Ephefians,Chap. r. VE R.3. hand;Seeke itasiacobdid,wraftle forkwithprayes and teares,Gen.32.z6. Come to God,and confeffe, that weare accurfed childrenofhis wrath, butintrearing, that for Chrifts fake, who wasmade acurie for us, that for this his Sonnes fake hewould blell'eus.The blefling onMount Sinai was gotten by doing ; but Peeing the Law is impollïble, to our finfull weaknefle, we muft feeke thebleffing onely in beleeving. Wouldwenot count that Childe a mifereant, which would not come to the Parents, and aske their bleffing a It is a token we are baftards, and not children, if wecome not to Cod in fecret, and intreat him to bleffe us, through his Chrift:What may they thinkeof themfelves, who have never hear- tily and humbly fought this way e That reprobare Efate (hall condemn them;for he fought hisearthlyParents blefling importunately,and with teares, when now it was too late, which thefe never did toward their heavenly. Wewho are hischildren, mutt rejoyce in this, thatwe have Inch a father,whofeblefling we know to beon us; It iswith us,as it is with little children, who have many bleffings, but thinke little onthat matter, which yet an underftanding childe, more growne up, bath in great ac- count. We muft amend this. and not Rill be babes in underftanding; ourbleffing is thefountaineofall happineffe; Conteyebleedofmyfather, inherite, &c.ergo,is not lightly to beefteemed. A third Vfe,may be for Imitation. Obfervethirdly, Whokath bleeduss, myIdlewith you, who arefiaith- fullSaints. Obferve, what kind ofchildren have their fathers bleffmg; the faithful! ones, whoare fandtified, there are bleffedofGod; for Saint Pauls Paying, sv 1o' hash bleffedus, Both not fpeake rhetorically, likegreat men,who fpes ke in theplural! number,for thefingular;We will you, this or that was done to us; but he bath reference tothefe Ephefians, whom he defcribed in the firft Verfe ; or-whom, joyned withhimfelfe, he affirmeth that they-wefe bleffed ; The truth is, firft weare reallyand actually bleffed, bleffedneffe being received into themfelves, but fuch as are beleevers, and now fanctified, though others are predeftinated tobleffedneffe, yet this doth onely make them bleffed, fo farre, as that their bleffedneflè is intended in time future, it doth not forthe prefent worke any alteration in them,tendingthis way.Predeltinateand repro- bate, beforofaith come, are in themfelves all one : Knowyou not that drunkards (KAtlers, Ikenot enter intoGods K*done; fetchwereyou, bat sowyou are3elfbed ; thefeergo, who now are bleffed, ergo, predeftinated before their callings, were the fame withthem, whoIhall not enterinto Gods kingdome. Secondly; I fay, as none areaeluallyblefed, fo none can be knowne and afftrmedto bebleffed in Gods purpofe, whichare not beleevers and Saints. The reafon is, becaufe that which is in Gods minde,cannot be knowne further then the word or worke of God doth reveale it. Now Gods word doth tell usonely thusfarre, that fuch as are and (hall be called to faith, and fanctified, they are predeftinate. Now then, further then we can feefaith,we cannot difcerne any tcbe predefinate: But
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