A17384:3294
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.
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⟩of God: which should teach vs to liue by faith in all estates, and rest vpon Gods power, by which wee are kept to saluation.
Thirdly, God's Calling accepts not the persons of men, it puts no difference: all are called alike, as to honour, so to labour and danger. The Apostle puts-in all Christians, by this Calling, to suffer, if need require, as well as servants. So with God there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free: but all are one in Christ, Col. 3.11. Which should be a marvellous comfort to Christians that are meaner than others in the world, to think on it, that God requireth as hard work of the richest, as he doth of them; and makes as great account of a poor Christian, as of the mightiest Monarch. And it should teach Christians humility, and not to strive so much for precedency; but rather, if men will excel others, it should be in service and sufferings.
Thirdly, God's Calling accepts not the persons of men, it puts no difference: all are called alike, as to honour, so to labour and danger. The Apostle puts-in all Christians, by this Calling, to suffer, if need require, as well as seruants. So with God there is neither circumcision nor vncircumcision, Iew nor Gentile, bond nor free: but all are one in Christ,