--------- - ---------------~ ----:----~_......__~ • ......!.--'I-- ' I the 1..Chap. if thr1\!ve/. 2 Ss f Concluhon. The Preface containeth aprepara .. tion to the macter ofthe cpi!llc in d1efc words; Th'fi thingtJa~thhu, that is th, jirft and the lajf: wb;~bwao~ deaJ, and is a/itJe, In thts Preface he !hewc;"th in whole n<1me this EpiiHc ~\·as writ– ten vmo this Church, n:\mcly,in ChriHs name: which he fetteth dtwmc for nvo caufcS'.FirH,to fiirn:- vp the people in this church w a_r~ligiotis attention and a reucrcnt care ofrcccnnng the things th~rein written, as the' pure words.of ChriA: Icfus. Secondly, bccaufc no·•comt!launl. dement in the matter of Gods worfhippe and religion isto bccrcceiucd from any crca_rurc, but from Chrifi alone. And therefore thJS E– pifllc concernit~g the true w~rfl:ip and religi– on of God 1 is propounded tll hts name alone. In this Preface Chrifl is dcfcribed by two NO!a– ble ArgumentSl Firfl, Tob, th,(irjf and the laff: fecondly, thathce .,.,·asd:ad, but M~li~e. Tha meaning of ~hem both was fliewcd ·m ~he 174 and r8. vcrfcs of the former chapter', ·when(C: they areborrowed. By the firfi, Ch:ill would fignific:, tllathc is c:ucdiuingGod, wtthout be.. ginning or ending,before all crcawres, and af·. tcr them. By the iCcond, that hec ts true man1 and affumcd mans nature to (uff'er dead\ for oor ·f'innes, and rofC again_c to ltft: f~r cuct i and to giue to man eternall hfc. . ' · . - In this defcription rwo·po,nts -?f doC\rmc. are expreffed, ·· · • I. That Chrifi is apcrfon, confi!ling of two narurcs,Godhead.and Manhood:·He titheft>jf .tnd th•laft, and therefore God: H_<ewMdMd; ~~t~d UAliue, and therefore ts true -man. If any aske how one perfO cattconfifiof-two natur.es! An f. As bodie·and foule concurrc {bmake one man: io tlic.Godhead and manhood .,r Chril1! ·concurre to makeone Chri!l,and therefore arc: vnited. _ II. Doll, Here i<t~etoundatiall or all tt.uo comfort vnro GO<is·Church aftd'people., in any mifcric 3nd aff\itl:ion. Which ftatrdeth in two poinrs;fir!l,that Chrifi is able to help< them in anymffcric; either by frccingthcrntqu~ne..from it,orcafing them in it, (ceinghe is God;the.jirJli. and/aft, Secondly, rh" as he is aolc~{o hce;. willing and rcadie to helpethcm:foi-he i·sni.an, whotoOkc on him our"nawrc, died for vs, ao.d rofe againc vmo Hfc,·to.giue rq vs et~r.nalllife._ Thisisrhe.vcry fcop·c and end for whiHrChrilt thus dcfcribcth h\mfclfc to this 'Church that was in affiiCl:ion, Here tln.cn WC naue dir.e6lion~ ' wherc.and whence [O fcc:kc for truc.oomfort ih ' any tribulation of this life: n'amci.y\ W(!e imt.ft blue rcc6urfc io Cbti{P, and 111 him confider ' both his:1bilitic'and his willingndfe, to eafe all his chlldren in af!liC\ion. Aod by thefe wee mutl anne our fclues :~gaintl dcfpairc, and}\– gainfl immrnodcra[e gricfe and forrow vndcr the crofi'c. · , . ,. :'!.!; · , • ;J -. I v. 9· l ~no'WethJ, ff;or":s, and tribu!atiim: and poue.rtie~ A (hut thouart rich)and 1 {.noil! I the blaffihemie of them 'Which jay they are le'Wei and are not, 6ut are 'ihe .\)nagogue of Sa~ than. · , - ' ; ; lP Here bcginMth the PropoGt!on ofthi<l:{>i~ flit!, conrainin'g the nutter and iublhnce ofthe whOle Epifllc.-Thispropofttlon hath two parts.: a commendation of this Church j '!lrtd coullfdl ho1.v ro ·bchauc her felfe iu the time to CO! ne, TO'c commendation is In rhc9.v. whern,•ithall g. arc mingled fon1c comforts vmo this Chus:ch, becing in affiitlion. . . J/z_now~ rhp•ork_ts. Thefe words were hand– led in the formci Epillle•.The meaning briefly isrhis: Tlrno~v all ibyd~alings,and thy waycs, 1~now lhe wl\dle re[jor of'thy life; and I doe wichall welllikc-·and!>pprooucofthcm. Here I Olifill; fe~rcthi.fQ~wnc ari ~xcellc1~t J!ropcrrie toudling ~imfelfc: namely, ~hat he leeth and knovo~cdi all thinJg-s•wh:utOcuer, nothing is hid from-hitn,lrnhhat this·ChUrch might be rcfol– uCd hereof; ht'tl:featcth thts•Vtitb them; I ~ow tiJ)l;orku: Neither_ is it an)r '(aine repetition, b-eeing 1ndcctiC 'the· gt'oundof all true pietie, 3nd·lincCreobcdle.n«rc. •J -L ~- 'W-ee therefOre in alJ ouf afthires arc here C tau<>ht tolabou1· to be fully refelutil in our t6f~ie~lces,rhat'Clitifi is w1til vs;and1 fcethv-s,and kt~dt~et~ the ·whole teti'o~r of~btir:"JVaycs in ~hb\igtks, words, and deed~~ l!Dtt~idhad lear..~ :dt'd't:his~ whe'il as he faid; 'aThou knowcfl n1y ~, g:al.i1t: fii:"ting··and rilf~ifioS; thOu\vndedhndeft my tlio1•ghts·a-fare!f. Thou compaffell'my paihcs, an·d ri1}' !ying'd0wne, and-aha<rc2Ul~omcd Vmo all-my wa:fe-s:thCre is not a wOrd in ~11y t"onguc, butthou knowefl it wholly. TBisperfwolion is \'crie nCcdf'<lrleJ~ for it will· l)tooue a man to ru~kc cC:n(cicnce of~UCl:y"thqugfit ;'Word, ~nd aCllon ;addb( hls w-hole behauiout;butwhere thisper{,'\•afi_onri;'w~ntlng', thcrlc_is no religion in'-t~'c-b'drf';1nfJf godd l5C}lauiou'r in 'thc life. D vV~1n tliist<lkosplac<:.ReligloWb'egiMcth and en~re;.f~th'wrt~l}t ;.1o-doikg4:bd tonfcietlce ~ trile-6bcdicnce; for hee that hath-the Lord al– waies'beforchim_,w_il nOt gre--atiy-~ai,Pfal.t 1.8~ :H -.And-N·ibu!atirm. M·arkc here ho\.v workes, thtf js~a godly C'onucrfari~n; <irn:l tribulation 1i<'>e'!ll{\ether.-Hcncewe learnc,thot God will I ht.tuc tfibtJhl[i~I1Slt':J'ncd with!~fs ~r?ce; whc~_t hc·bcflowes•hJS grates, th~real~o !)elayeth ttt– bulal:;idn{ an"'dfh~t for wcightic caufcs: as td ~>blnblc''th·em (l>rtheidi~n~s-p_afi,to make triAl ofrheir faith and other graces, and ~o·prcuent in d-1c-ri-1 bOnes to·· cott1e'. ·The.ao:nndcratiod whcreuf ttftlftmoou·chll·God!~tBI(iren'in this eilr ChMthto loekc fotfotnd rribulation: for I Gbd hathlbc:'I}Owed among vsplcntic of his graces1 wfthJlohgpc:acc, and inany oitt\v:lrd I bJcffingS;~ ·;Md ~i.s will ·is -that ttouble and' Ccc l oflH_: ____~~-·
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