Perkins - BX9318 P47 1613 v3

6 e/1 Commentarie vpon \ ~~:~:r'~;;:rJ in that hce gaue th.ct.ll his fpirit, inwar~Ii to. A: our flcps;namly, tokens and prints ofour f;~.irh, \ I afi'ure thctr confcicl_!cCS.t~at he did a"cpt t.hcm our hope,and louc: \-vhich W we doc,thcn mo 1 k in the Mcl1i.as to come: and thus thele Elders Jh,ccxcc!lt~lt vfc of thofe fieps. I. They tcfl:ific \ 1 1·ccciued 4 teftimo,tie bmh out'l"·:ard to all the vnto all that fee them, that '"'cc walked the I world, and inwa·rd to their confc.icnccs; ~hat ri~ht W-J-j to·hcauen : ';1nd fccondly, they God in ChriHapprwuedand l_ope_d them: fo.thc Will fcru~ for m:arkc$ anddireCtions fur them fcnfc is pbinc, the vft.: hereof manifold. that fhal_l walkc in the fame \\'ay after vs. By t ~ ~.n that it is fa:O thcfe Eid~·swere approo~ the I. we ih:illlcaue an honpurablc tdlimonic sudbJfaith: here. wee lcarnc what is the oldc of our .ieiucs behind vs : by the 2, wee fhall and a.uncicnt '"'ay, the right and ftraight way mooue othc.rs to m:ognific Gods na~nc, to (that hath no by-....vaycs) to life ~ucrl:l.fting~ whom~ Ou! Hcps hauc bcenc markcsand dinamcly, this oncly, To re,lie on.rhc g1crcic of rcCHons,h~lps, and funhcranccs in thew~,. to God in Chrifi. for pardon of finne; rhis is t~e hcaucn. : ~'·ay "'''herein all the oiunciCnr Eld~r~ y-.·alkcd to Secondly, for ~hat v.:crc thcfC E!derJ apbcaucn; tbis i:i the way ~hat God ·harh opened prooued? for 1hcirf~ith :. for nothing clfc... A- \.a~ld.nudc ;vnto his Court: it is the King.Js high mong.£1 thcfc Elders Sampfon vvas wonci~rfull way, the beaten 'v\'ay. common tp ~uery one in £hcngth: Salomon in wifcdomc: l ojlma in •.that knowcs ho~o\' to walkc in it; an_d dcctiucd courage: Zrfo[u in learning:· many of them, in n.odc that cud 'vVCnt in it; and bdide which, t~c:: hgnour and pompe ofthe world,in hc:auty, thet·c is no other. Seeing then, God hath ·connches, and other externall gifts,.and the mofr feerated, and our Elder~ h.auc trpdc thi.!i way ofth.crn all in long life; yet not fOr one or all of before vs, let v~ fullow them; that fo -we ·J.nay thef~arc any of them 13id to be regarded of auainc that kingdvrn whcrcto it hath brought God: but it is plaincly faidc, that for theirfaith th~rn. Goddid Approouethem. Here then ·lcarne what Ifany yet douGr' whether this be the wayor Is thC thing amongH all things that mull make no: the fptrit ofGod puts it ouq>f doubr,Efay vs acccptabl~ vr.ro God: cucn this, To denie ~o. 2 1; F1rH, :J.fli1mmg percmptouly Thu u our feJucs, and to rcJ1 vpon the mercicofGod thcu'qy Secondly, b1ddmg vs thctcfotc lfla/k! in ChriH; this w~l doe ir and nothing clfc.H:1fi snthc fame: Thu u 1he WaJ, wa!ft..! m 1t. Our thou llrcngth? to had GoliM as \\'eiJ asSampEldcrs obeyed this commandemcnt of the fpi• 'fon: ha!l thou beautie? fo had A6fo!om as well rit: and, "'·alkin<? in this V\' ay, found the end of ) or more then Dauid; hall thou wifedomc? fo it, eucrlafting lifc.Ifwc would atcainc the.fame C ! had .Achh~phc! {though not like Stt!omon, yet) end of the iourncy; ~·r:e .mufi w.alkc the fame I aboue ordinaric men : hail thou riches? EfaH way, ' . • was richer then lacob: hafi tho'u liucd long? fo But the world w!ll fay,.rhi& ·is a.needle{fc exdid Caine, and lfmaelas well as lfaac: hail thQu honation; for V-~C walkc this way;w~ deny our many children? fo had .Aha6 as well as Gedion: fducs, and looketobe approucd ofGod om:!y hall thou learning (the gloric of nature?) fo by Chrifl: but it i!; ftrangc to fee how men dehad the Eg]prians as well as M ofu ; fOr there ceiue thcmfclucs. Can a man ':"·.alkc in a way, Mofes learned it. All thcfc thou mai!l hauc,and and not lcaue h1~nks and tlcps behind him;eucn yet be avileperjOn in the fight of God: fo farrc fo he that ...,·alks in tl1is way, follow him, and from beeing approoucd otGod,asthat he will you fhall.fce ftcps of his cominu:-tll dying VntG not vouchflfc(vnldfe it be in his :mgc~:)ouce to finnc 1 s.nd.liuing vnto holindfc;infomuch that I r~.gard or looke at thce:hafi thou therefore any a m::m that follO\\'Cth him, and markcth the of thofc outward gifts? it is not to be contcrncourfc ofhis life in thisway,may cuidcntly fay, ned,ithath his vfe; chankeGod for it,and vfe it Sec where he bath ca!t off, -and l<;frbehind him well; and vfc it fe as by~r thou mai!t be approthis and tOOt 0nnc.:fcc where he hath t-aken vp, ucd amon~fl: men. : but ~and not to it bc.forc and caned With h1m thcfc and thofe vcrtucs D God:for though 1t bee t.\'Jfcdomc,or learn1ng, _and graces ofGod:Mnkc,hcre is a print ofhis I or ncucr fo excellent a gifr;. it cannot purchafc faid1, here is a print of his hope,here arc prints the fauour &: aCC<'jHation of God; but true fitith I ofhislouc.And 1my a child ofGod be followis able to plcafc God both in this lifc,and,cfp<- cd :md traced all the way toilcaucn,c:ucn ·.;ntil! cially at the day ofiHdgcmcnt. he corncto·his dcarh,which is the gate ofhca... This doCtrine firfl confut.crh the errol,:ref ucn, Hew mightily then arc t'hcy decciucd, fomc groffe' PapiUs, who hold and write that which thinkcthcy haue •..t•aikcd all their liucs many Phi/ofopbers for their good vfc of the in Lhis wav, and yet there is not one flcp to be light of Nature,for [heir JcepneiTc in learning, JCcnc: fo~ aifuredly this W:J.Y is fo beaten and and for their ciuil~ liues, arc 110\o\ s~ints in hea... trodcn,thatnom<~.neucrtrodc in it lince th~ ucn: amofi m:1mfe!l al}d Ihamcfi1Jl vmruth, world began ; bur he left bchiud him manifdl and here as rnanifcfily confutC'd: for was Salo- . and vifibJc ficps, that all men that woulti Iookc m~n not ~.cccptcd. for all his wifcdomc, and ·achin1,mightfcchec had cone that way. As fl)allSocrates ? v.•asMofe.rnot accep[td for all therefore we all delire t~ come to ll<'~ucn, 1 his learning, how then fl10uld Ariftotle~ iffaith and as,A·c profetTc we '''alkc in the way thimadcallefthcm ac..cepted, and-nothJng but thcr: fo let vs be as c:~.rcfiJJI to Jc:tue behind vs faith; how is it poflible they fl,ould be accepted

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