Catholick Religion OR THE JUST TEST OR CHARACTER Of every Person that in any Nation is accepted with God Discovered IN An Explication of the Nature of the true fear of God and working of Righteousness with which the same is connected In some Discourses upon Acts 10.35 36. WHEREIN Several important Doctrinal Truths more immediately influential upon practise are plainly opened and vindicated from their too common misunderstanding By WILLIAM MANNING Happy is the man that feareth alway Pro. 28.14 LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey 1686. ERRATA PAge 1. line 12. dele may p. 2. l. 10 d. Preached Christs Death put in proceedeth l. 17. r. the Gentiles l. 20. r. Cohort p. 10. l. 1. r. Oeconomy p. 20. l. 8. r. Mat. 7. p. 33. l. 4. r. their p. 41. l. 4. r. it meaneth p. 57. l. 25. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 68. l. 22. r. it s assigned p. 69. l. 11. r. Nation l. 27. r. Mans p. 90. l. 16. d. and p. 92. l. 12. r. now p. 93. l. 17. r. attemperation p. 98. l. 13. d. as p. 102. l. 21. r. unreserved p. 118. l. 3. r. is p. 133. l. 16. r. convert p. 153. l. 11. r. I say l. 12. r. thou p. 156. l. 11. d. but l. 12. d. that they are p. 158. l. 3. r. awaiting p. 161. l. 25. r. on p. 163. l. 16. d. nay CATHOLICK RELIGION c. ACTS X. 34 35. Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him THIS Chapter gives us the first account of the Apostles Preaching the Gospel unto and Converse with the Gentiles amongst whom Cornelius and his Houshold are mentioned as a kind of first Fruits of them given in unto Christ The whole Story is very Remarkable and many useful Instructions doth the Context and Coherence offer to our consideration some few whereof it may may not be amiss to gather up and briefly to insist upon in our way to the Text. In the first place its worthy our notice and consideration who or what this Cornelius was the Subject immediately concerned in the Apostles Discourse since that the witness which he obtained of God touching his Acceptance of him is the Foundation whereupon St. Peter Preached Christs Death unto his General Conclusion or Inference That in every Nation c. Of that the first Verse gives us an account and therein both of the freeness and exuberancy of the Grace and Goodness of God to Sinners even of Gentiles Why he was a Roman Soldier a Centurion i. e. Captain of a Hundred Footmen of the Italian Squadron or Cohorts consisting of about Six hundred Men and which was the tenth part of a Legion They were Heathen nor was he himself Proselited to the Jews Religion as is Evident in the Sequel of the Discourse tho he might in that degenerate Age yet have help to light his Candle from them He lived in Cesaria a City of the Jews the Scepter being then departed from Judah as his Station allotted to him by the Roman Powers to keep Garison upon them and to hold them in subjection and what the Temper and Religion or rapine rather of such Military Persons ordinarily is or hath been in such circumstances all the World knows Now it 's not so much matter of wonderment that in every Nation all that fear God should be accepted of him as this that so singular Humanity Benignity Charity Piety and true Devotion should to such a Degres be found in a person of such a Nation without God in the World devoted to Idolatry in a Stranger born to the Covenant of Promise his Place or Station also considered and the disadvantage of his Education preponderating against it Surely he was more than in an ordinary way indebted to the Grace of God no less than St. Paul was who tho a Jew in Religion yet being withal a Blasphemer a Persecutor and Injurious an instance of another kind when called by the Grace of God Gal. 1.5 He could not but speak his resentment of it as superabundant toward him 1 Tim. 1.14 as was the Mercy of God which thereupon he obtained of him v. 16. Now as that so remarkable instance of the Grace and Mercy of God toward the Apostle Paul was in the intention of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for type or exemplar sake as himself noteth for a pattern to them which hereafter should believe to Life Everlasting to remove all discouragement in any in the like cases labouring under the sense of Heinous Guilt So is this Instance of Cornelius brought into Example first to shew how that God out of any Nation Kindred Quality or Condition of Persons otherwise can select a People to himself and Implant his Fear in their Heart and then that having so done he will never fail be their outward circumstances what they will to testify his acceptance of them Cornelius his Character for Piety notwithstanding the disadvantages that lay in his way summarily mentioned v. 2. will fall in particularly hereafter to be handled Gods special care in the mean while over him whilst he is found in the way of his Duty we have Exemplified v. 3 5. in his directing an Angel in a Vision to speak to him that he should send for Peter that he might open unto him more fully the way of Salvation Chap. 11.14 which as yet he was not instructed in But there was a Remora in Peters way which must be removed He could not converse with a Gentile and such a one was Cornelius The case thus stood Time was and that but now that the Jews were the only chosen People of God Deut. 7.6 7 whilst the Gentiles were no People of his They were nigh unto him these afar off Eph. 2.17 They were a People Holy to the Lord these a People common and prophane Gal. 2.15 They a peculiar Covenant People Rom. 9.4 we Gentiles aliens to the advantage thereof Eph. 2.12 Consequently they were nearer to Salvation than we comparatively Salvation was of them John 4.22 whilst we were without hope Eph. 2.12 beyond the Line sitting in darkness and in the shadow of Death Luk. 1.79 1 Thes 2.16 nor were there any Commissionated to gather in the Nations of the Gentiles then This Difference the Pious Jews and even the Apostles themselves thought should continue yea and such a distance as that they thought they might not Lawfully eat with a Gentile This was a common received opinion among them and known to other Nations as appears by the Woman of Samaria her Reply to Christ John 4.9 tho but of Ecclesiastical Constitution that we find how severely did the Apostles and Brethren they of the Circumcision contend with Peter after this about it Chap. 11.2 they were of opinion that under the Messias the Jews Church-State was to be continued and enlarged that men must
be so and no more can be answered or said still the difficulty remains what Obligation man can justly have to a new Law introduced binding him to a natural impossibility or call it moral it comes to the same or what relief the new Covenant can design in proposing and enjoyning happiness unto Sinners whilst the terms are impossible not to God but to them as to stop the course of the Sun in the Firmament How is this a Law of Grace to them if it be so But in Answer to the Objection and for the further vindicating of the Truth I must here distinguish between that which is mediately and ultimately possible to the Creature or impossible and what is nextly and immediately so In the latter Sense in the case of Naaman the Syrian 2 Kin. 5. the cure of his Leprosie was to him absolutely impossible nor could any one else but God do it v. 7. It was a Miracle and no less power is necessary to the cleansing away the Leprosie and Contagion of Sin but in the former Sense viz. in the use of the means or direction given him by the Prophet v. 10. by the force of Gods Promise norified to him it was more than possible to him His recovery was equally within his Power as was his washing seven times in Jordan Yea and if he was not recovered it lay peremptorily at his door and it was ten to one that it proved not so v. 13. And yet when the cure was done for all that he did his part yet in his conscience he could not but ascribe it in the whole unto the sole Power and Goodness of God to a Conviction thereof beyond whatever he had before v. 15 17. so is the case here and the Application to it is easie More particularly and plainly for I am not here disputing if thou beest in earnest whoever thou art that objectest thus within thy self let me come yet closer up to thee And first let it be reminded which in the Objection is suggested 1. That thou standest at present convinced of the absolute necessity of a change of thy Heart and Life the whole need not the Physitian and that without it the favour of God is unattainable by thee 2. That without the Divine help illuminating thy mind and renewing it altering the Biass and Inclination of thy Will and implanting the fear of God in thy heart thou can'st not dispose thy self unto holiness this thou art sensible of and the Scriptures speak the same and directs thee to look up to God for it Joh. 6.44 45. Rom. 8.7 Acts 5.31 Eph. 2.10 Phil. 2.13.2 Tim. 2.25 Jam. 1.17 18. hold thee then there 3. How pleasant soever Sin may as yet be to thee and hard to part with if thou wilt speak out how uneasie soever the yoke of Christ may seem to thee who wert never as yet accustomed unto it Yet knowing it to be thy disease and reflecting on the danger of it thou sayest that thou art not averse to be healed Thou knowest the Will of God and art so far enlightened as to have some tast of his good Word and approvest the things that are more excellent Take heed then of going back again this step toward Conversion Some are most desperately bent against it and averse to any treaty about it They have refused to return Jer. 5.3 by a positive act of their will Wo unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Ch. 13.27 Matt. 23.37 that is not absolutely thy case 4. Thou art sensible that God de novo enjoyns thee to fear him and walk uprightly before him in order to his favour notwithstanding thy former forfeiture and that he knoweth perfectly thy present frame and what can possibly be expected from thee He commands thee to circumcise thy heart to love and to fear him Deur 10. Yea to make thee a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. to be a new man and that under a new Penalty and more sore than was that of the Law of Innocency Heb. 2.3 and 10.29 But withal declaring his hearty willingness rather that thou shouldest repent and turn to him than perish under that double guilt for thy not doing it 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Tim. 2.4 So in the same verse where he exacts this return at thy hands Ezek. 18.31 32. For why will ye dye This may reflect some light unto thee by the way Now that it may appear to thy own Sense and Conscience that the Holy and Gracious God doth not mock thee in all this but intends thy relief in it if thou beest not deficient unto thy self in what is possible to thee from what thou hast already received and the help he affordeth thee know yet further 1. That he hath instituted or appointed means of Grace and hath vouchsafed the same unto thee Prov. 1.21 22. I speak here of Gods means which are the Instrument of the principal efficient in Conversion thou hast the Word of God to attend unto the appropriate means unto it The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Psal â—9 7 It 's the Seed of the new Birth Jam. 1.18 the Spirit of God co-operating with it Joh. 6.63 whereof the Gospel is the Ministration 2. Cor. 3.8 Rom. 10.14 Hearken unto me saith the Psalmist and I will teach you the fear of the Lord Psa 34.11 I have sent also my servants the prophets unto you rising up early and sending them c. Ezek. 35.15 Gods prescience of the event that the means will not alway attain the end hinders not but that he will use it as ordained to it and it will go for a cost that he hath been at that the Sinner will be accountable for if it be lost What should have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done Isa 5.4 Mart. 11.20 21. Isa 48.18 2. Moreover God has made a Law or Covenant obligatory unto man with respect unto his conferring or denial of Grace to him a proper establishment about it which comes home to thy case Neither do I mean here Gods absolute Promise of giving Grace unto some or to write his Law in their heart Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Rom. 11.27 Isa 59.21 which belongs to his will of purpose only or his Decrees and is termed his Covenant in an improper sense That belongs only to the elect and amounts not to a promise claimable by all or any singular person in particular It 's indeed directive whither to go for help and from whom all grace is to be received but the purpose of God revealed that he will give it to some indefinitely is extrinsical to the nature of a Law it 's not mans fault that he is not the object of such absolute promise nor shall it be the rule of Gods Judgment when he shall be condemned for his failing of the Grace of God whereof we are enquiring Heb. 12.15 17. The
Law of God respecting the restoring of the Soul of man unto his lost Image without which he can't be happy consists of three parts The Precept the Promise and the Threat 1. For the Preceptive part It can't be denied but that something in the way of Duty is incumbent on the Sinner to the end that he may be converted and healed and this is his means to be used in order to it and may be reduced to two heads 1. Something respecting God more immediately as the Author of Grace or the giver of it such are the reading of the Scriptures attending on the ordinances of God especially the Ministry of the word Rom. 10.17 and Prayer unto God by Christ Isa 55.6 frequenting good company c. Pro. 13.20 God commandeth that the Creature meeting him quantum in se so far as in it lieth in the way of his Grace There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Isa 64.7 2. Something respecting the subject to be wrought upon as namely the avoiding of those Sins which it's capable of a restraint from and which in their own nature tend to increase the habitual strength of Sin by custome and to render Conversion more difficult this God commands And withal to come up to those Duties of Justice Mercy countenancing and following after that which is honest and good in the due im provement of every Talent received and which in its own nature is dispositive unto a change yet further tho not gradus in re any degree as yet in that which is saving as a body organized is in a nearer Disposition to be animated with a rational Soul than a meer lump of Clay This God requires by Precept of man in order to his recovery to Grace and Holiness that is savingly such that he be in the way of it Now that of all this is impossible unto thee who makest the Objection Nature is presupposed to Morality and whilst God sustaineth thy being and supplies thee with his common Influences Acts 17.28 this thou can'st do Mans Capacity unto the Reception of Grace or Renovation unto the Image of God is not meerly Logical or Obediential like to that of a Stock or a Stone tho in some sense worse as hath been said He hath still his natural Faculties abiding rendring him immediately fusceptible of it and it is but their rectitude or new well-disposedness unto Holiness And consequently also he can use his Faculties which are reasonable with design for the bettering of his estate in the way of Gods Ordination and can do something in order to it Mar. 12.34 Luke 13.24 Neither yet is all the Ignorance of men invincible nor all their Aversation unto the ways of God and Holiness insuperable The mind can reflect and fetch in Intelligence of the danger it can consider and keep guard More violence can men use with themselves than they do Isa 44.19 their cannot here is no more or other than that of his who said he could not rise and give his Friend Luke 11.7 that is he could not without some difficulty and great unwillingness get his mind to it who yet upon his importunity did do it v. 8. All mankind have recognized this Power in their Constitution of human Laws against moral Impieties No just Law can be made that should bind men to moral Impossibilities or to what is not within the Power of any one till he be first regenerated and in a state of Salvation No man doth think but than when Malefactors are found guilty and adjudged to Penalties for their Crimes they might and could have done otherwise and weknow it is so In short thou can'st consider thy Condition and Reason about it thou can'st Hear Read Pray give Alms and come up to the external Acts of Religion both Personal Family and Publick and can'st forbear this or that act of gross Sin such as Murder Theft Adultery Lying Cheating Swearing Drunkenness c. men short of saving Grace have done it and may do it through the knowledg also and belief of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 and yet be again intangled in the same Pollutions of the World if they look not to it v. 22. Mat. 19.20 Yea and further whenever God changeth or choverteth any one it 's in a way congruous to his Nature and the Soul goes along in the exercise of its Faculties which it had before like as when our Saviour was about to cure the man of his withered hand Mat. 12. he bids him stretch it forth and not without reason might he be didden lift at it for that he had the first Power and Faculty of it and he must essay whilst Omnipotency healed the Indisposition of the Organ and produced the effect Still something in the way of Duty yet not impossible to the Creature is enjoyned thee in order to thy cure if thou wilt be made whole Yea and thou must work if ever thou expectest God to help thee to will or to do Phil. 2.12 13. 2. Nor is there a bare command but withal there is a promise of Grace connected with the forementioned precepts either expressed or implyed which constituteth it a Covenant and alone renders the former Duties complied with proper means to be used by us unto Grace To him that hath shall be given saith our Saviour Luke 8. It 's accommodated to the parable of the sower and brought in as a reason inforcing the caution given by him to take heed how they hear v. 18. And again take therefore the Talent from him Mat. 25.28 for unto every one that hath shall be given v. 29. that is to everyone that rightly useth or improveth his Talent received will God give more in diverso genere it must be meant of the Communication of saving Grace that the promise speaks as is evident in the main scope of the Parable It 's past doubt that the wicked and slothful Servant was condemned for the want of Truth of Grace or of that which had it been gained had been rewardable with eternal Life if not his case had been the same he had perished notwithstanding If so his Plea is considerable and no man can object more I knew thee Lord saith he that thou art an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowen gathering where thou hast not strawed v. 24. q. d. If I am sentenced for the not gaining or having that the Seed or Power whereof was never once personally given unto me the which he alledgeth himself before to have been aware of and therefore was discouraged or afraid but could not help it See now the Answer Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the Exchangers i. e. have improved the Talent I betrusted thee with and then thou shouldest have gained that for the want of which I now doom thee as an unprofitable Servant like to that Luk. 16.11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true
riches Yet further that it is the Duty of all men to seek the Lord and to pray unto him for Grace is out of all question but whoever cometh to God is expresly obliged to believe not only that he is but that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 without which no foundation or motive of incouragement doth remain Now Faith can't stand alone without a bottom what warrant can any man have to believe in such a case that which God hath not promised Either they have Gods word for it or they can't be bound to believe it Faith is an assent upon Testimony that is its formal Nature and the thing testified namely that God is a rewarder yea in the very case in hand Luke 11.10 doth not transcend the faculty of the natural Man to yield his assent thereunto as the foundation of his Application unto God for the Grace that he wants If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Jam. 1.5 but let him ask in Faith v. 6. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands ye Sinners Jam. 4.8 most express is that Prov. 2.3 4 5. If thou criest after knowledg and liftest up thy voice for understanding c. then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God The fear of God is the thing in my Text required unto his favour And here the Dispensation thereof is made conditional and the tenor of the new Covenant with respect thereunto expressed As also in the former Chapter on the same foot of account it 's put upon every mans election or choice and laid there that they do not fear God Ch. 1.29 for that they wanted not assurance of help from God v. 23. if they had not rejected it and disregarded his methods unto it v. 25. 3. There is moreover a Threat belonging to this Constitution It 's no bare Counsel but has the force of a Law which serves further to confirm what is before asserted Every Threat doth virtually include a promise to the contrary in any establishment The Precept in Conjunction with the Sanction in case of disobedience Gen. 2.17 For in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye is all that we have upon Record touching the first Covenant established with man Yet is it hence concluded that a promise of Life unto Adam in case he continued in his obedience cannot be doubted for that it must be certainly tho tacitly included in the Threat The Commination or Threat here is the denial of Grace a Dereliction of God a judicial blinding and hardening the taking away of former Talents mis-improved and leaving the Soul in an after-incapacity of Grace as now past it How full is the Scripture in this point From him shall be taken away even that he hath Mat. 13.12 lest at any time they should be converted and I should heal them v. 15. When God commands the use of means in order to the further communication of his Grace unto men that they do what they can do If now they will not seek unto God but set themselves down in a supine sloth and negligence at best or speaking evil of those things which they know not what they know naturally as bruit Beasts in those things they will corrupt themselves as Jude speaks affronting the Divine Majesty grieving his Spirit resisting it Act. 7.51 debauching their own Consciences and quenching the Spirit striving therein with them then he threatens to give them up Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their hearts lust Ps 81.12 O that my people had hearkened to me v. 13. God gave them over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1.28 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.11 12. Now they are hid from thine eyes Luke 19.42 thy day is past I will put a new Spirit within you Ezek. 11.19 but as for them whose heart walketh after their abominations I will recompence their way upon their own head v. 21. Zech. 7.11 13. The bellows are burnt the lead is consumed i. e. the cost is lost Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Jer. 6.29 Thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Ezek. 24.12 13. My Spirit shall not always strive with man Gen. 6.3 It 's true that the Threat here doth not every way run parallel with the promise In the Promise God hath laid an Obligation on himself when the Condition is performed But the Threat carrieth in it but the nature of a penal Law which in its due Construction tho it obligeth the Sinner unto its Penalty in case of forfeiture yet it bindeth not the Law-giver unto Execution in such case God has as Supream Governour for weighty Reason reserved to himself his Prerogative Royal as to the Execution of the Threat and the timing of it when he doth it as was hinted in the opening of the Text. Sometimes he has foretold that he will and we find actually that he hath stept out of the course of his standing Law and prevented some in the way of discriminating Mercy Act. 9.14 15. without wrong to any other in the like circumstances whose undoubted right it is to have in his disposal some special grace and favour which no mortal but has to bestow on whom he pleases according to that noted saying of Prosper Deus neminem deserit c. God leaves none till they forsake him and many such he often converts But in the mean while when ever he does it the Sinner had no warrant to expect it or to adventure on it which were to sin that way might be made for discriminating Grace to abound no man has any ground to believe that God will convert him out of the way and method prescribed unto him in order to it How many may have perished on that Presumption and that by their own wilful neglect whilst they well knew that in the Communication of pardoning Grace and Acceptance unto Life God hath not reserved to himself any the like liberty of Supersedure to save any one who by a previous work of sanctifying Grace on his Soul is not afore prepared unto Glory Rom. 9.23 24. and therefore it must be a madness to adventure it Now then Soul if that be so and this be thy case say now whether God requireth any impossibility of thee or whether no relief was indeed offered thee in the new Covenant grant God has signified his willingness to admit of a conference with thee here and to put it upon thy Conscience thy self being Judg touching the equality of his ways Isa 5.3 7. What incouragement more wouldest thou have or what assurance touching the possibility of thy attaining unto favour
suspended Accordingly then if thou hast no other standard of Righteousness to measure thy living Faith by than I have before insisted on to measure and delineate the fear of God and true Piety in any person by the issue at last is brought to the same Now then to come to the business suppose thou shouldest neglect the fear of God and not bring forth the fruits of Righteousness mentioned or relapse into any one of those gross wickednesses enumerated by the Apostle Gal. 5.19 With a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such like v. 21. that the flesh carrieth it in the combate against the Spirit which was none of Paul's own case Rom. 7. he speaks not there of the perpetration of any gross sin the thief can't say when he takes a purse that it is no more he that what he would not do that he doth c. v. 17.20 Suppose I say the government protempore of Grace to be suspended and sin to usurp the rule and dominion for any time notwithstanding the vanquished dissent of thy mind to the presumptuous conrtivement and harbouring of some notorious impiety which yet is no impossible supposition if thou lookest not to it as I might give instances once and again were it a thing grateful to stay upon What now wouldest thou think of thy condition in such case Thou must say either 1. That the Faith which is alone whether it worketh or not worketh if it be not lost doth continue to justifie thee or that through it rather to speak in the Scripture dialect thou continuest still justified accepted and meet for eternal life tho it be no operative Faith which is to eat thy own words Or 2. that such works of Righteousness as have been insisted on or thy being cleansed from such sins as the Apostle gives a catalogue of for the fruits of the flesh in its regency belong not to the works thou meanest or the holiness or obedience which thou takest for necessary to qualifie or inform thy working faith as not belonging to its essential Character In the point of duty thou holdest them required but that if they be wanting and the flesh prevail yet that at the same instant of time it 's no dead Faith which thou hast tho it worketh not as it should do yet it doth so far as is necessary to thy Justification and acceptance with God If so here then thou speakest out Or 3. If thou hast any misgiving that such fruits of Righteousness brought forth in the fear of God and abstinence from the contrary fruits of the flesh do belong to the Character of a living working Faith thou must grant that if it be otherwise with thee or should be thy case thy Faith can't be it that will save thee but that at such time being alone thy title to acceptance with God will be suspended and discontinued which is that I have been urging upon thee to consider that thy Soul lies at stake upon thy obedience as well now as before thy reception to favour with God but to the continuance I have proved that they are which as yet remains unshaken and it therefore behoveth thee to look to it As for the other foot of the Objection respecting the Saints Perseverance that belongs to the Doctrine of Election or the Decrees which can never run cross to the standing Law of God neither Know then 1. That such is the connexion between continuation in the fear of God and working Righteousness and continuance in his favour and title to blessedness that he has not decreed to preserve any one in the latter without the former 2 Thes 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 and so runs his Law Job 15.10 1 Joh. 1.7 of which before So that perseverance in the favour of God and his love of acceptance and perseverance in holiness run parallel and there can be no pretence to the one without the other 2. We have a law or establishment which God hath made with his people touching their preservation and progress in grace which is to be attended unto The dispensation of more grace and help in time of need is conditional unto them in and by the Gospel There is no promise no provision made in the Covenant of Grace struck with man the administration whereof is absolute to preserve any one from the greatest and most enormous sins nor yet from Apostacy it self if he attends not to the duty prescribed in order to it nor hath God promised that he shall so do Grace is in its own nature loseable the best of men are mutable or defectible here it 's actuation and conservation depends on new supplies from him that gave it 2 Cor. 12.9 which God communicates through Christ who is become the head of influence John 15.4 5. Gal. 2. â—0 But the dispensation thereof is connected in the promise with a diligent heeding and attending on the duties prescribed in order to it which man through the talents received and help availing him is in an immediate capacity unto such are watching 1 Cor. 16.13 Prayer unto God Mark 14.28 Unite my heart to fear thy name faith David Psal 86.11 and take not thy holy spirit from me Psal 51.11 12. To shake off sloth and use diligence Heb. 6.11 12. not to cater or provide for the flesh Rom. 13.14 to avoid the occasions of evil and abstain from the appearance of it and resist its first motions 1 Thes 5.22 to put on and keep in use the whole armour of God Eph. 6.11 and in exercising his Grace received Joh. 5.2 adding thereby Grace to Grace with all diligence 2 Pet. 1.5 If ye do these things ye shall never fall saith the Apostle v. 10. i. e. into your old sins v. 9. which will blur your evidence for life or stain your acceptance with God Hence it is that the faithful are cautioned to take heed of falling 1 Cor. 10.12 Heb. 3.13 and of Apostacy from God Heb. 10.25 38 viz. in the diligent use of the means Connected with the promise of their preservation the which while some have attended they have been in a flourishing posture God-ward Cant. 7.12 John 3.2 whilst other some have pined away grace in them hath languished and been ready to die Rev. 3.2 and they if in a saved state yet saved so as by fire hardly and not without loss 1 Cor. 3.15 and who might they thank but themselves all is not to be resolved into the inevitable consequent of the Lapse or first transgression They might have helpt it Nor doth the prerogative of God here also reserved for the recovery of any one after Relapses or preventing the same in pursuance of his hidden purpose derogate at all from this his standing law No promise has God made on any other terms than as afore mentioned Jude 20.21 23 24. Jam 4 5 6. 3. If then through any mans wilful neglect as before the precept of the law of grace becomes violated I say again the Sanction or Threat takes place without all
with God or unto Grace in order to it If then thou declinest the use of means or every thing of duty required of thee and persistest in those evils which thou can'st avoid to provoke God to withdraw his help from thee how can'st thou pretend thou wouldest be healed of thy Souls distemper as thou suggestest whilst yet thy own Conscience must subscribe to the righteousness of Gods Judgment in condemning thee eo nomine if thou acceptest not deliverance What had the foolish Virgins to say that they have not Oyl in their Vessels Was it not their own fault Mat. 25.9 Yea and his mouth was muzled as it is in the Greek that was challenged for not having on the Wedding-garment Mat. 22.12 he had nothing to say for himself Can'st thou think that thy Conscience will not reproach thee in Hell for sinning against real mercy and kindness and for thy neglect of so great Salvation if thou beest not converted and healed Will not thy non-deliverance from wrath to come thinkest thou lie justly at thy own door by the Gospel Can'st thou say that thou wert left remediless under the first Apostacy No let God be true but every man a liar Rom. 3.4 God is not unrighteous who taketh vengeance the worm that shall not dye will one day attest to it Let me then reassume the Exhortation in the Apostles words 2 Cor. 6.1 We then as workers together with him beseech you that you receive not the Grace of God in vain comply with the offer of acceptance with him Endeavour after the fear of God and work righteousness which are the terms of it Man is the immediate formal efficient of it not God therefore essay it use the means to it and look up to God for help I have heard Ephrahim bemoaning himself thus turn thou me Lord and I shall be turned Jer. 31.18 so do thou and do it speedily as the Apostle subjoyns in the formentioned place v. 2. Now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation So say I set upon the work now without delay While it 's called to day saith the Author to the Hebrews lest any of you be hardened thro' the deceitfulness of Sin Ch. 3.13 Sin is of a charming nature and has its subtil insinuations to keep its possession and that of the Presumption of an after repentance or change which shall be time enough is none of the least of its deceits or the less dangerous when 1. life is its self short and uncertain What a vanity and cheat then is it to dispose of that time which no man is sure to enjoy and that for the doing a work which if death comes before he is remedilesly undone for ever 2. It 's not Gods method to Convert men at the last hour If it were so what would become of his Glory in this world It would invert the order of his Government Sick bed repentances are seldom true After Relapses do daily evince it One or two Rare instances on the other hand are not to be drawn into consequence to secure men of acceptance with God at last in the neglect of his fear and their continuance in the service of the Flesh the World and the Devil till the last point of time 3. Sin continued in and this change put off argueth the one for the present to be rather chosen and the other nauseated And then to morrow and next day is likely to be as bad with thee and worse than to day This procrastination tends to further hardning in sin as in the Text before named 4. That this Heart-change is the gift of God in order to his Favour thou confessest and insists upon why then art thou not afraid that for thy putting off the work which he enjoyns thee to day and not answering to his present call and overtures of Grace in complying with the methods of it that he should execute his threat and seal thee up to obduration It may be thy case before thou art aware of it Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Isa 55.6 then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Prov. 1.28 because I have called and ye refused v. 24. for that they hated knowledg and did not chuse the fear of the Lord v. 29. take heed that thou doest not rue it when it be too late Time may be left and yet the season be lost Luk. 19 42. 2. The other branch of the exhortation is unto all those who truly fear God and hope to be found righteous before him Do you continue to walk in his fear and more and more to abound in the fruits of righteousness more particularly in those that have been instanced in which were so Characteristical in Cornelius Pray alway look to the Soul concernments of all under your charge let Gods Name be Recorded in your Families that they may be Nurseries for Religion and give hopes for posterity Be kind and merciful like unto your Heavenly Father Keep up the repute of Religion by an exact Conversation that may be convincing And let it appear not so much in a zealous pursuit of some singular walk or opinion as in the more weighty things of the Law wherein all that fear God must be agreed and wherein the men of the world have also some discerning and are able to judg of a mans integrity That they may not be tempted to conclude that strict piety and conscience toward God is a thing only verbally professed and talkt of but no where to be found Peter gives an instance herein of the prevalency of an exemplarary walk even in women tho the weaker Vessels That if any obey not the word they also i. e. their husbands may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives while they behold your chast conversation coupled with fear 1 Pet. 3.1 2. with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price v. 4. so of Husbands also in their place without which their prayers will be hindred v. 7. what will any mans profession amount unto without this Above all if thou beest one who desires to be found faithful with God and be kept steady in the way of Righteousness look to preserve thy conscience tender and to keep the fear of God always upon thy Soul in the several instances before explained wherein it doth consist especially as it denoted an awful fixation of the eye of the Soul on him or regard unto him in all thou doest in the whole tract of thy life O fear the Lord ye his saints Psal 34.9 this is the root and spring of all obedience and of the entireness of it and that alone which will infer it Gen. 22.12 let the fear of God possess thy Soul set him always before thee call him to Record in all that thou undertakest and it will preserve