Hieron - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.H54 S4 1624

298 TheBApts, ingofthe Ealnstch: and thefeand the like, partly:by the light ofnature, partly.by fome general! rules gotten bycontinuall hearing, areof the moil, yeeidedveto to be lins. But ignorance in religion,yea menin thofepoints, which arc (as it were) the very lifeand foule ofreligion, is hardly taken tobe finny Who thinkethhimfelfe e- uerthelcirehone %becaufehceisignorant? Thus (l fay) is this calll,themore dangerous, becaufeitpalieth awayvnobferued, vntaxed,vnblamed, andyetttis t aTbeC1.8, aprincipall fin,againft whichthe Lordwill proceedat hisiudging day,.and the 'uHo4.,.r4. people that doenotvnderjland fhall pa I1 . It is true there is touchdulneffe, much hardnetreofconceit,nauch weaknel&ofapprehenfionmen in the very bell,but x tIoh,s.to. yet certainelyifthat benot invs, which inoneplace is called aMmdta know., yHo46,3. in another anendeauourtskaowY,wecanneuerbe failed, Remember wehowthe Eunuch profited by oneSermon,andconfider how manywe haueheard, who yet(many of vs) cannotglue fogoodan account a the Eunucbdid. For let no man thinke,that this was all, namely, that theEunuch was abler() deliuer thus many words,as are here,andnomore; itwereanmisty to thememoryofthat holy man,ifwe fhould fo imagine, and itwere a wrong to the wifdomeofPhilip ifwe flrould thinke he would lethimpaffe with a kind ofverball acknowledge. went ofamatter whichhec didnot underhand. Can we el inke.with anyproba- bility, that eitherthe Eunuch faidnomore then is here defamed, or that Philip did notfeele him aflameandagain, to feehowbee wasfelled ? yesvndoubted- 1 y : TheEunuchknew the perlisnof Chril}, the officeofChrift, knewhowthe ancient Prophefiesofthe old Teflament werefulfilled in aril}, &wasable to Thew caute whyhee for his particularpart Ihould thinke to be fated byChrill, knew how faith coupleth vnto Chrif}, how itdoth procuretoa man an interelt into theobedienceand righteoufnelfeofChrift. Theft and the like materiali points,outofall doubt theEunuchknew. Philipwould neuerhaueadmitted him to theSacramentofBaptifine, vpon thevttcring onelyofa few words, or bane left hint in fuch a raw meafureof knowledge, beforehehadbroughthim roeon- ceine arightthe grounds of godlincife,and that doctrine which is called the do- zHeb.6.t: Thine ofthebeginning ofChrff=: Iadde this leaany man ihouldbeguilehis owne foule, becaufeof his ablentife to fay fo much as is heere reported to haue been fpoken bytheEunuch. Iwith the wordsin euerymans heart andmouth, buttake heede wee makenot a charme ofthe Scripture, to imagine a vertue in words of which weknow not what to make. Let vs labour to fpeake thee:much, words, with thelike knowledge that the Eunuchhad, otherwifeto fay, webeleeuethat le- fue Cbrifl,s r, (hall not ayailevs. So muchof this, that the Eunuch was able to espreifehis Faith, andto thewfor himfelfewhathe beleeued. Deíí.4, The nextthingis hisreadinetietogiueanaccount, which afl'oordeth vu this doctrine, Thatwhere thepower ofgodlineffebearethanyfway, thereis riofrawardneffe ofdiNition,when one isdealt with inthematterofFaith. This I obferue outofthe model} and yeelding difpofitionofthis Eunuch,who was thus contcnt(asitwere) to be catechized by Philip,and to fubmithimfelfe to gitean accountofhisbelee- uing. No doubtbee held it meete, that herwhich now tooke care ofhiufouie, Should by himbe madeacquainred with the fiateofhis foule. Ifa ratanfpeiekrin áPro;£;.g, theearsofafoule,hasuill defpifethewifdome ofhia»+ords ,andfuch an onebeing quo. bPro,tç,a ;, flioned,withaboutreligion, aafweretbronghlyb,butgentlenes,goodnes,meeknes,are eGal. t.su.a; thefruitsofthe[pirit<. It was thehumor ofthePharifees, in theprideof heartto dLuka, ;o. difdaineto fubmit thcmfeluesto lohns Miniflery, theydeJpifedtheconnedofgodd, and they tooke itin foule fcornewhen the blinde manasked them,whether they 9Iohq.ag' wouldbee Chri/lsDifciples r, their f}omacks couldnot frame to be treatedwith asmen ignorant inought, or as liable to anaccount to anywhat theybefeened. Ir is the commandement ofGod that euety man infuch acafe as this betwixt . $tPet.3.ts. Philip and the Eunuch, wouldbe ready tagam asanf ,verf: and religion whereitir, doth teach menfoto bee. Foras itabatethehefehigh fpirits which are inman by h

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=