Of E le flior;. And hereby thou ma) (\Adore the conflancy of Gods Love, a11d tbefirmnefs ~......,-,. cj b 1 s pttrpofe, <~Ccordmg to Eld!Jo11, as the Apofllesfpeech imports, Rom, 9· Chap. 5· 11. ' f!S likc·l' 1/ a Pnnce havwg (as fame have letgncd ) had wheo young, ._---v---..J a forelight tO a Dream, of a great Bcamy as then unborn, il10uld be fofet and !ixt in Love till o iter,that ol though when grown up,hc hath a thoubnd greater Beau lies ')t rhap~ lMpafs a(ore him at fundry times, yet tS !Oconllam in his pur~ pofe to tl;e Pcdon wlw(e Idea he had taken in, and refolvcd to ma l;e his S~oufe to long ofore, as he rcluleth thrm, and lla) s11lllhc IS both born, and grown up M trrt~ablc for him: And by this Stmilitude ( m(IIIJg o(j"wb,Jt rifter tbe m.m.. 11er of rnm1, was robe fuppofed to make up the Paroblc, and for the impertc. ltion rhereof, mu(\ not be appl ied to God) l ou may help you r conceptions alfo of Gods love to you, who having had but the Idea and Image of you afore tbe World w .u; Y t t bore th1t enrire and indilfoluble afl'ectton to you , comparativelv to thole infinite Millions that..have been in the World, and hath fhe11 n it by ih is in refullng them, though appearing in all forts of Excellencies unto him. and 1\aying all rl11t while, rejervwg htrn{dffor )'OU, as in that fpeech; ] buve rtjerved to m.J•Jtlf &c. you have it. And referving the Inheritance ci Heavcn and Glory, likewife for )'011. VI[. Partim!.tr. There are other forts of outward Circumllances, Rela< tions, and Conditions that the Elect are placed, wherein God comes near home to you,as in nea r R.elarions,~c. rhar are more Approximate: Thotl ma) fi per• haps bdtold this much oi'dilferencing Grace, put between thee and others in thy F•thns houfc, thy own Famtly, Kmdred, thy Relations, and Companions, Piay- le llows,School-Jellows,Friends,Collegues, Fellow.Scrva nts, and muItt tude ofthe lil<cRelations---by rhe Provtdences ofGod,others have been yoa l<ed and • conjo) ned with thee,& thou with them;& by the difference< which by Election God hath pur (as in the ilfue ofmens Lives, Courfes, and Spirits, doth and may appear) between thee and them, th ou nnyfl difcern confj>icuoully Gods fpe– ctal Eletling Love that hath taken hold of thee, when not on them, they re– Jnaining fhll in Nature, or fome, yea perhaps many ofthem having dyed With· out any Evidence of a Saving Work upon them, and fo in their fins. That infinite tove of God to thee, hath calt abottt and contrived all fort< of wa) >(a nd even by fuch ways as thefe) ro m>ke endeormcnrs of it ltlfunto us; and his variety oi"Wifdom, did upon the fctrefl~ht of the Fall, difpofenf mens conditions t~vcral wa) s, to rhe c11d to inhaunce 1his love to his ownby, 1(we b.1d b11t eyes to fee .ttJd tmderfl,wd; Hearts dtfpofeJ to be affedcd there– with accord lnt~lv. But )OU Wtll fJy, do.fuch (mall differences as rhefe put between men (o con– junct in ~ne and rile f.1mc Relations,or ltke Employmenr;-,l'artnerlhips, Office, (!ic. That one fl1 0"ld be taken and cho(en of God, and th' other rej!ted; have iuch fmall Circumflances as thefe, any weight or infl~encc to heighten Electing Love? Yea verily, much every way, For Evidence of which, t11ke tbe(e 111jl:mce•. ' 1. The lnflance of] rco6and E(m, M.tf. 1. 2. Tbave loved;-ou ( fays God to J(ruel, •> Verf. '· )yet w /.1)·, wbtreill ;,,,(1 tbouloved us "! Do you fay f~,fa)' God? n'y then I will give you a monifel\ demonf\ration ofit. Was nr-t E(.m .7•JCob's Brother, faith the L0 R D? yet I loved .f;~co6 and hated E– Jt~~t; tilus fpeai<S God aga in. This fo near relation of b<ing Brethren, al– though but an outward rehtion, yet ferved wonderfully to enhaunce "nd· mtke apparent the G"ce fhewn ro 'f,,co6 through (o vaf\ ad fference: Yea , and the .grearer 1urzrne{S of the circumllanCes here were in thar conjunCfon, proporttonably the love appeared; and. fo by the Idee reafon proportionabfy in other relartons that are more far of. This infia nce the Apof\le cPm!l takes the adva!l tageof, and improves it to this very purpo(e I now infll\ on, applying JC to Electton and Rejedion, Rorn. 9· ( for thereof he plainly treats iri<h•t Chapter)Ver{. t o,Jt,I2,I l· And hisinflance isfofull tomvpurp'fc asno– thing can be fuller~ and he accordingly preOcth it. Thefe Two .1acob and Efrm were not half Brothers only, as ljbmrul and ljtldc, whom he had fpokcn· X of
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