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Epbejians,Chap.t.
V
ER .9,
This mutt move
us
to
diligence, and
humble dependance on God,
for the teaching
of
us
; we mutt thinke upon
them, commune
of
them,
not
in
proud
bafhfulneffe conceale
our ignorance one from the other
:
Above all, let
us
labour to
fee
our
felves
fooles
and
dull
of
heart, that
God
may make
us
wife. Many are more prone
to blame the Preacher
as
confufed,
obfcure,
and I know not
what, rather
then themfelves;
like
thewoman, which
taken
blinde
in
the
night,
did
blame the
cur-
tains
as
keeping
the light from her,when the fault
was in
herblindneffe
within, not the curtaine
without.
Thirdly;
We
fee
hence
the love
of God, to
tell
us a
fecret, yea,
a
hidden fecret within his owne will,
in
what
can his love
be moreteftifi-
ed
a
lobs
1
5.15.
I
callyou
friends,
for
i
have
(hewed
you
what
1
beard
from
my
Fat
her.
W
hen
God
revealed
the
fecret
of
Nebuchadnezzar
to
Daniel,
and Pharaoh his fecret to
iofeph,
was it
not
a
mercy, for which they
were thankfull
e
fee
Dan.
z.
and
doe
not
we account them
to
have
found much favour
a
Bat this
is
above all ,
to make
knowne
his
hidden
wifedome, which fheweth
us
what
things await
us
to everlafting
life
and
death.
Obferve thirdly, that the
reafon
why God
revealeth
or
openeth the
Gofpell to any,
is his
mcere gracious pleafure within himfelfc; were
it
any
difpofitions forefeenein
men,then thofe
thould be called
& taught,
who were
ofbeft
capacity and towardneffe,who were for
civili
carriage
moft unblameable ;
but not manywife,nor
many
of
great
wit,but
babes
and
Pimple
ones are called, yea
Publicans
and
Harlots were
made know
thefe
things, when Philofophers
and Pharifaicall Civilians were exclu-
ded.
To
Phew
it
in
particular,
as it is a
grace
of
God to
give
his Lawes
and Ordinances,
P
falm.147.
19. fo
it
is
his
meere Gracethat they
are
bellowed on any, rather
then others
:
This
is
(hewed
in
giving them
to Ifraell,who
were worfe then
lyre
and Sidon,then .Niniveh,
then the
Nations.
i
doe
not
fend
thee to a
Nation
of
a
firange tongue;
they would
heart
thee :
Had
theft
things
beene
done
in
Tyre
and
Sidon,
they would
have
repented
:
Niniveh
repented
at
the preaching
ofionah,
Lae,
a
greater
then Jonah
is
here.
Yea, God
is
forced every where to upbraidthem
with
ftiffe-
neckedneffe, a necke
of
fteele ;
with hard hearts,
hearts
like
Adamant
;
with brazen
fore-heads
yea,to
call
them
a
gain-
faying
and
rebellious
people. Even
as his
pleafure
carrieth rayne to
one place,
and
not to another
;
fo he maketh
his Minifters
drop the word
of
Wifdome
amongft fome, and
not amongft other
-fome,
cmatth.10.6.
Gee
not
to
the
way
of the
Samaritans, So
Ali
6.7.
Goe
not
whither
thou intendefl,but
into
Macedonia.Now
if
mans
outward teachingbe
afforded out
of
meere
Grace,how much more Gods inward teaching, yea
his
opening the
eye
of
our mindes
a
In truth
as
no
reafon canbe given
why
one mans
eyes
were opened, one dead man raifed,
rather then
all
the reft;
fo
no man
can give
a
reafon,
why
thefe
who
now feeand beleeve,
fhould be made
to
fee
rather then others.
This
ferveth to confute
thofe who thinke the word to be
givenor
detained,according
to force thing
in them
to whom it
is
given, or from
whom