111 / 504
Rom:8.28,Confadered and Explaytiedà
CA r.l11.5:l4.
The
Purpofe according
to
which
thefe perlons are called,
is
none
other
then
that,
which the Apoflle,
cap.
9. I
r.
termes the
Purpofe
ofGod
according
to
Eleltion,
cap. r
r.
5.
The
Elation
of
Grace, as
alfo
the
fore
-
Knowledge
and
Foundation
ofGod,
as
will in
the
Progreffe
ofour
Difcourfe be made far-
therappeare, althoughI
know
not,
that
this
is
as
yetqueftioned;
The
Im-
mutability
of
this
Purpofe
of
God,
cap.
9.11,12.
The
Apoflle
demon -
firates from its Independency
in
any thing
in
thein,or
refpeté
ofthem,concer-
ning
whom
it
is,
it
being Eternall; and exprefly
fafegarded
again[}
apprehen-
lions,
that
might arife;ofany caufall or occafionallinfluence
'from
any
thing
in
them given
thereunto,
they lying
under this Condition
alone
unto
God,
as
Perlons that had
done
neither
good nor
evil
}.
And this alto
the
Apoflle
further
purfues from
the
Soveraignity,Abfoluteneffé,and
vnchangeablencff
e
of
the Will
of
God: But thefe things are
of
another Confideration.
Now this
Vnchangeable Purpofe
and
Eletlion
being the fountaine, from
whence
the
effe
&call Calling
of
Believers
doth
flow,
the prefervation
ofthein
to
the End
defigned
the
Glory
whereunto they are Chofen, by
thofe
As
of
Grace and
Love, whereby they are
prepared thereunto, hath coincidence
of
Infallibillity,as
to the
end aymed at,with the
Purpofe
it
felfe5
nor
is
it lyable
to
the
leaf}
exception, but what may be railed from
the
Mutability
and
changeableneffe
of
God
in
his
Purpofes,
and
Decrees. Hence
in
the
following
verfe
upon
the
account
of
the stability,
and
Immutability
of
this
Purpofe
of
God,the
utmofl, and moli
remote
Ende
in
reference to
the
good
thereby
defigned
unto
Believers,
though having its prefent
fubfiftence only in
that
Purpofe
of
God, and Infalible Concatenation
of
meanes
thereunto condu-
cing,is mentioned
as a
thing
a&ually
acomplifhed,
v. 30.
Herein
alto
lyes
the
Apoflles
fecond Evi
&ion
of
Confolation,
formerly layd
downe,
even
in
the
indiffoluble
Concatenation
of
thofe
A&s
of
Grace, Love,
and Favour,whereby the Perlons
of
Gods
Purpofe
or the remnant,
accor-
ding
to
the
Eldtion
of
Grace,
{hall
be
infallibly
carried
on in
their
prefent
injoyment,and unto the
full
fruition
of
the
Love
of
Chrifl.
If
we
may
take
hits
upon
his
word
(and
he fpeakes
in
the
name and Authority
of
God)
thofe
whom he
doth
fore-Know,
or
fixes his
thoughts
peculiarly upon, from
Eter-
nity,
(for the terme theft,
is
evidently difcruninated:
&
the Ad
muff needs
be
Eternall,
which in
order
of
Nature
is
previous
unto Predeftination, or the
appointment
to
the
end by meanes
defigned,)
thole
I
fay
he
Both
Prede-
finate,
and appoint
in
thelmmutable
Purpofe
of
his
Will,to
be
conformed
unto the Image
of
his
Sonne, as
in
aflli
&ions, fo
in
Grace and
Glory;
To
fancy a fufpenfron,of
thefe Ads
of
Grace, (tome
whereof
are
Eternall)
upon conditionalls, and they
not intimated
in
the
leaf}
in
the
Text,
nor
con-
fiflent
with the
Nature
of
the things
themfeives,
or
the End intended, calling
the Accomplifhmeitt and bringing about
of
the
defignes
of
God
Propofed,
as
his,
for
our
Confolation,
upon the certaine lubricity
of
the
Wills
of
men,
and thereupon
to
propofe an intercifion
of
them,as
to their Concattenation,
and Dependance,
that
they fhould
not
have
a
certaine
Influence
on
the
one
hand,
defending
;
nor
an
Unchangeable
dependance, on
the
other
Afcending;
may
eafily
be made appeare,
to
be
fo
plaine an oppofition
to the
ayme and defigne
of
the
Apoftle,
as
tis
poflibly capable
of
But
becaufe thefe
things are really
infi[Fed
on by Mr
Goodwin.
I [hall
choofe
rather to
remove
them,
as
with much
Rhetorick,
and
not without
Tome
Sophiflry they are
by
him
preffed,
then further anticipate
them,
by arguments
of
the Text
it
felfe,
of
their invalidity and nullity.
The
difcuflion
of
our
Argument
from this place
of
Scripture, he enters up-
on Chap.
to.
se&.42.
pag.2o7. and purfues
it,
being much intangled with
what
55
ß
15.