THE SAINTS DIGNITIE AND DUTIE TOGETHER WITH The Danger of IGNORANCE and HARDNESSE Delivered in Severall SERMONS By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New-England HEBR. 10.38 Now the just shall live by Faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1651. To the Reader Reader THou hast here set forth to thy view the last memoriall for ought I know in this kind of that Reverend Divine Mr. Thomas Hooker Rev. 14.13 who now rests from his labours being dead in the Lord. And though this present work be but small in quantitie yet it comprehends a great many divine Truths For thou shalt in this as in a glasse see thine owne condition be it what it will If thou be indeed a child of God thou shalt find him herein a Barnabas a son of Consolation to thee in discovering what thy Priviledges are and what thy practise is or should be But if thou be yet in thy unregenerate estate he will prove a Boanerges a son of Thunder in shewing the danger of Non-proficiencie under the means of grace and knowledge and in wilfull hardness against admonition and reproof These Sermons are upon severall Texts of Scripture which I suppose will prove the more delightfull for the variety which is pleasing to all And though there bee no great dependance of these Sermons each upon other yet the whole without forcing may be reduced to these three Heads Dignitie Dutie Danger In the three former Sermons is set forth the dignitie or priviledges of true beleevers The inestimable gift of the Lord Jesus Christ for the redemption of his people is sweetly and fully explained in the First Sermon In the Second is shewed that Christ hath not only given himself for believers but to them and that he is in them with the blessed Effects of his Inhabitation In the Third thou shalt find the happie condition of the people of God being now freed from the Law and under Grace the Priviledges whereof are inlarged in severall Branches The duties of the Saints that injoy these dignities and priviledges are set forth in the two next Sermons In the Fourth That they ought only to attend to the voice of Christ who is the wisedome of the Father and to be obedient to him In the Fifth is shewed what kind of obedience is required of them even the obedience of Faith which is set forth in the fruitfulness and activitie of it in their Imitation of Abraham the Father of the faithfull And then in the two last Sermons is laid down the danger of neglecting these Priviledges and Duties either by remissness and ignorance under the means of knowledge and grace which is the sum of the Sixth Sermon or else which is worse by hardning the heart against instruction and reproof which is the Subject of the last that those that will not sweetly be drawn by the cords of love shall bee violently surprized with the chains of wrath The Works of this worthy man already Extant have proved by Gods blessing profitable and comfortable to many and I make no question but there is a blessing reserved for this also Therefore as the Wiseman saith Eccles 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening with-hold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether will prosper this or that or whether they shall be alike good In this confidence it is commended to thy Prayers and paines in perusing it and that it may prove a furtherance in thy progresse towards heaven is the desire of Thy Christian Friend T. S. THE GIFT OF GIFTS OR The END why CHRIST Gave Himself By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England ROM 5.15 But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Particular Titles and Texts of each SERMON SERM. I. The Gift of Gifts on Tit. 2.14 SERM. II. The Blessed Inhabitant on Rom. 8.10 SERM. III. Grace magnified on Rom. 6.14 SERM. IV. Wisdomes Attendants on Prov. 8.32 SERM. V. The Activitie of Faith on Rom. 4.12 SERM. VI. Culpable Ignorance on Isai 27.11 SERM. VII Wilfull Hardness on Prov. 29.1 The GIFT of GIFTS OR The End why Christ gave Himself SERMON I. TIT. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works THe Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter had given several exhortations to severall sorts of Persons To the Aged men vers 2. To the Aged women vers 3. To the younger women and younger men vers 5 6. And to Servants in vers 9 10. Having thus exhorted these severall sorts to severall duties he subjoyneth an Argument that might serve to perswade them all to the practise of the duties he had exhorted them unto and that is laid down from the beginning of the 11th verse to the end of the 14th Wherein he describeth the end of the Doctrine of the Gospel and of the grace of God revealed therein which is That it should bring men to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously in this present world Vers 12. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Vers 13. To bring people to this temper and disposition is the end and scope of all the Gospel Now having spoken of Christ in the end of vers 13. Our Saviour Jesus Christ he cometh also to describe Christ in ver 14. by such things as may also serve as Arguments to perswade to the former duties exhorted to The Lord Christ is described in this 14th Verse by an Act of his Who gave himself for us and this same action of Christ it is illustrated First by the Object for whom it was done He gave himself for us Secondly By the end Why it was done That he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works Thus you see the Coherence of these words and the Scope of them and also the Parts of the Text They are the Action of Christ described by the Object and End of it We will first speak of the Action and Object joyning of them both together Who gave himself for us Give me leave to spend a little time in the opening of the Words And first what is meant here by us Who they are that are the object of this action of Christ Who they are for whom Christ gave himselfe In a word the Persons for whom Christ gave himself they are beleevers In 1 Tim
thee that art a beleever Exod. 14 13. Moses said to the people Fear not stand still see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew you this day What is that For the Egyptians whom you have seen to day you shall see them again no more for ever This was typicall this was a type of Christs redeeming thee that art a beleever from all iniquitie I say therefore to thee stand still and fear not be not afraid of any thing art thou invirond round about with iniquities as they were with the Egyptians fear not stand still be but patient a little soon shall â—he time come wherein thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord for thine Iniquities whom thou now seest thou shalt fee them again no more for ever This is the very end of Christs dying therefore this end shall be made good Oh let us rejoyce together in the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ How would it glad our soul if we were vassalized to the Turk or slaves to the Moors to be redeemed from that vassalage and slaverie If we were to be imprisoned but all our life time for a debt which we could never pay how would it rejoyce our soul if a friend should come and pay our ransome and discharge our debt and set us free Behold here my brethren a greater redemption wrought for thee by Christ thou art redeemed from under all iniquitie not with a temporarie redemption thou mayest be redeemed in thy body from a slave and taken captive again the next yeer thou mayest be redeemed out of prison for debt and brought in again soon after but the redemption thou hast by Christ it is an eternall redemption as it is called Heb. 9.12 an universall redemption it is from all iniquitie and it is for ever Here is the first Use Admirable consolation to all beleevers you that are not sensible of this comfort are not beleevers Christ hath given himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie therefore assuredly his end shall be effected all beleevers shall be freed from all iniquitie The Second Use is for Exhortation Is this the end why Christ gave himself to redeem us from all iniquitie then let us that are beleevers be exhorted to these two things First of all let us be afraid of coming under any Iniquitie The Lord Christ did so much desire our redemption from all iniquitie That he gave himself for that end Oh then let us bee afraid of being again brought under the power of any iniquitie Hath Christ so much desired our freedome from Iniquitie as that he gave himself for that end and shall not we have a care that Christ may have his desire in keeping our selves free from iniquitie Suppose a Father had been content to redeem his son out of prison wherein he was perpetually to lie for debt to sell all that he had and to strip himself of all his estate to set his son free should we not cry out of that son that should after that he was redeemed so costly by his father again turn Prodigall It is as grosse a thing my brethren for us that are redeemed by Christ with so costly a Redemption as is even the giving of himself to rush again under the power of that iniquitie from which to redeem us Christ hath given himself Suppose a father should so love a son as that for the curing and freeing of him from a disease he should shed his own hearts bloud should we not judge it abhominable for that son presently to run again into the infection of the same disease when as his father with so much love and cost even his own life had procured his freedome from the disease I beseech you consider it the Lord Jesus Christ hath therefore given himself to be a man to obey the Law to suffer the wrath of God and to die that we might be redeemed from iniquitie Oh therefore let us ever be fearful of coming under iniquitie any more let us not suffer our selves to be defiled with that sin from which to deliver us Christ hath given himself Certainly if any argument in the world would perswade people not to given way to sin but to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously in this present world this will doe it When therefore thou art tempted to commit a sin reason thus with thy self Now that I am tempted to sin here is presented to me pleasure or honour or profit or escape from trouble and if I will commit the sin I shall attain many of these but let me remember that to the end I might bee brought out of sin Christ gave himself Is not Christ more worth than profit more worth than pleasure of more worth then my life why then to save my self from danger or to gain profit or pleasure or honours should I rush into a sinne out of which Christ to pluck me hath given himself Consider of it for this I assure you that there are none whom Christ hath redeemed from Iniquitie but he doth put into them such a spirit that they shall for ever after bee carefull to keep themselves from iniquitie The Lord Christ would not bee at so great cost to give himself for an end that should be frustrate he hath bought our redemption with the price of himself therefore he will make it sure that it shall be effected If therefore you find your hearts bold to run into any sin and ready to put your selves into all iniquitie you are not those that are redeemed by Christ Consider for the proof of this these places James 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Observe it where there is a true Religion there men keep themselves from the spots of the world And you shall finde this also excellently and plainly laid down in 1 John 3. from the 6. verse to the 11. Whosoever abideth in him that is in Christ sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous but in v. 8. He that committeth sin is of the devill Observe these Phrases of the Scripture And in v. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and be cannot sin because he is born of God And in v. 10. In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God In few words here is a plain tryall who are Gods and who are the Devils children whoever sinneth whoever doth not righteousnesse is of the Devill is not of God Take notice of it I beseech you they are the very words of the Spirit of God And to this you may adde that in the fifth Chapter of the same Epistle of John v. 18. We know that whosoever is born of
God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not All these places plainly prove That whosoever Christ hath redeemed from under iniquitie he so works with them that they shall never return to iniquitie again for Christ gave himself to free them from it and he will never buy a thing at so costly a rate but it shall be done Not but that they that are redeemed sin but the meaning is They never commit sin with a full consent they never again come under the power and reign of sin sin they doe but it is out of infirmitie it is not with purpose of heart it is not with deliberation it is not with delight when ever they sin they doe that which they hate and they commit that which they hate and they commit that which they are ashamed of This is the meaning of these Scriptures Therefore I say be exhorted seeing Christ hath so dearly bought your redemption from all iniquitie Oh in the name of Christ be exhorted neither for pleasure nor for honour nor for fear neither to please your selves nor the world nor your friends never be brought under any iniquitie for Christ gave himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie This is the first exhortation to exhort us to take heed of coming under any iniquitie seeing to redeem us from it Christ gave himself The second Exhortation is to exhort us to labour every day more and more to get from under that iniquitie under which we are The former Exhortation exhorted us to keep our selves from coming under that from which we are gotten this is to exhort us to labour every day more and more to get from under that iniquitie under which we are For did Christ give himself for this end Oh then let us never give over till we are gotten from under all iniquitie What end can we better aim at then Christ aimed at the redeeming us from all iniquitie let us also aim at this to redeem our selves from all iniquitie Indeed it is true in the point of satisfaction and in the point of paying the ransome we can do nothing Christ doth all but yet this I must tell you that in the point of deliverie of our selves from under iniquitie we must doe a great deal Christ giveth us right to come out from under all iniquitie but Christ requireth that we our selves should bring our selves from under iniquitie It is true indeed we cannot doe it but by Christ it is the grace of Christ the power of Christ the spirit of Christ that doth help us to get our selves from under iniquitie yet notwithstanding we must labour to get our selves from under it and Christ will help us For this I might quote many places but for fear of being too long I will content my self with that in 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises doarly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Observe the Phrase the Apostle doth not say be cleansed but let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit But some might say we are cleansed already Christ hath cleansed us Yea saith the Apostle in part but we must perfect this holiness Christ hath brought us from under iniquitie in some measure now Christ expects we should bring our selves from under the remainders of iniquitie It is in this case as it was with the people of Israel it was the Lords power and gift that gave them possession of the land of Canaan it was the Almightie arm of God that did it Yet notwithstanding when they were in the land of Canaan they were fain to fight for it before the Cananites were dispossest that was but a Type of this It is the Lords Almighty power that hath possest us with this libertie and freedome from iniquitie but yet notwihstanding before we can come to inioy a full libertie from all iniquitie we must fight for it and wage the battels of the Lord. And truly my brethren Christians are miserably guiltie of being under the power of iniquitie much more then they might because they are lazie and idle and they doe not labour to deliver themselves from under the remainders of iniquitie but even as it was with the Israelites which were but a type of beleevers in Judg. 2.2 I said unto you you shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land you shall throw down their Altars but you have not obeyed my voice The Lord appointed the people of Israel that they should never leave till they had rooted out the Canaanites but they were lazie and idle and did not drive out so many as they might Even thus it is with most Christians the Lord hath possest us of libertie and yet he requireth that we should work out the remainders of iniquitie wee are generally lazie and we make leagus with sin and we have a secret affection to this lust or to that lust and therefore we doe not bestir our selves laboriously to expell all iniquitie Here is the reason that the end of Christ is no more made good unto us Oh be now exhorted I beseech you to fulfill the desire of Christ it was the very end why he died that thou shouldst be redeemed from all iniquity be thou like Christ doe thou make corruption die that thou mayest redeem thy self from all iniquitie This is the very scope of the Apostle in this Text he had exhorted in the beginning of the Chapter servants to their duties masters to theirs old men and women to theirs all to deny ungodliness and worldy lusts and to live soberly and righteously in this present world Now to perswade them to this he bringeth in this of the Text for saith he Christ gave himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie As if he should say will you not make good the end of Christ when Christ had so much desired to redeem you from all iniquitie that to effect it he hath given himself what will you not bestir your selves to make good this end of Christ Oh be exhorted to endeavour the purging away the remainders of iniquitie We have now finished the Uses of Exhortation we are now lastly to come to some Uses of Instruction and so conclude This Doctrine my brethren That Christ gave himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie it serveth for a threefold Instruction First of all to teach us that there is no need of any satisfaction on our parts to appease the wrath of God or deliver us from our iniquities for Christ hath given himself to doe it therefore it is but a sillie thing to thinke that wee can come after and doe it The very thing whereby men should satisfie Gods wrath Christ hath given himself to doe it There is but two waies men can satisfie the justice and wrath of God The one is by keeping the Law The other is by suffering
our Saviour Christ this Question What shall we doe to work the works of God How shall we bee able to doe it saith Christ This is the work of God that you beleeve on him whom he hath sent There is no way to come to work Gods work to obey Gods commands but to beleeve in the promise of God whereby he hath ingaged himself to make thee able to doe whatsoever he commandeth Oh then you that would fain better your obedience in these times wherein Gods judgements be abroad when God so much expects we should grow better for I perswade my self there is never a child of God but is much desirous to be more obedient now than ever now in these evill times and I should much suspect that soul yet to bee under the power of Sathan and sin that by the judgements of God that are abroad is not provoked to a resolution and endeavour to better obedience Now I say to such of you as desire to grow better in obedience learn the way Observe what the Text saith Neh. 8. 10. Be not sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength Would you have strength to obey Gods Commandements better then ever Here is the way doe not give way to sadness and dumpishness and discouragements Godly sorrow is to be admitted and is a great help of bettering your obedience but such a sorrow as doth afflict your souls and keep them under discouragements this is not to be admitted strength of obedience lyeth not in this slavish fear but it is the joy of the Lord that is your strength Get the joy of the Lord by beleeving that God will make you able to obey whatsoever he biddeth and that will make you able to obey Here therefore is the way search out the promises wherein God hath ingaged himself to help you in any duty you would perform When you have found out that promise labour to rest upon that promise labour to believe that as God hath promised to make thee able to doe it so he will make thee able to doe it in the use of means And I say unto thee According to thy faith it shall be unto thee Here then is the third Use God hath graciously undertaken to enable his children to doe all he biddeth them to doe therefore the onely way to doe what is commanded is to get faith to rest upon the promises wherein the Lord hath engaged himself to help us to doe what he hath commanded First of all finde out what is the will of God that thou shouldst doe Secondly work thy heart to a willingness and desire to doe it Thirdly Bring thy self to trust upon God in the use of his means for abilitie to doe it and then in the next place thou shalt be able to doe it in such a measure as God will accept The fourth and last Use of this Doctrine is for a singular incouragement and consolation to all that are Gods children Thou that art one of Christs here is thy comfort Whatsoever God in his word biddeth thee to doe hee by his promise hath undertaken to make thee able to perform Truth it is the things that God hath commanded thee to doe they are wonderfull hard even impossible to flesh and blood but yet notwithstanding to thee easie and possible because God hath undertaken to give thee strength to doe them So that thou hast great cause to be incouraged considering the power of God the power of God is with thee it is bound to be thine by his promise and if God be able thou shalt obey whatsoever he hath commanded thee so thou wilt beleeve this promise and use the means Indeed I grant many of Gods children are not enabled to do what God hath commanded but the reason is as I shewed before either because they are not willing and that is horrible baseness or else they are not able to beleeve this Doctrine and that is horrible insidelitie But if thou couldst but beleeve all that God hath said thou shouldst be enabled to doe whatsoever God requireth of thee to doe in an Evangelicall manner Thus the Lord Christ incourageth and comforteth his Disciples in Mat. 19. 24. I say unto you saith he that it is easier for a Cammell to go through the eye of a needle then for a Rich man to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Here was a Doctrine that stumbled the very Disciples themselves for when they heard it the Text saith They were exceedingly amazed saying who then can be saved Surely it is impossible for any to be saved if this be true that the man whose heart cleaves to any of these temporall things cannot be saved for that is the meaning of the words though Christ instanceth in a rich man onely yet it is true of a voluptuous man and of all those that have their hearts cleave to any thing in the world if this be true it is impossible for any man to be saved for it is impossible for any man but to have his heart cleave to something in this world either friends or honours or riches or pleasures How doth Christ comfort them against this impossibility In verse 26. saith he With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible as if he should say It is true I grant that it is impossible for any man to be saved if you look to the power of man because it is unpossible for a man not to idolize some outward thing but yet notwithstanding with God it is possible God can make a man live in the world and yet have his affections divorced from all things in the world and God will make you doe this because he hath promised to you being his children that whatsoever he biddeth you doe you shall be enabled to doe in such a measure as he will accept Therefore as Christ comforted his Disciples so let us comfort our own soules what God hath commanded he will make us able to doe therefore let us up and be doing and beleeve the promises and we shall prevail to an Evangelicall obedience Thus much for this first Doctrine that the Lord doth deale thus graciously with his children that whatsoever he biddeth them to doe he will enable them to doe it he commanderh them that sinne should not reign in their mortall body and here he promiseth that sinne shall not have dominion over them Having observed this from the coherence of the words let us now come to the words themselves sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace You have here first a promise Secondly the ground and reason of the promise First of all a promise in the former part of the words sinne shall not have dominion over you Secondly the ground of the promise in the latter part of the words for you are not under the Law but under Grace Let me briefly open the words unto you and I will begin with the first sinne shall not have
hear you But that is not all I beseech you to hear it and tremble The Lord at that day will not only neglect a man that hath neglected him but he will also rejoyce at his destruction and laugh when his fear cometh Mark what the Text saith and remember it for ever Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but yee have set at naught all my counsell and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh What a fearfull thing is this that the God of heaven the God of mercy should solace himself in the ruine of all such rebellious wretches as would not hear and imbrace his blessed truth when he delivered and manifested it to them When Christ shall say This is that drunkard that will not part with his cup for all my perswasions and intreaties This is that adulterer that would not part with his lust notwithstanding all my calling upon him and reproving of him Here is a man that loved his ease his pleasure his comforts his worldly contentments more then me Here stands he that hearkned to the advice of his carnall friends and wicked companions and set at nought all my counsels and admonitions Oh my brethren then shall the just judgement of God sink these down to the everlasting pit where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever I say no more but I beseech you hear me now that God may hear you at that day You will have need of a Saviour and of mercy then The soul longs for nothing in the day of death but pitty and pardon O make Christ your friend now hear him now obey him now receive him now that it may go well with you for ever If now the command of God cannot carry you nor these Arguments which I have used draw you to yeeld obedience to this truth yet remember that passage Deut. 5.27 29. with which I will conclude and me thinks if you have any good nature in you it should work much upon you When the people of Israel had said unto Moses after they had heard God speak unto them out of the midst of the thunder and lightning Go thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and doe it The Lord saith the Text heard the voice of their words the Lord said I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee they have well said all that they have spoken Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandements alwaies that it might be well with them for ever Mark my brethren it is the Lords own request that there may be an heart in you to hear and obey that so yee may live for ever Oh therefore if a man cannot prevail with you yet let the Lord Jesus Christ beg so much of you You may think it strange that the Lord should desire this at your hands but it is true he desireth it heartily and he will be exceedingly pleased if you satisfie his desire Well now seeing it is the great request that the Lord by me hath made unto you ask your own souls commune with your own hearts and tell me what answer I shall return to the Lord Shall I say you will not hear My brethren it is a grievous and tedious thing for a poor Minister to give up such an answer unto God I would not willingly have this answer from you therefore I beseech you answer again Tell me what shall I say Speak comfortably as they did Whatsoever the Lord our God shall say that will we hear and doe If so then let me conclude with the answer of God O that there were such a heart in you and that you would fear the Lord and keep his Commandements that it might be well with you for ever FINIS THE ACTIVITIE OF FAITH OR ABRAHAM'S IMITATORS By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England JAM 2.17 Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Activity of Faith OR Abraham's Imitators SERMON V. ROM 4.12 And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of circumcision onely but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised THe blessed Apostle Saint Paul from the 20. verse of the former Chapter to the end disputeth that great question of justification by the free grace of God and after many Arguments alledged to prove that it is by grace and not by works he concludeth in the 28. verse Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith with the works of the Law Having dispatched this and setled his assertion by strength of argument in this fourth Chapter wherein my Text is he laboureth to make the truth yet more clearer and evident by way of example and to the end he setteth it forth in the lively colour of that faith of Abraham giving us an instance of this truth in the example of him who was the father of the faithfull a father not by naturall generation but by imitation the Lord having appointed him to be the coppy to all the Beleevers of succeeding ages that as he beleeved and by faith was saved so they that doe expect to receive salvation must walk in that way if they purpose to partake of that end Now touching this example of Abraham that I may not be long before I come to that which is the principall point I intend to deliver at this time the Apostle doth two things first he layeth down the pattern it selfe clearly both in Gods vouchsafing justification to Abraham and also in Gods sealing this by the seale of circumcision and this he doth in the 11. verse And as he hath propounded it thus both in Gods gift and in Gods sealing thereof so in the words of the Text he maketh an application of both applying it to all Abrahams children that shall live to the end of the world whether Jewes or Gentiles and in effect it is as if he had said thus Abraham when he was uncircumcised did beleeve and so was justified therefore they that are uncircumcised may beleeve and be also justified Abraham when he did beleeve was circumcised and that hindered not so those that are circumcised may beleeve and be justified that is the Jewes and the Gentiles have both liberty to come into the Covenant of grace and so also to be happy by that Covenant as Abraham was In the words therefore you have an application of the former patterne to the particular use of every faithfull servant of God that look what good Abraham