gods Eleffaon, VER¢, fome fuch generall as this,/ willchoofe when; Iwill choafe.We deny the of fumption, with the reafonof it. Let them tellme when God railed La- zaraH, orchofe La7,arts, whom hewould -raife from the dead; fuch a blind manwhom he would reftoreto fight ; fuch a piece ofearth which he would make into thebodyofAdam ; what generall rules he did theft by ; rules which prefuppofethat things orperfons thusand thus qualifi- ed,fhould be thus and thus ufed e The reafon is denyed. For to meafure God byour fcantling, is foolifh, and to imagineas it were created gene- rall verities in his underftanding, like as it is in our felves, is fitter for doting Anthropomorphits, thengrave Divines. Betide that, mandoth many things to fome particular perlons, for which he hath no generall rule, but that hemay doe as he will, where there is no reafonwhichdoth obliege him and fway him to the contrary. The fecond propofition of this feaventh reafonis denied;for as I Chew- edbefore, any perfon is eligible to life, though he were never fo unfit, prefently and immedìately for the ftate he is in, to receive life, if fobe that God canby juft meanes prepareand make fit to life. That foreknowledge Paul &Peter fpeakeof,cannot be the foreknowing ofFaith and fanetification incertaineperfons;for then whatneed is there thatthofe who are foreknowne fliouldbe predeftinatedto be called, ju- stified, and fanetifieda and if Peters foreknowledge werea forefight of faith and holineffe, what need we tobe chofen toholineffe a For that placeinTimothy,l f ye flye the lafis ofyouth,yefhakbe veffels ofgold6fihuer. Betides, there is no neceflity to conifer that wholepaffage ofele&ion, though it be fo ufually taken; the faith of fome hathbeen fubverted but the groundworke, or foundation offaving faith and Grace abideth lure; and God dothknow them inwhom it is, and they may know themfelves by their care to depart from iniquity. Bnt why doth not God workethis well - grounded graceinall It is fit- there fhould fome, not all, be precious and golden veffels, having that precious faith, to wit, which cannot be fubverted, and thofeprecious graces ofthe fan- áifyingSpirit. How may one know that he is one ofthefe, and not a veffell of Alchimie, or bafer matter e Whofoever dothpurge himfelfe, he (hall be a veffell of gold ; he (hall have in him that foundation of God, that is, that lure grounded faith and grace which (hall not be fub- verted : But this by the way. Now toproceede. Nowwe come to the fecond doctrine, viz. That God hath chofen us who beleeve,not onely to have this life of grace,I meane,of loveand holineffe, but to have them in perfection : Thus the text faith, He bath chofen us, that we fbould come to fuch a (late in this life oflove, wherein we Mall beperfell andpurewithout any ¡jot init.Here we have life,but all is in part; Weknow inpart, we love inparr,weareholy in part, thisftate is a (late ofchild -hood or imperfe&ion : But in the other life, that which is in part (hall be done away :`We (hall know as we are known, we (hall love with all ourhearts and ftrength,we (hall be perfectlyholy, without defe& or fpot, becaufe God bath chofenus, not onely to life, but to a (fate of perfection in this life fpirituall. Looke as God hath F 3 loved 53 RatiooM iganr. Ratio prapode- Tan . Ratto cenrommi. tour. 7. Anfwered. 8. Anfwered. Doc7.
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