1 94 Of EleClion. ~evn·y momiug both; theMercies which are the Effeds, an~ his Cum– \}OOK Ill. paj]io11s which ore the Caufe; great i; thy faithft~l11efl. And thus much for ~ how they are multiplyed. · Ill. The third thing is, to prove that Mercy and L ove thus multiplyed, fhould here be mentioned and intended,as the Caufesof Prefervation and Saluation unto the end. . And indeed, that thefe are Caures hereof, none will deny : But the Qltefli– on only proceeds wh~ther here in ths falutation and wifh, they be intended by the Apollle? To whtch I anfwer, 2. That they are fo i1rtmded here. Perhaps in other fuchSalutations (efpecially in Paut's large Epif\les) they come in abl1radly, or as altogether fevered from a coherence with the matter afore or after; as Human Salutatlons among the Jews, and thofe Eaf\ern Nations, or– dinarily wrre wont to do, Da11. 4· ' · yet here in this fhort Epif\le, I take it, they hold a firid coherence with what immediately went afore, and follows after. Agd the reafon in generalof this difference in this Epif\le, and in others is, becaufe that the foie und entrre fubjed of this lhort Epifile ( I fpeak of what immediately concerned the Saints) is profeffedly the prefervation of them an– to Salvation, (as bath been tl1ewn ;) and alfo it was the Love and Mercy of God and Chrifl, that had hitherto been the prefervers of them, as verfe r. And fo as the Series and Order of things in thofe two verfes, proceeds thu1; r. That a Love in God's heart had given them to Chrifi to keep. 2 . AMercy in Chrif\'s heart had moved him to undertake this. And thirdly, in order thereto, he had purchafed their Peace with his Father. 4· All which, Love, Mercy, and Peace, had broke forth in their fir(\ calling. And 5'· from thence. had been their Cujlodes, the Keepers ofthem thereunto. This is the fub!lance or real fum of verf. r. Hereupon, fays our holy Apofile, in verj : 2. in a per– tinent coherence hereunto, what other is my wilh and prayer for you, but thatthe fameMercy, Peace, and Lov e of God t he Fatbn· , mrd of hu So" John, Epifi. ,, ']efiu Chrijl, (as another Epit1Ie in words fupplies this) be muttiplytd? and .vcrr. 3· thereby fo continued on you, fo as flill to preferve you to the end, even all a– long, from the fir(\ being c&iled, unto the 6ei1rg prefnrted fattlllefs afore the prejm ce of hi; glory w ith ex ceedi11g j oJ, v erf. 24? From this genuine cohe· rence, I conclude, Thatthis his Prayer for the multiplication of this Love and Mercy, holdeth a firid connexion with, and afpell unto, thnt C aufe. ( prt(er– v edw Chrifl) as thofe wluch had been the Caufes of that their havtng been preferved for time pafl. And to that end he prays for the multiplication of them for time to come; And that which more exprefly tl1ews them this reafon, is the Afpcll that verf. 11. hath upon this fecond verft. In ver[. 2 r. it is and hath been made cvident,that he points the Eye oftheir Faith to the Mercy of Chrijf, and Love of God the Father, as thbfe, whtch for nme to come, the Eye of thelf Fanh was to look nt, as the prima moventia, the Supream Caufes of all other, of " their being kept. The words are, Keep your jetves in the love of God, took– i11g for t he mere;•of ottr LordJrjm Chrifi UIIIO eter11al life. And that this interprets to us what Love, and in whom, or whofe (even that of God's and Chrif\to us,) Love iris that in verf. z. is intended; efpeci– ally when we take in thereto the coherence ofv erf r. B elov ed iuGod the F.t– tber, and pre{erved i~t Chrijl, bath been already opened. Now then,wh at is the d1fference between thcfe twoverfes, but this? That this fecond verfe is an Apoflolical Prayer to God, that the fame Mercy and Love might be multiply– ed; which tn ver(. 2r. ts an Exhorrauon to them to have the Eye of thc:r Faith upon; but fo , :s both do agre~ and centre in this, that thofe are rhc primary Caufe• of thetr bemg kept, tbts bemg the common ground of either. And to lhnt up this, there being the fame Mercy and L o2'f, in both vnjes .m– tended, the Argument prov~s flrong from .rhe latter to the former, v er{. z. that if the Mercy and Love Ill verf. 2r. be dtrcdcd unto, os the Caufes of prc– f.rvation, then that the fame are intended in their being prayed for, as the Cau– fc, of our prefervation, verj.2. which is the point in band. Thus
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