46 / 808
i4
Gods E1edion.
VE
R.4.
R0111.8.29.
Expounded.
¡fe
1.
thee,
and
chofen
thee.ShouldGod
have loved every reafonable creature to
life,
there
had
beenelove to
all,
but
elettionofnone;
he
who
taketh
all,
maketh no
choifeofany; therefore God
maketh
it a
different
thing;
1
have loved
thee,
and
chofen
thee
.:
Some
make
this
all
one with
that
fore-
knowledge mentioned,
Rem.
8.29.
and
it
cannot be denied, but know-
ledge
is
often put for love and approbation, and
that God
knoweth
his
Church
and
chofen, far otherwife then
other
things
;
even
as
a
man
knoweth
all his
goods
and fubftance,
but
his wife and
children after
a
fpeciáll manner:
Nevertheleffe,itmay well note
that
knowledgewhich
is
in
order to this
action
of
Godschoofing, whether going
before
it,
or comming after it.
If
wee have chofen any
to
any
thing, we
know
whom
we have
chofen,
and
if
we are
about
to choofe
any, we know
whom we
are
about to choofe
:
So
God
cloth
not
onely know whom
he
hath
chofen,which knowledge
(to
our manner
of
conceiving)
doth
fol-
low the act
of
his
will,now
being put
forth,but
he
doth knowwhom
he
is in
choofing,or about to choofe,andthis doth goe before to
ourunder.
Handing.
And
this I thinke the meaning
of
fore
-
knowledge
in
that
place:
Such
whom he
did fore-know
to
bethe
perfons
whom
he
would choofe,
fuch he did predeftinate;and thus
that place,r
Pet.
r.ver. r.may
be more
fitly
refolved; where he faith,
the
faithful'
ofthe
di.
fierfion
were chofen,ac-
cording
to
fore-
knowledg.
Now
God the
Father
is
faid
to choofe,aot that the
Sonne,and Spirit
choofe not alto, (for
if
three
of
us
had but
one
will
common
to
us-all,
one could not will any
thing,which the
will
of
the other two
Ihould
not
alto
will ) becaufe
the
Sonne fufiaineth
the
perfon
of
one
elected, the
Spirit
is
the
witneffe,fealing this grace
to our hearts
:
As
the father
is
of-
ten
alone named in invocation,
not that the other
perfons are not tobe
prayed
unto,hut
becaufe
theSonne
is
confidered
as
the
mediator,and the
Spirit
as
the
Shoole-mafler,teaching
us
what to pray
as
we
oughr,there-
fore the Father onely
is
expreffed.
Whereforo
this benefit, being matter
ofthankefgiving, let
us
labour
to acknowledge
the
goodnefl-e
of
God
this way.
We
will thanke men,
even
for the good
meanings
and
purpofes we perceive
them
to
have
to-
ward
us,
though they
have done nothing
by
us.
When David
leaped,
rejoycing
in
fpirit before the
Arke, what
was
before him [
That
God
who
had
chofen him, bath rejected the houfe
of
Saul,
from
ruling over
his
people. How
Ihould we
rejoyce
in fpirit,
to thinke that God
hath
elected
us
to
an
eternall kingdome
t
from whichmany,noway
our
infe-
riours,are
rejeledllfany
Thew
us
common countenance
we
doe not
fo
much refpect it ;
but
if
they admit
us
into fuch peculiar favour
as
they
will
not communicatewith
any
who
are not
their belt beloved, then we
doe highly
efteeme
it
:To betaken untotheferiches of grace,
this
fo
re.
ftrainedfavour,inwhich the greateft
part
of
man-kind have no
part,how
Ihould
it affea
us
e
The
fecond
Dolrine.Whothey
are,
of
whomwe may
fay,that they
are
elect;
even
fuch,
who
havetrue
faith
and holint
ffe
: As we may know
Faith, fowe may know Election.
If
we
fee in
judgement
of
charity,
that
any