230 Pauls ConTerfion. z Thcf.z 18. Micah>5.4. will have the word to humble you, you muti re- ceive it as Gods Word and from God;for if it doe come unto you, and be not received of you as the Word of God,but as the word of man, it will nei- ther enlighten you nor humble you:this is the dif- ference betweene the word that is received, as from God;and the Word, that is received as from men : ifyou receive it as from God, it will worke cffcduallyin you, it will make you to renounce the world, it will worke feare and humiliation in you ; but if it come as the word of man,it will bec flighted by you,it will take no folide roote in you, it will wither and bring forth no fruit in you : and therefore the Apoflle rejoyces in the Theffaloni- ans z. The ffalnians 2. ver f i 8. that they received the word of God from him, not as the word of man, but as it was indeed the Word of God; and therefore it was , that it wrought rhofe gracious effects in them as it did, fo that no Church was fo commended of Paad, no Church fo eminent in grace, as this Church of the Thef- falonians was. And fo c.í4dam in the garden when bee heard the voyce of God, then hee fea- red; becaufe when the Word comes as from God , then it comes with a force upon the con - fcience, then it humbles and carts downe a ¡in- ner , in cvticha 5. verf. 4. the Spirit faith, And bee fhall Jland and feedin the flrength of the Lord, and in the eu*tajerlie of the name of God, that is, hee fhall fpeake fo as if God fpake himfelfe, and with fach a Majettie , that hee (hall con- vince
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=