45 / 808
V
E
R.4.
Epbejan.r,
Chap.
r.
33
are
eluted
:fo
that
this
phrafc
noteth the order
in
which
we
come to
be
eleeked,not
the
cause
of
eleâtion.
For the
time,there
are 3.phrafes which feemeto
note
the fame thing:
T,.,..s.
r
.
From the beginning: z.
Before
worlds 3.Before:ha
foundation ofthe
world.
Theft
all
may
note
that
eternall love
of
Godtoward us;there
underftand
nothing
but
ct.
rnity
;
but becaufe within eternity
God doth
forefee the
things which
aredonein
time,and therefore though
he
chofe from eter-
nity,nothing hindereth
(as
Come
thinke)
but that
he
might
forefee fouie
thing whereupon
to choofe;therefore
this phrafe may
be
extended
not
onelyto
refpeét
the
adult
creation,but theDecree
it felfe
of
the worlds
being:to
this
fcnfe,that he chofe
his
in
order of nature,beforeby
his
De-
cree helaid
the foundation
of
the world.
Theend
is
all
one with falvation elfewhere named;for,love made per-
fed
is
the formallbleffednefle
welooke
for
in
heaven
:
it
is
nothing
elfe
but
the fupernaturallbcing
and life
of
a
Chriftian, which
is
begun
in
Grace,
perfelted
in
glory. The fame ofthefe words more amply
is
this:
Bleed
be
hewho
bath
blessed so
inChrifl,with
every
f
iritrcall
blefi'ing:
As for example;
First he
bath
with himfelffet
his liking on
us,chofen
us
before
others;us,I fay,who now
beleeve
on
Chrift,and
are
faniti-
fled
by
his
fpirit; this
his
Elel
ion,beginning
first
at
Chrift
our Head,
and fo defcending
downeward
onus
his
members,in him:and this
his
Grace
was
towards
us
before there was
any
world;
yea,
for order
of
nature before
his
decree did lay the foundation
of
the
world, that
to
which he hath elefted being no
Ieffe
then falvation,
that
glorious
life
of
love, which begun here,
Chat
oneday be made fpotlefs and perfect
before
him.
Now
to
come to the
Do
knine
hence
to
be deduced.
First,
We
fee
what
isa
bleffìng
worthy
all
thankfulneffe, even this
of
Della.
our election:l
pram
God
alwayes,
who
bath
eleifed
you
from
the beginning:
This
is
the
roote,out
of
which
all
thefe
bleflings
grow,which
in
time we
partake;even
as
thebody
and
bough
and
branches
of
the
tree
ifl'ue
from
the
root,
and are
borne
up
by the
fame, Ergo, this is
in
nature, and in
S.
Pails
reckoning,before predeftination
it felfe.
Foras firftlagree
upon this
end,
I
will help
a
ficke
man
to
recover
his
health, before
I determine
to
fend
for any Phyfrtian: fo
here,God doth
firft
by eleétionchoofeto the
end,and agree on
that
in
order
of
nature,before
he
predeftinate meanes,
by which
he will moft certainly bring to this end.
For
the'
better
under-
standing
of
this
benefit,two things
(hall
be briefly opened.
r.
What
it is.
2.
Why
God the Father
is
here
faid
cnely to
eleót.
For the
First,
the
common matter which
doth
concur
to the
being
of
this benefit,
is
love;
a
love which
God hath to
us
tobring
us
to that
life,
which
is
above
na-
ture; therefore fometime Gods choofing,
is
expreffed
byloving,
I
have
loved lacoh,and
hated
E
feu,that
is,
not yeelded
Efau
that
meafure
of
love,
which
the Hebrewes
called
hating.But there
is a
further thing
inEleEtiô,
which
doth
difference
it from love,
and
that
is
a'refpecl
which
is
in
this
Ari
eo0arive
love,whereby
it
is
caned
to fome,before other
force
it
fo
loveth
Come oiintrila
e
hat
it rejeCteth
other
force from having part
in
it.
Duo.7.7.1 how
loved
formalitats
re.
tee
thee
Ntune.