I 70 Of Eleelion. --------------------------- r-.-A-~ and alone of this Argument, the fatal Condemnation of many the Profelfors Bo oK Ill. of this Age; and the Grace vouchfafed you that are fioccre Chrifiians. In ~ the prefcrva(ion of you, I·found my Spirit bound up and confined to this ; and this the Holy Gho{\ direded unto me, and this alone, yea and by a firong hand con!\rained me, as he did the Prophet; Ifai. 8. I was , ~,,:,y,.,. , carriecJ as with a Stream, into this Chanel ; and it is all the Meifage which the Ho– ly Ghofi bath, as by my hand, to deliver to you: Yea, and though Peter .had written afore of the fame fort of Perfons, as dreadful things as I do, yet the Holy Ghofi would have me to do it again; he would have this Word feton by two Witneifes; and therefore, Beloved, do you entertain and regard . this with the greatefi attention, as that which is more than ordinarily intend– ed for you by God. For Thirdly, Thefe things which I write are wholly for you, and your in– ftrudion, and therefore I write to you, verf. 3· Tis to you only I wrote this. For as for thofe others whom I write about, I know it to be, as to them, but as a Sentence of Death and Condemnation ( to which, he fays, they were or– dained) pronounced by the Holy Ghoft upon them, except fame few there yet may be, on whom he did lhow compallion with difference, ve,.f. u, as of whom there may as yet be hopes : And therefore take it all as yours, direded and intended for your admonition. And accordingly we may obferve , how beginning with the Apotlates, from ver[. 4· he ends with the preferved Saints with divers Exhortations, from vtr{. 20. to the end : So as indeed , what he had fo much enlarged upon concerning thefe Apoftates,from ve,.f.4· to ve,.{2o. ferved.but to afford the !\ranger Confolation, and more powerful Provocations to incite the Called unto thofe Duties he from the firft had intended to exhort them unto. Thofe that he fo declares again!\, had not been always profane Ones of the World, that had never been wrought upon, or that kpew not God; but fuch as had been eminent Profeifors of <>hrifiianity, but now were corrupted in Faith and Manners, more than the worfi of the Heathen, :z.. The wrathful Vials of woe and defirudion he denounceth againft them , as deter· mined and prophecied by Enoch, verf, 16, 17, and by the Apoftles, verf. 18. This for the Introdudion. The Expofition it felf follows. SECT.
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