Of Eleflion. ~hisPurpujes is the Well-head; and theGr,,cc in his Dealmgs and 'Dl{pmfati– BohK IV. 011s arc the S:retlms. When I come to the next Hend, his bemg 1he God 0 r ~ tl!J Grrla , llhall then fpeak to the firfi and latter of thefe; but in treating of th1s Ills betng aGod oj Grace, I Jhall fpeak of the Grace i11 hu Heart or rr,J. 4 o. S· hi; purpo(es of Grare towards us, which are by the P[alt/llfl, and the l;ro– phct, termed his Tko11gbts of Peace and Mercy, which m his Heart he bath tal<en up towards ZM, or which he thiuks towards us, as the Prophets w 0 rd ~"· , 9 , u. is---Nor yet fhaill fpeak of all of thefe his tbuughts neither; for as t he 'Pfalmijl fays, Thy thot~gbts , 0 God, whtch tire to tts-ward, ca11not6t ralt– O»td 11p ill order, P(a!, 40. S· But I Jhall in(i(\ but upon fuch Particulnrs only, as directly ferve to the Point afore us, ot his carrying us through all Tempta– tiom unto Glory. And rofpeak of this his purpo(ing Gracefir(l, the Text it felf invites, yea requires u>: For it manife(\Jy fpeaks of that Grace which God htJd in h:s Heart to us afol'e hecafls us, and out of which he calls us, and whil;h moved him thercun<o , as that parallel place in 2 Tim, •· 9· more expreOy Jhews; Who h,Jth called tu with a11 Holy CaUing, 11ot accordiltg to our works, but accor– ding to bu own pr;rpofe midGrace, which WMgiven us itJ Chrifl Je(us before the World bega11: We are apparently then fent to confider that pt<rpo(ing Grace, . wbich was given us in Chri{l: afore the World was; F'or as here, fo there it is d eclared ro be that Grace, out of which we are called, with an Holy Cal– ling, and is rightly fiiled hi; Purpojittg Grace : For according to hu purpo{e a11dGrace, &c. And that of the Apo(Ue, Rom, 8. concords with both, The CaUed accordi11g to hi< pt<rpo(e. Begin we with that then, 1, Thejirfl Aflof which Grace towards us, and by which indeed it is t hat he jirjl becomes a Godof Grace to us, is feen in the choojillg and ji11gling torth the per(ims of thofe he purpoj'es to be,, Godof Grace t11Jio; who arc to be the O tjefls or Sttb)efls , onather the Crea/1/rrJ of Frngraa, as I may fo ftile them: Eleflio11 ofthe Pcrfons therefore is fiiled the Eteflion of Grace, Rom.tt. 9· and this is the fundamental Grace and Act of all other Graces which are all built upon it: The Fotmdatioll of the Lord rtmains Jure [The Lord knowr who are hit] And this the [tu] not others, in the Text imports, who bath callfdVS; out of his being firlt a God of Grace to m, which word ,. when I !hall in its order come to treat of, I {hall then cnlarg upon this dilcrimina– ting Grace, 2. To be a God of Grace to you, is to love yo11 (your perfons) metrly 6r– caufr he loves you: I lay meerly becaufe he loves you. The very word Grace importS fo much, without any addition, Grace is the Frerue(S of Love: The imron of it is a fuper·addirion of freenefs both to Mercy and Love, Rom. P4· Jujlt(iedfrrelyby hu Grace. Huf.•4· Receivefl4 graciou!(y, fa id the Church in her Prayer, Ver f. 2. fn anfwer to which, fays God, 1 wi 11 love thrmfree· ty. This is Grace : which freenefs of Grace , •becaufe it was fir(\ put forth, and was primarily fcen in that fir{/ aEf of the chotce of the perfons, afore the_y had d01tegood or evtl, to invite him thereunto, t herefore'ris that it IS ~ermed The E!e{fion ofGrace; That is, 'twas fuch a choice of perfons as Grace meer– ly fwaied, it choofing according to its own Gmius, frank inclination, noble– nefs and free difpofition: And wh,Jlthat was, lollows, Ver f. 6. A nd if 6y G•·ace, thm it i! 110 more of' Works; ( diflinguifb yon of works as you pleafe , it excludes them all: ) Grace a.ffrfled therein to be fo abfolute , Enrirc, and alone, to and.within it felf, as it rifeth up again(\ all Works, and their inter– mingling any refp,,cts of themf•lves therewith, as thofe which Jhould any way fway or move it in thi' its R.efolutenefs about p.rfons, and as thofe that wmild Stain rhat Sole Glory th>t it affected therein; yea, as being oppofite to the VfY)' 6tiug of it, otherwife Grace is 110 more Gract, fays he. And he fpeaks all this of Ele{fmg Grace, as the Coherence fpecified thews. Now this fecond A!Tertion, I Uated it rhus [He loved ttr metr!y 6eca11[e he lovedur] And Lo, this we have interminis, 'Dtu.t. 7· 7, 8. The Lorddtdflot Jet his love upo11.JOU, tJO>' choo(t yutt 6ecaufe ye we1·e more i11. 1\lumbtr: B11t htcaufr thr Lordlcvtd ' 'OU. Where you have two things; the Au and the Ground"{ that AEf ; r. The Afl is his loving them, ~/eavi11g ro them Inlove
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