Verf. y i. the Epiftle to the Romans. which God propounded onely or chiefly to himfelfe, oat all for it felt; Reafon. My reafons be, firft it is againft the na- ture of God, that he being ai moff gra- cious Creatour, Ihould delight in the overthrow of his creature. Secondly it isagainft the plaine word of God which faith, That he delighteth not in the death of a firmer, Ezek 18. 3r, 32. God forbiddeth under a curie, to lay a ; block in the way of the blinde, to make them Humble and fall ; therefore it cannot be that God fhould take pleafure in the (fumbling and fall of the Jewes, and to that end fhould blinde and har- den them. T i M. But Paul Raith,that God appointeth (one to wrath, 1 7hef. 5.9. and of oldordain- eth men arts damnation, Jude q.. S o L Deftru&ion is no end of Gods counfell for it felfe, and as it is fuch, ( to wit) the ruine and hurt of the creature, but with relation to fome other thing, and as it hath in it refpeíf ofgood, (to wit) as it.ferveth to the manifeftation of his high Juftice, and of his power, Rom. 9. 22. For though there bea fupreame good, which is fo good as at no hand it becometh evill, (to wit)God himfelfe; yet there is no extreame evil! which bath not fome confideration of good, and fo it is wil- led and ordained of God, and none otherwife. T i M. What ufe hereof ? S o L. Ie cleares God of tyranny and unrighteoufneffe, and his Minifters from teaching him to be fo, when they teach his predeftination to hang upon , his owne will as the foveraigne caufe, before and beyond which there is no other : therefore let iniquity flop her mouth, and let God be confeffed to be I holy in all his wayes. Ti M. Come now to the ends' for which God rejeeled the lew, and tell us what is meant by Gentiles ? I t S t L. All people Paving the Jewes, the world being divided into Jew and p Gentile. T i M. What is mean by falvation? Si L. The do &rive which worketh a faith and falvation,, or which calleth t I Vfe. 453 unto falvation. T i M. What is meant by fall? S t L. The loffe of Chrift his grace and glory : a molt grievous fall. T I M.What meant by jealoúfe? S o L. An envy towards the Gen- , tiles,with an earneft delire and longing to be like them,by recovering their loft eftate. T I M. What learn ye hereby S z L. Firft, teeing the ends of Gods decree, touching the reprobating fo many Jewes, were fo holy and good (as the calling of the Gentiles, and the receiving in of the Jewes,) thereto: e his decree ought not to be blamed but ex- tolled rather, becaufe it aimed at molt worthy marks. Secondly, we learn, that out of things moll evill, God can draw much good. As the unbeleef of the Jewes, and their fall from falvation, is a molt grievous evill ; yet by Gods providence , there did fpring out of it two very good things, the vocation of the Gentiles, and the convection of the Jewes; which were not meerly execu- ted by Gods bare permiflion, as if he onely fuffered theft things ( as a behol- der or looker on) whereas nothing hap - ned without his will, but are the happy effe &s of Gods gracious providence, fo wifely ordering and difpofing their contumacy, as it gave occafion of ope- ning a dore of grace unto the Gentiles, that they might come in, and thereby at loft provoke the Jewes to feek their own reflitution unto their former con- dition. Thus in the adminiltration of the world,Gods providence and good - neefl-e draweth life out of the death,and gr ace out of fin, and good out of evill, as in the creation he made light fpring out of darkneffe. T r M. What profit is to be made of this point of dottrine? S I L.That Chriftians mutt fludy how o convert their own fins,and the fall of others to their benefit ; for Peeing God urpofeth good to Tome, by the fin and fall of others, it behoveth us to confider wifely, how to convert our own fais, nd other mens overfights to our fpiri- uall welfare. T I M. Do£lrinè. VP. stow to reap bene- fit by fin.
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