An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of…

And Secondly, The revealing the Word by similitudes is ¹a very useful and profitable way; for it makes much for the settling of Truth, and the making Truth go to a mans heart before he is aware, the Truth conveyed in a way of similitude takes impression upon the memory; sometimes speak a Truth, and express it in the way of a Simile, and many will go away and remembering the Simile, so come to remember the Truth. I remember it's reported of that Noble Marquess, Marquess Galeacias that had a great Estate, and was of Kin to the Pope, and yet coming upon a time but to hear Peter Martyr preach, and upon a mere Simile that he had, God stroke his heart, ²and it was the means of his Conversion, the Simile was thus: Peter Martyr was preaching, and he had occasion to speak of this, Men may think very hardly of God, and his People, but this is because they do not know him; as ⟨p. 350⟩suppose a man a great way off sees a company of excellent Musicians that are dancing, and there they are playing, and there's exact art in what they do, but he thinks they are a company of mad men, but (saith he) when he comes to draw nearer and nearer to them, and hears the melodious sound, and observes the art that they use, then he is much taken and affected: And so it is with you, you are a great way off, and look upon the Ways of God a great way off, and so you think men mad, but could you but come to observe what excellency there is in them, it would take your hearts, God blest such a Similitude as this to that great mans heart, so that though his Wife and Children lay sprawling at his feet, yet he came to Geneva and there continued a godly man all his ³days.

And Secondly, The revealing the Word by similitudes is ¹a very useful and profitable way; for it makes much for the setling of Truth, and the making Truth go to a mans heart before he is aware, the Truth conveyed in a way of similitude takes impression upon the memory; sometimes speak a Truth, and express it in the way of a Simile, and many will go away and remembring the Simile, so come to remember the Truth. I remember it's reported of that Noble Marques, Marques Galeacias that had a great Estate, and was of Kin to the Pope, and yet coming upon a time but to hear Peter Martyr preach, and upon a meer Simile that he had, God stroke his heart,