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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

made And by him For the father worketh hither to and he worketh And for him Thou art worthie O Lord Rev. 4.11 to receiue honor and glorie and power For thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are Eccle. 12.1 and were created Haue we not a command to remember him who formed vs Psal 147.9 Doe not the Ravens looke vp vnto him The windes and Sea obey him And shall we Christians then be ignorant of him Certainely Mar. 4.41 this were a sinne Iob. 31.12 would eate vp all our increase a fire would devoure to destruction Reas 3 And what to be desired effects will this knowledge worke 1 Pet. 1.8 For who ever knew Christ but was infl●med with the loue of him Acts 9.6 Stood in great awe of him Psal 116.7 Humbled himselfe before him Put his confidence in him And said Soule returne vnto thy rest The Oxe Isa 1.3 knoweth his owner the Asse his masters cribbe and shall not man be acquainted with his Lord Is it not eternall life Io. 17.3 to know Christ Iesus Everlasting death to be ignorant of him Tell me What was the Gentiles mis●ry but that they were strangers from him Eph 4.18 The Athenians sinne but that all their devotion was do e to an vnknowne God Acts. 17.23 The Lepers ingratefulnesse Luk. 17.17 except that they returned not thankes vnto him And what sets foorth Pauls praise more Phil. 3.9 than his earnest desire to know the Lord Iesus and to be found in him Reas 4 To conclude haue we not time and meanes to illighten our eyes that we might see Christ in open vision For doth not the Spirit thorow the whole Bible set him foorth in pl●ine phrases Shining prophecies In tipes ●arables And similitudes What are the Scriptures but the subiect matter of him In each storie page verse may we not haue some hint some glympse of him Beloved all the lines in the holy letters meete in Christ as their proper Center And such as come short of that point are profitable for nothing He is the Alpha and Omega α. ω. Rev. 1.18 the beginning and end of all famous h stories noble acts and renowned persons the which are good before God Shall we then with the want root in the earth And haue no care to know Christ Iesus What if we know him a little Will that serue our turnes No no our eye spirituall is like his corporall who was borne blinde Mar. 8.24.25 but opened by degrees This obiect is profound deepe And the better we vnderstand it the more powerfully profitably will it produce the forenamed gracious eff cts Therefore as get so grow we must in the knowledge of Christ Iesus The knowledge of Christ distributed And here it is to be obserued that the knowledge of Christ is either intellectuall or experimentall When we doe with the act of our vnderstanding apprehend a thing be it what you will it is intellectuall knowledge But we purpose not to exceed our bounds We will confine our selues within the limits of our present Obiect Christ Iesus Now this intellectuall knowledge of Christ is of his person or offices For the former we are to consider these foure following particulars 1. In Christ we are to note his two natures the Divine and Humane both which concur and are hypostatically vnited to make one individuall Person Ioh. 1.14 Heb. 2.16 The word was made flesh he tooke not on him Mat. 1.23 the nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham Whence it is that he is called Emanuel Heb. 10.5 which being interpreted is God with vs. So that in the Person of Christ 1 Ioh. 5.20 was perfect manhood a body thou hast fitted me And perfect God-head this is the very God and eternall life 2. And in the manhood of Christ obserue a soule a body Luk. 23.46 A soule Father into thine hands I commend my Spirit And a body Behold my hands and my feet Luk. 24.39 that it is I my selfe handle me and see For a spirit hath not flesh bones as you see me haue Where note by the way Mat. 26.39 that Christ had a twofold will one from his Deitie another flowing from his Humanitie Therefore praying he sayd O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt As he was God the will of the father and his were the same 3. Thirdly He was borne of a Virgin his mother knew not man Luk. 2.35 for the Holy-ghost came vpon her the power of the most high over-shadowed her And thus it must be For if he had proceeded by naturall pro●agation Psal 51.5 he in his conception had bin polluted with orriginall corruption And then he cou●d not haue bin a meet mediator and holy sacrificer to haue made an ato●ement for the sinnes of the people For such an high Priest it behoved vs to haue Heb. 7.26 as was holy harmelesse vndefiled separat from sinners and made higher than the heavens in truth Christs originall puritie is to equall Adams at his Crea●ion that the roote being holy all the bra●ches may in like maner Heb. 7.3 Christ as man had no Father as God no mother And ther●fore the true Melchizedek without father with●ut mother 4. The last thing is that in the very instant of Christ● conception the two natures were inseparably knit together and in substance and actions ever remained distinct either from other conserving their proper qualities from all mixture or confusion And as the soule and body being vnited make one intire man so the two natures conioyned constitute but one individuall person For marke this Christ did not assume to his Deitie the person but the nature of man neither did the humani●ie for a moment subsist by it selfe but in the very act of its conception was vnited to the Godhead so alwaies continued for ever after yea when Christs soule and body at his death were separated yet neither of them from the Deitie This vnion as it is wonderfull so is it eternally indissoluble Thus much of the intelectual knowledge of Christs person his Offices are now to be handled in order 1. And we will begin with his Priesthood Heb. 7.11 Levit. 10 2.3 Heb. 5.1.2 that Christ was a Priest the Scripture in many places speaketh evidently And who was shadowed out by Aaron and his succ●ssors but the high Priest of our soules Christ Iesus For he was to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinnes to haue compassion vpon the ignorant and to make a reconciliation for them who were out of the way And here we may note the differences betwixt the Priest-hood of Christ and that of others 1. He was of the tribe of Iudah they were all of Levi. 2. He was God-man but they meere men 3. He was without sin

that time had acquired obtained But be it granted that the habit cannot be decreased yet the acts without doubt may be remitted being by some strong enemie from within or without vs opposed the Sunne may be eclipsed his beames restrained when his bodie remaines perfect nothing wasted So is it here However though we thus write we are of opinion that were this Spirituall cessation of long duration it would greatly in danger the habit For as we haue sayd it growes by vse decayes by disvse as we find by experience that naturall habits doe by naturall operations relaxations Obserue further that this decay of the habit and acts of grace be Totall Habituall falling subdivided Partial Totall When the habit is wholy destroyed or all the acts of it vniversally suspended the former befell Adam of speciall grace at the creation Rom. 5.14 And Alexander of common after mans redemption But this kind of fall we take it is not in this place by our Apostle intended 2. Tim. 4.14 nor incident to them who are vnto Christ Iesus by the Spirit vnited Partiall is for the habit of grace may be decreased and its acts remitted in the most regener at person Now this latter kind Is Inward Outward Inward in Iudgment then in the will and affections For the vnderstanding may not only be weakned from the cleare apprehēding of the truth formerly obtained but also Gal 3.1 as in the Galatians with errour corrupted For they fel frō the doctrine of iustification in the true rule ground of it mixing their owne workes with the obiect matter of it which is Christ and his obedience actiue passiue This was their iudiciall fall Againe in the will and affections Rev. 2.4 Video meliora c. there may be partiall decay This was the fall of the Church of Ephesus which is sayd to haue left her first love And a truth it is that a man may hold the doctrine sound in respect of iudgment and yet fall from it in regard of practise For the hahit of grace in the vnderstanding is distinct from that in the wil affections whence spring these various declinings And as inwardly So outwardly may we fall from the acts of grace the which in time past we haue performed Dauid doubtlesse was sound in iudgment when he fell so foully in his practise And a man may haue a will to do well when the externall effects may be blasted Psal 39.1.3 as of Peter in the deniall of his master The Prophet purposed to looke to his waies not to offend with his tongue 2 Cor. 16.10 But this was too painful for him therfore he spake vnaduisedly with his lips When that Godly king imprisoned the Seer his iudgment was sound yet his practise corrupt But ordinarily when the inward asts be remitted then the outward are stinted II. Thus having finished the first thing proposed we proceed to the second the causes of these declinings And they be Within vs. Without vs. Causes from within vs. Melancholie for its a true axiom that the soule followes the disposition and temperature of the body the forenamed humour hath various and strange operations drawing a blacke and mournefull curtaine over the New-man casts hidious conceits into the minde and presenteth to the eye of reason the manifold mishapen ougly formes of approaching death burnes and consumes the purest spirits the immediat instrument of the soules acts Or so clogges them with thicke fumes that she cannot lift vp the wing and soare into the third heaven but like a weather-beaten or limed fowle falls downe and makes her motion on the earthie Center creepes on the Globe And Dailie hourly raiseth such cogitations as these Loue why thou art but passion zeale furie ioy madnesse hope a groundlesse conceit And all the graces of the spirit but the operations of meere nature or a more pure disposition of corporall temperature whence it often comes to passe that such who be pestered with the forenamed peccant malady complaine of the soules corruption when it s nothing else but the bodies bad indisposition grow thereby to be out of heart cease from spirituall action and so consequently fall from their former setlednesse He who is ignorant of this thing well may he be an aged person but I am sure no expert Christian. 2. Some raging lust vnmortified affection When such a passenger is in the ship of mans soule like another Ionah it will vnsettle all Was not David strong in the grace of God How came it to passe then that he in some degree fell from his former stedfastnes Why he was of an hot Sanguine complexion which provoketh much to the sinne he committed 2. Sam. 11. now being not carefull enough to curbe that natural pronenesse of certaine was an internall cause of his foule declining Gen. 39.12 Ioseph in this it seemes out-stript him For he resisted though strongly tempted was likely as yong as David had none he six wiues as appeareth And had he disputed with flesh and bloud as forcible arguments to haue allured him What a broade differēce was this for David a king to goe in to a subiect and Ioseph a servant to runne from his mistris had noe more bin mentioned Was not his sonne Salomon Neh. 13.26 in his youth a rare yong man Yet in his elder yeeres carried away with outlandish women Why so in plaine english his lust was let loose his affection not mortified He trod not in the steps of holy Paul who laboured with his hands 1. Cor. 9. vlt. fasted often brought his body into subiection that the flesh might not over-master the spirit The like might be the fore-runner to Noahs drunkennesse Lots incest and his wiues looking backe to Sodome If the reines hang vnder his feete the strongest readiest footed beast may stumble catch a fall Cut all the feet equall the table stands stedfast else not 3. Vnbeleefe this workes greater woundes in the soule than ever any mountebanke profest to cure in the bodie It as a moth the garment eates vp the glosse of grace like the worme the Gourd of Ionah smits faith at the roote causeth it to wither and makes the acts thereof feeble liuelesse What mists will this Iugler raised in our vnderstandings Earthquakes within vs Blinde the eie of reason to question common principles Doubt of what we haue knowne by experience How subtilly will this Sophister argue Dispute What Are not all things alike from the beginning Where is the promise of Christs c●mming 2. Pet. 3 4. When shall the Iewes be called Rome ouerturned Gog and magog destroyed And all Israel saved Mala. 3.14 Are not the wicked advanced Isa 59.15 They who tempt God delivered And he that refraineth from evill made a prey What profit is there in serving the Almightie Seeking the kingdome of heaven Calling vpon the name of the Lord Art thou not poore Despised Psal 37.1.2 c. Persecuted Who flourish

light I walked thorow darknesse 3. And if thou rouze not vp thy spirit be assured that thou shalt be awaked For fearefull dreames may fall vpon thee strange visions in the night present themselues vnto thee and crosses thicke and threefold follow thee close vntill thou returne to thy former tast For shall God lose his labour And his child his soule May not the Lord shut thy wombe Slay thy posteritie Call for a famine Send the sword to wound thee The Pestilence to kill thee Grant thou escapest all these may not a worse arrest thee What if he correct thy sin with sinne That the Church cast thee off Excommunicate thee What pleasure canst thou take in all thy priviledges Maist thou not rather suspect every moment to be swallowed vp of overmuch heavinesse 2. Cor. 2.7 4. But let it be admitted all these might be avoided Yet will not Sathan tempt thee Bend the strong bow of his malice feather his firie darts Set them in the nocke loosse them from the finger of envie strike thee to the hart Hast thou bin his but in the months past When thy eye was first opened And thy corrections sealed Then let the bitternes thou at that day feltest cause thee to awake Eph. 5.14 and stand vp from the dead Suppose in this declining condition thy soule should be taken from thee However it might land safe yet would not the passage be fearefull What flesh but will tremble to die in a sleepe To awake on the suddaine at its everlasting home And to depart in a spirituall decay what is it else Mat. 25.5 but the foresaid evill Wherefore O thou declining Christian Present these obiects to the eie of thy minde take a strict view of them meditate thereon continually and let them never slip out of thy remembrance When they would wander call them backe tye them to thee binde them fast And that with the coards of a solemn Promise Vow Oath vntill they haue wrought thy perfect cure recovered thy wonted health let them never leaue thee forsake thee If thy eie as its apt enough be once off them say to it Gen. 3.9 as God to Adam where art thou In what be thy thoughts imploied Is not ●his one thing necessarie Thinke and thinke often how thy companions begin to whisper thy God to g● beyond the vail thine enemies to insult Sathan to arme himselfe and be thou awaked Consider that the sword is in varnishing the palgue descending famine approching Iob. 28.14 and death the king of feare hasting to kil thy body carrie away thy soule Say at the morning in thy setled thoughts why may not my life set before the Sun When thou liest down my bed be my graue And my sleepe my death Let this cry still sound in thine eares that a declining estate is woefull fearefull and the extreamest of all extremiti●s to a beleeuer Doe this and thus then shalt thou returne from the Chambers of hell thy spirit lift vp the wing mount on high and soare aboue all the swelling waters of iniquitie Thy brethren say vnto thee the Lord is with thee Iudg. 6.12 thou valiant man and blessed art thou among many Thine adversaries shut their black mouths spit their venom in vaine And wish that their last end might be like vnto thine Numb 23.20 Yea thy God shall descend from heaven scatter the black cloudes breake thorow them all and smile in thy face say well done my servant my sonne giue his Angels a second charge over thee put his spirit with more power into thee And as with David be with thee whithersoever thou goest 2. Sam. 8.6 Thou shalt tread on the adder and yong Dragon Psal 19.12.13 walke in the valley of death feare no evill nor tremble at the m●st terrible tydings But as astately ship vnder saile having a fresh gale her colours spred swiftly and yet securely hast to the shore and cast anchor at the road of eternall rest And that when back-sliding professo●s shall either shipwrack their consciences split all a pieces sinke the fraight of their soules in the bottomlesse gulfe or like a distressed barke which hath spent her maine maste sprung a plank cut her tackling and cast it over boord with great hazard and terror put in and saue themselues Vse 5 Here let him who standeth take heed lest he fall For a spirituall stedfastnes 1 Cor. 10.12 we see in some degree may be fallen from decayed And then why should it not cleaue vnto thee What priviledge hast thou to avoide it Aboue thy brethren Haue not the tallest Ceders in Gods Sanctuarie been shaken The strongest sometime staggered And is this any new thing in the world Wherefore take thou heed to thy standing eye well thy foot steps keepe a strict watch ouer all thy waies that this evill doe not overtake thee ceize vpon thee And to prevent it practise these subsequent particulars as remedies 1. Be humble in thine owne eie Haue a low conceipt of thine owne worthines Helpes to support him who standeth When men like leaven begin to swell or as the Pharisee to boast set the best side out such without controversie are not farre from a fall Was not this the fore-runner of Peters deniall Pro. 16.18 And good Ezekiahs backsliding So true is it that pride goeth before a slip Luk. 1.53 and an high minde leads to destruction God giueth grace to the poore in Spirit but sendeth the conceited-rich emptie away Low growing trees escape the storme stand vp right when such as shoot vp mount a loft with a small gust are often shaken sometimes overturned Carrie a meane saile and never feare shipwracke of grace and faith For so long God sits at the helme 2. Rather question thy selfe suspect thy standing Feare is a bad getter yet a sure keeper And who sooner catch a fall than they that runne without regard Many haue bank't at vnawares when good-take-heed was not their factor The best Physition our kingdome had D. Butler dyed say some of a consumption And being demanded why he did not prevent it his answere was he never feared it Our proverb is that death comes oft at vnawares And retchlesse people dye poore Sure I am graces decay may be sudden the soules exchequor well neere emptie Pro. 10.4 when treasurer providence takes a nap a wakes to play A diligent hand maketh rich an evill fore seene is halfe avoyded Wherfore alwaies feare to fall but chiefly when the meanes of standing are neglected 3. Shunne the rash censure of weake and declining brethren The Iew was neerest to apstatize when he the most scorned the Gentile The dog which daily licketh others sores soonest sometimes catcheth a surfeit He who without pittie visits the poore may perhaps fall into the like disease and himselfe become a patient Those who reiected Iphtah not long after were his sutors Iudg. 11.7 1. Cor. 12.21 and made him Iudge Say

a Father in that he begate many by the word of truth 1. Cor. 4.15 and in that sence Paul tells the Corinths that he was their Father 3. In regard that he is the vine and we as branches vnited to him When a graft is set into the stocke Ioh. 15.1 c. Ioh. 1.12.13 1. Cor. 15.22.45.49 the Hebrew manner is to call it a Sonne of that tree 4. But chiefly as the first Adam is our Father because we are all his sonnes by naturall propagation so is Christ our Father in as much as through him we are children by regeneration and adoption He who maketh Sonnes is a father Christ maketh Sonnes Ergo a Father Obiect Col. 1.15 Secondly the Arrians their heresie was that Christ was God by Office not by Nature how he was first created then all things by him For he is sayd to be the beginning of every creature Rev. 3.14 Resol 1. And it is also written In the beginning was the word and the word was with God Ioh. 1.1 And the word was God 2. He is the beginning of every creature Because he gaue them their first being And after mans fall their well being 3. But did he giue the creatures a being Then is he God For to Creat requires an infinite power the which can be found in no Creature but in God onely Thirdly this meets with Samosetanus hereticall opinion who held that Christ was not before he tooke vpon him mans nature as though his Deitie began with his Humanitie But what more absurd For God hath neither beginning nor end if he had he were not God Fourthly And that of Apollinaris falleth to the ground who thought that Christ assumed a body onely And the God-head was insteed of a soule But he assumed the whole nature of man Therefore a soule Againe the soule of Adam was the beginner of his Act in sinning a soule therefore is to suffer And did not Christ cry my soule is heavie to the death Luk. 23.46 And commit it into the hands of his Father at his giving vp of the Ghost Fiftly Marcian and Valentinus are here confuted these taught how Christ tooke his body from the ayre or from heaven And that it passed through the wombe of the Virgin as water floweth through a conduit Eph. 5.30 or pipe But this is evidently false for then he had not bin bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh Neither had that nature satisfied which sinned Sixtly Hebion and Cerinthus these defended that Christ was conceiued by ordinarie generation Luk. 1.34.35 as other men which is a flat contradiction of the Angels speech and would bring the humane nature of Christ within the compasse of originall pollution Ioh. 3.6 For whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh and how can the streame be pure when as the fountaine is defiled Seventhly And that of Nestorius may not be admitted who devided the persons one God the other man To hold this opinion would breed confusion Eightly Acts 3.22 We may not omit the errour of the Monothelits these say Christ had but one will 1. Cor. 11.26 as if his soule had beene deprived of its proper faculty Ninthly And that of the Vbiquists who held that the body of Christ at one time might be in many places But is it not written that the heavens shall containe him vntill the restauration of all things And if it were so why are we commanded to waite till he come Or inioyned to receiue the Bread and Wine in remembrance of him By all this you may see what need we haue to grow in the knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord. For all heresies in the dogmaticall points of faith are in and about him And may we not also from this ground confute and reiect the doctrine of the Romanists For doe they not extoll ignorance in the common people to the skies Trample the knowledge of Christ as mire vnder foot Esteeme it a matter of no moment Better lost than found See their notes on the Bible view their bookes consult with their Councels listen to their Decrees And tell me if this thing be not true But shall we thinke this Apostle to be in an errour Beside himselfe when he penned this Epistle Or may we safely imagine the Laitie were not to learne it Was that good for Paul I meane the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3 8. but naught for the people Were this their Tenent sound for what end did the Lord write the law Neh. 8.3 with his owne finger Command it to be read before men women children Was not all this labour in vaine if ignorance were not to be blowne away Acts 2.4 c. Why had the Apostles all tongues but that all nations might learne to vnderstand the Gospel 2. Tim. 4.2 For what purpose was the Evangelist charged to Preach in season out of season Or false Teachers checked 1 Cor. 14.6 for Prophecying in an vnknown strange language What praise can redound to good Iehoshaphat 2 Chro. 19.8 2 Tim. 3.15 who sent Levits through his land To Lois Eunice for training vp Timotheus in the holy letters of a child If knowledge were not necessarie in the vulgar sort Our adversaries will not for all this stick to affirme that ignorance is the mother of devotion among the common multitude But we may more truly say that shee is the step-damme of two cursed twinnes superstition prophanenesse For take but a strict view of the inhabitants of our Northren parts where the most know nothing as they ought to know 1. Cor. 8.2 And shall we not finde how they be like Elies Sonnes openly wicked Or as the Athenians wholly addicted to Idolatrie Acts. 17.16 Wherfore this wisdome of theirs is not from aboue Iam. 3.15.16.17 pure peaceable easie to be intreated and full of good workes But from below sensuall earthly and devilish Thus we leaue them to doe with their own what and as they will Vse 2 This in like sort layes a sharp and deepe reproofe on many amongst vs who though they professe themselues no Papists notwithstanding tread in their steps For haue they any knowledge of Christ Iesus Doe they discerne betwixt Law and Gospel Precept or promise The new way or the old Aske them who or what Christ is And can they tell Truly they vnderstand not whether he be Iew or Gentile Male or Female They hope he is a good man And why should they not These come short of Sathans confession he could say what haue I to doe with thee Mar. 5.7 thou Sonne of God Thou Iesus of Nazaret Mat. 20.30 The blind beggar might reade such a lecture who prayed O thou Sonne of David haue mercie vpon me So these mens back●s be clothed and their bellies filled their grounds stocked and their lusts satisfied they care no more for the knowledge of Christ as our proverbe hath it than a Swine

the forme of godlines 2. Tim. 3.5 they cry out against such as the Edomites of the Israelites Psal 137.7 downe with them down with them even to the ground But let these know that though their consciences be growne sencelesse God shall bring vpon them swift damnation For 2. Pet. 2.1 he is wise in heart mightie in power Iob. 9.4 who ever grew fierce against him and hath prospered And we haue an evill beast a slow-belly growne vp among vs how should we define him He is one who selleth time vseth his money as though he vsed it not striues to prevent the contingent acts of Gods prouidence And rather than the forfeiture of a band will forfeit his freedome in the kingdome of heaven And if you demand why he doth so he replies like him who being found breaking of his neighbours hedge and reprooued answered is it not better to doe thus than to be idle Certainely if David the which he never will prooue not a lyer Psal 15.5 a vsurer shall never inherit the mountaine of holinesse And what Is not the weaker sex growne mightily in wickednesse Haue we not some so masculine that they walke in their doublets Ride in their coates And salute with their caps Were but their hearts answerable to their habits their spirits proportionable to their apparell why might they not at our common musters be prest foorth for souldiers I will nor can giue such any precise precepts for cloth or colour forme or fashion yet take this in generall Suppose that now thou wert to come vnto iudgement to hold vp thy hand before the ancient of daies And to receiue thy last doome thy finall sentence of life or death eternally Wouldest thou appeare in a pointed body With embroydered haire A curled head A painted face A French ruffe And a naked brest Then as the Prophet to Naaman the Syrian 2. King 5.19 I say vnto thee goe in peace But if thou wouldst not change thy garments alter thine attire lest death on the sudden strike thee the Iudge come in an houre thou art not a ware of weigh thee in the ballance of the sanctuarie strip thee naked and cloath thee with shame eternall Shall not the husband grow iealous of that wise who at his returne is aba●hed to meete him in her daily habit I appeale vnto thee But alas For all that can be said according to the Apostles prediction we grow worse and worse 2. Tim. 3.13 deceiving and being deceiued The truth is we are so growne that the heavens grow blacke the earth barren and the whole frame of nature groanes for our growth Rom. 8.22 What should I tell you of the late Famine The blazing starre The invndations of waters The bloudie warres The late Plague wherein so many thousands haue vealed the head and given vp the Ghost Yea doth not the spirit grieue and groane for our vnnaturall growth Eph. 4.30 Wherefore let vs by vnfeined repentance and new obedience ease him of this burden or we shall groane vnder the direful wrath of the most high for ever Psal 50.22 ever O cōsider this you who forget God lest he teare in pieces there be none nothing to deliuer you Vse 3 The vse of this doctrine also serues soundly to lesson some of the better sort For doe they grow in grace increase in goodnesse I wish the Lord had not iust cause to say of our nation Rev 2.4 I haue somewhat against thee Haue we not them amongst vs who haue bin as zealous as Peter in appearance but now haue cooled their harts in warming their hands at ●aiaphas his fire Others who seemed as strong and vpright as an oake are growne weake fitting themselues to everie forme and figure in the congregation like water in a vessell Haue we not many who in times past put foorth their fingers to all pious vses But now plucke them backe draw them in as the slug her hornes Ranne well and now are letted Began in the spirit end in the flesh It s a disputable question whether we haue more Bankers in goods or grace Prodigalls who haue mispent their corporall or spirituall portiō England as Ephesus hath left though not lost her first loue Our affections were hardly kindled but soone cooled our coale glowes a while and anon ends in smoake and smother 1. King 1.1 We resemble David in his olde age little heat is within vs not any will begot into vs. Few like Caleb Iosh 14.11 are at this day as able to fight the battailes of the Lord as in former time What a weake pulse beats in all places Scarse sensible We are like a forc't peece of land whose second crop is worse then the former We heare and reade much yet in shape as Pharaohs cattell are lanke and leane deformed and ill favoured But beloved this should not ought not to be so Let but a man lye speechles fall into a consumption and become a bankrupt Oh! this like a passing bell in the eares of the world rings a dolefull sound And all who heare it smite their hands shake their heads at it send foorth deepe sighes heavie groanes But the meane while Prayer may be tongue-tyed Faith ship-wrackt and a good Co●science split in shivers yet few for these things haue the least thoughts of heart no sorrow doth pierce vs losse of this kind pinch vs. What the Apostle forewarned in these last daies is come to passe for we are plucked away with the errour of the wicked and are fallen from our owne stedfastnesse Vse 4 Are Christians to grow in grace Let vs all then looke about vs weigh the proficiencie we haue made in this Schoole Hast thou no grace It s high time to gather some Anie Striue to increase it Art thou declined Recover thy losse Hitherto hast thou growne Why adde to thy stocke still augment thy store For this dutie concernes all and therefore we will presse the point so as every person may reape profit by it You well know that a thing must be had before it can be increased For who prunes a liuelesse plant Waters a dead stake Tryall then is in the first place necessarie if we haue any seeds of grace at all 1. Signes of found grace Dost thou find and feele an emptinesse of grace in thy selfe A great want of it Then in truth tho not in full measure thou hast it For blessed are the poore in spirit Mat. 5.3 And what is this povertie but an act arising from grace whereby we sensiblie apprehend an emptienesse thereof in our soules By grace we feele grace as with one hand we doe the other Dead men perceiue no want when living persons behold their penurie Let him who is truly gracious cast his eye whither he will he seeth a vacuitie of grace in all creatures an insufficiencie to relieue him Iob. 28.14 To the depth he saith it s not to be found in thee

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