94 ,SERMONS upon, ,Serm.XXXVIll: 'cation can be imagined either in God, or out of Gods not in God,nothing can fallout but what God forefaw at fill; nor can beEfruitraced for any defe& of power, for he is Almighty'; Angels, Devils, and Men, 'being fubjed to hilt], as the füpretììe and univerfal Lord: 4. Thir grate is brought about in a way moll convenient for the honoJ,r of God, and the gwdof the creature. ;; in a way of Faith and Holinef } Faith, John 3, i6. God fo ljved the world, that he gate his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth on h'im, Jhould not pi, rift;, bat have everla ring lift. Holinefs, Eph. 1.4. According as he bath chofen :it in hint before the foundation of the world, that we Jbauld be holy and without blame before hit in love. Now faith is his'gift, 1rph. 2. 8. We are faved by grace through faith, and that not of our felver, it it the gift of God. And Holinefs is wrought in us by the'fpirit of San - Ilification, and that with atefpeltto his eleltión, 2 Thef. 2. 13. He bath chofen you to falvation through the fantIi/icateon cf the fpirit, and belief of the truth. God did not chufe us, becaufe he did forefee that *e thoul'd be believers, or would be holy,but that we might believe,and might be holy ; he could not forefee any faith or holinefs in us, but what was the fruit of his own grace and eleltive 16ve to us, all is Rí11 according to his purpore and grace which.was given us in Chrif before the world began : Faith and holinefs is the way and means of bringing about his purpofe, not the forefeen caufe and beafon, or the end 3 the fruit .of it, not the mòtive to induce God to thew us mercy. 5. To promote f his faith and holinefr, and to preferve thew'till their glorified efiaty, Goat Providence about them is very remarkable. t. He contriveth meant to bring theminto the world. Many of theirr Parents may b wicked and deferve to be cut off far their fins, but becaufe there Is a ble(fing in forne o the Clutters, they are not defrayed. Many rimes a flip may be taken from an ill Rock, and grafted into the Tree of Life; Cho the Grace of the Covenant runneth moll kind.. ly in the channel of the Covenant; How much more (hall theft which be the natural branches be grafted into their own Olive-tree, Rom. r t. 24. But yet God will thew the liberty of his counfels, and chufe Come out of families very oppofite to his wayes ;and therefore many wicked men are fpared, that they may be a means to bring into ehn world thofe that afterwards (hall believe ; Ahàz is let alone to beget Heze¿iah, and a Wicked Ammon, yofah; and there was One in the houfe of Jeroboam, who made Ifrac to fin, one child only, in whom was found fonie good thing toward; the Lord God of Ifrael', /King, It 13. a godly piing min, that had in his heart the true feeds of Religion, 2. When they are born, God hath a fpecial care of theta, that they May not dye ih their unregenerate condition; from the womb the decree beginneth to take place and be put in all, Gal. 1. t5. It pleafed God, who feparated me from my mothers womb, and called me by his grace. Jet. 1. 5. When thou came(; out of the Womb, 1 knew thee. He took fpecial notice, that that child was a vef elof mercy, and to be employed for his glory,ancj ufed for filch and fuch .purpofes, as he had defigned them unto ; to fit them with fuch con( itution of body and mind, as might bell ferve for that ufa 3 if a man would trace. the progrefs of Providence, he would plainly fee that God Rill bath been purfuing hïs choice; and that that antecedent love, which is the fountain of all our mercies, is it which rocked yod in your cradles, fuckled you at your Mothers breaf, trained you up, and took care of your nonage, vifited you with his early mercies, difpofed of feveral Providences for your fafety and prefetvation ; 'tis faid, in Heaven ate (hall know as we are known, 1 Cor. 13. 12. compare Gal. 4. 9. But now after that ye have known God, or, rather are known of God. Then We (hall underftand how many feveral circum(taoces concurred to bring us home to God, and how the goodnels of God bath gone along With you from time to time, to preferve, you. till the time of Grace was come, relcued you in eminent dangers, when the thred of yourlife was likely to be fretted e (under. 3. The difpenfation of means, and the directing òf mean to filch a place and f eeple, whert and among whom the courfe of your lift fell: Not only the Dollrine, but t he journeyo of the Apoftles were ordered by the Spirit, Alls 16. j. They affayed to go into Bythinia, but the fpirit fujred them net, Alls 13. a6. To you is this word of falvation Put. Not brought by us, but lent by God ; not only in regard of his inftitution, but providential direllion ; certainly there is a fpecial Providence goeeh along with ordinances, and they are ordered and direlled with relpeet to Gods elettive love ; he feodeth, fgrnifhet14' ' ontin'ueth able inftruments, Alts 18. to. jam' with thee ; and net man (hall fet on thee ró hurt
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