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P,,eroienda
neez
erd:, net
qt.efcetdo
con-
ferrremtr.
Virtrea!i
eoMi-
nent
ia.
Aflta(i
yt
eXeeaiia.
ephejians,Chap.i.
V
E
R.
4.
fin
forefeene, and by confequent
all
in
him
;
But
Chrift
is
fo
foreknown
and
eledled, Ergo.
I
fhould
deny
the
firft part
of
this reafon; for
I
fee
not why God
fhould
not
choofe
and
predestinate him
who
fhould fave his
chofen from
fin,
before he decreed
or ordered that they
fhould
fall into
fin :
It
is
no
ill
providence
toprepare my
falve
before
I
will
let my childe cut
him
-
felfe.
But
Come
may
fay
;
If
God doe
firft
appoint
Chrift to
redeeme from
fin,
then
he muff
procure the being
of
fin, and fo be
the author
of
fin
:
Befide
that,
this were nothing but to break ones head,
that
I may after
heale it.
To
this
I
fay,
that
it is
good that
fin
fhould be, (as L4ugufline
faith
)
and
that
which
is
good,
fo far
as
it
is
good, God
may
efiräu-
ally procure
it.
He
is
laid
to
be
the Author
of
thofe things which
he
commandeth,
and
worketh, movingthe heart
by habits
which
him
-
fell
infufeth
,
Ergo,
cannot
be
faid
to
be the
Author
of
fin.
If
a
man
make
a
gafh
to prove the
excellency
of
Come
healing
balme
:
I
fee
not
why God
may not prepare
and give
way
to the
finfull fall
of
his
creature, efp-
cially feeing he
knoweth how to mend
better
then
his
firs
making.
To
the fecond part
of
the reafon
might be
anfwered
:
that Chrift
was
not
primarily,
and
immediately chofen
and predeflinated
a
Lamb,a
Me-
diator
of
redemption, but
a
Head and
Prince
of
falvation,
who
fhould
fave all,
tothe glory
of
Grace.
Now
being chofen to this end,
he
is
by
force
of
this,
he
is
chofen upon
fin
falling
forth,to
be
a
facrifice,a
Lamb
taking
away
fin ;
for
he
who
is
chofen to the end,is chofen to the Means.
The
fecond thing hence inferred,
is
that
fore- fight
of
Faith,and per
-
feverance
in
it,
as a
neceffary
condition, before
we
can
be elected.
Such
who
are
chofen
in
chriff,
fuch
are
now
fore
-Ren
believers
when
they are
chofen,
far
none
are in Chriji
butfluch beleeve :
But
we
are
chofen
in
him,
&c.
The
firft
part
of
this reafon
is
denied,
with the proofe
of
it. There
is
a
double being
in
any thing,
the
one
in
verrue, the
other
in aC
uall exi-
fling: In the root
of
corn there
is
blade,
Bare
in
verme;
but
in
Harveft
time
the
Bare
and blade are
as
it
were aCually, having their exiflence
in
and with
the
root:
So we are
two
wayes
in
Chrifl;
Firft,
in
verrue,
inaf-
much
as
by force
of
Gods Election we
fhall in
time have
life and being
from him. Secondly, when now
by
faith we come aCually
to
exiff
in
and
with him,who
is
the root
of
us.
Now
the
firft
being
in
Chrift
requi-
reth
not faith, but the fecond
:
the
firft being here
to be underftood.
To
the fecond part
we
deny,that
this or any
Text
faith,
We
are
cha(cn
being
now
by
faith
in Chrift
;
for
this fenfe maketh
(in
chrifl) to
belong
to
the objeC
of
relation, whereas
the
fcope
of
this
place Both neceffa-
rily
make
it
belong
to the aft
of
electing
in
this manner
:
as
for example,
He hash
chofentes
in
bim, viz.
Iefna
Chrifl, my
felf
with you. Thus we
might here take occafion to
difcuffe
thefe
two
great queftions.
r.
Whether
man
as
now fallen,
be
the
fubjef ofelefion.
a.
Whether
EleCion
is
of
fuch
who are
in
Gods
forefight
faithful!.
But