V E R.4. gods EleSion.. 37 our fall is elected ; no, he is the firft begotten amongft all his brethren, having the prxeminence; He was fealed, and let apart to be the Prince of our falvation , to the glory of grace, before ( for nature) that we were elected ; He was fore- known before the foundation of the world, I Pet. t. Thewife providence of God doth difpofe every thing,fo much more principallyand timely, by howmuch it is more excellent : Henceit is, that it doth not thinkofelating and predeftinating us, whoareas abo- dy, and come by occafron to think on him, who is the head afterward. 2. We are predeftinated to bemade like unto him. Now that matter- picture,and firlt pattern is beforethat whichis drawn byit, anddone af- ter : Chrift wasthe chiefepattern ofthe elation of grace; And look as it were an unnaturall thing for the feet to come forthof thewombe, before the head ; So for us to come forth of thii womb before our head,tome feemeth very prepofterous ; yet I fay, though he is firft cho- len to that glory whichbecame himas ahead, he is not the caufe why we are chofen ; Even as the tint vldam is not the caufe why God did love one, fo that I fhould bea man, and have this naturall lifeand being, though in and through him I come to have this being : So Chrift is not thecaufe why Godwould haveme, rather then others, have this being and life above nature, though I attain to, and receive this beingin him, for his fake, and through him. The loveof God as immediately com- meth from himfelf to me, as to Chrift ; this love whereby he would have me to receive fupernaturall life andbleffednet'e with himfelf. But here two weightyObjections are to beanfwered ; for hence twoerrone- ousconclufions are inferred, inthis wife; The firft proveth that we, as elected, are now confidered as fallen intofin. Thofe whoare chafen inhim,whofepromifi andexhibition commeth in afterfin,they are confideredas now infin, before they are thorn : Bat object. I. we arechofen inhim, &c. Thefirft part is not true, as which prefuppofeth that things are in Re/i. Gods intention inthe fame order in which we fee them in execution : Things in their materiali exiting have one order, in their intending ano- ther. I want a houfe to dwell in, I muthire or build one, Icannot get any let tomc, fay I ; well then ; I intend to build me a dwelling houle, I cannot without workmen ; I intend in the third place, to hire Car- penters and Mafons, but becaufemy workmencandoe nothing without matter, hence I decreeto prepare tone andwood : Now in executing, I firft let toneand wood the matter, then I hire workmen, then I raifc the frame, then I enter and dwell in it. In order ofmateriali exiting, Chrift isrevealed, promifed, exhibited after fin, but he was intended before fin ; the Apotle reckoned the order in which . ,things exit, I Cor. 3. 22, 23. the world, youthe Elect, Chrift, God but he gi- verhus to underftandthe order of intention : firft God intendethhis ownglory, thenChrift, then the Church, then the World : He who iselatedand fore-known tobe a Lamb taking away fin, a Mediator redeeming from finne and death, he is elated himfelfe after E fin
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