The Sinners Safety if Here He Look for Assurance

To make your calling & election sure.

THere are diverse ends of our virtuous living in religion; To show our love and thankfulness to God in obedience; to win such as are not yet called; to confirm the converted; to stop the mouths of the wicked, shaming them by well doing when they speak ill of us; to make our calling and election sure, as the Apostle here exhorteth; to assure to our selves that inward graces in us are true, and not counterfeit; to show that we are truly engrafted into Christ; and lastly, for the mutual benefit one of another, for our quiet peaceableness in the Church and Common-wealth. These ends of good works we find in the word: these we acknowledge & know to be attained by well living; but that popish point of good works we may not approve, to do good works to merit heaven by in any sort, a devise of man without the word. It taketh away from the sufficiency of Christ's satisfaction: it lifteth up the heart of man in the imagination of his own worthiness: it is contrary to Christ's words, When you have done all you can, you are unprofitable servants.

The godly are commended for good works, but not said thereby to merit; rewarded they are, but it is only in mercy: our best deeds are imperfect; & so far as we rely upon works of the law, so far are we accursed, and have lost righteousness by faith in Christ: before God we stand just in Christ's justice, the form of our justification is the imputation of Christ's righteousness, or the mutual donation and acception (the giving and receiving) of Christ Jesus, between God in his mercy and a poor sinner by faith. Our goodness is a menstruous cloth, and none wholly sanctified in perfection. In Adam we lost our spiritual life: In Christ and by him only and alone, we purchase our primary happiness, but not perfectly till we be in heaven in our own persons. Accursedly blind, therefore, as beetles are our Antichristian adversaries, who having so many ends of good works prescribed plainly by the Word, yet cannot see them, but have added one of their own, against all truth, against the honor of Christ, yea and a man's own salvation.

And thus much to prevent the adversary in his heresy of merit by works: of which we had occasion to speak both from the Apostles scope, urging to a virtuous life by the argument here laid down, the gaining of assurance of salvation thereby; as also from the diverse reading of this text; for in some copies it is thus: To make sure by good works your calling and election, and so it is in the vulgar which is commonly called Jerome's translation: which may well stand with the drift of the text and truth of divinity in this point; as that very reason added to this exhortation sufficiently confirmeth. Let the adversary pervert good things as he pleaseth, verity is warrantable: Words of good works sound well ever to religious minds, though perverse spirits wrest them heretically to an ill end. But to proceed;

Two general lessons may be collected from this matter of the exhortatiō:

[Doctrine.] First, that it is no easy thing to be in our selves sure of our salvation, and settled in the way of life; because the Apostle urgeth us to so great diligence, care, and endeavor about it: which if it were easy needed not. Light things ask not much labor; easy things are soon done, and wisdom requireth not to be much about a little: therefore in that, whereunto the spirit presseth with such reason, & urgeth with so earnest an exhortation, as here; there is difficulty, & to attain thereunto it is not easy? And for proof of this doctrine, let us weigh I beseech you, how hard a thing it is to enter into the way; to abide in it being entered; how easy to decline from the right way; & what trouble is in the recovery, if ever we return back at all.

Before we come to God, sure we are the devils; no child so like his father, as we be like Satan our grād fire, who doth rule us, & that as he pleaseth: strong hold he hath of us: easily he will not let us go. In our saviors time, he tormented, rent & tore the bodies of men, whom he possessed, before he would let go his hold; so loath is he to lose us, not of love, but to devour us. If thus he strive to keep possession of the body, how hard it is to win out of his hands body and soul? whereto if we add our own madness herein, that we unwillingly are delivered, rather resisting the means, and persecuting the messengers sent to recouver us that would bring us into the state of grace, then any way willingly yielding our selves for our bettering; we cannot but grant it true, that it is hard for us to enter into the way of salvation.

We are naturally like wild beasts, loath to be tamed; we can better away to be sauages, to live in our corruptions after our lusts, then walk in any orderly course, if unpleasing to the flesh. What ado is there to win men from their wickedness? some of us from our whoredom, some from drunkenness, some from blasphemous oaths, some from greedy covetousness, some from superstition, some from one thing, some from another, but especially from our beloved personal sin? God may thunder from heaven against rebellious Israelites, but they will not amend: Christ may lay lode upon the conscience of Judas, and tell him, that it were better he had never been borne, then to be a traitor to the son of man; but it cannot stay him, covetousness so hath taken hold upon him: John the Baptist may call the Pharisees a generation of vipers, yet will they still eat out their Mothers side, and keep their conditions: And he may perhaps by long and much labor bring Herod to do this and that, but Herodias will he not forsake: So love we to live in sin, least Satan should wholly lose v 〈…〉 nd God fully enjoy us. We need n 〈…〉 her confirmation herein, but the witness of our own hearts. Many Sermons have we heard, some after one manner, some after another, to bring us into the right way: our consciences have accused us often, & caused us to fear wrath and destruction: good examples of other before us; God's mercies motives over us; his chasticemēts upon us; & the rule of reason within us to reduce us; yet have we not left off to do wickedly: as if we had sworn with a high hand to resist both God and all good men, to bring upon our selves deserved damnation: forlorn caitifs & accursed wights may we think our selves, and hence condescend to this infallible truth, that it is very hard to begin to be good.

As it is not easy to enter into the strait gate: so is it a thing of no less difficulty to abide, having set foot into that path of peace. For we being in the state of grace, though we have true graces, yet are we not therein perfect; and the imperfection of good argueth so much of corruption; this affecteth corrupt things, and pulleth us from the desire of that which is holy. Hence is it, that a man findeth in him a continual combat, sometime the flesh prevailing, sometime the spirit: with faith is doubting: with will is an unwillingness, a proneness to evil; but to do good is not present with us: whereupon it cometh to pass, that we sin often, and every sin interrupteth the comforts of a peaceable conscience; which maketh us call into question the assurance of salvation, and worketh much sorrow of heart: so that every man may with the Apostle cry out saying, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Upon this our imperfect state & corruption, Satan doth take advantage, he layeth baits to allure us, and snares to entrap us, according to our personal infirmities, from our natural disposition; he maketh motions by internal suggestions, or else prepareth external objects for the senses to draw away the heart: by both or either are we deceived; he tempting, and we either yielding, or but weakly resisting. Thus brought he out of the way perfect Adam, just Lot, faithful Abraham, meek Moses, holy Aaron, zealous David, strong Sampson, and that wise Solomon. What man was ever encountered and not overcome, if GOD did not aide the best graces with his second grace? We then see it to be as hard, to abide, as to make entrance into the way of salvation.

Easily we slip out of the way, hardly go we on, back can we run fast: but when we are gone from home, we make small haste to return again: long lay David in his sin, ere he recovered, till the Prophet Nathan came and awoke him in these plain terms saying, thou art the man. Satan giveth such attendance, if a child of God be taken wandering, as he can scarcely find the way home again: He either bewitcheth us so with pleasures, that we cannot return, or affrigheth us with fear, as Adam, that we dare not. If we get out of his hands again, and by God's good mercy outrunne him, yet is it with such striving, as we almost faint between fear to be held, and hope to escape: weighing God's justice with our sin, we dread damnation; considering our back slyding, scarcely dare we look for mercy, but with sighs, groans, & tears, we come lamenting to the throne of grace, confessing sometime with the prodigal son, Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee, I am not worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants: sometime confessing with the Publican and crying, Lord have mercy upon me a sinner, acknoledging with Ezra our unworthiness, saying, O my God I am confounded, and ashamed to lift up mine eyes unto thee, ô my God: and praying with David, Have mercy upon me (O Lord) for I am weak: O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed: return, O Lord, deliver my soul, save me for thy mercies sake. And thus it may be, after many tears, loud cries bitter weeping, and long suit made, we find at the length favor and pardon: He that cometh the easiliest, returneth with confession of vanity of vanities; all is but vanity in his mouth, and with vexation of spirit in the heart: but many cry, and weep. pouring down many a salt tear from the eye for their former folly, before they obtain mercy. Much trouble then and difficulty is in the recovery of a sinner.

To conclude, many men of excellent gifts, of great note in the Church, famous for worthy acts, have fallen, & never returned again: as appeareth in courageous and valiant Jehu, a captain for the Lord of hosts against the house of Ahab, who slew two kings, Jehoram and Ahaziah, of Judah and Israel: by him was Jezebel cast down that cursed Queen, and the dogs did eat her in the gates of Isreel; he overthrew Baal, his Priests and temple, he was zealous for the Lord and took Jonadab to be a witness thereof with him. So Demas entertained the Gospel, accompanied the Apostle in his afflictions, saluted the Saints, and was famous in Churches. Joash long lived religiously; he honored godly Iehotada, and was counseled by him, he repaired the Temple, and did many things worthy praise. Judas was a follower of Christ three years, he preached Christ; in his name cast out devils, and was an Apostle, one of the twelve, chosen by Christ out of all the world; yet was not Jehu his heart upright, but he embraced Jereboam's calves, and fell from God and clave to his Idolatry: yet did D • mas forsake the Gospel and entertained this present world, and no mention of his return again: yet did Joash fall to Idolatry and cruelty, overthrowing God's worship, and persecuting yea murthering his prophets without reap̄tance: And lastly Judas became a miserable miscreant, a thief, a traitor, and in horror of mind so desperate, as after the fact, being hopeless of mercy he hanged himself: Who readeth & feareth not? who heareth and trembles not? we see our beginning; is it easy thence to conclude our ending. Do we see such, so qualified, so famous men to fa •• utterly? & shall we presume of a better end without any such tokens of grace?

[Use.] By all this which hath been said, it is more then manifest that it is not easy to attain assurance of salvation. It is therefore altogether a fault in such, as labor the least in this matter. Of the world we fear to want: heaven we make no question of. For the body here we take care, and do upon every light occasion distrust & fall to shifts in fear of want: but for the soul we make our selves sure that it is well, albeit it doth want all the means of salvation, and we our selves live in our natural corruption unreformed. What is this but carnal presumption? it cometh from Satan's suggestion; A motion from the divine spirit it is not, where this giveth hope of heaven, there it moveth to goodness; this teacheth that the assurance of things above after death is beyond reason, and therefore more hard to be attained, then things below in this life present. Many ways are here to make supply for the body in earthly things; but one way for heavenly. Men may bestow upon thee for this time▪ but God only for the time to come: Thine own labor here may procure thee maintenance; and what thou canst not get, other may give thee: but no man can redeem a soul and give life, man must let that alone forever: here we are led by sense, but in the other by faith: money can here purchase, but only mercy there: man may deserve well of man, but nothing can he merit of God: We may be superiors amongst men, and yet touching the future good of the soul may be worse then beasts: Dives may fare deliciously every day, and yet be so far from assurance of life, as that he is damned at his death: All the world may we win, yet lose our own souls: David can tell us, that he never saw the righteous forsakē touching the things of this life, but the wicked flourishing, & yet come to a fearful end. The way is broad, and the gate wide, that leadeth to destruction, and many run that way; but the gate to heaven is straight, and the passage narrow, leading to life, and many seek it, but few find it: many set foot in the way, few go on any time; and of these few, some turn back again, and a very small number persevere to the end. Of the world we are, and the world will love her own: but we are incapable of grace, and enemies to goodness, so as God in justice abhorreth us. In the world we may live, though we have offended in many things, (keeping them secret from men) and never make satisfaction, but in another we cannot, if but one sin be unrepented of and God not satisfied, and the price of blood paid to redeem us by faith in Christ. Here offenses committed, may be pardoned by many (the King not taking notice of them) but there is no evil in the soul (though never so secret) but the King of heaven is acquainted with the same, and a pardon must be procured from his own person, and by none but by his own son: else that offender shall utterly be condemned, and pay the punishment duly forever, according to the trespass. Therefore if all these things be well considered, and the weight of the reasons seriously weighed, we may rather suppose our selves to be deluded by imagination, to think the assurance of salvation to be so easily attained, then to be the settlednes of our judgment from a grounded persuasion. And thus much for the first lesson.

[Doctrine.] The second lesson is this; that yet there is in this life a true assurance of salvation, in a certain measure, to everyone in time ordained to be saved: else the Apostle Peter here would not have exhorted us to labor for this assurance; which the Apostle S. Paul attained also unto in this life: which he publisheth not only singularly in the behalf of himself, but plurally for the rest of all those whom God loveth in Christ Jesus. Neither do I say that it is that fullness of faith, but a certain measure; nor at once, but by little and little; nor to every professor, but to such as are ordained to eternal life. And this is effected by meditation, inspiration, & sanctificatiō.

To have assurance, we must meditate of God's inchangeablenes, both in his own nature ( I am. 1. 17.) as also in his gifts and calling which are without repentance ( Rom. 11. 29) we must think upon God's everlasting decree without alteration: of his promises made irreuocably with the manner of delivery, in the time present ( John. 3. 36) He that believeth in the son hath everlasting life, to take away doubting, and to establish our harts in an assured possession thereof.

No less gain ariseth, by remembering the Lord's covenant which he maketh with his, & how it is a covenant everlasting, not for a time: and with such as he maketh it, he giveth them grace, & putteth his fear in their hearts, that they never depart from him. Ier. 32. 40.

Lastly we may establish our thoughts upon the ground of a man's salvation: The foundation of God remaineth sure, his free mercy in Christ Jesus choosing some to everlasting life: no inducement in mā: before we have being, our end is appointed: nothing good foreseen in us moving God: no way in us is there cause at all of our happiness, but begun frō God's free good pleasure, and established in Christ; out of whom we may not suppose any least thing that may be beneficial to work man's salvation, or to procure good to us, which is not freely given of God, and obtained by Christ alone without any respect of us at all. Whence, a penitent sinner may thus comfortably reason; God's I was, before I had my being, in my being by corruption of nature he found me his enemy, yet did he not hate me, but shown his mercy unto me: he ordained me before the world, that caused him in time to bring me into the world: my sins did not hinder the passage of mercy, because in Christ he would be satisfied for me: I will therefore surely conclude, that God remaining one in mercy, & Christ Jesus always well-pleasing to his father, the cause of my salvation being still one and the same, I will not doubt damnation, for falls of infirmity; when as God's mercy and Christ's merit prevented the same in mine obstinate standing in rebellion. Thus by meditation may we strengthen and settle our selves in assurance to be saved. Praise the Lord.

It pleaseth God to afford his childrē more in musing on heavenly comforts, then when men's thoughts are bestowed upon other things: he aideth them with his spirit, who openeth our eyes to see the secrets of the kingdom of God, and to know the things that are given us of God: who giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the children of God: which witness also is true and not lying, (as John saith). This is the spirit of adoption, by which we are sealed; and the earnest which he giveth, when he taketh us to be his. Have I then the spirit of Christ? I am Christ's; and in him there is no cōdamnation▪ ( Rom. 8. 1.)

Now least we be misled by Satan's delusion, and take it for the holy spirits inspiration, there is a third thing to be added, that is sanctification. For if we have the spirit of God, we are led by it; we walk not after the flesh, but savor the things of the spirit, which quickeneth our mortal bodies; by it we do mortify the deeds of the flesh; by it we are without fear, and dare come to God & cry Abba father: this spirit helpeth our infirmities in prayer, it maketh request for us with sighs that cannot be expressed. This is the witnessing of God's spirit with our spirit: it is not a bare motion, but a true persuasion from the effectual graces which it worketh in us, causing us to live in newness of life. This spirit witnesseth not to our spirit, if it be adulterous, nor to our drunken spirit, nor to our sweating, lying, blasphemous and railing spirit, nor to our profane and mocking spirit (if such we be) that we are the sons of God: no, no, for our conscience telleth us, that such are the sons of the Devil, and all persuasion of salvation is but Satan's deceiveable delusions to secure us in sin.

The holy spirit will not say we are coheirs with Christ & certain of heaven, whilst we walk on in wickedness; he teacheth in the scripture the contrary, and showeth that there is no peace to the wicked, they shall go into hell, and all the workers of in • quity.

[Use.] Therefore let us not think otherwise, but it is the spirit of Satan, and not the holy Ghost, that worketh an imagination of any certainty of sal • ation, whilst we live unsanctified, in our thoughts, unchanged in our speech, and unreformed in our conversation.

We see, that assurnace may be had by the foresaid means, it must make us strive by these means for it: which if we obtain; O blessed are we, salvation is come unto us, the comfort of all comforts. Through this assurance, though we fall, we rise again, and doubt not of mercy when we repent. We joy to heat of death, because we are persuaded to be with Christ, which is best of all; we fear not man, that only can kill the body, for that our souls are in safety: This maketh us desire to be taken from hence, and to be dissolved: This maketh us love and long after the coming of the Lord Jesus; saying how long Lord, whē Lord, O come Lord Jesus, come quickly: This (to conclude) freeth us frō all dread of any evil that may befall us, from the rigor of the law: it cannot condemn us; if it do, Christ Jesus acquitteth us▪ frō terror of conscience: it dare not accuse us; if it do, Christ will speak for us: frō deaths sting & dead stroke; it hath not right to rule over us: if it do, its but a while, Christ hath got the victory: frō the fierce wrath of the Judge in the last day, when he shall be before us, Angels on one hand; devils on another; about us the world burning; in million • of thousands conscience accusing, crying out to the mountains to cover them; hell gaping ready to devour all to whom Christ shall say, Go ye cursed with the Devil & his angels: But what terror can this be to the penitent, assured of life? none at all. The Devils cannot daunt us, the repentant hath his pardon: Angels will not disclaim us, they here have waited upon us: God will acknowledge us, we have his spirit the assurance of his love: And can the Judge Jesus Christ condemn us, who is our savior, and hath by his death aquitted us?

Lastly, we are freed from the horror of hell, where Devils & damned ghosts be; where pain is endless; the place darkness; the persons punished with fire and brimstone remediless; their noise is hydeous; weeping and wailing for time lost and not recoverable; howling & lamentably crying for time present and pains intolerable, they gnash with their teeth one upon another, their conscience accusing & cōntinually tormenting: They languish with pain, wishing to die: but they shall remain and ever be, though liueles • e, that their torment may be endless.

Sithen assurance of salvation here delivereth us from the dread of these things, what cause have we to use all means to get so great and unspeakable a good? Oh let us then meditate seriously, pray for the spirit ardently, and live here conscionably, that we may be therefore certain of our salvation, and so live eternally, Amen.

Your calling and election sure.

[Doctrine.] YOur calling, that is, which you have tasted of by the ministry & preaching of God's word; give all diligence to make it sure, see it be not vocal, but effectual; not a calling to an external profession, but to an internal sanctification blossoming forth in good works. Make this sure: but do you ask how? by good works, that is by knowing, feeling, and ever retaining such graces as are God's good works, wrought in a man effectually called, at the time of his conversion. The true knowledge of the Lord Jesus is a work of God in a man's conversion ( Act. 9. 5. 18) who openeth the eyes of the blind, turneth men from Satan to God, from darkness to the light ( Act. 26. 18) True sight of sin, with humiliatiō for the same is another: when certain were converted, they saw their sins, confessed them, & left them. Act. 2. 37. and. 19. 18. Faith in the Lord Jesus is another; the first grace of one truly standing in the state of grace: for he is not by the word called effectually, that believeth not faithfully; for hearing bring • believing: and such as are called of God, believe in the son ( John. 8. 30. Act. 8. 37). After this followeth a pliable heart to obey God: the stony heart removed, instead thereof God giveth a heart of flesh, yielding subjection to God, his word and spirit. ( Eze. 36. 26. 27.) This will make Paul going to persecute, ignorant of Christ, after one question made and answered, ( Who art thou Lord? I am Jesus whom thou persecutest ), in the next place to say, Lord what wilt thou that I do? not making anymore resistance. This made David ready to do anything willingly at God's bidding; yea, and it causeth us humbly to condescend to his good pleasure, and say with Hezekiah, The word of the Lord is good; with Eli, Its the Lord let him do what seemeth him good; and always with Jesus Christ, Father not my w •• • ut thy will be fulfilled. Lastly, the Lord worketh an union of heart & spirit with other in Christ : whereby it cometh to pass that we do conioine in one together one with another: thus, Act. 2, 42, the church is set forth, & in that verse are 8: graces of the Church; their constancy in this word they continued, in the next word daily their seruencie, with one acord their unity, in the Temple their audacity, in other words following, their charity, familiarity, alacrity & sincerity, unto which by the voice of Christ they were called, and wherewith we must be endued and therein continue, else we cannot make our calling sure.

[Use.] Therefore such as remain in blindness, such as are not humbled for sins, never came to the sight of them, never sorrowed or sought for pardon for thē, but live in their lusts, & loden themselves with iniquity; such as give not credyt to the word of God, believe not his faithful messengers; such as be obstinate & stubborn, refusing the easy yoke of Christ, or to draw with the godly therein, but rather mock at holy exercises, rail on such as desire to please God, endeavor to bring trouble unjustly upon them: these though they be come to external bare profession, yet sithen they are not come to reformation, by their calling, they cannot be sure that they are saved: they may live in the Church, but yet are none of it; tares they be, but none of the Lord's wheat: they are in that number of the many called, but not of the few that shall be saved: they are like the guest coming in without his wedding garment, whom the Lord one day will command to be bound hand and foot, and to be cast into utter darkness, where is weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

Calling and election. In the order of causes, election is before vocation: for therefore are we called, because we are elected. Rom. 8. but in searching out our salvation, according to the work wrought upon us, and the same felt in us, calling must be before election; so is it in justification and sanctification, that is before this, if we note the cause and effect; but this must we find in us, before the other, for our own assurance: sanctified we be in our own persons, but justified only in Christ's righteousness: Election is secret in God, and by effectual vocation known and revealed to us, and the first sensible work of GOD upon us touching souls safety: God cometh forward, beginning in and from himself to do us good; we, to find this, must go backward, from within our selves, by sanctification to justification, by vocation to election, and thence conclude our eternal salvation. Therefore is it that here the holy Ghost hath thus set down the words, and the like else where. The wisdom of God doth nothing without just cause: he breaks not order, as ignorant of order: neither sets down matter as mistaken; but ever to teach us from thence somewhat, which by the help of God's spirit we understanding may further to salvation.

[Doctrine.] From this order first we learn, how to make sure our election, if we have made sure our vocation. There is no doubt of the former, where we make certain the latter: and he that cannot find himself called, cannot possibly be truly persuaded, that he is one of the elect: for he hath not the next and immediate work of God following election, & going before justification. [Use.] Therefore to know our election, watch for our calling, follow the means, the ministry and preaching of God's word; the ordinary means to bring men to Christ. It pleaseth him by the foolishness thereof to save them that believe. It is the power of God to salvation: where this is carelessly neglected, such shall find no other means to be saved; and such as persecute it, may fear justly to be damned.

Sythen our election is made sure by our calling, and our calling confirmed to us, as is said; I need not say more of this: yet because the word affordeth us more marks to settle our selves in better assurance, a word thereof or two, also.

Our election is further made sure by other marks of the elect, if we find them in us, & they ever remain vpō us: which is, to be sanctified (1. Pet. 1. 2) fruitful in good things, ( John •• . 16) sequestered from the world ( John. 17. 6. & 15. 19) a note which is notto be loved of the mē of the world, perseverance ( John. 15. 16) following after Christ ( John. 10. 28) without departing from him (1. John. 2. 19) love to the godly, (1. John. 3. 14) faith in God's promises, and a holy reverence to God's ordinances, his word and sacraments: and he that continueth herein unto the end shall be saved.

Again this order observed preventeth presumption in the doctrine of predestination. If I be ordained to a certain end, saith the wicked wight, and that God's decree must stand, thē its no matter how I live, its all one to serve God or to live as I like best: if I be ordained to be saved I shall not be damned; if to damnation, its in vain to hope for heaven. It is true that God's decree shall stand, but its a desperate spirits collection, to hold therefore that we may live as we list. Election is secret, & so God's decree, his will unrevealed: whence we may gather nothing, but as the scripture, the written word, his revealed will teacheth. It avoucheth predestination, & God's vnchāgeable decree: but it saith, Work out your salvation with fear & trembling, & so beareth down presumption. It talketh of reprobation, but not to make mē desperate: for touching every man's self in particular, he is to hope the best, & may say with the king of Nineveh, Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away frō his fierce wrath that we perish not? Every man in particular by the revealed will of God is commanded to live religiously, and so bound to believe his own salvation: this word are we to live after, and strive we must to go in at the strait gate, hoping to find passage. No man is to judge himself to be damned, whilst he here liveth in the way to be saved, if he willfully refuse not the means. None will so reason from God's decree concerning the body; It is said, that man's days are determined, the number of his months are with God, & that he hath appointed the bounds which man cannot pass: who hereupon will thus resolve? then will I be careless of my life, I will neither eat nor drink, nor use means of life, because I cannot live beyond my appointed time. Herein is none so mad; but for all this, will use the means which God hath appointed to live by, for that his time is kept secret from him, and only known to God: even so should we do in this case, for our souls, use the means to live forever, so are we commanded: this we know; but whither God hath rejected us before the end, we know not: neither may any one herein make search, but understand in sobriety that which is meet, obey what is commanded, believe what is promised, and cease to imagined desperately, and sin not presumptuously, & hope well in the end. And so shall we make sure to ourselves that which is ever certain and unchangeable with God: this note. And thus much for the exhortation: the reason followeth.

For; a note of a reason of the exhortation which goeth before, concluded as an use from the former arguments: a grāmaticall observation in this conjunction, to be well marked; there is difference between for & therefore; both in this verse: for showeth the reason of that which goeth before, & therefore concludeth somewhat from the antecedent by necessary consequent. The thing chiefly herein to be marked is, that the Apostle neither ex • or • eth to practice, but upon manifold instructions before; neither endeth the use in the exhortatiō, without showing also further reason why: Thus he guardeth before and behind his words, urging by reason as did John the Baptist and our Savior, to well doing; that so they might take place. He well kn • w men's slowness to practice, and that they need have good grounds laid before them to build thereon the exhortation to obey, and also reasons after to persuade thereunto. All of us naturally affect to know; but without love to do: whence it is, that men unregenerate can run to hear sermons of controversies, (such as preach by sentences, that can now and then satisfy fantasie with some novelty) & return with their mouths full of praise, applauding the person, who hath • ailed happily to press all to practice, and sanctification of life. Learning is God's good gift, eloquence a singular blessing, wit and memory rare • auours, to make men amongst men honorable: but unless these be employed in the ministry to make men virtuous, as the Apostle doth here, Saint Paul in his Epistles, & as the Prophets did, and profound I see with his admirable eloquence, we may hear, learn, speak and admire, as without obedience, so without hope of that heavenly inheritance. [Use.] Therefore let our wit for invention of reasons, our learning to collect sound grounds, be guides to our liberty of speech in utterance, and this gift end in exhortation to good works, and to make men zealous. So deal we faithfully, the people shall reap benefit, and we that preach gain great comfort by our labors in winning souls, which only we ought to aim at, and therein rejoice.

If ye do these things. The conditional word, If, in the Original is not expressed, nor the person Ye; the words being, These doing: but the person and the condition is necessarily understood, and therefore expressed in the translation very fitly: which we following in the division of the Text, do take as granted implied in the text. [Doctrine.] Whence we learn, that God so promiseth assurance of salvation, as we have care in us, to live well and to keep the condition: the one cheereth the heart; but least we be wanton, the other is added to keep us in awe: but nevertheless, here may we not think therefore, that God's gift is not free, or that it is changeable, except we make it sure: no such end of the condition.

GOD first bestoweth freely, without anything on man's p •• t: so he gave Adam first 〈◊〉 preeminence over all his other creatures, and placed him freely in Paradise, without any forenamed condition, then afterward expresseth he man's duty to be performed, not as a cause procuring or continuing goodness, but as an effect of love in hearty thankfulness, or as a token and sign by which we may know God to be so long in us, and with us▪ God promised Christ, of his mere good pleasure; Adam never once desiring, no • at all deserving that favor • Christ came in the appointed time, and was freely given for us, of love in mercy and compassion; all this done truly, fully, and absolutely on God's part: yet after commanded he the obedience of faith, and promiseth salvation, with condition of believing, on our behalf; not as a cause, but as a sign by which men may know to whō Christ is freely given of the father, and in him have eternal life.

It is then, as if • eter had said; If ye do these things, you thereby have a true sign and token from God of his love everlasting and shall never fall from him: the like is that in the Psalm 15, 6. He that doth these things shall never fall.

[Use.] Therefore to attain to the benefit of this promise, let us here look to the condition; which is, carefully to exercise our selves in these virtues afore mentioned. First well doing, keepeth us from evil; every gift of grace is a sentinell to watch against the opposite vice, seeking entrance to the heart. Hold sobriety, drunkenness getteth no place: chastity preserveth from dishonesty; fervency of spirit cannot abide luke-warm to lodge with it; light liketh not of darkness; righteousness of unrighteousness; knowledge of Ignorance; nor godly humility of Sathanicall pride and arrogancy; & look how much we have of goodness, so much advantage get we against wickedness: every virtue advancing it self and keeping it proper place in the soul, when the contrary vice as • aileth it; Satan suggesting, and by outward objects enticing the heart to yield thereunto.

Secondly, these virtues are the fruits of the spirit: whence a mā may conclude, that he hath the spirit; and he which hath this hath Christ, without whom no redemption, no salvation. These virtues are pleasant flowers, which gathered, are asweete nosegay to garnish our souls with, for the Lord's delight. They are the guarison of the holy Ghost lodged in the soul, to keep out such evils, as yet have not entrance, and to bridle ill motions of the heart, daily arising, that we perish not. Thus much of thē in general. But let us, if but briefly weigh them in particular; and the goodness of them, will more allure us to love them.

Faith is the crown of graces, and the root of virtues; it maketh morality by the law, to turn into Christianity by the Gospel: without it we cannot please God: by it we make the word preached profitable: and by it we apprehend Christ, who satisfieth justice, asswageth wrath, bringeth down mercy, and heaven gates are open for us, and we enter, and take possession.

Virtue, integrity; the general word for a special, which is the breast-plate of righteousness, keeping countenance without blushing; it is the joy of the spirit, and maketh men bold as a Lyon: it dare answer at the bar to the best, & say truly, Not guilty; it desireth trial, and therein always getteth approbation, and credit of every cause; not fearing malice, though lying and deceit manage the matter with all the friends that may be made: it maketh man look up cheerfully unto God, and so resteth quiet in his own innocence.

Knowledge; it is the candle of the soul, the rule of actions, the discerner of causes, the Judge of controversies, the guide of affection, the bridle for the tongue, and the life of conscience, and the first motor to obedience: it saveth from error, condemneth heresy, and standeth always for verity, if perverseness of spirit turn it not into sophistry.

Temperance; knowledge is the first motor, this is moderator: it qualifieth & allayeth extremes; it is in nothing violent: it preventeth liking before lookeing; it stoppeth rage of lust, and brideleth appetite; it discusseth causes with deliberation; it ordereth words with discretion; hot spirits by it may expostulate injuries done without contention: by it, knowledge telleth his tale wisely, and integrity is bold with safety.

Patience, is the mother of peace, a strong back to bear all burdens; it saith nothing to reviling speeches, and is not an avenger of private injuries: it waiteth for accomplishment of promises long; it is the daughter of humility, and the safe conductor of integrity: by it we possess our souls, and the enemy getteth not advantage; it is never in want, dwelling always with contentment.

Godliness, this is the chief goodness; by sense we are better then the creature senseless; by reason, better then the beast; by religion, better then man only having reason; but godliness is the quintessence of religion: it is the especial fruit of faith, sincerities comfort, the principal end of all learning, the perfection of all knowledge, the creatures admiration, and here to the mightiest in the world their highest exaltation: godliness is great gain; it hath the promise of this life, and of the life to come.

Brotherly kindness, the procurer of love, the disposition of the heart, to do good to other; it granteth favor to every frined; it liveth ever in charity; it is merciful and lendeth, it is ready to do pleasures, and liberal without delay; it is the goodness of a merciful heart, pliable to every good work.

Love is the last, which is the fruit of brotherly kindness; the grace which the Apostle so highly extolles, and need not here to be stood upon: but I will conclude it, with that absolute commendation, that Love is the fulfilling of the law. And thus we see, what reason there is for us to have these excellent virtues, and to exercise our selves in them, that we may never fall: otherwise we are without certainty of our salvation and tokens of eternal comfort.

The loose and careless liver, the vicious and lewd man is here utterly left hopeless; he cannot look for heaven; the scripture tells him, that there he hath no enheritance: he that committeth sin is of the Devil, the reward is death, the wicked shall go into hell and all the people that forget God. If any, for better satisfaction, would know for what sins in particular death is threatened, and for which men are denied heaven; they shall find, that every sin unrepented of procureth damnation; but it pleaseth the holy Ghost to number up many particulars: the places not unfit to be mentioned, to see and consider of them, Rom. 1. 29. 30, are reckoned up three and twenty sins, Unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, couetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, of murder, of debate, of deceit, taking all things in evil part, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, doers of wrong, proud, boasters, inuenters of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, such as can never be appeased, merciless; for which, not only they that do them, but also that favor them that do them are worthy of death. In 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. are set down ten kinds of vicious persons; Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, wantons, buggerers, thieves, covetous, drunkerds, railers, and extortioners, which shall not inherit the kingdom of God. In Galatians. 5. 19. 20. are particularized seauenteene works of the flesh; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, gluttony: which who-so doth, shall not inherit life. In the second of Timothy, 3. 2. 3. 4. 5. are reckoned up nineteen sorts of the wicked and ungodly, who will rise up in the last days, when times shall be perilous: lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, cursed speakers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, intemperate, fierce, no lovers at all of them which are good, traitors, heady, hye minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, having a show of godliness but have denied the power thereof: from whom, such as truly profess Christ must turn away. In the Revelations, 21. 8. there are eight sortes threatened with the second death, and to be tormented in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: Fearefull, unbelieving, abhominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars. The spirit saith, Revelations, 21. 20, None defiled shall enter into heaven. But our savior in Mark. 7. 21. 22. whereto ad Math. 15. 19, telleth us of fourteen evils which defile a man. Evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, couetousness, wickedness, deceits, uncleanness, a wicked eye, backbiting, pride, foolishness, false testimonies, and slanders. And therefore such shall not inherit the kingdom of God and of Christ. These six be the chiefest places in all the new testament, setting forth so many particular vicious persons & hate full sins: wherein albeit, in some the same be again repeated; yet in all, there be distinct and several in number three score and odd, besides other sins mentioned in several places elsewhere, which without repenting of and forsaking, deprive men of life and salvation. If any of us yet bless our selves in our hearts hearing so plainly these things, then consider what the Lord saith to such, Deut. 29. 20. Great and fierce is the wrath of God against such a one. First he saith plainly that he will not be merciful unto him: secondly, that his wrath and his jealousy shall smoke against that man: thirdly, that every curse written in the book shall light upon him: as if the curses in the former chapter mentioned, above forty and three, were too few to plague such a presumptuous Catiffe; but all the curses in the book must light upon him; and lastly, the Lord will root out his name from under heaven, and separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel. What is this, but to deprive him of the communion of saints, and to pronounce sentence of damnation against him, in the last day? O therefore thou that hearest consider, as some that have heard it: If God's truth herein may be taken for truth with thee, if the anger of God may prevail to fear thee, if the fierce-wrath of God may terrify thee, if all the curses in God's book denounced may work any dread in thee; hope not vainly of mercy whilst thou livest unrepentant of any sin: let not conceit of pardon make thee put far from thee the evil day; for, surely else in one sin thou shalt be punished, and thine end confusion: mark, understand and pray.

Ye do. The condition is, if we do these things; not hear, learn, profess them: doing is that which hath with God approbation; after our deeds shall we be rewarded, Rom. 2. 6. Math. 16. 27. 2. Cor. 5. 10. Math. 25. 35. 42. [Use.] Therefore let us hope well, if we be doers: here is approved the reading in the exhortation, make your calling and election sure by good works: for the reason of assurance here, is from deeds: If ye do these things; that is, If ye show the fruits of these eight Christian virtues in good works, ye shall never fall.

This is seriously to be noted; for that most think to have eternal life, and yet are no doers of these things; but upon false evidences claim a right in that which without good works they shall never enjoy. For as assurance here, is upon condition, that we be doers: so there is nothing otherwise approved, though we do bring in many things to persuade us otherwise. 1 Thou art baptized, what then? Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but the keeping of the commandments. 1. Cor. 7. 19, but a new creature. Gal. 6. 15. 2 Thou art a hearer: what of this? Not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be justified. Rom 2. 13. He that heareth & doeth not, is a fool. Math. 7. 26, & deceiveth himself, • ames. 1. 22. [unspec 3] Thou knowest the will of God. never a whit better without obedience, thou shalt be beat̄ with many stripes, Luke 12. 47. thou increasest thy sin. Ia. 4. 17. and the scripture saith: He that saith he knoweth me, & keepeth not my commandments is a liar & there is no truth in him. Thou believest: [unspec 4] so do the devils, and more also; they fear & tremble, which thou dost not & so art worse then a devil: but if thou hast faith, show it by thy works, I am. 2. 8: else its dead, and thou a dry tree for the fire. Thou lovest God: then hearken: [unspec 5] This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. 1. John. 5. 3. [unspec 6] Thou hopest yet well; but without cause at all: for he that hath this hope in him purgeth himself as he is pure. 1. John. 3. 3 Thou fearest God: [unspec 7] then thou must ad with Solomon to it, fear God & keep his commandments; for they are never separated. Thou dost profess Christ the Lord: [unspec 8] so did the devils; but, Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, lord, shall enter in • o the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heavē. [unspec 9] Thou canst preach: a soūding brass & tinkling Cymball without works: many will say in the day of the Lord that they have prophesied and cast out devils, yet as workers of iniquity, God will reject them, & send them packing with devils. Mat. 7. 23. Thou usest to pray: but where no practice is, there is but hypocrisy; Let everyone that calleth on the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. 2. Tim. 3. 19: else may we call, but God will not hear us. Isai. 1. 15. [unspec 11] Thou happily dost fast: but it is no fast that God requireth, without obedience. Isa. 58. 6. 7. [unspec 12] Thou comest orderly to the Church; more of fashion then of sincerity, without doing God's will: God requireth it not at thine hands to tread in his courts, whilst thou livest unreformed •• ai. 1. 12. Thou makest the house of God a den of thieves. Ier. 7. 10, 11. [unspec 3] Thou payest duly tithes and offerings, and obseruest the appointed days to keep them holy: Without subjection to God's will and commandment; he is wearied with thē, he cannot suffer them, and to thyself they are iniquity, Isa. 1. 13. [unspec 14] Thou hast often good motions and flashes, making thee wish well to thyself; so had & did Balaam that wicked wisard. Thou hast more then so, [unspec 15] Thou canst be moved to weep now and then: so could Saul. 1. Sam. 24. 17, and Esau found no place to repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears. Heb. 12, 17. [unspec 16] Thou canst bow at the name of Jesus and often be made sad by the word, and canst in countenance and gesture carry thyself religiously: So Devils did fall down and worship Christ. Felix, he at the word trembled, and Ahab humbled himself before the Lord. 1. King. 21 27. 29. Scribes and Pharisees looked sad, and were in show full of gravity & holiness. Judas did show reverence to Christ and said, Hail master: yet Devils are damned spirits: Felix a heathen miscreant, Ahab an accursed Idolater, who had sold himself to work wickedly in the sight of the Lord, Scribes and Pharisees notorious hypocrites, and sworn enemies of Christ, and Judas was a devil and a traitor. And therefore its not bowing nor becking, nor lookeing sowrely upon the matter, neither any gesture or fawning fashions, that can without holy obedience make men persuade themselves truly of their happiness.

[unspec 17] Thou dost speak well of God and his ministers, praise them and commend them as they deserve: So did the Herodians commend Christ, with most high commendations, so as they could not speak better: So did the Pythonist so commend Paul and Barnabas, as no man can say more of the worthiest servants of God, nor more truly; yet the one sort Christ his enemies and the other possessed with a devil. Good words then cannot go away with it: we may like Sermons now and then, we may commend the preachers of God's word, and yet be out of the state of grace: to conclude, Thou musest of thy good meaning, though thou dost amiss: but remember, Uzzah had no ill meaning, To save the ark from falling, yet against God's word; for which it cost him his life. Mean well, but let the word rule thee, and live thereafter, and then doubt not to find peace forever.

[Use.] This I have urged, thus much: first to pull down the presumption of common and time serving protestants; and secondly against the Papists, who do say we allow not good works, but do make our religion a religion of liberty & of faith without works.

Doing. The word is in the time present, to show that only present doers may look for a blessing; God is I am; not I was, or will be: so must we all be now, that which we ought to be, Psal. 15, the question pronounced in the first verse, Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle, who shall rest in thy holy hill? the answer is made in the time present, he that walketh, worketh & speaketh; to show, that such (as is in the verse 5) shall never be moved.

This serves to reprove two sortes of persons: first such as have done well, men of the time past, but have fallen away frō that which they were; these are hopeless of heaven, except they return again, because they have lost that which should give them assurance, Well doing; also for that the scripture saith, that such can look for nothing but vengeance: Heb. 6. 10. Therefore if we have left off, either in whole or in part, let us return to our first love, else we shall never be able to answer it; for what do we dislike, that maketh us not either at all religious, or not so much as we have ben? the Author, that is God, the everliving God: matter, that is Jesus Christ, verity & holiness & virtue: manner, that is, in spirit & truth: the end, that is God's glory & our eternal sasafety: we therefore have no cause from religion it self to leave it; but the cause must be found, to be either the devil, as in Judas: or in the world, as in Demas, or the cursed corruption of our flesh, as in Solomon, that hath drawn us away from God to the Devil, from heaven to the earth, from the spirit to the flesh, a mad and miserable exchange: neither let any of us dream to be better for that we have been, except we be as we ought: For the righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. They that forsake the Lord shall be confounded: they that depart from him shall be written in the earth. Dogs are such as return to their vomit, and swine to wallow again in the mire. It will not serve Judas turn to say, I was an Apostle, no • Demas that he was a disciple, nor Jehu that he had a zeal for the Lord God of hosts, nor Joash that he was a good king for a time: for then would Satan shuffle in amongst the rest & hope to have a share, & might say; Lord let me have entrance, for I was an Angel in heaven, and so never were any of them. Brethren know this, If our lamps light go out before the bridegroom come, we may call, the gates being shut; but the Lord will say, Go ye cursed I know you not. Therefore let us take heed brethrē, least at any time, there be in any of us an evil heart of infidelity to depart from the living God.

Second sort are such as be all for the time to come, who have not yet attained to well doing, living in hope for hereafter; youth dreaming to see old age, and then think they, it is time enough to repent, as if it were not said: Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years approache wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them. May we give the first of our life and best of our years to the service of Satan? and think we that God will receive us in old age, when sin hath forsaken us and not we it? old persons suppose to live yet longer, and so defer off till the last gasp, when the general sūmoner hath called them upon their death bed; but late and constrained repentance is seldom true. Our time is not, when we will, but when God doth call; hear we must when he speaketh, or else he will not hearken when we pray. The first and best is his due; the last & worst of us, he justly may reject; our yielding to his will by his word, is voluntary subjection, which he accepteth; but to his will by his work, is constrained obedience for fear of destruction, which he little regardeth. God indeed received to mercy the thief in the last hour; this cannot be denied; but yet one only, though there were two; one, that a true penitent sinner may not despair; & but one, that ungodly willful trāgressours, may not presume. Many cannot hear the threats of the Law, for fear of desperation: yet can they willingly run on in sin, & so perish by presumption. By this, many millions of thousands have fallen headlong down into hell (remember what Christ said of Sodom & the old world) but the Scripture mentioneth few that have gone to destruction by desperation, Cain, Sau • e, Achitophel, & Judas. Dost thou hope, to speed as did the good thief? and why rather dost thou not fear to be like the bad thief? they both were in one case, had the like punishment, Christ between them, and death before thē: nay the worse thief had the good thieves rebuke & admonition to warn him of his wickedness, and to cease to sin; yet he had no grace to repent. Means will not prevail in the latter end, where God vouch safeth not the gift to amend: If thou dost persuade thyself, that God will give thee grace then to repent; thou art deceived, if now he offer grace and thou refuse it. At what time so-ever a sinner doth repent from the bottom of his heart, at that time will GOD freely forgive; but that time is not when we lift, God is not at our beck, but the time is at his call. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your harts: today if we be not ready, we shall be less apt tomorrow: the longer we continue in sin the older it is, and the more strength it getteth: It is not as other things, the older the weaker; but daily it groweth stronger. If we say we can repent when we will, that is not in our power: and if it be, then if thou dost not repent now, and can, thou encreasest sin by willful transgression, and so makest more just thy deserved damnation.

Therefore let us now amend, & not defer off till he eafter, when at death there is no remedy but either to heaven or to hell, to God or to the devil; in which case men hardly or never find that comfort which presumptuously they have exp • cted, but do die as they have lived in sin without sense or taste of joys everlasting, prepared only for the righteous: for, He that believeth in the son hath everlasting life; but he that obeyeth not the son, hath not life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him.

These things: that is which before he hath mentioned. Men do many things; some, the inventions of their own brain; some, the custom of forefathers; someone thing, some another: but not these things, that is which the word teacheth, the perfect rule of righteousness, from which we may not decline to the right hand or to the left; neither adding thereto nor taking there from: for if we do, we keep not our standing, we lose our comfort, and wander without our guide we know not whither; some wholly as Aposta • ates; some in part persisting obstinately as heretics; some against love as schismatics; and most as lawless, for our lives like profane Esau's, will despise our birthrights and sell heaven, souls health, conscience comfort, the words of eternal life for a mease of pottage, even for our momentary pleasures, lusts and liking in this life.

Many there are which will do this thing and that thing: these singularly, but not these things plurally; when a mā desirous of the assurance of salvation, must be studious of every virtue, which helpeth thereunto: It is the nature of virtue to love virtue: whence it is that one virtuous man imitateth another, wherein one seeth another to go before him any way. One, two, or few virtues cannot live, where other virtues are either hated or not sought after: one dependeth upon another, as links in a chain, and cannot be sundered; we may not be like Agryppa almost a Christian, for almost is not a Christian; neither content our selves with many things, as Herod, though with gladness; whilst we nourish some sin, and be infected but with one notorious vice. God will have all of us or none of us; though Satan desireth but any least part, he well knowing that where he hath anything at all, God will have there nothing at all. He that breaketh one of the least of these commandments shall be the least in the kingdom of God: James saith, He that breaketh one is guilty of all; and one vice is enough to overthrow • s, though we have some virtues: one sin of couetousness overthrew Judas; the desire of a bribe got Gehazi the leprosy; Sampson his lust, lost him his strength and eyes: Cain's envy made him so to sin as he became accursed: Ishmael's mocking cast him forth: Esau's profaneness lost him his birth-right: Eli his indulgency was his breaknecke: Michols deryding spirit made her barren: and Ananias, for hypocrisy, was a spectacle of judgment to others: Herod, albeit he do many things, yet will have his Herodias, his beloved sin still, for enjoying whereof we are content to leave other vices. I will, saith the boone companion, do anything and let me be but drunk: And I saith the carnal caitiff, and let me but satisfy my lust, be wanton, live in dalliance and commit filthiness: And I saith the covetous man, and let me gain goods and wealth: And I saith the proud man, and yield me honor; little knowing that such a master-sin is not without his many attendants: It ruleth; but the other have their power, to which the miserable is also in bondage unwittingly: for we must know that no one vice will be singled out from his fellows: but if one get head, other have gone before as harbengers, and other wait and follow after as Assistants: one breedeth another, and one nourisheth another continually. Examples hereof, not only in the wicked, who heap sin upon sin, as Joash murder to his Idolatry, Judas treason to his covetousness: but even in the falls of the faithful children of GOD; David his lying in the bed and gazing idly abroad, bred his lust, lust adultery, and adultery murder.

Therefore such as suppose to walk with a party coloured coat, between virtue and vice, or rather with some virtues, and some vices, these men yet know not that virtue will dwell alone, as God; or vice alone; they are contraries, they never can accord in one; where virtues are carelessly neglected, there no one virtue hath full possession; and where any one sin beareth sway, there viciousness is Lord & master.

Therefore let us not do this or that virtue, for so may we sinisterly; but endeavor to do all, and this is right. Many men go under a good name by civil honesty, either thorough restrained nature, or good education in commendable manners of civility, who are far from sanctification and the graces of the spirit. They do many actions of virtue, either of a custom or by imitation, or respectively for this or that person, for this or that by-end; but not for virtue it self: neither do they show fruits of virtue, other then may preserve common honesty, their credit to live amongst mē, & to procure them praise; secret or less public they regard not: duties of holiness, prayer, reading the scripture, sāctifying of the Sabaoth, instruction of their family, countenancing of the word preached, and such like, they be so far from, as they mock at men herein zealously affected: for vices which they shun, they be such only, as be discōmodious, or odious amongst men that have but common honesty: but to swear in ordinary communication, to be companions with men superior in place, how wicked soever, they make no conscience of, neither of many other evils which by the rule of godliness are odious to God and such as sincerely seek him. A sanctified spirit doth not thus shuffle things together, neither maketh a mixture of that which cannot be compounded: but they truly hate all vice, & are affected to every good thing; and become in their place, after the measure of grace given them, doers of these things.

But least natural men should carp & say, Belike I would have men here without sin, or else to be without grace; & unless we do all things, we do nothing: I answer, It is not mine intendment to teach any such thing; but that mē should leave sin to the utmost, & not dally with any; that they should do virtuously & live in purpose of heart, and will, without sin. Legal obedience is beyond our power to perform, which is after the exactness of the law, the commanders holiness, and man's perfection by creation, which we have lost, and is not here in our own persons recoverable, whatsoever the Phari • a • cal Papists say to the contrary: but I speak of obedience and virtuous living Evangelically; which is an earnest endeavor in love & thankfulness to God for his mercies in Christ, in faith apprehending his merits, in whom we be acceptable and welpleasing to God, in truth and sincerity of heart to do whatsoever we are commanded, and is commended unto us: which will appear by our joy in well doing, by our prayers and holy desires to do well, by our fear to offend, & by our sorrow when we fail in our duties; wherein stands the perfection of the best Christian: we can neither be equal to the law to fulfill it, nor go beyond to do more any way to merit. S. Paul in his Apostolical estate found imperfections: And Hezekiah could speak of vprightness, but of no perfectiō. And thus much for the condition of the promise.

Ye shall never fall. Ye shall never s • ip or slide down, ye shall not come to any hurt: the word here used is drawn from the body to the mind, and is diversely taken in scripture; sometime for sin; Prov. 24. 16. therefore is the word so translated in the vulgar translation: sometime for destruction. 2. Sam. 3. 38. 1. Cor. 10. 8. sometime to be down on a sudden, so as a standing and course is not kept; which is the common signification thereof. All these three may here very fitly stand, Ye shall not sin, ye shall not be destroyed, ye shall not decline from your standing, to fall away from the state of grace, whereunto ye are called. And therefore here I will speak of them all, as reasons to spur us on to a virtuous life, which is the scope of the words.

[Doctrine.] Ye shall not sin. Virtuous men sin not. He that committeth sin is of the Devil, and he that is borne of GOD sinneth not: yet he that saith he hath no sin • s a • yer, and the truth is not in him. It is true nevertheless, that he which abideth in Christ sinneth not, such do commit none iniquity; to wit, first in God's acceptation, according to that saying, He saw none iniquity in Jacob, nor transgression in Israel: their sins shall not be found saith Jeremiah: and the reason is, because the Lord will be merciful unto them; secondly in Christ's satisfaction, in whom we are the righteousness of God, and in him there is no condemnation. Thirdly in a godly man's will; for as the Apostle saith, good they would do; and wherein they do evil, they sorrow and would not do; and herein the will stands for the deed. Lastly in respect of time; for as the child of God sinneth not wholly, so neither finally; for God hath put his fear into him, that he shall never depart from him; but if he fall, he shall not be cast off, for the Lord putteth under his hand. Thus the virtuous sin not: and this grace shall be attained unto by such as do these things, saith Peter.

[Use.] Now this reason hath great force to persuade us to be virtuous: to be free from sin is blessedness, as David affirmeth in Psal. 32. 1. 2. This blessing can we not better know, then to consider what it is to sin, and to live in it. It is the state of corruption, service to the Devil, contempt of Christ's death, the resistance of grace, the racing out of God's image, the bearing upon us the D • uels likeness: it is cause of calamities, the curse in our calling, the eating canker in the soul; the object of God's wrath, and deaths sting: it breaketh the union between God and us, it maketh conscience to accuse, and the law to condemn, it maketh our life miserable, death fearful and the last day terrible: and to conclude, by it we lose heaven, Angels attendance, saints society, and all celestial comforts eternally; and we purchase hell; fiends attend us, devils accompany us, the cursed crew of damned souls abide with us, and we utterly deprive our selves of all good, & live in woe and pains everlastingly; This is to sin, this is to live in sin; and not to sin is to be acceptable to God, in Christ righteous, our will pliable to his bidding, and our end comfortable as we to goodness are conformeable.

[Doctrine.] Ye shall not be destroyed. The virtuous, as they sin not, so they perish not. Godliness hath the promise of this life, and of the life to come: there is no cause of fear then; A great inducement to live virtuously, we all naturally fear destruction, we desire to prevent it no greater joy then to be sure of safe •• [Use.] then let us live uprightly, embrace virtue, & shun vice carefully: destruction remaineth for the ungodly, but peace and mercy to Zion and upon the Israel of God. Let Pharaoh be drowned, the Israelites shall pass over safely: wicked Israelites may be destroyed, yet faithful Caleb and Joshua shall live: Lotte shall escape, when Sodom shall flame with fire, and all the inhabitants thereof: And Noah with his shall be alive in the Ark, when the whole world shall have an end.

Thus, virtuous men have a Supersedeas against God's justice, not of merit but in mercy: their souls be sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb, so that the Angel of wrath must pass over their persons: they are aforehand marked in the forehead, for that they mourn & cry for the abominations which they see: these, the Angel must not so much as touch, whē they be cōmanded to smite other without pity. O let us therefore live virtuously, and be doers of these things.

Ye shall not leave your standing. You shall never, as David saith, be moved, you shall not like dogs return to the vomit again, nor like swine to the mire: it is Christ's promise, None shall pluck them out of his hands whom he hath chosen: the more they exercise virtue, the more they love it, and grow more zealous in it. David findeth the words of God sweeter then honey, and the keeping of the commandments more precious then pearls: so is it with everyone, that seeketh GOD in righteousness.

[Use.] This keeping of our standing that we fall not away, is also a forcible reason to move us to exercise our selves in these virtues. What more comfort then ever to abide with God in the state of grace? to call God father, Christ (the Judge) our blessed savior, the holy Ghost our comforter, glorious Angels our fellow servant • , earth our right, and heaven our inheritance? And what more uncomfortable, then by falling away to bid adue to God, to grace & to goodness? It is to cause the Lord to abhor us and to bid the Devil take us: It is to run from under God's protection, and to seek death and destruction: who therefore would not live in doing virtuously, to keep his standing in the state of grace that he fall not away?

Doubt not of falling, if thou live in Evangelical obedience, & in these virtues: thou hast a perpetual pledge of God's love, even by thy godly life, his promises are annexed to such a one; by well doing thou hast assurance of deliverance, and art in God's service; and he that hath called thee, will mercifully reward thee in the end. But many have fallen thou wilt say: true; from what they seemed to be, but not indeed from what they were: their gifts were common favors, but not the special graces of election: they never attained unto the aforenamed Evangelical obedience; secretly they were hypocrites: none fall finally, but the good things they do, are done sinisterly, as appeareth in Jehu; and they nourish some sin which doth break out at the length openly, as in Judas is manifest. Search therefore thyself how thou standest: if uprightly with fear, love, and in humility; fear not to fall finally. The elect fall for a time, as we see in David: but they so continue not ever; this is the fall of a reprobate.

If you demand how in falling we may know the difference between the elect and reprobate, it may appear thus to a man; first by the truth of grace before the fall; by the remainder of grace in falling, with a kind of fear and with some struggling unwilling to yield, and yet through infirmity & violence of affection, forced to yield; for the godly truly converted cannot sin after, with full consent: Lastly, after the fall to be checked in conscience; and though for a time they do lie in sin, yet then, not without the Lord's external chastisements to make them remember themselves, & when a faithful messenger cometh, as Nathan, to say thou art the man, David yieldeth and saith I have sinned; which the reprobate do not.

If further through fear, thou that art in the state of grace dost object Satan's pour; he shall not prevail; Christ hath overcome him. Math. 4. And his triumph is thy victory, so read it and believe. If thou dread the world, Christ saith, Be of good comfort I have overcome the world. John. 16. 33. If the flesh which overthrew Solomon, & conquered Sampson: he that is in Christ hath mortified the deeds of the flesh; and why was Christ pure, but to subdue thy corruption? If yet thou say, But for all this, thou mayest be overcome by many temptations & fall away in time of persecution, remember that God will not try thee above thy strength. 1. Cor. 10. 13. And for other afflictions for Christ, in them thou shalt be more then a conqueror through him that loved us. Rom 8. 37. And I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. verse. 38. 39. But many false teachers shall arise: true to deceive certainly the reprobate, and to beguile the elect, if it were possible. Math 24. 24. But therefore it may be inferred that it is an impossible thing; be humble and meek, for them that be m •• ke will he guide in judgment, and teach the humble his way. Psal. 25. 9. Love the truth for the truths sake, & God will not give thee over to believe lies, as he doth those that have not a love of the truth. 2. Thes. 2. 10. Oh, but I fear, my daily offenses will cause the Lord to cast me off, to take his grace from me, & so shall I fall finally. For this know, that the best sinneth often▪ & it is not sinning but the lying in sin that dāneth: If thou canst confess sin & forsake it, thou shalt have mercy. Prov. 28. 13. though thou dost fall, thou shalt not be cast off, for the Lord putteth under his hand. Psal. 37. 24. To conclude, the Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make them his people. 1. Sam. 12. 22. Thus said Samuel to Israel to comfort them, even when they had greatly offended God.

Therefore let Satan roar, and compass the earth, Job is hedged about: let the world lie in wickedness, the elect shall see light to come out; the flesh is strong, but the spirit of God is stronger to cast it out, to subdue and kill it: persecution shall not overcome; the love of Christ will contstrain us to hold. False teachers shall not mislead us so, but we shall see & return, or prevent them before: & though we sin, yet this doth not condemn us, for no Christians; but that we are weak, and not wholly freed frō corruptions. Here is no perfection, here is uprightness to be had; hold this, beware of hypocrisy; strive to perfection, that thou mayest after attain it in glory. So beloved shall no sin reign over us, grace shall grow in us, peace shall be upon us, faith shall set comfort before us, this wretched world shall not bewitch us, pleasures shall not deceive us, nor anything cause us to miscarry, but that we shall run on & run out our race with joy, until the full end of our days. Which, the Father of mercy, & the God of all comforts grant unto us, for his sons sake, Christ Jesus. To whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be everlasting praise and glory, for this his grace, and all other his mercies, now and henceforth for evermore.