648 An .Expofitaan upon Chap. 16. file (fo we marke and avoid them)there- in we havedone but duty, obeying the commandement of the great God, who bids us to come out of Babylon, and de- cline fuch as would with their fubtle fpeeches and inventions beguile us (and wriggle asa Snake whole head is off) with hope to reign la thefe Churches,as fometimes they did. Well may they fur - prize with their craftineffe, Tome heed - leffe ignorant perlons, and unflable,but in vain they look to fubjugate the wile and difcrcet Chrillians, under whole feet God (hall rather tread them, and Satan that great Dragon their Captain, under whofe banner they fight.For that kingdome muff be defiroyed,which doth make war againft the kingdome of Chaff, who is that (tone cut out of the Mountain without hands, which (hall break in peeces all other regiments which rife up againft it;Dan.2. T 1 M. Id'hat doth the Apo file perferme from verf 2o.urtill verfe 24? S I L. As before he reckoned up fuck as at Rome he would have faluted : fo now he fendeth Salutations to the Romans from other which were with Paul, as from Timothy, of whom read Phi/.z. 19, 20,2I, 22. and A. 16. t, 2. Alf° Lucius, of whom read Ati. 13.1. and Ja fon,of whole courage and prudent zeal, read A0.17.5. and Zopaser of Berea, Laub companion by Sea, with Timotheus and Gayus of Derbe into Syria : read AEI. 20. 4. and i'ertisu Pals Secretary, and Gay us his boaft baptized by hint, I Cot. 1. 14. and Era/iins Treafurer or conferrer unto the City of Corinth, a rich City : and &aartus a word not of number or order, but the name of a man. By the content of thefe, he would confirme the authority of his Epiffle, and get the more credit ; not for that it was in it (elfe weak, but the better to warrant it to others. DIAL ocua III. Verles 24) 25, 26, 27. 7'he grace of our Lord 3efus Chriff be with you all,Amen. 25. Now to him that is of potyer to eftablifh you according to my Gof- pell, and the preaching of f of as thrift, ac- cording to the revelation of the At fiery, which was kept ferret fsnce the world began. 26. But now if opened and publifhed amongfi all Nations, by the Scriptures of the Pro- phets, at the crmmandement of the ever- !aft ing God for the obedience of Faith. 27. To God I fay only wife be praife through JefiuChrift for ever. TIMoTHEUS. Aving found you willing ever fithence "awe began to conferre for our infiru£lion aboutdhisEpifile, which asitisakey ( as it were) to open the underftanding of other Scrip- tures, foy our anfwers and Jatisfaaions of my Rueflions and Doubts, bath well unlocked and unfolded the hidden treafares thereof, Iprefame to put you to it once more, to tell me Paull' minde,or rather Gods minde, contained intbia Text unto the end of this Epif(le. S 1 L. Having walked along with you, through a long,rough,and cragged way, now we are come unto the upfnot and telling place, it being alto plain ground,I may not give you over. In this lati Text (which fome joyne unto the end of the 1 . Chap.touching which,fee M. Beza there) we have a brief pithy prayer unto God,ver.24.and alarge and moll precious Doxologie or praife of God, r for his Power, 2 Goodneffe, 3. Wifdome, in the re$ of the verfes. For the prayer, I would have thefe things obfèrved in ic. Firft, that under [Grace,] are comprehended whatfoever (from beginning, middle, and end) be- longs unto mans good now, or glory hereafter. Secondly, whereas Paul did both begin and end his Epiftle with it Chap. 1.7. and now endeth, repeating it twice,ver.zo. and 24. it not only tea- cheth what Minifters ought to do by Pains example, both to edifie by tea- ching, and earneftly to begge Gods fa- vour, and all the effeas of it for the flocke, but alfo the flocke are admoni- (hed, that grane is a thing moft necefEa- ry. Not fire and water fo needful! for the body, as grace for the foul : and therefore often, again and again to be asked,
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