Of EleClion. as without which all the Grace in God would not be able to fave a man; and ~~ that Ca ll .ng is to be an holy Calling too, Who h.,th {rwtd us, rmd , ,,/l,d tu Chap. 1. with au holy C,,l/ing, accordwg to hu Gract: Wllhout holil~tjs 11 omrm fb,,{J ~ jee the j i1ce of God. The reafon of t!lis is, that this Dominion and Monarc,1 y of Graco hoth fundamental Laws( as all 'l'/ell regulated Monarchies have.) Let th is Foundat1on of the Lord be never fo fure, that The Lord knows who are hJS; yet 'tis added, Let him th,;t ca/Js 011 the N.1me of the Lord dep 11 rt from iuiquity, 2 Ttm. r. '9· or, he cannot be faved. An{w. t. If by Prerogative and Soveraignty be meant an effectu•l, infalli– ble, over bcanng, over·powering 2!1 in our hcans, and all things elfe for the bringing ab<>ut of our S1lvation, and enabling us to keep thole Rules that are {et us as c!Ientblly requifite to Salvation, then by fuch a Soveraignty and Prc– rog>rive we detract not to affirm, that it is attributed to Grace. And there is nothing that may be fuppofed to fland in its way, or in oppolition to this, but, forfooth, m•n's Freewill; as if God had made a Creature, ',Yhich him– felf, and all in him, could not rule; and that fuch a Soveraighty is in his Grace, as ti)at it engageth 11! in God, and draws all in him,unto its Afli(\ance~ 'lhis we arc not alh1m' d to affirm. And look as Grace complies with all thofe other Attributes, as with his Holinefs, Wifdom, f!ic. in feuing fuch Rules, fo withal it duws thole other Attributes into an Engagement, to undertake to afli(\ it for the keep1ng us, and our otherwife perverfe Wills, within the com– pafs of fuch R..ule~, anJ to overcome all oppolition to the contrary. "And here– in it is that Grace liS Prerogative ts feen. In the flrength of whtch tt ts that Jtr. 32. 40. God maketh an everla(\ing and fo abfolute a Covenant with us , Th"t I wilt not Wm aW.IJ from them to do themgood. But what, is this fpo– ken in fo abfolute • manner, that let them continue to do what they lhall or would do,bowever,he will continue to do them good for ever? No: ·Bt!t I wilt pill my Jeor i11 their herzrts th,tt theyjbalt flot dep11rt from me, and he adds, forwtr. The refult whereofts ,plamlytlus, Thatunlefs t hey have the fear of God preferved f~ in thetr hearts, as not to depart from· him, God himfelf mufl turn away from them, and from d01ng them good : And fo 'tis manifefl that God confidered that as one ot his own Rules he could never difpenfe with· ol, and this whilfl he ut~ered that ever!a(\ing Promife: For he cautioneth it th.re with a Bm (tor wtth a But trcomes tn) [ ButJ. I '1A!ilt pttl my ftar i11 their htrzrls, and thry fb,,tJ 1101 dep.lYt from nu for evtr: The refolve of all which is to this effect, that That very fame Grace, which at firfl had fo fixed him as 10 fay, I am refolvcd I wilt ftot t11r11 awr11 from them, the fame Grace undertook to caufe them to obferve and keep to this Rule; and unto that end engageth all that is in God (for elfewherc it is faid, He doth this with his whole he,zrt) to {'Ut his fear in their he~rts, that they !hall not depatt (that is, wickedly depart) from htm. Now unlefs 1t were for thts hiS undertaktng to work thus in them, God by the mouth of the fame .fatmy profeUedly declares, He "ould never fave them. Tilus Ch.1p. 3· 19. How jhatl I pttt thet amo11g tht Childrm: fo wicked Wretches as he had defcribed them in verf 4. )· Wilt thott11ot fromthJS timtcr1 t~nto me, my Fizther, Thou art the gu1de of my youth? Behold, tho11 hafl jpokm mu/ doue tvil things M thott couldtfl. God demurs as it were upon the matter; What !hall I then do to put thee among m y Children 1 Thy prefent wickednefs is utterly incompatible with my Rule, therefore how Oull I do it 1 But Free.grace fleps forth, and anfwers it, And I fa id, Thou lh>lt call me rather, and lhalt not turn away from me; and then God fays, I will work on them at lafl. The effect of which Refolve of his is , I will caufe him to keep my Rule, and fo bring him within the compafs of the benefit of it, 5· This Grace, this purpoling Grace in Cod's heart, had the ordering and dilpoGtive power of all left to it, that is, of what lhould prove opf)ofite, to fee to i1 rhat it lhould not hinder. Or, fecondly, Thedifpolingof all necefTarily conducing to the Salvation of thoL God loved. . And
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