20 An Expofition upon Chap .1.1 owne faith made them fit to receive thofe gifts. Secondly, his faith furred him up to referre and ufe thofe gifts he had,to the good of others, and to Gods glory. T r M. What good came to bim hereby ? S r s.. In comforting and inflru&ing others, hee comforted and inflru&ed himfelfe; even as Iron whetteth Iron, & one hand wafheth another : otherwife, then it is with the ft one, which whets the knife,but it (elfe remaines blunt and dull whereas Chriffians by teaching others, doe teach themfelves. Tr M. How roar this further declared? S a L. By a diflimilitude betweene earthly & heavenly goods, as thus : Our earthly goods being given out, we have the leffe, but heavenly bleflings encreafe and multiply towards our (elves, by the di of them towards others. For the faithfull by mutuall exhortation doe profit in the faith ; and it is knowne, that Minifters comforting the fick, are comforted againe by them. Ti M. How might the Faith of t,be Re- manesprofit Paul ? S t L. In provoking them to pray for him, and for the fucceffe of his Miniliry; and alto, in moving them to miniffer to him confolations, both inward and outward;according as his occafions re- quired t all which, bee the fruits of a lively faith. Ti M. What was taught from thefe word,[ I would have ye know? &c.] S r L. That it is fit and requifite, the people fhould know how well and hear. tily their Pallor loves them, for it will breed love in them towards him 1 or elfe, make them excufeleffe. Alfo, it breedeth a boldnefle in them, to refort to him upon juft occafions, as his wife- dome and gravity will caufe them to come reverently. Ti M. Wherein did Pants love further appeare ? S 1 L. In a purpofe to come to them for their fpirituall good ; of which pur- polehe was lettecj,eitherby Satan,or by Gods fpeciall dire &ion, or by incident occafions of the Church. When Paul would have come to 2heffalenica, he faith : That Satan was the let that he could not comer. Mel. 2. 18 . Satans impediments which he caffeth in the way of Teachers, to hinder them in their courfe bee ; partly, by railing up Schifmis and herefies,asin the Church of Corinth and Galatia; partly, by ffir- ring up perfecutions and adverfities, as he got Iames and Peter caff in prifon at lerufalem, AEl, i2. and Arnipas to be flaine at Smyrna, Revel. 2. 13. And Paul himfelfe, complaineth of a grievous perfecution which hee fuffered in Afta, beeing tempted beyond his ftrength, & brought into defpaire of his life. 2 . Cor. 1.8. Sometime Paul was letted by GOD himfelfe, who by nranifeff Oracles cal- led him back from his intended entel- prifes. 411, 16.6. Where Paul purpo- fing to preach the word in Afia, was commanded in a vifion,to goe into Ma- cedonia, verfe, 9. to. Thirdly, the ne- ceflities of the Churches encreaing eve- ry day more and more, occafioned the alteration of his purpofe. Paul feemeth to give this reafon of his not conrming to the Romanes when he had decreed it: That the efface of the Churches where he remained, required his longer pre - fence and helpe, for their better profit- ing in the Gofpell, Rom. 15.22. His im- ployment in other Churches deferred his coming to Rome, though he much and long defired it. Whence let us learn, that G O D according to his un- controulable wifedome, doch order and dire& the courfe of the Miniflery to whom he pleafeth : fometime caufng the rain eofMarine to fall upon one City or Countrey,and fometime on a- nother : as hee feeth it meete for the commodity of his Children, and for his owne name and honour. Alfo ob- ferve, that GO D ufeth to croffe the purpofes of his Servants and Saints be- ing in thew good and holy, bringing to paffe his owne decrees,at a further time; and after farte other manner and way then men had determined.When GOD would preferre lofeph, it was difliked of his Father and Brethren, yet God brought it to paffe by :another means then they dreamed. Paul purpofed to come
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