58 An Expojition of the Epiftle ~ And then, for tho(e p\a~es th~ are quoted to interpret it (which I before Serm.IV. mentioned,) as that in 1 Thelf.'i-9· [He hatb appomtrd res to obtam fa/vatton by ~ 011 , Lord ']efus Chri{l,] which ( fay they) is all one wrth tillS ot the Apofile here, [He hath eleded !IS in him,e!ic.] Jt is plainly not all one, and that for two Reafons: For 1 • In that place of the The[Jaloni,ms there cometh m [To obtam _ (a/vation by o~r Lord JefitS Chnjl ;] but not fo here._ Had he fatd fo here, that "[f-lehathchofenustoobtam Eleffto>J, or tobtholy wUmfl,] then I confefs tt had been plain; but he only fatth· [He bath cho(m tts w btm,] and then cometh in [that we (hottld br bo!y before him in love;] and thofe words [before the formdatio11 of tbe world]come between both. , . And then Secondly, There is a great deal of difference between Gods domg a thing i1t Umf/ and through Chnjl, ivXe<<i' and .!lhlv x.,.a,. lt is L-a11chies ob– fervat ion, That when God LS fatd to do a thmg m Ghrifl, tt ufually notes out fam e one of thofe immanmt acts of Gods towards us, that pa!\ between htm and Chrifi tor us when they were alone, before we exified ; and J<fus Chnfi w~s a common Perfon reprefenting us all, and God gave all to Chrifi for us; as tt IS faid, [The Grace that wM pvw us i11 Chnf/ before tbe world WM.] But the things that God cloth thro11gh Chrifl, (which is the Phrafe in the TbefJ•!onJ,zns) are ufually fame tranf1ent acts of Gods towards Us, or thofe things which he aCtually performeth and app\ieth to us through Chri!\, So that God _ redeemeth through ChYJfl, ju(\ifieth through Chrifl, and faveth through Chrijl; but he choo[ethinChriff. So that toChoojei11him, is not all one with that which the Apofile faith, [Ar hatb ordai11edzu to obtai11 falvatioll thro11gh Cbrijl.] S E C T I 0 N. Btit now the Q,Jefiion is, In what further fenfe we are faid t~ be Chofen in him: fo that the ACt of Choofing fhould be referred to In him, and we to be in him at our eleCtion; and what fubferviency, Chrifi confidered as 'God-Man fhould be of to the ACt itfelf of eleCting Us. ' I fhall endeavour toAnfwer to, and to explain this Fir!\, Negatively; Second– ly, Affirmatively. I will fhew you, •· What influence or fubferviency he hath not; And, 2. I will fhewyou what he hathFirfl, I will fhew you wh:lt he hath nor; He was not the Cmljt of God's eleCting us; for the Apofile in the gthverfe of this fir(\ Chapter, faith, That it was [accordi11g to the good pleajitre of his will, which he had purpofed in himfelf.] What is the caufe of all God's purpofes towards us? Himje!f. There is no other Caufe. And in the fame verfe it is alfo added, [Accordi11g to his good pleaji.re,e!ic.] God, as he is the fir!t Being, fo He and his own Will are the fir(\ Movers of hitnfdf: So that this [He choje us in Chrifl] imports not, . that J€fus Cbri(\ was the caufe of our Prede!tination (taking him as God-Man as here he is meant.) And I will give you this great Reafon for it; For he c~uld not be the ~a~fe of our Prede!\mation, who himfelf was predefiinated, In 1 Pet. 1.20. It IS plnmly fa1d of Chn(\, That he WM pre-ordai>ted before the world wMfouuded, He himfelf was chofen as well as we, therefore he could not be the caufe of our Election: And both he and we being EleCted by one fimple and entire aCt, the Predefiination therefore of one could not be the caufe of the Predefiination of the other, And as Chri!\ was not the caufe of EleCtion for the fubfiance of the ACt: fo, nor was he the caufe of it for the Perfon~ elected. Jefus Chrifi, as God-Man and Mediatour, did not choofe fo much as one Man : It was God that elected all thofe that are eleGted. Thiur they were (fays Chrifi to his Father) a11d tho11 gavejl them me, And it were a much more fond conceitto think that Qod chofe fuch to be faved, as he forefaw the Human Nature of Chnfi would love and choofe. This were to make the Di– vine Will conformed to that of the Human Nature; whereas 11ct "iY will, but thi11e he done, faid Chri!t unto God the Father. This therefore is not the meaning, that Chrifi as God-Man is the caufe of the Act. of our EleCl.ion as it was in God. Second/;·,
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