Chap, 6. the Epiflletothe Cjalatiant. 427/ A .pr.ofellionof Jb.e truth: and rhough bpnds) -and imprifonment abide vs ii;l,all places, not l to patfefor them., fo rha~w:cemay ful fill our courfe 1virh ioy,accordiogtoPm•ls example, borh herc,and Act. 10. :l4- as alto his com– mand~menr t.o~·mothic. 1 811jfer.-.jfi,flion tU A t,"dfouldi.rofJ•fm.Chnft• : ..'I:im.1.3. The r.<afoll! are thcfe•.Firfi,byfufll:riog.bodilyaf– ftJ<obon' wee arc made.conformable \\ntp Chri(!,and ful611 the re£l,ofithe.af!l:Clions.of Chrj(l in our fldh. Colq'tf. 1:.t.;. Secondly, rhey teach vsrohaue~ fympilrhy and fellow– feeling of the mifcries ofour brethren,to re– member thoforh~tarein atlli6lio, as though wc al(o were afflicted in the body. Heb.1;:j.. and argumenrs of tidel:rie in my MiniClerie. which I fer not in orherruens flelh, but haue in mine ownc. H<reweleewhatwearetothinke, &what vfc we are to make of rhe wounds, Skatres, and blemilhes, rhatarc in any of the Saints IOrrhe profelfion ofthe truth.Fir!l,that rh<y arethefuffcrinos, wound•, and mark<s of Chrifl. himfcl~ (as Paul tearmcrh them here, andCololf. J, 14.) feoingrhcyarcrhc woundsofrhemembers ofrhat body,where– ofhoisthehead. Secondly, rhey hauerhis vfc, to conuince the conferences of perfecu– rors,and wicked men, that rhey are thefer· uanrs ofChrifl, whichfulfcrrhus forrighte– oufn'oifdake, for which caufe 1h'eyare here mentioned by Pa11l. Thus be proouet him· felfeto be a mcmberofChri!l by the aflliCii· on whichhi:fuffered for his fake. :. Cor. u. ThiTdly;ifmen bccon(!ant in their profeili– on, namelyin faith and obedience, they are bannersofviCiory.Therefore no man ought to be athamed of them,no more then fouldt· B Thirdlr, our patient induringnf atlli,Clioi•, dorh nor ondy ferue as a prerldenr and e<.-, ample to others iolufferpari<titly, butalf~><<s' anocabl<meanes to confirme them in tb'e rrurh.>.Cor.I.5.Phil. r.z4J:;a!Hy,they(erue rofoourevs rbat arcearthly ve!Tcls, from rb.e ri1ft and filch offlnn<, ihar·deaties fo fa!liv<l• roournaturc. ;I~ .,, ers oftheirwounds and skarres:but rather in abo!ymannerrogl.oryofthem as Paul did. For as iris a glory ro a fouldierto hauereceiued many wotinds-,omd to haue many skarrcs, in agood caufc,in flis Princes quarrei 1 2nd fo! thedefenceofhiscounrry:Sott is aglory for aChrillian fouldier ro haue the markes of rh< Lord lcfu• in his body, as of wounds, fcourges,bondes,impri(onmenr,for the pro· C fdlion ofthe truth. Theroforo Conllantine the great, (•s th< EccleGallicall hi(!orie re– cord•)kitfed the holes cff theeiesofcertaine B<lhops,(which had them put out by the Ar– rians,forJheconftant profellion of the faith ofChrift)reuerencingthe verrue ofthe holy Gho!lwhich fi1ined in them, This makes nothing for rhe fr4tmfiaf!."· l•nw, who glory inthcmarkes wpich they ruakc in their Aclh, by whipping of them– (c!ues. For firll, iris not rhe puniOmJent (as C;pri•• faith) but the caufe that· makes a Mutyr.Secondly,the markeswhtchmenfct ' vponthemfeluescontraricto the ~aw,Leuir. 19.z·S.are not tht mark.,~softhe Lordle(~t~:but tho(e oncly which are fer vpon rhem by o– thers,for the profeffion ofthe truth.Thirdly, D rhi• whipping and atlliCiing of themfelues, beeing but wJ11-wor0Jip, innot Cparingo( the bodie, Cololh.1;. is no berrcr accepted of God,then thefuperllirious praCiife of o••t, priefts.lancing them!elues wirh kniues,ril the blood gu01ed our.1.King.•8.z8. Againe, ifthis be rheglorie ofa feruantol Chri!l, and a note of conflant profelfion, wharfl~allwc fayofrhem, who hauenot one– ly their confciences feared wirh ahotteyron, bur by drinking,whoring,ricting,&c. get the markcsofB;~cchu.~ andPenUJ in theirbodiis? Fori( theie berhe markes of Chri(!, thof< mull needs be rhe morkcs of Saran. L•fily, hmce we are taught a fpecialldu– tie,and th:His,tofufferbodrly afHrflionin the .. 18. Brethrm, the gra<t.tf,our Lord le(m Chrij/,bemtb]ourjjmit, ;lmm, ,,_., 01 Here, the Apofile.concli1de• his Epi!lle wirh his vfuall farowell,commending rh~<i}a-[ latians to the graceofGod,and wifhingvnt:o, them all thingsappert•ining tofPiritua&lifo•oli godli•efJ•- r.Pcr. I.J. which he fignifierh hcr'e bygracr.Therc is arwofoldgracc nicnrioned in Scripture,Grac'ewhtch·make•lt•man·gra– c~ous oracc~.prableroGod,gr."'lia l.rAtNmf"r c•rn;:and grace~hich1slretly giuen, gratia grarudat~t.Gr4tMgratumfacims,is thefauour andloueofGod, whereby he is wellpleafed with h1SelecbnChri(!, and thisgraceisin God him(clfe, ond no qualitie infufed or in– h<rent in vs.: and it is r:ulyc>lled thefirff graet, as bceing thc.caufe.of all or her f•bfe– qucnt gracci. Gra1ia "r'lltisdtttA. is the free gift of God be.llowed''vpon men , whether norurall,or fupernaturall ~ N.aturall,~itb<r in the flareofionocencle,before the fall,as ori– &inalliullice,&c. or in the flare ofApollafie, llnce the fall,as the gift ofillumination:·Ioh. '·9-•nd iuch like. Supernaturall,cithcr com– mongifts, as thegift ofmiracles, prophecy. ing,ron~ueJ,&c.orfauing g~aces, as thegrace ofcletlton, clf<Ciuallvocation, iu(!ification adoption, glorification, &c. all which ar~ call<dtbtjtcondgr-«•,becau[e the1 Aow from the firft, asthe !!reame from the fountaine. ThusPauldi(!inguilherhthem;Rom. 5. 15, calling the form<r th•gract ofGoJ, the latter tb•gift h]graet, Nowgrace in this place i• nor to bee re(!rained one!yto ihe benelir of our redernpuon,as it is, z.Cor.13.verf.,•3. where the grace of Chri!l i• di[Jinguifl•ed from the loueofGod, and communion ofthe holy Gho!l : but tobecvnder!lood ofrhe fauoor and loue of God,which is rhefrf/ grAct: and ~f thefaumg grace of regeneration, which ts tbefecond ur11ce, ortbeqifr b] graa. And it is called theJ!,rllce of ou~ lArd J~(u5 Chrifl, Nn 4 hrlt
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