ObjeEí.t. Re#. Doí. epheans,Chap.Ie VE glorious eternall grace might be magnified, out ofwhich this grace floweth,that hehath now in his time done us favour,and madeus accep- ted in hisbeloved. Firft it is to be marked in the orderthat God doth to our conceiving; firftlove us to life, before the meanes bringing us to life are decreed; This is the order,in which we are to conceive that one fim- pleaétion ofGod whichworkethour falvation:Here eleftion is the firft in this enumeration Pas/ maketh, and,Rom.8.39. Paul fetteth foreknow- ledge before predeftination; and when the Scripture faith, we areelected to life throughfaithand holineffe, as the way ¡flip; needes mull theend be firft in order ofnature, before thole things which ferve sto the end. As it is with us, we firft are at a point concerning the end , 'before we feeke meanes whichleade unto it;as I am firft at a point to Write beforeI take in hand Pen,Inke,or Paper.But howmay God love to life,fuchwho are now the childrenofwrath,& noteligible to it!He muff firft make them lovelyor eligible,then choofethem to life. I anfwer; It is one thing to loveany fo,as that I will bring them tolife by juft meanes; another thing to love any fo,as immediatlyto communicate lifewith them;In the firft fort, God may lovethofewho are (innersbefore him; the latter cannot confft withhis wrath infiiding death:And thus hedid love them before the givingofChrift;So God lovedthe world,that hegave hit onely begotten smite;that he fpared him not, but gavehim all to death forus.This is to be marked , againft them who make God firft decree the giving of Chrift to death;of faith and perfeverance to fome,before he makeeither inward or outward eleftionofthem. Obferve fecondly;That God hath not onely chofen fome,but ordai- ned effeäuall meanes, which (hail molt infalliblybringthem to theend to which they are chofen. Such whom hee bath fore - knowne, marke, fuch bee predeftinated; not all, but Tome are fore- knowne : God bath fet an orderofmeanes , which fhall bring them to glory : Or lookeas when God appointeth any to live forty, fifty yeares, his providencein nature doth fo worke, that every thing from a mans firft birth tohis laft breath, dothpaffehim onto this periodpræ-ordained : So thofe whom Godhath appointed to thatlaít final end oflife fupernatural,his fuperna- turall providence doth foworke, that all things doe after a fort confpire and worke to that end:Even as we doe nothing about any thing,further then the ends we have doe move us to worke. Ifwe lookatthe things beforeour callings,or after,we fhall finde this true, though they worke not in the fame manner ; fome promoting it directly by themfelves, fomeby accident occafionally :Before our callings , the goodthingswe have our felves in our felves,or whichwe fee,or have given us in others, they perfect us to falvation:When God dothcall us;the good things we have ourfelves,in ourfelves,make us admire Gods bounty and patience, when we feewhat wee were when he fhewed us that kindeneffe;Yea, they are after our callings,difpofitions, and helpes,which make us ferve God withmore facility and fruitfulneffe. Some complexions and con- ftitutions are farre more accommodable inftruments tograce now recei- ved,then others. The goodwefee inothers, we glorifie God in it,in the day
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