6o An Expojition, With Notes ly a notation ofthe leifer evil; rather then lofe thy felf in the em– braces of an harlot, let her brefts fotufie thee; be over much,.or err irt ·her love. 2. It may onely imply the worth of our Chriitian priviledges, Let him look._upon his priviledges M matter of boaft· ing, how bafe and abjed: foever your condition feem to the world; yet fuffering for Chrifl:ianicy is a thing whereof you may rather bo4l, then be afbamed. 3· It may be the word is to be mollified with a fofter ftgnijication, as our Tranflators, in fiead oflet him boaft or glory, fay, let him rejoyce, though, by the way, there is no neceffity of fuch a mitigated fence, for the Apofile Pnul faith di-– red:ly in the fame terms, Rom.;. 3· We boaft, orglary, in tribufa,. tions,&c. But more of this in the Obfervations. !111 thv~,t he is exalted, ev -rr,J~-+e~ c1uill .] In hisfublimity: This may be underfiood two ways ; 1. More generally, in that he is a brother or amember of ChriH, as the worth and honour of the fpi– ritual efrate is often put to counterpoife the mifery and obfcurity of affiid:ions; thus Rev. 2·9· I k._now thy poverty, but thou art rich; poor outwardly, but rich fPiritutel(y. z. More particularly, it may note the honour of a111id:ions, chat we are thought worthy to be fufferers for any thing, in which Chrift is concerned, which is cer– tainly agreat preferment and exaltlltiim. The Notes are thefe: , Obfcrvat. I. I, That the People ofGod are Brethren. I obfervedit before, but here 'cis dired: -; Let the brother of low degree, &c. They ar-e begotten by the fame JPirit ,by the fame immortalfeed of theWord, they.have many engagements upon them to all facial and brotherly ""Terrul. in affeElion : Jurematris naturtt,(as -~<Tertu!lianfaith) By the corn· Apo1. cap,39· mon right ofnatureall menare brethren:But vos mali fratres quill parum homines, faith he to th ~ perfecutors : the Church can ill call you brethren,becaufe ye are(carce men. Well then, confider your relation to one another; you.are brethren, arelationof thegreat– eft endearment, _partly as ' cis natural,. not founded in choice as friendjbip, but nature; partly as 'tis betweenequals : the refpea betweenparents and children is natural, but in that part of it which afcendeth from inferiours to fuperiours, there is moreofre– verence then fwcetnefs ; In equals there is (if I may fo fpeak ) a greaterjimmetry and1woportion ot fpirit, therefore more love. Ab then) live and love as.brethren: Averfenefs of heart and,carriage will not Hand with thisfweet relation; the ApoRle fpeaketh with · · · admi~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=