Of Eletlion. 2 . Tl 1at his Love conrinueth an unchangeable relpcd unro it tor the l<ind ~, and perfet:ion of it, as bearing the pecuhar ilamp of fuch a Love._Thefe two, Chap. 4· in rh1s Argument, have a RecurjUI or Recoil, a runnmg back aga 10 one Into~ the other : 1. His Love works the work : That work wrought, bath tlnt hold on, and ietere!l in his Love, as it is engaged to carry it on, becaufe it wrought it. which indeed IS no other than what ~>m the Text. 1. The God of Grace hath called : 2. This God of Grace having called, will perfect, ilablilh it. I fhall fingle forth but one Scripture, which alone fpeaks fully, and to the wholeoftilisAifertion; itisJr~mesr,J6, 11, 18. verjes, 'lJo 1101 err, ""Y Brahren: Every good gift, a11d every ptrfdi grft i. from a6ove,a1td comnh downfrom the Father o{ Lrgbts, with whomu no varia6le1u{s, 11tl1herfha– dow of turning: Of huownwi!J begat hem with the wordofTruth, thiJtWe jbouldbe a kindof firfl frttits of hu (reaturts. Upon this palfage it is, I lhall center my Difcourfe, as being proper and adequate unto every tittle of the Affertions, which were, - I, fhat there is a good a perfect work of Regeneration and Calling, which proceeds out of God's fpecial good Will. 2 . And this with difference from othergifts and works bellowed upon tem– porJry Profelfors. i· Unto which work God bears an unchangeable refpect, without lhadow of turn,ng from it; and that both becaufe, 1, It proceeds out of his good Will at firfr. ::., Becaufe it is accordingly a ptrfeCIGr{t, wholly differing from all o• ther Gifts whatever that he doth beilow upon the Sons of Men. And a glimmering of all or moll_of thefe d~ appear out of the Text in the very reaamg of the words;_ efpec1ally 1f the~r Coherence with James his whole Di.courfe before ( wh1ch I /hall prefently fet out) be weighed and con. fidered. Although Ilhallland in this Palfage, Verf '7• •8. as the Conclufion; yet in . order unto the greater illuilration of the Apoilles fet fcope in thefe words, I mufi Jetch a compafs about, and run over, as briefly as Jcan, the fore-part of this Chapter, untovtr(. I a. which may perhaps cail fomc light upon the whole Epifile, as t., what is the main defign of it, which hath not been fo fully ob· !erved, And the Reafon why I am to do.this is, l did necelfarily put in this Claufe in– to the Affertion, That Regenerauon or I rue Calling is ~c.- with difference from whatever other ;vo~ks or gtfjs God hflo_ws on a11y others; and indeed, one great end of Gods, .In be~owwg other g1fts ~pon men Non·elect, is to fet off the more, that h1s fpec1al Grace Jhewn to his only called Ones, in the perfection of that work on them, With difference from all other works that are but the Counterfeits ther.eof; and therefore the Confideration of both thefe together, {et in,view ~ne by the <?ther, fe~ves greatly_ to illufirate this great point in hand: And this (I fay) _ISone emment fcope m J anus, which I muil: puoctually keep unto, and not digrefs ; fo as you are.not to expect handling particular Differences of thefe works further, than as m the opening "of James any fuch lhall il:art forth, and difcover themfelves there to lye : But the tn of it , viz. that fuch a difference thereis, and that this is Jamrs his defign, is all my prefent bufioefs, I /hall draw the Current of James his Difcourfe into thefc rills. I. He at liril: breaks in abruptly upon them, w;th the greareil: Paradox to the World that ever was uttered, and which true Chrillianity only can rec11ive and imbrace, verf. 1.• .My Brethren, cout~t it all joy when ye fa!J into divers Ten.;tations. I . AIJ joy, Count it matter of joy, aod of full joy: 2. When ye j a!J as into a Precipice, that i•, fuddainly, without warning or being lookt for: And idly, at once, not b¥ degrees or fucceJllon: 4· Into Temptations, nor one, but many, in the plural: )· And thofe of divers forts; for Perfecu– tion draws a train witl1it, as of ,Poverty, All taken away, Imprifonment, Banilhment
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