'V g a. 2. Ephefians, Chap.a 1 ;4.9 For the meaningof the words: you muff not think that tile phrafe [1f yeehaveheard] implyeth a doubting, but though it be conditio- nallypropounded , yet the Apoftle loth take it as granted : fo the word is ufed i Pet. 2.3. Ifyee have tailed howgood the Lord ir: So wee ufe to fay incommon talke, IfIbee to bce tru/ied, I will doe this or that, not thatwe meane tocall our truth into queftionby fo fpeaking. Againe it may be asked, What difpen]ation is! Andhow here to bee QsefE. conceived! Difpenfation is nothing but the giving out in particular Whndirpenfa that which one bath withhim by great, foas is moft behoovefull for do°'S. the family. But one may hereaske, How it is to be underflood,whether on Gods deg part, or the Apoftles, aëtivelyor pafiively! for Col. t.25. Paul faith hee was made aMinifler according to thedifpenfationofGod. For anfwer, Goddifpenfrng grace to himmull here be underflood, An/is. becaufe beedoth not tell in the next verfe, 3. what hee did, but what God did tohitn. Thirdly , what is to be meant by [grace!] ae His Minifteriall calling fo termed, becaufe the defigning to it is of grace, and the facultyqualifyingus for it , is from the free favour of The f ea- God, Rom. 1.5 . By whomwe have received grace , and vlpofllelhiip : It lederiaing, cal. bath theft 2 properties : t. It is founded in the free pleafure of God: why. Gal. t .p5. when it pleafedGod, whofeparated mefrommy mothers womb, and cadme byhis grace. t Cor. 15. t o. By the grace ofGodI am that 1 am. a. All that fufficiency which enableth any man todifpenfe the myfteries ofthe Gofpell, it is the mcere grace of God. e car. 15. to. In theverfe, foure things might particularly be confidered. 1. Gods difpenfation. 2. The thing difpenfed. 3. The initrumentbywhom, the Apoftle. 4. Theperlons towards whom, toyou Ephefians, you Gentiles. To referre the fecond and third verfes to the eight verfe, three thingsare to be marked. e. Howthe Apoftle dothaffure them that his fufferings were both caufed through them, and alfo avayleable for their good , hee affureth this hence becaufe hee was called ofGod to them. Whence we learne, That the onely thing to ajare the Minigers and the people,ahat their DO. fuferings arefor thegood ofpeople, ifthey know themfelves to have a cal- This affureth,. hag fromGod. For what are Minigers themfelves, their workes, fuffe.. miaiftersthat rings, all areyours, even for the further edifying of the Churches to ;ire for clhrings which they are given. Whereas if they have no calling, God may goodofthe pel faywhen they fuller, Who required thisat your hands! you arenot by knóweif they me led into thefe things, but have cart your felves upon them with- have. caning out my dire5tion. from God. Wherefore it is profitable to know thatwe are called ofGod to this Vie. or that people, that in all our fufferingswe may know God calleth us unto them, they (hall further our reckonings , and beeofgoodufe to our people. Hh 3 2 , That
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