38 / 808
Ephefians,Chap.
r.
VE
R.3.
hand;Seeke it
asiacob
did,wraftle
fork
withprayes
and
teares,Gen.32.z6.
Come
to God,and
confeffe,
that we
are accurfed children
of
his
wrath,
butintrearing, that for Chrifts
fake,
who
was
made
a
curie for us, that
for this
his Sonnes fake he
would
blell'e
us.The
blefling
on
Mount
Sinai
was
gotten by doing
;
but
Peeing
the Law
is
impollïble, to our
finfull
weaknefle, we muft feeke the
bleffing
onely
in
beleeving.
Wouldwe
not
count that
Childe
a
mifereant, which would not come to the Parents,
and aske
their
bleffing
a
It
is
a
token we
are
baftards,
and
not children,
if
we
come not to
Cod
in
fecret,
and
intreat him to
bleffe
us,
through
his
Chrift:What
may they thinke
of
them
felves,
who have never
hear-
tily
and
humbly fought
this
way
e
That
reprobare
Efate
(hall
condemn
them
;for
he
fought
his
earthlyParents
blefling
importunately,and with
teares, when
now it
was
too
late, which thefe never
did
toward
their
heavenly.
We
who
are
his
children, mutt rejoyce
in
this,
that
we have Inch
a
father,whofe
blefling we
know to be
on us;
It
is
with us,as it
is
with little
children,
who
have many bleffings,
but thinke little onthat matter,
which yet
an
underftanding childe, more
growne
up,
bath
in
great
ac-
count.
We
muft amend this. and not
Rill be
babes
in
underftanding;
our
bleffing
is
the
fountaine
of
all happineffe;
Conte
ye
bleed
of
my
father,
inherite, &c.ergo,is
not lightly to be
efteemed.
A
third Vfe,may
be for
Imitation.
Obfervethirdly,
Who
kath
bleed
uss,
my
Idle
with
you, who
are
fiaith-
full
Saints.
Obferve, what
kind
of
children have their fathers bleffmg;
the faithful!
ones,
whoare
fandtified,
there
are bleffed
ofGod;
for
Saint
Pauls Paying,
sv
1o'
hash bleffed
us, Both
not
fpeake rhetorically,
like
great
men,who
fpes ke in
the
plural!
number,for the
fingular;We will
you,
this
or
that
was
done to
us;
but he bath reference tothefe
Ephefians,
whom
he defcribed
in
the
firft
Verfe ;
or-whom, joyned with
himfelfe,
he affirmeth
that
they-wefe bleffed ;
The
truth is,
firft
we
are really
and
actually bleffed, bleffedneffe being received
into them
felves,
but
fuch
as
are
beleevers,
and
now
fanctified,
though others
are predeftinated
to
bleffedneffe,
yet this
doth
onely make them bleffed,
fo farre,
as
that
their
bleffedneflè
is
intended
in
time future, it
doth not
forthe
prefent
worke
any
alteration
in
them,tendingthis way.Predeltinateand
repro-
bate, beforo
faith
come, are
in
themfelves
all
one
:
Know
you not
that
drunkards
(KAtlers,
Ike
not
enter into
Gods
K*done;
fetch
wereyou,
bat
sow
you
are3elfbed
;
thefe
ergo,
who now
are
bleffed,
ergo,
predeftinated
before
their callings, were the fame withthem, whoIhall not enter
into
Gods
kingdome.
Secondly; I
fay,
as
none are
aeluallyblefed,
fo none can be knowne
and afftrmedto be
bleffed
in
Gods purpofe, which
are
not
beleevers and
Saints.
The
reafon
is,
becaufe
that
which
is
in
Gods minde,cannot be
knowne further then
the word or
worke of God doth
reveale it.
Now
Gods word doth
tell us
onely thusfarre,
that
fuch
as
are and (hall be
called
to faith,
and fanctified,
they
are predeftinate.
Now
then,
further then we
can fee
faith,we cannot
difcerne any
tcbe
predefinate:
But