Of EleEJion. I i will, Tliey Q,Jarrel with him, that he choofes the feed of A6rabam his 1"">../,_;;-i friend,as ljaiah41 ·8. But thou lfrafl art myfervallt,Jacob whom I have chojcn, Chap. r: the {red of' Abranammy friend,as rather_then,others; Wheras,it isin his Hee- ~ dom to choofe the Perfon, fo 'tis in his Power to make that Perfon his Friend, and work him fo to be. Yea, arid in this they Ci9arrel with hini, that he lhould bellow what is properly his own , which to give and communicate as a Mao picafes, is an allowed Priqciple by all the Sons of Men. Now there is nothing fd much his own as E:ledion Grate; y~a, and is purely his o""", without .ariy pretence of a duenefs upon Crea~iori or any the like Condition tram the Creatures, for, 'tis the be{iowing hiinfelf, It iS to adinii them io fee his Face Immediately, which Eledion Grace ends in , and Creation Grace reached not Unto. Now the Promife made to Adam,'tis to carry the will ofa Creature on invin– cibly to love himfdf, who hath an overcoming fwectnefs and goodnefs in him– felf, when he fiJall but mar.ilefi it to the, Creature invincibly to perfwadc it Omni potente {uavitalf, as A•if/i1ls word is, This fupercreation Grace is mofi properly his own Riches, aod called the Riches of bu Gn1ce, To give Holinefs 10 Adam, was a Creation due: But togiveGrace and Glory, which Eledion doth, this was a fupercreation Grace to Adam, as it was to the An· gels. Our Saviour Chrill enfi:>rceth that Maxim that is fo common amongft men , Mat. 2). r). Sha/Jnot a M,m do what hr wtlt w•th hu own? Now this Grace was.fo his own; as no Creature could lay claim to it. As in ihe City frtedoms, one third ofa Man's Eftate, his Wife may claim; another third his Children; but they have referved a Liberty, that one third part is fo 'their own, as to be((owjt where they pleale; and in this Cafe your felves would think riiuch to be deprived of this Priviledge, or that Laws mua be fet you , how you mu!\ bellow that third_part you call, appropriativcly, your own. -Now is not Gods Gr~ce Gods own? Why is it called free? .~s the lfratitr Li– mited the Holyo11e Of ljrart, fo thcfe would do the Gracious One of !{rat!. Well, but the iniquity of thefe !lay not here. For the fake of whom is it that they do this? It were well, if out of fuch a Commiferation to the Na– ture of Mankind in General, "'Paut profelfes he had for his own rlcOJ, That he was in continual farrow of heart for them. It were well, I fay, if out of fuch a Commiferation, they did the like. And yet Paul wholly fubmits it to Gods Will. But it is to fer up again!\ Gods Free-will Grace, (which is the Fountain of this Eledioo ) tl1at other fluid, fickle, yea, and corrupt Principle in the Heart of Man, and that is the Frerdomof Mans wiiJ, and that as now fal'o; And to preferve the Liberty thereof ( forfooth, ) and that that may be no way entrenched upon, They would deprive God of the Liberty of his Will and the Dominion th.!:reof, and alfo of a Power invincible to work uponman; Will infallibly : As if that God .had made a Creature which he could not Rule: Whereby they put God into 'Darf11• his ftreights, that he lhould all the days of a Mans life, llrive with a man to fa ve him, yet fo as mans Will rnay ea(\ itotherways, and he cannot help it, buc rnua fubmit to Man: And they frame fuch a model and way to Salvation, as lhall be proportion'd ro that Freedom of Man's Will, and unto fuch a kind of Freedom of a Man's Will, that he may do , or not do, when God bath done all: And that this is the Opinion they have fet up againft Elcdion, and the grourid of the quar– rel all Ages Te!l:fie. c 1. CHAp,
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