346 An Expofition upon Chap. 9. ..! txftin. was of this o pinion for faith,bnt retra&cdir. Later sy .teti.ni, ra- tio,¡t non ta,et ip¡a difrr.rio, uAYgYff. after his infinite mercies. Secondly, it ferves to humble Gods children, in whom he findes no caufe to move him to Phew them the leaf} mercies; but muli fetch and draw it meerly from himfelf, even from his own good will and plcafure. It is not a more vile pride in a begger,to attribute the alms given him, to his own deferts,then to afcribe the mercies of God untg our own me- rits,eitherin whole or in part.Thirdly, it nmft move 'the godly unto tru thank - fulneffe, which conhfts in two. things, namely, the confeflion and imitation of his mercies ; to be merciful unto others, as we have found him merciful unto us, according to Chrifts precept, Mat.5.Good reafon we fhould be mer- ciful to our brethren, feeing he expref- fed much mercy to his enemies,not in a few things, but in many ; not for a while, but with continuance. Laflly, it confutes fisch as make fore feen faith & good works,or either of them, the mo- ving caufe of Gods ele&ingthem,as the .Pelagian, whereof one expoundeth thefe words thus ; [On whom I will, ] that is, (faith he) whom I (hall know to be jut} and obedient to my precepts. T I at. What Vollrines arifefrom this fentence wholly together ? S 1 L.Thefe: Firft,that ele &ion fee- ing it comes from mercy, doth there- fore prefuppofe mifery;for mercy hath relation unto mifery : therefore God did not chufe men as they are in ma fa pura, but as in the corrupt maffc and fall. Alf °, that fore -feen worthineffe could no whit move God to chufe or refufe, becaufe then all had been refu- fed,feeing all were loft in Adam. Se- condly, we learn, that ele &ion is not univerfal, feeing mercy is not univer- fal,but pertaineth only to fuch as God would fhew mercy to.Thirdly,that the mercy of God is molt free and abfo- lute,depending upon nothing without himfelf, but wholly and abfolutely upon his own will : fo as if queftion be,Why was mercy taken on Ifaac and not on Ifhmael ? The anfwer is, becaufe he would. But why would he ? Hereof no reafon is to be given. T IM. What ufe are we to make hereof ? S a L. Firft, it admonifheth us to afcribe the whole glory ofour elecellion and falvation, to the free favour and mercy of God.Secondly, to teach us to exercife our mercy freely towards o- thers, not upon any finifter refpe &, as for gain and credit to our felves, but only for pity fake, that fo we may imitate our heavenly Fa:her,as well in the manner of (hewing mercy, as in the matter it felf.Howfoever in the execu- tion of Gods decree,there (bal be place for Juftice, becaufe it (hall be rendred to every man according to his work, yet in the decree it felt; mercy bears the whole fway , choofing them on whom he would have mercy, and lea- ving thofe to be hardened,on whom he would not havemercy. `DIALOGUE IX. Verf. 16.' Now then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,but of Cod that fbew- eth mercy. Tlatormiusr Hat doth the Apofile in this Text ? S , L. It is ñ conclufion of his anfwer, concerning ele &ion (to wit) that God ele&ing fome whom he would, he is not therein unjuft, feeing he did it out of his free mercy, as he proved by a teftimony of Scripture in the former verf. So far off is God from being unjuft, as in chufing fume, he fheweshimftlfmoll good. Hence then the Apoftle infers, that feeing ele &ion comes wholly of mcrcy,and there is no caufe of Gods mercy but in himfelf: therefore it depends not at all upon the will and works of man, [Now then, it it not in him, &c.] T I m. What be the parts of this Text? S 1 L. Two : Firft, it rcmoveth that which is the falfly fuppófed caufe of mans ele &ion (to wit) our willing and running.Secondly,itputteth down the very true and Cole caufe,to wit,the mercy of God. TaM. Mots. This Test makes much a- gaink them , which bola the begin- ningo out folvationro come Ron our (elea. App. . Stornino, Parts.
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