122 An Expofition upon Chap.4, the firft creation, wherein by his word only, he made all things of nothing: alto he daily fultìlleththem in the rege- neration of the ele &, who before being not beloved,are now beloved, Hof.2.a3. Ti M. W hat mayme note from hence? S I L. The eafinefs of creating and regenerating, which with God is no harder,then for us to call a man to us,or to call any thing by the name. We fee alío what an et%&uall calling is,a pow- erfull working, canting perlons to be what they were not of enemies and fin - ners,ions of God and righteous. DIALOGUE XI. Verfe 18. F7bi -h Abraham above hope beleeved under hope, that he fhould be the Father of many 21 tions, according to that which mat fpo&n, fo fhall thy fed be. Ti it OTH gas. W Hat lathe drift ofthis Text? S r L. To extoll and praife Abrahams Faith by two reafons : Firft, that it did not give place to fenfe,nature or humane reafon. For he believed above the hope of man. Secondly, that it did embrace the truth of Gods pro - mile, contained in thefe words; So fhall thy feed be, And thirdly, that he made the Divine promife, the fupport and prop of his faith,(according to that was fpoken.) Ti M. What is meant when he faith [He beleeved under hope above hope) S s L. That he beleeved under the hope of God, and above the hope of man: for when things were defperate in the reafon of man, and there was no hope at all,yet looking up unto God,he had hope; he conceived invincible faith in his heart, joyned with an infallible hope, even againft hope of flefh, nature and all mans reafon. Ti M. Doye net by hope undo r Rand things hoped fbr? Si L. It is true,and then the meaning is contrary to that which might by man have bin hoped for, he waited for things which were fit forth of God to be ho- ped for; overcomming by his faith, all . difficulties, abfurdities, and impoffibi- li ties, which naturali reafon might ob- jet and oppole to him. T s M. What was our inffrutlion from hence ? S I L. This, that a true faith doth enable us to expe& fuch things as the reafon of man would never look for. Example hereof we have in Abraham, who being an hundred year old, it was againft reafon that he fhould look to be a Father, yet his faith beleeved it(fce- ing God promifed it.) Alfo Day.d a- gainft all humane reafon and hope be- lieved, that hee thould be king of II- ael. Alfo,when ASofes belecved that the people fhould pals through the Red fea, as ondry land, it was againft reafon : the like is to be laid of Jofeph and of many others. Ti M. Is it not dangerous in things which are Jet forth to be beleeved, to take counfeN with the wifdom of the fie fh,or with humane reafon ? S I L. It is fo, as appeareth in the example of Sarah, of Zachary,and Moles; all which were punifhed, becaufe they confulted with fleíh and blood in fiead of beleeving. Allo, in the example of wicked men, who llave received hurt by leaning too much to the wifdom of the flefh, more then to the Word of God, as they which perifhed in the wildernes: alto a Prince which was fervent to Jebo- ram King of Ifrael, 2 Kings 7. Laftly, Zedekiah, King of Judah, ]erent, 39. 7. Therefore in things which are pro- pounded by the VVord to be beleeved of us, we mule renounce that which our own and other mens reafon can objet, feem it never fo abfard and unpof ible which God promifeth, yet it ntult ebfo- lutely be beleeved. T I M. What war further commended A no out if the frrft part of this fentence ? Si L. That it is the property of a true faith, to keep men in hope, eventwhen things feem defperate. Example hereof we have in our Saviour Chrift, Mat.2 7. My God, my Gad,rvby haft thou forf eben use? and Saint Paul, Ads 27. and Job and Jeremy. For faith Both beleeve the whole
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=