W111100 4. 216 O f the meanes uhereby roe maybe4fj"uredofour ele&boss: flinating,and decreeing that we ¡hall be faued, yet we may plainelie fee apparant feales and imprefflons hereof in our felues,liuel"ie refembling that which is fecret inGods hidden counfell ; and as we not feting the Peale which maketh the itnprefiîon,doeeafilydifcerne the forme,fafhion, &quantity thereofby the print which it bathmade fo weenot feting Godsfecret decree of predeflination, maynotwithflanding attaine to the euident knowledge thereof,by that impref1ìon which it maketh invs. This alto may further be ilIuflratedbya familiar fimilitudc; namely,as the funne íhining vponvs withhis bright beames, doth imprint as it, were inour eies the image of hislight, wherebywee fee thefunneand the light thereof(thebeames ofthe..fannewhich arecall vpon vs, being refleóled backe a- gaine-to thefunne it felfe;) fo the foreknowledge ofGod wherebyhe bathdecreed thatwe ¡ball befaued beforeall e- ternitie, is fecret in itfelfe,foywe cannot fee,nor vnderfland it direalie, butyet whilefl Goddothacknowledge vs for his ele6l, heedoth expreffe the image and forme_ofthis his fore- knowledge in thofèwhomhehath ele&ed, whereby we doe alloacknowledge him our gracious Godwho bathele6 ed vs;and fo it cotnmeth to paflè that bythe true knowledgeof Gód,w.hich is communicatedvntovs,wherebywe- acknow- lcdge.himfor our Godand father; wee alto know his fore- k-nowledge,wherebÿhe:knoweth andacknowledgeth vs for hisTonnes and children. For firfl Godknowethvs, and then by the light.ofthis.knowledge communicatedvetovs,he in- lightneth our heartswith the trueknowledge ofhimfelfe,as the-fitn firfl inlightneth our eies,and by this lightwe fee the funne it felfe.And this-our Sauiour Chrifl intimateth,Ioh.io. i4..where firfl he.faith he hnoveth hidfheepe,& then headdeth that he is aíro k zorrne of them. As though he fhuld fay,whilefl Iknow andacknowledge them for my fleep,hereb-y I bring to paffe that they in like manor by the participati 6 ofthis my light andknowledge,doe acknowledgeme for their true pa- flor.Iftherforewe knowandacknowledgeGód,for our gra tious God&louing father inChrifl,it is a moil certain figne; that he alto byhis foreknowledge, doth know and acknow- ledge ys for his people and children,fl t ifwe remaine inout lgnorancea
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