1 )8 Of EleClion. ------ ~ fupream counfel of all other of hts Will, as thcfe of Juflice and "rath C!ic. BooK I II. that yet Grace lhould over-look, lu pervile them all, and order and difpofe of ~ them all, and the cxecutton ot rnem to Perfons under fin, as they might turn unto Grace,zts pratje a11d Glory; and fo obltquely , collaterally and at the re– bound they all ferve to illuflrate and advance this of Grace, which is the top and firit dclign and delight of Gods Heart, even the prlll{eof theGlory of hu Grace , as l:iph. 1. 6. And therefore tn Verf. 1 1. of that ( hop. 'tis expreJly faid, that we are pruleflmated accordt11g to the pttrpoje of h1m who wm·keth a/J thmgs accordmg to the Cotm{el of bu wt/J; (which words if we take in with other Scriptures , as 2 i or. 5. 13. l-Ieb. z.) are there added to fuew that his Counfel <>rd<rcd all things to fubferve to that his grand purpofc of predeflina– t ion, which i; all one, 'and to ferve his purpofes of Grace to us: So that whtlll God for other ends of Glotil\ ing his Ju!lice C!ic. was purpoling fuch and fuch Perions called; to be left in the end to the counfel of their own wills and ways, /or t:,e immediate and dired Glory of other his Athibutos; yet free Grace Crept in. and rook the advantage to mould and order the ranging offuch p, rfons, as in providence m1ght ccmparatively ferve to fet forth the Glorv of itftlf; that, a>The w•·atho{M.wfblllpr,ufe thee, fa) sthePfafmifltoGod, fo even, the wrat h of God !hall pra de thee, 0 thou the Delight ar.d Darling of Gods Heart, Free Grace. 1. I do nor fay, tlut tll!S is his primary end of fuch his deal ings with fuch; No, but the primary end therein JS to fuew his own Soveroigmy and Glory of his Jullicc , and to conlute and confound the uuer difabiluy of the Crea– ture , which will be a fetting up its own Free will and abjlity , with an Opini· . . on nf attaining S' lvation, it Jt be but in any degree elevated and a!lifled by ~::~:cf('~~ G('d. Th~[e are h :~ pri~ary dirc(t ~nds; }'C.t fo, as in the manage.and rwHltfiil) )qu.r c:nnage oi H, and lu; provtdence,ordenng and dt(pofement thereof, there is a in r~?r11b.ttil)nt Rt mote end r,:ereof ( JS fon1c of our Divines have faid ) that puts, a great ~:;:~:~~ r/c~;~ .wd a Glflnows refleCtion and lufire upon his Grace towards his Eled thereby, ti"t q,,a_;, ;md wa; intended b) God ir thouId be fo.You may obferve that the firll decla– ~~~~;;;;0~;~;,~ ration of rl~e El e:Oion of Grace runs in thefe terms, Tht El~dtrJha!Jfer~t the ni• r<mowsta ,.vrmgcr, as 1t rhc elder had been made for the younger, whtch yet ts oblrquely ~;:::; ~;: •nd collaterally done, though diredl_y only for God h1m[e'J, P rov. 16. 4· Ehaio~t~a.ni2. ! I \ ou ask, How th1s fervrs to tlluHratc Grace to us-ward ? The anfwer frfta• kr Amc- 1s obv1nu:- ; As contraries krve to lllufirate one anot her, that as dark iliadows fius Medul. I. fet fonh Pid ures unto • greater Lite, and Glory, and beauty; fo is it here, '· c.>s. "' 36 ') ou IJave the ltke,tllough upon anotheroccalion, Rom. 11. 22. Beholdtht good– Amr(i~s . cires 1e(J ,md {even t; of God; on them whicb feil, jfvn·ity; btJt tJwards thtt, ~~:!1~0,~~9:;~: gc;odr;e(.{, tj t bou cotJitmu in hiJgoodtujs ~c. . . ted,<om.•·" · The like parall el comp>rative courfe to rlluOratc thy Grace, he ordmanly ~;;t;:;;~;!d ra.kes and g1ve' ~emo~H.rarion of in the EJ:lt rhemfclves, whereof many i'lf"i'grhewf. ot ) ou hove e•pcnencc 10 your fdves; All berng Fallen, Free Grace took ad– f•ts of ''"'h , vant,gc ol 11nprovrog it ftlfby the Fall even of the Eled rn Ad<Jm. th.r be miglst That wilerea> " hen Fain, he might yet have fandtfied them all in the ~:tS'j;-;; /;~ W•1mb, (ash.· dt)lh mulmudes of Infants that dye:) No, but he rather doth ry uthtvtfftls Verr grnt. rall y leave them that live to years of difcretion, and to remain ~I mmy. and live in an U nrtgt>ncra,e conJ ition to be as ignorant, prophane (!)c. as any <'thcr,Eph. 2. 1. 2 , l · At~d)ofl h<~th he quickJ!ed, w ho wert dead zn trefpaffes '"'d (i11s , whn·n11 111ttrnt p,t~J'' walked, accordh'~ to the prince ofthe power o{ the mr, tl>t SptJ·!t th,Jt now worketb i11 the Cbtldrm of difobrdiwcr. Amo1'( wbo1t1 11/{u we ail b,zd our conver(atzotl t1t ttmes piljl, 11J the lufls · of o 11 r Flt/b , ful{illm,gthe dtfii·ts of tht Fief!; mtd of the miud, and were by ,, 1 ture 1bt Cbd rlrnuj w rath, and adds tlusrn the clofe of all, Evett as o' tbrrs. and whv ? but as it follows, Vnf 5, 6. To mal<e Grace the more Glori– ou>,E·vm wbn;wr wtre de,zd111 fi•.r, he h<Jth quick11edW together with Chrifl ( b)•(jr,sre l t "" (,tv cd ) A~tdh,zth r,ufed tf~ 11p together, a11d mtJdttu jitJo· g etbtr i11 Hr,w nil)' places w ( hrtfl Jejtu: \\hen deod w fins, by Grac~ ye are f,,ved: Th i; Contrivement (winch cnfl Chnfls Soul the more for them )was Free Grace's. So thor you fee he g~ves an exemplar of fuch a comparative il– luflration of Grace in the very perfons of the Elcd themfelves he fave!, that - fo
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=