Featly et. Al. - BV4275 T47 1672

The CramofAighteoufnefr. 5 99 particular Forms, which do fpecifically form them to theirown identical Natures anddiverfifie thetnfrom. others,fó that Faith is Dot,Hope;nor Hope is not Charity; but for that love, doth.as it were, form them toacceptability,before God, tothis purpofe may be applicable that pra&ice of. zealous Nehemiale, Chap.13.14. 7e. member me, .0my God, (faith he), concerningthis,anei wipe notout mygood Deceits thatI have donefor the Houfe ofmy God, and for the Ofces,thereof: and the like is that we alto read of good King Hezekiah, upon a Summons to Death, ¡fa. 3$.3: And he faid, Remember now, o Lord,' I befeech thee, hon Ihave wat+edbefore thee in Truth, andwithapefeaheart, and have doneshat Whicb is food in thy j ht. A third QFryis, whether Saint Paul fjake all this, at out of a felf-confidante, we outhaving an eye to GodsDivine aff? nce therein? r, To which, faith venerable Bede, Abfltuttantut Dotlot ognoraveritle- gem i, Deut. E. 17. God forbid thátrfo great a DoEtor fhouldbe unacquainted with the word ofGod, which teacfleth utterly to declaim all felf- power, though it were btit to becomewealthy,órpotent, even in things Temporal ; yea, hitilfelf ferioufly acknowledgeth all fpiritual fufñciency to be ofGod, a Cor.3. 5. ever- more afcribi ?g the total of his fupernaturals to the free grace ofChrift, ICor.IN.ro. through whore ftrength alone it wasthathe difcharge tsTruft in the Gofpel,and went through with all other gracious performances, hil.4.13. The fourth, and Taft Qnzry is, How Saint Paul came to knowfòaffuredy , thee there was aCrownofRighteoufnefi laidupfor him in Heaven ? elnfw. Towhich force anfw er, that he had it by Revelation extraordinary, as an Apoftolical priviledge defighed to him from God, the better tochear him on in the courfe ofthe Gofpel, and tofteel his refolutions againft all oppofers of the glo- rious truth thereinrevealed : or, as Anfelme thus, He had that affurance, Non re pleniffima, fed fpe firmijma: grounded upon a firmhope,and expeetationt Butof this more anon. Having thus pointed at the Qtries : I come now tei the more particularhand- ling ofthe words,out ofwhiglt I obferve two generalparts: a, Afolemnprofeflionoft edifchargeofhisOffice, verfe1. z; 11 large Remuneration, and Rewardof that Difcharge, ver. $. In the forníer, we have ; r. The Perlon, L z. HisAft, fought. 3. The objeft of, that AA, .4fight. 4. Thequality of that fight, A [good] fight. S. The timeof all this noted from theexprelion in thePrater eenfe, 1 [have] fought, v.x +a7i. ,o,rà ,jy;.,rttg4; 1bavefought a goodfight: the reff of the words in thisverfe I take to be upon the matter, but as theerícgefís, andexpofition of the forme. In the fecondmain part; the reward; We have it amplified. r. By the Donor, Orbeftower of it, TheLord, defcribed here líy a Periphrafis, and ftyled, 'íprror, TheRighteous Judge;. z. By the Title givento it, ACrownofRighteoufneff. 3. By the manner of it, it inlaidup. 4. Bythe time ofDonation, In that Day. 5. By theperfonsto whombellowed, To Paulhimfelf; and that, not byany re- ltrhtive enclofure, as if only to himfelf, and to noneother betides; but by a far. `ther expanfion, it reacheth unto others with himfelf ; provided they be found un- der due qualification oflovitig the appearance of the Judge; Not unto Me onlÿa butunto thenalto thatlovehisappearing. , Thefe, at leaft, asto myobfetvation, ale theparts ofthis Scripture ; which be- ing fo many, I muff be conftrained, as the Difciples paffing_through the. Corn. fields upon the Sabbath day, ,lsuo rxs ráxeat, to pluck but an ear, gor twoof the choyfettnotice; or as fomc Lapidaries ofrich Jewels are Wont, thew them only in a fhort carroty view,and fo lay them up again. The firft words, I havefought agood fight, admit Of divers Interpretations,l' yet each of them fuitable to the Analogy, andproportionofFaith. Theymáÿ then be taken, either asthe eiptcfiion ofSaint `!'aul himfelf, quatenue - 1poffoins, as under the notion of an Apoftle ; orelle as aChriftian, in the condi- tion with other Members of the Church ofChrift with himfelf,for that weread.in the Clore ofthe eighth verfe, TheCrown ofRighteoufnefswas laidupfor al[tbat lived íheappearingoft the eLord. IF Qñzr. 3. eitnfw< Quzr. 4. .9nfw. g Ivfar.f4 Rosi; ip6;

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