I wrf7· Thev[<. -------!h~3,Th-;;p.-;j!X;fi~;;, ---. . ~-- ~~-~- ! }i!__ -~ A rilCnt; is tp \\'Jrrant the calling of John to wriL~ ; riglu h::md, and aduancc him to gloric, pro~ nouncing vpon him the bleffed voycc ofabfo~ l lution, Come,thiJJJh!ejfed_of m; Ft~t~cr, Ma.ttb. 25, 34· The end why tl11s benefit Js thus pro– ! pounded, is to dt:l\o\" this Church to pr~ofdfc the n:~me of Chrill: in chis world: for it they would profC{fcChrifl. before men, he will ac– knQwlcdge them for his owne ac rhc lafi day. This fame rcaion bere propounded,mu1l in– duce vs to nlakc a true confclli.on of Chri!t, a– gainfl rhc \\'odd and all ChrHls cncmics:wl11ch to doe is a very hard matter: Amanof himlelfe cannot !land out; b.ur ycr the contid.er.arion of this that Chrifl: will confeffc: him anhe Jatl day: will be a ~Jot able n,1ot'iuc ai1d mc:mcsto inable him thercto. lf an earthly Prina flwuld come to a n1:m among :1 grc~tt company, and c1~l himbyhis n:unc,ipcaking kindly vmo him hcc v\'ould eflccmc it agrcMhonour vnto him: and for that hec would not fiicke to die jn the Princes caliie. 0 then, what honour i9 this, that Cbrill Iefus will in.thc laH day vouchfafc 10 all thofe that in this life.doe Gnctrely con– feffe him,and oucrc.omc.He will confdfc thcrn to be his, and rcceiuc them to his ownc glorie. But o1i thi: comril"ie, thofc that will not con– fcffc him)lere, h!1t Jlfgrace him;either by falfe doetrine, or prof3neneffc of life, will Chrill at the day of iudgement vtterly difgrace, by denying them to be his, and there pronounce vpon them the fearefull !Cntcncc of condem– nation, GoeJU~ur[tdl&c. Which if we ·Jvould then efcapc, and al(o procUre vnrov.s the ioy.– full voyce of ab(olunion ; we mull here labour to hold the ttuth of Clwills doetrine, and alio ke<!pc(a good confcicmcc Vnto the ertd. But if we .oncly profeiTc him in iudgcmenr, and not in theprac\ifc of anholy life, furdy Ghrill will profelfe that he koowes v-s not~ and then giue vs our portion with.the.deuill and his Angels. The CommaundcmCI'lt followcth : vcr(6. Let hzm that hath ttn carehMre.&c.ofwhich we hauc fpokcn•. . v. 7.e.And vnto the An.– geU of the [hurch 'tPhich iJ of I P hzladt!phia, rvrite : ·'Thefe. things faith h~e, 'tPhich iJ: ho(y and true : 'tPhzph hat? the ~) of Vauid, YPhich openeth and nomanJhutte tb, and.Jhaiteth andnoman openeth. Here beginneth the lixt pa.tticll'lar Epilll'c ofourSauionr Ch_nft,f-.ron·i this ve:rfet'o the r4· And bcforc(.as to the reil) is prefixed a fpc.iall ~ommandcmentvmo John, whereby h1 c i.S in– JOyned to write this EpifHc vnto the church of Philadelphia; thC end of which commaundcI thiS EpiHlc 1 but of chi$ \SI> hauc lpokcn b,·.: I forea The Epiillc it felfe tontaiileih three ports: a I I Prcf:~.ce.,thc matter ofthe Epifik,;~md the u.,,,~ ,Juti.on. The Preface in this vcrlc, Thrfo thh.~fJ ].:1ithhee, c,;.c, Wherein is fct downc, fn wh,1fc name this EpiHJc is ftnt j nan:ely, in Chrljlh \t\'hcrc (as ill tlt~for:ncr Epitllcs) he is excel.:. 1ently dcfcribcd, for the: winninp Qf mor.c err~ dit vnto t:his Epiflle; and that, hrft by his pro~ pertic.s : J{ofmrjfiand Jr.utiJ: Secondly, by Ius Kingly oflic<, in tha \ovords fo!Jowing. For his propcnic.s. Firll, Chrifi- is faid to be holj. 0<.!Jf. How can Chnil be f.1id to be hol;• B ::ts he is lJlan, <:onfidcring he dcfccndcd from v1Mm, whO conucyed his ·finnc~nd the guilt lhereof, _to all hjspoHcritic? The comnion :'111fwer is this: That indccde Chriil dcfccnded from.AMra,as he is man: but his fubHance \'\':lS fanctified by the holy Gholl in the wombe of the Virgin, and thereby hc'wasfrced fi·om Adams finne. This anf..,,·cr is true, but not fufficieut: f(mmtn bcfidcs the corrup~ion ori~ ginall ., take from .Adam the guilrindlc of that finne which A dam committed. Now f:'lnCtifi~ ,cation taketh away the cormprion offinpc,but not the guiltthcreof, therefore a more full :m-' {wedsthiSl.that all which ·come of Admnby naturall gener.ation, doe rccciue by that order \\·hich God{et in n~urc :u thecreation,faying, increaf~ dtJdmultiplJ,both the nature of .Adam, C a~d thc,tfin.nc,and guilt thereof. Bu~t God for . the' preucin·ing of this in tbe Incarnation·of Chrifl, ordained th>t Chrift ihoultl not come of Adamby natural! generation, hut l>yami" taculous conceptiondf the holyGi)oJl:wherc– bj' hce tooke the natim:-:of.man with the ipfir• fTiities thereof, wirhout;the,{i"nnc of n1::1ns na– iur<, or thl: guilrinefie tHz<eoC An~ thus fs Ch(ifl: freC'frotn finne as h<.Pis.man. ·! ·. ·,.....• Further, Chriltis holytwowaycs. In him– fdfc; and in regard ofhis Churclf.Tn himfelfe,. ,he is lioty fundry waics·~·firtl,·in reg<trd·ofhis1 Godhead, forhisoiuine nature isholinc!Te!t felfc. Secondly,:ls he is mari; tor h1-.s.manhood was_notonly ti-ce from all mannc.rof finnc; by D reafoil ofhis miraculous conception,but i(\ovas .alfo iilrichcd and filled with holincffe,and.that in grtatermcafure ehen all mcn ·anrl angels, for I he receiued the gifts of tlielloJ.~ Gholt with– out meafar.c.-·And agame, asbe rs man,Chnft -is lloly in r.egard ofhis obcdkncc and aCtions-; for li\1ingon tanh he dida6tually as our furc– tie fnlfill thclaw forvs. Secondly, Chrif\ is ho:y in regard of his Chur10h. Fitlt, becaule hee is the anther of that bol1ndfe, ..,,·hidr !sin euc~y mcmbC!r of hi:s Ghur£h. Yea, hee 1 ·is·holy m regard ofmenm~ fu.rrhcr refpeCl; J 1 namcl)", as the rootc Of ali.mens h0lindfe -as hce is Mrdiatour. For looke·as fi.-onr .Ada~ j.s atl:ually conucycd originafl finne to e-\1cry one of his poilcritic that commCthby oam– , raU generatiOI!; (o_fn:m.1ChrHt is righteouf- -~-----------~~------~~=~~-----·-ndfe·-'-"---'
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