¡6Q ephejäna,Chap.I. V E R. S. meanes ; in thefe fpirituail things, he maketh them lay all on Gods mercyand purpofe,never taking heed tomeans. r/! z. We fee it is hopefull,where God giveth meanes, which bring to life; wherehe manifefteth that wifedome ofthe Gofpell,which is a meane predeftinated to our glory , that God hath there a gracious worke to- ward fome:While aman dothcarry Reapers further intohis field, it is a ligne hehath fome Corne to be inned; So is it with God. T /o;. Let us labour to acknowledge God and his molt wife order, in all things which have befallen us. If we finde that our courtes before our converfions, and the things befallen us lince, have brought usneerer God, then it is afeale to us, that we are the predeftinatedof the Lord ; thofe whom he doth bring nearer him bymeanes in time, thofe he did predeftinate todraw to himfelfe in fuch order, fromall eternity : Wee will fay incholer, when things come crofl'e uponus,Now 1was ordained to it,! think it mau my deftinit:But happy is he,who canby event learn to feehow Godhath deftinated before-hand every thingfor his good. DeilI. Obferveofwhomwe may fay this,that they are predeftinated,evenof fuch as have beleevedand arefan( ified;the perfons which are ordained to life and predeftinated, they are called, that is brought tohave a true fairh,and juftified,andthey (hall be glorified. Thischain offourelinkes is fuch, two,whereofare kept with God inheaven , twoarelet downe into earth,as itwere5This chaine isfocoùpled,that whofoeverare with- inthefe midlinkes,arewithinthe two utmoft alfo.While a man carrieth aframe or plot ofthis or that in hisminde, we cannot fay what is his meaning,bnt when he now doth execute it, thenwe know what he had predeftinated,and afore.hand defignedwithin himfelf.When God doth lay the foundationof faith and holineffe, fuchas fhall never befubver- ted,then wemay know that hedid predeftinate inhistime, to worke a glorious worke in loch a perfon ; How precious then is this faith which purifieth the heart, which doth let us be able, even to read our names written in this predeftinationof God , as a Booke or regifter of life; which makethus difcerne our felves in that ftate, that all things (hall workefor our goodeevery winde,even the croffeft, (hall helpus to the haven of true happineffe. I know faithfull foulescannot alwaies finde this comfort, becaufe they finde themfelves worfe, rather thenbetter, for many things which betide them ; but we mutt notbe difmayed, thingsworke together, when thou feefi the laft with thefirft , then thou fhalt fee that harmony which is in all,for thybelt good. A Phyfitian doth withone thing or two,make that man more lick thenever , whom yetatlength he molt comfortablyhealeth:But what I fpake of this cir- cumftance in the former verfe,may hither alfo be reduced. Onely let us rP.y endeavour to know our felves predeftinated by him, for this is our flrength,which cannot be fhaken, whenwe know that God hathdeter- mined and contrived fuch meanes as (hall infallibly bring us toglory; this knowne,we mayfay,lfGodhe withus ,whofhaühe aping use' Doc!. That we¡amidbe adopted through Chrifi.] Obferve what God bathde- termined tobring us unto before all worlds, even to this, that we fhould 1 be
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