-------------~--~~~~-------------- 1 3o Of EM/ion. ~namely, as a Redeemer, John 3· 16. and 1 .7obtt 4 .10. Herein u lovt, 11et that BooK Ill. «Je loved GC'D, bttt that he loved Uf, cmdjtttl hu Sotllo /;e the Prop11i,t 1011 ~for our fins. And herein the !lrength andfirm~tefs of that fir!\ Act of Election appeared, and !hewed, that God was fo refolute therein, that nothing could d1lfolve or alter it, And thus by this order of Decrees (which in tbe lorlner Tteatife we fhewed) and by this Second Act, the Grace of Election comes to be the more magnifiecl. 2ly, Thot together with this New ActOrdaining to thefe means;there was a dc~ial of giving the fame unro the ( Rtj/] to whom he had alfo denied Glory a[6re in that f<rfl Ad of Pretention, And this fecond Denial ofthe means to be made wirh fo manife!l a d,fference, cloth mightily enhance Electing Grace, ./11tJtl, q. 11. It" GIVEN TO10U to k11ow the M;flery ofthe Kingdom of He,>vm, /;at to thtln it is 110tgivm. And how given to them but by and from Election1 The Elee1ion o6tai11ed it [ whertaJ the rtf1 were blindrd]. As alfo Chrift, 1oh11 1o. 26. Te Believe 11ot, (which is the means to Salvation) Why l Becmt(ey are ttot ofmyShup, Namely,byElection; alfoJoh~t6. 64, 65- Btlf there are fome ofyou that Bdieve not, for Je(us knew from the 6egitmi11g, who they were that Belirved not, m1d who fbould htray him. And he faid, therefore j'aid I Wtlo you, that 110 mm1 catJ come uutome, except it wrre give11 umo him ofmy Father, compared with John •3· 18. Ijjeak not ofyou all, I know whom I have cbofm, but thAt the Smpturr mzght /;e fulfil· led, he that eateth bread wzth mf, bath lzft tip ht< heel agaittjl me. Where the Reafon of giving Faith is plainly refolved i11to Elel1io11 (and is not chofen unto Apoftle!hip, that is there meant but unto Salvation before the World) and exemplified in the infiance o'f1ud<U there brought, as alfo of thofe others fpo- •. ken of in that 6th. of'job11, which enjoyed the beft and moft powerful outward means ( Chtif\s Miniftry) that ever was or !hall be; but it was EleC1io11 that put the difference, by which they were made Chrifls Sheep Originally, and which Ordained io give the other Apo{\Jes faving and effectual inward meam, and workings of Grace over and above thofc outward means vou<h· fufed, And this is amplified as the former was by this, that as in the firft Act of E– Jection, thoughGod gave that Holinefs that was by Creation, due, or to be due unto thofe of A d11ms Pofterity, fuppofe he had Propagated, whom yet he had den!ed that Supream Glory unto; or did Ordain that Creation Holinefs to be a means to that Glory: So here with this fecond Decree ofhis Elect to jav i11g tnemJS. God indeed anfwero.bly ordains to give the beft ofgood things that in this World men are capable of, unto many ofthofe [the Refl] wh .ch are yet lhort o( true Faith and Grace. He gives them Spiritual gifts, unto the Re· ·beUious alfo, as he fays in the Pfalmifl, Etdightnings, Tajlings of the 'Pow· t>'S oft he World to come, "hich are given indeed, that men mzght 6t (avd, as Chrillfpeaks ofhis Preaching, which are an outward means to Salvation, 9ohn 6. That is, Tbtj•havr a tmdmcy to Salvation ; Even as Chrift's Mini– i\ ry (as himfdfwirnell'eth) tended t'o the Salvation of them that heard thofe t hings. I jpeak ( fays Chrift) Tbatyotl might /;e favrd,- but yet they have 1101 J,JlValtOil ill them, or accompanying tr,em, and annext to them, QS Hrb. 6. 4, )·and 9th. compared, true Grace is fa id to have: .~nd G 0 D doth this, to illuf\rate by this d,fference, h1s Ekctmg Grace 10 giVIng favwg means unto his Chofen. 3 1y. Let us compare the Grounds ofthofe Al1s themfelves, viz. The De– cree to givetffectual means to the one, and the den~althereofto the other, let 115 compare I fay thefe two together,and fuch a difference appears, the Grounds or foundations ofdoing the one, tnd the other, as will ferve greatly, yet more to inhanee the Grace of God·in this Act ofEiedion to the means through that comparifon of thofe feveral grounds. The Foundation of his Decreeing his Elect to thofe effectual means, proves !\ill to be as pure an Ad ofDominion, and fo ~ut of meer Love, and Gra~e, as much as was the former Ad of Elee1ion to thtE,d,and with Q fuper·addrtwn of mercy ro·ir, yea, and further degree of Dominion exercifed therein; whereas on the other hand, the ground of his demal of thofe means to the other confidered
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