A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

Obs. 1. When God hath designed any Gracious End towards the Church, it shall not fail, nor his work cease for want of effectual means to accomplish it. All means indeed have their Efficacy from his Designation of them unto their End. His Wisdom makes them meet, and his Power makes them Effectual. Whatever therefore seems to be a means in the hand of God unto any End, and doth not effect it, was never designed thereunto: For he fails in none of his Ends, nor do his means come short of what he aims at by them. Wherefore although God designed a Perfect state of the Church, and after that gave the Law; yet he never designed the Law to accomplish that End. It had other Ends, as we have already declared. But Men were very apt to take up with the Law, and to say of it, Surely the Lords Anointed is before us. Wherefore God by many ways and means discovered the weakness of the Law, as unto this End. Then were Men ready to conclude, that the Promise it self concerning this perfect Church-state would be of none effect. The mistake lay only herein, that indeed God had not as yet used that only means for it, which his infinite Wisdom had suited for, and his infinite Power would make Effectual unto its attainment. And this he did in such a way, as that those, who would not make use of his means, but would as it were impose that upon him which he never intended to make use of in that kind, perished in their Unbelief. Thus was it with the Generality of the Jews, who would have Perfection by the Law, or none at all.

Obs. 1. When God hath designed any Gracious End towards the Church, it shall not fail, nor his work cease for want of effectual means to accomplish it. All means indeed have their Efficacy from his Designation of them unto their End. His Wisdom makes them meet, and his Power makes them Effectual. VVhatever therefore seems to be a means in the hand of God unto any End, and doth not effect it, was never designed thereunto: For he fails in none of his Ends, nor do his means come short of what he aims at by them. VVherefore although God designed a Perfect state of the Church, and after that gave the Law; yet he never designed the Law to accomplish that End. It had other Ends, as we have already declared. But Men were very apt to take up with the Law, and to say of it, Surely the Lords Annointed is before us. VVherefore God by many ways and means discovered the weakness of the Law, as unto this End. Then were Men ready to conclude, that the Promise it self concerning this perfect Church-state would be of none effect. The mistake lay only herein, that indeed God had not as yet used that onely means for it, which his infinite Wisdom had suited for, and his infinite Power would make Effectual unto its attainment. And this he did in such a way, as that those, who would not make use of his means, but would as it were impose that upon him which he never intended to make use of in that kind, perished in their Unbelief. Thus was it with the Generality of the Jews, who would have Perfection by the Law, or none at all.