Of Eletlion. As for the Particular Analogies between Noab's lirlt Covenant tor his Salva-~- tion in the Waters; and this of our Salvation at fidt . . . ~ 1 • As that was made in order, NMh's firft Covenant, f!Sc. fo this initial Salvation is alfo the firft, and foundation for Perfeverance. 2 • We may be certain that our firfi initial Salvation was Typified our ~y Noah's firft Covenant: For the Holy Ghofi fo applies it, 1 Pet. 3· 20, 2t. No· ab was faved in the Waters, which is a Ftgttreof our Baptifm, which now faves us. Now Baprifm is firfi the Sacrament which Seals up initial Salvation; our being pur into Chrifi, and boro again ; And Seals up ~t)e whole of Salvati– on as in the right rher~of unto us. And mofi pertinently doth the Apoftle . m:ke Noah's waters the Figure: For as .Ai,f<»orthharh fully; .though brie(ly 'f:'r"';~•~·F .expreffed it,Noah WM 6apttzed into Chriffs death a11d lmriat, (in the .Ark,) ~c'dtn~fis ,:'' 6ut raifed up again with l·:matjo, And 3dly, how congruous a Correfpondency ond Affinity doth the firft part of rhe Covenant, for gathering his Church at firft, and calling them by Grac~.• and their firft being put into Union with Chrift ; (And this to do, is certainly the performance of his Covenant, and the firfi part tLereof alfo ;) hold with both rhefe, as the 7th Ver[e doth utter it: For a tittl• moment have I for fa– ken thee; ( and left thee to thy natural darknefs and deadnefs ;) But with great Merci•s wztt I gather thu: This denote! his firft making of the Gen– tiles his Church , and bringing of them unto, and uniting of them to his Son: For the firft and fecond Ver{•s tell us, That they had been barren, and had brought forth no Children for a long time. And as it denotes their being ga' thered our of the World, fo efpecially unto Chrift, and their Union with him: And under that word Jaco6 prophecied of him,Gtn,49·' o. V IIIo himjhalt the gatherillgh. 4· And how fitly doth Noah and his Family, their being called our from the whole World; Come thou, andall thy Houf•, intotht .Ark, (faith God;)Gen, 7· r; yea, and the Beafts, (which bear the relemblance of the foregone State· of the Gentiles that were newly gathering, made a Church unto gim; as I lhall after lhew :) gathered out of the reft, and by fpecial infiinct coming un· to Noah, and into the Ark: And how great a Correfpondency doth the work– ing by God upon Noab's Spirit upon the fore- belief ot the Flood, (and he fear· ing the wrath of God therein, prepared the Ark;) hold with the work of Converfion and gathering Souls into Chrift,whereby men favt themfelvesfroftl the reft of a froward Generatio•z, as Peter's word is, A8s 1. will afterwards be fbewn in the Ufes. And though Noah, was a godly man afore, yet that high Difpenfation of God's faving him in the Ark, was as new Converfion to him, and bore the lively Refemblance of a Souls firlt gathering to Chrift. )- And as upon his entring into the Ark, there enfued Srormund Tempells and Rains from above, and Waters from beneath; and this for fame Months; fa the time of Souls firft Converfion and gathering into Chrift, is ufually ac· companied with violent Temptations, Doubts, whether in the State of Grace or no; Fears at every caft that comes, left they lhould be overwhelmed • fplit upon Rocks, and overturned by Mountains: Which occafioneth God t~ c~y o_ur in pity to them, 0 thou affli8d, and toffid with ttmpefl: Though v1ewmg them in a fafe Condition in their Ark, Chrift: This Peter gives no– tice of to his converted Brethren, 1 Epift. Cbap. )• Vn(e 10. The God of att Gract, after )'O" have fujfered a white,makeJoupnje[!; fla6tifh,flrmgthen, fottle you. The Suffering here is not chiefly rhofe outward of Perfecutions 1 for they were_not freed from them all their Days ; but thefe were fuch as arofe from the fpCCial Malice of the Devil, who u a roaring Lion, feeking whom he maf devour, Ver[. 8. But thefe are fuch Affiillions as they are fetled agaiRft, and yet common, more or lefs, unto all Converts throughout the World, V•rf. 9· after theit Convcrfion, and whilft they are weak: The Hlue of which is fame better f\rcngth and reft unto their Soul<. Thefe P.rallels you fee between Noah and his firft Covenant and Salvatioll', l§c. and our fie(! gathering, f!Sc. in the 7th Verfe. I :z, As
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