in, and therefore confequentlymutt be fer- vile, todoas they will have them. Like to the Dollores Ballati, the Popes Dollars,that mutt hold thisRule, &uodPapa approbat, nemo poteft improbare, what the Pope ap- proves, no man muff gainfoy. Such men muff fow Pillows under their Patrons elbows, and footh them up in their fins. 2. The fecond danger is, that they have not both the accufative cafes r only the quern, whom to teach, but not the fcientiam, knowledg wherewith ; fo all that are com- mitted to them lofe both time and expence. 3. There can benothing well done, when the place where theyare, is ingluvies Zeph, 3. r onocratali, like to a maw, where there is fades â nutrimentum, both bad and goodnu- triment : we know that to have one good and one bad joyned in an exercife, it can- not be well performed. 4. Laftly, the danger is, in the perpetuityofan ill condition ofthat placewhere fuch are chofen members of a Society, for they cannot but take in fuch as they are themfelves, they will not for thame chufe anybetter than themfelves : and fo here is a hazard of theplace for ever. Now the Dutyof theelected inrefped of his place is, to be humble and to fay t Sam.9.'2r. with Saul, Am not I a Benjamiteof the fmallefi of the Tribes, 'andmyfamily thelcaft _of that Tribe : how comes it that I ampreferred to this place,'deferve it not : and with Da r8. 18. vid,What am I?&c, We fee here is both appetites contemptus bonori1, a defire and a eon--
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