OfEleflion. given us unto Chrifi out of his Love, and this from ever)afling, as hath been w, faid. Therefore thisof prefervatton m Chnfl, IS made conjunct with, •nd fet Chap. 7· next after Brlovul wGod the Father_, and btfcre called: Fo~ calling it . felf~ proceeds our of that love, and our berng grvcn to Chnfl, as out of thofe paf.. !ages 01 'joh11 bath been obfcrved.. There mrghtother RcafoQs be given, why , ,.tied is firly fet after prefrrved m Chnfl, as that becaufe there were fome 'newConvertS, who had fprung up in that, though a. declining Age, of oid l'rofetlors, which young ones had not had nme or commuance long enough to experiment the Grace at Pe;feverance,as thofe others had done; and yet they having been favrngly wrougnt upon, wah an. holy Calhng, were concerned both in the Comfort and Dunes that he after grves, as well as thofe others that had been for a long time prcferved. Alas! might feme fuch Novices fay, I have not had !he trial of having been kept long; I am but of yefierdsy. Well, but fays Jt~de, thou yet hafi the blelfed experience of having been called, and thereby maifi co"tfort and alfure thy felf of thy being certainly kept again!\ all the fears of falling away, whi~h are incident to fuch Cbrifiians, tram th~ ex~ amples of fuch •po!lated Profellors : The Promife is as well unto the truly ca!- lrd, os it is to you that have been a long wlnle preferved. But though this be· a R.eafon of weight for this placing of called lafl, yet I conceive ttie other of more. And this for the firfi, the Original Cau!es. I!. The CO NTI N V I NG CAVSE Sof our S,Jivatio" and Pre– fervation, in thtir being mulriplyed, follows in Verj. 2 . Me,rcy tmto you, and Peace, and Love 6emultip/.yed. And in Vrrf. 2 1, K~ep your jth;es m the love of God, looki11g for the Mrrcy of our Lord Jrjzu Chr~ji imto nernal ltfe. . .. Three things are here to be explamed. . 1 • What is meant by Mercy, and Peace, and Love. 2 • That here they are prayed for to be multiplyed as Caufes; arid the Car~ riers on of our Salvation and Prefervation. l· What is meant by the multiplication of them. For the firfl, The Interpretation I give is, That, 1 . Mercy in the heart of Chrifi. 2 • Peace or Reconciliation having been made by Chri!l:, and continued in the heart of Godtoward~ us by and through Chrifi. . . ~· That original Love m the heart of God born towards us; being for ever continued and mult>plyed wah the Effects thereof; Thefe are eminently in· tended. . 1 know Interpretators generally under!land, Love iri our hearts to God · Peace in our hearts, and all forts of ~ood things, which are ufually wilht, un~ der the names of Peace; he wilhing that thefe fhould be multi!'lyed more and more in theri!. But though I deny not thefe, as the Effelts of the former, to be included, yet I take it that the more principal, the other as they are in God's and Chrifl'ii, heart, are mainly intended, as being the Fountains of thefe Effects; and fo the Effects with their Caufes were at once prayed for. And my R.eaforis are, . _ ,Thatlook what is meant by Love •nd Mercy invtr{r 21.the fanie is meant here, Let Jude interpret Jude. Now there he tells us, verfe 21. it is the Lov,e of God, and the Mrrcy of Chrif/, which we keeping our felves in, and by Faith looking unto them to keep us, are the means of our being kept.Now in the firfl vrrfe, he had named, firfi, God the Father, and fecondly '· Chri!l:: Why thert, his intention is to wiil1 the Love of God the Father, and the Mer· cy of Jefus Chrifl to be multiplyed towatds us, as being die Caufes of that Pre– fervation and Salvation likewife; . . . . . . . 1 2. For one of thefe, this of Mercy, all will acltnowl'edge to be iJn.derficioif of the Grac~ and Mercy rn Chnfi's Hear,t I and not of the Grace of Merctful-, nefs in ours ; cor yet meerly ,ihe Effects of Mercy : A'11d therefore ; b'y the. fame reafon, why lhould not Love alfo be mea litaT thii Love inG'od tbe fa· ther•s Hea-rt borrtto us?
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