Of Elefiion. And to be vet more fure; he is f1id to take m 11rto hi:&·hm,d, grafping us ~l therewrth , 'Der1t. 2J. 4· Hdoved the People, (or, ;, the lover of the 'Peo: Chap, 'S'• plrs, thegreatlovcr;)a/lhuSamtsaremthy b~11d; as Chrifi olfo, Joh. ~ JO. 28. Abt(worth. And not in one , but in both. This Speech in 'Deutero11omy is not of a Shep– herd holdmg h15 Sheep , but of ~ lovrng Husband embracrng ~is Spoufe,bold– mg her not rn one arm only , but '"both: So tw1ce m the Cantrclrs, CaJJt. 2, 6. and Chap. 8. J, His left band under my head, his rrght hallddoth em– brace me. 4· The Scrip'ture expreffeth this his care by the attentivenefs of his memory; 'Pj al. 111. )· Therefore u ever mmdful of bu Covmrrnt: His Covenant, that is, that of Grace, which he had from everla!\ing ordered in all things concer– ning us, that whereas it might be thought or feared, though he rook fure or– der Jor all things aforehand, yet in procefs of time , may he not forget fomet thing or other of n~ceffary concernment to us? No;. he bath all thofe thing< contmually afore lum punctually; forger. not one little; but pcr!orms all in that manner as he did forelay them: He is ever mindful of his Covenant. The Lord will perfefl ( fays J)avid) .or make compleat, that conarning me, Pfal,rJ8.ttlr.which he fpeaks m rclatton to that Covenant orderedill a/J thi11g.r as to his peculiar, which be now believed would be all punctually performed as hitherto it had been : As•when he l.JQd linilhed his Courfe, and was to dye, he profe!Teth. If it be Objected, do not the Saints run into Evils, and go allray; How then is God's eye and care , (!)c, fo continually over them, every moment as you have {pol<en of? • The Anfwer is ; r. During all fuch times even of going a!\ray, his eye and care is over them; yen, and over them mofi then: To moderate the Tompta· tions and to take care that they themfelves exceed not the bounds ofth~ State of Grace in finning , and be [wallowed up and devoured of them. Our Pe– ter himfelf, Chrifis care was mofi about him then, when he was to be foiled · by Satan: I have praytd for thee, that thy Faith fait 1lOI; Luke1.2. p. So aforeband; And in the Temptation his heart aked for him; and at la!\ his eye was upon him to purpofe: He looked 6ack, and you know what followed. In I{ai. p. 17. When he went on forwardly, ( fays God) itJ the way of his heart: I have fun his ways, Verf.' 18.1-je faw him all the time of1t, and took care not to let things go on fo long as they fhould be pafi cur~ and re– medy according to his Rules. I have fun his ways, a11d I wi/J heat him, · · There is another clear Scripture for this, P{at. 73· 2, But al for me, ( fays he , and you may wonder at me for it, who might bo judged to have been better infiructed?) My Jut were almojl gone, and my {ltps had we/J night flipped. Verf. ~·For I wa1 envio.u at the fooltfh; that is, at the profperi– ty of the wicked: I even wifht my felf one of them. Yea, and was greatly tempted to throw offallReligiouuponit, and turn Atheill:. Yea, and the Temptation therein rofe up to a Verily, to a Conclufion in his own heart. verf. 'l• Verily I have clearJfed my heart in vai11. And again, he fretted and had boiling thoug'hts, and angry litigations with God himf< If, as Calvi11 com– ments on the words, Verj: 21, Thus my heart W •H leavemd (as the Original) lot.u in fermento, filled with a11 angry JourHefs : And I Wal prrchd m • my reins. Such motions and Affections of heart impetuoutly rofe up and en' flamed me. Verj; 21. So foo!r(h wa1 I and ignorant , and M a Be..[I, With thee, or afore thee, in my carriage towards thee. But where was God in refpect of the eye and prefence you fpeak of , all this while? In view, he feemed to have as little eye to or care of thiS good Man this while ; even as in governing the World, whrl!\ he fuffercd the wicked to profper, which was his Temptation. Well, but when the Prophet was come to himfelf and the Enchantment was diffolved, he now clearly faw, that God had had as flrtCl and wtkmg an eye over him all along as ever: Yea, and the care which God fhewed h1m, even during this Temptation, as in the Iffue appeared; became the greateff Bbb2 pawn
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