Yes - basically it is God aim of His Providence for your life. The arrow does not aim itself (you are the arrow) the Archer (God) directs the flight of its path.
(2) What is predestination, and whether it places anything in the predestined?
Predestination is a kind of the ordering of some persons towards eternal salvation.
No, it is God's direction of their lives (through His Providence) not something set in those Elect.
(3) Whether to God belongs the reprobation of some men?
Thus, as Predestination is a part of His Providence- in regard to those ordained to eternal salvation (the Elect), so Reprobation is a part of His Providence in regard to those who turn aside from that end.
Therefore, as Predestination includes the His Will to confer grace and glory; so also Reprobation includes the His Will to permit a person to fall into sin, and to impose the punishment of damnation on account of that sin.
(4) On the comparison of predestination to election; whether, that is to say, the predestined are chosen?
The Predestination of some to eternal salvation presupposes that God wills their salvation; and to this belong both His election and love:---love, inasmuch as He wills them this particular good of eternal salvation. It is clear that His love precedes election in the order of reason, and election precedes predestination. Hence all the predestinate are the objects of His election and love.
(5) Whether merits are the cause or reason of predestination, or reprobation, or election?
We cannot assign any cause to the divine will (in Election) on the part of the act of man's willing; nobody has been so insane as to say that merit is the cause of divine predestination as regards the act of the predestinator (the one who is Predestined). Wherefore it cannot be said that anything begun in us can be the reason of the effect of predestination. Actually Thomas Aquinas, that is exactly what most mainline American Churches teach today - Merit (or man's good works) or Man's will is the cause for God's Predestination, that is supposing that American Churches teach Predestination at all.
(6) of the certainty of predestination; whether the predestined will infallibly be saved?
Predestination most certainly and infallibly takes effect and in noways is left up to chance or possibility. He knows how many will be saved; by reason of His deliberate choice and determination.
(7) Whether the number of the predestined is certain?
The number of the predestined is certain. It is, however, better to say that, "to God alone is known the number for whom is reserved eternal happiness."
(8) Whether predestination can be furthered by the prayers of the saints?
In no possible way can predestination be furthered by the prayers of the saints; for it is not due to their prayers that anyone is predestined by God. Predestination is said to be helped by the prayers of the saints, and by other good works only because providence, of which predestination is a part, does not do away with secondary causes but so guarantees the results, that the order of secondary causes falls also under providence.
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