Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Oftheworfd,and what it if. 3 Sometime it fignifieth the whole earth and fea,which is ap- pointed ofGod to bee the place of habitation for his crea- tures; in both which fenfes it is taken, Ioh. t . r o. Ile mot in 1011.1.1o, the world. and the world was made by him: and in this f-gnifi- cation alto the world is good, failing onely that it is defiled with mans finne, as being the fiage whereon bee adieth all his wickedneffe. To this purpofe one faith,that the world is r.Io11.5.79. aid to lw wholly in twill, not becaufe it fclfe is euill, but becaufe Mund,u rn ma- olds are committed to it by men: euen as the woods are iufa- 9god mf nd+on mcd when they harbour thceues,and as wee have thefword 7p /e madf,; wherewith mans blood hath bin fhed,and the cup in which fed gnòd mala in do poyfon huh been tempered, not becaufe of any faulcineffe orinib a,t that is in them, but becaufe of their wickedneffe who haue e,h i m abided them vnto euill. Sometime the world is taken for all Hieron.in r.ad mankind that liueth in the world, both good and bad, be- Gallas. leeuer and infidell; and in this fenfe the Apofile faith,rhat by one man Anne entred into the world, that is,into all mankinde, Rom..rz. who were corrupted in Adam as finning in his loynes. Nei- ther are we to hate and fight againCt the world,being vnder- flood in this generall frgnification, lefl wee fhould be found (like that currifh Timon) haters ofhumane focietie,and ene- mies ofour ovine nature. Finally,the world fometime figni- fieth the faithful] onely; not becaufe they are of the world; for being in the world, Chrift bath chofen them out of the world ; but becaufe the world was cteared,and is continual- ly preferued for their vfe and benefit, namely, that it might fettle as a place oftrial,where they Il-tould be fitted for Gods kingdome, and a paffage through which they might trauell into their heauenly countrey,the new Ierufalem.And in this fenfe it is faid,that God fo lotted theWorld,that he aue hid only Ioh.3.16. begotten fonne,that whofoetter beleeuedin him Jhouldnot perils, but haueeuerlaflino life. And the Apoflle faith,that God was 2.Cor.5.r9 in Chriff and reconciled the world veto himfelfe, not imputing' their firmer veto them. And Chrifi is faid,to be a propitiation or reconciliation, not for the PApofiles and Difciples only,but for the /runes of the whole world,that is for al in the world that r.Ioh.z.zà (hall beleeue in him. Now 'in this fenfe wee are not to fight againf'tthe world, feting it is reconciled and at peace with B a God,