422 prefervative againft defpaire , and a condly , the reddition or consequent, motive to continual) thankefulneffe, verfes. and in. the propofition we are that God kath Cet them in fuch an to confider other two things; fiai the An ExpofitioM upon Chap it, unmoveable condition. If we bleffe God for his temporali perifhing bene- fits, what praife doe we owe for the lafting finites of his eternali lov e and mercy DIALOGUE Verf. z, 3. Know ye not what the Scripture faith of Elias, contradltt his witneffe;it teacheth Mini - how be makes reeff unto God againff fiers tof'udy for choice and apt proofes I frael?faying,Lord they have billed thy Pro- and examples. phets, and digged down thine Altars, and I A T s Da. ut with what cautions or ronditi- am left alone, and they feekmy life: ens, are examples ofScripture to be alledged in Sermons, or made ufe of in common life.? S i. L. Especially with there three conditions : Firf, that the examples:al- ledged be but few, Paul contents him - felfe with one. Secondly, that they be well lufed and forted, fo as the compa- rifon by examples be made as touching like parties, as it was here between the Jewes of Elias and Paul his time; for their blindneffe in both dayes was great, yet God fä11 kept his promifes unto his ele& atnongfl them, which were Lill the leaf' number. Thirdly, examples though Paul were ignorant of it, yet mutt not be repugnant againft the corn - God by his Ele &ion kept a great com- mon Law of Charity to God and man, pany of Jewes from Infidelity. In this for good men are to be imitated in third Argument the Apofle meeteth l good things onely ; and we are to fol- with and anfwereth a fecret obje &ion. low not every particular a& of the Fa- For fonte Jews hearing Paul affirme of thers, but to live according to the Law himfelfe, that he being a Jew was ele &, I of God. The Apofiles thinking to call and not call away, might eafily fay, And what art thou alone? where then is that feed which God promifeth to Abra- ham, to be as the Starres of heaven, or as the Sand on the fea fhore ? To which he feafonably replyeth, that there might be and were many more eie& and beleeving Jewes which were hid from him,as Ifrael had innumerable true wor- fhippers, unknowne to Elias. Argumen- tuin a pari. T r M. Vpon what parts doth this compari- fon confsff ? S r L. Upon two : Firff a propofition, or an antecedent, in verfes 2,3;4. Se- H. complaint of the Prophet, verfe 3-. and fecondly, the anfwer of God thereun- to, verfe 4. T t M. What are we to tots in this, that Paul brings inthe example of Elias time ra- ther then any other ? Sat. The great difcretion of Raul, becaufe Elias was highly effeemed a- mong the Jewes, fo that his authority could not be gainefaid, they wouldnot Summe. Parts. Ta MOTH BUS. THat Both this Text contain ? S t L. A third reafon of his denial) taken from the like example of Elias dayes, or from the like eftate of the old Church in the time of the Pro- phet Elias. The fmme hereof is thus much : That as it was in the time of Elias, fo it is in the times of Paul theA- pofile : then very many 'ewes were preferred in Ifrael from Idolatry, though Elias knew not of them,fo now for fire on the Samaritans, Lulr; gt 54. after the example of Elias, offended againft the fecond caution., for they were not like to Ella in fpi rit and zeale: and fuch breake the third condition, as will defend lying by the example of Abraham, and the Midwives, and Ra- h* or temporizing by the example of Naaman, or Nìcodemus: the infirmities of the Saints are not, written to be pat- terms to follow,but as cautions to make us heedful). T r M.Come to the words, and tell se what we learn bere by this, that Paul- fpeakes of this example as of a famous ffor) well keown (note, or r^
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