that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only but much more in my absence work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And verily he shall appear to be something at the great day when he shall come to judge the World and before him shall be gathered all Nations as Matth. 25.31 32 33 34. When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats And he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on his left Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the World And thou thy self also must appear before his judgment seat 2 Cor. 5.10 11. For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whither it be good or bad Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your Consciences And Rev. 6.15 16 17. And the Kings of the Earth and the Great men and the Rich men and the Chief Captains and the Mighty men and every Bond-man and every Free-man hid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks of the Mountains And said to the Mountains and Rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand And Rev. 20.12 13 14 15. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened And another book was opened which is the book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the Sea gave up the dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in them And they were judged every man according to their works And Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire This is the second Death And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire And this day will come as a Thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also with the works that are therein shall be burnt up And Rev. 22.11 12. He that is unjust let him be unjust still And he which is filthy let him be filthy still And he that is righteous let him be righteous still And he that is holy let him be be holy still And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be Well then Reader whoever thou art know that the word Kingdom is good Seed and the Sower is the Son of man Matth. 13.37 He answered and said unto them He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man We are but his under Servants to minister from him this good seed and our great Lord is able to bless the seed sown though we be nothing as 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7 8. Who then is Paul and who is Apollos but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man I have planted Apollos watered but God gave the increase So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth But God that giveth the increase Now he that planteth and he that watereth are onâ— And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour With 2 Cor. 9.10 Now he that ministreth seed to the sower doth minister bread for your food and multiply the seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness And the ground into which we must sow this seed is the heart tho' thro' the ear Matth. 13.9 Who hath ears to hear let him hear The good ground is the good and honest Heart The Lord make thine such and then there will be good fruit brought forth with patience and to perfections though in different measures and degrees as Matth. 13.23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred-fold some fifty some thirty Luke 8.15 But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience To thy salvation and God's glory which the Lord grant unto thee And pray for us his poor Ministers and Servants and particularly for the meanest and most unworthy of them all thy Servant for Christs sake in the Work of the Gospel Tho. Taylor To my many Worthy and Beloved Friends of divers Congregations in and about the City of London the Town of Hackney and other Towns within and without the Lines of Communication where I have occasionally Preached this Gospel Grace and Peace MOST Dear and Pretious Friends Pretious I say for the late Pretious Faith obtained by you with us 2 Pet. 1.1 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like pretious Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ By which Faith the very Faith of Gods Elect Christ is pretious indeed to you 1 Pet 2.7 Unto you therefore which believe he is pretious But unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner when to others a stumbling stone even to them that stumble at the word being disobedient Your Names are too many to be prefixed to this short Epistle and besides in the matter of truth I like not to go to the Poll as if truth needed a Muster-roll of names to carry the voice against such as are the opposers of it It is enough that Christ hath a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their Garments and which shall walk with him in white for they are worthy It matters not how many the names of others in Sardis were Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy It is enough that wisdom is justified of her Children When true Wisdom neither in John Baptist the forerunner who was greater than all the Prophets nor in Christ the Head and Lord of them all could have a testimony from an evil and adulterous Generation Or if they had
were blnded 2ly That so he might make way for the coming of his Son Jesus Christ into the World for his coming forth into and in the Human Nature and being made and manifested in Flesh both to Angels and Men This Mystery of Godliness as the Apostle hath it 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the Flesh had never been exhibited in the sight of Angels and Men had not the transgression of the law and the utter inability in the law to give Man life and righteousness in Gods sight first prepared and opened a way for it had there been no Sin there had needed no Sacrifice no need of God manifested in Flesh could righteousness have been by the works of the law there had been no need of a Christ to take away Sin to make an end of Sins and to bring in everlasting righteousness as Dan. 9 24. Rom. 8.3 And as the Apostle hath it Gala. 2 21. If righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain Christ coming in the Flesh his being made of a Woman made under the law his being made a curse for us yea all that he did suffered for us in his life death yea his resurrection from the dead his Ascension into Heaven and his intercession for us there hath been altogether in vain if Sin could be expiated and righteousness obtained by the deeds or works of the law But Christ is not dead in vain his coming into the World is not in vain Now consider what a glorious work the work of redemption is above all the works of Gods Creation and above all the other works of his mighty wise and holy providence and be filled with admiration and wonder at the infinite wisdom power and Grace of God in Christ who hath thus over-ruled so great an evil as Sin is and the frustration of the hope of righteousness by the law for the manifestation of the riches of his glory and Grace in his Son Christ Jesus and the greater advancement and good of his own Elect who are no losers by their disappointment and loss of the hope of righteousness by the deeds of the law having now obtained a better hope of a better and greater righteousness by Faith in Christ than could have been obtained by the law if they had never Sinned and if they had fulfilled the righteousness of the law in themselves Glory be to the triumphant Grace of God in Christ. 3. That so also just occasion might be offered for the promulgation and making known amongst Men the everlasting Covenant of Grace Now consider what a great blessing the Covenant of Grace is above the Law and Covenant of works which the Apostle saith Had no glory in comparison of the new Covenant of Grace which so far excelled 2 Cor. 3.7 8 9 10 11. verses And consider how the manifestation and revelation of this better Covenant hath filled Heaven and Earth with a greater light and manifestation of the Divine glory than any the World knew before or could ever have known without it and you will fall Down and worship before the throne of God and of the Lamb saying Blessing Glory and Praise be unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath thus blessed us with the blessings of such a Covenant all Spiritual blessings all Heavenly blessings all Spiritual blessinngs in heavenly places in Christ Ephes. 1.3 This Covenant of Grace is called the New Covenant but only with respect to the promulgation of it forasmuch as it was not promulgated till after the fall of Man and the frustration and making void the law or old Covenant as a Covenant of works and utter incapacity of that Covenant to give Man righteousness and life by the deeds or works of it as the Apostle argueth Heb. 8. v. 7 8 11 13. But the Covenant of Grace is also called the everlasting Covenant with respect to the institution and establishment of it betwixt the Father and the Son not only because it is to everlasting and endureth for ever but also because it is from everlasting and before all time and is therefore said to be given us in Christ before the World was Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began that this is the Covenant of Grace is plain because it is that upon which the hope of eternal life is builded and it is called the promise as it is often called in Scripture as Gala. 4.28 Now we Brethren as Isaac was are the children of the promise i. e. of the new Covenant for this is the new Covenant which is compared to that Jerusalem which is above and is the Mother of all the children of God as Gala. 4.22 23 24 25 26. Upon this account they are called heirs of the promise i. e. of the new Covenant or Covenant of Grace and not of the old Covenat or Covenant of Works as Gala. 4.31 So then brethren we are not children of the Bond-woman but of the Free i. e. not of the old Covenant but of the new Now of this promise viz. this promise of God that cannot lie it is said to have been before the world began i. e. given us in Christ the Mediator of this Covenant and unto whom this promise was given for us before all time before the World began i. e. from Eternity And if any shall enquire why then was the law or Covenant of works at all added and promulgated The Answer is ready as the Apostle Gala. 3.19 It was added because of transgression i. e. that by the occasion of Sin and transgression of that Covenant Men might be prepared to entertain and embrace the Promise and Covenant of Grace and so look unto the free Promise and Covenant of Grace in Christ for Life and Salvation and so Rom. 5.20 21. The law entred that sin might abound c. Now as it was for the further manifestion of Gods greater glory and for Mans greater good that this new Covenant or Covenant of Grace should be declared so it was necessary that Sin should first enter in the transgression and frustration of the law as a Covenant of works that a fit occasion and season might be offered for the declaring and making known this blessed Covenant this new and everlasting Covenant of Grace And thus by the disannulling and making void the old or first Covenant as a Covenant of works which could not have bin without the entrance of Sin is way made for bringing in the Covenant of Grace 4ly That God might cut off all occasion of boasting from Man and that no flesh might glory in his sight had Man been justified by the works of the law and his own righteousness he should have had whereof to boast as the Apostle Rom. 4.2 For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to Glory but not before God Now therefore God in his infinite wisdom hath ordered and over-ruled things unto this issue that by the workâ—
of the law no flesh should be justified in his sight that so no flesh might glory in his sight no not one amongst the many Sons which are and shall be brought unto glory that as Abraham the father of the faithful so none of the children of Abraham might have whereof to glory before God God is very jealous of his glory and will not have any creature in Heaven or Earth to come in as a sharer with him in that glory whcih is his own peculiar and appertaineth unto himself alone And therefore hath so wisely disposed things in the aeconomy of Salvation that Man being raised from the lowest degree and Abyss of Sin and misery to the highest pitch and height of Grace and glory should have nothing to boast of nothing to glory in before him but to cry Grace Grace unto this spiritual Workmanship and building of God by Jesus Christ even from the first foundation stone to the topstone thereof as Zech. 4.7 So that now boasting is here for ever excluded and glorying cut off from all flesh as Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded by what law of works Nay but by the law of Faith The law of works had it carried the glory of giving life and righteousness to Man could not have excluded boasting but had admitted boasting even amongst the Sons of glory every person amongst them would have had something of his own to boast of his own free will against Gods free Grace his own works and righteousness against Gods free promise and Grace in Christ Jesus But now by the law of Faith boasting is utterly and for ever excluded And that this was Gods design is plain from 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. Eph. 2.9 And thus as Gods own glory is his highest end as in all his other works so also in this great work of justification by Faith and not by the works of the law so his own most Holy and Sovereign will is the most perfect Rule in order to that end as Eph. 1.11 12. Who worketh all things after the counsel of his will That we should be to the praise of his Glory There is nothing more hateful to God than Pride The Angels for Pride were cast down to Hell God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace to the humble a proud professor is most hateful to God for a professor to make himself his end in his Religious works and duties as Zech. 7.5 6. and to make his own will his rule as 2 Pet. 2.10 is to make himself a God to himself And is the highest contradiction to the Divine will which is the most perfect rule of his obedience and to the Divine glory which is his highest end now therefore God hath so provided that amongst all those that are justified not by the works of the law or their own righteousness but by Faith in Jesus Christ no flesh should glory in his sight either by ascribing to his own free will in opposition to Gods free Grace or in his own works and righteousness in opposition to the free promise and the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe 5. It hath seemed good to the most wise and holy God by the interposition of sin in the transgression of the first Covenant and the frustration thereof as to any possibility of giving Righteousness and Life to any man under the Heavens under which all are concluded and shut up to order things unto this issue that so occasion might be given to glorifie his justice in the punishing of sin and to Reveal his wrath from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men as Rom. 1.18 Had there been no sin there had been no wrath and so no manifestation of Gods righteous judgment no revelation of his wrath from Heaven against all unrighteousness of men upon this Earth Now it was absolutely nâ—â—â—ssary with respect to Gods greater glory that as his mercy grace and Love should be manifested towards some as hath been already shewed so his just wrath and the power of it should also be made manifest against others who upon that occount are called Vessels of wrath and fitted to destruction as others are called Vessels of mercy and aforehand prepared unto glory as Rom. 9.22 23 v. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction· There are amongst men in this World Vessels of Wrath as well as Vessels of Mercy As amongst men Vessels have their denomination from that which they contain and are filled up with So Vessels of Oyl Vessels of Wine Vessels of Water c. So here some are called Vessels of Mercy because they are filled with Mercy Grace and Love from God in and through his Son Jesus Christ and by this mercy grace and love of God in Christ to them they are afore-hand prepared unto glory So on the other hand others are called Vessels of wrath because they are the objects of Gods wrath and by the fulness of Sin when it is finished and grown ripe in them they are fitted to destruction and shall be filled with the infinite wrath of God and that for ever For their worm dyeth not and their fire is not quenched as Mark 9.44 Now such was the will the sovereign will of God that this warth of his and the Power of this wrath should be manifested and shewed forth in the glory of it towards these Vessels of warth what if God willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as determining resolving in â—he Council of his will For here the word willing doth not signifie barely a consent of the will that such a thing shall be done but a fixed purpose and Counsel of the Divine will determining and decreeing To shew his wrath and to make his power known on the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Now there had been no occasion for the revelation of this part oâ— the Divine will and the shewing forth his wrath and the making of his power know towards these Vessels of wrath if sin had not once entered and the Law by transgression been disabled as to the giving Man Life and Righteousness by the works of it yea if there had been no sin there had been no Vessels of wrath nor any fitting of them to destruction And thus the wise and holy God hath over-ruled Sin and the Transgression of his holy Law to his own glory in the manifestation of these Vessels of wrath amongst Men in this World and in the fitting of them to destruction and in taking occasion thereby to shew his wrath and to make his Power known partly in this World and more abundantly in that which is to come So that all the patience and long-suffering of God towards these Vessels of Wrath hath no other issue than by their continuance in Sin and filling up the measure of their Iniquity to ripen and
any thing like it for a time they quickly recanted and recalled it Mat. 11.16 19. But whereunto shall I liken this Generation It is like unto Children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners But wisdom is justified of her Children And John 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light And ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light I have been greatly refreshed and comforted in you all by the grace of God bringing Salvation to you and which ye have not received in vain But as ye have heard him and been taught of him as the truth is in Jesus Christ this grace hath taught you effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works And am still comforted in the remembrance thereof And that these poor labours of mine in the Ministry of this Gospel hath had any effect upon your Souls either in drawing you to Christ or confirming or comforting you in Christ at any time is and will be my rejoycing above all the esteem I have in your hearts and all the help I have received from your hands by your Free Kind Liberal ministring to my necessities from time to time and that my temptation which was in the Flesh through these necessities and wants and reproaches for Christs sake ye despised not but received me and embraced me I will not say as an Angel of God or even as Christ Jesus But one far greater than I can own my self to be I can truly say I have rejoyced much more because of the Grace of God given to you than in all the gifts to me though I had need of them all and do acknowledge them to be more and greater than I am worthy of But Christ is worthy for whose sake only ye have counted me so Mar. 9.4 And whosoever will offend one of those little ones that believe in me It is better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the Sea And though I put not your names to this my Book for reasons above mentioned yet I hope they are all of them in the Book of Life And this small Treatise which is but a taste of some more that may follow in due time if the Lord please I do more especially Devote and Dedicate to the Use and Service of you all and yours not doubting that whither I live or die you will find out it or it will find out you by some providence or other I say I Dedicate it to you not for Patronage or Protection but for Debt for it is much due to you who have been my fellow helpers in the Gospel some of you for mâ—ny years And two things I have to say to you all and leave here upon record as the greatest testimony of my thankfulness love and care to and for you in the Lord. Namely First That you beware and take heed of of a loose conversation and that ye use not your liberty at any time or in any thing for an occasion to the Flesh or to the World For we are not debtors to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.12 13. And Jam. 4.4 Ye Adulterours and Adulteresses Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity against God Whosoever therefore will be the friend of the World is the enemy of God 1 John 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 16. For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World 17. And the World passeth away and the Lusts thereof But he that doth the will of God abideth tfor ever The power of Christ's Death is within you therefore let your Old Man be crucified with Christ That henceforth ye may not serve Sin and let the World be crucified to you and you unto it otherwise you cannot glory truly in the cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature You cannot be alive with Christ through Union with him but you must be dead and die continually both to Sin and to the World Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound Secondly That you shine as lights in the World and be as the Sons and Daughters of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of Life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain Phil. 2.14 15 16. Do all things without murmurings and disputings That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine or shine ye as lights in the World Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain And our Lord hath said Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven If the time will come when ye shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of your Father Math 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Who hath ears to hear let him hear Surely ye should shine as lights more in this State of imperfection and whilst you are in this World and thereby show you are not of it Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of Life and to enter in through the Gates of the the City 15. For without ar Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie To the Church or Congregation which is at Cambridge unto which I stand as a Pastor or Overseer in the Faith Fellowship and Order of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And to many others my Constant or Occasional hearers of whom I am perswaded such things as do accompany Salvation Blessed be God Dearly Beloved I Do greatly rejoyce in
the flesh cannot please God The person being Sinful all his deeds and works are Sinful also and neither his person nor his deeds or works can be pleasing or acceptable unto God by the law and therefore it is written also Heb. 11.6 But without Faith it is impossible to please God which it would not be if a Man could be righteous by the works of the law and without Faith i. e. Faith in Christ he might then please God by the works of the law and and without Faith Now let all these particular Considerations be brought together into one namely that the law requireth personal perfect and perpetual obedience continually and that in all points and doth also require a sinless Person and it will easily appear that it is become absolutely impossible to every Man since Adam as it was also to Adam himself after the fall ever to become righteous by the works or deeds of the law And therefore as impossible for any Man to be justified in the sight of God by the works of the law seeing he cannot by the works of the law be righteous for this were to suppose that a Man might be justified without righteousness which to suppose is a contradiction and absurdity And thus having done with the Reasons of the Doctrine namely that by the deeds of the law no Flesh shall be justified in Gods sight We proceed next and further to enquire Q. Why the infinitely wise and holy God who created Man such an excellent and glorious creature after his own Image and put him under such an excellent law so holy just and good should suffer this excellent creature and this excellent law of his by the interposition of Sin to be so frustrate and disappointed that it is now become impossible for Man to be justified by the law and the deeds of it Answ. This must be resolved ultimately into the Sovereign will and pleasure of God as our Lord Christ upon another occasion Father I thank thee Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and from the prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Mat. 11.25 A stupendious Mystery it was And can be resolved ultimately into nothing less than the Sovereign will of the blessed God and Creatour who may do what he pleases his own will being the most perfect Rule and his own glory the highest and ultimate end of all his works Certain it is that the holy God could easily have prevented Sin and have preserved his Creature Man under the Conduct of the pure and holy Law of his unto Eternal Life and Glory but it seemed not good in his sight so to do Knowing how to over-rule so great an evil as Sin and the Transgression of his holy Law to the further manifestation of his own greater glory and the greater good of his own Elect And therefore we further find by inquiry into this matter by the Light of the Holy Scriptures That this so stupendious and mysterious a work of his Providence with respect to man was necessary in order to the manifestation of his own greater glory and mans greater good in five or six things 1. Namely first That thereby he might take occasion through Sin and the Transgression of his Law to bring to light and give forth the manifestation of his Eternal Election of Grace both amongst Angels and Men before the World was which was a Mystery hid in God till the discovery and manifestation thereof now began to apppear 1. Amongst the Angels of Heaven amongst whom Sin entred and so great a number of them leaving their first habitation and were cast down to Hell for their transgression whilst a remnant of them were preserved and were confirmed of God in Christ as Ephes. 1.10 Gods Election of Grace toward some became manifest and apparent and his severity towards the rest that Sinned whom he spared not but cast them down to Hell and 2 Pet. 2.4 So that here is a difference and a discrimination made betwixt Angels and Angels some cast down to Hell others preserved and confirmed in Heaven And that which made the difference was not any natural goodness and excellency of Endowments in the one more than the other but the free Grace and Election of God in Christ preseverd and confirmed some that they did not that they should not Sin whilst the rest sinned and were cast down to Hell Hence the elect Angels on the one part 1 Tim. 4.21 and the Angels that Sinned on the other divide the whole World of Angels And as vast a difference and distance is put betwixt the one and the other as betwixt Heaven and Hell as betwixt Light and Darkness Hence of the same lump of the Angelical Nature are made Angels of Light as 2 Cor. 11.14 and Angels of Darkness 2 Pet. 2.10 Angels of Heaven as Mat. 24.36 and Angels of Hell as Mat. 25.41 the Holy Angels as Mat. 25.31 And the wicked or Apostate Angels as Jud. 6. 2ly Amongst Men in this World God took occasion by Sin and the trangression of his Holy law to manifest his Election of Grace even amongst Men on Earth as he had already amongst Angels in Heaven And now a difference is put betwixt the seed of the Woman namely Christ as the head of this Election and all the Elect amongst Men whom the Father had chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World Ephes. 1.4.2 Tim. 1.9 and whom the Father had given to Christ out of the Wold John 17.9 These all are one in Christ by virtue of this Election and are to be brought unto actual conformity to him in Grace here and Glory hereafter Christ the first Born and they all brethren to him and one to another in him as Rom. 8.29 And the seed of the Serpent on the one hand that is all the Children of the Devil or wicked One who are now distinguished and made manifest by the admission and entrance of Sin as 1 John 3.9 10. And as Sin took occasion by the law for if there had been no law there had been no Sin or transgression so the Grace of God took occasion by Sin and by the transgression of the law to manifest it self both amongst Angels and Men to Gods greater Glory and the greater good and glorious advantage of his Elect. Oh the depth both of the Wisdom and knowledg of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out How hath the Election of Grace taken occasion by the Sin and misery of Mankind to shew and manifest it self in glorious triumph over all Mans sinfulness and unworthiness as well as over all Mans works and righteousness by the law in over ruling the one and excluding of the other that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth as Rom. 9.11 and again Rom. 11.7 The Election hath obtained it and the rest