Of E)efJion. proper Hfdls upon us, it is that we arep>·efervedto Salvation ; which yet tor~ Subl(J'I<:c are no other than the former, mVerj. '· And thefe are 3· AffeCl:i· Chap. 7•' · ons and D tfpolirions in God's Heart and Chrifls. · . . . ~ r. Mt>·r)' or Gr<~ce in Chrifl's Heart, who undertook the prefervation of us. 2 • 'Peace in -God's Heart cowards us,wrpught and purchafed by Chnfl. H~ is our peace, Ephef. 2. •4· · : '· 1he Love of God the Father atfirfl fet on us. Thefe being continued and multiplied in Eff"Cl:s fuitable to each , I call the continuing Cauf<s of our Salvation. • As r. The Mercy and Grace in Chrifl multiplying the Attributes ofMercy on us. 2 . Peace from God, being at peace with us through Chrift, and multiplying the fcnfe of that Peace in our Hearts with joy, ~c. . : l.· The Love iri the Heart of God the Father; multiplied in all Spiritual Blcilings, as Ephe(. r, 2. by_1v~ich we are carried on unco Sal~ation. . . And although thefe come 10, as a prayer or wrfh, fucll as IS ufed afote Epr•. fifes, yet that here they are brought in with a pertinent Connexion withVerf, 1, and the General Scope ot the whole Epiflle, as the Caufes of the Prefer· vation there fpecified, I iliaII afrer ihow. . . . 1. As for tbe original caufes of our s,,/vatio11andpreftrvation. Verf.r.Bi': loved iv God the Father, &t, . Three things are to be performed for the Explication ohhis. r. Some R.eafons why I foread the words. . . · 1.. To Explain wb.r the import of that Phra(e ihould be, InGod. 3· To prove that by that Expreilion, Beloved.;, God the Father, u, connotatcd tbat God the Father Chafe and EleCted us. . You have it indeed here read, and trantlated, Sa11flijied by Gvd the Fa– ther, But if we confult both Commentfttors, and Greek Origin!! Copies, as they are alfo cited by interpreters, we lhall find that .diverfe . as .AutiJentick Copies ( as thofe that rend it Sanfli{ied, ~c.)do write it Beloved , irt or of , or hyGodthe Father, oi)"""p!{l"'• Beloved, in!lead of """C"'~'" . And the Phrafe iY 0o~~n1flJ is all one, fay fome, with i.wD e,; "'""7f~'' Betoved of God the Fa.. ther, or, "''"• By God the Ft~ther; which reading Pareru juiiifies; and Corn· menrators generally do willingly agree to take eirher, . . . . Now where there are found two fuch readmgs iri fo many Copie.l Antient ;· and but a fmall diff•rence in the Greek words thcmfelves, whrch might ea– frly occation a miflake in the writers; in this cafe, that which muft c.alr it, is unto whither of the two the Scope, Series, and order of the Matter afore or after, rationally conlidered and compared with other Scripture<, do moft in– dine: And therein(l take it )""'"'p!{J"', Brloved, i11 andofGodtbe F..1ther;. hath far the advantage an'd appearance lor it ,· to have originally fain rather frorri our Apo!lles Pen. For which there are thefe R.eafons unto me of weighr. ., 1, Their being SanCtified is apparently mentioned, and comes in often~ards induded,under and in the wordCaUed,as in like manner often our Sanctificati 01 1 doth; as in Rom. 8. 30. And Saint! by CaUing r. Cor. 1. And I confefs the read– ing as here it !lands, SauC!ifiedfirfl:, then Pref'erv~d, and after both .of them, then C.zfled; this did always, in former times, in the reading of it, breccf feme jar in my thoughts, as if the words had not been, at Jeafl rightly and orderly placed, but when I met with this other, Belovedof Gadthe Fttther j it rcconcded all to me. 2. I confider that the act or work of Grace here intended , is thnt' which r·; properly God the Fathers, and fo is to fpeak what his fpecial Hand is in our Salvation and Prefervation, Now to fay,· Belovedof God the Father, fpcnks 'What is mofl proper unto God our Father, and what his Hand and Or1ginal ACl: in our Salvation is;and is that which is more generally proclaimed through~ out the New TeHament, every wh'ere al'moft where Ire is fpokcri of in di· Hinction from Chrift. , For both, r. Love, rsi'n a·way of eminerrcy attributed to the Father; th.i Love of the Fatbtr; when the work of the tluce Perfons are diftinguiOred , Bbz.' 1.C1r;
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