Chap. 2 .Seer.s Booidi. gan; yea , and I have made many , and many A promife fin'~ , the wbrld began.? Read ih the volume, and tho.H wilt find here , tmd there a promife, hn-e and there a draught of that firft, copy, of that great promije, 111hich my Father, made unto me from all eternitie. ' z. W-hen we would make things fure to one another, we write it downe; And fo will I, faith God : thou haft the Scripture,tlte holy writ, thofe facred volumes of truth and life, and therein thou haft the golden lines ofany gracious promifes;are they not as the ftars in the firmament of the Scripture? thou hafl: my Bible, and in the Bible thou haft many bleffed glorious ~rutlis, but of all the Bible methinks thou fhould'ft not part with one of thofe promifes , no , not for a world. Luther obferving the mafly . promifes writ down in Scripture, expreffeth thus , the whole Scripture doth efpeciatly aime at this , that we fhould not doubt • but hope, c~nfide, beleeve , that God is merciful!, kjnd, p.t~ tient and hath a purpo[e and a delight to fave ourJoules. 3 . 'When we would make things fure to one another, we fet to our feals. And fo will I , faith God: thou haft my feale, the broad feale ofheaven, my Sacraments, the Seales ofmy Cove. nant; and thou haft my privy feale alfo. the fe!tle of my Spirit. Grieve not tbe holy Spirit, whereby 7e are foaled unto the da) of 113 redemption. Ephef. 4 3o' + When' we would make things fure to one another , we ,• · ~ take witneffes. And fo willl , faith God : thou {halt have witnetfes as many as thou wilt ,. \vitneffes ofall forts , witneifes irl heaven , and witneffes on earth; for there are three that be are J h f 8 • record in hettven, tht Fttther, the Word, mrd the Roll qhoft, and 0 ' ' 7 ' •) thefe three are one. And there are three that beare witnef{e in earth. the JPirit , and the water, and the blood, and theft threutgree in one, 5· V\'henwewouldmakethingsfuretoone another, we take an oath, And fo will I , faith God : God willing more abundantly to fhew ufJto the htieres of promife the immutabilitie ofhis counfllt, confirmed it by an oath. q. d. there is no fuch need of an oath,butl Heb.6. Iz~ will be abundant to tbee,becaufe I would have thee truft me, and " confide in me throughly : and'as 1 fweare (faith God) fo willl fweare the greateft oath that ever was,Ifweare by my felfe: God Heb.6.1.~; fwears. by qod: he could j111eare by no greater, 11nd therefore he [weare bJ himfelfe : and why thus , but for their fakes who ar~ , . / JL - th~.
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