A17384:3293
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.
First, all God's people or servants become His by Calling: it is the way by which God hires servants, and makes a people to himself: for, by nature even the Elect are not a people, but live in darkness, dead in sin, sensual and carnal as other men; and re-creation is such a link in the chain of salvation, as cannot be wanting, Rom. 8.30. And therefore men should labour to make their Calling sure, as ever they would have comfort, that they are God's servants or people.
First, all God's people or seruants become His by Calling: it is the way by which God hires seruants, and makes a people to himself: for, by nature euen the Elect are not a people, but liue in darknes, dead in sinne, sensuall and carnall as other men; and re-creation is such a link in the chain of saluation, as cannot be wanting, Rom. 8.30. And therefore men should labor to make their Calling sure, as euer they would haue comfort, that they are God's seruants or people.
Secondly, God works great things many times without any great toil, or power of instruments; as here, To convert a man, is but to call him; To make him live, is but to bid him live. Thus God can call up generations of men out of the heap of dead and forlorn mankind. Thus the dead shall be raised at the last Day, by the voice of the Son ⟨p. 789⟩of God: which should teach us to live by faith in all estates, and rest upon Gods power, by which we are kept to salvation.
Secondly, God works great things many times without any great toile, or power of instruments; as heer, To conuert a man, is but to call him; To make him liue, is but to bid him liue. Thus God can call vp generations of men out of the heap of dead and forlorn mankinde. Thus the dead shall be raised at the last Day, by the voice of the Sonne ⟨p. 789⟩