It is sometimes called The Way of life Prov. 12. 28. Sometimes the fountain and well-spring of life Chap 14. 27. And it tendeth to life Rom 11. 16. Chap. 19 22. For if the Root be holy the branâ—hes cannot be otherwise 'T is so likewise with Sin Death follows Sin not onely as a punishment for delinquency but as its natural off-spring Original corruption is the Root Pro. 23. 29 30. Sin the Stalk that grows next upon it and Death the finishing or full corn in the ear This pedigree of it ye have in James Chap. 1. 14 15. If there were no Justice to Revenge Sin Sin would be vengeance to it self Sinners lie in wait for their own blood Pro. 1. 18. Pro. 13. 21. It is their own wickedness that corrects them Jer. 2. 19. The way of Sin inclineth to death and its footsteps to the Dead Ch 2. 18. Ch. 5. 5. Its steps take hold on â—ell Vnbelief may be an instance for all as out of which all Sins else are derived This was the Root of Adam's apostacy Num. 14. 11. Rom. 11. 20. Heb. 3. 12. and of all that Peoples Rebellions in the Wilderness Faith is that which holds the Soul to God its life and blessedness Vnbelief its departing from Him or the letting go of its hold the loosing of the knot upon which the Soul falls off of its own accord And the first step from God sets in a way of Death As a branch breaking off from its Stock dies of itself This was Adam's unbelief In all Men since it is a Refusing to Return This Doctrine is still further confirm'd by the general unanimous consent and affirmation of Those best able to Judge Arg. 7. 1. They assert it Job a Man of great Wisdom and integrity Not his like in all the Earth Job 1. 8. and none so sorely afflicted yet sayes Elihu to him by way of Counsel as what himself would do in the like case I will ascribe Righteousness to my Maker Job 36. 3. And Surely God will not pervert Iudgement Chap. 34. 12. God is known i. e. He is known to be God by the Judgements which He executeth Psal 9. 16. The Lord is Vpright there is no Vnrighteousness in Him Psal 92. 15. He loveth Righteousness and hateth Iniquity Psal 45. 6 7. The Scepeer of his Kingdome is a Right Scepter ver 6. Righteousness and Judgement are the habitation of His Throne Ps 97. 2. Deut. 32 4. Rev 19. 2. That True and Righteous are his Judgements is the voice of those in Heaven 2 They submit to it even then when most provoked by Mens injurious dealings with them for His sake and when the Lord 's own hand hath been most severe towards them Aaron held his Peace Levit. 10. 3. It is the Lord saith Eli let Him dâ—as seemeth Him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 K. 20 19. Hezekiah also Good is the word of the Lord. Yea they have done thus when by the light of natural Reason they could see no reason for it Witness Job who when plundred of all because he feared God and eschewed evill and could justifie himself to the height as to any hypocrisy Job 9. 15. yet sayes he I will make supplication to my Iudge Look on our Lord and Saviour Himself and see His confession Our father 's cried unto thee and were delivered But I Ps 222. 4. though day nor night I am not silent Thou hearest me not How does He close His complaint Not Thou dealest morâ— hardly with Me who less have deserved it but Thou art Holy Jeremy indeed began to object because the way of the wicked prospered and they were happy that dealt treacherously But he presently bethinks himself withdrawes his plea and yields the cause Ier. 12. 1. Bighteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee I might instance the Suffrage even of wicked Men and of the most obdurate among them whose Consciences at times have enforced their confession of this Truth and the testimony of an Adversary proves strongly â— haraoh subscribes to it The Lord is Righteous I and my People are wicked Exod. 9. 27. As also doth Adonibezek and Saul Judg. 1. 7. 1 Sam. 24. 17 19. 3 The Saints triumph in the Righteousness of God as well they may and call upon others to do the like The Lord Reigneth Let the Earth rejoyce Psal 93. 97. 99. O Let the Nations be glad and sing for joy Ps 67. 4. Ps 96. 11 13. For thou shalt judg the People Righteously Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth be glad before the Lord For He cometh For He cometh to judge the Earâ—h Rom. 53. c. And hence it was that Paul and the rest of them though the present sense of their suffering was grievous yet they gloried in them And Rejoyced greatly in hopes of that Glory 2 Tim. 4. 8. and Crown of Righteousness which God as a Righteous Judge had prepared for them Eightly Arg. VIII The Righteousness of God is yet further illustrated by The End and Event of his darkest dispensations Isa 10. 22. The consumption decreed shall overflow with Righteousness and Nothing else shall be in it His people though long under oppression He brought them forth at last with the greater Substance His leading them about in the Wilderness as it were in a Maze fourty years together and bringing them back again to the place they had bin at many yeares afore Ps 107. 7. yet it proved to be the Right way And it was for their good in the latter end Deut. 8. 16. Davids long persecution by Saul made him the fitter for the Kingdom and adapted him for the Office of principal Secretary to the Great King opportunely acquainting him with all the affairs of the heavenly State and Councel that are fit to be known of men And by his hand and experience they are Firmed to us and this amongst the Rest Blessed is the Man whom Thou chastenest Ps 94. 12. and teachest him out of thy Law We see it also by the end the Lord made with Job Job 23. 10. 42. 12. He brought him forth like gold and doubled His blessings upon him The Basket of good figs were sent into captivity for their good Jer. 24. 5. Phil. 1. 19 Paul's afflictions turn'd to his Salvation Even Christ himself whose temptations sorrows and sufferings where such as never were known by Men Heb. 2. 17 18. they were intended and accordingly did perfect and inable Him for His Office of Mediator Lastly Arg. IX Consider the Elect those precious Soules whom the Lord had loved from everlasting and determin'd to bring them to Glory yet having sinn'd Not one of them shall enter there without satisfaction first given to His Justice Ro 3. 26. Heb. 6. 20. with Ch. 9. 12 23 Even These He will not Justifie but in such a way as to be Just in so doing The Mercy-Seat it self must
the Creatures have at times deviated from their first Rule and settlement is no derogation to the Doctrine of Gods Sovereignty but rather an illustration of it as shewing that the Creatures are still in His hand as Clay in the Potters Hence we find their innate propensions to be sometimes suspended Otherwhiles acted beyond and at times again quite contrary to the law of their nature and this not casually nor by the force of created powers nor yet for any private or self concern but to serve some special and superiour End which their Lord had to be done To instance a few And 1. Of Creatures without life As the windows of Heaven opening Gen. 1 6 7. Ps 10â— 9. and the fountains of the great deep breaking â—p Notwithstanding the Firmament above and the bounds beneath Exod. 14. 21. 22. Josh 10. 13. Judg. 5. 20. 2 K. 20. 11. to drown the world of ungodly men Gen. 7. 11 and 12. The Red Sea's dividing and standing up as a wall to make way for his Peopl's escape The Sun and Moon 's standing still till they were avenged on their Enemies The Stars to the same end fighting against Sisera The Suns going back in Ahaz his Dial to help Hezekiahs Faith Dan. 3. 22 27. The fiery Furnace devouring those at a distance who cast in those holy Confessors and not so much as touching them that were cast into it The winds and the Seas which are such turbulent and lawless Creatures they stir not nor breathe but to fulfill his word Ps 148. 4. Mark 4. 39. 2. Of living Creatures that have not the use of Reason How readily went they by pairs into Noah's Ark at Gods appointment The Frogs Gen. 7. 8 9. Lice Locusts c. with what supernatural boldness did they assault and perplex the Egyptians That the Magicians themselves confessed Exod. 8. v. 13. 31. Num. 21. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 16. the finger of God was in it and as strangely withdrew when their work was done Witnessed also by the dumb Ass's reproving the Prophets madness 1 K. 13. 24 The Lion's killing the seduced Prophet for breaking God's command yet not eating the carcass nor tearing his Ass 1 K. 17. 6. A Ravenous bird bringing Elijah food in his solitary condition The Whales receiving Jonah and at Gods command casting him on dry Land without harm Jonah 1. Dan 6. 22 24. 17. with ch 2. 10. And the Lyons not hurting Daniel in their Denn yet greedily devouring his accusers It must needs be a Sovereign power which thus Intends Restrains Inverts the course of nature at his will Thirdly Another Ensign asserting Gods supremacy and Rightful Dominion is the general Vote and subscription of Men especially the most knowing and such as best understood him They own it 1 In their Practise or Actions Abel offers the firstlings of hâ—s Flock to God Gen. 4. 3 Abraham leaves his native Country Gen 12. 4. Gen. 22 2. at Gods command to go he knew not whether He also offers his only and innocent son Isaac ver 10. in whose life and posterity all Nations were to be blessed Job when stript of all falls down and worships Job 1. 21. When his two sons were destroyed by fire from Heaven Levâ—t 10. 2 3. Aaron held his peace Eli when that tingling sentence was denounced against his house It is the Lord says he let him do as seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. David when driven from Gods Sanctuary and his throne usurp'd by Absolom Behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him 2. Sam. 15. 26. The men of Nineveh their destruction was pronounced peremptorily of which they had no promise of Remission and consequently no visible ground of hope yet they believed God fasted lay in sackcloth and turned from their evil way Jonah 3. 5. 2 They likewise own it in their confessions and attestations Melchisedeck stiles him The Mâ—st High God Possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14. 19. and Abraham doth the like verse 22. Job professeth that though he were Righteous yet if Gâ—d will contend with him he will not answer but make supplication to his Judge Job 9. 15. The Lord hath made all things for himself Prov. 16. 4. For his pleasure they are and were creaated Rev. 4. 11. We are the Clay and thâ—u our Potter Isa 64. 8. He worketh all things after the Councel of his own Will Eph. 1. 11. He giveth not account of any of his matters Job 33. 13. In his hand is the soul of every living thing chap. 12 â—0 He is the God of the spirits of all flesh Numb 16. 22. All Nations before him are less than Nothing and Vanity Isa 40. 17. He stils the tumult of the people Ps 65. 7. If it be of God ye cannot overthrow it Ps 33 11. Acts 5. 39. The Councel of the Lord that shall stand Pro. 19. 21. The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord Pro. 16. 33. The Kingdome is the Lords and he is Governor among the Nations Ps 22. 28. Thou Lord art exalted above all Gods Ps 97. 9. Nehuchadnezzar that proud and potent Monarch whose greatness reached unto Heaven and his dominion to the end of the Earth All Nations trembled before him whom he would he slew and whom he would be kept alive who said in his heart I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will be like the most high And who is that God that shall deliver out of my hand Yet even he this Child of pride is made to confess One higher than himself and to bow before him proclaiming to the World That the most High dâ—th according to his will in the Army of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou Dan. 4. 22. ch 5. 19. ch 3. 15. ch 4. 34 35 and 37 verses and Isa 14. 13 14. It might farther be instanced in Cain Pharaoh Baalam and other wicked men how they were forced against their wills to acknowledge the Sovereignty of God as appears by comparing Exod. 5. 2. with ch 9. 27 28. and Nuâ—b 22. 18. Darius also in Dan. 6. 26 27 2. Fourthly Another evidence or witness we have from the Angels who are great in power Notwithstanding which they do perfectly own and submit to the Sovereignty of God Where Subjects are numerous wise and magnanimous and withall perfectly submiss to the will of their Lord it argues their Lord is an absolute Sovereign And such are the Angels 1. The Elect or Good Angels These shew it by their ready submission to any service He is pleased to appoint them Zach. 6. 5. 6 7. They are Gods Inetlligencers Not that he needs their advises but to manifest his Sovereign greatness They are also his Messengers He sends them on His errands to negotiate His affairs among men and
whom they appertain Levit. 20. 26. Ye shall be holy unto Me For I have severed you from other people that ye should be Mine Deut. 7. 6 The Lord thy God hath Chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that are on the face of the earth Chap. 26. 18 19 The Lord this day hath Avouched thee to be His peculiar people and to make thee high above all Nations Deut. 10. 15 The Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them and He Chose their Seed after them even you above all people c. But were they as farr above other Nations in goodness in greatness or excellent demeanor And was that it which intituled them to this honour No such matter As appeares 1 by the Reason there assigned Exod. 19. 5. Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people For all the Earth is Mine It is as if the Lord had said There is no difference between you and other Nations All the earth is Mine and I may take where I will I am not tyâ—d to any I might take of them and discard you They cannot carry it more unworthily than you have done and will do I looked from Heaven and considered their works and yours I see that your hearts are fashion'd a like And 2 Their afterâ—demeanour did abundantly verifie it and the Lord foresaw it I know that thou wouldst deal treacherously Isa 48. 8. ver 4. and wast called a transgressâ—r from the womb That thou wouldst to obstinate thy Neck an iron sinew Jer 32. 30. and thy brow brass and that thou wouldst do only evill from thy youth up c. What then was the Cause or Motive of God's choosing them above others It was His undeserved love and favour to them Deu 7. 8. â—h 9 4. He loved them because He loved them Come to David God had provided Him a King among Jesse's Sons and Samuel must go to anoynt him but it must be Him whom the Lord should Name to him 1 Sam. 16. 1. 12. Not the eldest or good liest person And therefore sayes he when they pass before him The Lord hath not Chosen this Nor this Nor these But David 'T is true the Lord did not mention David's name to Samuel but He did what was equivalent for when David comes in He tells him This is He Anoynt him And observe This he was the youngest the meanest and most unlikely scarse reckon'd as one of the family for he was not brought in among the Rest Then Note his Circumstances Hâ—s employment was to keep the shéep His exercise what was it but such as is reckon'd effeminate He addicted himself to Musick see also his Complexion or Constitution of body White and Ruddy no promising character of a Martial Spirit And yet this Man or rather this lad and stripling thus qualified and thus educated he must be the Captain of the Lord's host who yet had the greatest enemies to deal with and therefore had need of a Man of courage and conduct to be over them Well! let David's birth complexion employment education be what it will Never so unlikely in all humane respects yet this David is and he must be the man whom the Lord will honour to Rule his people to fight their battels and to do exploits In this choice the Lord was pleased to set-by whatever is taking with men He seeth not as Man seeth i. e He regards not Men for their Natural accomplishments If for any thing it must be probably for some excellent endowment of the Mind and that of Wisdome is of as weighty consideration in the choice of a Prince as any other But this is no Inducement or Motive to God He respects not any that are wise of heart Job 37. 24. And if He did it Was not here to be had David had no Prince-like qualities above his brethren until afterwards Which thing is plainly intimated in the thirteenth verse where it is said The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him from that day forward Then for Jeremy The Lord ordains him to be a Prophet sets him over Nations and Kingdoms commissionates him to Root out and pull down To build and to plant c. Why what had Jeremy done that the Lord should call him to so Imperial a work Sure no great matter for this he was ordained to before he was born Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee I sanctified thee and ordained thee a Prophet Jer. 1. 5. It also appears by his own Confession how unmeet he was for such a work and how unwilling I cannot speak for I am a Child ver 6. Another Instance may be Cyrus This man was decreed to a great and noble work Isa 44. 28. Ch. 45. 1. 6. v. 13 It was in brief to destroy the Golden Monarchy To break in pieces the hammer of the whole Earth To Release God's people out of Captivity and to build His Temple and this more than an hundred years before Cyrus was born The Lord styles him his Anoynted His Elect Hâ—s Shepheard and One that should perform His pleasure ver 4 5. And He calls him by his Name too which is twice repeated as a thing to be remark'd And to inforce it the more He adds a note of Narrower observance I have called thee even by thy Name Was Cyrus thus chosen because he would be a puissant Prince Or did the Lord make him puissant and victorious because appointed to such a work Hear what the Lord Himself who best knows the ground of His own Designation says of him Ch. 45. 1. Thus saith the Lord to His anointed to Cyrus whâ—se right hand I have holden i. e. I gave him strength and taught him how to use it I will loose the loyns of Kings and open to him the two leafed Gates I will go before him ver 2. I will break in pieces the Gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron c. But what shall Cyrus have done That the great God should do him this honour He did not so much as know the Lord which also is twice repeated as a matter worthy our observation Lastly Paul The Lord from Heaven commissionates him His Preacher General among the Gentiles to bear His Name before Kings To Mawl and Ransack the devil's kingdom and to turn the World upside-down Witness his doings at Ephesus Athens and other places And this he was called to even whiles in the heat of his persecuting fury against that Name which now he is sent to preach And that there was no motive on Paul's part himself is witness where speaking of that his Call he ascribes it to the pleasure and power of God as much as he doth his natural birth Gal. 1. 15. I might also bring in the Stories of Sampson Josiah John Baptist and others to the same effect but that time would fail Now These instances may not be valued as Historical
Believer but their Personal Names Reuben Simeon Levi So had our Great High Priest or He could not have made attonement for us And that place Rev. 13. 8. points at the same time for both Those words From the foundation of the World do refer as well to the writing of their Names in the Book of life as to the Lamb 's being slain And if it be said It must referr to that as was last named then let ver 8. of the 17. Chap. speak for it where deciphering those who shall wonder after the beast he sayes they are such whose Names were not written in the hook of life from the foundation of the World what can be more express II. The Design of God in the death of Christ Arg. 2. could not otherwise be secur'd Had the design been To Purchase Salvation for Believers without ascertaining the Persons that should believe it had been uncertain Whether any should be saved because uncertain Whether any would believe If Certain That some would believe This Certainty must be Decreed For Nothing future could be certain Otherwise And if it was Decreed That Some should believe The Individuals of that Some must be Decreed also For Faith is the Gift of God and could not be foreseen in any but whom He had Decreed to give it unto Which laid together are a good demonstration That those Christ should die for were as well Pre-ordain'd as That He should die for them and that definitely and by Name III. It may further be Argued Arg. 3. from the Fathers preparing a kingdom from the foundation of the World and Mansions or Places in it To prepare the way of this Argument Consider the Punctuality of God's disposements in things of a Lower Moment He did not Create the Earth in vain i. e. To stand empty and void as at its first formation Nor the several quarters thereof to be Inhabited indefinitely by some Nation or Other who should happen to get possession of them But He divided to the Nations their inheritance and the bounds of their Habitation Deut. 32. 8. Mount Seir was given to Esau Acts. 17. 26. and Ar to the Children of Lot Each Nation had its limits staked out Deut. 2. 5 9. and this from the dayes of old And if we may distinguish of Acts in God and of Time in Eternity His Purpose to firm and bring forth those Nations must needs be as early as to Create and furnish those parts of the World which they should Inhabit Now Earthly Settlements being of trivial Moment to the Heavenly Mansions it seems a good Consequent That if yet particular Nations were fore-appointed for particular Provinces on Earth Much more should particular Persons be design'd for those particular Mansions in Heaven And if either were appointed afore the other It must be the Persons For the Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath The Domestiques of God's House or Place of Glory are a sacred State and Order of Kings and Priests and Each individual Person hath his place or Appartiment set out for him Those Glorious Pallaces were not prepared for Believers indefinitely but for certain Determinate Persons particularly The Twelve Apostles shall have their Twelve Thrones and every One his Own This is evident by our Saviour's answer to the Mother of Zebede's children Math. 20. 23 To sit on my right hand and on my left is not Mine to give but it shall he given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father If for Believers indefinitely why not for these two Brethren as soon as any other especially since they first made request for them The Truth is those Places were not now to be disposed of it was determined who should have them long before even From the foundation of the World Matt. 25. 35. The scope of this Answer was not to shew That the places requested for were prepar'd for Believers for these were Believers who made request for them but that they were Appointed for Certain particular Persons and they must have them Much might be added in confirmation of these two branches But by these I hope it is clear That Election is Personal and from Eternity V. Election is in Christ. OR The Elect are Chosen in Christ It was requisite the New Covenant should have an Head and Mediatour as well as the Old That Righteousness and life might flow from Him into all the Elect Seed as sin and death had done from Adam In which respect Christ and He are set forth as Parallels in Romans 3. from ver 12. to 21. The benefits which the Elect are Chosen unto they are made partakers of by their Union with Christ He is the Root in whom the Fulness dwels Not only the Foundation on which the Church is built but the Rock which affords all the Spiritual Materials of the Heavenly Temple Even the Cement that holds one part to another and the whole to Himself and this by virtue of the Decree For we are to Consider that there is a Decretive Union before the Actual and That influenceth This into Being and that as really as the determined death of Christ did the Salvation of Those who died before Him Though Christ be not the Cause of Election yet He is the Grand Means by whom we obtain the blessedness we were Chosen unto By Him it is That We have Access into that Grace Rom. 5. 2. wherein we stand And we shall find that the Epistles generally when they speak of the Great things relating to Salvation do still bring in Christ as the Person principally concern'd about it Salvation indeed is a Gift Tit. 3. 6 it is perfectly Free yet not to be had Rom. 5. 18 19. but in Christ It comes upon us through His Righteousness As by One's disobedience many were made sinners so by the Righteousness of One by means of their Oneness with Him shall many be made Righteous Mankind by their Apostacy in Adam had destroyed in themselves the whole of that Principle which would have lead them to God as their life and blessedness And had withal contracted such an Eumity against Him and Repugnancy to all Overtures for Returning to Him And this Gulph was so fixed as would for ever have kept God and us asunder had not that blessed Project of Choosing in Christ been set on foot to dissolve it It could not be done by any Created Power Nor could Creatures so much as propound a Way for it And if they could who durst so harden himself as to Mention the Thing which onely could do it But The Great God blessed for ever He findes out a way for it And the same Love that ordain'd to Eternal life would also put it in such a way as should surely take effect And to this end viz. That Those Ordain'd to Salvation might be both Rightfully entituled to that Salvation and successefully brought into it They were put into Christ by Election He was the
And therefore as sayes the Apostle We are alwaies confident That when absent from the Body we shall be present with the Lord ver 6 8. This is also further confirm'd by that compendious Promise Jer. 31. 33. I will be their God and they shall be my People Every word here hath a peculiar emphasis 1. That He will be a God to them 2. Their God and 3. for ever This I will imports both a fix'd Resolution Time without limit It is as if He had said Though other lords have had the Rule over you and you have still a Proneness to Revolt to them It shall not be I will not be Outed any more I 'l heal your backslidings and be your God still I 'l carry it towards you and for you as becomes a God to doe and I will make you such a People as becometh God to own I will not be ashamed to be called your God Heb. 11. 16. It would indeed be both a disparagement and dissatisfaction to God if His People should fail of that He made them for which certainly cannot be because God is theirs and if God be theirs all things are theirs both this World and that to come 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. Lastly Arg. VII For the final Perseverance of Believers a Principal Argument is fetch'd from the Sovereign Decree of Election I call it Sovereign partly Because it is the highest Manifestation of God's absolute Dominion over His Creatures in Choosing whom He would and passing-by the Rest Partly also because all sorts of things what soever are subjected to it and made subservient to its final accompliâ—hment And this I take for a principal Reason why Election is so frequently placed in Eternity or before the Foundation of the World viz To shew That the very Fabrick of the World and all Occurrences therein were so contrived and framed in God's Decree as having Election for their primary scope and End That this first Cause is the Supream Moderator of all intermediate Causes and is it self subject to None It was not any loveliness in Elect persons which moved God to love them at first so neither shall their unlovely backslidings deprive them of it though it may be eclips'd by their own default to the breaking of their bones The Lord Chose them for that blessed Image of His Own which He would afterwards imprint upon them and this He still prosecutes through all dispensations That Elect Nation the Jews They apostatized from God and did worse than any Other yet the Lord would not utterly cast them off In Samuel's time their wickedness was very great yet saith he to stay them from total apostacy The Lord will not forsake you But what is the ground of that his great confidence and grand Warranty The very same that now we are upon The Lord will not forsake you because It hath pleased the Lord to make you His People Not because they remembred their duty and returned to God but because He remembred for them His Covenant In pursuance whereof He long maintained their title Notwithstanding their often-repeated forfeitures and when in Captivity brought them home again And indeed Ezek. 16. 62 63. Nothing so melts the hearts of Those in Covenant with God as the the Lord should be pacified towards them after all their abominations The manner of God's dealings with this people is especially Instructive to help the faith of the spiritual Election upon all occasions as holding-forth the special Regard the Lord hath for them because of His Covenant That tho' He may and will punish their iniquities yet His loving kindnefs He will not take from them Ezek. 36. 11. And He puts it still upon His having once Chosen them as you have it in Jeremy ch 41. 9 I have chosen thee and not cast thee away This later Clause And not cast thee away seems added to shew That His Choosing them was an Act unrepealable q. d. I knew aforehand What thou wouldst Doe and how thou wouldst prove and if I had meant Ever to Cast thee off yea if I had not Resolved against it I would not have Chosen thee at all But since I have Be sure I 'l stand by thee I will strengthen thee I will help thee I will uphold thee with the Right hand of my righteousness It is true The body of that Nation for their unbelief are now broken off There is a suspenfion of the outward part of the Covenant Not that God inteds an Utter Rejection of them Rom. 11. 7. For such as have part in the special Election are alwaies saved And the time will come when All Israel shall be saved Rom. 11. 24. For as touching the Election They are beloved still tho' yet unborn For their sakes it was That the dayes of tribulation were shortened Matth. 24. 22. Which answers to Isa 65. 8. Destroy it not there is a blessing in it The Lord will not so much respect What they have deserved as what His own Covenant is concerning Abraham's Seed Which Minding of His Covenant is from the Vnchange ableness of His Purpose And therefore he saith Rom. 11. 24. They shall be grafted in agen Yea though they be driven into all lands Scattered into Corners Mingled with the Heathen and become so like them as Not to be known asunder yet being His Chosen Ones and within His Covenant He will bring them out of their holes Isa 27. 12. and Gather them One by One i. e. He will do it accurately exactly punctually So as none shall be Wanting Though Sifted among all Nations Amos 9. 9. Not One Grain shall fall to the Earth The Reservation mentioned in Rom. 11. is God's Omnipotent Safe-garding His Elect when the Generality of the Nation fell to Idolatry They would have gon All as well as Some 2 Thes 2. 11 12 13. had not Election held them back as appears by comparing the 4 and 5 verses It is therefore said to be According to the Election of Grace Which intimates That Election was the Patern or Original and Reservation the Copy of it And That this was not a single Case or Restrained to the time that then was is evident from Math. 24 Where our Saviour foretells That the Subtilty of Deceivers and temptations of the time should be such and the Torrent rise to that height and strength That it will be a thing next to Impossible Not to be Carried away by it But for the Elect They are safeguarded from it How By the coming-in of the First and Sovereign Cause By the virtue of which the force and influence of all those second Causes shall either be prevented or Romoved Mitigated Inverted Ezek. 9. 6. shortened or Over-ruled and the faith of his Sealed Ones so Confirmed Rev. 7. 3. that they shall not be hurt by them Yea and which is more Those very things which are destructive to Others shall work life in Them Deut. 23. 5. This turn'd