Of EleCiion. :lbi ~--~----------------------- verje; this refpedcth Lu!ls: Whom rejif/, th is relates to ltrli.!<lrdTempt<JtJons ~ of ::,,,hn/sunto fin; KnoWmK thr fame fiff/1[/101/S <•r Confl1c'ls do beta II 1 our Chap. '· BrethreN. i\nd tlltn his fcr1ing alore t !1t Eye uf our F'aith Cod, as the God_.,-"---' of a!l.~r.la, for our relief and nelp argues it. For h1s (grace J princip 1 11y and more fpccially !land; to help us aga~nft wwurd jiNs and temptations tofin ,, (!)c. And tlicn that extent of "• the [All] of Ins Grace reaCIJtth, not onI) un' to a·lllons of omward mifcries . but unto allfins; which are oc!r greatdt m,. faic>, which do nfed his Al/fi,ffiuml ~YI/Cf above all other; and wnichgrac~ in God chiefly refpcds: And therefore this is extenfive unto all Evils that Grace may be fuppo[ed a remedy unto. Thefe therefore are the tifrlittions principally intended , wherein alfo thofe very Sufferings of 'Prier mentioned, d1d allolye. Neither is the word Suffering averfe tO be taken in fuch a fenfe, 1. For TemplatiollsjromS.ll,m] Foro! Chrill the Head it is faid; He [Hf• fe"d in th.1t he W:U lfmpted, Hebr. 2. t8. where Temptations are plainly termed Sufli:rings. Nor yet 2, unufual to be undcrftood of (i11s themfelves iil , Cor. 11:>. 'l· God wdl11ot (u.ffer ; •o11 to be tempted r16ovr what-''"" are aUt to bet~r: this is fpoken of finnings; and the word [to 6earJ imports them to be Ju.fferings; and indeed the) are of all the greateft Jo th'm that arc truly holy, and to fuch he there fp~aketh, · And wtten it is fa ;d, Chrift WM trmp1rd 111 ,,lllhmgs t1kr M we are, though withoutji,,, as the llfue of the Tcmptati· on,yet he"':" tempted u11to jitJ by Saian; which is the different~ put betweetl his temptations and ours, Hrbr. 4- •). and was no fmall part of l11s Suffer• ing;.he fecond d~ing is, that the words do hotd forth apromifl that God wit! flrcngthen and cflabl•fh.\5ic. Befidcs that many original C opies,read the words in the Indicative, x~7lt.rrt,(, he 'i.c!l!l per{efl, and nor li~t-?Ettrf~T~t.~, the Oprative,b}r way of wifhing it, or praying for it. And however, if they lhould have beeri intended as a Prayer, as they fell fro:n Prtrr's heart, yet (lill that PraHr fup• poleth, and mufl contain a Promif'e which God is ingaged in to p· rform, Jar fa all Prayers arc fuppofcd to do: Th1s betng a fore Rule, that as we are to tilm Prormfes into Pra) ers, fo w< may extr.Jct Prom1Jrs out of all rlw!e Prayers which we find in Scripture, for Promifes are the foundation oi them; and fo it comes all to one: We will take thertfore the words Promife·w,Je, as Gerard and others do, to th.s fenfe, that <ljterye havt (u(j(red a while, God will or jb.•ll perfect, flrengthen, flt~6/,fbyou. To confirm which reading and intent, rhere are more reafons to follow, when that Claufc comes p2nicuhrly to be fpoken to. [Thr'Divi(ton of the Words.] The words being thus underflood, the parts thereof are Two : t. The great E11g<~gemwt: The Engagement ot Godand Chr~fl to relieve and carry all that are truly called, in and through all Temptations and Suffcf• ings. 1.. The ;Promi[t of performaflct, or the Execution of it. I. In the Enga11rmmt. 1. The Perfons, God and Chrifl. 2.. Tho Pttdge or Ga"~' already given by both to a[urc the performance; Who bath catltd t<s into his fln-lla!Giory: No lefs, not into the !lateof Gracr meerly, as Rom. >· 2 . but of glory; that is, The undoubted right to it frorri the fir(\ frep 11e fer into our being called. . JI. In the Promi(e to perforrrt it. t. That God will be fure, as he is • God of graa, to frre'ngthen' and up– hold. 2. The Limitation or Manner of performance , Afier ;·ou h1tve ji1(jered a wh1!e. ~r. And, . ; . All thefe are propounded to Believers, ln order to produce [(/rdfaj/ne/1 in faitb] which he had pre-exhorted to in verf8.and unto which thefe words, and every word of them, do vifibly look and refet, as a compleat adequate Dd ground
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