V E R.4. gods Eleffion. But I will handle the firft in the next DOdrine ; the later in the la(t conclufion or doétrine of this verte. From this then,thatwearebeloved in Chrift asour head, we may gather our happineffe. O how firme is that conjunEiion, which is begun in fuch a head, who is God with God, bleffed for ever ! If Kings bear good will to fome family, if his love begin in fomechiefeone who is with himat Court, ashis fpeciall favou. rite,it is fo much the firmer to all the reti of them.Thus herehow firm84 fore is his love to us, whom hehash loved to life in Chrift our Head,and eldefl brother, who is hisnaturali Son, from whom itis impotlible that his love (hould ever ftart a and when it is fure to the head,can the body be forfaken Before thefoundation of the world : ] Obferve what ancient love the Lord bath born us inChrift : it is not ofyeflerday,but beforeall worlds, that his love reftedonus, elating us to falvation, fach as fhould (land with thepraife ofhis glory, z Tim. .9. There is mention of Gracegiven us beforeall worlds. lohn 17.24. c *take it manif¿fl that thou loveJlthem,as thou lovedfl me before thefoundation ofthe world. Ihave loved theewith an evcrlafling love, faith the Prophet. Earthly men will purchace to themfelves and heires, when it is but a pofïibiliry whether they (hall have heire oftheir body, yea orno. Again, theywill thew their care of pofterity while yet they are unborn, by making fure intailes : But our Father of all the Fatherhood in heaven and earth, doth, whenwe were but poffible creatures before him, love us to this end of fuper- naturali bleffedneffe : for, by this phrafe I takenot onely eternity, but the degree oforder in eternity, is noted, that for order,before the being of the world was willedby him, he didPhew us this graceof choofing us to life. Here therefore is fit ',face confiderof that queftion ; whe-' ther Godforefeeth mananfallen, before bedeli him. Thequeftion I fhould anfwer negatively, but in determining ofit, we will confider ; a. The arguments whichaffirme it. a. The reafonswhich deny. 3. We will (hewwhat we take to be the truth in this matter, anfweringle argu- ments which arehere propounded to the contrary. r Firlt then the execution isurged, to prove our Eledtion after fin. Tholewhom God (now fallen into fin) juftifieth, faveth, and con- demneth, thole nowbeing in fin, he chofe to fave, and decreed to condemne. But God faveth and condemnethmennowfallen into fin, Ergo. z Thofe who are chofen out ofinercy,and reprobated out ofJuflice, they arenow forefeen in mifery by fin. But our Elation is out of mercy, and reprobation is out of Ju- ílice, Ergo. 3 Thofe which arenot, or havenot any way being, they cannot be elected or rejedted : But before Decree ofCreation, men are not. Ergo. The firft part is plain,that which hath no being, can haveno affeEtions, that cannot bee thus, or thus, which is not at all. 4 That which maketh God firft decree mans rejeCion, to the glory E 2 of. 39
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