VER. 6. Ephejans,Chap.I. fight of this moft rich glory.Rom.g. Thisgrace ofhas which bath butte al waits towards us. Obferve fourthly, Wherewithhe bath made to accepted.] Thatis,with which grace eleéting and predeftinating us, that it might be glorified ofus, hebath now in his time doneus favour, or made us accepted in his Chrift. Obferve then, what graceit is which in timedoth workeall good things for us ; even thefame grace which before all time did pur- Dci?. pole them ro us : Gods lovingus to life, doth not beginne when now we are brought home by converfion tobeleeve on him,but when wewere his enemies,hedidfi love u',that hegavehis Some¡alto deathfirus,1oh.3. Rom.5.And whenhe calleth us in time,he doth it out ofthat grace which was given tous in Chrift our head,beforeall worlds : For this caufethe Scripture doth not fay,that God beginnetli to love us to life when we beleeve, but that he giveth us life eternall, executing that to which he had loved us ; neither doth the Scripture fay ,that in Chrift now Pent to worke our redemption, love in God is firft conceived : but that it is manifefted, when that Paving graceappeared, Tit. 3. when the philan- thropie, or love ofmankinde appeared, Tit. 3 5. So God doth call us according to grace given us before worlds, but now made manifeft, s Tim. 1. trim. t. yea, lifeand immortality are faid to be brought to Iight,asthings which had beene overfbadowed bythe Gofpell. Now looke as if the Sunne having her lightlong eclipfed,fhould after breake out, it were no new light, but an iTipavfa, or new getting up ofthe old light, which for a time was eclipfed : So it is with this funne ofGods eternall grace, the interpoftionoffinne, through thevertueofjuflice, did for a time keep from us all the gracious influence of it,till at length in Chrift,removing that which hindred,it breakethout,piercing our hearts with the beames of it, and working in us many reall effels, which it could not put forth till juftice were fatisfied : Even as God knew how to love Chrilt his Sonne to that glorious life , to whichhe had chofen, and yet execute the curled death on him, as our furety : fo he could love us with his 'eternall love , unto thatlife,to whichhe had chofen us, and yet executeon us thecurfed death,whenwe had offended. This firfl ferveth to excite in us godly joy, in us I fay,who fee this ilea, light rifen over us, this love fhining upon us in Chrift, whichwas fometime foovercall by time and death, that no glimpfe of itmight be difcerned. Ifthis bodily funne had his light but twoor threedaies e- clipfed , O how Tweet and amiablewould it feeme tous, when getting the victory, it fhould thine in manner accuflomed e But (hall it not af- fect, that the grace of Godquite hid fromus,while we were the chil- dren ofwrath, lay inall kinde ofdarkeneffe, that this grace fo hidden fhould likea fpring funne returne to us,and refrefhus e Againe, we fee them confuted, who will not yeelde that God lo- yj,=, veth any firmer unto life,till hedoth fee his faith and repentance:But the love which deflinatethto bringone to life, may Rand with wrath, exe- cuting death ; and why doth hee workein fannersrepentance, faith, fan- ¿ìification, which are the meanes tending unto life, iflace may not purfe
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