446 OftheWordofCod. whores and theeues,and therefore anon afterretorne to their vomit. Butthechildren of God,knowing their own weaknetfe,areafraid tomake largepromifes,and yetRand more ftrongly afterwards againft finne. CHAP. 73. Of the wordof God: andofthe confirmation thereofby wonders. He Lord beingabout togiue his lawvnto the Ifraelites by theminifterie of Mofeshisferuant,dothaforehand warneMofsthereof,and this hetelleth him,that he will be feene ofhim in a darke clbud.Ofthis the Lordsfirange and wonderful)appearing,there are two ends or cairfes thefirst was, that hermight get morecredit to hislaw, and alfo toMofesthe Minifter of the law. The fecondwas to thew Moteshis weaknes andinfirmitie,whereby he night behumbled. And forthe first, wee fee that when the Lord wouldbring topaffeany mightie works,he didwithall Thewfuch nightiefignes, as madehis wbrkswith reverence to be receiued, and thofe whom in hisbufineffebee had appoyntedMiniffers, to bewell accepted.In the day of Elias,when the law hadloft credit in the hearts of m9n,and was little or nothing atallregarded,tlrendidthe Lordwonderfully workby hisfcruantEliar, and did.great things by his hands,that credit:might once againe bewonne voto his law. And when lice brought his tonne into the world, bywhom liewould publish theGofpell, euen thefauinghealth ofall men, inchworks were (hewed, as had not been from the be- . ginnings,and fach wonders were wroughr,as made all men amazed, at fuch timeasthefe more thamordinarie mercieswere brought and offered vntothe world,whereuntotheft extraordinarieworkswere coupled and adioyned, and thereforefuch works cannotordi- narilybe looked for,becaufe they were neuer ordinarie. For iffuch works,and fignes,and Wonders. wonders,thouldnow be looked for,and ifwefhould attend vnto them,andbeleeinthem, the Lord would then haue warranted them to vs byhis word, and then bee would haue foretold vs,that fuch thingsfhould after come topaffe. And hath hedone this ? No;no,he hath taughtvs anotherleffon,andBeane contrarily bath lie admonifhed vs,whenhe bid dethvs beware offalfePróphets, which come to vain fheepes clothing, and would pur- chafecredit tothemfelues by lying fignes and wonders. Seeing therefore that there¡half bemany fuelsfalfeProphets, efpecially in thelatterdaies,which fhail be fent abroad roen into all places,effectuallytodeludetbofe thathaue not receiacd the truth in loue. Anda- gaine,feetng the Lord is not bound to meanes, but bee will werke,when, andwhere,and howit plcafeth him,that wemaywifely iudge of them,anddifcerne the fpirit of error from the fpirit oftruth and life: is (hall beprofitablefor vs tolet down tome truenotes ofthofe Voter ofdi- wonderswhich are let out to vs in theword: ifby comparing them together, it may ap- aiee wonders. when,and howfarre theymat bereceiued,and contrarily, when wemay and ought to refufe them. The first noteor difference is in the workesthemfelues y the other is in the perlonsby whole minilterie theyare wrought: and for the works theurfelues,which God bath extraordinarily wrought, there batheuermore fuck maieltie appearedin them,that thefinger ofGodmight be toplainly feene, that all amen, yea even wicked forcerers haue been brought and forced to acknowledge thefame : and though the diuell can turnehim- felfe intoan Angell oflight,and hisminifters makea fhew,as though theywere indeedthe minifters ofrighteoulneffe; yet let themworke what they will,and lay what they can,. neither their workes nor words (hall beare fuels an. apparant thew of maieftie, as the workesof Godbaueeuer done. Euery man thereforemay plainly lee God in his works, Me be de- and none shall be deceiued bythe other, but thofe that loueto beleeue lycs, and are eeiuedvvith willing to deceive themfelues, whom God doth iuftly giue ouer tobe decesued, and to thelyin3roon- fall from-faith, becaufe they loued not to abide and ftand ftedfalt therein. For as an dery oftnti- Ape, ofall other tiuing things molt like a man in fhape, and yet molt vnlike of all others thrift, inqualitie.and condition,can deceiue none : but euery one will eafily knowan Ape from aMan,.
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