22 / 808
Io
Ephefians,
Chap.
TO
Cf
7JJe
z.
Secondly,
This letteth
vs
fee
that
we muff
not
lightly
let
paffe
the
bleffing
of
the
Minifter,but flrengthcn
our faith
byir,and he
glad that
it commeth vpon
vs.
Doth
not euery
vertuous childe
reiovice
and
know
themfelues
the better,
that the
blengsof
their Fathers and
Mothers
haue
been
heartily
giuen them
?
fo fhouldit thou further thy
felfe in
the
faithfull perfwafion
of
all
good toward thee, that
the
blefïingsoffuèh whoare the fpirituall fathers,
haue come
vtofl thy
head. In times
of
fuperftition,
euery
hedge-
Priefts
bleflìng was
highly efleemed,
if
he
had giuen
his benediction
in Nomine
patris,
Filij
es,
Spìritu
f
nili,
how
well
they
thought
themfèlues
r
but
as
eue-
ry where
elfe,
that which
they fuperititioufly and idolarroufly often
m agnified,
that the Atheifme
of
our time
vtterly neglcdìeth.
Thus
in Generali
:
now
in
particular.
Deg.
Firft,note that he wifheth themGrace whom
he had called Saints
and
beleeuers
in
Chrifl.
Whence
obferue, that the
hoard
iuftified
perfons haue need
of
Grace. The
Papifts
will
grant
it meere grace
in
comparifon
that our
frenes
are forgiuen,
and
that
wee haue the
fpirit
of
Grace
giuen
vs
;
but
after this they
fay wee haue
to
deale
with Iuftice,frorn
which wee
mutt
expeth
eternal'
life.
A
mìlera-
ble Dofftrine, Grace
is in
the
beginning, Grace
is
in the middle,
Grace
is
in the
ending. A Chriflian
man may
be
confidered
in
three
diftances
of
time. r.
In the time
of
his
conuerfion: a.
In
the
time betwixt his
beleeuing
and
recciuing the end
of
his Faith:
3.
in
the
time when God will
giue him
the Crowne
of
glory,
life
eternal'.
Now
for
the firil,
all
grant that
wee
enter
by faith
into
Grace;
but for our after
-time, that
wee
(land
notvnder
Iuftice,but
Grace,it
is
manifeff,Rom.s.a,inwhich
Grace alfo we ftand
:
At
the
day
ofiudgment, that
we haue
to dealt
with mercy,
not
with iuftice,
it
is manifeft,a Tim.
i.
18.
where the Apoftle prayeth that the Lord
would
thew
onefypharue
(a
molt
godly
man)
mercy,
in
the
day
of
judgement, and life
it
felfe,
the
very thing wee
come
to.
Now
the
gift
of
Gods fpirit whereby wee cometo
it,
is called
grace,
Rom.6
.
theme',
life
eternall; not
a
ftipend,
bur
,
a
gift
of
grace
;
thus
it
is
one
way cleared. Againe,
in what Mould
grace manifeft
it
felfe,
butin
thefe three things.
Firft, is
forgining
finne Second-
ly, in attaining life
;
Thirdly,in continuing
in
the prefent
grace.
Now
when wee
are
concerted, we
haue neede
of
forgiueneff
of
finne,
otherwife what neede
we
to
pray,
Lord
frgiue
vs curvy/Wes
?
Be-
fide,
euery Saint findeth
himfelfe
fold
under
finne, and that
as an
euill
within the
will
of
him,
which cannot therefore
increafe
his
merit,
but maketh
him
more
guilty;
for heauen we haue
no
need
of
grace,
for
according
to the
Law,
continue
in
all
perfealy
to
doe them, and
liue
; noneconfcious
of
finne can
hope
to
hue this
way.
Now
for perfeuering in
flare
of
grace, wee haue
neede of
grace, for this
we
cannot
deferue;
but
as
Gods gracious
pleafüre
made him to come
vnto vs,
fo
it
maketh
him abide with
vs,
to
accomplifh
his
good worke, which fhould bee
nor, all would come
to
nothing
in vs
;
For
as
the foule entring into the body,
giueth it
life;
felfe
and
motion, which prefently
ceafein
the
body, if
the
foule
departed:So
here
God, the
foule
of
our feules,
returning to them,