1 :2 4 Of EleElion. --~------~--~--~ ~ BooKI!L IJV"'o.) CHAP. II. The lnfinity_of Gr~ce i~ God's EleGling m , difi:overed by a Comparifon of tt With the other AU of Reprobation. The vaft Dijp.trity between EleElion and the Groundr, and ~!Jue thereof, and tke AEl of RejeElion of others, and the GroundJ and I!Jue thereof I Can put the Dottrine of the foregon Difcourfe unto no better tife than an Exaltation of the Grace, and love of God towards his, in his De– crees of Elecbon, both 1. To the End, as of them confider'd unfaln • and 2. To the Means, confidering them as fain, by and through ; Comparative made of thefe his Decrees of EleClion, with thofe Para!· !elly oppofite of his denials of thole, both End and Means unto others; which fo vaflly differing Comparifon between the one and the other, the called E– lect of God are deeply to confider to the End,the more to adore the furpaJiing Grace of God towards them. And that this .high Duty is due from us up3n the account of this difference and difcrimination that Electing Grace bath made, I /hall inflfl but upon one grand Example, that of Chrifl himfelf on our behalf. We find our Lord blef– fing his Father on our behalf upon this Comparative Account , Matth. 1 1. 2 ;, 26. Jefur {<tid, I thank thee, 0 F<>ther, Lord of Heavm atJd EtJrth; becau[~ zhou hafl hidthefet~iugs from the. wi{e and prudent, mid ha{/ revealed them U1Jto Bct6N; Even jo F:1ther, for {o :t fumed good 111 thy fight. In which pa!fage obferve, 1. That God's good pleafure in putting this difference between his Elect and othrrs, is here the fubjeCl: matter of his Speech. 2. That Chrifi, the Natural Son of his Father, and fo privy to his fecret Counfels, touching thefe Difpofements, doth refl and acquiefce in his Fathers Brug<afisin good pleafure, which with an Emphafis Brugenjis hnth obferved out of thefe Verba. words, N"' an"nip, which we TranUa.te [Eve1J fo J but he renders it, Refll 0 Pater, Thou hcl(f done nghtly, 0 Father, iu fo doing : So in the higiJ£fl mea– fure approving it. 3· That he allcdgeth no other reafon for this difference, but only his Fathers good pltafure, and refolvcth all into that he fpeaks not, ~a >·atiOfJ~ Ejus lmpl"i- placuit, upon that R.eafon it pleafeth his Father, but only that it pleafed him; ""'.1'~ miUr and therefore only allcdgeth it, becaufc 'ti• that which fl10uld fi!ence all. ;;;;;,~~;~:m· 4 That which is fpecial to ml: purpofe is, that That he not limply approves Brug<afis ibi- of thiS, but lingularly ble!feth h1s Father for 1t; and that not only or mecrly d<m. hecaufe he had revealed the(e thmgs to his babes, but comparatively alfo; ferring before it, and together with it, his having hzd thrfe things, which are the Means of faving men. from the w:Jt andpmdmt. Father, I thank thu, that thou hcljl hid them, ~c. which he mentions as that whereby his Father's love was magnified the more unto his Elect, in w~om his good pleafure was pitched; and Chnfl was moved to do this? they bemg thofe he loved fo much, having been given him by the Faher as lm Sheep to dye _for. . . 5'• The occafion be takes for this hts thanks, uttered m thts Comparauve, was the hardnefs of heart, and impenitency of thofe many Cities he had preached to, Vcrf. 20. and efpecially of thofe wife and grf4t men that lived therein, and had been made partakers of hts Mt~tflry. And
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