V ER.5. Ron. 9.cleared if God doe call us to falvation without, any fore-feene in us, it cannot be but that he didordaineus to falvationwithout fore- feeingany thing which might move him unto it this is taught, Rom.9.that the pur- pofe of God isaccording toelation, that is, free, depending on him onlywho callethus to'glory, not on any thing in us called. The rea- fon why God Iheweth mercy, or hardeneth, that is, denieth mercy, is his meere will ; That as the Potter bath nothing but his pleaCure mo- ving him to appointormake ofthe fame lumpe veil-ifs to fodivers ends; no mots bath God : And here it (hall not be amiffè to cleare that Scripture from tome mifconftruétions which have beene made, ob- fcuring the true meaningofit to fome underftandings. <, Some make ( the purpofeof God) verfe r r. to noteout fuch a pur- «pofe by which God determineth to choofe out to life, fuch whom he doth fore-fee, will feeke it by confiant faith in his promifes, reje- « éting others from life , who feeke falvation by their owne righte- « oufneffe in the workes of the Law : This conftruEtion floweth « from a former errour, viz, that the Apoftle in this paffage ofScrip- ture, from the fixt verfedowneward, do;h fpeakeof the Jewes taken and related, not as perfons, by carnali generation defcended from «Abraham, but as perfons who feeke falvationby cleaving to the pro- cc mile; or otherwife by workes, according to the tenour ofthe Law: "Thislikewifedoth prefuppofe that thofe Jewes,whofeoblationPaul preventeth verfe 6.doe.by the wordofGodconceive the word ofthe covenant legall,in this manner; What theneifwe be rejeaed from fai- t, vation,who feeke it by workesofthe Law,thenthewordofGods co- venant is come to nought: Which dbjeótion, they fhould feeme to « make byoccafionofthe former Dottrineof juftifìcation ; but in all of thofe, and in all inferred onthem, t irminim is deceived ; For it is « not the doEtrineof juftification fomuch, as the doétrineof Predefli- «nation,which in the eightChapter went before,whichmaketh theApo- «(He enter this dilcourfe : for he having taught in the former part of the Epifile, Ram. q. that thofe who traced the fceps of ilbra- «hamsfaith, were his children ; and in the Chapter next before, that «fuch whom God did fore-know and acknowledge for his people, they werepredeftinatedand called to faith inChrift, every onemight be ready to gather that the Jewes, for the bodyofthem, were notac- «knowledged ofhim as his people, becaufe they did fet themfelves «ffiffely againft the faith of Chrift, and therefore they werenot the «Ifrael ofGod, thechofen feed of Abraham, the people whom God .< did know before ; and this is that whichhe leaveth tobe gathered in that lamentable preface , Rom. 9. from the Eric to the fixt verfe, t, viz, that agreat part ofthe Jewes, carnally defcended of ,Abraham, «are rejeéted now from being the people and Ifrael ofGod, the feede «with which God had prornrfedhis prefence and bleffing : Compare « Rom, S. 29. withRom.9.6,7. Rom. I I . $.he fpeaketh not of a rejeEtion from righteoufneffe and life, befalling fuch as followed falvationby « workes,for thus were the greateft part alwayes reje&ed,when yet they G 3 « could Rom.9.Vu. ac. cleared from falte coaltru- aaons.
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