An Expofttion of the Epiftle - - ----- ~ But why Predejliltattd [according to his pttrpoj'e,] who works alt thi11gs after Ser. xnr. the COU1ljtt of his OWII witt? There is an Opinion 10 the world , that there is a ~ twofoldP redeflitJatiou; that God dealeth with fame men according to purpofe, as he did with the Apo!Ues; converteth them wfalhbly, and they perfevere. They are, they fay , cho[~11 according t.o purpo{'e: But Others! God dealeth with them accordmg to theu works. It IS a truth, God deals with none, but according to their works; but yet he cloth not predellinnte men to be faved ac– cording to works, for ·if he did, he fuould prede~in~te them for their works. It is not therefore brought m here by way of difiwchon, to !hew that there is one predellinaticn according to works, and if you walk thus and thus, then God choofeth you to life; and another predel\ination, which is peremptory. But all the fcope of it is.this, to !hew thejlabitiey of it, to {hew that God's chooling of men is !table, and firm, and unalterable, therefore it is called predeflitJation ac· corditJg to purpofe. Forthi5,lookintoRom.9.11. (the place I quoted even now) faith he, that the Purpofe accordi11g to Eteflio11 might fltmd; that is, that it might be unalter– able; joynpurpofeand {land together. What God cloth purpo1e is immutable. 2 Cor.t.I7· faith Paut, ( who was but a Creature) I promifed(faith he) to come toyo11, to takeyotl itJ my way M I came out of MacedOtJia. Paul did not come. Whm I therefore (faith he) Will thus mi11ded, did I tife tight11e[s? Or the thi11gs that I purpofe, do I purpofe accordi11g to the.fldh; that with me there jhoutd be)'ea,yea, and nay, tzay? No, faith he, what I pttrpofr, that I wit! perform. Why will Pmtt do it? Becaufe he would have the Gofpel receive no prejudice; I preach the Truth, and I would be true of my word, therefore (faith he) if I promife a thing, and purpofe a thing, I will do it, Will Paul do thus? t~en God will do it much more, hav~ng. prede{/i11attd tu accordi11g to his. prerpofe, 1t fualllland then; th~t t~e purpoje Of God, accordmg_ to EtefliotJ, (faith he) might fla11d; fo the word IS m that Rom. g. rr. It ligndieth therefore the immutabilityof God's Counfel, tll<lt is meant by bei11g predtfli,ated according to his purpoje: I come now to the !all thing in the verfe,Whoworks att thi11gs accordit~,g to the Cormfd of his ownwitt. This is a Third thing here in the words. For.the co– herence of it, how it cometh in : It cometh in firfi, as a reafon why God had con– verted them;or rather, why their Converlion,and their Faith,and their obtaining an Inheritance, was byPredejlimztion. It is a R.eafon that will convince any man, that they having obtained a part and portion in fo great a bulinefs as Hea– ven was, having Grace wrought in their hearts, that did interell them in that Inheritance ; that it mull needs be by a fore-knowledge, by a decree of God . why? becaufe(faith he)God works att thi11gs elfe according to the cotm/el oj his •w11 wilt, therefore certainly this. The R.eafon is very llrong; he would convince them that God did work Grace in the.ir-karts as the fruit of Predefli1Jatio11·; he would convince them that God had given them Heaven, which came tothembylot; he had done it by a fet decree, from everlafiing: why '! for faith he, he works a/lthi11gsajter the cotmjft of his own wilt; he plotted every thing before-hand, therefore certainly_this; he bath done every thing advifedly, nothmg falleth out but what he had la1d the plot before. If he had a hand, faith he, in any thing, or in all things that ever he did, he mull needs have a hand in working Grace in mens hearts, for it is more than all. If he bellowed any thing upon any Creature; if he bath given the Kingdoms of this World unto men, and ti.Jat he cloth according to his w10among the Inhabitants of the Earth as it is faid, 'Dan.4. then certainly, they that have the Kingdom of Heaven promifed, they have it by his decree. Here lieth the reafon, and thus he argueth; becaufe God hath an hand in alhhings, therefore he bath a hand in the Convedion of men, therefore he bath a hand in bellowing of Heaven upon men. And that is the firfi way; it cometh in as a reafon of what was faid before. It cometh in Secondly, To !hew how great a power it was that wrought Grace in their hearts,and how much God's heart was in it when he did it. He hath !hew– ed as much power, faith he, in working Grace in your hearts, as in working all things elfe; his heart is as much in this thing,as in doing all things elfe; he (loth put them altogether you fee. How
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