Of Eleflion., certainly and infJIIibly fanctihe all, and every one of th<ir Children, but that ·-......A..---, he fanctiiies fame of them, yea more ofrhcm than of any other fort; bdt bow Chap. 6. many we know not, An lndefintte Prcpofltlon IS lefs than an Univerlal for it .~-.... intends but fame, not all, yer not naming or defining thof~ Svmr in Par~icula~· we cannot difcern them from the refl:: B~t .it confutedly , and in the lump; fays it ol', them AU; as when tt ts fatd, Chrifl camezntothe u:orld to fave fii 1 1u rs: ltJSnotanUmverfal Prapof•rwn; forhedJCdnotforAU; nor a Particular Propofirion, fo_r he nam~s nor, nor dcfineth whom, but indefinitely fpeaks it of linnets, tn.a mtddle unltmaed fenfe, between both, I will explain this Afferrion by tbefc three things; 1 , You mull: !mow, That all God's Promifcs given unto Men in his Reveal~ ed Will, are but indefinite Expreilions of his Decrees and Purpofes. God ha· vino iri his Decree cull'd out of Mankind certain Perfon5 whom his Lov• wa; pitc"hed upon, hath ,rherefdre gi~en an Indefi,nire Promife or Expreilion ro , Mankind, That he Will {ave /hmrrs; and agam [P<ace 011 Earth, good wi/J tow ardaJifm] Ltllu 2.1 ~·'4· And the dtfference between thofe his Decrees and thefe his Indefinite Promifes is bur Modalu :For whereas in his fecret Will' and in rhe Book thereof, he bath named the Perfons, who, ana ':l'ho not; H~ in his Revealed Wtll, and the Book thereof, hath concealed the Names of the Perfons, and declared his purpafe indefinitely only; Good will to men; not ro All, bur to Some of Mankind, confufedly and in the lump, not difiinctly. So as, God's fecret and revealed Wtll do fitll cotnctdtrt", they come all to one: There is plain dealing in it; in his Indefinite Promifes, he means thofe, and rhofe only, whom he bath chofen ; only he conceals their Names · char All may confider it. ' Now further, for a more fpecial direti:ion to find out where God's Election runs; look what fort of Men it harh pitched upon mafi, rhofe thefe indefinite Expreilion< and Promifes do fingle our, and point at as rhe lump. wherein Ele– ction lies: So tharfome Prom1fes are hke the Star that led the Wtfe men to the very Town where Chrifl: was, fo they do direct us to the lump or mines of E– lection; they are rhe directory Stars of Election. As when it is faid [God bath chofm th< poor of the World], So alfo, God having elected out of&th's Pofl:erity, and rejected Cains, his Promifes were jliven ~o Srth, not to Cdi11, When the Jews were the Golden Mme of Electwn, Them were rhe Prdmifes and the Adoption ~ yet indefinitely m•de to them, Rom. g. 4· Who are lfr,u– /ius: to whom pertaineththe adoptio11, and the glory ; and th< covmants, a11d the giving of ths law, and the forvue of God, m1d the promifes: But when the Gt:ntiles came in, and of themAll N r1tions, then dod broke up the Mines of Election, and declared, That he had Elelt •mong All Nations rhe whole World over. And when the time came, that the Shoals of Election was robe made up our ofAll Nations,then was that Commiilion given,Go ttachall N•tions, ~c. Matt h. 28,19. and not till then. This Jam<S gives as rhe rea- . {on of that Promife in the Prophets about the Calling of the Gentiles, .AHs ')• 1 6. Ku'owll tmto God are hu works from tht btgimting: It comes irt td this Senfe, (his Scope being ro e~pound a Promife in the Prophets to be meant Pro· phetically of the Gentiles in'rhofe Times) God knowing what he had to do, and whom be h3d chofen, and knowing that in thefe times his Elect were all rhe World over, bath accordingly fhaped the Promife to his Decrees; and gi· ven the Promife of C•lling the Gentiles unto thefe times; whereas before, whilfi Elellion was only among the Jews, the Promifes were confined to them. So that God's Promifes, like that Star, do fiill point out to Election, and do re– move as Election cloth. And fo here is a Promife, you fee, fiartds over the lump or mafs of Believers Children; yea, a fp_ecial Star on purpofe, fike a hand in a Margent, points at them above all Mankmd befide, becaufe among them Election is moll: and chiefly to be found. I i i Secondly;
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