Baynes - BS2695 B289 1643

V ER.I;. Ephefiauf,Ghap. t. 139 TheVfeof itis,to flirre us up earneftly todefire thisfincere milkeof wo , the Gofpell : Even as there goeth out naturali fpiritswith the milke the babe draweth from the mother ; fo the Lord doth accompany this wordofhis, which the Church miniftrethas milk,withthatfupernatu- rall fpirit, which giveth quicknanceto life everlafting : Even as we doe renew our feeding, to repaire the decayofnaturall fpirits in us : fo mutt we never be weary of renewing and encreafiugthat fupernaturall life and fpirit which we have received fromChrift. Ifthou haft the fpirit, heare that thou maift keepe it ; ifthou wouldeft haveit,and wanteftit, attend on hearing, remembring how the Eunuch received the fpirit, Ads 8. and how while Cornelius and his friends heard Peter opening the good wordoffalvation,the holy Ghoft did fall onthem,tothe won- der ofthe beleevingJews,who accompanied Peter. And here, before we paffe to the generali Doctrine , note from this, Dott that the Gofpell is called the word of truth; that all Godspromifes made in Calif}, are trueand faithfull ; They are Tea, and Amen.2Cor t. They are true, andworthy allentertainment, t Tim. 15. The whole word is true : For like as the witneffe is, like is the teftimony or depofition which commeth from him : NowGod is faithfull and cannot lye ; but this is attributed to the Doctrineofthe Gofpell, as agreeing to it, with a certaine excellency beforeother parcelsoftheword : For the Gofpell is fometime called by generalinames,as adoctrineofgodlineffe,a Law, a Teftimony ; Sometime it is dcfcribedby theauthor, the Gofpell of God; fometime from the object, the Gofpell afChrift, ofthe King- dome; fometime from the property,as an eternall Gofpell,a good word, a true word,as here ; fometime fromeffeets,as in the next words,a Gof- pell offalvation. Now it is teftified to beawordoftruth,after anemi. nent manner,for three caufes. Firft, it is occupied about Chrift, who `f is the truth and Jubilance ofall the fhadowes legal!, which now areva- nifhed. Secondly,the truth of this word is further confirmed tous then the truth ofanyother, by word, by oath,by the teftimony ofthe great Apoftle Chrift Jefus, by a Jury of folemne witneffes, chofen for this purpofe,by amultitude ofmiracles.Thirdiy ; this property is therather annexed to this DoEtrineof the Gofpell,that thus our unbeleefemight be holpen;for our mind is corrupted with errour,prone to any unbeleef, but hard to beleeve thefe points fohigh abovethenaturall reach and apprehenlion ofit. Now as aPhyfitian doth fay ofhis medicine, that it is excellent,not that it needeth commendations, bur.that he may induce hisPatient thebetter to takeit;So Godand his Embaffadours doe teftifie ofthefe things, that they are true, that we might thus bebrought to yeeld them beleefe. But it may be objected, that word which biddeth many repro- bates beleevethe forgiveneffc oftheir fines, and life everlafting, that is not a wordoftruth ; but the Gofpelldoth fo. The reafon of the for- mer propofition is,becaufe that which biddeth me beleevea lye,cannot be true ; but tobid a reprobatebeleeve his finnesare forgiven, isto bid him beleeve a lye. The fumme put together, commeth to this ,That word

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