Of Ele8ion. Bur it maybe f<~d,( which alto the RommuflsObjed;) That 10 Chap, 7·'· ~ .when God did put N.l<lb 10to tne Ark, Hefwd. come Tbo" imo the Ark, fur <::i"P· 4•– Tbu hJVe JjfnJrJghttottj1tt{s ojoremei11thu Gnuraliott, ~ I Anfwer: That the pcrlormance of Promifes, when they are to comet? execution, do require fuch, and fuch qualifications m the Perfons, ro whom they are performed ; when) et the Decree, and purpofe ofthofc Promifes, and the mal<ing of thofe Promifes depend wholly and Immediately upon Gods Grace, as the Spring and Fountain of them: Thus Heaven, and Glory, as t~cy are in Gods purpofe deligned, are meerly ol Grace: When yet God executive· ly befiows them not, nor brings us to Salvation, by, oAd through Faith, and HolincE: As 2 Tbef[. 2. 'l· Godbathcbu{en;-outo J:,tv.ltion, tbr011gb S.w– tJ,fic,IIIOnolthe Sp1nt, aftd 6rtufof 1be trtttb, Now obfervc how this wa_s fpoken of Noab, when the thing came robe done, and he was to !et his foot in10 the Ark. And it comes in order after the declaratiOn which Gods Grace utters of his Counfel,and purpofe, which we read in the aforefaid Chap. 6. 8. and 1 8. God conlidered not NO!Jhs being fir{\ Righteous, ere he did call: his Grace upon htm, and thereupon did it. T "e ltke language unto this of Gods to Noab, will Chri{\ ufc to h s Samts, when they are at latter day to enter into Heaven: But /hewing withal, how his Grace hath put a d,ffcrence between them and others, and had made them meet for that Inheritance, Mutt. ~5'- 34, 3\"· ComfyebttffidofmyFather; ·,,bent the Kmgdomprrparedlor,·oufrom the jormdnt1o11 ofthe World; for I was tm hrmgaul, a11dyr g•ve me meut, , I wM tbirf/;•, tl!Jd)•egave me dri11k, 1waJ tZ/lrtinga, and)t tuuk me ill: So tirfi, and it imports God the Fathers /lr{\ chufing of them, to have been the caufe of all they Inherit. For any man tO Interpret the Abfolutcne{s ofthe Covenant to be, That God Caves men abfolutely without any reqtlilite qualifications wrought in them, is manifefily to call: a reproath upon the Grace of God it fclfin the DoCtrine of it: Whil{\ it is pro:dfed that hi• Grace Covenariteth to work in them, and ac· cordingly worketh botl1 the Wtll, and t he Deed, according to hisgood plea– fure, where he means to fave, and never faved ony wiihout t ncy be wrought in them : Nor doth that Dodrioe, (ifnor perverted by mens prcfumtuoufnef,) incouragc r:Icn to ufe no endeavours, becaufe God Covenants to work All: For God, when he will fave, fctteth mens Wtll awork, to ufc all endeavours in a fubordination to his Grace, as in that Exhortation you find it, Work out ''Ot<r S.rlvat1o11, for Jt u God works thr WrU, m1d the 'Dud, yet {\,lJ, accord· mg to hu goodple:r(zrre: And this abfolutencfs ot Eled:mg Grace, the Apo1\lc fets forth, Rom. 9· It u 110t o(hrm tb.1t wrU.r, 11or o(h1m thqt rtms, that ufeth means, and endeavours, lmt ol Godth,;tjbrwerh mercy: Yet without mens willing, and running, ( fuch as wherewith fouls truil not therein, or think to obtain by their endeavours;) God that iheweth mercy faveth no man; yea, thews his mercy in caufing fo tO will, and to run, as to obtairi. Ac– cordmg to his al!tmdammercJ be begellflh:u, ' Pet, 1 1. l· Hethews t he mer– cy in worl<ing that; •nd being favmgly wrought ori, keeps us through the fame mercy, fo fays my Text here in lfai. M)' landne(s JbaU 110t depnrt lrom thee, 11or thrCovnumt of my Peace be remoVfd, f.•ithtbe Lord tint h:;th mer– ry 011 thee. . Nor indeed_ are thofe we call conditions ofthe Covenant on our part, as be– hcvmg on Chnfi, turning from lin, other than nccdTary means ofbeing made partakers of Cltri{\, and Salvation : As if one lhould fay to an hungry man, there IS meat whrch /hall be yourss, to live bv it, if you will eat it arid dige{\ it, elfe not; In th.s cafe who wilr fay this is barely a Condition, for it is the ve– r y partaking cf the meat it felf, whereby a man makes it his own. So for a Fatlrer to fay to one he beflows his Daughter upon in Marriage, Lo, fhe is your W1fe, take her, and Mmy her· This is ont a condition of her being his Wi le as external to it, but it is that 'very intrinlical and e!fenttal Ad, wlwrebv fh~ becomes lm, and he her Husband : Take the in{\ance in hand , NooJhs prepa· nng the Ark , and his enrring intn it to befaved, are not fo proper!y to be !li– led condi.I:ions which God took from bim, and fo thereupon to fave h;m; But they were oece[ary means for Nouh 10 fave him!Cll : Yea, his emring into tl:e K Ark,
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