480 An Expofition upon Chap. ii, the Sunne, and open the earth,and over - whelme the world with water,and caufe the deaf to hear, the lame to goe, the blinde to fee, the dumbe to fpeak, the dead to live: which could call out devils and difpoffeffe unclean fpirits by his commandement; why fhould not he be mighty enough to make an unbeleeving Jew to become a beleeving Chriflian ? did lac not make Paul of a bloudy perfe- cutor and a raging wolle, to become a Cheep, yea a fhepheard and teacher of the flocke? :.nd why then can he not change a blinde obftinate Jew being an enemy to Chrift,into a faithfull member of Chriff ? for God is able to graff them. Doubt. T t M. Tea, but there be many things which might be dore of God in refpelï of his atf olute power, and never were done nor (ball be done. God could of Jioroes raife up children to Abraham, and have fent legions of Angels to his Son to deliver him from the hands of the 7ewes,et did neither the one nor the other. Do roe not finde fault with the Papifir for reafoning a poffe ad elk, in the matter of the Sacrament, becau fe there be fundry things which God never will do, nor Both though he could do them? Solution. S i L. It is true indeed : from the power of God fevered from his will,we cannot firmely reafon : for fo we might concludo, that there be many worlds, that the world fhould 1aí1 alway, that men fhould not die,that a man bath two fouls, &c. becaufe God can doe fuch things. Therefore it is foolilh in the Pa- pills to inferre, that Chrifi his naturali body is Iocally prefent in theSacrament, becaufe God is able to do it:unleffe they could prove that it were his will to have it fo. We doubt not of Gods power, if once we fee any Pure evidence of his will out of his word. It followeth by good confequence, God is willing to doe this or that, therefore can do it, and it (hall be done indeed. We have then to con- fider Gods Alntightineffe, not limply in itfelf, as it is infinite and unlimited, but as it is limitedand bounded by his word and will. The Apoffle then reafoneth well, that feeing God by his power could convert the Jewes to the faith of Chrift,therefore it fhould be fò, becaufe Paul was allured by the prophefies of the Word (fee ver. 26, 27,) and by good found reafon,that it was the wil of God to have it fo, ver. 24. T s sa. What is then our leffon front hence ? S t L. That in thofe things that God willeth and promifeth, we muff fireng- then our faith by the meditation of Gods power and might, after the exam- ple of Abraham, Fom. 4.2 t. alto of Paul, 2 Tim. t. t 2. I Pet. L. 5. Job. t o. 29,30. Gods power is the main prop of his childrens faith.Sccondly,feeing the con - verfion of the Jewes is attributed to the power of God, hence we learn that to repent lyeth not in our hands.Therefore theydo erre which afcribe it to the pow - re of their own wil,in whole or in part: alto fuch as be converted, owe all praife unto God for fuch a wonderful) worke : and fuch as be not, to their own endea- vour muff joyn prayer earnefl and con - ffant, and wait upon God in reverent and diligent ufe of all good means. T t M.But how may it appear to be a likely matter,shat God it willing the ewes (bonld be refforcd toChriffianity ? S t L. Thus; God did graff the Gen- tiles being wild Olives, into the true Olive : therefore it is more then likely, that he will plant in againe the Jewes, being naturali branches: (the Jewes be- ing fo called , becaufe they came and were borne of parents to whom thepro- miles did belong, and fo were not the Gentiles.) Now in reafon it is an harder matter to grafi in a wilde branch then that which was once a true branch, be- caufe that is befide and againft nature, but this is agreeable unto the order of nature,tberefore more eafie. Allo there is more agreement between a graff or fciens which was broken off, and his own flocke, then between a ftrange branch and the.tree. Laflly, if we regard Gods connfell,there was nothing in the wild Olive amiable,which might induce God to graff it in, or to take fuch paines and to be at fuch coif (asI may fpeak) as to take boughs from the wild Olive, to
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