90 / 808
Ephefians,Chap.
r.
VE
R,b.
to
others;
If
he hardenor fhewmercy,we
muff
not
reafon againft
it.
But
God hath
this
power fet downe
in
the comparifon
of
the Potter:
but the comparifon
of
a
Potter
pleadeth
a
far higher thing
in
God,
then making a decree
of
Paving
fuch
as should
become
fit
through
ufe
of
their owneliberty,and condemning
fuch, who
fhould
moft
justly
deferve it.
For
this legall kinde
of
induration,
as
fome
of
his
fcholars
call it, giveth no occafion
of
imputing, with
Phew
of
reafon, any fault
to God,
feeing
Gods
decree
doth not
any
thing
to
me,
unleffe
further
then
I
make
my
felfe
a
veffell
of
dishonour.
Secondly, this
fenfe
hath
no affinity
with the Potters
fad,
this decree Both
not
make definitely
any
perlons
veffels
of
honour, but
fuch
of
them
as
should believe
r
all
if
they
will believe
:
this
Both
not
make
the
perlons become
veffels
of
honour, but the performance
of
the condition
in
the
decree,
this maketh
God
to frame perlons
diverfly qualified,
to
divers
ends;
whereas
the Potter frameth
a
maffe all alike
to
divers purpofes.
Thus
having repelled
this murmuring,
he
doth
make anfwer
to the matter
of
their
objedtion three waies,
which
likewife
may make, to
his
judge-
ment,
alimited reddition
of
the former comparifon.
Thus by the
way
I
have runne
over part
of
the
ninth
to the
Romans,
in
which, were not
all
error
a
thing connaturall,I
fhould marvell
how
any
could ever imagaineithings
fo diredlly against
the meaning
and
dif-
courfe
of
it:The plot
of
his eledlion
was
as
ftrong
in his
braise,
as
num-
bers
in
theirs
who thought they
faw them
in
every thing.
Let
us
ever hold
that the
choyfe
and
purpofe
of
calling
to the
heavenly
in
heritance,
is
meerely from
his
will, becaufe he will,
without
any
re-
fpedl
to
the workes or condition of
his
creature
;
framing mankinde to
divers
ends,
with
as
much
freedome,
as
the Potter doth
his clay,
though it feeme
to
fallen unrighteoufneffe on
God,
and
to
excufe
the creature, to
flesh
and
blood.
It
is
one thing to doe things with will,
another thing to
doe them from freepleafure
of
his
will,
or
becaufe we
will
onely.
Againe, the decree
is
therefore made to depend on God
calling,
that
it
may be firme
;
but did it depend on perfeverance
in
faith, left
altogether
in
our liberty,
it could not be firme, feeing
it
dependeth
on
fuch
a
condition
as
to the
last
breath
is
uncertaine,
by
his
owne
princi-
ples
otherwhere
delivered.
N
ow followeth the
end: For
the
pratfe
of
theglory
of
his
Grace.]
First,
to
open fome
words
in
this verse,
that
fo we may
fee
the
meaning, and
confider
of
it more
fruitfully;
it may be asked
what
Praife
is
:
There
are
words which
found this
way,
the
difference
whereof
I
thinke
good to unfold. Praife, when
it
is
taken
reflrainedly, doth
fignifìe
the
fetting
forth by
fpeech
of
this
or
that,in
any
which
is
praise
worthy
:
Honour
is
larger,
for
it
is
done
by word,
work;
gefture,
and
ferveth
to report
our reverent refpedl
to Gods
excellency
:
Thankfulneffe
is
a
prayfing
of
God,
as
having
bellowed
fome benefits
on
us:
Glory
is
the account which
we have
of
God,
when now he
is
made
knowne to us.
Now
here Praife
is
put
in
a
larger acception, and may
contain