Chrift is as well refpected in our Election, as in our Juftification and Glorification, which are things obtained for us by Christ. If therefore Election be a Characteristick of Vertue, as Chryfoftom faith on those words of St. Paul, who fall lay any thing to the charge to the charge of God's Elect? All that vertue which the Chooler did approve, was from Chrift, in whom he accepted those whom he found in him, not from Faith, not from Works, but from Chrift, as it is in the caufe of Juftification. If it be objected, that by this the Election of God is quite taken away, and his Juftification is only left him; for to take believers is an act of Justice, and not of Choice: I anfwer, that Election and Juftification differ not in this, that Faith in Chrift is requifite to Juftification, but not to E. lection but their diftinction from each other lieth in a difference of time, though in both Faith in Chrift be requifite. The difference in time is this; the one hath place whilft the Decree of God is yet paffing; the other, when the Decree of God is paft, and gone out. While the Decree was in making, or was not yet determined, that which did conclude and determine it, was Choice and not Juftice; for then God is faid to have Chofen believers in Chrift, becaufe when things were under deliberation and confultation what should be done, Choice had place, and fwayed all. But after the Decree is pronounced and established, when God beholdeth a believer as a thing that will infallibly be, then he properly juftifieth, not Electeth him: for his Election is already upon the infallibility of God's Foreknowledge, and the immutability of his Will. And this difference only obferved, the Doctrine of our Election in Chrift doth ftrongly confirm our Faith of Juftification and Salvation by Chrift, as our Article faith afterwards. And our juftification by Chrift doth much enlighten and clear the Doctrine of our Election Election in Chrift, according to the three Hypothefes of Melanchton. 1. Judicandum effe de Electione ex Evangelio. Loco de 2. Totum numerum Electorum propter Chriftum e- Pradeft, lectum effe. 3. Non aliam fuftificationis, aliam Electionis effe caufam. Thus much of the firft Addition to Chofen, chofen in Chrift. The fecond adjunct unto Chofen, is that they were Chofen out of Mankind; by our Article then, all Mankind was not Chofen, but fome out of Mankind; but all Mankind was confidered in the Omniscience of God, from the firft Man to the laft; for he that choofeth out of all, muft weigh and examine all. Out of Mankind, not out of Angels-Kind; for feeing the Election is in Chrift, and Chrift took not hold of the nature of Angels, but of human Nature, the Election must be out of Human-kind, as taken hold on by Chrift: Chrift being provided and preached to Human-kind, as one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus, who for us Men, and for our Salvation came down from Heaven, and was incarnate. Laftly, if it be Human-kind, out of which the Election is made, it must be diftributed into two parts; either as found in Chrift, or as found out of Chrift, because the Election is in Chrift, and therefore made out of Mankind, as having fomething to do with, or fome relation to Chrift: for if God in his Predeftination had bent his confideration unto the Mafs of Mankind innocent and uncorrupted, there had he found no Man Reprobable, all being fuch as his own hand had made them; if to the Mafs of Mankind fallen and corrupt, there had been found no no Man Eligible, all being under the Curfe: but confidering Mankind as under Chrift, who should dye for it, and should be preached to the World, there he found fome Eligible, viz. fuch as laid hold on Chrift by Faith; and fome Reprobable, who being Sinners received not the Saviour that would be fent to deliver them from Curfe and Condemnation. And thus much for the first act of God in the order of nature, tho' the third thing mentioned in the letter of the Definition, those whom God hath Chofen in Christ out of Mankind. Now I come to the firft thing in the letter of the Definition, but the fecond act of the mind of God, touching them whom he hath Chofen, viz. his everlasting Purpofe, and Decree what to do for them, and how to do it: and first let me treat of the Principal, the purpofe it felf, then of the additions and properties of this Purpose. The Article calleth it the purpose of God, and not of Man, and that rightly; for every thing that is read, tho' in antient Fathers, is not to rafhly to be embraced. This expreffion is St. Pauls, To Or webeois, where we need not fay that it is ambiguous whether T8 8 belongs το ἐκλογὴν or to Πρόθεσις, fince it truly and un. doubtedly belongs to both. wefois may fignify two things; first, the fame that idea, Typus or Archetypus; the plot, form, or frame of all things, according to which all things that now are, were made and wrought by God, it felf being firft Many of the old Commentators by weder understood the refolution, determination or choice made by Man, when the offers of the Gospel were tendered unto him; Οι κατ' οίκειαν πρόθεσιν γενόμενοι κλητοί. Oecum. Ων προέγνω τὴν πρόθεσιν, τέτες προώρισεν, Theodor. Κλητὸς δὲ γίνεται άνθρωπος κατά πρόθεσιν τοίς κατ' οἰκείαν weapon. Theophylact. wrought wrought, that is, devifed and contrived, and fet in order by him. The Understanding of God is the feat and fubject, in which this plot and frame is defcribed, and as it were written; as the plot of an Architect is drawn, and fet out in paper, or in the fand, for the help of his weaknefs, that he may fee with his Eye, a Model of that which was in his Mind, and in time, it may be, fhould be raised and builded up by him. Thus feems St. Paul to use the word, when he faith, the various Wifdom of God is known to Angels by the Church, και πρόθεσιν των αἰώνων ἣν ETTINGER & XUT 'Inood; where this expreffion Eph. 3. n. póleo implieth that a pattern was followed, and this inov faith the pattern was made by God himself in Chrift Jefus: God doing nothing without the Son, being the Chief piece in the frame. Secondly, this word paleois may fignify the Purpofe, Decree, Determination and Refolution of the Will of God, to execute, and to put into being the things whereof the Plot which is in his mind is the Pattern. Thus St. Paul taketh it, when he joineth Purpose and Grace together; who hath faved us, and called us with an holy Calling, not accord- 2. Tim. 1. ing to our Works, but according to his Purpose and9. Grace, given unto us in Chrift fefus, before the World was: Or the purpose of God confifteth of both thefe together, the Counfel, and the Decree of God intending those things, the order, courfe, and form whereof he hath firft in his Mind and Power, and afterwards in his Will. So that I may fay with Urfinus on Ifaiah, the In Ifa. Iffue of things exactly answers their Pattern, the counfel and foreknowledge of God; or as St. Paul would exprefs it, all things come to pass according to, all things do, and fulfill the purpose of God. This pur pofe 14. pofe is about ends and means to thofe ends, and all circunftances accompanying them, both in things of the order of nature, and of the order of Grace, and about thofe things God will do himself, and thole things he will permit the creature and all fecondary caufes to do. And altho' in the whole Frame or Plot there are two parts, or two ways; one that leadeth fome to Happines, and another wherein fome go to their own deltruction; and tho' the purpofe of God runs upon them both, as being not without his Counfel or Will, yet in St. Paul that only which is the way to Happiness to fome, as the more worthy and defirable part, is called the purpose of God. And as in his Foreknowledge, altho' the wicked are not unknown to God, he not being ignorant of the Men, and of their works; yet only the Faithful and the Elect are named and called those whom he Foreknew, because in them he is pleafed and delighted: So in purpose, that part only of the Divine difpofition which bringeth unto Happiness is called God's purpofe, becaufe he delighteth in the Good of his Creatures, and hath no pleasure in their Death and Destruction, which is of themfelves, and not of him, tho' adjudged by him, and Decreed upon their Rebellion. And this may fuffice for the opening of this Term, the Purpofe of God. As for the adjuncts added by our Article to Purpofe, as the everlafting Purpose &c. they are fo clear, that they need no further explication, than was before made in the Analyfis: only the laft claufe, By his counsel fecret to us, I would have referved and kept in mind to prove that doctrine which I delivered in the eighteenth Chapter of the third part of this work, viz. that altho' there be revealed to us fome hopeful figns of our Election and Pre-, deftination, as the next branch of this Paragraph witneffeth; yet the very certainty of our Election or Pre |