A17384:845
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.
He speaks in the present time, yet meaneth it of a thing to be accomplished in the time to come. For God laid Christ down, as the corner stone, partly in his Incarnation, when he sent him into the world in the flesh to take our nature; and partly he is said to lay down this corner stone, when spiritually by means he forms Christ in the hearts of men in the visible Church. Now the Lord speaketh in the present time, I do lay, for divers reasons. First, To signify, that the care of that business was then in his head, he was plotting about it, & did continually mind it. Secondly, to signify, that howsoever the main work of the open restoring of the ⟨p. 185⟩world by Christ, in the calling of the Gentiles, was long after to be done, yet God did spiritually form Christ in the hearts of the remnant, so as at all times he did more or less further his building. Thirdly, to note the certainty of the accomplishment of it, he saith, he did then do it, to assure them, it should as certainly be done, as if it were then done: which should teach us to believe God, and never limit him. When we have his promise, let us reckon upon it: if God promise us any thing, it is as sure as if we had it.
Hee speakes in the present time, yet meaneth it of a thing to bee accomplished in the time to come. For God laid Christ downe, as the corner stone, partly in his Incarnation, when he sent him into the world in the flesh to take our nature; and partly he is said to lay down this corner stone, when spiritually by meanes hee formes Christ in the hearts of men in the visible Church. Now the Lord speaketh in the present time, I doo lay, for diuers reasons. First, To signify, that the care of that busines was then in his head, he was plotting about it, & did continually minde it. Secondly, to signify, that howsoeuer the maine worke of the open restoring of the ⟨p. 185⟩world by Christ, in the calling of the Gentiles, was long after to be done, yet God did spiritually forme Christ in the hearts of the remnant, so as at all times hee did more or lesse further his building. Thirdly, to note the certainty of the accomplishment of it, he saith, he did then do it, to assure them, it should as certainely be done, as if it were then done: which should teach vs to beleeue God, and neuer limit him. When we haue his promise, let vs reckon vpon it: if God promise vs any thing, it is as sure as if we had it.