kindness, have I drawn thee." Election having once pitched upon a man, it will find him out, and call him home, where ever he is. Zaccheus out of cursed Jericho; Abraham out of idolatrous Ur of the Chaldeans; Nicodemus and Paul-out of the college of the Pharisees, Christ's sworn enemies; Dionysius and Damaris, out of super. stitious Athens. In what dunghill soever God's jewels are hid, election will both find them out there, and bring them thence. The third link is justification; the dependance thereof upon election may be gathered from that passage in the same chapter to the Romans," who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies."* As also from the vision in Zechariah, where Joshua the high priest re presenting the people, appeared clothed with filthy garments in sign of guilt by them contracted, till God had commanded, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him. Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee." Where upon there was a fair mitre put upon his head, and he clothed with change of garments, in reference to their change of condition from guilt to free justification; the spring whereof is hinted at in that speech, the Lord said unto Satan," the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee." The fourth and last is glorification, that takes in both

Rom. viii. 33. + Zechar. iii. 34.
§ Ib. verse 2.

Ib. verse 5.

the beginnings of glory in sanctification (of which Paul in his second to the Corinthians third

66

chapter and last verse, we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord :" and of which he' telleth us elsewhere, that all the graces of which it consists proceed from this prime grace of election (saying, "God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him"*) and the consummation of glory in heaven; the foundation whereof is by bur Saviour clearly laid in the Father's giving us to him by election at first, "This, saith he, is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." So true is that of a modern writer, " election depends upon God alone, all other blessings upon election."

Fifthly, A standing favour. The favours of men may be suddenly changed unto frowns; as those of King Ahasuerus towards Haman were: who but he over night in the King's esteem ? next day he will not endure the sight of him. But God's are immutable. All the blessings of the covenant of grace are sure mercies, according to that by the prophet Isaiah, "I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure

* Ephes. i. 3. 4.

+ John vi. 39. 1 Cætera pendent ab electione, Electio a Deo. Heins. Hom. in Joh. xvii. 9. p. 46.

mercies of David;"* Election in a special manner. Our apostle accordingly intimates in one place, that "the purpose of God according to election must stand:" and affirms in another, that "this foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, the Lord knows who are his." In which few words, we have no fewer than three grounds of its stability; a foundation, a seal, and a science. Election is the Foundation of God; a firm foundation that stands sure, With us things founded upon a rock, have great stability; "the rock of ages," as he is called, even God himself, his good pleasure and counsel is that upon which our election is founded. With us, writings once sealed receive a confirmation thereby, and become unrepealable: God hath set his seal to this de cree. With us, knowledge or science is of things certain and unalterable, not as opinion, which being of things only probable may be changed. The seal here is, The Lord knows who are hist No wonder then if the Lord be for ever found to make good that which he said by his apostle, "God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew." If having named election in the foregoing verse, he presently subjoins, the gifts || and calling of God are without repentance. ¶

*Isaiah lv. 3.
f Isaiah xxvi. 4.

+ Rom. ix 11.
|| Rom. xi. 2.

‡ 2 Tim. ii. 19,

¶ Rom. xi. 29.

EXERCITATION III.

An Introduction to Romans ix.

Most part of

that chapter expounded, together with sundry "passages in chapter x, and xi, for proof of these two conclusions. 1. That Paul in Rom. ix. doth upon occasion propound and prosecute the doctrine of predestination 2. That he derives the decree of preterition from the sovereign greatness of God. An inference shewing how useful the said doctrine is to sober minds.

§1. For a full proof of our second assertion, That the greatness of God is abundantly manifested by his decree of preterition, we must of necessity have recourse to the ninth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans, as unto the proper seat of that argument; although divers from abroad and some at home by foreign interpretations, forced glosses and strained paraphrases, have endeavoured to carry the sense quite another way; against the poison of whose endeavours our people may perhaps stand in need of an antidote.

It shall be my care, by divine assistance, (which is always needful, especially in the debating of such mysteries) to present them with one: and in as calm a way as may be, without provoking, however without reproaching such as are contrary minded, to demonstrate these two conclusions, viz, That Paul in the ninth of the Romans doth

upon occasion propound, and prosecute the doctrine of predestination. And that he plainly derives the decree of preterition from the sovereign greatness of God. But before we enter upon so great a depth (which I do with fear and trembling) let it be observed that our apostle from the end of the eight, to the beginning of his twelfth chapter, continues a profound complicate discourse wholly about the main concerns of his countrymen the Jews; and that the best help we have for enlightening certain clauses in the ninth, ought to be brought from passages in the tenth and eleventh chapters: the neglect whereof, I verily think, hath occasioned the miscarriages of so many in their interpretations of that scripture. I hope to improve the observation to`good purpose.

§ 2. Concerning the former of our conclusions, there will be no need of going far to seek the oc casion of Paul's falling upon this doctrine. He had carefully and continually preached faith in Christ, as the only way of salvation, in opposition to all others. This, however embraced by divers Gentiles, could by no means find entertainment with the Jews. Be pleased to compare chapter ix. 31, 32, 33. "Israel which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not obtained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written, Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and rock of offence: