is to be shewed them that it might be as a powerful Argument to beget faith and affection to God and Christ in them and to make them that duly consider it willing to come and which if rejected leaves them without excuse and aggravates their sin and makes evident the equity of their condemnation with a witness Indeed in Promises and Threatnings which alwaies respect the future there is an If or condition understood where not expressed often as appears 1 Sam. 2.30 Jer. 18.7 8. Jonas 3.4 but not in declarations in matters done Now I say this love and salvation so generally expressed is not that to be sought to be obtained or that we may be under it we being all preventingly under it and too many content themselves with being under the enjoyments of its streams in having the patience and bounty of God exercised toward them and in hearing that God hath loved them while sinners and Christ hath died for them sitting down content with this or some more common gifts vouchsafed in or through such means as upon the account thereof are afforded not minding that though those things be true without condition and so ought to be proposed yet they were not done without an end which ought to be pursued Though it s not said Christ died for all if they will live to him yet it s said He died for all that they who live might live to him Though it s not right to say God is patient towards men and doth them good if they repent as if not otherwise yet it s right to say that he is patient towards them and do 〈◊〉 them good that they might repent It 's not handsome to say The Gospel is sent to men if they will believe yet it is to say It is sent to men that they might believe and in believing be justified sanctified washed renewed and be made new creatures having on them the Wedding garment without which they may not partake of the feast nor be the Subjects of Gods choice love in which true bliss and happiness are to be enjoyed nor be made partakers of the special salvation in which Christ is the especial Saviour of them that believe the Author of Eternal salvation unto which things as to our being the Subjects enjoying them there is an If or condition And therefore that these ends of what Christ hath done and doth might be obtained by us it 's needful both that the Gospel be declared clearly and plainly to men by those who are thereto called and that where declared men set their hearts to it to mind it that they might in another sort or sense find this general love and salvation that is to say as to the knowledge belief and efficacy of it upon them it being as is shewed in the Treatise the way by which men are and may be begotten and brought to Repentance Faith and the New Birth and â—o become the objects of the special love aâ— salvation The Word in the Gospel is the seed of Regeneration 1 Pet. 1.23 25. The Gospel of Christ even the preaching of the Cross that Christ died for our sins and was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.22.24 15.1 2 3. the preaching that Christ died for all and to what end and that God was in Christ reconciling the world and is the Word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.14 15 19. The Grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saving to all men teacheth that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly That Teacher is to be attended to and that teaching learned and they are greatly faulty that slight or darken it or overly hear it or rest in a notion of it without being brought under the special love by it Though yet neither is this all that men should attend to in hearing and receiving it to be made in Christ by it and so objects of special love All the business is not done and over in that it 's needful also to abide and go on therein for we have adversaries will endeavour to pull us back or pervert us from it Pharaoh who hindred Israels going out of Egypt endeavoured when gone to fetch them back again So deals Satan and as all that were brought into the way to Canaan attained not to Canaan because some turned back in their hearts and some such as had believed and sung his praises afterward through unbelief perished So there is a danger here too And therefore as Moses his work was not all over when he had brought them over the Red Sea and led them to Mount Sinai so neither was the Apostles when by their Ministry and Gods blessing thereon they had brought any to Christ and so to Mount Sion now they were jealous with a godly jealousie for such as they had espoused to Christ lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve any of them might be corrupted from the simplicity in him 2 Cor. 11.23 Least by any means they might be moved and the Tempter should tempt them and render their labour frustrate 1 Thess 3.5 Therefore they wrote Epistles to them wherein they instructed reproved warned them provoked them to watchfulness and stedfastness in the faith So run that they might obtain so to hold fast and abide in Christ as not to lose their reward nor fail of the Grace of God directing them how to behave themselves so as to be preserved in Christ unto eternal life And that 's the main scope and drift of the Treatise here presented that being in the special love of God thou mayest be kept in it But I am sensible that some things might have been spoken to that I over looked in it for some perhaps by the love of God spoken of in the Text understand not that love whereof he is the Subject and we the Object Gods love to and of us but that whereof we are the Subjects and God the Object our love to and of God And indeed upon consideration I had thought of inserting some things in that sense also Not because I think I have taken it amiss but because I think that also might not have been unprofitably spoken to as one sense of the phrase though the matter comes much what to the same for the lover of God is the choicely beloved of God as it is said I love namely with an approving delightful love them that love me Prov. 8.17 Psal 147.11 and my Father hath loved you because ye have loved me John 16.27 they are the called according to his purpose and all things work together for their good Rom. 8.28 to them God hath promised the Crown of life and a glorious Kingdom James 1.12 2.5 Onely to supply that defect I shall here briefly note that in those words Keep your selves in the love of God so taken there is signified Note 1. That the real and hearty
Caution Look diligently least any man fail of the grace of God least any root of bitterness spring up and trouble you and thereby many be defiled least there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right for ye know how afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears for ye are not come to Mount Sinai the Mount which might be touched and which burnt with fire c. but ye are come to Mount Sion the City of the living God c. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him who spake on earth how shall we escape if we turn from him that speaks from heaven Heb. 12.15 16 17 18 22 25. Where the Apostle from the heavenliness and so by consequence the holiness and graciousness of the Gospel ministration warns us to take heed of all prophaneness and implyes the severity of Gods judgments against the prophaners of it and the turners of the Grace of God into wantonness The more the Grace of God is set before us in any Doctrine the more it teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and ingages to holiness in heart and life Now the Grace of God is most fully set forth in the Gospel as now since the ascention of Christ published to all Nations for the obedience of faith and therefore as it is the most gracious so upon that account the most holy faith but now where God bestows most grace he expects most holiness in return for it and therefore there he is most displeased with mens unholiness and ungraciousness especially when that that is given to produce holiness is made use of to incourage men to loosness and prophaneness The more holy any thing is the more severely the abuse of it is punished by him as might be seen in Gods punishing Belâ—â—shazzar's abuse of the consecrated Vessels of the Temple of God to drink and quaff in prophanely amongst his Queens and Concubines Dan. 5. therefore this being the most holy faith the abuses and prophanations of it shall be most severely punished The use of all which might be to provoke us to carefulness in keeping to and holding fast this faith not suffering it to be perverted or prophaned and especially to take heed of perverting and prophaning it our selves as we would avoid Gods sorest and severest judgments but receive it with all gladness and acceptation and wait upon it and upon God in it for his power to sanctifie us and make us holy and as God is working in it to that purpose both to will and to do so work we out what God works in us and so our own salvation with fear and trembling least we should receive his Grace in vain withhold it in unrighteousness or turn it into wantonness But I pass on to the next particular to be inquired into viz. 4. What that is that is to be built upon or with this most holy faith and that is your selves 1. Not the faith it self that is not to be built up for that is already perfect and pure most holy it cannot be mended or made better every addition to it or alteration of it mars it and prophanes it that therefore is to be believed received and let abide as it is laid of God for us both in the things done to the person of Christ and in the Doctrine and declaration of Christ by the Apostles and Prophets that 's the foundation of the building and it is perfectly laid of God already Isai 28.16 1 Cor. 3.11 that is not to be built up but to be built upon to be held fast as most absolute and compleat nothing therein to be removed or altered that stands firm and sure and hath this seal The Lord knoweth thâ—se that are his the Lord like owns and approves it highly as it is his which he would not do if it was defective and imperfect he found fault with the first Covenant Priesthood Sacrifices c. upon the account of their defectiveness for making perfect the worshippers and therefore cast them by in due time took them away to bring in this New Testament the most holy Faith the most perfect and acceptable Sacrifices and most perfect Priest To whom he hath therefore sworn and will not repent and alter it as he did the former Priesthood and Law Thou arâ— a Priest to me for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Heb. 7.11 12 19 21 and 8 7 8 9 13. and 10.9 All is compleat and most holy here in this faith that therefore is not the thing he exhorts them to build or add to as the false Teachers were wont to do or pretend to do to make the Doctrine taught by the Apostles more full and perfect by their additions by which they corrupted it But letting that lye as God had laid it the exhorts them to build up 2. Themselves their persons hearts hopes c. therein implying 1. That Believers are Gods building as the Apostle calls them in 1 Cor. 3.9 Those that receive this most holy Faith they are thereby united with Christ the precious sure foundation and corner-stone and so as living or lively stones inlivened by that living Stone Christ to whom they are come They grow up into an holy spiritual house an holy Temple and habitation for God by his Spirit Yea as Christ is both the House and Temple of God himself For in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and the foundation also of the House or Church of God so every Believer is both as the Temple of God by vertue of Christ in whom he is yea their body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and is also a stone in the great Temple or spiritual building and as God dwelt of old in his Temple of old at Jerusalem between the Cherubims of glory not as to the comprehension of his Essence or Glory but as to a signal and more especial manifestation of his Power and Presence so God dwells in his Church and People that are in Christ by way not of the comprehension of his Essence but manifestation of his gracious presence and dispensation of his blessings Christ as held forth in the Apostles Doctrine is the only foundation of this building He is laid or built upon none of them or their vertues works or doings but they are all brought to and built upon him by the holy Spirit And therefore also they ought carefully to cleave to Christ as their only Foundation their Upholder and Sanctifier by vertue of whose firmness and infinite strength and fixedness all they that abide or continue upon or in the faith of him are firm and strong also yea As Mount Sion that can never be removed but standeth fast for ever Psal 125.1 2. and by vertue of his holiness and sanctity being Gods holy foundation they are holy too to God
Trees without fruit without any good fruit in Doctrine and Conversation they bring in none to God nor do any real good in their Generation twice dead and pluckt up by the roots as unfit for fruit or profit to the Church of God as such trees be being also not only dead in Adam and in themselves as from him or in him as all men naturally are or were but then after some life given them in and received of also by Christ they have died again lost that life sap they received from him and being given up to Sathan for their neglects or contempts of Christ they are pluckt out of him have no root or standing in him or in the Grace in him as ver 12. Raging waves of the Seas foaming out their own shame troubled and troublous boysterous persons acted and made unquiet by their lusts and evil spirits that have influence upon them and therefore they in their boysterousness and unquietness of Spirit foam out speak and vent forth their own shame their evill principles guilt of conscience or vain-gloryings in things that discover their destituteness of the fear and Grace of God within wandring Stars that seem to have light and profess that they know God and can discover him and his truth to others but are not fixed in Christ and therefore wander into evil and erroneous principles and perhaps go about too from place to place to corrupt others with their delusions For whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever for whom the greatest rejection from God saddest distress and misery in the depths of Hell for ever are reserved as their due deserved portion as being sinners of the highest degree of wickedness because they deny the Lord that bought them and corrupt others from the faith of him ver 13. Sixthly He confirms the Truth of what he had said about the sadness and wretchedness of their estate by the Prophecie of Enoch the seventh from Adam which though we have it not recorded elsewhere in our Bibles yet was by some other Writings in those dayes handed to them And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all the ungodly of them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all the hard speeches which ungodly godly Sinners have spoken against him ver 14 15. and then Seventhly Gives a further Character or Description of them to whom he applies that Prophesie and it may seem first with reference to the last clause of it These are murmurers namely against God and his Servants like the Israelites of old in their unbelief against the Lord and against Moses and Aaron complainers the word signifies faulters of their destiny lot or condition not submitted to or content with the Providences of God to about them and then with reference to the middle clause of the said Prophesie Walking after their own ungodly lusts not keeping them to the word and will of God set before them in the Gospel but as complaining of the purity severity or simplicity of that they break those bonds and transgress those bounds that they might walk after their own imaginations both as to faith and manners v 1.6 And their mouths speak great swelling words as of their parts worth attainments or as in 2 Pet. 2.18 19. the parallel place to this Epistle They promise others liberty they talk of being free from and above those rules of faith and worship that Christ hath prescribed and promise others freedom and liberty from such tryalls persecutions or temptations as they see the faithful cleavers to Christ exercised under will they but listen to them yea they speak as if they had their heaven and happiness Kingdom and glory here while yet themselves as he saith are servants of corruptions Having mens persons in admiration for advantage or profit-sake flattering and commending mens persons their greatness parts or places for some gain to themselves Eighthly Having thus at large described them and the evil and wretchedness of their way and condition he fortifies them against them by putting them in mind that this was no strange matter nothing but what the Apostles of Christ had forewarned them of But ye Beloved call to minde the words which were before spoken of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you that there should be mockers Deceivers in the last time walking after their own ungodly lusts ver 17 18. and then Ninthly Gives yet a further Character and description of them and shews the fulfilling of those words in these persons that they might not mistake them as to the persons he warns them of and that we in after-ages might know them saying These be they that separate themselves divide themselves from the company and fellowship of the true worshippers and Confessors of the Doctrine of Christ as not one in faith with them or as seeking to avoid those sufferings and persecutions that they were then exposed to probably pretending more holiness but really casting off Christs government yoke and discipline in his Church sensual or led by their carnal understanding and imagination having no higher principle to guid them and so savouring of such animal or sensual things only not having the Spirit The Spirit of faith to make them live by faith in the hope and expectation of the coming and Kingdom of Christ which these deceivers denied and made a mock of and so of the eternal life that God hath promised to those that worship him and trust in him by Jesus Christ ver 19. Now after all these things having so variously and abundantly both described these Deceivers admonished the right Believers of them he comes in these 20 and 21 verses to exhort and counsel them to what might be of greatest concernment to themselves and one another in opposition to the way and practise of those ungodly persons and that they might be kept from their infection and the dangerous fruits thereof But ye Beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life ver 21 22 wherein we have A serious and heavenly counsel given to faithful and unfeigned believers for their preservation in the Grace of God and attainment of eternal life and happiness and wherein is 1. The compellation term or title wherewith he addresses himself to these to whom he wrote Ye Beloved 2. The Distinction of them from and opposition of them to those ungodly Deceivers before described Those ungodly ones were such as separated themselves forsook the Assemblings of themselves together being sensual and not having the Spirit But ye Beloved Ye are not of them 3. The main thing counselled to to be aimed at by them and that is in verse 21. Keep your selves in the love of God
and Glory all those that submit to and serve him and everlastingly destroying all their enemies so as they never be able more to oppose or trouble theâ— A merciful High-Priest that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and temptations while yet we are under the vexations of Enemies and one that will most faithfully see to us and accomplish all things for and about us that may conduce to our preservation and safety here while under tryals and to our eternal happiness when fully freed from them The considering and minding him and the testimony of God concerning him as also what it it says and testifies of us ouâ— vileness sinfulness helplesness and misery in our-selves and of our welfare and happiness in him as founded in him and what it testifies of the world of sin of righteousness life death c. with all the Heavenly instructions reproofs and consolations of it is one yea the chief way of edifying our selves on our most holy faith while we therein and therethrough draw vertue from Christ as the poor woman by touching his garments to the nourishing and strengthning our Soules to trust in him love him cleave to him and obey him and so to oppose and stand against the assaults of Sathan evils of the world lusts of the flesh or whatsoever might endeavour to allure or affright us from him yea and derive all Heavenly Grace and vertue from him to the inlarging our Souls towards him and fitting them for and filling them with every good thing Therefore the Holy Ghost in the Scripture is so frequent in commending to us and provoking us to the study mindfulness and meditation of the Law and Doctrine of the Lord the Gospel of our salvaâ—â—n pronouncing that man happy and blessed that delights himself therein and gives up himself thereto As also the minding others of it and of the instructions reproofs and consolations of it is the way to edifie them also both by removing the rubbish that hinders their close cleaving to Christ the foundation and more firmly cementing them to and uniting them with Christ through his love and goodness discovered to them and put to their mindes and more firmely joyning them through the same love one to another and furthering their hope in and conformity to God and Christ in which they are edified and built up for him And as furtherance also hereto a further means and way is 2. A diligent and faithful exercise of their spiritual gifts for the helpfulness of each other for the manifestation of the Spirit some useful gift or other in which the Holy Spirit manifests his presence and influence and whereby he fits each member of Christ for the good of the whole Body is given to every one namely of the Members of Christ to profit with 1 Cor. 12.7 that is to do good too and edifie the Church or body of Christ with as to one is given by the Spirit a word of wisdome for directing and counselling what is best in doubtful matters to another a word of knowledge to inform mens minds of the things of God and nature of his Creatures works Providences c. To another faith a gift of believing and trusting in God more eminently or of incouraging to faith and confidence or also of faithfulness in keeping secret things committed to them not divulging the temptations failings and miscarriages of others imparted to them To another the gifts of healings either of the inward wounds and distempers of the Spirit or of bodily diseases by a miraculous way To another the working of Miracles or operations and efficacies of powers or powerful things such as the inflicting diseases deaths or such sad punishments upon men as when the Apostle Peter inflicted death upon Ananias and Saphirah at his word Act. 5 and Paul blindness on Barâ—Jesus the Sorcerer in Act. 13.10 11. as also the casting out Devils or the like To another prophecie either the fore-telling things to come as Agabus did Acts 11.28 or the opening and unfolding Doctrine and speaking out of the Scriptures to exhortation edification and comfort 1 Cor. 14.3 To another the discerning of Spirits the discerning the Doctrines of men though never so craftily counterfaiting the truth or discerning mens tempers and dispositions whereby they are fit to admonish and warn their Brethren of what may harm them or of persons not safe for them to trust To another diversity of Tongues To another a gift of Interpreting Languages Divers gifts from one and the same spirit of Christ distributing to every one according as he pleases but all given for the helpfulness and profit of the Church and therefore also to be to that purpose exercised as the Apostles also instruct and teach as in 1 Pet. 4.10 every one as he hath received the gift so let him minister one towards another as good stewards of the manifold or various Graces of God So in Rom. 12.6 7. Having gifts differing according to the Grace that is given unto us whether prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of saith or ministry let us wait on our ministry as Joshuah on his ministring to Moses Exod. 24.13 and John to Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.5 or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation c. surely in such exercising their spiritual gifts and imploying and improving their Talents they may be useful and helpful for edifying themselves and one another for while they are faithful in doing good with what they have received and are betrusted with God gives his blessing with them and increases them themselves the liberal Soul here shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself and he shall profit and edifie others also as the Apostle exhorting Timothy to take heed to himself and his ministry and to continue in them tells him so should be save himself and them that heard him adde 3. A walking in Charity for knowledge without that puffs up but Charity edifies 1 Cor 8.2 3. that's the most profitable way the Grace or vertue that will lead us to be most useful and edifying to others for that will lead us to be ready at all times to exercise our gifts and improve our Talents for the good of others and to mind their concernments and what may further their happiness and not to look on our own things onely Charity suffers long from others before it will be tired out or suffer him in whom it is to turn away from seeking their good and is kind in the mean time free to do good to others while it suffers great indignities and abuses long from them It envies not others good nor the imparting our gifts to others for their good Doth not vaunt it self nor is puffed up to the grieving and discouraging the neighbour or dispising his meaner condition and worth Doth not behave it self unseemly to offend and stumble the weak Brother and to turn him out from God Seeketh not her own but