A17384:332
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.
The point then is clear, that most Christians are but as new borne babes. Now what use should we make of it.
The point then is cleer, that most Christians are but as new borne babes. Now what vse should wee make of it.
First, It may serve to humble many of us, that have had time enough, and abundance of means and helps to have been like teachers, and yet have even now need to be taught the principles again. To us belongs justly that reproof in the fifth to the Hebrews, 13.
First, It may serue to humble many of vs, that haue had time enough, and abundance of meanes and helpes to haue beene like teachers, and yet haue euen now neede to be taught the principles againe. To vs belongs iustly that reproof in the fift to the Hebrews, 13.
Secondly, many duties must be urged upon us, if we grant ourselves to be but as new borne babes. For, 1. We must therefore be teachable & tractable, obeying them that have the oversight of us, bearing their words of admonition, and loving them with a singular love. 2. We must therefore be the more willing to bear the chastisements of God,1 that father of our spirits. For if we have had the fathers of our flesh, which in our young years have corrected ⟨p. 70⟩and that often for our profit, to subdue the faults in us, which that age did breed, and sometimes, when they corrected for their own pleasures, more than for our profit: How much more should we subject our selves to the corrections of God, that find in us, being but babes so much perverseness, so much negligence, such head-strong passions, such frequent disobedience: nd the rather because he never corrects us for his pleasure only, but for our profit, that he might make us more holy and more fruitful, and more meek, as the Apostle shows.