An Expo(ttion of the Epiftle ~ •· The order of the Apo!\lc's ranking of it, and h1s bringing of it in, would Serm.VII. argue that he did not intend to fpeak of that acceptauon of our perfons, wh1ch ~ is a part of Jufiification. . . . For Firfi, it comes in before forg1venefs of S10s; where3s that acceptauon of our perfons unto jufiification of lile follows upon forgtvenefs, and cloth neceffanly firfi fuppofe it. . . And Secondly, it is not only mentioned before forgtvcnefs, but R.edemptton comes in between it and forgivenefs. · ·So that (I fay) I rather account it to be one fpecial act of God's ]bve done to· wards us from everlafiing, (fuch as Election and Predefimatton was.) And fo tt implieth both a third Act, and a third Bleii)ng, of the fame fort wah the two for· mer. Itis not that acceptation of us which is the fecond part of our jufiification, for that IS exprefi by an accounting us E\.tghteous 10 Chn(\ as our R.tghteoufnefs; and fame fuch thing fhould have been put 10 as the Ground of tt, but thts IS an accep· ration of our perfons in Chrifi as he is God's beloved , and limply refers thereto; and fo unto Chrill's porfon as God's beloved one.. , . . . . But then the~1ellion will be, both what d!llmct act of God s tlm 1s, dJffenng from Election and Predcfiination; and what differing blefiing it is from perfect Holinefs and Adoption unto Glory? In the firfi place, fame fay, that itimports that Love of God which was the foundation both of God's choice, and of his predei\ination ; that he h3th there– fore chofen, and prede(tinared us, becaufe he bath accepted us, (that is, fer his love upon us) in llis beloved Son. But that was fuppofed in God's choojiJJg us; for 'Dilef:fio pr1Pj11ppouitt1r ElefJi– oui, (as AqumMwell (peaks.) . Yea, and this is alfo fulliciently expreffed in the words foregoing, [To the pra1je of the glory of hu grace;] that is, of this his free love born to us. · Again, this acceptance of our perfons, is not (as hero it fucceeds,) thatlove oracceptation upon which he chafe us, but is a branch or fruit following ofit and dil\inct from the Act of his choofing us; it bath not an Identity, or famcnefs of Act with choofing us itfelf. Though it is put forth in and together with choo" ling us, yea, though it be faid to have been in the beloved [ (hnjl,] yet that firfr love that caus'd him to choofe us, and not others, was immediately carried unto us in the Act of choofing us, as unto Chrifi himfelf, and mov'd him to choofeour Ind1vidual perfons as immediately as he was mov'd to choofe Chril\ himfelf, only he was pleas'cl to choofe us in Chrifi, as afoundation or ground, which he planted us into, when he chafe us; and by choofing, or when he chafe us, he put us into Chrifi. But being thus chofen in Chrifi then, this fruit followed upon it, to ac– cept us in Chrifi as his beloved for ever after. I take it therefore not fo much to be an Antecedent love to the EleCtion of our perfons, as a confeqllentlove or complacency (as I may fo coli it,) or delighting m us, and acceptwg of us through IllS beloved, when he had chofen us in him and fetus into him ; his delight even then was with the Sons of Men, Pro, 8. I~ his fore-thoughts about them. And here I take not Antecedmt and Cou(equmt Lov~ in the Jefuitical or Ar– minia1J fenfe, whereby God fhould b~ faid to love us with fuch a Co1Jjequent Love as anfeth from a fore-light that we w1ll beheve, and fo choofeth us, and in that fenfe lbould be laid to choofe us in Chrifi. There is a twofold Love, Amor Bel , •uplaciti, and Amor complawJtit£, (an Old difiinctioo.) Firfi, a 'Love of good-will, whereby God cloth bear agood-will to us, and fo refolveth tochoofe us, and give us to Chrifr. And this is fpoken of in the for– mer verfe, [He bath chofen tts i11 him, accordi11g to the goodpleafttre of his will.] . And Secondly, there is a Love of Acceptatio1J or Complactncy; or of delight andre!\ing in what he bath done. God thereby delights himfelf in the Creature wh1ch he bath thus fet up and chofen in Chrifi, and this, from everlafiing, (as I fhalllhew you by and by.) It is called in Zeph. >· 17· a ref/illg i11 his Love, and fuppofeth Election firfi. When God hath chofen us,he takes delight in, and is infinitely well pleafed, both with this defign and conrrivement he hath towards us,
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