CA P.I1 i.4: ;9. The fame Matter farther ptirfued. 78 worth contending about.An Expreffionparalleli to that of the fame Apoftle Rom. 9.1I. That the PurpofeofGod according to Election mightfland; Both this and that hold out fome Eternal' A& ofGod, differencing betweene perfons, as to their Everlafting condition. Asif the Apoftle had faid, you fee indeed that Hymenreue and Philetus arefallen away, and that others, withwhom you fometimes walked in the Communion and outward fellowfhipoftheGo- fpell, and tooke fweet Counfell together in the Houle of God with them,. are gone after them; yet beyou (true Believers) of goodComfort: God hath layd a Foundation (which tnuft be fotne Eternall A&ofhis, concerning them ofwhom he is about to;fpeake: or the folemne Afïertion ofthe Apoftle, then which you (hall not eafily meet with one more weighty, is neither to the Cafe, nor matter in hand) which isfirme and abiding, (being the good plea- fure ofhis Will, accompaniedwith an A&of his Wifdome and Underftanding) appointingfome(as isthecafe ofall TrueBelievers)to be his,who fhall be ex- empted on that account , from the Apoftafie and defertion, that you feare. This faith the Apoflle,is the fountaine and fpringofthe difference,which is among them that profeffe the Gofpell. Concerning fume of them, is the Purpofe ofGod for their prefervation: 7hey are ordainedto Eternal/Life. And herein (as was faid) lyes the Concernementof' all that are True Believers, who are all his, chofen ofhim, given tohis Sonne, and Called accordingto his Purpofe; with others tis not fo, they are not built on that bottome,they have no filch foundation of their Profeffion; and it is not thereforemarve- lous, if they fall. 4.39. The words thencentaine an Exceptionof True Believers from the danger oftotall Apoftafie, upon the account of the fiable, fixed, Eternall Purpofeof God concerning their Salvation, anfwerable tothat ofRom.8. 28,29,3o.the place laft confidered. TheFoundation here mentioned, is thegood Pleafereof theWill ofGod,whichhe hadPurpofed in him himfelfe,or determined toexert towards them, for the praifeof the Gloryofhis Grace. Eph.I.g.According to whichPurpofe we are Predeflinated. v. I i. And he calls this Purpofe theFoun- dationofGod, as being a groundworf¿e,and bottomeofthe thing, whereofthe Apoftle is treating; namely the Prelervation and Perfeverance ofTrueBelie- vers, thofe who are indeed planted into Chrift, notwithstanding the Apofta- fie ofthe moft GloriousProfeffours, who being not within thecompaffe of that Purpofe, nor built on that Foundation, never attaine that peculiar Grace, whichby JefusChriftis to them adminiftred, who have that Priviledge. And this further appeares by the Confirmationofthecertainty of this Foundation ofGod, whichhe hath layd,'manifefted in the next words: ithath thisfeale, theLord knower who are his. Whether ye will take this foraDemonftration of the former Affertion, either a pof eriori, from the peculiarLove,Favour, Ten- dernefle, and care, which theLord beares to them which are his, who are built on theFoundation mentioned, whereby, in the purfuit ofhis Eternal! Pur- pole, he will certainely preferve them from perishing, knowing, owning, and taking careofthem in everyCondition: or for the PreferenceofGod, accompli - fhing his Eternal! Purpofe, defigning themofwhom hefpeakes, as his,(for his they were, and he gave them unto Chrift) is to indifferent. Evident it is that thisConfirmation of thePurpofementioned, is added toaffure us ofthe ¡lability and accomplishment ofit; in that none, who are built thereon; or concerned therein, (hall fall away. And hereindoth theApoflle fully Anfwer and remove the fore mentioned Obje&ion: Let men (faithhe) appeare ne- ver fo eminent in profeffion, Ifonce they proove Apoflates, they manifeft themfelves tohave beenbutHypocrites; that is,filch as never had any of the Faith ofGodsElect,which is their peculiar,whó are Ordained to Eternall Life. This
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