A17384:656
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.
Wicked men are likened to stones, first, for their insensibleness: and so the heart of Nabal was like a stone. Secondly▪ for their silent amazement, when iniquity shall stop their mouth: thus they were still as a stone, Ex. 15.16. Thirdly, for their sinking down under Gods judgements: so the Egyptians sunk into the sea like a stone, Exod. ⟨p. 141⟩15.6. And thus the wicked sink into hell like a stone. But chiefly in the first sense, for hardness of heart: their hearts by nature are like a stone. And in the comparison of a building, if they be in the Church, they are like the stones of the house that had the leprosy, or like Jerusalem when it was made a heap of stones.
Wicked men are likened to stones, first, for their insensiblenesse: and so the heart of Nabal was like a stone. Secondly▪ for their silent amazement, when iniquity shall stop their mouth: thus they were still as a stone, Ex. 15.16. Thirdly, for their sinking down vnder Gods iudgements: so the Egyptians sunk into the sea like a stone, Exod. ⟨p. 141⟩15.6. And thus the wicked sink into hell like a stone. But chiefly in the first sense, for hardnes of heart: their hearts by nature are like a stone. And in the comparison of a building, if they be in the Church, they are like the stones of the house that had the leprosie, or like Ierusalem when it was made a heap of stones.
Godly men are like stones too: they are like the stones of Bethel that were anointed. God is the God of Bethel: and the Godly are as those anointed pillars, consecrated to God, and qualified with the gifts of the holy Ghost. They are like the Onyx stones given by the Princes, and set on the breast of the High-Priest, in the Ephod. The High-Priest is Christ. The Onyx stones are Christians. The Princes of the Congregation, are the Ministers that consecrate the souls of men which they have converted to Christ, who wears them on his breast, and hath them always in his heart and eye. They are like to the rich stones of a Crown lifted up,