this chapter, iFey watred for his Son from Heaven, The latter in +1. ſecoad chapter 14th verie, Te likewiſe have ſuffered like thingy {;.,., your own Country-men, 4s they (i, e. The Churches of Ful.r2) ;/ p Woes the Fews, This latter is here ſpecially meant in the Text. And 5&5 which he gives God thanks, 2. Thefſ. 1. 4. And hope produceth th. former patience, as it looks upon the expected good, as that which, will come at laſt, and the latter patience, as it looks upon the {17 tered evil, as that which will not always continne, And when xir1 reſpect to both theſe the mind of man is kept ſeate and quiet, this is the patience of hope. q Or, of our Lord Jelus Chriſt, as «1; efhcient and Author of this hope, and of their Faith and its wor! and love, and its labour ; or iz our Lord Feſus Chriſt, as here req!) ! and fo he is the object of this hope, 1 Cor, 15.19. 1 in, And by this the Chriſtian's hope is diſtinguiſhed from all other, a hope worketh patience. The Husbandman's hope to receive rh« fy. mer and latter rain, maketh him wait for it with patience, 4s; 5. 7. The hope of the Merchant for the return of his Adventure, the hope of the Heir for his Inheritance; but the Chriſtians hope wor;;. th patience as fixed upon Chrift; other nope reſteth upon the thins; of this lower viſible World, but this is as an «#chor ſure and ſte}: og. ring within the vail, where Chriſt is entred as a fore-1unne;, &- Ab, 6. ulr, Faith and Love, both have Chrift for their o5jet ; hb: conſidered as preſent ; but the Patience of hope in Chriit rc!p-&ct!; ſomething future, ſome revelation of him, and ſalvation by him, wh: is yet to come. If we bope for that wz ſee not, then do we with pati-n.; wats for it, Rom, $8.25, r Theſe words are not in the Syriack or 4- rabick Verſion. And they reſpett either the Apoſtles Thank{pivings and Prayer for them, and his remembring the grace of God in thc: when he ſolemnly approached God's prefence : For in all Duties 9: Worſhip we-come before God, and preſent our felyes in his fot and their Graces he before mentioned, he remembred them to Gui, and preſented them to his view: Or they reſet the Omnilcience of God, that their work of Faith, labour of love, G&c. ucre a!l in God's fight, and he was a delightful Spectator of them. Or 1iftly, They may reſpe& the ſincerity of their hearts in all the a&inos of their Faith, Love, and Hope; they did all as in the fight of God. As the Apoitle afferts his -lincerity in his Miniftry by this, I/e je: 4s In the /ight of God, 2 Cor. 2.17, And thus the Apoſtle mc; ons their Graces, not as the Heathen Orators, who made orcac diene—pe- 3s of Virtue to the praiſe of men, but to the Honour 474 praiſe of God,
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of God's Spirit, the Apoſtle knew their Ele&ion of God, know Election as in God's ſecret Decree, but as made manifeſt in Fruits and effe&ts of it. As there is a knowledge of things # privri, when we argue from the Cauſe to the Effect, fo 4 pn/tcriori, -whicn we argue from the Effeds to the Cauſe. And thus the Apottle came to know their Election, Not we hope it or con jecture it, hut we know it, and not by extraordinary Revclation, but by evileat outward Tokens, And if the Apoftle knew this, why ſh:u'd w2 think they themſelves might not know it alſo? And rhe words may be read, Te knoving your Eletion of Gol, And Eleftion in ports the chuting of ſome out of others ; for Ele&ion cannot «© 1 prehend all, Some deny all Eternal Elettion of par: ilar pert ; and make it a Temporal ſeparation of perſons to God in their © 11 verſion ; but is not this Separation from a preexiſting Decree ? ©:4 domg all things according to rhe counſel of bis own will, Egh, 1.11, OC they will yield an Eternal Election of perſons, but only conditional. One condition whereof is perſeverance to the end. But the Apolile aſſerts their EleQion at preſent before he ſaw their pe: {7 rerance,
and affection to you, you might perceive that we were men |
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: The former part of the verſe aſſerts the Reaſons on which the \-
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racles, and had powertul Operation upon your h The Power ©
God went along with our Miniſtry, which did not with the falſe Ers, 1 Cor. 4.19, And the Kingdom of God is not \ort, but ver. 20, x Either in 2ifts of rhe Holy Ghoft which ye receive, 0rt! Power which ye felt from the Goſpel upon your Jicarts, through the Holy Ghoſt, That they might not think it was ci niftry, or the Word alone that had this Power upon them. 7 \ ving full alient co the Truth of the Goſpel without donbring v1 parts, or preached to you with much confidence an i!tti 41ce 07 part, The former ſenle is beſt. And there is an allo: in bc word to a Ship riding upon the Sea with a full Gale, and nur turned vt of its courſe by a contrary Wind, Your Faith "I'rinmpi 0.0 yn Waves of all Objeftions, Diſputes, or heſitations'of mind, For douPt- ings of mind do much hinder the Power of ths Vert upon ths heart, And this afſurance they had from the Holy Glwit. 7 \Ve did not carry our ſelves among you like ordinary men, Þut_»y Our a- borioulneſs, and zeal in preaching, or patient ſutterins tor the Gol- pel we preached, by our Holy Converſation, by our denyal of Our {eIVC3
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4 Knowing, brethren beloved, * your || election of* 27:
s Another ground of his thankſgiving for them. By the manner gf" or, | their receiving the Goſpel and the evident operation of the Graces” "oo. We cannoth,.
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