38o OfClods Promifs:O f theexcellencìe ofthe rPord. doe,but hechargeth theLordagaine, that hewas the caufeOfit, andmakes hisliberal' the patron ofhi sniqustieaod fo orrierniferably letsit ouerto the Lord. Euenatthistinit and inunediately %Ton fuck behauiourthe Lord makeshis promife tohim, that thefide -ofthemománfnnllbrnfethcprpent shead. Here is notanfoof a promife in Adam, here :sat conditiongoes before. Itis true alto, that God made choicefor his mercie ofthevilefi pea. -pieoftheearth. Take but theHiftoriographers, andthofe thatwrite ofthe levees, and fit- tingafide'nil inward gifts of mindswhatfoeaer, and come to their gifts ofthebody, their Me/ewwes outward fhape and lineaments, and for the very malle of their nature, °fall people they ftribe de- were ruoft vnfeemely and ilfauoured, theywerea pernicious and monftrous people, and howGodfound as far from all giftsmen of nature,eitherofiudgement or wifedome,as wasvnderthe Sun; :hem. nay itweretoo homelytogi tethem_rhename ,wherebyfomehaweletthetnout. Oftheft peopletheLordmakeschoice, andmakes the firfc promife to them. Sothat this is alfo a freepromife, nothingcomes to it tomoue the Lord.to make it. Andyet to thefepeoplethe Lord promifeth,Leutt. chap.aGaz.fwi/lwalkéamongyou, 'madeyour Ged;.andyefhallbdiny people. Againe, niche teigneof Zedekah, when the meafure oftheirthinewascometo the brim, when they were in theeltate of the Perez ites, Hittites and lebufites, the Lord makesanother protnifewith the fame people, greater then the former, Ierem.3 i.nfay- teremgt.1. ing: Hewillbe theirfather, and the.»hallde hisfonnesanddaughters. So that God hispro.. ., miles arefree in refpeEt of thematter antecedent, butin refpeet ofthat whichfollowethÿ theywere-Madewitha condition,and thatis, that we beholy. Butfor the moftpartmen herein deceiue tbcmfelues, for as theyheare, thatit isa freepromife, fo theymake ira freepromifeafter. Thereis no inducementindeede, beforehe makes the promife,but af- terwards he bindes it with a condition. Forit ftandesin thepromifes of God, as inhis . threatenings: In his threatenings there is no condition goingbefore, they areabfolucely pronounced, asthatlonah:z.4. revfortiedayer andNiniuiejhallbeouerthrowne.And that to Ezekiah,Éfa.;8.Put thine oufeinanorder, farthoufbalidie, and notliue. Yet there is faine- wisatfoboweth after, asVnleffeye repent, which'fontetinfe isexpreffed,buòifnot expref- condition,em fed,isalwayestobevnderftoode. For neuerany threateningfoftrongly was pronounced nexedtapm- from the Lord, buttlüs;Vntifiyerepent, ifitwere-done, wouldbreake theforceofit, and m-;fes,citper turneit backe againe, as the Ninmites repented, and the Lord turned awayhis fierce vnderyooder expcd.: wrath. Ezek :ah wept, and theLord gavehim length ofdayes. Sohow flatly andfreelyfo. euer thepromife is made to vs, yet this condition followed], We waftbehod. Thus we fee howGods promilés i s refpeet of themfclues,before they bemade,are lure, yet not as the wicked imagine that there-is no limitation. 7hettib(eis t 7 That theBible is the Librarieof theholy Glioft,itmayappearefirft,for that it fetteth Gods Libra- downethe infirmities ofinen,withoutallflatterie, as well asit commendeththemfortheir rie;assgu- a.-vertues, Genef.49.Numb.sz. Secondly, the matter ofitis altogetherheauenly, and no- meutstotom- thing,nor part thereoffanoureth earthly : it yeeldeth tono onealfcaionor other, bigop. mendtheex- ofethitfelfetoall.Thirdl theformethedt nitieofdieftileandmaieftieofthefenten- uflentyof P it.3 ' g des init is fuel), asit cannotbefullyand wholy conceiued and vcteredof any man, andïc is alwayes morepowrefulinthe matter thenin words.TheApocrypha goingaboutto ex. 4 prelFe theexceilencieofit in Greeke, isaverycoldand barbarousthing. Fourthly, ofall things itmoueth affection in the readers, and pierced,into the fecrets of the hearts, which youfhall neuer findebut forfome littietime,and ftraight vanifhingaway,inotherwritings s ofthe prefoundeft Philofophersthat euer were. Fifcly, ofalliris moftancient: nodmany s good things in Philofophersand poets are fetcht from this. Sixtly, alltheprophecies fee downeby diners writerswith one confentare accomplifhed, fo are none ofthedialsora- cles. Readethat offarob,Genet.49.that'ofMofes, Deut.3 z.ofErh,en,Pfal.89.Efa.Æ5. Se. 7 uenchly, the wonderfull preferuingof thisbooke from timetotime, z.King.az. fothat it. bath notperifhed, whereasmany other bookes of great price andeftimatfon arevtterly s loft. Eighcly, thatthere bath been fuelsa continual( andvniuerfall content ofthisbooks from time to time : andbecaufe all the heretikes and labours of them that would with- , fraud and confute this, frill arefoyied and brotsglsttonaught. Wily, the conftantdeath of wife, foberand tneeke Martyrs, who euer in their deathsfor this,hauebad a plaine diftinbhion
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