----------------------~-------- the 2.Chap.oj the<f\eve!. . . --: j ende thereof,which is to ccnifie this church of A tn;mbtc CO'v\•ards hirh when he hears his ~3.mt', 1 Thyadra; that Johr. had a calling and comman; 2nd yet we that proldfe our {dues to bcic~i:u!: ~ demcm from God to '"''rite this Epi!llc vAto in him, be nOthing tiiOOL!Cd wirh rcuertn~c t~: 1 rhem: and further rO ccnifie the vo~lwlc chuhh \>\':ll'ds him, when hcc fprak.cs vm.o ~s m hJ!,'I of (;od, to the end of the ,,·orld,ofhis calling 't-\'Ord? At his prcfcncc the hils-melr, and :u his to write this bookc ofthe Rcud:nion. Voycc the rocks clcaue in iunden~nd therefore The Epifilc it felf"e containcth three parrs: a ifour hc:lrrs {hall not mc:lt and clcaoc :rfimder Prcf.1ce, aPropofition, and a Conclufion.Thc V.'!th arcu~rcnt fcare whCn he ~a!l fpca~cvnto f Preface in thefe wo1·ds: Tbefo things faitb t/11 , V'i wee arc \\'orfe1 then thcfe icncdcflc erea.:. fonne of God, wfiich hath hw e;es /;4_; vn/9 fl ru:es. l forme of fire, and hi< fcetc lik§ fi"e braj{e: ali i Secdndly,.,Chri!t is faid, T• ha.<c -_id /,4.; \ovhich things almofi hauc beene handled m the aflamehffire: which we fnilfi not c~onceiuC l~rC.:: beginning of this chapter, and in the fo~mcr rally. 1 he words arc borrow('d from the.forfrom whence they are borrowed. ln the Prcmer chaptcr,verfc. 14.whcrc ChtiH is dHciibeO face, firfl: is fct d'owne in whofc name the EL not as hce is in trurh, but as bee 3ppcarC'd to pillle is \oYrincn, to ·wit, in Chri!ls nan1e: the B John in vifion. We hauc fllC\Ved befOre .;;,·hat is caufcs thereofwe haue lhewcd before. Then llgnified by thcfe ficric eyes: name!)', Chrifls Chrifi is dcfcribed by three argUments: Firft, infinite wifedome in him!Clte. and vigilant Toht thefinmeof God : Sccendly, Tohaueryu zcalc ouer his Church. The end ,,·hereforc he lik!•forme offire: Thiruly, To hauc feete likf fo deicribed him!Cife to this Church; is, io ftn(hraffe. for the firfi, in the fOrmer chaptCl' giue them to vndcrfland, that hee cab lCe~and he was called thefonneofmAn;but l1ere he is ea!- difccrnc their verie fccrer !innes: for fundrie led thcfonne ofGod: \\here by Godwe mull: not among them \\'tre giuen to ptiuate offences, as abfolutely vnderfiand the Godhead of the to fornication and idblatrie, as we lhall fee af" wholcTrinitie, but the pcrfon of the father, tCrward. who beeing oppofed either to the fonne or to Here then: we haUc an exccliC:nt remedic a.:. ~he holy Ghofi, is vfually called God: not gainfl fecret finnes: f!lllilC and feaie ofpunitll" that bee is God more then the fonnc, or then t11cnt rd'h:1inc fame from open finncs, but the holy Gho!l; but becaufc hce is the firH in Yet the fame men when they are ii1 ftcret, doe order,and bccaufehe is that pcrfonfrorn whom , without fearc commit priuie !innas againfi the the godhead is communicated to the fonne &. . I firfi and fccond table. But thcfc inen muH re.:. to the holy Gholl. So that here Chrifl is called member, that bceing withdrawne from rhe the fonnc ofthe f:uher;which myfierievve can... C prcfencc ofmen, they arc yet in the prcfence Of not fully vnderfl•nd,for the word bath notre• Chrill; f<>r bee hathjierie ey<i, wherewith hee ucaled the farne;neithercan we find it elfwbere fccth theft moll feeret finnes, \\·hieh they hide out ofthe word. But yet forthe better coned• from the world,Forthough we inay make faire uing thereOf,rcmembcr thcfc t~·o ru!es.I.That weather "''ith men, yet we can neuer bleaic the Chrifi is the fonneof the father, not in refpcC\: eyes ofChrifl.Iffornicamrs,wantons,...,furers, of his godhead, but in refpetf of his pcrfon: and blafphemcrs, would remember this, by For the Godhead of the Sonne is the fame Gods grace it would be a notable ffit•n~~at with the Godhead of the Father: The God• !call to rellraine them from their feem finncs, head of the Father cloth not beg~t, neither if not to moouc them vnto the pra8.:ife of true is the Godhead of the Sonne beo-oucn. I I. repentance. Ruk, Chrifl iithc fonnc ofthe Farhcr, not by Thirdly, Chrifl is faid to houc {eeteli~c fine creation, as the Angels and A dam were; nor braf{e, Whereby is fignificd (as bath beene by adoption, M euery belceucr is; but by nalhewed)his ~nfinitcpowerand flrength,wher• ture, in that he is begotten ofthe fubllancc of' by he doth iubdue finne, Sathan, and all his e• his father before all the world; for the father ncmies, firfl vmo himfclfc, and th('n vnto his communicares from himfelfe the whole god- D wembers, And Chrifi is thusdefcribed vmo head that is in himfclfevnto his fonnc. thisChurch,to tcrrdiccertaine wicked menaChrifi is here called the fonnc ofGod, to mong ther\1, that gaue then&·Iues to fornicati- {Errcvp reuerencc, attention, and·care in thfs on,idolatric,andother finnes:asaJfo to affright Church, in marking and obeying the things this whole church, whoby their v.:ickcd cornthat follow in this particular Epiflle. And in panie were almofi drawne away to the fame their example Chrifr alfo tcacherh vs: that finnes. when we hearc the v ..·ord of God pre~ch,ed or Here 'tll.:ce haue a notable remedie agaib!t ThtVfo~ read vmo vs, we fhould rcceiucit with fc<trc, loofcnelfc of life: namely, to confider thar and trcmbling;and rct!Crence: bccaufe he that Chrifi, whomcWC call our Sauiour, Walketh fpeakcth vnto vs out of his word, i'-5 the flmne continually, in his Church, with feetc ofbralfc fJJGod, \Vhcn Pt!at "''as about to condcml'fe to tre:td Satan 3nd all his enemies vndc:r his I ve~(. 18. our Sauiour Chri!l, he heard it faid thar Chrtjf fect:and fuch arc all that wlllnot fubm1t themWIZ! the fon_nc of God; and thheupon bee trcmfclues to rhe regiment of his Word,LUk.t9.27. bled, and was the morcafraid,Ioh. i9. 8.Shall lfthe b:afpnemer could confidenhis,it would a_filly hrarhcn al'lan that knowcs not Chrift flop his mouth; and when the adulterer, the - .E ee4 thcefe.,
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