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Of

the

manes

whereby txe

may

bea

fared

of

our

eleCti

nt.

2

31

al his

children,which though it be

the

Iafl in

nature

and

next

vnto faluation

it

felfe,

for

firfl

God

eleé}eth,and thofe

whom

he

hath

eleé}ed,in his

good

time

he

calleth,

&

whom

he cal

-

leth

thofe he iuflifieth,and

laIlly,whom he

iuf}ifieth

thole

he

fanélifieth and

faueth;yet when

we

are

to

gather

a(furance

of

our

eleótion,wee

are

not to

obferue this

order, but

to

begin

where the

Lord

endeth,and

fo

afcend from

the

lo`-v

ef}

degree

till

wee

cone

to the highefl. For

as

it

is a

foolifh

thing

fcra

man to

thinke that

he can

leap

to

the

top

oían

high ladder at

the

firf}

I

}ep,and

therfore

euery one

beginneth

with

thelotiti-

eí},and

fo

afcendeth

flep

by

()cep

til he come

to the highe(l:fo

it

is

afoolifh thing

for

aman to imagine,thathe

can

leape

in-

to

heauen,&

there fearch

the vnfearchable

counfels

ofGod,

and

fo

know whether

he

is

elected

or

no

;

but

s'e

muff

begin

at

the

loweíl

flep, namelie

our fanélifrcation which boing

at_

tained vnto,wee

may afcend

a

flep

higher

in

our

affurance,

namelie

that

we

are

i

unified, and

fo

the next,

that

Wee

are

effe&ualIie

called,&

Iaflly

to the highefl

that

we

are eled#ed.

Otherwife

ifwe

curioufly dine

into

the

bottomles

fecrets

of

Gods

counfels, wee fhall be

drowned

and

ouerwhelmed;

if

we approach vnto this vnapproachable

light,

the

eie

ofour

vnderílanding

wil

be

dazled,yea hark

blinded;ifwe

prefume

to

vnderfland beyond

fobrietie,

wee (hall

by

the iuit

indge-

ment

ofGod

be

infatuated,and thrufl our

felues

into

an

end

-

lefle

laborinth,out

of

which

we

Thal

neuer

find

way,wanting

the

line

ofGods

word to guide

vs.

And

therfore

ifwe

would

haue any

true

aflûrance

ofour

ele6iion,

we

rnuf+

examine our

felues

whether

we

be

fan6tified

;

and

if

we find

in

our

(clues

ianCtification

by the

fruites

thereof,

wee

may

vndoubtedlie

conclude

that

we are iufaified,

called,ele&ed,and

(hall

be

fa-

ued.Ifwe

walk

not

after the

flefh

but

after

the

fpirit,we may

be

allured

that

we

are

in

Chrifl

Iefus,and therfore there

is.no

condemnation

belonging

vnto

vs,

Ro.8.ì.Ifwe

bring forth

the

fruites

ofrighteotffheffe and holineffe,we

may

be

allured

that

we

are

good

trees

ofGods

ow

If

wee

bee

fruitful!

branches we

m

are

ingrafted into

the

truevine

Iefi

Seeing

then

our

fanóificatibn

a

and

faluation,

&Without

it

there

i

Thai

thole

aha

veil

beaßtdred

e

ftheir

eleéh

en

thrift

begin

their

aftbrance

at

their fat:idi-

ficauen.

Rom,

S.

t.

Matth.7.

t7.

oh.'

5,4.5.

.Sea.loe

ne

planting,

Matth..i

Z.

ay

afhuredly

know,that

e

e

rsChrii,Ioh.is'45

I

ifrrteth

vs

of

our

eled}ion

4

s

no

affurance;hat

f}ron-

Q,4

ger