to the E PH E SI AN S. cling to that Rule, till fuch time as he applyeth Salvation to us by hisSpirit. 73 1 ~ Grace Jearefaved through Faith, faith he. Ser. XXU. ~ Take the Inftanceof1arob and Efou. God might PropheCy, as God, that there !hould be aJacoband E[a11, and that his Love !hould be upon Jacob, before he was born, before he had been conceived,he might have done it, and after he was born, ifhe lived in an unregenerateCondition,by way of Prophecy he might have faid, Jacob have I loved; yet notwithftanding ftill, ifhe will proceed as a Judg, according tothatRule which he bath fet in his Word, Jacob is not Caved till J"'ob believe. The Ground ofthis Miftake lies in this, Men do not diftinguilli between the Grace ofGod decreeing, and the Grace of God executing according to his Decree. Application is the execution of God's Decree; and as he decreed our Salvation, fo he decreed this Order and this way ofExecution. My Brethren,God doth not . fave us meerly by Predeftination, he doth not glorify us meerly by Prede!lination; would you never be otherwife glorified than now you are in God'sDecree?But he faveth us by Predellination that works Faith. BJ Graceparefoved through Faitb. The miftake lies in this, that becaufeit is out ofthat Love, and becaufe that when God begins to work, it is out ofthat Grace he choofeth, therefore they conclude there is no other Grace, there is no alteration ofthe State of a Man, when this Grace comes to apply all to him. Again, another Ground of the Miftake is this, the not confidering of this Di– fiinaion (I fpeak this to clear it as far as I am able, though I £hall do it largely) it proceedeth, I fay, from the Ignorance of this Dillinaion, That firft there are immanent Acts which lie in God's Breaft, as we call them abiding in him– felf; the Lordl{nowethwho are hw, and this is called the Foundation of the Lord; which hepurpofed in himfelf. And then fecondly, There are AC'cs which though they do refide in God's Breaft, or account of his Act, wherein yet he doth pro– ceed by a Rule external ; as he is a Judg,as now to give us the Right ofSalvation, ofHeaven, and Glory, and Happinefs, and to acquit us from Condemnation, it is an A&. meerly in God's Breaft, and confifts in his Account, yet fo as withal; it is an A&. relating to an external Rule, given forth by which he cloth this, for it is an A&. in whlch he doth go by, a Rule which he bath fet in his Word. But then t!nrdly, There are Acts ofGod (which are out ofthefameLove that both thefe) and yet they work fomewhat in us, as Glorification, and Sanctification. Now to me here lies the pure and true Miftake,that Men do no.t dillinguilli between thofe Afu that are purely in God's Breaft as God, known to himfelf; and thofe which though they arein his own Breaft, and work nothing in us, as Juftification and A– doption do not, limply confidered, they are Acts towards us indeed, but are not Afu in IJS, but in God ouly, yet they relate to an external Rule, they are in God as a Judg: and upon that refpeB: there is fome legal All: paffeth in our Hearts uE– on which the Lord doth as a Judge acquit us. Of which by and by. And fo much now for the clearing ofthat, B,Grace (in this Sence) Je are faved, · ofwhich I have given you my Thoughts briefly. Now then to proceed. 'BJ Grace1e are fa'lJed, through Faith. I . What is the Reafon that God when he came to apply Salvation to us, chofe out Faith ? , I £hall ouly mention the Reafons in the Text. I. Becaufe there isa fpecial Simpathy between Faith and Free Grace; fo as that Faith and Faith only will give Free Grace all its Due and Honour. So that ifthe Holy Ghoftmull have a Work upon us, by which we mull be Caved, that he may have the Glory ofSalvation as well as Chrift andthe Father,there could be nothingelfe cbofen but Faith. I !hewed you this in the !aftDifcourfe. You have *pp it
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