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LECTƲRE VIII.
Ve••se 8. For God is my record, how I long after you all from the very heart root in Iesus Christ.
9. And this I pray, that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all iudgement.
NOw then, the first thing which here I note, is the Apostles vehement protes∣tation, not concerning any triuiall and ordinarie matter, but touching his sin∣cere and feruent loue of the Philippians, nor to small or no purpose, but to winne their attention vnto the word of their saluation more gladly. For he protesteth & sweareth, an oath being no∣thing else but a calling of God to witnesse of that wee speake, for their assurance to whom wee sweare, which whole definition is in this protestation; hee protesteth sayeth, and sweareth vnto the Philipp. that he longeth af∣ter them all, and greatly loueth them all from the very heart roote in Iesus Christ, that so being perswaded of his loue, they might giue the better heed vnto the things he wrote. Whence I obserue that a protestation, or an oath by God, when the glory of God, or the good of our neighbour doth require it, may very lawfully bee made. And this is proued, first from the nature and de∣finition of an oath. For, what is an oath? It is, as euen now we heard, an holy and religious calling of God to witnes, of the truth of that we speake, for their assurance vnto whom we speake; as here the Apostle for the Phi∣lippians assurance of his sincere loue of them, calleth God to witnes how he longeth after them all, how greatly he