Of EleClion. Now you will ask me what benefits of Grace are there ( for we meafurc ~ grace bywh,ll goodGod had toddign roman confidered M tmf,,fll, and where, Chap.7. by ro magnifie that forr of grace,to him as well as to Angels )~hat were not due~ by Crea<ion or works, nor never !hould have gone that way ? • I Anfwer in general all Benefits that anfwcr the defign of Election: r: Immutable Ho!inefs, which is above Creadon·dues, was, as you know · bellowed on the Angels by Election. . ' 2. Adoption of Sons, \Vhicll was above Creation-dues; for it confif\s in a relation un to Clui!l. .A damwas bur a Son by Creation, as having'God s Image; but Adopuon 1S an IHgher thwg and depends upon a R.elation to the Natural Son. l· That Glory (as I i!1ewed ) o.r irrimed(ate Communion with God him· ~~ . . . 4· AGraciou~ acception aird loving them firnply, .their Perlons, without a refped to Worl<S, this alfo was above the due of Creation: For if tho11 do well}halt ttot thot~be accepted, was the language of Creation due, and of the Covenont of Works; but to have my perfon it felf loved, and irrefpefltve· • b to works f1mply and abfolutely '· this ,was Supercreation Grace. Now of all thofe k'inds of Benefits, Man confidered as unfaln, was capable of; yea, and grace will be more illu!lrated and magnified to have had them defigned ro Man contidered is n·at. fain, more than that limply after the Fall, as} ou may difcern and might be /hewed. . And that the beffowing of thole depended not at all upon the conlideration of the fall, is evident, the thing it felf fpcaks it i and os Bilhop 'Davmant, and others, have acknowledged; Sin was impertinent to the bef\owing of thofe, they no way deponded upon it. God could love with an abfolur<; love, and g~acioufiy accept our perfom out of that love, without the fuppofition of fin. Lo, all thefe four benefits we find to have been deligned unto Man by EJe. Cl:ion of grace, and that as dif\inct from and antec<daneous ro thofe that ne· ce!farily fu ppofe the fall, Ephej, I. 4, ), 6. Verfes, According M he hrzth cho· Jm tu m bim brjore the foundation of the World, that wejbould h ho!J, and w11hot1t 6/amr before him ill love: Huving predefli11ated"' tmto the 1/doptioll of Children by Jefm Chrtf/ to himfe!f, accord~t~g to the plea(urt of hu wt!l: To tbe praife of the glory ·of hi&grace, wherei11 be bath m:zde "' accepted itJ t!.e Beloved. . I. Here is immiirable, unchangable Holinefs: Ho bath chofm tU that wt Jhot~ld he holy and b!"tmtlefs before him in Love. What di:lth he mean, the ho· find's we have in this World, imperfed? No, it IS th:it Holinefs rhat is fault· lefs; and a holinefs that is faultlefs before God. And afterwards (it is) he, fpcaks of that imperfect holinefs in Vaf 8. which in Calling is given us a· gain, . · . . 2. He tells us of Adoption: He bath predrjlilzated :u to the Adoptiott of Cht!drm. A Son-!hip beyond Creation, and fuch as did not depend upon our having finned, God could make and therefore decree us thus Sons without oui' finning; he could defign for us ail Adoption in out relation to Chrifr, wh,cli gives us right to utmof\ glory. . A third benefit tha.t he liath predc!linated us to himfe!f, yea, and to Chrifr,; for the words bear both refpeds; the meaning is, to immedtate Communioft with f;tm{elj and Chrifl. He bath predefiinated us to enjoying himfelf,even God , his beingall;, all; This depends not on the fall. God could have ta· ken Creatures Immediately unto himfelf, and communicaied himfelf, as he will do, afte( the Day of Judgment to them. Again 4ly, Wh•re111 he hathmade ru accepted i11 the bdoved: This is fiill a Supercreation grace, not fuppoling Man fain , aod another thing than to be accepted by Creation Holinefs, which WlS to be accepted by Works. And fccondly, all thefe are difrintl from thofe Benefits which come upon the confideration oi the fall: In, Ver(: 7• he begins as in a new Edition, !11 whom we have redemptiot~throu~h his blood, the forgivme(s of fins; accordi11g tv theRtchesvf hi& Grace; Then he comes to calling, Verf 8, 9· Wherem, be .R r 2. · bath
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