I I I· I I r;:eddcrip· [i:l.1off.tith., the 11. [hap.to the llebr. rcr to burne, orfire toput out itfelfc: 10 pol1i– b1c is it for vs ofour felucs tO refill: Gnnc, in fo n,1uch;as it is a thoufand tdonc;but th:a :it cue· ry afl:mlcour nature y~dd'i, Now if i.t be fo hard to rule oucr one hnnc, hO\\,. !hall we doe againG that fca of tcmpt::ttions,that ouet·\{'bcl.:. mcth :\ Chrifii:::&n life? this .doCtrine teachcth thee hov\'; namely, to Hi eke to thy f:aith,:md it will doe it for d1cc: for if ic be the fi.tbflancc of the things dwu hopcfl: iOr, which yet neuct were; much more will it yccld vnto thee fpiri .. ruall Hrcnsth and fubH:mcc,ro make thee Hand in :11l temptations. When thou ~rt tcmrcerl, then c::tll to mindc GoOs pn::ttnif.cs, belccue them, that is, appltc thcnt to thy fclfc, and be refolucd that they V\' ere mldc,and fhall be per.. formed cucn to thee': then chough thou haue nomorcpo1.vcr oftby fdfc, then fire h:ah to ccafc to burnc; ycc whilc!l: thou dodl thus, thou fhalt feelc thy foule fpiritually flrengthe– ncd againfl all temptations: and, feeling the ex– perience of this, dcnic them thine ownc Hrc:ngth, and magnific the power that God hath g\ucn vnto true faith. · Againc, though novv we arc mo(t of vs qui.– ct 1.mdt:r 01tr owne vineJ and .fig...~etr~N : j'.Ct we know not how foonc the hand of the Lord may be vpon anyofvs, in pouer.ti-c 1 fickCndfc, i:nprifonment, b.tnifhmcnc, lort"cs, famine, or how it pleafcth him: how fhall a poore Chri– fl1an fland aud buckle him{clfe 10 bcarc thcfe? I anfwcr, uucfiming faith rdling on the \'\'ord of God, and bclccuing the promifcs, not for.. mally, but truly,wi!l put ft~eh fub!lantiall fpiri– tuall Hrength into him, as that at firfl, though he bow vnder it, yctfhall hee be able to lcco– uer hitn!Cifc againc, and buckle himfelf.c to go forward in his profcffion, and !hall follow Chrilt manfully with this his cro!fc:This ':''on– dcrfull power h:nh God giuen to fauing faith, both to rcfifl: temptations, and to vndcrgoe all croffcs, And thus much ofthe firfl action <>r offcet of faith: the fccond followcth. VF..RSF.. 2 For by it our elders were well reported of. A them it is fp~cia!Iy to be vnderHood. NQW conccrning:thcfcEldcrs, it is funhd f.1id, thotthcy were well reported of: hereby arc mt'ant three things: I. Thoc God>lpprooHd, & allowed ofthoin. 2. That ~od Jid ~tpprv:~ttc Of tht'm, 6ecrwfc of rhrirfairh in the Mctiias, · 3· Th:uGdd gauca tdlimonic, and1 e(eclrl'– red thnt he~·a.pprovucd of them. For the firll, inmy bcoskeJ, Ho;v w~rc theyapprnoued of God? A•if'. Cbi'ifl the fonne of God i• he,inwhoni theTrtrlur i1 wrl!plc.if~il. Now they bclccuin d in Chriff, their !1nncs \\·Crc bid on him, ~na m2dc his by imputation: ahd ·ro.t1trariwifc ~1is h.:>lindl'c, obcdicncc,and fatisf.1Cbon,wcre tmpmcd to them, and by the fame irnputatioi'! B mJ(~c theirs: No\'\' that bceing thcns, God becmg fo well plcafed with Chrifl, could not but olfo for Chhrts fake approoue of them." If th~s fccmc h~~dvnto any, I th3~e .it plainc by th1s compar1lon. LoOkc as lacoG ayo11~cr bro~ thcr, puts on·Efons garment, the cld~r bro.– t~cr,_andjn it \.Vas taken for Efolf,aJ!d obt<~incd h~s fat~lcrs bldting :1nd pri.crimonic~ \~·hich by lumfe1fc he cou.Jd not hnuc got; Cuen fo \\'C arc as youngcr-brc:;t.hrcn,Chrift: is our ddcr brother we hauc no right nor title tO our fathers blcf– fing, nor to the kingdomc of hcaucn: we mull pm onthe robe of pcrfetl rightcoufndfe, <'inch JS the g"<mem ofChrifl, our .eld.er bro– ther: wc,Ganding clothed with it,pur.rhafc our fathc~s fauour ,a.nd \\·ir~ his f3.uour his ble!Iing, andJus bleffing IS the nght and title .to .cucr– C Jailing life. And thus by Chrill they were ap– prooued. Secondly,for what were tbeyapproo11ed?Thc text faith. Byf~irh; not bc;caufcfitirh is an aCH– on of a fanclified lllindc and a good grace of God: for fo are hUin~lme, loue· feare of God (all whidme graces of the fat;Ciifying fpi!·ii, asfaah 1s): but,bccaufc 1t IS a wdrrhy in!lru– m<.·nt mthe heart ~f the ·bdccuer, which ::!p– pn:hc~ds,andapplieth to_the fou1c thac tightL buflle!Tc ofChn!l, by wh1ch he is iuflilicd;l:hus l.C bcmg the hand and inHrumcmoftheir iutli– fication, by it(le is faid) theywere app'ooucd.' l· The texcaddeth, that Gcd did nottmcly approouc of them, but that he ujlifiedttnd.mttti~ TI-?Js vcrfc contaJneth the fccond elfeEl of D ·it manifeft to allrhewrJr/d that he did fo. jaumgf.~ttb· \\IChts,tbatfatth.H a mtanu I . . . r 1 • Inhiswo:rd. ]whqeby " belcm~r tJ approolled of God. This And ~.bts tcfbmontc) 2. In their owne co.nfciverf.c hat~lfpcClal rclauon to th~ fifth \Ctfc:for I Godgattc ofthem ) CI1Ccs. .. th:::&r,thar IS fat dehere ofall the Elders 1n •'cncThe truth ofthe firtl is maniff.'.fi, in that not ul!, IS there afiirmed1ipccially of EnociJ·t~amcb fi oncly ill this chapter, u: o ten >lfo in the old ly,that hee wa.J rcpo1Ud of to hal'le plpefod (iod, tdhmcnt' God h<lth made ftt!=h honourabjc Lee vs firfi fea.rch the: true mc~mingof the rncmion, and giue-n foch honoi.~r:::&blc title~ vnwords. to many of thcfeE}ders 1 calling A6raham the E/der.rl Thatis, all fuch men as ltuing vndcr frrind cf God, z. Chron. 2 o, 7• and Dtmit:f, a I thc.oldTdb.mcnt,bcleeucd in Chrifl::lmongft m:ru 11 ft er GodJowne beart; 1. ~am. I 3• 14 . and 1 r whtch (thongh :'Ill be vndcrHood) yet fome l 11 1 • · d dd 1 r hId I . .t1ema , ,usam1owu an ~re r ,o.1 enc ,i 1·n1, were more excellent m faitiJ :wd obedience rr~t. TO). I) .Thus God haw tdHficd ofthem I thenothers , and fo mor.c honourable, and of in his word. · ! lj;~_:fiim3tion with God and men: .and oP 2.G;db:_:r~to thc~r2.:.~~[r~~~~' \
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=