servants of God reconciled by Faith from the fountain of saving Grace which administers knowledge and strength to their performances And this Doctrine of Faith is propounded by way of confirmation of the Precepts or the Doctrine of manners upon four Reasons All which prove that the aforesaid virtues are to bee endeavored after Hath appeared Reas. 1. Because the Gospel of the Grace of God bringing salvation of all kinds to men being published and manifested hath appeared to all sorts of men Therefore it is meet that men of all sorts shew their thankfulness to God in an holy conversation prosecuting the foresaid virtues Vers. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts wee should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Reas. 2. Because this Gospel of God doth not onely teach us what duties wee are bound to perform but also instructs us how to draw strength from the fountain of the Grace of Christ from his death and resurrection to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly as to our selves justly as to our neighbours and holily as to God Therefore ought wee to bee ready for the performance of these duties Vers. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. Reas. 3. Because wee expect eternal life at the second coming of Christ who is the great God one with the Father and the Holy Ghost and our Saviour Therefore it behoves us to bee armed and stirred up to follow after all the foresaid good works which God requireth of us Vers. 14. Who gave himself for us that hee might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Reas. 4. Because therefore Christ offered up himself for us that hee might effectually redeem us from the bondage of sin and purchase us to himself as a peculiar people that wee might follow after good works Therefore if wee would not have that Redemption to bee void as to us wee must of necessity forsake our sins and follow after the foresaid virtues and newness of life Vers. 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority Let no man despise thee Hee repeats the command of attending to his Doctrine willing him to insist upon these things i. e. That hee sharpen his exhortations and reproofs with Authority which Authority hee commands that no Professor despise and that Titus do nothing that may expose him to contempt CHAP. III. HEE proceeds to instruct Titus in his office to which end hee adds eight other Precepts Vers. 1. Put them in mind to bee subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates to bee ready to every good work Precept 1. That hee command all Christians quietly to give respect to Civil Order i. e. That they submit themselves to the supreme Magistrate and the inferiour Powers or Magistrates that they bee obedient to Civil Laws and shew themselves ready and chearful to every good work for the promoting of which Magistrates are appointed Vers. 2. To speak evil of no man to bee no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness unto all men Precept 2. Of the duties of Charity towards any our of the Church or within it these duties are four 1 That they respect the credit and reputation of others speaking evil of no man 2 That they bee free from strifes and contentions 3 That they follow after moderation and equity being ready when need requires to part from their private right 4 That they bee gentle towards all even the worst of men Vers. 3. For wee our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Hee gives two Reasons why gentleness should bee shewed towards some Reas. 1. Because wee before our conversion were such as they now are wee are all of us by nature upon many considerations to bee blamed yet wee desired to bee treated courteously and mildly by all Therefore let us deal accordingly with those who are not yet converted Hee sets down five diseases of our Natures 1 Wee were foolish because all the wisdome of men is meer vanity so long as wee know not God for wee are ignorant of the right rule and the true fountain and the due end of our actions 2 Disobedient Because men by nature do nothing of those things which either God or conscience command but that which pleases themselves 3 Straying viz. from the true way which leads to eternal life and being deceived with errours they go further off from God daily 4 Serving with delight divers lusts and pleasures which reign together and as it were by turns challenge a dominion over all the unregenerate 5 Wee were destitute of the true love of God living in malice and envy rejoycing in the hurt and sorry for the good that befalls our neighbour hating one another when all of us were most worthy to bee hated of God Vers. 4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Reas. 2. Because wee although perverse yet at length were converted by the Grace of God Therefore ought wee to use gentleness towards those that are unconverted and hope well of them who may possibly bee converted by the same Divine Grace Kindness Hee explains this reason and commends the grace that was shewed to us in our conversion and proves it by eleven Reasons Reas. 1. From the more remote cause viz. the goodness and kindness of God which rejoyceth to put forth it self for our advantage and to communicate good to us Reas. 2. From the neerer cause which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of God wherewith God is affected to man-kind above all other creatures Reas. 3. From the instrumental cause or the manner of revealing the Gospel which hath no less graciously shined forth upon us and without our procurement than the Sun from whence the similitude of shining forth or appearing is fetch 't rises upon us without our help Reas. 4. From the next cause of our conversion which is the effectual manifestation of God as a Saviour made to us who as soon as hee manifests himself to our hearts not as our Judge to condemn us but as our Saviour to save us by this manifestation of himself hee draws our hearts to him and converts us Vers. 5. Not by works of Righteousness which wee have done but according to his mercy hee saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Reas. 5. By way of removing all our works and all merit in us which either went in time before our effectual calling or which could bee fore-seen and considered as if wee had done them Reas. 6. Expresly affirming that mercy is the cause of salvation Reas. 7. Making God the Author of the Sacraments or the external means of salvation and also the Author of our regeneration and so of the internal means whereby wee are
both Compare this place with vers 9 10 c. Of this Chapter to the end First in these verses the 4 5. and 6. hee is speaking of Professors in general conditionally But vers 9 10 c. hee is speaking to the true Beleevers amongst these Hebrews particularly 2. Here in these verses are glorious gifts Illumination and tasting of spiritual things There in those verses is Faith working by love to the glory of Iesus and Weal of his Saints 3. Here are men enrolled amongst Christians so holden and esteemed both of themselves and others There are sensible souls in the feeling of sin and fear of wrath and hope of mercy flying to Iesus as to a Refuge and casting the Anchor of their tossed souls within the veil where Iesus is in Heaven 4. Here men receiving from the holy Ghost good things there men receiving from him beside these good things better things also 5. Here things glorious indeed yet not alwaies accompanying salvation but in some going before saving Grace in others possibly alone without saving Grace But there are saving Graces alwaies joyned with Salvation 6. Here in these verses the Apostle is not confident but such as have received these things here mentioned may fall away except they go forward and study to make progress But there in those verses the Apostle is perswaded that they shall not fall away but be saved and thereupon encourageth them to go forwards From this Comparison it is clear then 1. That there is a possibility of the Apostasie of Professors and titular Saints but not of the Apostasie of renewed souls and true Christians true Saints 2. There is a ground of fear from these words to such as are secure and puffed up with the conceit of their spiritual gifts but not of those who in fear are fled to Christ. 3. That in this place carnal confidence onely is shaken in such who as if they had done well enough study not to make progress But Faith no waies weakened in such who still study to advance and make more and more progress 4. That here fruitless light and fruitless feeling is called in question but not Faith and laborious love bringing out fruits to Christs glory and good of his Saints Again from this comparison it is evident That the holy Ghost is Author both of these common spiritual gifts and of these special saving graces also Of these common gifts hee is Author as dwelling amongst Professors and distributing good things unto all Professors that are in the visible house of his Church But hee is Author of those saving Graces as dwelling in true Professors who are his own house bringing with himself better things than these gifts and salvation also unto them infallibly Thirdly From this Comparison it is clear 1. That there are some Converts external from the world to the Church who yet stick in their naturals and are not in the sense of sin fled unto Christ for refuge nor converted from Nature to saving Grace to whom the Apostle will not deny room in the Church if they will study to make progress And 2. That illumination and tasting of Spiritual things may bee given as well to such who are not renewed in their heart as unto sound Converts For 1. The natural man may be convinced that the Church is a blessed Society and joyn himself unto it 2. Yea change his outward conversation and cast off his pollutions which are in the world through lust and take himself to be ruled outwardly by Christs Discipline and call him LORD LORD 3. And be so blameless before men that hee may look with his Lamp like a wise Virgin waiting for the Wedding and yet be a graceless fool inwardly 4. Yea hee may be illuminated not onely by learning the literal knowledge of the Gospel as men do their Philosophy but also may be illuminated supernaturally with in-sight in many profound things in the Scripture For supernatural gifts may be in a Natural and unrenewed Man so as hee may say to CHRIST I have prophesied in thy Name and yet be unrenewed in Christs estimation 5. Hee may taste of the heavenly Gift partly by historical beleeving the Truth of the Gospel partly by contemplation of the Truth credited Now historical Faith is a taste of that heavenly gift of Iustifying Faith because it is a good degree towards it and contemplation of this Truth bringeth a taste of the thing credited and so of the heavenly Gift revealed in the Gospel For the contemplation of every Truth bringeth with it naturally a delectation such as Philosophers do finde in their studies And the more eminent the Truth be no wonder the delectation be the greater For many heard Christs gracious Sermons and wondered and beleeved his words to be true but Christ did not commit himself unto them for hee knew what was in them 6. Hee may be made partaker of the Holy Ghost and have his share of Church gifts distributed by the Holy Ghost so as hee can from the light which â—he Holy Ghost giveth him answer other mens doubts comfort the feeble minded and edifie others in their Faith by his speeches yea have the gift of expressing his brain-light both in conference to men and in formal prayer to God if hee be a private man onely and if hee be in publick office may have the gift of formal preaching and praying in publick yea in those daies of the Apostle might have had the extraordinary gifts of Tongues Prophesying and Miracles-working Therefore saith Christ Many will say to mee in that day Lord Lord have wee not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works To whom Christ will answer I never knew you Depart from mee yee that work iniquity Mat. 7.22 23. Now this knowledge convincing light and gifts of utterance c. are from the Holy Ghost or else how could such Apostates as are here described sin against the Holy Ghost 7. Hee may taste of the good Word of God that is finde sweetness in the Doctrine of the Gospel and bee convinced of the Goodness and Mercy of God towards sinners shining therein yea and by beholding the possibility of his own salvation upon this condition If hee will sell all and buy the Pearl hee may taste of Gods Merchandise in the blocking for them beside all the false joyes and delusions which hee may get by presuming of the certainty of his own salvation and yet in the mean time as a fool will not lay down the price will not renounce his earthly and beastly affections will not deny himself and his own corruptions The care of this world and the deceitfulness of Riches choaking the fruits of the Word heard as they who receive the seed amongst thorns Wherefore in time of persecution for the Word hee may by and by be offended and quit the Truth albeit with the stony hearted hearers in time of prosperity hee heard the Word and anon
hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool that is his Manhead being no more on earth now subject unto suffering is entred into the Fellowship and Fruition of the glory of his Godhead to exercise his power and authority for the good of his Church and overthrow of his Enemies Then 1. Albeit all Christs personal sufferings are ended yet the warfare of the subjects of his Kingdom endureth still against enemies such as are Satan and the wicked of the World and Sin and Death 2. That battel is CHRISTS he is adversary to all the foes of his Kingdom They are his Enemies 3. He is not alone in the battel the Father is joyned with him and set on work to subdue his Enemies as it is said Psal. 110. vers 1 2. whereunto this place hath reference His enemies shall be made his footstool 4. Albeit this victory be not compleated for a time yet it is in working and shall surely be brought to pass 5. As our Lord expecteth and waiteth on patiently till it be done so must we his subjects do also 6. At length the highest of his enemies shall be made lower than the basest of Christs Members They shall be made his footstool subdued under him and trampled upon Vers. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified He giveth a reason why Christ now hath no more offering to make nor no more suffering to endure but onely to behold the fruit of his sufferings brought about by the Father and to concur with the Father on his Throne for that end Because by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified that is by that one offering on the Cross done and ended before he sate down on the right hand of God he hath paid the full price for ever of the purchase of remission of sins and salvation to those that are consecrated to GOD in holiness Then 1. Whosoever will have any more offering up of Christ than that one once offered before his Ascension denieth that Christ by once offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. Howsoever you take the word Sanctified whether for those that are separated from the world and dedicated unto God in Christ in Gods purpose and decree comprehending all those whom the Father hath given unto Christ out of the world that is the elect or whether you take it for the renewed and sanctified in time the offering of Christ is not but for the sanctified that is for such as are consecrated and separated out of the world and dedicated to be vessels of honor unto God 2. They for whom Christ hath made that offering once those saith he he hath perfected for ever Then 1. He hath not made purchase of a possibility of their salvation onely But he hath perfected them in making purchase of all that they need to have even to their full perfection 2. He hath not purchased unto them the remission of some sins and left the satisfaction to be paid by themselves for other some but hath perfected them perfectly satisfied for them and perfectly expiated all their sins 3. He hath not made purchase of some graces unto them onely for a certain time so as he will let them be taken out of his hand afterwards and perish but he hath perfected them for ever 4. He hath not appointed any offering for them to be made by any other after him but hath made one offering Himself for them which satisfieth for ever so as the Father craveth no more offering for expiating their sin for ever For God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 that is God maketh it manifest by his Gospel that he is pacified in Christ towards them that believe in his blood that believe in him crucified Vers. 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness unto us For after that he had said before 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their mindes will I write them 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more He proveth that it is needless there should be any repetition of a sacrifice for sin in the New Testament because remission of sins purchased by Christs death who is the Testator is still in force continually in Christs Kingdom there being an Article of the Covenant for remission of sins to be consecrated And if remission of sins be no oblation for sin can be vers 8. 1. He saith that the Holy Ghost is witness unto us of this truth That Christ cannot be offered again Then 1. We who do teach this doctrine and deny any more offering of Christ as a sacrifice have the holy Ghost testifying for us 2. The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scripture and doth speak unto us thereby 2. He declareth the New Covenant to be of the Holy Ghosts making and calleth him THE LORD Wherein he teacheth us 1. That the Holy Ghost is a distinct person of the Godhead bearing witness by himself to the Church of the Truth 2. And one in essence with the Father and the Son even the LORD JEHOVAH author of the New Covenant with the Father and the Son Vers. 18. Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin From this Article of remission of sins in the New Covenant he concludeth No more offering for sin but once under this Covenant because sin is expiated Quest. How then could there be remission of sin under the Law where there was daily offering for sin Or if there was remission how could there be offering for sin I answer There is a remission granted upon surety given for satisfaction to be made for the party remitted and there is a remission granted for satisfaction already made for the party remitted The remission that the Fathers under the Law had was of the first sort upon promise of the Mediator to come and to satisfie And with remission of this sort a typical sacrifice might stand for signifying that the true expiatory Sacrifice was not yet paid but was coming to be paid But the remission that we get under the Gospel is upon Satisfaction already made by the true Expiatory and Satisfactory Sacrifice of Jesus Christ done and ended with the personal suffering And this sort of remission is it whereof the Apostle here speaketh and it admitteth no manner of offering for sin neither typical offering because Christ is come and hath fulfilled what the typical sacrifice did signifie neither the repeating of true Expiatory Sacrifice of Christs Body because then Christ behoved to suffer daily and dye daily after that he hath made satisfaction And besides these two sorts of offering the Iewish bloody sacrifices typical and the true Expiatory bloody Sacrifice of Christs Body on the Cross the Scripture acknowledgeth none So the meaning of the Apostle
it 3. That this felicity could not be attained unto but by flitting and removing out of this life 4. That the body is a partner with the Soul of Life eternal 5. That howsoever it be appointed for all men once to dye yet God can make when he pleaseth Translation or a Change to stand in room of death 3. Before Enoch was translated he had this testimony That he pleased God Then whosoever desireth to be blessed with God after they are removed from this life must first learn to please God before they depart hence Vers. 6. But without Faith it is impossible to please him For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him He proveth that Enochs Translation and pleasing of God was by Faith because pleasing of God cannot be without Faith He nameth no other of Gods graces in him but Faith onely because it onely of all other graces strippeth a man naked of the worth of any thing in him and sendeth him to Gods mercy in the Mediator Then 1. Whatsoever glorious Vertues he found in Gods children yet it is not by any of these that they are justified or acceptable to God but onely by their Faith For it is by Faith that it may be by Grace And if it be by Grace it is not by worthiness of works 2. In the matter of Justification and acceptation with God to be justified by Faith or accepted not without Faith is all one to be justified and accepted by vertue of nothing in a man beside Faith else the Apostles reasoning were not strong 3. Except a man have this commended Faith in Gods Mercy he cannot please God Let him do else what you can name without this faith it is impossible to please God 2. He expoundeth what the Faith is of which he meaneth To wit A coming to God All-sufficient and merciful Then 1. God is Self-sufficient and All-sufficient 2. God is so gracious as none can seek unto him by that way which he hath revealed but he will give them that which they seek 3. Except a man believe Gods All-sufficiency and merciful Bountifulness he cannot come unto him to seek supply of wants or relief from evil 3. From these words also we may observe the nature of Faith 1. It maketh a man sensible of his indigence and misery else it could not send him a begging 2. It maketh him to acknowledge his natural alienation and farness from God else it could not set him on work to seek God and to come unto him 3. It emptieth him of the confidence in his own and all the creatures help else it could not send the man away from all these to God 4. It pointeth out God both able and willing to help else it could not encourage to take course for relief in him 5. It setteth a man on work to use the appointed means to finde God 6. It certifieth a man of Gods impartiality towards every one that seeketh to him and maketh him to hold on the way seeking diligently and never to give over And so it bringeth a man to deny himself and to have communion with God Vers. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith In Noahs example observe 1. He believeth the Deluge is coming and feareth and prepareth the Ark. Then 1. Faith apprehendeth Judgements threatned in the Word as well as Mercies in the Promises 2. Faith apprehending the Threatning moveth to fear 3. That is right Fear which setteth a man on work to prevent the danger 2. By his diligence he condemned the world Then The pains which the Godly take to eschew wrath condemneth careless beholders of their diligence 3. By this he became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith that is came evidently to be such Then 1. There is a Righteousness which is onely by Faith 2. That Righteousness is Heirship to all true Believers 3. Some special point of Faith may bring this heirship unto light and give evidence of a mans Right thereunto Vers. 8. By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went Abrahams following of Gods calling and leaving of his Countrey is counted a work of Faith From Abrahams example then let us learn 1. That Faith in God will cause a man quit his Countrey and Parents and every dearest thing at Gods calling 2. Faith counteth Gods Promises better than present possessions and is content to quit the one for the other 3. Yea it is content with a Promise of better in general and for the special manner of performance standeth not to be blinde 4. Faith is willing to obey as soon as it seeth a Warrant Vers. 9. By Faith he sojourned in the land of Promise as in a strange Countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Iacob the heirs with him of the same promise Abrahams sojourning in Canaan is counted another work of his Faith Wherein we learn 1. That Faith can for a while suffer to be a stranger even from that whereunto it hath best Right 2. When Faith hath certainty of an heavenly inheritance it can be content with a small portion of things earthly 3. A man who sojourneth amongst Idolaters should be sure of a calling thereunto and being amongst them ought to behave himself as a Stranger and Sojourner 4. Yes where he hath best Right on earth hee ought to have a Pilgrims mind Vers. 10. For hee looked for a City which hath Foundations whose builder and maker is God That which moved Abraham to behave himself as a Sojourney on earth was the hope of a setled during place with God in the society of the Saints in Heaven Then 1. Heaven is a setled commodious and safe-dwelling Place All places here are but moveable Tabernacles 2. The Fathers under the Law looked for entry into their eternal rest in the Kingdome of Heaven after the ending of their Pilgrimage here 3. The hope of Heaven is able to make a man content with Pilgrims Fare and Lodging here-away Vers. 11. Through Faith also Sarah her self received strength to conceive Seed and was delivered of a Childe when she was past age because she judged Him faithful whâ— had promised Sarah is reckoned in the Catalogue of Beleevers and her laughing through unbeleef is not remembred but her victory over her mis-beleef is commended Then 1. Even Women are made Patterns of beleeving and wisely walking with God worthy to be imitated of Men. 2. God marketh not the defects of Faith but the soundness thereof how small soever it be what good is in His Children and not what sins they are cloged with 2. When shee is past age by Faith shee getteth strength to conceive
In the dissimilitude betwixt themselves and their promises For they promised liberty to others when they drew them into bondage of sin and they themselves were the servants of corruption both as to their practice and the principles of their doctrine For there is no other Christian liberty than that which brings those that are freed from sin and the servile yoak of the Covenant of works to the free obedience of Righteousness For Hee proves these Libertines with their Disciples to be the most abject and miserable slaves to sin by four reasons Overcome Reas. 1. Because they are vanquished and overcome by sin to whose servitude they yeeld themselves being allured by the deceiveableness of false doctrine Therefore they are truly slaves Vers. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning Reas. 2. Because they and their Disciples by Apostacy from an holy conversation fall into a worse condition than that was wherein they lived before they gave their names to Christ. For after they renounced in Baptism the pollutions of the world and through the knowledge of Christ whatsoever betaking themselves into the bosome of some Church of Christ have escaped them if afterwards they be intangled again in those pollutions and have yeelded to them their last end is worse than their beginning Vers. 21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandement delivered unto them Reas. 3. Proving the former because they knowingly and willingly run as fugitives to the tents of their adversaries from the known way of Righteousness and from the holy commandement once delivered unto them which sin is much more grievous and the servitude harder than if they had never known the way of Righteousness for their condition would be better in ignorance than in Apostacy Vers. 22. But it is happened unto them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Reas. 4. Making for removing of the scandal which might arise from their Apostacy because by their Apostacy they shew that they never were of the true Sheep of Christ but in Baptism and a visible sanctity of life wherein they sometimes vaunted themselves to be Saints they shew themselves to have been Sows and Dogs and to have alwaies been so without spiritual and internal renovation of their nature And therefore no wonder if it happen unto them according to the true Proverb As the Dog though purged by vomiting yet hee licks up again that which hee hath vomited and the Sow though washed yet shee returns to her wallowing in the mire So Apostates though they may profess repentance from their sins and Faith in Christ and obedience of his commands yet if occasion serves they turn to their former manners CHAP. III. HEE passes on to another Admonition concerning their bewaring of scoffers who denyed the coming of Christ whose blasphemy hee reproves to vers 11. In the second hee shews the use and fruit of his Doctrine chiefly touching the coming of Christ to the end Vers. 1. This second Epistle beloved I now write unto you in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance 2. That yee may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the commandement of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour That hee may make a way for those things that follow hee propounds the scope of both Epistles viz. by admonitions to stir up the minds of the truly faithful to constancy in Faith and Obedience to the Doctrine of the Gospel which they had learned out of the Scripture of the Prophets and the teaching of the Apostles Vers. 3. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts That they might beware of Atheists and mockers at piety hee describes such sort of Monsters four waies First From the Antecedent prediction of the Holy Ghost warning thee of the coming and frequency of those wicked scoffers about the end of the world as capital enemies of the Gospel who in the times of the Gospel would make a laughing stock at all piety Secondly From their vicious life that they will lead a life according to their lusts Vers. 4. And saying where is the promise of his coming For since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation Thirdly From their blasphemous speeches that they will also dare impudently to deny the Lords coming to judgement and openly accuse Gods promises of falsitie Fourthly From their pertinacious defence of their blasphemy that they would dare to dispute against the Lord coming as if hee would not come at all but that the world should endure for ever Therefore because many ages being past the Judge doth not as yet come and because all things remain in our times as they did from the beginning of the Creation they make their carnal sense the measure of their Faith and cast the Word of God behinde their backs Vers. 5. For this they willingly are ignorant of that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the water and in the water Hee reproves these blasphemous Dogs in five Arguments Argum. 1. Because they scornfully reject the knowledge offered them out of Gods word and are willingly ignorant that by the word of God the world was created for if they should acknowledge the Creation to be by the word of God they ought also to acknowledge an end of the world foretold in the word of God The Earth Argum. 2. They are willingly ignorant of and shut their eyes against that constant miracle of the earth rising out of the water and consisting by the water by which it is made solid so that it crumble not to dust when the whole earth by its own nature being the lowest element should sinck and be covered and drowned in the waters In which miracle wee may perceive that nature is governed and establish'd by the will of God alone that it may so continue or otherwise as it shall please God Vers. 6. Whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished Argum. 3. That the earth contrary to nature appears out of the waters and that all things do remain alwaies in the same state is evident out of the history of the deluge whereby the former order being changed the world or mankind that then was is perished in those overflowing waters Therefore it is not incredible but that the world passing on shall suffer the change which the word of God hath foretold Vers. 7. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same word are kept in