1. The truth of God needeth not the boulstering of mans devises.
2. The Apostle is speaking there of the finall deliverance of the creature from the bondage of corruption: which is not cleared by that cohabitation of beasts, unlesse wee will be content with a small portion of deliverance, for the generall deliverance of the creature: which kind of contentment these Authours will not acknowledge in the accomplishment of the promises, no, nor in a fuller measure. The Authour collecteth nothing particularly from that text Isa. 65.25. neither is there any word there of the Jewish Monarchy; and seeing it hath the same allegorie with that chap. 11. wee goe forward.
1. The truth of God, say you, needeth not the boulstering of mans devices. And mans devices, say wee, are not a boulstering, but a be∣reaving; are not an upholding, but a destroying of the truth of God. But what is the device which you have found here? is it not the comparing of one place of Scripture with another, which speakes plainly of the same thing? and is not this warranted by the generall approbation of Divines, for a very remarkable rule in the right interpreting of the Scriptures? you cannot denie it. The device then which you speake of, is but a device of yours to make the Reader baulk the onely light Gods word holds out un∣to him for the true discoverie of the Apostles meaning, that so he may stick the closer to that sense, which mans device hath put up∣on it.
2. The Apostle saith, the creature it selfe also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, &c. and the Prophet saith, the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lie downe with the Kid—and the Cow and the Beare shall feed together. Whereby he shewes both what these creatures bondage of corruption is, and what their deliverance from it: whereby he shewes, I say, that the wild, un∣tamed, and hurtfull disposition which these creatures are now sub∣ject unto, is their bondage of corruption: and that the re-estating of them into that mild, peacefull, and harmlesse condition in which they were first created, shall be their deliverance from it. And when