Of ElefJiolz. ~ 1• In Himfelf: God hath not call offhis People, for I al(o a1n an l(raelite • Chap. '· fo EliM had inHanced in Himfelf alone, Ver{: ~· I am left alo11e: Which ~ iliews • it there had been but one Ifraelite that had believed in Cluifl , it had folved'rhe Cavil. 2 • El/44 makes Intercellion againU lfrael : They have kiltedthy Prophrts; and diggetl dow1l thi11e Alt,Jrs, andthry. feek my. ltje : And fo now mi,ghc Part! have faid in hke manner m hts t1mes; That Jus Countreymen, the Jews; had Hirred up Perfecution every where; Their weat bufinefs was to go about to throw down the Churches ; and fought Jus Life above All others: Ot wh1ch you may read in the Story of the Affs, and in the Epi!lles Sum'd up 1 Thejf. 2.1), !6; . ' . .. ' . ~·It was Eled10n made the differencemMens Spmts then and now; whtch Eled:ion of thofe in E!ials time,is exprelfed by this,!have rrferved to my{elf, fays Ood , Ver[. 4· [Ihav_e left] As the words of God ar~ in th~ Hory of the Kings, Anfwerably Eled:ton that now was m Paul's time, he calls them Atfo!J.tc, or ".,;~o.uq.ut., a rtmnant, a rejidue; or rejtrve; the word referved inVerf. 4· anfwering to Ai"f'• in the Fifth, 4· They are parallel I11 thefew~efr. Th~re were then but 7ooo, and now lri P aul'Hime not many thou{ands mcompanfon:For although at fir(! there was a great llulh, and that ( Ads 1.1. 20,) the· Brethren of Jerujalem fay unto t'aut, 1hou fee{/, Brother, ho'lb ma11y thoufand of thr Jews whtch Be· lieve; yet afterwards, there was an Ebb, both in a Celfatibn of any more being Convewd , as alfo by fo great an Apofia'cy of many that had profelleq Chrilt: As it was evident to Paut, Gcd had cafi off the generality of that Nation, · But the main thing I obferve in the forte of this word ;.•.,...~,; It irn: ports, fir(!, A laying hold on fome, when all were going; and they are therefore faid fo to be referved; as things that are left, when others ore gone. And of thofe that he Elected, he fays., that he rejerved them to himfeif; oppofitely, the other, he left themgo where they would: f:Ie let themgo after Baat: He fuffered them to walk tn thnr ow11 ways, as tn Affs 14. 16. Hie left them to their ownCotm[ets, Pfal. 81.11. He left them to themfelves: But, fays God, thofel referve for my felf. . And this exprelfes the Grand end of Eled:ion, with difference from what becomes of others. Eled:ion is a refervati<ln unto God ; it's his own rrjrrvi11g Perfons for himfelf: They have the whole of. him; all the Love, all the ~I er: fednefs he bath, they have among them. It's nor only he choofes thef!l from within himfelf, as having no Motive out ofhiinfelf,why he lhould do it;(There– fore it's faid of Ele810n, whtch he pttrpofed in htmfetj:) But further, it is for himfdf, he referves htmfelf tor them, and referves them Jot him~ felf. t. And therefore it is as grand anEvicjerice, as any oiher, that ihou are E– led:ed, if thou fequefirefi thy fd funto God, and choofefi him fot himfelf; and fayfi of him, M;y Lotufallmitt ti goodGround; tbe Lord u myPortto~tJays my Soul. 2. Let the Saints therefore not live .to themlelves: We live not io our [elves, nor dye to our felves 1 butto the Lord: For we are God's; referved by Election, ~· Let men take heed how th~y me.c;ldle wiih the Saints; they are God's, teferved for bimfeif, fays Vavid to Sdtit's Courtiets arrd his own Enemies/ know that God bath chofen the man that is Godly ( 'David m·eaiJs himfelf) to Himjetf, and therefore take bud of wrongi1tg or "fpofilzg ofme. Pfal. 4· 4• God is engaged to carry thee on, arid to carry thee tltrough, f.>r he hath' referved thee for himfelf; Therefore he will not loofe what is ro felfl}' defign– ed and chofenlor himfelt: The Lords Portion is his people. 5· Youfeewhatkeepsmeri in evil Times, as thcfe Seveti thoufand were kept in the times of El~t~h,from the Superfiitions and Idolatries of the Times; 'it is Eled:ion. Rev. q. 8. A11d all that dwelt upon the Earth {halt worjhip' ' thl V[e.
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