140 Ephefi .r;Chapf. VÈR.>i3. word, which biddeth a man perfwade himfelfe ofthat which is untrue, To a that is a lying word. Firft I fay,this maybedenied,unleffe Ibidhim per. arenow fwade himfelfe fo, withamindeofdeceiving him. AbietheinbyGods ned tne,and commandwas bound toperfwadehimfelfthat Ifaac was to dy underhis that j am fa- owne hand;yet was not that a lyingword,bywhich God fpake to him' thefibaft of becaufe the intentofit wasbut to prove him:Some fay he was bound to fahh,hot fol- thinke fo, u nlefs God Ihouldcountermand and reverfehis former cons- loweththem hen noti fee mane!. Anf. t4brahamdid abfolutely beleeve,it,and Érgo,didnot com= man hitìtfelfe to be fort.himfelfe, by thinkingGod might call back his formerprecept, but itinifed in byconfidering that God could raife him from the dead : Much more thrift. may Godbid the reprobate beleeve this or that; while he doth itbut to evince their contumacy,and doth feeWell how far they are from belee- ving any fuch matter. Secondly I anfwer, that the fecond partofthe firft reafon is not true; God dothhid them beleeve on Chrift tóforgiveneffe of fin, he doth bid anyreprobate directly beleeve that his finis forgiven. Vii t. O then let us take heed that wedoe not give God the lye in all thefe things whichhe promifeth toUs ; Every man will blaffe himfelfe from thisiniquity, from charging God with falfhood in word,yet noman is afraid to doethat with his deed;which he treinbleth to pronounce with his lips : as we maydeny God not byword onely, bnt by worke ; fowe may make him a lyer, not onely by charging falfhoodon him.by word ofmouth, but byour deed-,going away,and not heeding all the grace he offereth us in Chrift ; He that beleeveth not, maketh Goda lyer,i Ioh.S. ro.Should onepromife meanhundred pound,doing thisor that,though Ifhould not tell him hedidbut gul me withwords, yet fhould I goe my way,never heedingwhat had beene promifed, never endeavouring per- formance oftheconditiononwhich I might claimethe benefit offered, bydoingthis, I fhould fhewplainely that I did nottakefor truth that I heard fpoken ; fo it is betweene God promifing to us on beleevingand repenring,and our turning our backes on him without endeavouring af- ter thefe things. Yfe a. This mull ftrengthenour faith toward the protrtifes ofGod:O they are purer then flyer leaven times fined.Should an honeft man in telling us any thing, whenhe came to this orthat which he lawusnot eafie to beleeve; fhould he interfert but this proteftation, that what he would tell us he knew it moil true,we would the eailierreceive it,andgive cre- ditto it ; how much more when God doth condefcend fo far to ourin- firmitie,as notonely to tell us thefe things, but toteftifie to us, that they are truth it felfe t Secondly, it might be noted here,that the Gofpell is fuch a doctrine, as worketh falvation ; Gods power to falvation, it may well be called agood fpell,orword,for it bringeth us the tidings ofall our good.Firft, it bringeth "immortalitie and life to light. Secondly, it offerethus the graceof forgiveneffe, and life everiafting. Thirdly, it is Gods inflru- ment, whereby he worketh faith, receiving thefe things. Fourthly, iris the word of Grace which muff build us up, and bring its to that bleffed inheritance,
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