Baynes - BS2695 B289 1643

y H R. 4, godsEIe&'ion, be brought to this perfection ; as if he fhould have fpoken more largely. Whohath chofen us,aswho fhould have that fupernaturall being and life ofLove, yea, that we fhould grow to fuch a Elate in it, that we fhould be pure andholy, without the leaft !pot, and that in hisglorious pretence, whomwe fhall then fee as he is. Threethings then hereoffer themfelves toobfervation. a. That God hathofGrace, chofen us to that fupernaturall life of love, which is to be perfeEted in the heavens, a. That he hath not onelyofgracechofen us to thislife, but to theperfeétionof it. 3. That hehathofgrace taken us tohave this perfeEtionoflifeto hisown gloriouspretence. To handle them brieflyin order. r. Firfl for the former, S. Peter faith, the faithfußw i,i chofe» ofGod, to thefancitfication ofthe#irit, that is in effeEt, to be made partakers ofa Divine nature ; and when weare faid chofen tofalvatio» orglory This is chiefly perfehtion ofLove, which doth make thefoule glorious, even aswhiteneffe maketh thewall white : thus God hath loved us, that we fhouldnot onely have fucha life of' Godgiven us in the firft t.4dam, as was due to ournature, and created together with it, but fuch alife as is both for kinde and degree above all that nature created did know, the root whereof is that fecond cildam, chrifl lefur. Look as all of us who have this naturali life andbeing, which nowasmen and women all of us have,we were lovedof God, fo far, as to receiveit in Adam, and be brought to it through him, and:look as all thatfluff beborn to the end ofthe world, and be in time, men and women,were loved ofGod, and chofen asit were, that they fhould in their times have thenature ofman fo here we who now have this lifeof God live, andall thatever (hall have the holy life which the Spirit ofGodworketh in thehearts of be- leevers ; we and they were from eternity chofen,'thatin time we fhould have it derived and propagated through Chrift. Now this is to bemark- ed, that being chofen to have this holy love, the Divine nature, we are chofento faith alto ; for look as all whoare loved to the receivingof this naturall and bodily being and life, are together chofen to this, that they !hall bebornof Adam, and have anaturali nativity fromhim : foall who are chofentohave thebeingofholineffeand love, are together ta- kenro this, that they (hall have a fupernaturall nativity fromChrift ; that is, they!hall be broughttobeleeve: He that beleeveth is bornefGod, rlohn5.t. Let us then firft recount his wonderful) love to us, whom his Spirit hath inany meafure fanEtified, and made us to partake in that Divine nature which commeth fromChrift ; we deeme it his favour and wor- thily,thathehath madeus Men andWomen, not Toads, or Creatures offuch vile being : but howmuch more are we bound to himthat he bath madeus Chriftianmen ,and not leftus to fuch a ftare inwhich men !hallcome toworfe paffe then ifthey had never been. Becaufe God doth notraife all who aredead, nor give all fight who are blinde, thereforewe think them to have found great favour whom God

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