A17384:2359
A commentary
A commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thus of the visitation in temporal things, which is not here meant.
Thus of the visitation in temporall things, which is not heere meant.
1The visitation in spiritual things, is the gracious providence of God, revealing his marvellous and ⟨p. 539⟩everlasting mercies unto his Elect: and so he visits man either by Christ, or by the Gospel: He visited his people, when he sent his Son to redeem them, Luke 1.68.78. and 7.16. And so he doth, when he sends his Gospel by his servants to this end, to reconcile the world to himself in Christ: and thus God visited the world, when he sent his Apostles unto all Nations, preaching the Gospel. And thus he doth visit a Nation, when he sends the Gospel thither; or a congregation, when by the preaching of the Gospel, he gathereth a people to himself. There is also a personal and particular visitation, when God singles out this or that man from the rest, and converts him. And so in this place to visit the Gentiles, is to gather out of the Gentiles a people to his name, as in the case of this Apostle is said, Acts 15.14. Which place may well expound this: So that the day of visitation, if we respect whole congregations, is the time when God sends them the powerful preaching of the Gospel, and doth thereby muster and press a people to himself. And if we respect particular persons, it is the day when God effectually calls them, and converts them.
1The visitation in spirituall things, is the gracious prouidence of God, reuealing his marueilous and ⟨p. 539⟩