Of Eletlion. Yea Fifthly. And bath in his Eye~ time, ~due time to exalt you again, in~ that he may exalt ;•ou itJ dtte time, m a fet tzme to have Mercy; fo as ir to!- Chap. '• lows in the 13thVerj. of that Pjalm, . . ~ 6. He again tells us, God bath fet both the tupe how long , ahd .zhe mej. fure how much,after ye have futfered, ;,r,, , which is tranflateda ltttle: while, as for time only, but fignifies both a little fpace, for the time; and 2., but a little deal, for the meafure: Yea, and he has fo defigned this, that you lhall not be exalted afore, but after that ye have futfered firfi: All thefe having been thus ordered by him, out of his Prerogative or Soveraign Power, and out of his care moderating them. And then Seventhly, He declares his Defign to be toperfdl andj/ab!Jfb, f;§c. after all thcfe futferings; not reduce you only, or bring you forth of them , but bring you to a perfellion thereby: What can be more manifefi than that this defign is driven in all thefe '? . Butlafily, If you require the word Appointed to be given, as ufed hereof, you may difcern and find it in the word Accomplifht; Knowing the fame AffliC!ions are accomplijhed in 'otlr Brethren in the world. And an Accom- Ge-..rdonrhai plijhment, we know, is but the fulfilling of what was afore defigned, ofwhich word. afterward<. So as the Text confirms every tirtle of the A!Iertion, and fo fufficiently ~ as I !hall not need call in the help of any other Scripture. The main ConcluGon by way of Inference from hence is, That if things be thus, then there is an abfolute furenefs unto an impoffiblity of a mifcarriage, which, as I faid, Chrifi himfelf pronounced concerning the Eletl: in the very cafe of hazard from Temptations. One Impoffi61e is ufed of Gods Promife and Oath pawned to his Covenant of Grace, and his Decrees thereof. Htb. 6, 18. And the other, or rather the fame, is ufed by Chrifi his Counfellor in the very cafe in hand, namely, of Temptations, fuoh tn if it were poffi61e tht EleC! jboutd 6e deceived, And well he might; for God bath ordered and taken care of all, out of a preprogative and Graee : God forefees the objeti:i– on and hath the anfwer ready. He permits the wound, the poifon;. and bath the Antidote, the Salve ready: This you have h: terminis, lfa. ~7· 17. 18. For the iniquity of hi& Covetou{tttfl wM I wroth atJd [mote him, I hid me and wM wroth, andhe went onfrowardlyinthe way of hi& Heart: I ha"'e f een hi& ways and wilt heal him, I will lead him aljo , and rejfore comforts &c. Tis the worfi extremity fuppofable. He fuffers, and moderates the Temptation; and appoints the i!fue, the efcape, the out-let of it; this is alfo in terminis. I Cor. 10. l ~-There bath 110 Temptation taken you but Juch M a common to Man; but God u faithful, who wilt not fuffer you to be ttmpted abovethat re are able, 6ut wilt with the Temptation alfo malt a wa, to ef cape, that ye maj 6e able to 6ear it. If a great and gracious Prince being to fend his Son on an Emba!fy intoa farr Country , where there are many dangers and hazards to run through from Thieves and Enemies; but with all ifhe did puna:ually foreknow all the Coun. fels of Enemies, their motions ( &S God fpeaks of Sennachi'rib) I know thy abode &c. at what pa!fages they will lurk and lie in wait (as God did of the King ofSyria, 1., Kings 2 . 8. &c. at fuch and futh aplace (as there) and then withallfuould fend an invilible Guard (that is invifible as to the Enemies) fironger than they, fecretly to accompany them , as he did to the Prophet El:fba, either to bring them off when in extremity , or to give them fecret warningsto beware at fuch a time , as in that cafe, 1 Ki11gs 6. 10. the Propnet from God did the King; or in cafe they would be too hard for them, then either not to fuffer them to ali'ault at all , orto befool them, as the Prophet in the fame Chapter did that great Ho'fi in the way, at 'Dothan, Verf. '4• 15, 19. &c, In this cafe if all be thus certainly forelaid, although they may hardly efcape fometime, yet they will certainly come to their journeys end, be it never fo long• Now
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