The vvorldes resurrection, or The generall calling of the Iewes A familiar commentary vpon the eleuenth chapter of Saint Paul to the Romaines, according to the sence of Scripture, and the consent of the most iudicious interpreters, wherein aboue fiftie notable questions are soundly answered, and the particular doctrines, reasons and vses of euery verse, are profitable and plainly deliuered. By Thomas Draxe. Minister of the word of God.

Haue they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid.

Here we may note and obserue Gods goodnesse,* 1.1 and the constancie of his eternall loue in Christ to his chil∣dren; whom hee loueth once,* 1.2 hee loueth euer, hee doth not for the vnthankfulnesse of many or most, breake off all occasion to doe good to his (though neuer so few in number, and neuer so odious and contemptible in the world,) If there bee but one Noah and his family in the world that truly serueth him, hee will remember and saue them, when all the world besides perisheth. If there be but one Lot in Sodome, hee shall bee preserued when all the rest are consumed; though Christs flocke bee a little flock, yet they shall inherite a kingdome: and they whom the Lord shall finde waking and well dooing at his comming (albeit they bee neuer so rare) they shall be blessed.* 1.3

The reason is, Gods couenant is vnchangeable, and reacheth vnto a thousand generations, and the infidelity of men cannot make his faith and truth in performance of his promises of none effect:* 1.4 Secondly God is iust, and doth not (as wee see amongst men) punish and condemne the iust for the vniust.

Vse. This must encourage and confirme vs in the course of godlinesse, and in sauing our selues from the common corruption of faith or manners, wee shall not loose our reward. Bee the times neuer so corrupt, religi∣on neuer so abolished, sinne neuer so rife, Atheisme and superstition neuer so much swarme and abound, yet God thinketh neuer the worse of his, or thereby taketh an occasion to handle them roughly: but hee maketh a distinction and difference betweene the righteous and the wicked,* 1.5 betweene him that serueth God, and him that serueth him not.

2. Vse. Here is condemned the bad and vniust practise of some, that for one man of a calling or profession that falleth and offendeth, taketh occasion rashlye to

censure and condemne all; as though all the Apostles should be condemned of couetousnesse and treason be∣cause Iudas was such; or all holy Deacons of Apostacie, Idolatry and fornication, because Nicholaus proued to be such; or all professors of lying and indirect dealing, be∣cause Ananias and Saphyra his wife were detected to be such, and therefore extraordinarily punished, whereas in this bad and worst world, wee may meruaile that any remaines good, rather then all or most are such. Se∣condly, the number of the good is euer farre lesse then the number of the wicked.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doctr.
• * 1.2

  Iohn. 13.3.
• * 1.3

  Luk. 12. v. 37.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 3. v. 3••
• * 1.5

  Mal. 3.8.