•44 Of Elellion. ---------:-----:-----:------------------ ~ lechon, to take their view unto that whole fucceiTion and multi rude of Men,and B 0 oK Ill. for fo many Ages, during which Popery was to continue, and compare in them– ~ (elves ( though bur a particulu comparifon) with the condition thcfe Gcnerotions were to be left unto by Gods ju!l preordination; to magnifie that love of God to them fdves, as illu!lrated b) all that unrighteoufnels and infidelity, fo great a multitude for fo long a continuance lhould be given up unto.--– Thus cloth he propofe this v<ry Comparative to heighten this love of Gods and their thankfullnefs for Elellion. In, Rw. q. 7, 8. the Holy Gho!l make; the fameCI)mpari fon indeed between a few EleCt, and the others of all Na– tions , Tongues, Kindreds; yea, in a manner all that dwell on the Earth that wodhipped the Bea!l ; and on the other hand, a few EleCl:, that lhould not be deceived by htm; whtch he doth to greaten the fame love ot Election. Thus exprdlyVerj. 8. And allth,ll dwell ttpo1J the Earth/halt worjhip him, whoje twmes art not writtm i11 the Book of Lzfe of the Lamb, fo•i11from the Fmm– d,llioiJ of tht World. There is this fmall difference between thefe two Com. paratives in thefc two Scriptures, both of which yet remain full to this pur– pofe we have in hand; that That in the Reve/atio'l concerned, and was fpo· ken of thofc Elect, who fhould live in thofe very Ages, wherein Popery and Anti-Chri!lianifm lhould Reign, and be in its Ruff, who lhould be then alive, and fee with their Eyes all the whole World ~c.worlhipping the Bea!l (who is the fame Man of fin in the Thej[alot~iarts)that fo they mrght adore and worlhip God and the Lamb for their Elellion out of the re!\ of the W,•rld, with whom they then lived: And with the highe!l Admiration attribute their prefervation from that Idolatrous Worlhip, unto their having been written in the Lambs Book, and Glorifie God. Whereas thefe Thrjfalo11irms lived in the Apofllcs times, when that Miilery began but to work in 1-Jerclies rbat were the lore- . runners of that Apo!lafie, and as fmaller Srrearns, empcy rng the miflves at !aft into that great Sea or Lake, and yet were to take to the profpeCl: of this Apo!latizing W9rld fo long afore; and yet to adore and Glorifie God, that by Election had f<cured them in their effectual )alvntion: And· this they were to do as well as thofe other EleCt, that were to ltve in thofe times, a– mong!! thofe Idolatrous Worlhippers. However, both ln!laoces ferve to our Argument in hand, viz, That this Comparative with others, ought to be made by us, both with the prefenr World, and corruption of the times and perfons we live in, and with whom we live ; •nd alfo to be intended to all Ages to come,yea and the World that /hall be to rhe End of the World; and then by like reafon, ought alfo to be improved to the like Glorifying of God for his Electing Mercies, in comparifon with his rejeCtion of Men in all Ages that are pail, lince the beginning of the World. So then this our Compora– tive !lretcheth it,felf over all times, and to take into the account the inJinire Number of Perfons that have been, are, and /hall be, whom God bath cafl off. And are accordingly bound to give thanks unto God for his Election of us, •nd not them from out of all, as we and they lay in one hrap and view afore him. And.the reafon is clear; for when God Elected thee , thc•u werr not chofen out of'the lump of this prefenr Age, but all the Sons of Adam lay afore him in a like great Level, It was free to him to have appointed then, any of the feveral ' imes they lhould live in, when he d.fpofed of their feve– ral everla!ling Conditions. He then appointed the rimes they fhould eaclt live in, fo as he might have allotted thee to havolived in any of thofe Ages, pail or to come, as eafie as the prefent time thoulivefl in : And therelore there is the fame Reafon thou lh<>uldfl fer thy [elfin this Comp·trifon with the whole Lump of Man·kind in all times, as with that with whom thou live!!. And thou ut to confider Election ro have proceeded upon the common fir!\ Level, and fo to compare thy felfwith all men that arc , or have been, and when all Mankind il1all be vifibly extant, either the Goats at the left hand, and this little Flock at the right,when with us they /hall hear that voice,ComeJ·e 8/e(fed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepartd for you {'rora the · btgi11ning of the World. To the other the contrary pronounced; 'DepartfrommeT11ever huwyott, .(\nd thereby Reprobation exprelfed in its Negative Ad of N'foo, I "tver k11ew you, as in the other fpeech declared oppoGrely )'Oil U'f" foreknow~:
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