The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…

Neither doth the Apostle simply say, he hath chosen us in him, but he hath chosen us in him ⟨p. 62⟩[Greek or Hebrew], that we should be holy; thereby pointing out unto us Christ as the designed Fountain of all the holiness in the Elect. Moreover, the Apostle saith, that he hath chosen us in him, that we should be holy, and Faith is a choice part of holiness; and that he hath blessed us in him with all spiritual blessings, and Faith is a prime spiritual blessing; and that he hath blessed us according as he hath chosen us, and therefore he chooses us to Faith as well as blesses us with Faith: but if he choose us for Faith, and bless us with Faith, he doth not bless us according as he chooses us. By all which it appears that the Remonstrants Interpretation is an Arrow shot besides the Text. But to go on to other Scriptures; Blessed is the man (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 65. 4.) whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee; and what approach can a sinful worm have to the holy one, what but by the Faith of Christ? and whence is this approach but from God and God electing? He chooseth and causeth to approach unto him. If Faith were antecedent to Election, the approach must have been before the choosing, the contrary whereof appears in the Text. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed, ⟨p. 63⟩Acts 13. 48. The Apostle saith not as many as believed were ordained to Eternal Life, but as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed. But here the Remonstrants tell us, that in the Text 'tis not [Greek or Hebrew] but [Greek or Hebrew], and that imports not God's eternal preordination, but man's present condition or disposition; so that the meaning is, as many as were disposed or well-affected to Eternal Life, believed. Should it (say they) import God's preordination, then all of that Assembly (which were elected) did believe at that one Sermon, and all the rest were absolutely reprobated; for the [[Greek or Hebrew]] in the Text is an universal particle: now that all the Elect of that Assembly did believe that day, or that all the rest were Reprobates, is not imaginable. I answer; first, as to the word [Greek or Hebrew], the import thereof will best appear by taking notice in what sense St. Luke doth use this word, in the Book of the Acts,