diftinelly handled by it felf; which, may be, if this fhould meet with any answerable Accep tance, fomething farther may be; for if the LORD will continue to lead my Mind and Thought as he has done, I must have fomething ready to give full and plain Demonftrations of the Truth hereof. Here it lay fo in my Way, or on my Heart in this Subject that I could not altogether pass it by; but after many Struggles in my Mind, and Cries unto God for to have his Mind in it, I was inclined to do it. So not doubting but GOD will bless it unto poor Souls that are glad of the Gospel in a plain Dress, (and I know my LORD does not defpife the Day of small Things) and if any that are fallen are recovered hereby from the Error of their Way, or thofe that ftand, established, fed, and firengthned, I fhall have what I defire; and that GOD would thus blefs it unto your Souls, Ifball pray the God of all Grace to pour forth his Spirit upon you in reading of it, that fo you may receive the Truth in Love, whoever is the Penman. So defiring your Prayers for me, while I live here I may exalt Chrift Jefus my LORD, and debafe the Creature,

I am your Souls Well-Wisher,

THOMAS ROYSTON.

that

ERRATA

in the.

Age 1, line 11, for Righteens read Righteoufnels P. II, 1. 22. f the in one r. our. P. 28, 1. 1, after for add the Wind. P. 31 1. 17, between God and rideth add which.

JUDE, Verfe the 24th. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to prefent you faultless before the prefence of his Glory with exceeding Joy.

HESE Words being made sweet and comfortable unto the Sout of our deceafed Friend and Brother in Chrift, he defired that I fhould preach from them on this Occafion.

THESE Words are a Part of the Apuffle's Conclufion of this fhort and general Epifile to all Saints, Then and Now, they also are a Part of his Doxology, or giving of Glory and Honour unto the One Eternal Gop, who is Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and unto the One Mediator, who is GoD and MAN, even the *MAN Chrift Jefus, as appears by the Words: Now and Him in the Text; for the Word Now has a fpecial Eye upon the feveral diftin& Matters of this Epistle.

* 1 Tim. 2. 5.

B

Iball

A

I fall therefore first a little open them.

1. THE Fit is in the rft and 2d Verfes, and in them there be two Things; First, The Perfons unto whom he writes: Secondly, What he wisheth unto them.

FIRST, The Perfons anto whom he writes, and they are fuch as are made Partakers of the Special Grace of the One Eternal GOD, who has revealed Himself to be moft Glorious in Three diftind Perfons of Father, Son, and Spirit.

1. THE SPRial Grace of the Father here af ferted, is, That they are Sanctified by Gon the Father, that is, (Gosthe Facker having (4) chofen a certain Number of Mankind in C as Head, before the Foundation of the World) He fet them apart for hifif, as his own far fecial Ule and Service. (^) But know that the Lord hath fet apart the Man that is Godly for himself.

He hath done it, that is, Set him, or them, apart to be Godly, or like Himself, that they may be forever with Himself He having fore-known them in Love as his higheft Favourites. (c) He piedeftinated them to be conform'd to the Image of his Son. Predeftination is the Father's fanctifying, or fetting apart, his chofen Ones as Sons and Brethren to Jefus Christ, and fo to Eternal Life.

(d) Having predeftinated us unto the Adopti on of Children by Jefus Christ to himself, accord

(a) Ephef. 1.4 (b) Fer. 1. 5. Pf. 4. 3. (c) Rom, 29, (d) Eph.

1.5.