Vie r. Piez. Doli. Ephefians,Chap. i. VE R. 4. lovedplants,birds,beafts,men,not onely thus farre that they fhould have a being,but that they fhould growup, and attain to aperfect flare in this life and being,towhich hebath chofenus. Let us then confideringthis , be ftirredup to thinke ofthe Lords ex- ceeding love. We feemen though they are lame, know painful! lives in fome meafure more tollerable,yet they thinke lifea benefit, counting it a mercy to live, though for manner leffe comfortable : So here, had God taken us tohave fucha lifeofGrace as here we leade, it had been mercy,though we know ficknefte and lameneffewith it ; but to choofe usto comeunto fuch a ftate, wherein we (hall be pure without any fpot or defecì,not only toordain us to finde life, but life in abundance in Chrift,this is the riches ofhis mercy. This ferveth to ftrengthen our Faith in apprehending and attaining our perfect redemption from the relickes of finne and death , when we finde that we cannot get ground ofcorruption as we would, what mutt we doe efpeake to God:Say,Lord, iftheattaining perfect holinefle did lye upon my hand,I know there wereno hope;I finde thefeworkes ofthe Devil!too ftrongforme ; but thou haft chofen me evento this that I fhould bewithout fpot;Lord executethy ownepleafure more and more,purge me,and fanclifieme,&in thy time poffeffemeofthat ftate to which thou haft chofen me. Even inearthly Princes their choyce iso. perative.If the King choofe one Chamberlain,or Treafurer,his choyce maketh him thattowhich hee is chofen ; Wherefore let no good foule who ftriveth againft any imperfeótions be difmayed: Lookeas furely as thou haft received this perfectionofthy humane nature , thou I fay, whom Goddid choofe,not only tobe born but to live to full manhood; fo furely (hall all ofyou , whohave true faithand love, attain to the perfectionofthis Divine nature;for God hashchofen you tobeholy,and without fpot in it. And howbeit men are here,taken away in their fpirituall being, as in their natural!, force fo Toone as they are borne of God, as the Theefeon the Croffe was no fooner converted then tran. Elated, force inyouth, Come in the aged progrefl'e offanctification, yet !hall not this hinder; for hee who is no fooner begotten to God,then he is hence remooved,even hefhall in thatday,wherein all ofus (hall grow toa perfecì manin Chrift,attain this ftate ofperfection , as that naturall creature which is carried out from birth to burial! , !hall at laft daybe railed up,notin infancy (which entreth as a prefenr penalty offinne) but in thefull ftature,which befeemeth fuch a nature. The third thingfolloweth, viz. that God hath taken us ofgrace to this,thatwe (hall live in his glorious pretence: had hee given us aperfelì life without thowingus himfelfe as it were face to face,it had been much favour, but to choofe us to this moftneere communion withhim , is the height ofhisgrace,and our happinefle ; There is a being before God in farreofgrace,fuch as now we have:Thus Noah,thus Abraham,Hezekiah, Zachary, Elizabeth, are faid, to havewalkedbefore the Lord; and itis no fmall priviledgethat wee may convene n his pretenceafter any manner: but all wee fee of him here, is but as it were the reledion ofhim in a glatte
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