74 Ephean.e,Clap. t, lTE R, #, But why) Gods decree ofeleaion falleth ott my perfon t4 life, this he maketh in our power,which is the chiefe thinghere exclu ed; for from that Godhad, purpofed andperformed to Jacob, and from that privi- ledge that God will at his pleafure both intend and manifeft his faving mercy and compafìïons, this is deduced, that this mercy, elee3ing, cal- ling, and adopting onebefore another, is not in thewill or indeavour of man, but in God freely (hewing compaffion : Not to fay, he fhould tell us a great matter, in concluding with a folemne Epiphonema, firth a point as this,that man under finneand death, could not deferve, or anyway caufe why God fhoulditrike thatcovenant ofthe Gofpel, and promife falvation uponbelceving, For the Scripturefaith to Pharaoh.] The r7.Yerfefolloweth: Thecon- nexion may be diverfely conceived, either to prove that God fheweth mercy at his pleafure to fome, fo as hedenieth it to otherfome ; or that which went before, that it is not any thing in us which maketh us eleéted like lacob,or feje&ed as Efätw;and then the proofe were thus; the Scripture doth teftifie, that hardning and denying mercy dependeth on Gods meere pleafure, no lefl'e then !hewing mercy ; Or wemay conceive itas in reference to the unrighteoufnef e formerly objected; for that objection hada double fail givingoccafon;God eleéting Jacob, rejeding Pfau, without any thing that deferved it, whence God might feeme fubjeét to injuftice in two regards; Firft, for (hewing his grace to the one before the other, when they both werealike. Secondly, in refufing the oneout ofhis meere will,ançj excluding him from thegrace (hewed the other, when hehad donenothing todeferve it. Hitherto he bath anfwered the frlt part of the obje&ion, that God in tbewingmercy to equals, unequally is not unjuft. Now he anlwereth the other part. That which God hath done, that is iqq the freedome ofhiswill juftly to doe : But Godbath for ends dfhis glory, without any thing done on their parts to move him, denied grace to fome, and hattlned them, which is plaine in this example; he did raife up Pharaoh, not yet being, purpofed to harden and punifh him: .Ergo, as he fheweth mercy where he will, fo he hardneth, that is, denyeth mercy, and fo hardens and punitheth whom he will. TheAffumption is the example, the conclufion followeth it. Armi- Nitta is here (till like himfelfe, he frameth a double Syllogifme, taking away thew of unrighteoufneffe in his decree, made with eleElion of fome, rejeEtion ofother fome. That which God juftly doth, that he may decree todoe. But he ftirreth up, hardneth Tome ju(tly. Ergs, he may decree it without injulice. The fecond Syllogifine, from the 18. Verfe. He who fheweth mercy & hardneth,may decree according to ele i. on,to thew mercy to fome beleeving, and torejeft fuch as leek righte- oufneffe in the worksof the Law.But God fhewethmercy onwhom he will, &c. For
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