Of EleCiion. '· That the Apo(\Je fhould fpeak thefe words in relation to our Judgment, ~ and intend them as a Rule for it : T his feems very manifefi; for unto the Judg- Chap. 6. ment, or Sentence which the word pro~ounceth of things, are we toconform~ our Judgments. For revealed things belong to us, and to our Children,Veut, 29· 29. The [ecret thil~gs 6elong unto the Lord our God: bill thofe thi11g s w hJCh are revealed 6elo11g unto U!, mtd to our Chtldrm for ever, rb,rt wt m;ry do all the w ords of thu Law. Wherefore, fceing God in his revealed W11l bath declared thus concerning them ; the leall: that can bejudged tobe the meamng of it, mull: needs be, what God would have us to th.ink and judge, as the Apo!l:le fays of the Philippia11s, when he had called them Saints, P hi/. 1, vtr. I. Evm asitumeet (fays he) for me to think o{)•ou a/l,verfe 7. I may allude to what was faid to Peter, Afls 10. 1 5· What Godcalls hot~, ca/J not thot< common or r<nclean. God often fpeaks of things in Scripture, as we do, or"' we are to judge.of them. Veflroy not him for whom Chrtf/ died , R om. '4• '5· It is not meant of Q defiruction really, (for nene of thofe can be defiroyed) but we are tojudge it fuch,and look on it as fuch, according to what our Allion tends to, and to forbear fuch and fuch Actions which look as if tbey would defiroy him, It is evident alfo in this, That the Apofile's Scope is to give fuch a like T itle or Badge of difference between Believers and Unbelievers Children, according to the different fiate of the Parent•, in fpirit ual refpeCls ; asufeth to be given to all forts of Children, according to the different ranks of their Parents in worldly refpeCl:s : Which Badges, we know, lye in eneem, and it is the intent of them, though withal they carry a reality of Honour and Poffellions with them. And therefore as Men, (or as we, when he fpeak of Men by the World's Book, or Rule) do call, and account the Children of Noble-men No· ble, (for they are to be reokoned fuch in their Sphere) asP aul calls Ftj/w,mofl Nobtr, At:fs 25. 26. So Spiritual Mm, and aCht<rch are here fpoken to by Paut, to call and eneem the Children of Believers holy , and to account of them in their Sphere according unto Goi:l's Book. He writes here to the Corill– thimu as a Church, thus to think of them, and fo to own them. And then, fecondly, That thefe words do withal clr<y in them, an Expref– fion of God's real thoughts and purpofes about the fiate of Believers Children; fo as it is not a mcer reputation holinefs, which we are to attribute to them, but a real holinefs which God fcmers among them, and that the Apo!lle bath in his Eye. This is evident; for God would not otherwife have declared or pronounced thus indefinitely of them, that they art holy; nor given us fuch a Rule to regulateour Judgments of them by; nor called on us to believe and think fo of them, if there were not fomething really peculiar in it : If true and real holinefs were not found more commonly and ordinarily amongfi them by virtue of their Parents Covenant, than among any other fort of People in the World. For, firfi, God ufeth to call things as they are; Secondly, His revealed Will is not wholly wide from his lecret Will, nor from the truth ofthings in the Event. In his Revealed he always declares on· ly that which is: He never gave Promife but it had a reality anfwering it, Ne– ver any fpecial Promile (as is this) but fomething more fpecial was inir, . H:s fecret Will , and his revealed Will, do one come near the othet : T here is a ground of Truth in the one, for the Revelation made in the o– ther. Thirdly, For us to give the Title of H•!y unto any, is togive the Name of the Lord to them, which he would not have his Church led into the Errour of taking in vain. Fourthly, Nor woul.d God give a Title wholly without the real thing : He would not have given a peculiar Title of Holinefs to.thefe Ch,ldren, if he had not ·befiowed the thing it ftlf more ordinarily upon them, than upon any, ot upon all forts of Peopleelfe in the World. He would not Ipeak of them, and in Title fe r them up as great Princes, if they had not omong!t them an lnheri' tance and Po[el!ion anfwerable, Thiswere tocxpofe his N1.me to fcorn. Fifthly,
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