Graphautarkeia, or, The Scriptures sufficiency practically demonstrated wherein whatsoever is contain'd in Scripture, respecting doctrine, worship or manners is reduced to its proper head, weighty cases resolved, truths confirmed, difficult texts illustrated and explained by others more plain.

CHAP. IX. Gods free choice of His in Christ to Eternal Life, and calling them according to his Purpose and Grace. (Book 9)

AND ye shall be holy unto me, for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine, Levit. 20. 26.

Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth, the Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people: for ye were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you, &c. Deut. 7. 6, 7, 8. ch. 14. 2.

Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers, to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people as at this day, Deut. 10. 15.

The Lord will not forsake his people for his names sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people, 1 Sam. 12. 22.

And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, like Israel whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things, &c? For thou hast confirmed to thy self thy people Is∣rael, a people unto thee for ever, and thou Lord art become their God, 2 Sam. 7. 23, 24.

Wo unto him who striveth with his maker, let the Potsherd strive with the Potsherds of the earth: Shall the clay say to him who fashioneth it, what makest thou? Woe unto him who saith unto his father, what begettest thou, &c. Isa. 45. 9, 10.

The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken, and grieved in spirit, a Wife of youth when thou wast refused, saith thy God, Isa. 54. 5, 6.

I am found of them who sought me not: I said, behold me, behold me, un∣to a nation, which was not called by my name, Isa. 65. 1. Rom. 10. 20. ch. 15. 21.

The Lord said to Jeremy, before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee, I ordained thee a Prophet unto the nation, Jer. 1. 5.

I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee, Jer. 31. 3.

When God gives out the great promises of a new heart, a new spirit, &c. He said, not for your sakes do I this, be it known unto you; be ashamed, &c. Ezek. 36. 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. ch. 20. 43, 44.

It shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, ye are the sons of the living God, Hosea 1. 10.

I will have mercy upon her who had not obtained mercy, and will say to them which were not my people: thou my people, and they shall say thou my God, Hosea 2. 23.

Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God, &c. and shall fear the Lord, &c. Hosea 3. 5.

When Israel a child, then I loved him, &c. I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms: but they knew not that I healed them•…•… I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, &c. Hosea 11. 1, 2, 3, 4.

O Children of Israel, &c. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, Hosea 3. 1, 2.

At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee O Father, Lord of Hea∣ven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight, Matt. 11. 25, 26. Luk. 10. 21.

It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven; but to them it is not given, &c. Therefore spake I to them in parables: because they seeing see not, &c. Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear, Matt. 13. 11, 13, 16. Mark 11. 12, 34.

I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good? So the last shall be first and the first last: for many be called but few chosen, &c. To sit on my right hand or my left, is not mine to give, but to them for whom it is prepared of my father, Matt. 20. 14, 15, 16, 21, 23. Mark 10. 40.

Jesus called Simon, and Andrew, and James, and John, to follow him, and they did, Mark 1. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.

Except that the Lord had shortned those days no flesh should be saved, but for the elects sake whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days, Mark 13. 20.

Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John: He shall be great in the sight of the Lord, &c. He shall be filled with the ho∣ly Ghost even from his mothers womb, Luke 1. 13, 15.

Many Widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, &c. When great famine was throughout all the land: but unto none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta, &c. And many leapers were in Israel in the time of Elizeus the Pro∣phet, and none of them was cleansed saving Naaman, &c. Luke 4. 25, 26, 27.

Christ called Zacheus to come down, &c. And he received him joyfully, and Christ said to him, this day is salvation come to thy house, for so much as he also is the son of Abraham. For the son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost, Luke 19. 5, 6, 8, 9, 10.

All which the father hath given me, shall come to me: and him who com∣eth to me, I will in no wise cast out, &c. This is the fathers will, &c. That of all which be hath given me, I should lose nothing, &c. There are some of you who believe not, &c. No man can come unto me, except it were given him of my father, John 6. 37, 39, 64, 65.

Jesus called the blind man, whom he had healed, and discovers himself to him, John 9. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39.

Other sheep I have which are not of this fold: Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, &c. Ye believe not, be∣cause ye are not of my sheep, &c. My sheep hear my voice, John 10. 16, 26, 27.

They believed not on him, that the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fulfilled, &c. Lord who hath believed, &c. Therefore they could not believe, because Esaias had said, again he hath blinded their eyes, &c. John 12. 37, 38, 39, 40, 41.

I speak not of you all, I know whom I have chosen, John 13. 18.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, &c. I have chosen you out of the world, &c. John 15. 16, 19.

That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him, &c. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world, thine they were, and thou gavest them me, &c. I pray, &c. but for them whom thou gavest me out of the world, John 17. 2, 6, 9.

The promise is made to you and your children, and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call, &c. And the Lord added unto the Church daily such as should be saved, Act. 2. 39, 47.

Phillip sent on purpose to meet the Eunuch, and commanded to go neer his Chariot, where he preached unto him and converted him, Act. 8. 26, 27, 28, 29, 36, 37.

Paul was persecuting the Church, &c. And was converted in the middest of his rage, &c. And Christ said to Ananias, go thy way, for he is a chosen ves∣sel to bear my name before the Gentiles, &c. And I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name, Acts 9. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16. Acts 22. 14.

God in a special manner calls Cornelius to the faith, Acts 10. 1, 2, &c.

Which extraordinary call, Peter after declares at large to those of the Cir∣cumcision, Act. 11. 2, 3, &c.

When the Gentiles heard, &c. as many as were ordained to eternal life be∣lieved, Act. 13. 48.

Paul and others were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, &c. They assayed to go into Bithynia, but the spirit suffered them not, &c. When Paul preached at Philippi, &c. Lydia heard him, and the Lord opened her heart, that she attended unto the things which were spoken, &c. was baptized, Act. 16. 6, 7, 14, 15.

Paul came to Corinth, &c. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision; be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace, &c. For I have much people in this City, Acts 18. 1, 9, 10.

We know that all things shall work together for good to them who love God, to them who are called according to his purpose: for whom he did fore∣know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, &c. Whom he did predestinate them he called: whom he called he justified, &c. Them he also glorified, Rom. 8. 28, 29, 30.

When Rebeckah also had conceived by one, Isaac, the children not yet born,

neither having done any good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calleth, it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger; as 'tis written Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, &c. Is there unrighteousness with God! God forbid, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion; so then, it is not of him who willeth, nor of him who runneth, but of God who sheweth mercy: for the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, &c. Thou wilt say unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Who art thou who replyest (or, answerest against, or disputest with) God? Shall the thing formed, say to him who formed it, why hast thou thus made me? &c. Rom. 9. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, &c.

God hath not cast away his people whom he fore-knew, &c. I have reserved to my self Seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal; even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace: If by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace, &c. The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (or, hardened) as it is written, &c. As ye in times past have not be∣lieved God, yet have now obtained mercy, &c. O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledg of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out! for who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Counseller, &c. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, Rom. 11. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 30, 31, 32, 33. 1 Kings 19. 18.

God is faithful by whom ye are called into the fellowship of his Son, &c. For you see your Calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, &c. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, &c. That no flesh should glory in his presence; but of him are ye in Christ Jesus, &c. As it is written, he who glorieth let him glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. 1, 9, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.

I am, &c. not meet to be called an Apostle, &c. But by the grace of God I am what I am, 1 Cor. 15. 9, 10.

He who hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, &c. All things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 5. 5, 18.

When it pleased God who separated me from my mothers womb, and called me by his grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach, &c. Gal. 1. 15, 16.

Blessed be God, &c. according as he hath chosen us in him, before the foun∣dation of the world, &c. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of chil∣dren by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will: to the praise of the glory of his grace, &c. Having made known to us the mistery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, &c. Be∣ing predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things ac∣cording to the counsel of his own will, Ephes. 1. 4, 5, 6, 9, 11.

Which in other ages was not made known, &c. That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ, Ephes. 3. 5, 6.

Work out your own salvation, &c. for it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2. 13.

Giving thanks to the father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, Col. 1. 12, 13.

Knowing, &c. Your election of God, for our Gospel came not unto you in word, but also in power, &c. 1 Thes. 1. 4, 5.

God hath not appointed us unto wrath: but to obtain salvation by our Lord, 1 Thes. 5. 9.

God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, &c. Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, 2 Thes. 2. 13, 14.

God who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Tim. 1. 8, 9.

I endure all things for the elects sake, &c. Who concerning the truth have erred, &c. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, 2 Tim. 2. 10, 18, 19.

If they shall enter into rest, although the works were finished from the foun∣dation of the world, Heb. 4. 3.

To the strangers, &c. Elect according to the foreknowledg of God the father, 1 Pet. 1. 1, 2.

Being disobedient, whereto they were appointed, but ye are a chosen gene∣ration a royal priesthood, a peculiar (or, a purchased) people that ye may shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness, &c. 1 Pet. 2. 8, 9, 10.

The God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory, &c. 1 Pet. 5. 10.

They went out from us, &c. That they might be made manifest that they were not all of us, 1 John 2. 19.

All who dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not writ∣ten in the Book of life, of the Lamb, Rev. 13. 8.

And they who dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names were not written in the Book of life from the foundation of the World) when &c. Rev. 17. 8.