Among the Profound Mysteries, whereof our Merciful God has Mercifully advised us, One is, That Everlasting and Immutable Counsel of His, whereby He has Chosen a Certain and Special Number of Men, to be Vessels for the Glory of His Grace forever, with an Eternal Reprobation ⟨p. 107⟩passing over others. Now the Emblem or Shadow, under which our God would give us notice of this Glorious Mystery, is that of, A BOOK, wherein we may Imagine Entered, the Names of such as are to be Saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. Suppose a Daniel, a Paul, a John might on this Side the Third Heaven, have enjoyed a Vision of the Eternal Election, passing upon the Heirs of Life, that Election would not have been otherwise than under the Shape and Form of, A BOOK, represented unto them. And the mention of A BOOK, in this case, may be supposed an allusion to the Public Registers, used in Cities, Countries, Kingdoms, and with almost all the Civilized Nations of this World; where the Names of such as might have any claim to future Privileges, are usually Enrolled. The Ancient Israel of God, had most particularly their Books, wherein they that could not find their Names Inserted, were debarred from such Advantages as they which were therein Recorded, might pretend unto. Now the BOOK of Life, which indeed like our Life, is Hid with God▪ in Christ, is Gods Decree of Election, wherein these and those men, are from all Eternity with a most particular Designation, […] apart for the Obtaining of Life Eternal. We read in Acts. 17, 48. About, As ⟨p. 108⟩many as are Ordained unto Eternal Life Now the Eternal Choice of God, is that Book, wherein the Names of all that are thus Ordained, are most particularly Noted. The Decree of God, which has all that are to Live Happily for ever, as particularly, as if by Name Remembered in it: This is the Book of Life. And this Book is in our Text here Exhibited unto us, as containing the Catalogue of all the persons, who at the Approaching Day of Judgement, shall Escape, The Vengeance of Eternal Fire.
Among the Profound Mysteries, whereof our Merciful God has Mercifully advised us, One is, That Everlasting and Immutable Counsel of His, whereby He has Chosen a Certain and Special Number of Men, to be Vessels for the Glory of His Grace forever, with an Eternal Reprobation ⟨p. 107⟩passing over others. Now the Emblem or Shadow, under which our God would give us notice of this Glorious Mystery, is that of, A BOOK, wherein we may Imagine Entred, the Names of such as are to be Saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. Suppose a Daniel, a Paul, a John might on this Side the Third Heaven, have enjoyed a Vision of the Eternal Election, passing upon the Heirs of Life, that Election would not have been otherwise than under the Shape and Form of, A BOOK, represented unto them. And the mention of A BOOK, in this case, may be supposed an allusion to the Publick Registers, used in Cities, Countreys, Kingdomes, and with almost all the Civilized Nations of this World; where the Names of such as might have any claim to future Priviledges, are usually Enrolled. The Ancient Israel of God, had most particularly their Books, wherein they that could not find their Names Inserted, were debarred from such Advantages as they which were therein Recorded, might pretend unto. Now the BOOK of Life, which indeed like our Life, is Hid with God▪ in Christ, is Gods Decree of Election, wherein these and those men, are from all Eternity with a most particular Designation, 〈…〉 apart for the Obtaining of Life Eternal. We read in Acts. 17, 48. About, As ⟨p. 108⟩many as are Ordained unto Eternal Life Now the Eternal Choice of God, is that Book, wherein the Names of all that are thus Ordained, are most particularly Noted. The Decree of God, which has all that are to Live Happily for ever, as particularly, as if by Name Remembred in it: This is the Book of Life. And this Book is in our Text here Exhibited unto us, as containing the Catalogue of all the persons, who at the Approaching Day of Judgement, shall Escape, The Vengeance of Eternal Fire.
