gluttonie which who-so doth shall not inherite life In the second of Timothie 3. 2. 3. 4. 5. are reckoned vp nineteene sorts of the 2. Tim. 3. 2. 3 4. 5. Niâ—eteene sorts of vngodly wicked and vngodly who will rise vp in the last daies when times shall be perillous louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankfull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of them which are good traytors headie hye minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a shewe of godlinesse but haue denyed the power thereof from whom such as truly professe Christ must turne away In the Reuelations 21. 8. there are eight sortes threatned with the second death and Reu. 21. 8. Eight sorts to be tormented in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Fearefull vnbeleeuing abhominable murtherers whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and lyers The spirit saith Reuelations 21. 20 None defiled shall enter into heauen But our sauiour in Mark. 7. 21. Mark 7. 21 22. are 14. 22. whereto ad Math. 15. 19 telleth vs of foureteene euils which defile a man Euill thoughts adulteries fornications murthers thefts couetousness wickedness deceipts vncleannesse a wicked eie backbiting pride foolishnes false testimonies and slaunders And therefore such shall not inherit the kingdome of God and of Christ These six be the chiefest places Sixtie and od distinct sins mentioned in six places in all the newe testament setting forth so many particular vicious persons hate ful sinnes wherein albeit in some the same be againe repeated yet in all there be distinct and seuerall in number three score and odde besides other sinnes mentioned in seuerall places elsewhere which without repenting of and forsaking depriue men of life and saluation If any of vs yet blesse our selues 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 Maâ—ke and coÌ„sider thou that readest presume not First he saith plainly that he will not be mercifull vnto him secondly that his wrath and his iealousie shall smoke against that man thirdly that euery curse written in the booke shall light vpon him as if the curses in the former chapter mentioned aboue forty and three were too few to plague such a presumptuous Catiffe but all the curses in the booke must light vpon him and lastly the Lord will roote out his name from vnder heauen and separate him vnto euil out of all the tribes of Israel What is this but to depriue him of the coÌ„munion of saincts and to pronounce sentence of damnation against him in the last day O therfore thou that hearest consider as some that haue heard it If Gods truth herein may be taken for truth with thee if the anger of God may preuaile to feare thee if the fierce-wrath of God may terrifie thee if all the curses in Gods booke denounced may worke any dread in thee hope not vainly of mercy whilst thou liuest vnrepentant of any sinne let not conceipt of pardon make thee put farre from thee the euil day for surely else in one sinne thou shalt bee punished and thine end confusion marke vnderstand and pray Ye doe The condition is if wee doe Doctrine these things not heare learne professe them doing is that which hath with God approbation after our deedes shall we be rewarded Rom. 2. 6. Math. 16. 27. 2. Cor. 5. 10. Math. 25. 35. 42. Vse Therfore let vs hope well if we be doers here is approued the reading in the exhortation make your calling and election sure by good vvorkes for the reason of assurance here is from deedes If ye doe these things that is If ye shew the fruits of these eight Christian vertues in good works ye shall neuer fall This is seriously to be noted for that most thinke to haue eternall life and yet are no doers of these things but vpon false euidences claime a right in that which without good workes they shall neuer enioy For as assurance here is vpon condition that we be doers so there is nothing otherwise approued though wee doe bring in many things to perswade Eighteene deceiue able euideÌ„ces which men presume to clame heauen by without good workes vs otherwise 1 Thou art baptised what then Neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but the keeping of the commandements 1. Cor. 7. 19 but a nevv creature Gal. 6. 15. 2 Thou art a hearer what of this Not the hearers but the doers of the Lavv shall be iustified Rom 2. 13. He that heareth doeth not is a foole Math. 7. 26 deceiueth himselfe â—ames 1. 22. Thou knovvest the vvil of God neuer a whit better without obedience thou shalt be beateÌ„ vvith many stripes Luke 12. 47. thou increasest thy sinne Ia. 4. 17. and the scripture saith Hee that saith hee knoweth me keepeth not my coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts is a lyer there is no truth in him Thou beleeuest so do the diuels and more also they feare treÌ„ble which thou dost not so art worse then a diuell but if thou hast faith shew it by thy works Iam. 2. 8 els its dead and thou a dry tree for the fire Thou louest God then hearken This is the loue of God that we keepe his coÌ„mandements 1. Ioh. 5. 3. Thou hopest yet well but without cause at all for he that hath this hope in him purgeth himself as he is pure 1. Iohn 3. 3 Thou fearest God then thou must ad with Eccle. 12. 12. Salomon to it feare God keep his coÌ„mandements for they are neuer separated Thou dost profess Christ the Lord so did the diuels but Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord lord shal enter inâ—o the kingdome of Mat. 7. 21 heauen but he that doth the wil of my father which is in heaueÌ„ Thou canst preach a souÌ„ding brasse tinkling Cymball without workes many will say in the day of the Lord that they haue prophecied and cast out diuels yet as workers of iniquitie God will reiect them send them packing with diuels Mat. 7. 23. Thou vsest to pray but where no practise is there is but hypocrisie Let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie 2. Tim. 3. 19 else may we call but God will not heare vs. Isai 1. 15. Thou happily dost fast but it is no fast that God requireth without obedience Isa 58. 6. 7. Thou commest orderly to the Church more of fashion then of sincerity without doing Gods will God requireth it not at thine hands to treade in his courts whilst thou liuest vnreformed â—â—ai 1. 12. Thou makest the house of God a denne of theeues Ier. 7. 10 11. Thou payest duely tithes and offerings and obseruest the appointed daies to keepe them holy Without subiection to Gods will and commandement he is wearied with theÌ„ he cannot suffer
and vrge them with such arguments least they should bee wanting in this duety For indeed men are loath to lay good things to heart and more loath to practise Wee are like Balaam heauen can we wish O that we might die the death of the righteous but wee would not liue their life Flesh seeketh after ease the way to life is strait we would not be as Lazarus here but like Diues fare deliciously euery day and yet like Lazarus looke for heauen at our ending Therefore it is needfull for ministers to vrge and to set vs on forward to follow our sluggish nature with reason vpon reason as so many goades pricking our consciences to cause vs to stirre our feete and so go on in the way of saluation Bare narrations to slowe dispositions are of no force And if words take place without waight of reason it is either the worke of faith which is rare or leuity of affection which is too common and to which agreeth well the prouerb Soone ripe soone rotteÌ„ A Iewish intertainment of Christ to day Hosannah to morrow Crucifie Let vs then say shew why that vnderstanding may be informed iudgement setled with reason Suspect the ground sandy where the house is built with sound of words a little storme will shake it and easily ouerthrow it Such as are won souÌ„dly as a diseased meÌ„ber perfectly healed will abide constant And thus much for the Coherence The words diuide themselues into The diuision of the Text. two generall parts 1. An exhortation wherein note 1. The ground of it in the word Wherefore 2 The parties exhorted Brethren 3 The matter of the exhortatioÌ„ in the words following Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 A reason wherin is contained a promise wherein note 1 The condition thereof If yee doe these things 2 The thing promised in these words Ye shall neuer fall Doctrine Of these as the words lie in order But first it is not to bee omitted that the Apostle vsing in this verse a reason to enforce the embracing of vertue as is aforesaid doth not barely set it downe as the former but deliuereth it by way of exhortation which argueth the Apostles affection in speaking desiring that this reason might not onely bee vnderstoode but also embraced with affection For exhortations are to enflame the affection to make men zealous as doctrine is to make them iudicious both necessarie to feede the soule Vnderstanding without feruencie of affection is cold entertainment such growe sooner full of policie then pietie the best is luke-warmenes a burthen that God cannot beare but must needes spue them out of his mouth Vse for either the Lord or Baal And if affection be alone it is but folly running into schisme or superstition Therefore must men be vrged to affect that which is taught Doctrine But in that the Apostle is so earnest in this reason that they may get assurance of saluation he commendeth vnto vs the waight of this argument chiefly of all other to bee affected And indeede if wee consider that without assurance wee are altogether comfortlesse who would not hereby be moued to embrace vertue and exercise himselfe therein Without assurance though we haue possession of the best good wee are not in perfect ioy Vncertainty of contâ—nuance of happinesse in a happy estate maketh the same lesse comfortable the minde often charged with feare of too sodaine an end No man hireth but hee seeketh to know a certaine terme and hee that hath a Lease for many yeares would also make it his owne by purchase for better assurance Assurance is a salue to cure feare it is a stay in wauering and distrust the best safety against desperation that dreadfull soules miserie Vse Therefore let it moue vs to be vertuous that so wee may get assurance For assurance of Land wee will be at cost to pay money for certaine gaine wee do trauell farre to bee sure of promotion wee will serue long euen hard Masters in drudgery great men not without slauerie And is a vertuous life a seruice to the Almightie the father of mercy nothing worth is it so loathsom or irksome that we cannot indure it to haue assurance of heauen the gaine of Glory and the honour of Angels with Christ for euer Oh! hearken and consider the one and the other What is the assurance of all the world without hope of heauen The bodies blisse caryon the soules death damnation Now to the words Wherefore that is because vnles you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paraphrase explaining the word for to raise the doctrine haue these vertues you shall be but idle professors fruitlesse blinde vnthankfull to God and without any assurance of saluation therefore giue diligence to liue vertuously and to make your calling election sure It is a word shewing how that which followeth doth depend on that which goeth before from which we learne That the discommodities The doctrine of the want of these vertues and the good insuing by them should make vs seeke to be endued with them To auoid danger bodily and to get Reasons to inforce it aduantage to our selues in earthly commodities wee are moued to seeke after those things by which wee may escape losse and gaine some good Men studie to become learned men labour for friends they trauel for riches and seeke for promotion onely for that the benefite of them is so much for mans welfare and the want thereof held so greatly hurtfull as without them men are but iudged miserable and yet learning and friends riches and honour are nothing at all either so auaileable to make him happy that hath them as hee that hath grace or so miserable that wanteth them as hee which is without grace Holy vertues are a pledge of Gods loue the fruits of the spirit the hand writing The benefit of verâ—he benefit of vertues heauenly graces what they â—re of God in our hearts witnessing his loue and confirming his couenant with vs. They be so many staies from slyding in slippery prosperity so many potions purging out vices so many pull-backs from vanity and so many comforts in aduersitie They be marks of Gods children and pleasant flowers to decke vp sweetely our Temples the dwelling of the holy Ghost What comparison betweene humane learning and heauenly vertues betweene riches of the world and this wealth of the soule betweene these friends here and Gods good fauour between earthly greatnes spirituall grace none at all And is there any equality in the losse nothing lesse A man that hath grace and vertue may be and is happy though he want learning riches honour and friends But enioy all these without grace see the ende Hamans honour occasioned his hanging Absoloms beautie was his bane the young mans wealth held him from Christ Achitophels learning and wisedome was his destruction and all this came to passe through want of grace and these heauenly vertues To
continueth herein vnto the end shal be saued Again this order obserued preuenteth Another vse how to preueÌ„t the abuse of that holy doctrine of PredestinatioÌ„ presumption in the doctrine of predestination If I be ordained to a certain end saith the wicked wight and that Gods decree must stand theÌ„ it s no matter how I liue it s all one to serue God or to liue as I like best if I be ordained to be saued I shall not be damned if to daÌ„nation it s in vaine to hope for heauen It is true that Gods decree shall stand but it s a desperat spirits collection to hold therefore that we may liue as we list Election is secret so Gods decree his will vnreuealed whence wee may gather nothing but as the scripture the written word his reuealed will teacheth It auoucheth predestination Gods vnchaÌ„geable decree but it saith Work out your saluation with feare trembling so beareth downe presumption It talketh of reprobation but not to make meÌ„ desperat for touching euery mans self in particular he is to hope the best may say with the king of Niniuie Who can tell if God wil turne and repent and turne away Ionah 3. 9. froÌ„ his fierce wrath that we perish not Euery man in particular by the reuealed will of God is commanded to liue religiously and so bound to beleeue his owne saluation this word are wee to liue after and striue we must to go in at the strait gate hoping to finde passage Math. 7. No man is to iudge himselfe to be damned whilst he here liueth in the way to be saued if hee wilfully refuse not the meanes None will so reason from Gods decree concerning the bodie It is said that mans daies are determined the number Iob. 14. 5. of his monthes are with God that hee hath appointed the bounds which man cannot passe who hereupon will thus resolue then will I be carelesse of my life I will neither eate nor drinke nor vse meanes of life because I cannot liue beyond my appointed time Herein is none so madde but for all this will vse the meanes which God hath appointed to liue by for that his time is kept secret from him and onely knowne to God euen so should we do in this case for our soules vse the meanes to liue for euer so are wee commanded this wee know but whither God hath reiected vs before the end we know not neither may any one herein make search but vnderstand in sobrietie that which is meet obey what is commanded beleeue what is promised and cease to imagined desperately and sinne not presumptuously hope well in the end And so shall wee make sure to ourselues that which is euer certaine and vnchangeable with God this note And thus much for the exhortation the reason followeth For a note of a reason of the exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enim which goeth before concluded as an vse from the former arguments a graÌ„maticall obseruation in this coÌ„iunction to be well marked there is differeÌ„ce between for therefore both in this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quapropter for sheweth the reason of that which goeth before therfore concludeth somewhat from the antecedent by necessarie consequent The thing chiefly herein to What to be obserued as the doctrine from the Apostles practise be marked is that the Apostle neither exâ—orâ—eth to practise but vpon manifold instructions before neither endeth the vse in the exhortatioÌ„ without shewing also further reason why Thus he guardeth before and behinde his words vrging by reason as did Iohn Baptist and our Sauiour to well doing that so they might take place He well knâ—w mens slownes to practise and that they neede haue good grounds laid before them to build thereon the exhortation to obey and also reasons after to perswade thervnto All of vs naturally affect to know but without loue to doe whence it is that men vnregenerate can run to heare sermons of coÌ„trouersies such as preach by sentences that can now and then satisfie fantasie with some noueltie returne with their mouthes full of praise applauding the person who hath â—ailed happily to presse all to practise and sanctification of life Learning is Gods good gift eloqueÌ„ce a singular blessing wit and memorie rare â—auours to make men amongst men honourable but vnlesse these be employed in the ministry to make men vertuous as the Apostle doth here Saint Paule in his Epistles as the Prophets did and profound I see with his admirable eloquence we may heare learne speake and admire as without obedience so without hope of that heauenly inheritance Vse Therefore let our wit for inuention of reasons our learning to collect sound grounds bee guides to our liberty of speech in vtterance and this gift end in exhortation to good workes and to make men zealous So deale we faithfully the people shall reape benefite and we that preach gaine great comfort by our labours in winning soules which onely we ought to aime at and therein reioice If yee doe these things The conditionall word If in the Original is not expressed nor the person Yee the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haec facietâ—s beeing These doing but the person and the condition is necessarily vnderstood and therefore expressed in the translation very fitly which wee following in the diuision of the Text do take as granted implied in the text Doctrine Whence we learne that God so promiseth assurance of saluation as we haue care in vs to liue well and to keepe the condition the one cheareth the heart but least we be wanton the other is added to keepe vs in awe but neuerthelesse here may we not thinke therefore that Gods 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 any thing on mans pâ—â—t so hee gaue Adam first 〈◊〉 preheminence ouer all his other creatures and placed Gen. 1. 26 him freely in Paradise without any forenamed condition then afterward expresseth he mans duetie to be performed not as a cause procuring or continuing Preuention goodnes but as an effect of loue in harty thankfulnes or as a token and signe by which we may know God to be so long in vs and with vs God promised Christ of his mere good pleasure Adam neuer once desiring noâ— at all deseruing Ioh. 3. 16. that fauourâ— Christ came in the appointed time and was freely giuen for vs of loue in mercie and compassion all this done truely fully and absolutely on Gods part yet after commanded hee the obedience of faith and promiseth saluation with condition of beleeuing Mark 16. 16. on our behalfe not as a cause but as a signe by which men may know to whoÌ„ Christ is freely giuen of the father and in him haue eternall life It is then as if â—eter had said If ye do these things