Of EleCiion. ~ l· Confider, that the Graces in thee have to do and to conflict but wirh !looK IV. particular Temptations fin gly at once, or but with tew, though fornetirnes ~ with dJVerfe, ) er never wlth all , as rwo Apoflles tell us. Now to draw a Concluf1on horn all thefe rhings : How calie is it for God,that is tbe God ofa/J Grace, and who wrought all Grace, 'D• novo, that is, anew at the firfl,!lill to !lrengthen any one gr~ce, or gra~es that are already wrought, and are cxram 1n bemg 10 rhy heart,agamfl what ts,or are but a particular tern· prat1on or rcmprarions, when Grace is thus bur fingly fer upon and affaffinared? And rhis Inference is mofl flrong lrom the Prernifles; Namely, That he that created all Graces wholly 'De 11ovo, or a new at the firfi, lhould certainly be both able and wi!lmg to maintain par.ticular Grac<S fiill as they are all along alfaulted•. And h1s bemg a God ofalJGrace, dorh make h1m as wtOing, as he "able for tt. Th1s as for the potot of bts upholdmg and mamtaining thy Graces, 1!. Seeing that in fuch temptations , thou haft to do with fuch or fuch a cor– ruption mparticular; I bid thee take or lingle lonh any one partic,.lar cor– r .ptior~, or Corruptions, which thou finde(\, are, or have been rnofi prevalent to endanger tbee : Conllder tbar if God, as fl God of alJ Grace, at Calling firft gave an univerfal wound, a cruo/)'iNg rmtoa/1 a11d tVt1'Y tuft i11 thee, (as was Jhewn ) and that he did this when he tound the body of fin whole, and in its full llrcngth audvtgour, and unbroken, hardned, accuflorned, and habituated unto evil, as rhc Propbet flares t he Cafe; And withal that this God continues to be rheJfmtt' Godofalt Graa to thee, ('Au11•) Then cenainly he is afterwards a· Lie and willing much more to hdp thee out againfl, and in the rnd to flreng· then thee againft that corruption, or corruptions, that h•ve been already thruft through, and go limping with a mortal wound, though they rife up witha renewed flrength at the prefcnt: For it is both amore ealie work to him th.us to allifl thee, and likewire his Grace engageth him more afterwards to this than it did at firfi ro work the whole of all Grace in thee; efpecially when tho~ findeft that he continues to work in thee fome hatred of that corruption, forne mourning for it ,with a ddire ofthe contrary Grace, running all along with thy being overcome by it. Shall I give ycu one place of Scripture to confirm the moft ofwhat have been lately fa id, It is in James, Chapt. 4· Verf.;, 6. 'Doye think that tht Scrip– tltref,rithillV<ti17, th<Jpiritthatdwe!Jethmm, lu(/ethtotnvy? Buthegi· veth mort GrrJcr, wherefore htJaith,God rejiftrtb tht Proud, butgtvtthgrau tmlothe bumble, r, It fuppofcth that our mofl bloody confliCls are flill with fome particular lufls, and temptation<,for fo his infiance carries it, mentioning only a lull ofEn· vy, which Saints had then, and have at this day roo much of in them one •· ~ainft another, the Spirit that is in [UJ] Vs Sa:nts (for ofthofehtfptaks) lt:fl tl h ajier fiiV)'· b Second Is, that when a foul being fenuble of that corruption, doth humble it fclf under it, and for ir, and bewail it unto God; and bath already a Grace hegun afrually working in oppofirion to it, that is, to reufi that envy and pride, ( from "'hence it is that envy rifeth) that hath an heart to feek for humility, which is the contrary Grace, where God, faysJamts, bath wrought, and con· tinues thefe oppof1rions thereto; He, the fame God, will (as aGod ofall Grate ) give more Grace unto that foul, and thefe two are mofi exprefs, ei· thcr in the Words, or tlu:ir Coherence, For, 1. In Verf, 6. He fays, God will give more Grace, whereby in the fir~ pl•cc is meant, that he will give more of that particular Gr"'e, which is contra· '" to that luft of Envy, though together there with a funher encreafe of aU Grace alfo: For they do flill encreafe together. And zlv, It is as exprcfs that the Perfonsheprorniferh togivethism<>rt Grr1a unio, are thofe whom he bath begun to have wrought fome ofthis Gr.ace in. •· For
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