Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

Of Eleelion. Ob! 0!_;ntum tt~rbarmn peper~t !ih~ttmarbitrittm i11Ecc!ejia: fjtUar- ~ rog(liJtla, t X ;/tatio rjufdem vzres tJdjatutem o6tmendam, i1l quo co11attt, fru ~ jlratur. What a flir and a do bath the Pnde and Prefumpruoufnefs of the liberty and changes of Mans Free-will m tt 1clf bred m fee king to attain Salvation of its O'-' n ability;and how many ways, and by feveral degrees bath God tried it by allifling it with helps and aids of feveral fupernatural Elevations more and lefs, ro Ier Men fee that vain Opinion of Man of him felt; by all thofe helps toat~ain to Glory without regeneratmg Grace. Fallmg lhort after all Gods firivings with them, they are in the End left unto their Lufls and Hardnefs of Heart, , The Point thus drawn out, there are two or three things I am to perform ifl the profecution of it; . t. To give you adve~tifements concerning what is the proper dint of my Scope in this point z. Some explanations of the Alfertio!l S 1, Inflances 3· Some proofs' both from2 2 • The tenor of the Scripture. Concerning my Drift , r, It is not to repeat unto you, that there are two forts of Profelfors,found and unfound. 1 . My,drift is not in this difcourfe to !hew you , that God magnifies this his Grace to us-ward as with difference in that vaO: txttlljivene/Jthat is between[m) and all the Reil he palfeth by of the whole World; but from that fpecial narrower difference he puts between thofe others whom he calls , as well as us, our of the World; who are arrived very farr in Religion, whom yet he fuffcrs to .fall iliort of the Glory of God. 3· Thatthi>point is anew additional unto the Glorifying Grace of God, (the God of a/1 Grace) towards us: Befides all rhat I have or iliall infifl on, it is a new exemplificdlion and amplification cfhis Grace,beyond all other;'tis a difcovery of a New Mine of Free Grace, exalting it felfrowards us, by a com– parifon of his difl'oreot dealings with m and others; not the vafi and wide • World only , but a comparifon more contraiJed, to a lorr lefs Number, tvm with thofe whom he calls only , and who profe(s this Name; Which ought therefore •new to affect your heart,, and caufe you to break torch into a new acclamation and freih adoration of God and hi' Grace towards you; and to cry , and cry aloud, Btef!ed 6e the God oj;Grace, J'ea of at! Grace, !hewn all forts ofways towards us: And that bath 11ot fo dealt with others, who yet havehad(hr kt~ow!edgeofhuways,and thofe under Gofpel·light, in fo high a meafurc; wl·ich is a flrain fur beyond the Eta, which the Pfalmill's Note ofpraife rofe up unto, whilfl he magnified his Grace towards his people in comparifon witb the Heathens, whiltl he fays, P[at, 147. 19, 20. He fhewtd /;u word zmto Jacob, hu Statutes and hu Judgmmts ur1to lfraet: He thath not dealt fo 'IJ.'tlh m;y JVatzotJ'; and aJ fo>· hto JudgmetJts, they have not knowll thrm: Praijt yt tht Lord. 2, For the expl<l!latimz of the thing it felf. The firll is, bow God's Grace to us, may be fa id to have any influence upon what God doth to others whom be palfeth by 1 That Grace bath an influence hereunto, for the illuflration of it felf, will eafily be yielded, when we iliall confider that the God of Grace, in his ordering allthings, to make Salvation fure to his EleCl: and Called ones, did put S<e myfirft all, lt IS other purpofes and counfels, into Grace's hands to difpofe offo as to in. ;•rmon° 0 {h finite m_anifold Wildom might befl fervc to 1<1agnifie his Grace; this was his .top ~l~}~it • and emtnent defign, the Glory of his Grace. Grace had the dominion, the GJ'JI<c.&c– T!no~e, ~iven tt; the difPofitive Power (which the Throne always carries wtth•t)ot all, both without God, thatis, ofaliCroatures; ~c. and of all , with~·n God, that is, of Attributes, and Perfons in the Godhead, to confpire unto 1ts Glory. And let it not belookt at as fo !\range a thing, though it be not limply or diretlly the fir!l mover of God's other Decrees and Purpofes; yet fo farr it rules as to caufe them all to ferve and be fubordinate unto this one fu.

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