though they were. Observe, God speaks then, at that present time, to Abraham, saying, Thave made thee a father of many nations,' notwithstanding Abraham was not, at that time, the father o one child, but Ishmael. How then must we un derstand, I have made thee a father of many nations?"

Be

4. The apostle tells us plainly, it was so fore God, who calleth things that are not as though they were. And so he calleth 'Abraham the father of many nations, though he was not as yet the father even of Isaac, in whom his seed was to be called.

5. God useth the same manner of speaking when he calleth Christ, Rev. xiii. 8, The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world;' although indeed he was not slain for some thousand years after-Hence therefore we may easily understand what he speaketh of electing us from the foundation of the world.

6. God calleth Abraham, a father of many nations, though not so at that time. He calleth Christ the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, though not slain till he was a man in the flesh. Even so he calleth men Elected from the foundation of the world, though not elected till they were men in the flesh. Yet it is all so before God, who knowing all things from eternity, calleth things that are not as though they

though God calleth things that are not as thoug they were.

10. Again, how plain is it where St. Pau saith, that they whom (Ephes i. 11,12.) God di predestinate, according to the counsel of his ow will, to be to the praise of his own glory,' wer such as did first trust in Christ? And in the ver next verse he saith, that they trusted in Chris after they heard the word of truth, not before But they did not hear the word before they wer born. Therefore it is plain, the act of electing in time, though known of God before; who according to his knowledge, often speaketh of th things which are not as though they were. thus is the great stumbling block about electio taken away, that men may make their calling an election sure.

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11. The scripture tells as plainly what pre destination is: it is God's fore-appointing obe dient believers to salvation, not without, bu * according to his fore-knowledge' of all thei works 'from the foundation of the world.' And so likewise he predestinates or fore-appoints all dis obedient unbelievers to damnation, not without but according to his fore-knowledge of all thei works from the foundation of the world.

12. We may consider this a little farther.God, from the foundation of the world, fore knew all men's believing or not believing. And according to this his foreknowledge, he chose or elected all obedient believers, as such, to salvation, and refused or reprobated all disobe