THE PROGRESSE OF SAINTS TO FVLL HOLINESSE Described In sundry Apostolicall Aphorismes or short precepts tending to sanctification With a sweete and divine prayer to attaine the practise of those holy precepts By THOMAS TAYLOR Doctor in Divinity and Pastor of S t. Mary Aldermanbury LONDON ISAY 35.8 And there shall be a path and a way and the way shall be called holy and the polluted shall not passe by it LONDON Printed by W. I. for Iohn Bartlet at the signe of the Guilded Cuppe in Cheapeside in Goldsmiths Rowe 1630. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL AND WORTHY KNIGHTS SIR RICHARD YOVNG Knight Barronet and Sir ROBERT HARLY Knight of the Bath and to my worthy friends the Merchants and the rest of my loving people of St. Mary Aldermanbury increase of grace and blessing from the rich fountaine SInce it pleased the almighty providence by your free choyse to give me charge over you I have not spared my paines to acquaint you with the counsell of God according to the measure of grace bestowed on mee My aime hath beene to speake to the meanest capacity for the informing of every mans judgement and the awakening of every mans conscience and my prayers have beene frequent unto him who hath commended unto me this peece of service that he would please to make me an able instrument of your good neither hath my successe discouraged mee who have for the greatest and best part of you found you a willing and loving people If any be as yet otherwise minded and have not given up themselves to God and to his Ministers by instructing them still with meeknesse and waiting when God will give repentance wee will not distrust that grace of God by which the worst one day may be wonne to consider 1. That it is a most dangerous thing long to enjoy the good meanes of grace and not to get grace by them 2. That the more powerfull and profitable the Ministery is which an unreformed man liveth under the more unhappy and damnable his estate his 3. That the long and often refusall of Gods call giveth the Lord just occasion to call no more 4. That it is not the having or hearing of a Teacher that will availe an unconverted man but a discerning of the Lords voice and an opening the doore of the heart to the Lord who hath a long time stood knocking and seeking entrance And now because love is a loadstone of love I could not but thinke of some returne and thankfull acknowledgement of your loving respect of my selfe and weake labours among you for whose sake I have recollected the heads of many Lectures preached among you and presented in a shorter view or modell the marrow and substance of sundry discourses more largely handled in the delivery For as unto you under God my time my strength my labours in publlke and private are most due so herein I render to you but your own and that perhaps not uncalled for by you· These lines will call upon you for 3 duties especially First every day to strive in subduing in your selves your personall corruptions till you have brought downe every high thing and thought into holy subiection Secondly most inwardly to affect holinesse in your selves and most entirely to love such as walke most holily as being the likest nearest and dearest unto God Thirdly to see that every part of your lives aime at progresse to full holinesse My desire of the Lord is that there may be added to your perusall a second addition of blessing and successe My request to you all is kinde acceptance of this my labour as a pledge of my care over you and of my heartie desire every way to helpe you forward towards your desired end My encouragement and recompence shall bee your profiting and progresse in an holie reformation of heart and life This is the right praise of a Preacher And though I can promise or presume nothing of my owne strength which is well nigh drawne out by the painfull labours of my Ministerie above thirtie yeares yet the Lord assisting mee my purpose and endeavour shall be to frame this latter age and act of my life sutable in paines to the former so as it may be most fruitfull unto you and usefull unto the Church into whose treasurie I have cast another mite I shall better attaine my purpose by the assistance of your prayers which I desire may dailie meete with mine for you all before the throne of grace for mutuall blessing And so I rest Your loving Pastour THOMAS TAYLOR To the Christian Reader HArd it is to perswade the wisedome of flesh that which the wisedome of God hath so expresly affirmed that One thing is necessary And the reason is because it neither discerneth what this one thing is nor what is the necessitie of it This one thing is not one dish as Theophilact Nor Vnity as Augustine Nor one grace whether faith 〈◊〉 hope or charitie as some others But this one thing is that Christian care which every one ought to have of his owne salvation For 1. Mary and Marthaes care are here opposed 2. Our Saviour calleth it the good part chosen by Mary whilest shee carefully used the meanes of her owne salvation 3 To this is promised the grace of perseverance that it shall never be taken away For as salvation is the happy part of the elect which shall never be taken away so neither shall this care to atteine that end in the meanes whereby the Lord preserveth it And it is said to be the one thing necessary not because many other things are not necessary But 1. It is in order before and aboue all things necessary Math. 6.33 First seeke the kingdome of God that is to get into the state of grace First in time and in the first place as Israel must goe forth to gather Mannah the first thing they doe in the morning 2. This one thing is simply necessary for it selfe and all other things only so farre as they conduce unto it 3. It is most transcendently necessary farre beyond all other things in the world for this alone is sufficient to make a man truely happy and to state him in salvation all they are insufficient 4. It is constantly necessary and perpetually while wee live lest begining in the spirit we end in the flesh and so loose the crowne which is set on the head of perseverance But is it not necessary to follow our callings to provide for our families and intend our civill businesse and occasions Answ. Yes And every one must abide in the calling in which he is called Yea Religion binds a man to be a good husband and to guide his affaires with diligence and discretion that he may both mainteine his owne and be helpfull to others But he must know that he must first be a good husband for his soule 2 That in thy most earnest and vrgent affaires of this life he must never forget that there is one
I am Truth not Custome so Christians must frame themselves to Truth what ever the Custome be Custome we say is a tyrant but Truth must be our King and Guide and it is the part of a wise Christian to row hard against the streame of bad Customes wherof the world is full 2. For the example of great men it had beene good for Peter to have tryed the example of the Rulers in their dealing against Christ before hee had denied and forsworne him their example as little patronized him as themselves Well said Augustine Non debemus semper probare quicquid probati homines urgent sed judicium Scripturarum adhibere an illae probent We must not still approve whatsoever worthy men urge us unto but take with us the judgement of the Scriptures whether they approove it or no. 3. Suppose they be as good as great and as great as the Apostles yet must wee follow them no further than they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 4. For the example of multitudes it is a good saying of the Father Wee are not to number the voices wee have on our side but to weigh them and it often comes to passe that the great part overcomes the better part And as I approove of Diogenes his wisdome who thought he should doe best when he did least what the common people did so I am sure out of the word that that course of life is most acceptable to God which is most contrary to the fashion of the world Quest. 4. What if any thing come with Authority and have the image and subscription of Cesar upon it must that be presently admitted without further question Answ. 1. Every soule must be subject to the higher powers and that for conscience sake but not without a conscience rightly enformed and guided onely so farre forth as God be not disobeyed nor his truth disparaged 2. We acknowledge with Tertullian and reverence the Emperour as one that is the second man under God and inferiour unto God onely And give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars but so as we give unto God the things that are Gods 3. It was the errour of the unbeleeving Iewes against Iason and the brethren Acts 17.7 These men doe against the decrees of Cesar saying there is another King one Iesus For wee may not doe against the decrees of Cesar yet we must say there is another King one Iesus whose decrees are of absolute authority and Cesars so farre as they crosse not his 4. No man blames his neighbour that brings a peece of money to the touch and weights though it have Cesars image and superscription upon it It is no disloyalty but wisdome and warinesse to try the Kings coyne there being so many slippes and counterfeits Thus wee see that nothing either in doctrine or manners can come so strongly armed with Civill or Ecclesiasticall Authority but it must passe the tryall before we can hold it as good and currant Now of the third generall Who must try all these things Answ. Our Apostle writeth to a whole Church and to every particular Christian in it Object What hath every Thessalonian without restraint granted him a power to censure and judge of Doctrines in all points of faith manners Is it not enough for a common man to give his consent to the Church and to beleeve as the Pastors beleeve Answ. Indeed so the Church of Rome teacheth and namely the Rhemists on 1 Ioh. 4.1 corrupting a most expresse text where the Apostle wisheth and commandeth every Christian to Try the Spirits But nothing is more plaine in Scripture than that people ought judicially to examine the Doctrine of their Pastors before they give it entertainment as afterward we shall more clearely proove But the Papists and the Rhemists on that place say Is it not absurd that every particular person by himselfe and of himselfe should take upon him to examine and controll Doctors and Doctrines I answer It were absurd if of himselfe or by himselfe onely hee should try them but for himselfe every Christian must and by such rules as God hath appointed to discerne whether a Doctrine be of God or no unto which not onely Doctrines of Pastors but of Councells Fathers and Popes are to be subjected unlesse we will take sowre for sweet and darknesse for light Hence it is that every Christian should have his senses exercised to discerne good and evill Heb. 5.14 That every man should abound with knowledge and judgement to discerne things that differ Philip. 1.10 That every man should be perswaded in his owne proper minde Rom. 14.5 And every sheepe of Christ discernes Christs voice and will not heare the voice of a stranger because he is able to try and discerne that too Iohn 20.4 5. The fourth generall remaines By what must this tryall be made Answ. Every triall is made by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or direction We try the soundnesse of solid things by weights and the ballance of liquid things by liquid measures wee try figures by line and rule and the kindes of mettall by the touch-stone Wee must therefore finde out some weight or rule or touch-stone to try the soundnesse and kinde of Doctrines concerning faith or manners Now there can be no perfect ballance or exact rule for the tryall of all things but onely the word writted Esa. 2.3 The law out of Zion and the word from Ierusalem must be Iudge among the Nations and chap. 8.20 all appeales must be made to the law and the testimony or else there is no light to be had Christ himselfe for his doctrine stood to the judgement of Scripture Ioh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me And Paul subjected his Doctrine to the same rule Acts 28.23 And good reason For 1. The Scripture hath all in it that a sufficient rule should have It is 1. declarative 2. directive 3. explorative 1. It is of the nature of God who is the measure of all things and immediatly derived from him and so the first cause the rule of all that follow concerning Gods worship 2. It is full of direction for any thing that is to be beleeved or done as the Artificers rule directs his worke and hand 3. It is sufficient to try and proove all things when they are done as the touch-stone tries the mettall or the square tries the work squared In all which respects it is like the patterne shewed to Moses in the Mount after which he was to frame the whole Tabernacle and by which he might try it being framed That as nothing was in the Tabernacle which was not in the patterne so may nothing be with us which is not agreeable to the patterne of Scripture called the patterne of wholsome words 2. By what should causes be tryed but by the Lawes of the Body Civill where they doe arise But looke what the Law is in the Common-wealth the same is the
Church for whom it was purchased is honoured with this title to be the Pillar and keeper of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 for there in the Church fundamentall truth fitteth as on a rocky foundation And every good man is a part of that good ground described Luke 18.15 who with honest and good hearts heare the word of God and keepe it 4. No man but desires comfort when he most needeth it especially in the houre of death Now there is no surer way to provide and lay up comfort for these seasons than by carefull keeping the truth This ministred comfort to Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith c. The Scriptures are the wells of consolation Esay 12.3 5. It is not enough for a man that expects future salvation to heare know or professe the truth unlesse he abide and continue in it Hence saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.2 Whereby yee are saved if ye keepe what I have preached unto you And our Saviour tyeth blessednesse not to those that heare the word of God but to them that keepe it Luke 11.28 This serves to confute the Schoolemen who have turned all Divinity into questions even the Articles of religion and fundamentall points are turned into Vtrums and a questionary Divinity from which no edification no proficiency in piety can be expected These be most of them vaine bablings and oppositions of science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6.20 As vaine as if a man should dispute whether the Sunne be risen at noone And yet in Popish Schooles and Churches he is not thought a teacher of any worth who is not a Quodlibetary and prepared to dispute pro et con of the least apex or iota in Divinity So as nothing can be so certaine or grounded but they must call it into question and boldly dispute and propound opposite reasons which is farre from this precept of Holding that which is good A farre safer way they might learne of the Turkes who suffer not a word of their Alcaron to be called in question under paine of death Secondly this reprooves many of our ordinary hearers who are farre to seeke in this precept 1. Some come and heare much good and wholesome doctrine but hold little or none of it but are like the tunnell that takes in the liquor at one end to let it out at the other so many take in the word with one eare and let it out at the other yea some that seeme to take some content and delight in the word while they heare keepe as little as the other whom wee cannot compare fitlier than to the sive in the water so long as it stayes there it is full of water but take it out it keepes never a drop so many longer than the Church holdes them they hold nothing for an after-use For how comes it to passe that many men are so grosly ignorant of many principles of religion some not knowing at 60 yeares of age whether Christ was a man or no wherein they have beene often instructed but because they thinke it enough to heare and not to keepe How have many lost many worthy things in which they have beene greatly strengthened and comforted but because they made no conscience to keepe what they seemed to have 2. Some can heare and seeme to keepe something if they can carpe or catch any thing either to feede their owne corruption or to heape their displeasure upon the head of their teacher Ahab could remember that Micaiah never prophecyed good unto him Oh such a man spake many yeares agoe against our government he tolde us of our trades buying and selling setting of rackes and vatts on the Saboth day hee was busie with our fashions and habits our games and recreations hee speakes inconsideratly and uncharitably And a great deale such they can holde and mutter some foure or five yeares after as if they were spoken but yesterday But aske such men what was the text of the last Sermon you heard but two dayes agoe you put them into a study and after a long pause and rubbing their memory they will perhaps tell you they doe not remember These men are like the boulter poke which lets out the finest flowre and if there be any bran or huskes will be sure to keepe it And most opposite to our rule because they catch and hold not that which is good but that which is worst and most hurtfull The proud man will hold his fashions and the foole his folly though you bray him in a morter and the ambitious his errour if it will adde but one cubit to his height and state in this world 3. There is a kinde of Academicall and Skepticall Christians who notwithstanding all their hearing are unstaid and unsettled in their judgements and courses such as holde all things in suspence and question that they may admit of any thing that may make for their profit or preferment who walke not certainely in wisdomes way for that doth try all things and keepes that which is good and how can he hold any good thing that holds not the rule of good which is the word Thirdly let us frame our selves to this so necessary precept to hold the good lessons which are delivered unto us And for our direction herein we will consider 1. The Rules of holding good 2. The Meanes of holding good 3. The motives thereunto The first is in the Text Hold Doctrine after examination when we have tryed it to be good and sound 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and art perswaded thereof for the very keeping of good is not acceptable except it be out of faith and sound judgement The Pharisies thought they did God good service not onely in their devotions but in their revenges and murders of the Saints but all our service must be reasonable Rom. 12. 2. Rule Hold onely the good for the extent of keeping reacheth onely to good because many keepe some good but some evill also with it The Iewes will worship God in the Temple but keepe their high places and altars too Papists will admit of Christ but not part with Moses they will worship God and Christ but Idolls too Many Protestants will serve Christ and Mammon too would walke in the Spirit and in the flesh both at once and thinke themselves excused because they hold some good although mixed with some evill 3. Rule Hold all that is good Some will not sweare or curse often and ordinarily but sometimes nor by great oathes but ordinarily by smaller but the rule is Sweare not at all Some will sanctifie some part of the Lords day but if they hold all good they must sanctifie the whole day as the Lord did Magistrates will hold some good and looke to civill peace and justice but if they did hold all good they would looke as carefully to duties of the first table to
of salvation And besides for such as have opportunitie and leisure from their callings it must needs be an unanswerable sinne to neglect or contemne the offer of the meanes of their owne good while they can spend that or more time idly or sottishly or in gaming sporting vaine companionship complement or the like For here is not only a vaine sinfull expence of precious time but a prophane despising of the most sacred ordinance of God which is now as a prize in the hand of a fool but he wanteth heart Were there a true knowledge of Christ offered in the means he would be thankefully received at any time Were there any true love of Christ it would alwayes enioy him whom the soule loveth and delight at any time to beholde him through these grates but he loves him not on the Sabboth that hates him on the weeke-day Were there any hunger after Christ it would find the need of this bread of life on the week-day as hunger findeth need of foode for the body on the Saboth day hunger after Christ wold force him out of his tent to gather this Mannah in the due season of gathering if it were every day to be had Were there a true taste of Christ he would be as sweete to the soule one day as another Did ever man that truly tasted Christ on the Sabboth day preferre earthly things before him in the weeke-day or did ever man prosper by the meanes on the Sabboth that despâ—sed them in the weeke-day Were there true sence of a mans selfe it would not suffer him to bee lesse holy any day than the Sabboth onely it must be more publikely expressed it would not suffer him at any time in the middest of his earthly businesse to be earthly-minded and much lesse to bee so wedged and rivited into earthly distractions as not to bestow an houre in a weeke when God offers a publike helpe to the winding up of his heart towards heaven The objections are idle and of idle men As that there is too much preaching If it be made by Preachers themselves I should marvaile the more because I never heard men of any other trade complaine of too much trading If of private men a man might waite to wearinesse before he should heare them complaine of too much money too much land too much gaine Which plainly evidenceth that Gods word is undervalued and rejected below base profits whereby men pull the brand of Esaus profanesse upon themselves preferring every measse of broth before the birth-right and exchanging with the Prodigall for very huskes the bread of their Fathers house But so much preaching bringeth preaching into contempt say some Yea but what infant contemnes the milke because it sucketh often every day or who contemnes his meate because hee eateth every day who falls out with his apparell because he puts it on every day or who despiseth his wealth because he increaseth it every day and is not Christ in his word propounded our foode our wealth our apparell and all in all unto us Let them also make us beleeve that the light of the Sunne is made contemptible because it shineth every day Or that Daniel brought prayer into contempt when he prayed thrice every day Or David when hee prayed seaven times a day Why may they not as well perswade us that the publicke prayers appointed foure dayes in a weeke brings publicke prayer into contempt as well as preaching once in a weeke But I have no leisure saith the rich man I have many weighty occasions and employments it is for poorer men who have no such distractions to runne after Sermons To whom our Saviour makes a full answer That one thing is more necessary than they all in comparison of which Mary neglects all other things and who dare say that Mary did more than she was bound to doe or that shee did heare onely because shee had nothing else to doe or that shee was blame-worthy whom our Lord commendeth in that for the love of the word shee did neglect all other things 2. It is not indeede want of leisure but want of love and taste of the word that makes this objection for love of any thing will finde time and leisure to enjoy it 3. It is not want of time for no man but hath much more time than he useth well and none but hath much time which he spendeth worse but want of judgement to give priority to things of greatest weight and worth Is any worldly businesse of greater importance than the seeking of Gods favour and the assurance of a mans owne salvation Would any employment never so weighty make a man wholly neglect for a weeke together all meanes of preserving his body and is any so necessary as to make us neglect the health and welfare of our precious soules or canst thou with reason be straiter to thy owne soule on the weeke day than the Lord is to thy body on the Sabboth day He allowes thee to consult with a Physitian for thy body in case of necessity even upon his sabboth and doest not thou allow thy selfe an houre among so many houres in a weeke to consult with thy spirituall Physitian for the helpe of thy soule Might a Iew make a journey on the Sabboth to consult with a Prophet and may not a Christian steppe out of his doores for counsell in the week-day Nay more may a Iew performe a worke of mercy to a beast on the Sabboth day as to helpe it out of a pit or to drive it to water and must not a Christian doe so much for his soule on the week-day as they for the body of a beast on the Sabboth 4. It is not want of time but want of well husbanding the time that gives rise to this objection for he that employeth his time wisely shall never need to complaine for want of time especially for the maine businesse of his life A good husband will be sure to set out time for the chiefe points of husbandry and so will a good husband for his soule but hee that trifles out his time in unnecessaries must needes want it in necessaries And indeede they be not such necessary duties as they are pretended which engrosse and eate out mens time but for the most part unnecessary and lombersome employments such as Christ reproves in Martha which for a great part of them might be pared off and parted with were men so wise as to lighten the overburdened ship for the safety of the passengers But if men will grapple and pull upon themselves all the employments they can any way reach and then complaine that they are so distracted with many things as that they have no time left for the one thing necessary It is all one as if a man should roule and moyle himselfe in the clay and then complaine that hee cannot get out his feete 5. Canst thou finde no time for the Lords worke what
great and unspeakable wickednesse were it to despise so great salvation to despise the word of life of grace of light of peace of faith and the end of it which is salvation for it is the ingraffed word able to save soules Iam. 1.21 3. Manifold is the evill that overtakes a despiser of Prophecy 1. He is destitute of the Spirit who hath no being no delight to be there as the connexion of the precepts witnesseth 2. Prophecy being neglected piety is lost and men prove profane persons this was a brand of Esaus profanesse that hee cared more for a meales meate than he did for the blessing Heb. 12.16 3. Despise thou prophecy thy prayer shall be despised and all thy service is abominable Prov. 28.9 and chap. 1.28 Because I have cryed saith the Lord and yee would not heare yee shall cry and not be heard 4. It ties and fastens sinne on men yea and heapes up judgement for first it nourisheth ignorance a maine supporter of Satans kingdome secondly it resisteth faith by refusing the onely and ordinary meanes of it thirdly it barreth out repentance because this is the meanes of our regeneraration and change of heart and life fourthly it makes sinne farre more sinfull because here is a refusall of mercy and grace offered by prophecy Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken they had not sinned but now they have no cloake for their sinne Fifthly the refusall of prophecy provoketh the Lord to give up men to vile affections to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thess. 2.10 Lastly it tyes on judgement as fast as sinne and wraps the despiser in the curse of God Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect much more despise so great salvation Consider the threatnings Acts 13.41 Beholde ye despisers and wonder and vanish away Beholde I will worke a worke in your dayes which a man would not beleeve for the terrour of it out of Habak 1.5 This serves to reproove 1. Anabaptists and Enthusiasts who pretend the Spirit and despise prophecy they have the Spirit to guide them and therefore neede no preaching 2. Those profane Atheists at home who despising the Spirit of grace and the word of grace live as without God in the world Many who have Iacobs voice professe in word better things yet prize the preaching of Christ as a thing of nought It is better to be casting up some account or reading some history or walking in the fields or visiting some friends or perhaps going to a play than to a Sermon Are these the sonnes of Abraham or the sonnes of God and not rather the profane sonnes of profane Esau What can hee tell me saith one which I know not As if thy knowledge could priviledge thee to despise Prophecy And what thinkest thou These Thessalonians had knowledge as well as thou for they were taught of God 1 Thess. 4.9 yet must not they despise Prophecy and wilt thou despise it We see not saith another but that all this preaching doth breede barrennesse as an immoderate raine and brings preaching into contempt As if the abundance of prophecying did priviledge the profane heart to despise it The Israelites made just such another reason Oh wee have nothing but Mannah Mannah and our soule is weary of this Mannah and yet by their owne confession if they loathe this Mannah they must have nothing else to live by they shall surely die and their blood be upon them Object Wee see not that this preaching doth any thing but breede contention among Preachers and hearers Answ. As if because a bad stomacke turnes wholsome meate into bad humours therefore good meate must be despised and because mans nature spider-like turnes wholsome doctrine into poyson therefore wholsome doctrine may be despised Many other allegations the Divell puts into the mindes and mouthes of men against Prophecy because he knowes by preaching his kingdome falls like lightening Luk. 10.18 But those that feare the Lord will abhorre them 3. Others are reprooved who can be content to heare the word read and thinke themselves in good case if they can reade the word or good bookes at home but despise prophecy and interpretation which what else is it but to reject Gods wisedome in his owne meanes who hath set us apart to pray men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God The conversion of men was never committed to mens owne private reading no nor to the ministery of Angels no nor Christ himselfe undertooke to convert the world by his owne industry but left his Disciples to doe greater things than himselfe Ioh. 14.12 Contemne Gods meanes and thy owne shall never succeede Besides will not any say that hee understands better by interpretation of things than by bare reading Yes any but grosse malice and wilfulnesse 4. Others will heare the word not read onely but preached and yet despise Prophecy because they despise the practise of that they heare as Herod That which a man cares not to keepe hee despiseth Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it and doe it Therefore beware of despising Prophecy and of receiving the grace of God in vaine 2 Cor. 6.1 but rather heartily and sincerely embrace it Meanes 1. Labour to see the necessity of it being the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 and a principall ordinance of his to reveale the great mysteries of salvation which thou canst never understand without a teacher 2. Make conscience of hearing the word often 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-borne babes feeling their want would sucke every houre of the day and night Esteeme it with Mary the one thing necessary 3. Attend at the gates of wisdomes house Prov. 8.33 It was the praise of these Thessalonians that they heard the word with all readinesse Act. 17.11 and a great worke of God in Lydia chap. 16.14 The Lord opened her heart to attend to the words of the Apostles 4. Rejoyce in it as the Iaylor Act. 16.32 Hee rejoyced that hee and all the household beleeved And the wise Merchant went away rejoycing Not to delight in the word is to despise it Ierem. 6.10 Beholde the word of God is to them a reproach why they have no delight in it 5. If thou wouldest not despise Prophecy despise not Prophets This were to despise Christ himselfe for Hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Luk. 10.10 But have them in singular love for their workes sake as our spirituall fathers begetting us unto Christ. Wee see how the Prophets of the olde Testament were esteemed even of Kings themselves as Ioash though a wicked King finding Elisha ready to die fell on his face and wept and cried My father my father the horsemen of Israel and the chariots thereof 2 King 13.14 And shall not beleevers in the new Testament honour the Prophets of the new Testament who as good lampes consume themselves to give others light But
to give account of his faith and therefore must be able to expresse his owne faith Salomon records it as a part of extreame folly to be so credulous Prov. 14.15 A foole beleeveth every thing that is rashly gives credit and hearkens to every Deceiver But a prudent man takes heede to his steppes that is examineth and weigheth what he heareth and what he doth before he undertake it And Iob makes this the chlefe office of judgement Chap. 34.3 The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meate Let us seeke judgement among us and let us know among our selves what is good And what difference is there betweene a wise man and a foole but that the foole wants judgement followes his fancy and is led by his senses and appearances without tryall Object Charity beleeveth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 Answ. 1. That is in other mens sayings and actions it beleeves the best but suspecteth his owne wayes most Prov. 14.8 2. It beleeveth not all things simply and indefinitely not errours and falshood but rejoyceth in the truth verse 6. 3. Not all things without tryall and discretion for then it should rejoyce in unrighteousnesse but after it hath tryed them 4. Nothing is contrary to charity that is agreeable to wisdome but with the judgement of charity there must goe a judgement of prudence Object 2. Is not this a disparagement to our Teachers and to the truth which should be freely embraced or how will this stand with mingling the word with faith Heb. 4.2 Answ. 1. Our Proverb is A man may tell money after his father not in distrustfulnesse as if he suspected he would deceive him for this were against duty and charity but in wisedome because he may unwittingly deceive and this is held no disparagement to his father no more is it to our spirituall fathers 2. The truth loseth nothing but rather gaineth by being tryed because it is more approved and justified than before as gold is no whit prejudiced but purged and refined by the fire Thirdly this Doctrine reprooves the preposterous courses of many men some of whom are unwilling to try any thing at all others try something but not by the right rule some in great matters nearely concerning them purposely abstaine from all examination as those in the 2 Pet. 3.5 they are willingly ignorant in matters both of judgement and practise thinking that while they hood winke themselves they may the more freely entertaine whatsoever makes for their pleasure profit or preferment some controversies they dare not looke into for feare the light should make them losers Some practises they would neuer bring to the tryall it is death for them to haue their usuries their affected games their strange fashions meddled withall or brought to the touch-stone they would stoppe both their eares or wish there were no tongue to touch their darling sinnes for feare they should be brought to dislike such profitable and pleasurable sinnes which to lose were to part with their hands and eyes These persons resemble that gluttonous Parasite who covered his tongue with a skinne that he might swallow any thing though never so hot they have covered their consciences with a seared skinne that they may take downe any thing insensibly without examination But here let us consider 1. what an expresse commandement we have for the duty Rom. 12.2 Proove what is the good and acceptable will of God and Eph. 5.10 Proove what is pleasing unto God Gal. 6.4 Let every man proove his owne worke Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes 2. How will it stand with wisdome to be curious in trisles and in every outward thing be it never so small and yet neglect the greatest Wee will try our meate our drinke our money our mettalls our beasts nothing shall come into our hands untryed But onely in the greatest things appertaining to God and good conscience we are altogether carelesse 3. There is nothing wherein a man may be so dangerously deceived as in matters of this nature To be deceived in counterfeit money or golde to be deceived with false evidences and titles of land is a great oversight but nothing in comparison of this the deceit here is in things eternall touching our rights and free-hold in heaven 4. Never had any man such dangerous cheaters about him to deceive him as wee have for their number power and subtilty all cunning enough to worke upon our simplicity Satan will surely sift and try us hee will winnow us as wheate Luk. 22.31 The world and all sorts of wicked ones lye in ambush to entise us Our owne deceitfull Delilah our owne flesh which is the nearest and most powerfull over us is most treacherous against our selves Every occasion without stirres up inward corruption We had need therefore try every thing offered unto us lest we take from these cheaters a boxe of counters for a box of gold 5. God observes and commends such as carefully try doctrines and courses Rev. 2.2 To the Church of Ephesus write thus I know thy workes and that thou hast examined them which say they are Apostles and are not but hast found them lyers 6. This is necessary to comfort our owne hearts in the many tryalls and scornes of evill men who will be ready to turne all our glory into shame and all our religion into hypocrisie and all our godly indeavours into precisenesse and faction We had neede try our wayes by the Rule that we may be able to outstand their imputations and contemne their contempt and scandalous falshoods So long as we holde our Rule we shall be ever able to appeale unto God and holde our innocency till we die let it be faction let it be schism yea heresie we shall boldly say In that way which they call heresie we will worship the God of our fathers Acts 24.14 7. There is a day of tryall for all things and a fire which shall try every mans worke of what kinde it is 1 Cor. 3.13 Let the fire of the word goe before the fire of the world let that try which is stubble hay and chaffe and which worke will abide There is a Iudge who one day will straitly examine what men now passe so slightly and he will judge our wayes then as the word now judgeth them If we would in tryall be approoved then we must now have our courses approoved by the same word which shall judge us at the last day Iohn 12.48 Fourthly this Doctrine reprooves such as would walke by a rule but not the right rule And these are diverse according to their diverse rules 1. Some will have corrupt reason to hold the scales and this ingrafted principle of naturall reason must be followed as the onely rule Men would captivate the commandement to their owne reason and limit the wisedome of God within the narrow bounds of their owne wisedome Naaman being commanded by the Prophet Elisha to wash seven times in Iordan was incensed and began to compare
discourses their idle complements their service of pleasure and unfruitfull spending of their time now they storme against the rule and the hand that holdes it here is a rule indeede that would make them as despised as he is despised of them that calls them from their vanities Our Ministery in generall holds in judgement the Scripture as the rule and that they ought to tie themselves to this rule but when this rule would tie them to instant teaching to carefull walking as examples to the flocke to prepare the people as a pure Virgin for Christ oh it tyes them too strait their conceits and gifts call them to higher things other affaires withdraw them as for diligent preaching they leave that to the inferiour sort that have nothing else to tend and no livings to trouble them But shall the word be a rule to our judgement and not to our practise Shall it be a rule for us and for our rights and shall it not be a rule for our duty and office Let all men know and consider first what a judgement of God it is to give up men to walk after the lusts of their own hearts as is noted of the Gentiles Ephes. 2.3 Secondly the rule chargeth us to affect all things in God and for God nothing above him nothing against him nothing like him Thirdly to feare the departure from the rule as the greatest evill because that is onely simply evill 5. Some depend upon the persons of some great men whom they reverence and holde in admiration What are not such and such great men and learned men in high degrees and preferments yet they doe thus and thus they are of another judgement and practise too and if it were not right they would not doe it And so they dangerously compare themselves with wicked men digest their oathes vanity pompe But consider first what a plague it is for great men to be carried along by flatterers who rivet them in their wickednesse by applauding them As Dionisius the Tyrant had flatterers about him who like dogges would licke up his spittle and commend it to him to be as sweete as Nectar Secondly no example can make that good which the rule judgeth evill Thirdly all persons must be tryed by the rule not the rule by any person Even the Apostles must be followed so farre as they goe by rule and follow Christ no further This is the difference betweene the Papists and us they receive no Doctrine no nor the Scriptures but so farre as warranted by Fathers and Councels we receive no Fathers nor Councels but so farre as they are warranted by the Scriptures For Let God be true and every man a lyer Is this our judgement and shall we slippe from it in our practise Fourthly there is no more compendious way to lose the truth than to walke by this rule of examples If truth had gone by persons who would not have taken part with 400 false Prophets men in great favour with the King and Queene all against one poore Micaiah esteemed the Kings enemy yet he alone held the rule This was the cause that puld all the Iewes into the guilt of Christs death they admired their Rulers and Rabbies as great and learned men having the key of knowledge and so easily and freely consented to that fearfull sinne which the Sunne was ashamed to beholde Fifthly in all imitation of men we must follow the light side of the cloud not the darke side for why are the falls of Saints else recorded but to shew that all examples are defective and measurable by the rule Sixthly the onely perfect example of our rule was Iesus Christ whom we must follow we are commanded to be perfect not as Abraham Moses David c. but as our heavenly Father whose absolute perfection shineth in his Sonne who is the ingraven Image of his Fathers person Now as the best picture must needes be that which is drawne from the lively face rather than that which is drawne out of another picture so must this which wee take from Iesus Christ himselfe who was the true idea and counterpaine of our Rule here described 6. Some make Successe their rule and walke by that as they that say If my course were not good God would not blesse me as he doth and if I sinne God would not be silent or if I sinne and God be silent he either sees not or regards not or will spare me and I shall ever escape reckoning Whereas first the rule telleth us Psal. 50. These things hast thou done and I held my peace but I will reproove thee and set thy sins in order before thee And Eccles. 9.2 The same event is to the good and the bad to him that sweareth and him that feareth an oath Many runne to witches and sorcerers and thinke it warrantable from the successe they finde some reliefe and some help and God would give no such successe if it were unlawfull Whereas it is just with God that such as runne to the Divell shall meete with the Divell to their further delusion Others runne to stage-playes and enterludes because they teach some good lessons and may edifie as well as Ministers by Sermons Oh profane mouthes who have cast away the rule which is farre from sending them to the stewes to learne chastity or to Atheists to learne religion or to learne vertue and good manners in the schoole of vices where things are expressed and acted which ought not to be named among Christians Secondly this rule telleth us that Gods patience shall not violate his justice nor forbearance is no payment hee will not beare the sword in vaine Thirdly no man easily forgets his owne name the Lord will not forget his justice but must returne to every man according to his owne workes Fourthly as thou hast thy time so surely will God have his when thy measure is heaped up and thy Epha is full although thou maist thinke with Agag the bitternesse of death is passed yet the Lords sword will come and hew thee in peeces Against all these crooked and distorted rules the Scripture shewes first that Christianity is no ranging course or a running at randome but a life led by rule Secondly this rule is expresly set downe Phil. 3.16 So farre as we are come let us proceede by one rule Thirdly there is a promise to all that walk according to this rule Gal. 6.16 As many as walk by this rule peace shall be on them mercy and on all the Israel of God that is the rule of Gods word which is to Christians as the pillar of the cloud and of the fire to the Israelites Fourthly it is evill to them that forsake this rule As a sonne left unto himselfe is the shame of his Father So the sonnes of God running their owne wayes and despising the counsells of God are a shame to their Father a reproach to their Fathers house the Church a dishonour to their profession and
pleasures of it too well Demas forsooke the truth to embrace the present world Iudas by the same corrupt affection fell from the Apostleship Ioh. 12.41 Many chiefe Rulers beleeved Christ but durst not confesse him because of the Pharises for they loved the praise of men more than God Oh that we did not so cleerely see the strength of this lett in these dayes wherein so many baulke the way of holinesse and fall backe almost to open profanesse because they neither see many men nor great men yeeld approbation or countenance to such strict courses 2. Shunne lewd society and familiarity with profane persons if we would not fall from our owne stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 18. there is not more strength in any infectious pestilencious ayre to poyson the body than in this poysoned ayre to kill the soule Society with gracelesse men is a very blasting of grace fire is not more apt to burne than we to learne their wayes 4. The labour and paines of holinesse and mortification makes many weary of the good way but consider it is not in vaine to serve the Lord and there is profit in walking humbly before him thy paines shall be abundantly recompenced a small measure of holinesse with an upheaped measure of happinesse Every man will be contented to swallow much paines for a little earthly profit and is the state of heaven worth no labour 5. Persecutions drive many away much seed which comes up faire when the sunne of persecution ariseth withereth away But against this wisdome must cast the costs and prepare to defray the charges of this great building and the same Sunne that dries and burnes up the shallow seede shall set and ripen ours Many heare holinesse reviled and spoyled of her vaile and value they heare this sect every where spoken against and would as farre forget themselves as Peter to heare that voice Thou art one of them and perhaps renounce Christ and profession and all for if even the very Disciples of Christ and all they leave him and fly when afflictions comes neare Matth. 26.56 what marvell if they that want soundnesse shrinke in the wetting 1. But here remember and looke upon Christ Heb. 12.2 who endured such speaking against of sinners not for himselfe but for thee lest thou be weary 2. Hee that is now ashamed of Christ Christ will one day be ashamed of him and then he that will no◠beare the reproach of a blast of words for him shall be filled with an everlasting reproach before men and Angells 3. Sound judgement esteemes it the greatest honour to be highly dishonoured for Christ and his causes Matth. 5.12 Blessed are yee when men revile you and speake all manner of evill against you for my sake rejoyce and be glad great is your reward in heaven Object I could better endure mens words but I shall also sustaine great losse if I should be so precise I should lose my custome trading and profits Answ. Wilt thou receive a religion and not know it to be truth or knowest it to be so and wilt not be ready to confesse and professe it according to thy place and calling even in the middest of the different conceits of men 2. The Saints knowing this to be truth did for it joyfully suffer the spoyling of their goods 3. Put together in the ballance the losse of the world and the losse of thy soule and consider whether is fitter to save if thou cāst not save both For the losse of the world is an abundant recompence promised by a sure pay-master but what recompence is there for the losse of the soule Matth. 16.26 Nay if thou shouldest venture and give thy life for thy profession if God call for it it is no lesse than thou oughtest who oughtest to strive unto blood Hebr. 12.4 and yet this greatest losse were the greatest gaine Thus to lose thy life is to save it and to save it in this case were to lose it III. Procure to our selves and exercise the helpes of perseverance and keepe them neere us as our continuall companions And for this end First let the word of God be deepely rooted in our hearts for this is a speciall preservative from declining Psal. 119.102 I declined not from thy statutes for thou didst teach me Now the word sundry wayes keepes us As first by inlightening us to see our way both to chuse the right way and decline the wrong Psal. 119.105 Thy law is a light and lanthorne to our paths Secondly by comforting and incouraging us in the good way Rom. 15.4 Through consolation of the Scripture wee receive our hope Thirdly by preventing sinne in us Psal. 119.11 I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne Fourthly by keeping out of sin and redressing our way Psal. 119.9 Secondly labour to preserve in thee a love of grace and holinesse let thy scope be in all the meanes of holinesse to gaine not knowledge and illumination onely but sound affection also to grow up in this as well as in that For first as a tree low and deepe rooted is stablished and continued in fruitfulnesse so when faith and grace is deepely rooted in the affection of the heart there will be perseverance Secondly it is not good words good actions or good knowledge that holdes out but good affections will Thirdly what other is the cause of so generall backsliding in the world which is the proper punishment of not receiving the truth in the love of it 2 Thess. 2.11 Thirdly feare God This is a wellspring of life to make us escape the snares of death Prov. 14.27 and 19.23 Anchora mentis pondus timoris Feare holds the heart steady as the anchor the shippe and joyne thy selfe to such as feare God delight in such as excell in vertue and grace these are able to encourage strengthen direct uphold raise and comfort thee in thy difficulties wearinesse and weaknesse and set thee forward not by their gifts onely but by their example Fourthly be instant in prayer for perseverance so our Text teacheth for it is the Lord that both beginneth and finisheth his owne worke hee not onely sets us in the way but leades us in the way and at length brings us into Canaan Fifthly looke still to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ as a good servant hold thy selfe in expectation of the appearing so the Text Luke 12.36 Blessed is that servant whom the Master shall finde so doing Doest thou expect him from heaven and is not thy conversation there doest thou expect his comming in glory and meetest not him in grace lookest thou for him as thy head and wilt thou not as a member holde an happy union and fellowship with him expectest thou thence a Saviour and continuest thou not unto the end seeing onely such shall be saved Matth. 10.22 Now the motives to the meanes of perseverance First this is a true signe of a true friend of God who loves at all