On the other side, we may observe when holy men in Scripturef have been in any notable manner honoured by God, he hath been pleased so to order it, that some intercurrent providence or other should fall out to humble them, lest they should be too highly exalted in their own thoughts. It was so withg David: After his Kingdom settled, and great Victories over enemies obtained, steps in a great sin, which humbled and afflicted him all his life after. So with hHezekiah, after he had been raised up by a great deliverance from a potent enemy, and a sentence of death, he falls into a sin of pride and vainglory, upon which the Lord revealed unto him his purpose of leading his people and children into captivity, and giving up his Treasures into the hands of the King of Babylon; which caused him to humble himself for the pride of his heart. ⟨p. 3⟩So withi Paul, he was caught up to the third Heavens, and heard unspeakable words, and saw visions of the Lord; but withal there was given him a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, left he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations. And so it was with Peter here in this Chapter, He made a glorious confession of Christ the Messiah,5 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God; and Christ highly honoured him for it;6 And I also say unto thee, saith Christ, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church: Which* though we are to understand principally of the Rock which he had confessed, as the Learned expound it; yet there is something of* special honour therein bestowed upon Peter. We read in Scripture of a two-fold foundation of the Church; A personal foundation, which is but one; for other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid, which is Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. 3. 11. And a Doctrinal foundation; for the Church is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Ephes. 2. 20. and so we read of Twelve foundations in the new Jerusalem, Revel. 21. 14. Now, amongst these, as Peter had the precedence in faith, to make the first confession of Christ to be the Messiah; so he had the honour to be the first of those twelve Foundations, who should first of all plant the Gospel, and gather a Church unto Christ after his Resurrection, as we find he did, Acts 2.
On the other side, we may observe when holy men in Scripturef have been in any notable manner honoured by God, he hath been pleased so to order it, that some intercurrent providence or other should fall out to humble them, lest they should be too highly exalted in their owne thoughts. It was so withg David: After his Kingdom setled, and great Victories over enemies obtained, steps in a great sin, which humbled and afflicted him all his life after. So with hHezekiah, after he had been raised up by a great deliverance from a potent enemy, and a sentence of death, hee falls into a sin of pride and vainglory, upon which the Lord revealed unto him his purpose of leading his people and children into captivity, and giving up his Treasures into the hands of the King of Babylon; which caused him to humble himself for the pride of his heart. ⟨p. 3⟩So withi Paul, hee was caught up to the third Heavens, and heard unspeakable words, and saw visions of the Lord; but withall there was given him a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, left he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations. And so it was with Peter here in this Chapter, Hee made a glorious confession of Christ the Messiah,5 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God; and Christ highly honoured him for it;6 And I also say unto thee, saith Christ, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church: Which* though we are to understand principally of the Rock which he had confessed, as the Learned expound it; yet there is something of* speciall honour therein bestowed upon Peter. We read in Scripture of a two-fold foundation of the Church; A personall foundation, which is but one; for other foundation can no man lay, then that is laid, which is Christ Iesus, 1 Cor. 3. 11. And a Doctrinal foundation; for the Church is said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles,
- f[Greek or Hebrew] Arian. Epist. lib. 3. cap. 24.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Arian. Epist. lib. 3. cap. 24.
- g2 Sam. 11.
- h2 Kin. 20.
- i2 Cor. 12. 7.
- 5vers. 16.
- 6vers. 18.
- *Aug. Chrysost. Hilarius. Vid. Dr. Reynolds Conference with Hast. cap. 2. Divis. 1.
- *Camero tom. 2. pag. 50, 60. in quarto.
