Of Eleflion. 1 therefore Secondly come to a comparifon of the Acts of E!effi,-n and Re- ~ prob<1tio11,as they were framed for and refpected mans Fain Condition. . ~ Now tins firfl purpofc unto tillS ulumate end, though I! !land firm, yet it cannot brin<> unto that Glory, but by new Means, and fuch as mull be fuit– cd to bring fi~ners to God. And hereupon that firfl Decree to Glory out of Abi<>IU<e Dominton, w1ll not now fervc the turn: For Without Faith and Ho– li11e{-i11omancanple<~(eorire God: And withourthefe God fiood as peremp– torily rclolved none f110uld fee Ius Face, as he d1d ro that other, to bnng us to that Glory: AQd therefore a Decree of thefe new Means are necc!Tanly required. For though God lhould have taken (as he might) his Elect, by the firfl Decree, immediately out of that State of Creation, with that holinefs they were made in unto that fupream Glory, yet that holinefs then, though perfect in 11s kmd, was never ordamed as a means to that Glory, vrz.the Kwgdom of _the Father, as Faith on Chrifland Holinefs flowing from thence now are: For that •ny thing fhould be a means unto Glory, depended upon :m ordination of God and an ordering of one for the other, And this ultimate Glory theKingdom ofthe F,,thtr,& God 6ei11t, aU itJa!J,I)JOuld never have gone by Works only, which was Adam's Covenant; So that if we f110u!d fuppofe that ael of his Grace had purpofes and ordained to take up thefe his Elect unto Glory, out of that Stare ofHolinefs by Creation, (fuppofing Adam alfo nor to have faln, but to have propagated that Holinefs to his Poflerity) yet the Ho– linels ol that Covenant had not been an influential Means to t hat Glory,but was thus far, and upon this account necelfary, vet indeed it mufl have been con – tinued ; For if it had not, then Guilt had arifen, and fo a Barr unto that Glo– ry; fo that indeed it was a requifite, fine quo non, but not a Means of influence by that Covenant , no more than Creation it felf was. Well, but now upon t he Fall, there is an Abfolute Bar to Glory, the Elect are fain into the Deme– 'rit of rhe Contrary , of Hell and Damnation, as well as thole others which the Scripture calls the Reil or the Refu(<d. Hence therefore, if t i>e Eleel be brought to Glory, confidered as fain, there mufl be New 'Decreer of Merms in order to that end: Chrifi m ufi becm;ne a _ Redeemer, a Redeemer from fin, to remove that Demerit ; and then on our part, Faith on him, nod Repentance for fin (in which two our caUing conf1fls) are ordained to be given them to bring them to Salvation. Wh~:n thole means came to be Decreed, it will be tryed whether his firfl purpofe of o>·d,zi11i11g the Elect to Glory be firm or no. ln the Apoflles words, Rom. 9• 1 t. Now when they are confid"red as faln,whether God will now in this necel- · fity (as abfolute as the former) further fbew forth his Love in giving Chril\ , as • Redeemer, and d1eCtual callipg to you, not at all, proceeding therein by works whicl1 our firfl Creation Covenant proceeds by. And if lain man would have attempted to perform, he could never have obtained at God's Hands, to call or work Repentance in them. Now as to the magnifyi ng God's Grace in bis ordaining to give his Elect thofe newMemu, alter the Fall, thefe t"'ngs may be confidered. I. When the Decree of thofe meam lbould come to be made, rhere was and mull have been a New or Second Election, or renewal of that (irj/ Aff ofOr– dammg to the End: A< often after the m1fcarnages of the Eled, the Scripture fpeaks, lfmah 1 4• L For the Lord wi/J have mercy ttpon Jacob a11dwi/J [yet J cbu(e Ifrael. And as fort he thing it felf, it's no abfurdity to fay, that God in continuance renews his Acts of Election every moment; bur here there was a ncceffity of it, a necellity at leafl ofanother ACl to be added to thefirj/, Name– ly, th,Jt wh1ch _Divines moi\l v appropriate the word Predejli11atiotJ unto, as they diflmgmfh tt from Election fimply conGdered,which, fay they,more or– dinarily imports barely a choice unto the End ; But Predef/rnation to be alf ordaining o{ mnms, and through thefe means unto the End. Andtherefore now there needed a new further extent ofLove and Mercy, not onfy to conti– nue his refolution to Love, notwithflanding the Fall, but to contrive the mean$ ofcarrying them through to Glory notwithflanding that Fall. And upon and for this ACl: it is, ond upon occafion ofit, that the Scripture fo celebrates the Love of GOD. GO'D folowdtheWortd, M hegavehu 011h 6egotten So~>~; S name~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=