1. IF God be your God, then you are the particular objects of his eternal love, 1and of all his gracious and unchangeable, and infallible purposes, intentions, and thoughts; and so you may safely conclude that you are the vessels of mercy, on whom God will make known the riches of his glory, Rom. 9. 23. The Apostle in that Chapter discourseth of the eternal love and grace of God in election (which he calls The purpose of God according to election, ver. 11. and his love, ver. 13. and his having mercy on whom he will have mercy, ver. 15. 18) and those persons whom he hath thus loved and elected, he calls vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory, ver. 23. Now the question might be, how we may know whether we be in that number, whether we be the persons on whom that love, and that election was fixed. This he resolves by our interest in the Covenant, ver. 24. Even us whom he hath called. Ver. 25. As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. Ver. 26. And it shall come to pass, that in that place where it was said unto you, you are not my people, where they shall be called the children of the living God: as if he had said, we know that God hath loved us, and that he hath had mercy on us, and that he hath elected us; for he hath called us out of our sinful condition, and brought us into Covenant with himself; he is our God, and we are his people; he is our Father, and we are his children; we are the children of the living God. Now what an unspeakable comfort is this, namely, a certain knowledge of the love of God, and of the election of God, that our names are written in heaven in the book of life, out of which they shall never be blotted? 1 John 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God! as if he had said, no love like unto this love; This was wonderful love, that he should be out Father, and we should be his children. 2 Thes. 2. 13. We are ⟨p. 31⟩bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Mark, the Apostle judgeth their election to be a just obligation of continual thanks, that God should be blessed for that, every day of our lives for ever and ever, because he hath chosen us, and ordained us to salvation. Luke 10. 20.
1. IF God be your God, then you are the particular objects of his eternal love, 1and of all his gracious and unchangeable, and infallible purposes, intentions, and thoughts; and so you may safely conclude that you are the vessels of mercy, on whom God will make known the riches of his glory, Rom. 9. 23. The Apostle in that Chapter discourseth of the eternal love and grace of God in election (which he calls The purpose of God according to election, ver. 11. and his love, ver. 13. and his having mercy on whom he will have mercy, ver. 15. 18) and those persons whom he hath thus loved and elected, he calls vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory, ver. 23. Now the question might be, how we may know whether we be in that number, whether we be the persons on whom that love, and that election was fixed. This he resolves by our interest in the Covenant, ver. 24. Even us whom he hath called. Ver. 25. As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. Ver. 26. And it shall come to passe, that in that place where it was said unto you, you are not my people, where they shall be called the children of the living God: as if he had said, we know that God hath loved us, and that he hath had mercy on us, and that he hath elected us; for he hath called us out of our sinful condition, and brought us into Covenant with himself; he is our God, and we are his people; he is our Father, and we are his children; we are the children of the living God. Now what an unspeakable comfort is this, namely, a certain knowledge of the love of God, and of the election of God, that our names are written in heaven in the book of life, out of which they shall never be blotted? 1 John 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sonnes of God! as if he had said, no love like unto this love; This was wonderful love, that he should be out Father, and we should be his children. 2 Thes. 2. 13. We are ⟨p. 31⟩bound to give thanks alwayes to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Mark, the Apostle judgeth their election to be a just obligation of continual thanks, that God should be blessed for that, every day of our lives for ever and ever, because he hath chosen us, and ordained us to salvation. Luke 10. 20.
- 1If God be our God, we are the objects of Gods eternal love, and of all his gracious purposes.
