59g g t rct.t. 17. 4 s Tim. 4 rS. i Got. 1. s. Thef. ;. ki Cor, I. 9' 1 Heb Si.40. m Phil. t 23. . n Pfal, i6. u. o /1a 2. 2n p s Tïm. 1. 2. and zi qPhilr z22. Got. 9,25 zTim.z.5. , Rom. S. 37. t z Cot.ao, i 4,, Gal. I. 26. si Cor, g. 17. w I Thor. 2.4. x Mat. Qtlyr. r. e.4ofm. y S. cln f in Est. z Non bac 1aélan+iavtrba fune, fed`bon.e Confcientia, Eftuis ad Lot. i Cor. to. ;t. Quzr. z. a jam. z. b Rom. 5 27. Trapfiw,trTtc, e/era Pits uiva eif, NEC poref7 e(fe otiofa. fuell. in A- olo. d Gai. 5 6. cltom.i;, f<. job, 5.4, The Crown o, fTtghteoufnefa. your,felves arc witneffes, how holi,y, andwithout crime, I have gpalled-the time ofmy fojourning here,' God, by his grace bath (according tohis promife) h pre- ferved me i blamelefs unto the end : Youknow what happy things he halt k pre- pared for them that love him, in the 1 Beginnings whereof my Soul !hall enter, at 'my m Diffolution 3: the is fulnefs; and confummationI expeetat thatgreat andono.- table day of the generalltefurrecttion, andRetribution : Right fothe Apoftle here, to the fame effect, to'comforrTiritorhy,: whom ( havingpbegottenhim fpiritually throtigh the Gofpel, to the Faith of Chrift ) he found even as a Natural y Son, with his rather molt èffeciot;ally tender, obedient and. oblervant, hto.his vet y, laff expiràtien : 1 am now ready to be offered, and the time ofmydeparture isat hand ; ( yet neverthelefs be comforted, for ) Ihavefought agoodfight, &c. and hencefortb,tbereis laidxisforme a'C3owno'frighteotfnefi,&c, This forthe Context, and fcope of this Scripture. 1 have fought agoodfigbr.-i The expreffion is borrowed fromthole who ftrive for r mafferiès, and after a !harp incounter,'or heat ofContention,do at lait prove Conquerors. Ihash finifhednsYCourfe,3 id eft, Curfurít certaminis, qual5r elf eorúi.i ,Tetiin:. fladio currant, as EJiiuf expounds it ; The fpeech being taken from inch asrun in a race, who ive not out till the prize be' Obtained, fee rCor.6. 24,25,26. 1 have keptthefaith] That is, That Fidelity, or truft, and faithfulnefs, which he had con. ftántly madegood in the difcharge ofhis Apoftlyfhip,and Miniflery,inpreaching the Gófpelfar andneer,throughout manyRegions, from the timeof the firfi Commif- bonof the fame, unto his a Difpenfation : TheApoftle in his ownpraaice, accom- plifhing that, which he required inall Other the Stewardsof like facred Myfteries, r tor. 4. z. for this alto, he gave God thanks,,for countinghim faithful, in putting him into the Mfniftery,comntittitó the glorious f öfpel untohis trufì', a TM.rzi, 12. upon which he wasaf(urcd''ofhis,Euge,Boneferve,dr fdelit. welldone,goodandx faithful fervant,enter intotby Maher; fey. Erel cdlüeto the ntöre particularelrci- dationoftheparts, I maynot omit tomention thofe quxries, andrefolutions,which Tome of the ancient Fathershavenot unprofitably raifed,and givenupon thefewords. The firft whereof is this ; whether Saint Pauldidkov,under thisprofeffian,(toa3í in a kindofvaunting oftentation Anfm. To this St. y Chryföflome makes anfwerthus; ptyaxny;ár, «2h. st,rsa T, ,oß lo, rg4 :yes 4 . He doth-not magnifie himfelf, or boaft in any way ofvain - glorious Z Oftentation, (a fin which, elfe where, he extreamly cautions aoainit, Phil. 2.3. iral. 2. 16.) but they are' the words of a Saint, uttered in a modeft,meek,andhumbl'e proteflation,whereby heowneth theGraces of God within him, andgives allthe glory in their vigorous exercife, to God theOriginal Fountain, and beftower ofthem. Quær. Whether SaintPaul didwell toCommemorate, andmake mention ofhiegra- cieue villions,andgoadDeeds. Anfw. Towhich Saint Gregory makes anfwer thus; Fat efl viriefantlh inmorte recordari, imo & recolere virtutes vita'sae, &c. It is lawful for Holy men, and Saints ofGod,in Death to recollect, and to recount thevertuous deedsoftheir for- mer lives pall ; Not indeed, as an occafion ofexaltation in rhemfelves for thefame;. But, .vtfidxciam prabeant, ¿defperantemtimorem pt-emcee, for thefupprefftonof fear, andDefperation, in the laft hour; in as much ás good works are the «fruit of a favingFaith ; that, as Faith juftifies the perfon in «Correlation to Chriflsmerits, (it as an hand b receiving, apprehending, and applying them as all-fufftcient to the foul ; ), fo goodworks ( being the way to eternal life, £pb. 2.50.) Decla- rativefy and Prxfential1y jaftifie the Faith, Ihewing it not to be Counterfeit or dead, but Real, and living ; It being the innate property offuch a Faith to beevivacious, manif eftingitfelfin its godlyeOperations I Hence wasthe layingof the School Divines, that Chariceswas forma virtutum, Charity ( which is the e film of the Law) conftfting in love towards God, for his own fake,and towards our f Neighbour, for Gods fake,it was theFormofthe Theological Virtues: Not but thatFaith, and Hope, and other graces ofthe spirit, have their own feveral and articular
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