in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son 1 Joh. 2.23,24 Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the Father Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father Are the Father and the Son so low in your esteem and is the world so high that you will forgo the Father and the Son and deprive your selves for ever of any part or portion of the blessed God by departing from the Truth to embrace this present world 4. It is a sin that will certainly bring damnation to depart from the Truth and to turn aside to corrupt doctrine 1 Tim. 5.12 Having damnation because they have cast of their first faith 2 Thess 2.11.12 God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteouss Will you damn your souls to get or keep a little pittance of this world It is not much that you can hope for by changing your Religion But suppose you could gain a Kingdom yea the whole world yet this will not countervail the loss of your soul Mar. 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul 5. Consider how firmly our Lord Jesus Christ adhered to the Scriptures When he was offered all the Kingdoms of the world for one act of Idolatrous worship he refused it with disdain giving this reason it was against the written Word of God Matth. 4.8,9,10 The Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high Mountain and sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and said unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Then said Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve And as the Lord Jesus would not go against the Scriptures to gain the whole world so neither would he do any thing against the Scriptures to avoid the greatest sufferings that ever man met with When Christs Enemies had apprehended him in order to the putting of him to death he could have called for twelve Legions of Angels to have rescued him out of his Enemies hands but he would not because it was against the Scriptures Matth. 26.53,54 Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father and he should presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be Now we ought to have as high a respect unto the Scriptures as Christ had for He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked 1 Joh. 2.6 6. It is a very rare thing to hear of Idolaters that change their Religion they shew great firmness to their idol gods though they are no gods but the work of mens hands Jer. 2.10,11 Pass over the Isles of Chittim and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if their be such a thing Hath a Nation changed their gods which are yet no gods but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Is it not a shame for such as profess the true God to set lighter by the true God than Idolaters do by their Idols 7. It never went well with any persons that forsake the true Religion and turned to a false one out of worldly respects Ahaz thought to be much advantaged by sacrificing to the gods of Damascus but was he helped at all thereby No It was his ruine and the ruine of all Israel 2 Chron. 28.23 He sacrificed unto the Geds of Damascus that smote him and he said Because the gods of the Kings of Syria help them therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me but they were the ruine of him and of all Israel The Jews that burnt Incense to the Queen of Heaven hoping thereby to obtain both peace and plenty were consumed by the Sword and Famine Jer. 44.17,18,21,22,25,27 What did Francis Spira get by denying and departing from the reformed Religion but such horrour of Conscience as may make all that shall read his History tremble at any thoughts of denying or departing from the Truth 8. That mans Profession of Religion is worth nothing who will change his Religion for wordly advantages for he is not a servant to the great God that made all things but he makes the world his god and shall after his death have his part among Idolaters in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Phil. 3.18,19 Rev. 21.8 4. It may be Satan will press hard upon some persons that have lived plentifully heretofore and in good respect among their neighbours and now are brought into apoor low condition by this fire to make away themselves It is usual with the Devil who is styled a Murderer to tempt distressed persons either to strangle or drown or stab or some other way to destroy themselves He assaulted Job with this temptation when he was in his troubles and to render the temptation the more successful he maketh use of his wife to carry on his design Job 2.9 Then said his wife unto him Dost thou still retain thine integrity curse God and die But Job abhors the motion and rebukes his wife for this counsel Vers 10. But he said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh c. If any of you are or should be hereafter assaulted with this temptation to prevent your yielding to it I would advise you to do these things 1. Be convinced that it is a damnable sin for any man upon any pretence whatsoever to murder himself If you doubt of this whether it be a sin for a man to take away his own life I shall endeavour to convince you that it is not only a sin but a very hainous and damnable sin for a man to destroy himself 1. It is a transgression of that Law Exod. 20.13 Thou shalt not kill which is one of the greatest Commandments of the Second Table That Law Thou shalt not kill doth as much oblige us not to kill our selves as it doth not to kill other men 2. The Word of God telleth us plainly that no murderer shall have eternal life but shall be cast into that lake that burns with fire and brimstone 1 Joh. 3.15 Ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him Rev. 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Now such as kill themselves are murderers as well as they that kill other men 3. It is an usurping upon Gods Prerogative for