I 342 An Expofition upon Chap.9, 2. doubt. T i r 1. let the levees were Abrahams feed, notwitlflanding the promife of faving them was not kept, therefore God was not true ? A foluti- S s L. It was kept to the trite feed of on. Abraham the true Ifraelite, and that is fufficient to difcharge God; as lliall be Peen afterwards. T t Al. What profit is to be made of thin pointe of Datirine ? Vfes. S t L. It fhewes unbeleefto be a great fin, becaufe it fpoyles God of his truth, and makes him a lyer. Secondly, it of fords matter of firong comfort to fuch as after their calling are tempted to doubt of their falvation; for it cannot be that they which beleeve fhotild ever peri(h, God having fpoken it that they (hall be Paved, and his promife cannot fall, John 3.17 . IS. Thirdly,it eneou ra- } Beth the godly, f rmely to refl on Gods promifes ; for he cannot deceive them, they be not yea and nay, but yea and Amen. Ti M. What is the fecond part of Pauls anfwer to the fìrfI Objetaion? Sir.. By diffinguifhin.g of Ifraelites, into true and falfe. Ti oa. What is meant hereby If ael? St L. By Ifrael in the fire place is meant, all the ele& and beleevers a- mongft the Jews colee &ively,fuch as be "freighter in deed and truth, as well as in name, as Natheenael was, in John o.47. and filch as Paid fpeaketh of, Rom. a 29. And by Ifrael in the fecond place, is meant Jacob individually,who was cal- led Ifrael for his wrefiling with God,as ye would fay a Prince of God, one which prevailed with the mighty God. T t M. What are we to learn from this partition or dtvijonof the Ifraeliter? S r L. That ever from the beginning, there have been two forts of men in the Church of God,both good and bad, true and falfe Ifraeliter. This Do&rive may be proved, firfi by plain Scripture difiinguifhing the vifible Church, into the children of the flefh and Spirit, Rom. 9. y. Secondly, by, exam les, as Isaac. and IfhmáelJacob and Eau, Da- vid andSaul.Thirdly,by comparing the Church to a net, Mat.t3.to a freld,Mat. Interpre- tation. DcEirine. Reafons. t 3.to a Barn, Mat. 3. Laflly, by reafon; becaufe all that be within the Church be not ele&, therefore all cannot be be- leevers : there be many in the Church, who be not of the Church,t John 2.19. Tim. What profit is to be made of this point ? St L. It confuteth them that hold Vfes, the godly alone to be members of the vifible Church. SeCondly,it reproves filch as forfake the vifible Church, for the wickedneffe of them that live in i t, and do in that regard condemne it for no Church. Thirdly,it warms all men not to cótent them with this,that they live in the Church : for fo falfe Ifraeliter do, fo Hypocrites and wicked men do. Lafily, it exhorts us never to give refs to our foules, till we become true Ifra- elites, true members of the vifible Church:for to fuck and to none other, the promifes of grace and 1 ife by Chrifi be efficacious and fruitfull. DIALOGUE IV. Verf. 7, 8, 9. Neither are they all Children becaufe they are the feedofAbraham,but in Ifaac (hall thy feed be called ; That is, they which are the Children of theflefh, are not the Chil- dren of God, but the Children of the promife are counted for the feed. For this is the word of promife : In this fame time will I come,and Sarah fhall have a Son. Ti MOTHEUS. Hat is the purpofe in this Text ? Str.. To prove the former diflin&ion oflfraelites, in verle 6. that not all that come of Ifrael or Jacob, ac- cording to carnali birth, are true Ifra- elites or the true children of God. This is proved fire by an in (lance or exam- ple in Abrahams Family, wherein the true feed are refirained unto ` Ifaac, ac- cording to the Oracle of God, affir- ming that the feed Ihould be cal led in Ifaac, Gen. 21.12. The argument is this: Ifiemael was borne of Abraham as well as Ifaac, yet not both of them, but *lac only Scope. Method.
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