Ver. 22., 2 3. the Epiftle to the Romans. 125 Peeing be cannot fo firangly beleeve as Abra- ham did? contiti- s S I L. No .fuch matter: For this a ond on or or. Text applyeth Abrahams example not gar of r,,,hteour- unto firong beleevers, but unto belee- qes t a vers. For whofoever beleeveth truly, meriting eaure: though weakly, yet that weak faith ( being true) (ball juftifie them. For faith juflifieth not as a qualitie, or in re- fpe& of the quantitie and meaftare, but by the vertue of the objc &. T a M. But it not rigbteoufneffe impu- ted to the eleEI, before they doe bele<ve ? S 1 L. No fuch thing ;it was not im- puted to sAhrabam till he had faith. Likewife, it is reckoned to his children on this condition,fo as they beleeve, or at that time when they (hall beleeve. Faith and imputation of righteoufnefl'e goe together in order of tlme, though not in order ofNature,for fo. faith as a caufe goeth before. T 1 M. Tell us now what the app.'ica- tton it . Si L. Abraham beleeved, and was rec- koned righteous: likewife,all Abrahams Children are juftullied by beleeving the promife. For no other wife are ¡the Chil- dren to be juft,then wasthe Father,who by an inheritable right convcyeth to them, the Juftice imputed to himfelfe. T 1 M. What it the ground and reafon of this application i' S IL. The 'cope and end oftheScrip. ture,which aimed not at Abraham onel ÿ, when it is Written ( he belecved, and it was imputed to him for righteoufnefs) but had refpe& herein to all that fltould beleeve as Abraham did, This may ap- peare by the 15. Chap. of this Epifile, ver.4. that the things which are Writ- ten of Ionic one, do concern all. Alfo Paulfaith fo much in effe& in this place, That that which was written of one Abraham,did belong to all the faithfull. Tim. But how will this hold in other things which are written both of Abraham and others, which no man may draw unto himfelfe for imitation: at Abrahams raeri, ftcingofbkfonne,andlying with his hand- maid, and manyfilch like things? And if it hold not inthefetbings,berm then ¿silo Paul with any fireugtb of reap: rather in tbie point of luffifyirtg by Faith,thati t belongethi to us, which war written of Abraham? S i L. The anfwer is this : Some things which are written of Abraham and other of the Saints, are perfonall or lingular, which either were their infir- mities, or fuch things as they did by a linguist calling, as 8liar his praying for fire to fall from Heaven:and Ionic other things are written of them, which they did byvertue of an univeriall vocation; whiçhare common to them with all o- thers. There we may diflinguifh after this manner : Such things as they did befides, or contrary to the Law of God, thefe are fingular and perfonall, and herein we nmft not irritate them : but fuch things as were agreeable to the Law, or the general' Contmandements of God, they belong to the gerìerall e- flateofall Gods people,and in them we are to"follow-them :as for the other,' we are not to reade or thinke of thofe fine guiar thingswithout fruit;for the whole Scripture is profitable : howfoever, we may not become followers of them therein, yet there is of every Scripture a profitable ufe perpetual) to all times. Tr M. What other things may be noted from thin ground of the Apo files application? S i L. Sundry things;. firff, the fa- wing ufe of the. Scriptures is proper to the faithful], for whole good alonethey were written ; a flaccid! mercy. Se, condly, thatdivine truth mull be pro- ved by divineScripture,and not by hu- maneWriters, whichare of no authori- ty in matters offalvation. Thirdly, ex- amples ferve very well to declare doc- trines and commandements , becat.fe to things hard and doubtful), they bring great light and clearnefíe, for that in them the mind and fenfes both are ;jjoy- ned together. Fourthly, we learn that it is a great comfort to the.faithfull,to be madeeguall to Abraham in juftificati- on. To Juficiaries, mercenary hypo- crites, infidels, and prophane urbelee- ving worldliugs,it bath no comfort. Ti m. What is the fourth thing contained in tbir Text ? S 1 L. To lay forth the two principali things,whereunto faith leaneth; to wit, M3 the
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