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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04269	A seasonable discourse of spirituall stedfastnesse wherein, 1. it, and a relapse, with the heads, members. and degrees of both, are exactly defined. 2. The subiects, causes, and symptomes of the fearfull sinne of apostasie cleerely expressed. As also directions, incentiues, to recouer, re-inkindle the old-cold-declining zelot. Together with arguments, motiues, that the young, or strong standing convert may be in grace firmely established. By I.B. preacher of the word.	Barlow, John, b. 1580 or 81.	1627 (1627)	STC 1439.5; ESTC S120873	89,672	290

applie the Apostles phrase 2. Cor. 6.12 We are not made straight in God but in our owne bowels David could pen more Psalmes in time of warre than we haue leisure to read in these daies of peace Luk. 7.9 The Centurion in gleaning gathered more faith than we reape who haue the full harvest I speake it to thy shame henceforward make no such complaints but see what God doth for thy soule and let thy growth and the meanes be equall He who thus doth Rom. 2.4 doth well And whereunto the Lords bountifullnesse should I am sure ought to induce him III. Neither will I omit thee O thou decaied and declin ng Christian who hast wasted part of thy stocke diminished thy store What merchandise of more worth What gaine to the increase of grace Shall not then the losse be equall The dammage proportionable Will it not grieue the husbandman to see his tenderest plants wither The rankest corne become blasted Doth not a consuming body breed sorrow Presage death and what patient in such a case if not growne desperat seekes not recoverie The Prodigall Gamster doth he not sigh at his losse And with an eager mind play at get againe Shalt thou then suffer this precious treasure to waste Permit the buds of grace to pine Perish O see thou doe not so but seeke to the Physitian betimes take restoratiues to recover thy former health thy wonted strength Hos 2.7 Returne to thy first husband For at that time was it not better with thee than now What content comfort canst thou finde in praier that 's cold Short And not mixed with fervencie Will flesh halfe boyled delight the palate Nourish the body Hath not the Lord threatned Rev. 3.16 to spue the luke-warme Christian out of his mouth Can he away with a sluggard A non-proficient in his service Doth not our master expect to receiue his talents with advantage And shall not the idle servant be condemned Awake therefore Eph. 5.16 thou who sleepest stand vp from the dead And Christ shall giue thee light more increase of grace Consider how thou art fallen into what a pittifull case thou hast plunged thy soule And tye thy selfe to thy ancient taske vse a constant course in holy actions every day reade some portion of Christs loue-letters See his great affection how friendly he invites thee and be allured Psal 119.25 Call and cry Lord quicken me cause thy face to shine giue me the spirit of life and power restore me to the wonted ioy of thy salvation Psal 80.3 Psal 51.12 Wash thee seven times in the river Iordan bath thy selfe in the poole of repentance sing Psalmes in secret And get thee into the company of the strongest hotest Christians So shall thy flesh become as a childs the leprie of sinne weare away thy vigour returne thy hart waxe warme burne within thee Loue-songs no more inflame lust than the song of songs increase stirre vp grace What bangling kite with a loftie flier mendes not her pitch What fainting beleeuer with one who staggers not but will grow in fa th Suppose thou findest in thy selfe a backwardnesse to good duties Shall not the omission thereof make thee more vnfit the next season Vse limmes and haue limmes is our English proverbe vse grace haue grace a Christians experiment But if all this moue thee not to recouer thy decaied stock to do thy former workes then thus reason why may not I shrinke backe Retyre Proue an Apostate Or Iob. 31.14 how shal I answer God when he returns to iudgement Sure I am that if thou be his he will not long suffer thee to sit on thy lees but remoue thee from vessel to vessell How long Ier. 48.11 thinkest thou will the Lord indure thy lingring Brooke thy wambling Take heed lest one of these daies he boyle thee vp by some sharpe schorching fire of afflictiō What if the spirit of feare should re-fall thee 1 Sam. 16.14 The sword of thine enemie pierce thee The spreading plague infect thee The food of thy soule be taken from thee Or thou Amos. 8.11 by some foule publicke offence left to scandalize thy profession Then hast thou not spunne a faire threed Will not thy ill husbandrie prick thy fingers Shalt thou not goe mourning all thy life long And at the last leaue a weake evidence a feeble testimonie of thy soundnesse of thy salvation behind thee 1. Cor. 15.34 Awake therefore to do righteously Think and thinke againe of these things set them before the eye of thy soule Iudg. 16.3 So shalt thou as Samp●on when he saw the Philistines approach neere him gather thy forces together vp beg●n and f●●e for thy life IIII. Now in the conclusion I haue a word of exhortation vnto thee thou thou who hast kept what thou hast And n●t consumed the least mite of thy stocke Psal 87.4 Thinke not that this is all which G●d requireth of thee but grow still Proceed from strength to strength be rooted deeply grounded in the grace of Christ Iesus Col 1.23 and 2.7 Spreade thy branches farre and wide shoote vp and sprout on high be strong as an ell-boare Let no vacuitie as nature admits not any be in thy vessel but be filled to the brimme Be a mightie valiant man exceed the godly 1 Sam. 10 23. as much in this spirituall growth as Saul the common subiects in corporall who was higher by the head and shoulders Christians should resemble the most honorable of Davids worthies equall the first three Yea 1. Chro. 11 21. like the brethren of Gedeon every one be as the child of a king Iudg 8.18 A waster of his stocke is much condemned So is a Dwarfe in stature derided Shall we then decrease our heavenly substance Or with the North-pole be still at a stand Let the motion of other men somewhat incite thee provoke thee who are never satisfied Eph. 5.18 When Drunkards are filled with wine be thou with the spirit When thou seest an Elimas a Sorcerer full of the Devill with Barnabas Acts 13.9.10 be thou filled with faith and the holie Ghost When worldlings whose portion is in this life ayme at stately buildings Large possessions great ruffes cuffes let thy care and scope be to excell in this one thing necessarie Luk. 10.42 exceed them as much in grace as they thee in the contrarie graine For thus to doe is acceptable to God Mat. 16.28 profitable for thee For all men What if a man could winne the whole world yet want grace would it be any benefit vnto him Whereto may I compare him who hath much many things yet without grace But to a peece charged with shot not equalled with powder Will Can such a person discharge his calling Be liberall to pious vses No no his coine lyes rusting in his chest Luk. 7.5.9 Acts. 9.39 2 Tim. 1. vlt. his corne rotting in

not to the weakest member I haue no need of thee make no pharisaicall comparisons Luk. 18.11 c. lest the Publican goe away iustified thy selfe not Haue I not seene yong converts outstrip the aged Thessalonica was not first called yet exceld her sisters Davids worthies were they all the eldest sonnes Consult and giue sentence 4. Also avoide sinne Thess 5.22 abstaine from every appearance of evill Aboue all things doubtingly doe nothing the least slip makes way to a fall any wavering act will vnsettle the soule When men grow over-bold in walking neere the brinke at vnawares may they tumble downe He who will doe all he may shall now and then do what he would not I am sure should not A smal moate in the eie wil weaken it cause it to water And to discerne the externall obiects but darkly dimmely Is not that man blessed Rom. 14.22 23. who condemneth not himselfe in the thing which he alloweth And he that doubteth if he eate is he not condemned For he doth it not of faith And an act not effected in faith is it not a sinne Overventurous Merchants haue lost all 5. Neglect no meanes not the weakest Everie ordinance of God is good if lawfully vsed What if it begin not the worke May it not further it When the children of the Church hang all on one breast haue not their mothers teates in any equall proportion of acceptation shall not the father draw that dugge dry we so much desire to sucke at With-hould the milke of grace from flowing thereat thorow into the Cisterne of our soules And as none are to be reiected So with constancie let them all be vsed Rather had I for the cursorie performance of a dutie be checked than for a totall omission condemned Wherefore heare read meditate pray however dully deadly for intermission will not helpe but hinder against another season 6. Consider that they only who persevere shall but besaved all revolting Apostate must perish What the which is necessarie if thou recover Will it not cost thee much toile Great torment grace once lost is not with ease regot This playing at get againe as Gamsters speake is alwaies without comfort often without commoditie If there be therefore any true ioy in thy soule the least spark of the Spirit kindled cherish it conserue it Reade not these things without regard view them not with a slight eie but with anxious devotion the most serious meditation Let others harmes teach thee to beware And know this one thing for certaine it may be the Preacher speakes by experience Rev. 2.4 that if thou loose thy first live thou wilt be wearie of thy life never eat or drinke with comfort And but a dreame of death will cause thy haire to bristle Iob. 5. vlt. thy hart to tremble in thy body Heare this and learne it for thy selfe for thy good Vse 6 And this doctrine may serue to instruct those who be about to step into the way and course of a Christian that they looke fa●re before-hand what another day may bring foorth what they are incident vnto Some become proselits pricke forward at the first but a none giue in and tyre Where lies the cause They knew not that grace got might be lost stedfastnes obtained much decayed A wise builder casts vp his accounts not only what expence it will cost him to lay the foundation reare the wall steake the roofe paint and perfect the whole edifice but also being finished to support it conserue it This vse Christ Iesus the cheife Architector makes of it presseth it seemeth from the same ground And backes it with a strong reason For if he doe not will not his neighbors mocke h●m Luk. 14.29.30 and say This man began to build but was not able to make an end Wherefore thou that art almost a Christian and resolued altogether to be one minde this And to my power at this thy entrance I shall lend thee my helping hand 1. Rules of direction for yong converts Before thou set a foot in this good way place one stone in this new building be carefull to lay a sure foundation He who errs in the entrance the further he travailes of necessitie must the more wander And that house which is founded on the vnsetled sends Mat. 7.24 of certaine will fall Ignorance of the truth and worth of our profession are the ring leaders to bac●slyding What made the Ap●stles and common people so resolute being opposed persecuted imprisoned They knew the words of eternall l●fe that the Gospell they preach and professed Ioh. 6.68 Rom. 1.16 was the power of God to saluation He who begins well may ende well when he that doth not without a change cannot Col. 3.2 2. In the next place withdraw thine affections from the things below Fixe them on things aboue No man can serue two contrarie masters Mat. 6.24 God and mammon For follow the one And flee from the other The yong man who had great possessions possessing his hart at the first step gaue backe the like made Demas to revolt When men will be Christs Disciples and shake not hands with this world Amos 3.6 they never stand The old saying was is there any evill in a Citie and God hath not done it Thus Now is there any back slider and the loue of money hath not turned him 1 Cor. 7.31 He who would dye rich in grace must resolue to liue poore or as the wicked their knowledge vse the world as if he vsed it not 3. See thou prepare for the worst as hope for the best Mat. 10.34 He who is forearmed must be forewarned Christ told his followers he came to set fire cause the sword The Iew expecting peace and prosperitie when his hops failed fell from the faith Haue I not beheld a man in a common muster march in furie Charge and discharge Breake pike vpon pike as one skilfull valorous And for all this in a hot skirmish the report of a peice hath caused him to quake the fall of his next fellow strucke him with so great a feare that he hath stood as one halfe dead and gathering heart was first in the flight Wherefore if thou wouldest prooue a worthie warriour of Iesus Christs campe Heb. 22.1.4 fit thy selfe to fight in the Cannons mouth to resist vnto blood For vnexpected crosses wound deepe kill deadly 4. And when thou hast gone this three fold step then march on with deliberation Mat. 26.70 For violent motions though sometimes strong yet seldome are the p●rmanent Aguish fits breed flushings blazing Comets soonest fall hastie curres bite least heady horses quickly tire The trumpets sound was lowder lowder So a Christians pace should be faster faster The wind riseth by degrees the spirit bloweth stiffest last else suspect its a counterfeit blast Grace may in this without danger imitate nature Shall you not see a weake spring breake foorth at the side

To the Saints and Angels nor in you They all make him the like answer Mat. 2.5.9 the fiue wise did to the foolish virgins goe thy way at the most we haue but enough for our selues Onely when he lookes vp to Iesus then he seeth sufficient for all though for the present he hath but receiued a little portion scarce any in his owne apprehension But as a voluntarie motion is an act of a living Creature So is Spirituall povertie of a gracious Christian Also if when men feele the want of it in iudgement they approue of it and in minde highlie esteeme of it is not the weakest argument that they haue it For do but demand of them what is good before God The best thing in Saint or Angell Their reply will be Grace grace Eph. 2.1.3 For what is the reasonable creature without it but a sencelesse blocke A dead carkasse And a child of wrath Defiling the earth infecting the ayre provoking the heavens neere vnto cursing Heb. 6.8 everlasting burning Want and worth are graces inseparable companions the contrarie corruptions ring-leaders and the evident tokens of gracelesse persons 3. After these two proceeds an earnest desire to be partaker of it and hungring and thirsting for it else for ought I know thou hast cause to question the truth of thy Sanctification A very cast-away say some may goe thus farre that is see the want and worth of it yea eagerly hunger and thirst after it But I am not of their opinion For hungring and thirsting are actions of a living not a dead man And is not the promise of blessednesse Mat 5.6 made to such Doest thou esteeme grace aboue thy appointed food Prize it more Iob. 23.12 than thousands of silver or ten thousand riu●rs of oyle Mich. 6.7 Account all things nothing in comparison of it And often and earn●stly cryest O how I long for grace Then be of good comfort the water of life the guest of grace is come to thy house 4. Adde to the former three care and constancie in the vse of the meanes whereby it is begunne and increased And that will seale vp all Dost thou heare the word in s●ason And out of seas●n Iob. 27 10. Call vpon God at all times in publike Private Meditate in the law of God night and day Come often to the table of the Lord Psal 1.2 to drinke the water of life Eate the bread of heaven Psal 16.3 Art thou a companion to the excellent Cryest thou to Ministers Sirs what shall I doe to grow in grace Then grace thou hast For these are not the motions of the flesh but of the Spirit 5. Art thou yet in doubt Then tell me what conflict thou hast within thee Gen. 25.22 Feelest thou twinnes strugling in thy wombe Cryest thou often why am I thus Is any Christians condition Lam. 1.12 like to my conition Then thou art borne of God grace is formed in thee indeed Fire and water will quarrell on the same hearth Gal. 5.17 So will grace corruption in the same heart for these latter as the former are contraries When all is peace at home the old-man possesseth the house A gracious man hath an vniversall strife within himselfe Mat. 12.29 for reason against reason iudgement against iudgement will against will and affection against affection will be at variance But if thou feele this kind of combate waxe not faint but gather heart for God hath begunne his good worke in thee Rev. 17.14 thou art called faithful chosen and thy captaine Christ hath led thee to skirmish against his and thine enemies in the sands of Sanctification 6. Finally doth Sathan now more tempt thee than in times past Why this is not the least marke of Christs sheep The Dev●ll is like a gentleman thiefe who breaketh into a rich mans house not a poore naked cottage carrieth a way as the Israelites did from the Egyptians Exod. 12.35 Siluer plate golden eare-rings and the choicest Iewells Not as the Gibeonits are said to meete Ioshua withall Iosh 9.4.5 Mouldie bread rent bottels old shoes clowted This red Dragon like a bloodie butcher so long as we trudge the blind steps to the slaughter-house of hell as direct as he can guide vs and as fast as he would haue vs he keepeth himselfe a farre off whistleth some pleasant note in our eares for should he hallow out some feare full noise of temptation we like frighted cattell might stand still throw vp the head looke about snuffe and runne foorth of the road-way but when by the spirit of God our eyes are vnseeled we smell the danger before vs begin to stay our steps and alt●r our paths then straight shall we haue a band of the cruell Mastiues of his temptations to fly in our faces plucke vs by the throat that if possible we might returne into the bl●cke path of damnation wherein we had informer time walked Proue thy selfe now examine thy owne soule And if thou canst say in truth that the forenamed things are in thee and strong and strange temptations be fall thee be thou then assured in some degree thou art Sanctified question the matter no more but withal speed and diligence set thy selfe to increase it Now because as Elias said to Elishah 2. King 2.10 this is no easie taske which is required of thee take these rules following to direct thee to the better performance of this so commendable so profitable a dutie And first Helpes to grow in grace 1. Wouldest thou grow in grac● Then emptie thy soule of corruption These twinnes will not thrive in the same wombe 1. Cor. 5.7 For if the old-man increase the new must decrease the destruct●on of the former is the generation of the latter This Ishmael must be throwne out else ill will it fare with brother Isaak This Barabbas is to be crucified or the Babe Iesus shall Plucke vp the cockell wil not the good graine flourish So mortifie the flesh and reviue the Spirit 1 Thess 5.22 2 Take heed of actuall sinne for a double wound followes such a blow It strengthens the old weakens the new-man what is that but fuell to the flesh quench-coale to the spirit Banish then all evill workes from thine hands rotten speech from thy tongue and vaine motions out of thy minde As Christ the money-changers whip all kinde of wickednesse cast it foorth of thy temple spare not any vnder what pretence soever 3. Neglect not the least meanes Heare reade meditate fast pray receiue the Lords supper and haue none of his ordinances in contempt Put not them a sunder Christ hath coupled together Col. 3.16 lest he stoppe that pipe roll a stone on that wells mouth wherat thou delightest to drinke most Iam. 6.13.14 God would haue all the Vessels and instruments of the Sanctuarie had in honour the water of life into the cisterne of our soule fl wes