3 a, !! ever he will be ſaved, For thoſe Words in 37h, Them 1 I #7 172 Riches, TI rake them rather, to give the reafon of ie Diteulry, than to be an Abacemenc of whar he had before
-_ {21d Es Th = —— Ns . . . p 4 Porto #17 in Riches is to place an Happineſs in them, to pro
St MATTHEW
ficulry of kaving Ric hes, and nor placit;z our Felicity in them : oerng ſecure becauſe of them, and having our Hearts cleave u;- to them, ſo as we cannor deny our ſelves in them, ro cbey 3ty Command of God : And the ſuftering them to be Temprations to us, to Pride, Luxury, Ambition, Oppreſſizn, Contempt, and D-- JPifing of others, Coverouſneſs, &, Upon theſe Accounts cur S4- viour goeth on, and faith, It 3s ezſffer fir a Camel 7" 20 through JE"
Eve of a Needle, than for a Rich Min tn enter int" the Kinoa'm © God, Which doubrleſs was 4 Proverbial Expreſſt-n in ute then 1- monegft che Jews, ro ſignine a thing of erear Dithculcy, by terms :tmporting Impoſſibilicy : Or, elfeche Phrate may tioniie an in2- potſibilicy, withour the extraordinary Influence or Divine Graco as Our Saviour feemerh to expound 1t in the nexr Yertos, ;
23 When his diſciples heard it, they wereexcecd- ingly amazed, ſaying, Who then can be taved :
26 Put Jeſus beheld them, and {aid unto them.
J * Pg. Py . *. . y 4 With men this is impo{lible, but * with Gcd all things are poltible.
Mart: faith, -They were aftoniſhed out of Meſure, ſymg amme themſelves, &c. All three Evangcliſts 2gree in the fame Sub- ſtance of che other Words. Bur why are the Difciples-amazed ? Or, why do they lay, who chen can be ſaved? Are Tere Not in ail Places more Poor than Rich Perſons? The Dilciples might rea- fonably conclude, that Poor Pertons were by their Poverty alſo expoted ro many great and dangerous Teinprations ; that even they, tho' they had nor Riches, ver mizhr coo much place Felicity in them, and Cover whar they had n-t ; and irom hence Collett a Difficulty tor any ro ger to Heaven. Our Saviour f11ch unto them, | 1!i7h 3ten this 3s impoſſible, but with God all rhings a-- P:ſble.) Is Men indeed were lcir all co themtelves, none would be ſaved; the Blackamoor cannoc change his Skin, nor the Le9- þ.wrd his Sp3ts. Bur Ged can bring Men to Heaven by the mighty Power of his Grace, he can chanze a Rich Man's Kearr, and take ir oft trom roo much Love of Riches, and make him to detpile and*contemn his Wealth, and to pur his Truſt in the Livin God : Or, a Poor Man's Heart, and make him alſo Poor in Spirir, and Rich in Grace.
27 * Then anſivered Peter. and ſaid unto him, + Behold, we have tortaken all, and followed thee; what {hall we have therefore :
28 And Jeſus ſaid unto them, Verily I ſay unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regene- ration, when the Son of man {hall fit in the throne of his glory, *-ye alto ſhall fit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of I{racl.
Mark and Luke repeateth the Words of Peter in parr, bur nei- cher of chem have chiis pare ot our Lord's Anfiver, particu- larly reſpeG&ting his Apoſties. We heard betore, Ch. 4. 18, 21, of Peter, and Andrew, and Fames, and John's forſuking all, and fol- lowing of Chrijt when he called them, the others doubrlets did the fame: Peter obferving, that our Saviour lad nor the Strets ot Men's Salvation, either upon Riches, or Poverty, bur upon the Frame of Men's Spirits, cheir Humility, Selt-dental, their O- bedience to, and Readineſs to tollow him; rejoynerh ciiete Words, and faich, We have forſaken all, und followed thee, what ſhall we have ? Somie think that he had an Expecarion of ſome- thing in this Lite, according to the Notion which the other Jews had, and it 15apparent, the Ditciples tiad fome Tintture of a ſe- cular Kingdom which the Merz ſhould excrcite. Bur confider- ing our Lord's tormer Diſcourte could net be fo incerprered, and the Diſciples queſtion, Who then cen be ſaved? | c.nnot 2 gree thats And for the fame reaton I cannot agree, rhar 7: coming of the Son of Man in hs G!ory, mentioned v. 28. ſhould be underſtood of his coming in his Mediatory Kingdom, (as ſome would have ir) bur of his laſt coming, which 1s moſt properly cal- led, The coming of the Son of Man in his Gl5ry, mentioned i The/. 4+ 15,15, 17. ud. 14. and that the ching here promited ro che Apoſtles 15s nor a Preterence 1n tne Church, bura turther De- Tree of Honour, and Glory in the Day of Judgment. | Yu which have follnwed me in the Regeneration : | That 1s, at this time, while I have been by my Dodrine Reforming the World ; In che Regeneration of my Church, while I have been purcing it into 4 new Stare. Some make rhote Words, In the Regeneration, to re ter to the next Words. In the Regeneration : That is, In the D.:y of Judgment, when Chriſt thall come in his Glory. The Apa- {tle indeed, A&Fs 3. 21. calletch thar Day, 77 time of the Reſtitu- tim-of all things. And the Prophet tpeaks of it, as the c:me ot the New Heavens, and New Earth, I}. 65. 22. So doth rie Apo- ſtie,. 2 Pet. 3.13. and Fn, 1n Rev. 21. 1. It 1s nor much ma- rerial ro which part we apply the term. | 7ou that have followed Mme.) Thar is, who have tollowed, and tha!ll go on, and tollow me; tor this Promiſe cannot belong to 745 the Son of Perdict- on: | 7 ſhall fit upon twelve Thrones. | Judges and Princes uſe to have 4ſſo/Þrs that fir wich chem in Judgmenc, He mentions twelve Thrones, becaute he had now rwelve Diſciples, his Apoſtles; and tho” afterward ud teil away, yet Matthias ſucceeded. 4&; 1. 25. $0 as the rwelve Thrones ſhall not be empry, but nlled up wich ewelve that followed Chriſt (tor ſuch a one was J/.:7741- as, As 1. 21.) [ Judging the twelue Trives of Iſrael.) Tio' the Tribes were Thirteen, yet they ufually went under the Notion of Twelve, becauſe Levi was not counted, as having no parti- cular Poficfion : Thar is, judging the Z08 {or their Linbelict, and nor Reception ot me : Judging orhers alfo; bur Judgmenr {hall begin ar che Houte of God. Doubtlets ch1s Promiſe 1m- ports, that the Apoſtles ſhall have a higher Place 1n Glory ac
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MOEVG Cur ſelves a Security from them, 1D as to be c.rc!cts of
I Firer ou +1 , - ON : i = +
Oar Happineſs, Pſal. 49. 6.47 52. 7. 1 Tim. 6. 17. That
4k} MIKE 't fo Nard tor a Rici Man to be laved, is the Dij- Y 1f
che zrear Day than ordinary Belicvers: Yer the Apoſtle Luigi, Tv? Saints ſh.atl jadge the World, 1 Cor. 5. 2.