your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus 3. To rejoyce in God and give thanks and praise unto him continually for his great love favour to us may they not well joy that are in so good a plight as to have so great a Friend so mighty a Father and Saviour as God is That have such a fountain to supply them with living water â— such a Castle and Fortress to defend them Yea upon this account it is that it is said Let them that love thy Name be joyful in thee for thou Lord wilt bless the Righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield Psal 5.11 12. and that exhortation of the Apostle is to the same purpose Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce and so for thanksgiving they are put together Psal 97.11 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness And so in 1 Thess 5.16 17 18. Rejoyce evermore pray without ceasing in all things give thanks for so is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus Joy in his love and bless him for it 4. To moderation in griefs fears cares and to contentation with what God gives us here and submission to what he lays upon us I put them together for brevity sake his love to us might perswade us also thereto For as Elkanah said to Hanna too eagerly desiring desiring after and too sadly bearing the want of Children Am not I better to thee than ten Sons 1 Sam. 1.8 So may God say to his servants and people Am not I better to you than all those things that you are so careful and sollicitous about so mournful after or covetous for Should they be covetous for the world that have God to inrich them Is not God a portion sufficient to content and satisfie our Souls Should we be covetous of the honors riches pleasures injoyments of the world if we have God at hand to give us better things than the world can and who loving us will not withhold from us any thing that is good for us in the world or delay us of any thing that he hath promised to us and is needful for us beyond the due season wherein it may be best for us to this purpose are those sayings Let your moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand In nothing be careful c. Philip. 4.5.6 And Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things either for maintenance or protection as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me Hebr. 13 5 6. As also the contrary to these sayings be reprovable hence as upon this ground David reproves checks his distrustful immoderately sorrowing thoughts Psal 42.5 Why art thou so cast down O my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me hope still in God c. So our Saviour upon like ground checks the fears and distrusts of his Disciples about food and rayment Mat. 6.25 26 28 30 32. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or drink or for your body what ye shall put on Consider the fowls are ye not much better than they Consider the Lillies c. If God so cloath the grass will he not much more cloath you being your Heavenly Father O ye of little faith c. 5. To obedience to God for his love and favour to them and to a chearful yielding up themselves to serve him with all their Talents and abilities received from him as persons that owe themselves and utmost service to him so Rom. 12.1 I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God in which namely he hath given his Son for you called you to his Son and justifies and owns you in his Son as the former Chapters had shewed Offer up your body a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service See the like Rom. 6.11 12 c. and 1 Cor. 6.18 19 20. Your bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which ye have of God and ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore Glorifie God with your bodies and with your Spirits which are God's peculiarly owned and possessed by him as also in order to their retaining and abiding in the love of God and Christ towards them as in John 15.9.10 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my Commandments ye shall continue in my love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and continue in his love which is another thing it instructs too namely 6. To abide in Christ and so keep our selves in the love of God both in the views and injoyments of it seeing his love is so precious inriching and every way advantageous to the Soul seeing it is the portion of the believers in and cleavers to Christ it is folly to turn away from believing in and obeying Christ to forfeit God's love and favour and a point of greatest wisdome to abide in Christ that we may abide also in the love of God yea and as that was one great engine and trick of the Devil and his messengers for drawing men out of Christ or from the simplicity of him into some corruptions from the faith preached and urged by the true Apostles to insinuate to them that they were not in a justified estate with God not owned loved and approved of him by their believing in Christ but that to obtain that they must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses or receive some Traditions and Commandments of men worshipping of Angels or the like So it was the great motive and argument used by the true Apostles with them for preserving them in Christ and perswading them to abide in him namely that in him they were compleat were justified loved known and accepted of God and had everlasting life and that out of him or in departing adulterously from him in joyning some other ground of hope and trust in him they deprived themselves thereof as in Col. 2.2 3 8 9 10. Gal. 3.7 9 29. with 4.6 7 8 9 11 30. and 5.2 3 4. John 2.24 and 5.11.12 13. In Christ are bid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge this I say least any man should beguile you with inticing words And Let no man spoil you with Philosophy vain deceit for in Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and in him ye are compleat They they that are of the faith are blessed with faithful Abraham They that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ and are the Sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ and so heirs according to promise known of God c. But turning aside to the Law to be or seek to be justified thereby they are abolished from Christ and fallen from Grace that is
in a safe state the Sons of God and sure in respect of their state of eternal life Sure that cannot be in vain the main desired end of which is obtained and accomplished And that was the main desire of the Apostles for those they preacht to that they might obtain eternal life through Jesus Christ of which if they that are once in the favour of God can never possibly fail they must have been sure in the issue whatever for a time might be acted by them or come upon them Object But it might be said How can the love of God wherewith he loves the Believer then be said to be such as wherewith he loves Christ seeing he loves him certainly with an unchangeable eternal or everlasting love even as in the nature of man but this love toward Believers may cease to be toward them Answ To this I say God in Christ never fails or ceases to love him that believes on him with an owning approving love and so as to stand by and help him but when any turns out from the faith he ceaseth to be a Believer and if God should still love him in that sense then he should not love a Believer but a Runnagade and Apostate from the Faith Let men then keep the Faith and cleave to Christ and they shall be sure to find Gods love cleaving to them The difference then between Gods loving Christ and loving the Believer is nothing except as to priority and degree which Christ is certainly alwayes preferred in because in all things he hath the preheminence but there may be difference between Christ and other Believers as to their abiding the subjects of Gods love personally considered that is there may be difference in their abiding in the Truth Christ was loved of the Father alwayes and ever shall be because he alwayes abode in the Truth and did the Fathers will verily had not Christ done so as man could he or should he have disobeyed his Fathers will and not laid down his life at his appointing the Father would not nor could so have loved him for Therefâ—â—e doth my Father love me saith he because I lay down my life that I should take it up again John 10.17 which implyes that his Father had not so loved him if he had not so done for that cannot in any good sense be said to be done because of another thing which had been equally done without that other thing alledged as its cause Let the Believer then abide in his faith in Christ as Christ abode in his obedience to his Fatâ—er and he shall abide as everlastingly in the love of the Father as Christ doth There is no difference in the Fathers love if there be none in the Believers faith and obedience from Christs as to its point of continuance To this purpose is that of our Saviour himself John 15.9 10. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my Commandements ye shall continue in my love as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and continue in his love Where Christs continuing in his Fathers love is made the consequent of his keeping his Fathers Commandements and upon those terms also he assures his Disciples of a continuance in his love which is also undivided from his Fathers love the Father loving whomsoever the Son loves and è contra therefore in 1 John 2.24 they are joyntly mentioned Let that which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you and then ye shall continue in the Father and in the Son that is in the love and favour of them both so also 2 John 9. And this truth here implyed and supposed viz. That the Believer may possibly not keep himself in the love of God or possibly may go or turn out of it so as to the depriving himself thereof may be looked upon both as one reason or ground of the Apostles exhorting them to keep themselves therein and as one motive to incite and provoke the Believer to care and diligence thereabout so as to make it his business of greatest concernment or importance were there no possibility to fail or deprive himself thereof it were altogether needless for any to exhort him to keep himself therein or for him to regard such an exhortation or do any thing with an eye to such a business for what wise man will be sollicitous to avoid what he judges impossible to happen This then is a fundamental suppose all couched in all such cautions and exhortations that those that are in the love of God at present may possibly if they keep not themselves therein fall out of it that is to say true and right Believers there being no others in the love of God in the sense of it before spoken to and opened may if not watchful loose Gods favour towards them It were a senseless thing to think the Apostles would counsel or perswade any to keep themselves in the love of God that were never in it nor are at the present in it and as senseless it is to think that they writ to them to keep themselves in the love of God who they supposed cannot fall out of it only because some others fall out of it that weâ—e never in truth in it as they that hold the contrary Assertion are often out upon it to say while they seek to evade the force of these Scripture intimations But again this saying implyes Point 2. That there is or may be great danger of and in turning out from the love of God I say danger of and in turning out â— That there is not only possibility of turning out from the love of God but also great danger of it that such a thing may be It is not only possible but many do attempt and seek to reduce that possibility into act in the Believers many that are potent and subtle in their attempts so that unless Believers do use diligence and vigilance in standing upon their guard and using the means of their preservation which God hath propounded to them they may be soon turned aside And then 2. There is great danger in turning aside the danger that a person incurrs in turning aside is wondrous great or the evils and mischiefs that attend upon a mans so doing are very grievous Something we may note as to either of these they being both of them intimately here signified For 1. Though there were a possibility of loosing the love and favour of God yet if there were no great danger of it no great likelihood by any means there would be the less need of admonishing of it or of taking heed to such admonitions when afforded As it is possible for a man to poyson himself or to cast himself down a steep place it is possible for any sober man so to do yet there is no great danger ordinarily of it and therefore no great need to give serious cautions ordinarily to such men against it But when there are
Judas falling from Heaven and becoming a Devil and as befel Ananias and Sapphira in part John 13.30 Act. 5.3 and as is threatned in 2 Thes 2.9 10 11 12. That God will send strong delusions to them that obey not the truth and they are said not to obey it that abide not in the obedience of it Gal. 3.1 and 5.10 but have pleasure in unrighteousness that so they might all be damned The wrath of God being very sore and hot against the abusers of his Grace in Christ that withhold it in unrighteousness as Rom. 1.18 and therefore there is 4. Danger of not entring into God's rest or coming into his righteousness and so into eternal life or the Kingdome of God into which no unclean thing can enter 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Eph. 5.3 4 5. thence those warnings to take heed lest we fail of the Grace of God or of the rest that yet remains for his people after the same example of unbelief as befel the Israelites that sinned in the wilderness Heb 4.1.11 Yea in a word 5. Danger of utter perdition and destruction from the presence of God and from the injoyment of his Glory and so of being cast out into everlasting misery and torment with the Devil and his angels for so much is implied by the Apostle in saying we are not of those that draw back to perdition but of those that believe c. where it is implied that perdition and destruction is the dangerous consequence of mens drawing back from God Oh unspeakable and unconceiveable misery and danger And this consideration in both branches of it affords a second and third motive to quicken up the believer to diligence in taking heed to the Grace of God and the instructions thereof and so to keep himself in the love of God seeing there is not only possibility but some danger of falling from it if he be careless therein by reason of his many enemies his own inability to deliver himself from them and Gods severity against the abusers of his goodness and neglectors of his Son and his salvation And great danger yea unspeakable misery in falling therefrom answerable to the greatness of the love abused and Grace slighted Great need to give great diligence to avoid such dangers yea to do it with all our might earnestness To incourage in and unto which here is also further signified Point 3. That there is no necessity that a Believer must fail of or fall out from the love of God He may through the Grace of God preserve himself and be preserved therein as well as at first brought thereunto This is evident in that the Apostle exhorts them to keep themselves in the love of God Sure as he would not exhort them to a work that could not be undone or to endeavour for that that they must necessarily inevitably have so much less would he exhort them to a thing impossible the love of God therefore may be kept or continued in as also our Saviour both implies in so often exhorting Believers to continue in his words and to abide in him and let his words abide in them John 8.32 and 15.4 5 6 7 and more plainly asserts that his sheep hear his voice and he knows that is approves and owns them and they follow him and he gives unto them eternal liâ—e and they shall never perish John â—0 27 28 29. and again As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my Commandments ye shall continue in my love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and continue in his love Joh. 15 9 10. as to the same purpose is that in 1 John 2.24 25. Let that therefore which you have heard from the beginning abide in you If that which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you ye shall continue in the Father and in the Son and this is the promise that he hath promised even Eternal life So Caleb and Joshuah kept in the favour of God all the way through the wilderness and entred into the land of Canaan So Paul fought the good fight of faith kept the faith to the finishing of his course 2 Tim. 4.8 And many other good men have through faith and patience inherited the promises Heb. 6.12 have lived and died in the faith and so in the love and favour of God and are at rest with Christ and God otherwise men should be never the better but the worse rather for believing and coming to partake of the Grace of God For better never to know it at all than to fall from it after the sweetness of it is once known and tasted The sin being then the greater and the misery incurred more dreadful and unbearable as in 2 Pet. 2 20 21 22. But now this possibility of being kept in the love of God is not from any strength wisdom or faithfulness in man as of himself no more than his being brought into the love of God was by his own fleshly wisdom or strength but both the one and the other are by and of the Grace of God It s true in both senses both of saving at the first from the state of sin and death into the state of life and righteousness by being brought into Christ and of saving in continuance in the love of God and being preserved from falling back again By Grace ye are saved Ephes 2.5 and ye are saved by Grace through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God verse 8. For in us though Believers that is in our flesh there dwells no good thing nor have we sufficiency in our selves as of our selves to think any thing Rom. 7.18 2 Cor. 3.5 We have before noted the inability in man even in Believers as men and so in and of themselves yea or in their inherent graces received to stand and maintain themselves against the power of their enemies but only in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.1 In the Lord and in the power of his might in the whole armour of God as Ephes 6.10 11 12. But such might power and sufficiency there is in the Grace of God afforded in and by Jesus Christ such fulness in Christ himself and in God in him and such a presence and power of God and his holy Spirit in and with his Doctrine and Gospel and such Armour of Righteousness given the Believer in him as that there through he may be kept in the love and favour of God maugre all the power malice and subtlety of the enemy and notwithstanding that great weakness and inability to keep himself or to vanquish the enemy that is in him self Thus the Apostle Paul confesses that he was not only furnished for and strengthned in his labours I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the Grace of God that was with me and by the Grace of God I am that I am and his Grace that was bestowed upon me
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
Believers of the Grace of God love God for his love believed by them so in 1 John 4.19 We love God because he first loved us First loved us namely in sending his Son into the world while we were sinners and ungodly for that 's it in which he not onely hath commended but still and always commendeth his love to us Rom. 5.8 not onely to be our Teacher but also to be the propitiation for our sins that we might live through him Vers 9 10 14. This love rightly perceived and heartily received turns the heart to love God 1. So as letting go or rejecting all other Gods or Objects of trust and worship for the sake of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ beloved also as the Son of God and our Saviour to chuse him for its God and to say of him He is my rock my fortress my God in him will I trust Psal 91.2 2. So as for the sake of Christ and God in him to count all things loss and dung where this love is indeed hearty and strong for there be degrees of loving God yea to forsake father mother lands life all things for the knowledge and enjoyment of him panting and longing after fellowship with him Phil. 3.7.8 9. Luke 14.26.33 Psal 42.1 2. 27.4 Yea 3. So as though with the loss of all things where this love is vehement to desire and endeavour the promoting of his glory yielding up its power and members thereto 1 Cor. 10.33 Phil. 1.20 Act. 20.24 4. So as it loves observes and keeps his words and sayings and doth his commands John 14.21 23. 1 John 5.3 5. So as it loves and waits for his salvation willingly tarrying for it Psal 40.19 6. Yea and so as it loves his name and his people delights and cleaves to them Isa 56.6 1 John 3.23 5.1 By which tryal may be made how we have received and believed the Grace of God whether in vain or not examining and proving our selves whether we be in the faith and Christ by his Spirit and its efficacies be in us or not 2 Cor. 13.5 that being the way by which the rightness and effectualness of our receit of the Grace of God or its ineffectualness may be discerned as these Scriptures signifie 1 John 1.6 7. 2.3 4 5.6 9 10 11 29. 3.7 8 10 14 19 20 21 c. that where it 's otherwise we might not question the reality of Gods love of compassion and well-willing to us but believing that give the more earnest heed to the things heard in the Gospel so as to receive them more heartily turn at his reproofs therein and yield up to the power therein working that we may be renewed thereby lest we be rejected of him Heb. 2.1 6.7 8. and where we find his Grace effectual in any measure we may be more encouraged to mind it still that we may both be preserved therein and be perfected thereby and this the rather because as is here implied too Note 2. Such as are in the love of God in this sense also may possibly not abide therein but be corrupted from it if not careful to preserve themselves in it yea there is danger hereof especially in evil times That this is so may be evidenced partly 1. In what is said to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus viz. That he had left his first love Rev. 2.4 and of the Angel of the Church of Sardis viz. That he was dead and what remained in him was ready to dye whereas he had more rightly received and heard Rev. 3.1 2 3. and to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea viz. That he was lukewarm and neither hot nor cold Vers 15. implying nothing as if he had never been otherwise nay surely his boasting rather was an effect of his reflecting upon himself and what he had found there so as to grow secure and careless there through as judging he had got such a stock of Grace as could never be spent and come to nothing as Israel so kind in her youth as to follow God in a Wilderness being enriched by him fell off from her affection to him so as to have no love at all for him saying We are Lords we will come no more at thee Jer. 2.23.31 Partly also and more fully 2. In what our Saviour saith Matth. 24.12 Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold yea so as to miss of salvation as the next Verse implies wherein he addes But in opposition to those former he that continues to the end as implying that the others had love but continued not to the end in it shall be saved implying that those others should not and yet saying their love should wax cold he implies it was sometime hot And therefore there is need of the exercise here commended by the Apostle Jude for keeping our hearts in a warm temper towards God But here it may be objected Object That the Apostle John saith He that is born of God sinneth not because his seed abideth in him neither can he sin because he is born of God how then can a lover of God fall therefrom Answ To this because not spoken to in the Treatise I shall say the more And so 1. That by born of God is either meant one framed to the mind of God through the knowledge of and acquaintance with him so as he is made in a high degree like him a spiritual one as opposed to the carnal and babes in Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 with 3 12. the perfect 1 Cor. 2.7 as distinguished from such as are yet short one that discerns all things rightly God and Christ and his excellencies so as highly to love and fear him emptiness and vanity in all things else so as not to be taken with them imperfection and mutableness in himself so as he durst not trust himself from him or out of his way one into whose heart wisdom is so entred as that knowledge is become most pleasant to his soul and the feaâ— of the Lord most prevalent so as discretion preserves him and understanding keeps him Prov. 2.10 11 12. in such fear of God and love to him that he cannot sin because he cannot find in his heart or be perswaded to neglect Christ and his counsels and ways or be withdrawn from them And no doubt but in following on to know the Lord and abiding in Christ he will so teach us of all things write his Law and put his love into our hearts subdue and mortifie our corrupt affections and passions and make us so wise as it will be quite contrary to our natures our new natures to sin willingly against him however strongly provoked or tempted thereto as in Joseph that said How can I do such wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39.9 Yea and we attain such height and strength of love to him as that many waters cannot quench it nor the floods drown it Cant. 8.6 7. and as to be perswaded on good
grounds with the Apostle that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God even from loving God in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.37 38. but then all right Believers and Lovers of God are not so spiritual as appears 1 Cor. 1.12 with 3.1 2. nor have attained such wisdom and knowledge of him Thence the Apostle saith not I am perswaded nothing shall be able to separate you as speaking to the Romans as in Vers 13. If ye walk after the flesh ye shall dye but us as speaking of himself and the other Apostles and such as they in perfectness and growth 2. Or else by born of God rather may be meant the same with the abider in Christ as in Vers 6. He that abideth in him sinneth not and so Chap. 2 29. He that doth righteousness that constantly and perseveringly doth it is born of God and 1 John 5.1 He that believeth that is goeth on believing perseveringly for words of the present tense it s observed usually or often imply continuance that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and so its like that in Psal 119.23 They that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart they do no iniquity c. 3. Or He that is born of God that is that is led by the Spirit of God as Rom. 8.14 he sins not nor can sin namely as while so led no such fruit can be of him in opposition to Gnosticks or others that impute their sinnings to Gods Spirit say they are tempted or led of God to it 4. And then the word Cannot is taken in a compound sense as when it 's said An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit nor good tree bad fruit Mat. 7 18. that is abiding such but a bad tree may be made a good tree and a bad man a good and a good tree a right noble Vine may degenerate into a strange plant Jer. 2.21 and so a good man into a bad a lover of God to leave his love of him and that by entertaining 1. The love of the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him and of that even Fathers and young men such as had overcome the wicked one it seems needs to be admonished also 1 John 2.12 13 14 15 16. as the Apostles themselves were by Christ Matth. 6.24 Luke 21.34 35 36. 2. Corrupt Doctrines such as lead to high-mindedness pride carelesnes or corrupt any ways from the Faith and Gospel Therefore the Apostle warns the Fathers and young men also of the Antichrists 1 John 2.18.26 2 John 8. as Christ did also his Apostles Matth. 24.45.23.24 25. Principles of Atheism Infidelity rejecting the Scriptures and the Hope and Judgement to come Thence the Apostle Peter warning of the Mockers in the last days that would say Where is the promise of his coming bids the Believers take heed lest being led away with their error they should fall from their own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.4 5 17. By such means men may be withdrawn from their love of God Or 3. By thinking themselves to have abtained and so growing remiss So men heated with their labour and thinking they have wrought enough sitting down may grow cold or catch cold and He that deals with a slack hand becomes poor Prov. 10.4 Or 4. Through the same conceit withdrawing from the Assemblies and Societies of Brethren Thence the Apostle opposes these to those that separate themselves Jud. 19. and forsaking the Assemblies is opposed to holding fast the profession and ushers in wilful sinning Heb. 10.23 25 26. for how can one be hot alone Eccl. 4.11 Need therefore of this Exhortation now especially when Atheism and evil principles so abound And we may be encouraged to take the Apostles Exhortation because he further implies that Note 3. Believers may in a diligent minding the Grace of God and using the means appointed of him through his promised presence and assistance keep themselves in a warm temper in the love of God So our Saviour implies in Matth. 24.13 in that having said The love of many shall wax cold he addes but he that continues to the end shall be saved Men may continue warm in their love then to the end and why not A man in a good way may easily keep himself in it though he meet with Cheats or Robbers if having good directions a skilful faithful guide using strong perswasions to follow him and his directions and a strong Guard to secure him from violences he will but adhere to and follow them and nothing but amazing wilfulness Jer. 2.12 13. may endanger him being brought into the love of God The same that brought us into it will keep us in it namely the love and grace of God in Christ if minded kept in view and obeyed by us whereto we have good directions in his Word and Doctrine and the Holy Spirit of Wisdom is given from Christ to be our Guide and Director therein And taking heed thereto and making use of those Gifts and Ordinances appointed by him to that purpose God and Christ will guard and secure us from Satan and his instruments Thence it s said Forsake not wisdom and she will preserve thee love her and she will keep thee Prov. 4.6 and He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son to secure him from miscarrying 2 John 9. 1 John 2.24 25. The same exercise or perpetuated fire that will warm a man when cold will easily preserve a man in his heat when heated by it if not forsaken and both the Word and Love of God are compared to fire and hot burning coals Jer. 23.29 Cant. 8.6 7. Keep we but to them and they will keep us warm and as for exercise to keep us warm It s further implied Note 4. That it 's a good and useful exercise that we are here directed to viz. To edifie our selves on our most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost For 1. Therein we are put upon minding Gods and Christs love to us that being the great matter held forth in the Faith whence it 's called The Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 20.24 and that minded will nourish as well as beget love and warmth thereof in us toward him 2. Thence we shall gather strength against our enemies and what would prejudice us against God and cool our love to him for a little to adde to what is somewhat too barely mentioned p. 177. l. 25 26 27. there through we may grow in wisdom for he that cleaves more firmly to Christ the Wisdom of God shall receive more of the Spirit of Wisdom from him and He that walks with wise men shall be wise Prov. 13.20 for in the mystery of Christ held forth by and among them amd in Christ himself are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 and the wise man is strong and the man of understanding encreaseth strength Prov. 24. â— for wisdom
strengthens the wise more than weapons of war Eccles 7.19 Thence the being rooted and built up in Christ and his mystery is the way to be preserved from such as would intice us Coloss 2.2 3 4 7. As also thence we shall be more filled with love to God and Christ and Love is strong as death Cant. 8.6 yea and therein we may warn one another of and arm one another against our enemies and coolers and instruct and encourage one another and provoke to love and good works and so strengthen one another 1 Thess 5.11 14. Heb. 10.23 24. Two are better than one to keep from falling or help up again Cant. 4.10 3. In the fellowship of holy men also is spiritual heat Thence also Solomon tells us Two is better than one for if two lie together they will be hot fervent in spirit and in love to God and one another Cant. 4.11 For there God commands the blâ—ssing and life for ever Psal 133.4 4. And then praying in the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Faith and Love is the way to obtain more Spirit and Grace from God Matth. 7.7 11. Luke 11.13 and thereby we may have more experience of him answering our prayers which engages to love him the more and so tends to encrease in us and keep us in the love to him infused by him Psal 18.1.3.4 116.2 I love the Lord because he hath heard my prayer c. But though these things might have been more largely handled in the Treatise yet it being sent up to the press before I thought of doing so and in the Press before I thought it was And what is there said about keeping our selves in the love of God in the other sense of it which I look upon as the more proper and genuine sense including and leading to this it shall suffice to have given these hints of them here Which having done I shall detain thee no longer from the Treatise it self But wishing and praying for Gods blessing on and with both it and thee that my cost and pains therein be not lost and with desire of thy prayers for meâ—â— and thanks to God if thou meetest with blessing in and benefit by it I leave thee to God and rest Lyn March 17. 1670 1 Thy Friend and Servant in the Gospel of Christ John Horne Books sold by Thomas Passenger at the Three Bibles on London-Bridge ROyal and Practical Chymistry by Oswaldus Crollius and John Hartman faithfully rendred into English folio price 10 s Gods Revenge against Murther by John Reynolds containing Thirty Tragical stories digested into six Books newly reprinted folio price 10 s. 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THe Epistle of Jude analized and paraphrased to Verse 20. which is the Text page 1. The Text propounds a serious counsel to unfeigned Believers page 10. Wherein is I. The title or compellation of them Beloved Whence is observed Observ 1. That they that abide in the faith when others turn aside or endeavour to corrupt it are more worthy than others p. 11. II. The note of distinction But ye Whence it is observed Observ 2. That there is a great difference between hearty Believers and others especially between them and Backsliders or Corrupters and that difference is to be noted by Christs Ministers p. 13. III. The mattâ—â— mainly exhorted to To keep themselves in the love of God Observ 3. That Believers are in Gods love p. 16. Which is 1. General or a love of pity p. 17. 2. Special A love of owning and delight p. 20. Believers are in the general love both as all others p. 23. Believers are in the general love both and so as others are not p. 26 And they are in the special love p. 24. The streams fruits thereof in 12 particulars p. 25 to p. 39. Which is applied by way of use 1. To unbelievers by way of Exhortation p. 40 Reproof p. 43 Instruction p. 45. 2. To believers by way of 1. Comfort p. 46 2. Exhortation and that to Love and hope in God p. 50 To rejoyce in and give thanks to God p. 51 To moderation in griefs fears c. p. 52 To obedience to him p. 53 To abide in him p. 54 Which leads to Observ 4. That it 's the believers greatest concernment to keep themselves and one another in the love of God p. 56 Whence four points and noted as included Point 1. That possibly â—ey may go out of Gods love which is explicated and proved p. 60 to 68 An Objection is there answered Point 2. That there is not onely possibility but danger also p. 71 Danger 1. Of it from 1. The many enemies endeavouring it p. 73 1 Satan ib. 2. The flesh p. 44 3. The world p. 75 4. False Teachers p. 76 2. The believers weakness to defend himself p. 81. Or rather aptness to conceit himself strong p. 85 3. The holiness and severity of God against withdrawers p. 87 2. In it shewed in four particulars p. 92 93. Point 3. That there is no necessity of it Believers may keep themselves in Gods love p. 94 Not of themselves p. 95 But by the Grace of God p. 96 Which is considered in seven particulars p. 97 The Armour of defence given them briefly explicated p. 106 Point 4. That it 's expected from the believer and is put upon him in some sort as his work to keep himself in the love of God p. 111 Which is considered 1. As to its act what is implied in it p. 112 2. As to its reaâ—â—ns p. 115 The fourth Observation with its several points applied 1. By way of Reproof several ways p. 120 2. By way of Exhortation to care and watchfulness p. 124 IV. The way and means of this preservation Edifying your selves c. Thence Observe That the way for believers to keep themselves in the love of God is to edifie themselves in their most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost p. 128 In which are two branches viz. I. To edifie themselves
4. The means and course to be taken and used by them to attain that end and that is in ver 20. and that is two-fold 1. Building up your selves on your most holy Faith 2. Praying in the Holy Ghost keep c. 5. The manner posture or frame of heart in which they were to do all these things viz. in proposing to themselves the ultimate end Eternal Life to have their hearts and minds exercised to and waiting for the most necessary means as from Christ toward them as to their attaining thereof namely the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ without which nothing of those other great things exhorted and directed too could be to any purpose either done or attempted by them Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal life The two former the Compellation or Title given these persons to whom this Epistle was writ and their distinction from the ungodly and deceivers before described and warned of we shall not insist upon much only we might note from the first Obs 1. That such as abide in the Truth of God and walk therein when others turn from it abuse or oppose it are worthy of and are to be respected with more love by those who are over them in the word of the Lord and minister the knowledge of God amongst men than such as slight and depart therefrom and so they were Beloved of the Apostles and Servants of Christ as well as of Christ himself in their Ages For This word Beloved signifies not only pitied commiserated or persons for whom good is desired for so much love may and should be testified to others whilst there is hope for them that they may be saved as Paul testified such love to the unbelieving Jews who stumbled at the stumbling stone and submitted not themselves to the righteousness of God Rom. 9.33 and 10.1 2 3. and it is to be testified to all that have not sinned to death 1 Tim. 2.1 2. with John 5.16 but Beloved is more intimately affected valued esteemed owned delighted in and desired as so Christ is called God's Beloved one in whom his Soul is well-pleased Isa 42.1 with Matt. â— 12.18 and 3.17 This is my Beloved or well-beloved Son c. Cant. And so Christ is also called by the Church his Spouse Her Beloved One Cant. 1.13 14 16. It is a word implying and signifying more indearedness of affection towards the persons so spoken to and stiled and therefore usual in the writings of the Apostles to Brethren in the faith and confession of Christ and never to strangers from or much less the enemies to it By their use of which they signified either 1. That the Brethren Believers in Christ were dearly cared for valued and prized of God and Christ objects of their especial care and affection and partakers of his Grace and Love or 2. That they were especially amongst men cared for owned valued and delightfully affected by them the Apostles and their fellow-labourers they being therein of the mind of God and Christ to love and affect especially those who with special care and affection are embraced of Christ and of God in and through him All men are to be honoured but the Brotherhood in a special sense to be beloved 1 Pet. 2.17 not only though specially also with a love of Charity but also with a love of Brotherly kindness a love of Brethren 1. Pet. 3.9 Hebr. 13. 2 Pet. 1.7 even as Christ preferred such before his natural Brethren Mother and Sisters as such only Matth. 12.48 49 50. So did the Apostles and Servants of Christ prefer the hearty believers of the Doctrine of Christ before all other persons and so demeaned themselves in word and deed towards them owning them as their Brethren and beloved carrying themselves to them as Fathers toward their children 1 Cor. 4.14 15. 2 Cor. 12 14. yea as a Tender Nurse or Foster-Mother toward her little ones as Thess 2.7 8. They were gentle towards them as a Nurse that cherisheth her children so kindly affectionate to them that they were willing to impart their lives and Souls to them And so they instructed the Elders and Ministers ordained by them to be especially careful of and watchful over such Act. 20.28 1 Pet. 5.4 2 3. and exhorted them to be kindly affectioned one to another Rom. 12.10 yea and this from the difference between these and others For Obser 2. As there is a great difference between hearty believers in Christ and others that believe not and much more those that are turned aside and endeavour to corrupt others from the faith of him so the Apostles used and others that are the Servants and Ministers of Christ should use in their ministration to put a great difference between them also for The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Prov. 12.26 More excellent both as to his root which is Christ and God in him in whom he is by faith planted and stands and grows and in respect of his branches or what issues and springs up from the faith of Christ in his heart as his thoughts and estimates of and affections to God his Truth Wayes People Though there may be much of the flesh cleaving to him in these and rendring these so imperfect that he hath no cause to boast of them in the presence of God yet in these the righteous believing person is far otherwise and better than his Neighbour that is unrighteous and hath nothing of the sap virtue and Spirit of Christ in him And then in his fruits and usefulness to others in word and work and for the glorifying of God to and amongst them and shewing to them the way of righteousness which being righteous he doth also practice and exercise himself to His lips feed many and his tongue is as choice silver Prov. 10.20 21. He is furnished for others good and helpfulness so as others are not and his estate and condition is far more excellent Better a little that he hath than the great riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 Yea he is more noble and honourable in his birth and descent as righteous as being a Son of God John 1.12 More rich as being an Heir of God and of the Kingdom that he hath promised to them that love him Rom. 8.17 James 2.5 He is more safe and secure as more out of the reach of danger as being infolded in the everlasting Armes of God and in all respects is furnished with and interested in far more durable and excellent injoyments than his Neighbour is i. e. then any other man that is not righteous or that is out of the Faith of Christ and therefore much more than the wicked Apostates and Deceivers that are Trees twice dead and pluckt up by the roots as this Apostle saith for they are corrupt and their hearts wicked and their works and fruits abominable and wretched being fallen from God and his Truth there is less hope of them than of any others For better
from God's favour or favourable acceptation of them c. It behoves us therefore to continue in the faith of Christ that we may abide in the love of God Which leads to the next point Keep your selves in the Love of God Whence we may note further Obser 4. That it is the business of the greatest concernment to believers in Christ to keep themselves and one another in the love of God I say themselves and one another for so I look upon the force of the word your selves here The Apostle speaks to them as a Community Body or select Society whose priviledges and concernments are common and by a common consent and joynt endeavour to be prosecuted and pursued Therefore as when any Message is sent to a Town or Corporation from a Prince or General to look to themselves that their enemies break not in upon them the Message concerns them in common and it suffices not that every man look to his own house or person but that with one consent and joynt counsel and endeavour they each one seek the safety of the whole Corporation or Town so it is the case here Believers in Christ are as the Body of Christ and as it is in the natural body if one member suffer all are grieved and if one be in danger all endeavour the defence and safety of it and every member in its place endeavours not only its own private and particular safety and welfare but the safety and welfare of the whole body so is it or ought it to be amongst Believers Every one is to take care of himself and of the whole body or society according to his capacity Looking diligently least any fail of the grace of God or any be guilty of an evil heart of unbelief or be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.12 13. and 12.15 especially those that are Guides to the rest or are indued with greater understanding in the grace of God or gifts for usefulness to others as the eyes or hands in the natural body are concerned to take heed to their brethren of less abilities And in such a sense I say to keep themselves in the love of God is the business of greatest concernment to all unfeigned Believers To that purpose we may observe that as it was the great business care and endeavour of the Apostles towards or with the World to preach Christ and the love of God in him to them to draw and perswade them to accept therof and so to believe in Christ that they might be in the lâ—â—e and favour of God that they might obtain favour 〈◊〉 the Lord as Pro. 8.33 34. be justified and accepted of God and adopted into the number of his Sons and so that it might be well with them for ever that they might be reconciled now and saved in in the great Judgment c. as 2 Cor. 5.10 11 19 20. with 6.1 2 16 17 18. Isa 55.1 2 3 Act. 13.37 38 39 40. So with the Churches that had already through the Grace of God believed and had obtained the mercy and favour of God in Christ as these to whom this Apostle here wrote their great business was that they might be kept therein by abiding in the faith of Christ and obedience to him to which purpose is that of the Apostle Col. 2.1 2 3. c. I would ye knew what great conflict I have for you that your hearts might be comforted being knit together in love to the riches of the ful assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery both of God the Father and of Christ in whom or in which mystery are bid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge This I say least any man should beguile you with inticing words and ver 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward through a voluntary humility in worshipping of Angels c. and so to the Corinthians I am jealous over you with a godly jealousie lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve your minds should by any means be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and Watch ye stand ye fast in the faith quit ye like men and be strong 2 Cor. 11.3 1 Cor. 16.13 to the same purpose is that in Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not intangled again in the yoke of bondage for I Paul say unto you â—â—â—t if you be circumcised Christ shall profiâ—â—â—u nothing So again to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.1 12. I would not have you ignorant that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all of them passed through the Sea and were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat c. but with many of them God was c. let him therefore that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall and to the Romans chap. 11.20 22. Thou standest by faith he not high minded but fear And to the Ephesians Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put you on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to resist in the evil day and having done all to stand c. Eph. 6.10 11 12 c. And so the Apostle John in â— John 2.24 25. Let that therefore that yee have heard from the beginning abide in you if that which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you ye shall continue in the Father and in the Son and this is the promise which be God hath promised us even Eternal life and ver 28. And now little Children abide in him that when he appears we may have boldness and not be ashamed at his appearing and so 2 John 8. Look to your selves that we loose not the things which we have wrought c. and Rev. 3.11 Hold fast that which thou hast let no man take away thy Crown And indeed what can be of greater concernment to the believer than this to keep himself in that state of safety and happiness to which by the great sorrows and sufferings of Christ and by his great goodness in bringing his salvation to him and striving with him with much long suffering and forbearance he hath brought him What can be of greater concernment to a man pursued by deadly enemies that hunt for his life when he hath gotten into a strong hold that cannot be taken by any storm or assault and that is every way well provided for for his preservation and defence than to keep himself therein and not by any means to venture out of it no not upon the fair pretences and flattering perswasions of pretended friends lest he fall into the hands of his enemies Such is the believers case here seeing in the love and favour of God he is most safe and happy but out of that nothing but misery is to be met with it stands him in hand to keep himself well while he is so Keep your selves in the Love of
people to keep them and bless them yea he hath confirm'd his promise too with his oath as we might have added I have sworn by my self saith God Surely in blessing I will thee Heb. 6.14.15 with Gen. 22.16 17. as also in Psal 89.3 4 35 36. And he is faithful that hath promised cannot will not lye nor alter the word that is gone out of his mouth He is the faithful God that keepeth Covenant and Mercy Deut. 7.9 His Word and Oath are two things in which it is impossible for him to lye Heb. 6.17 18. faithful is he that hath called you who also will do it namely will sanctifie the believer throughout and see that his whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ says 1 Thess 5.23 24. To which purpose also 6. He hath appointed his only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ in the vertues of his most precious blood and sacrifice and invested with the Authority Power and Glory of God to be as the Saviour of all men so especially and after a special sort of them that believe his Church his Body his Sheep to be their Shepheard husband and head to take care of them feed them guide protect and lead them and to keep them in the fat and fruitful pastures of Israel unto everlasting life This is the will saith he of him that sent me that he that seeth beholdeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day John 6.40 And again I am the good Shepheard and know that is take care of my sheep and am known approved of mine My Sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me c. John 10.14 27. the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls 1 Pet. 2.25 To which purpose that he might preserve those that follow him he is both furnished 1. As a Prophet with Authority power and Spirit to teach them and lead them safely in the way that they should go to make known to them his mind and the will of his Father and so to Guide the meek in judgment and to teach the meek his way yea and to reveal by his Spirit the mysteries of his Kingdom the secrets of the Lord and feed them with the choice comforts and consolations the fresh and fat pastures of Israel to make them like love and delight in the way he leads them in and to shew them their wandrings reprove them for them and recover them from them 2. As a Priest to mediate with God for them by way of intercession in the vertues of his perfect propitiatory Sacrifice thereby to obtain of God mercy to pass by and pardon their defects weaknesses and wandrings or in mercy and measure to judge and correct them for them and so pass over them and still bestow his grace and favour upon them and continue it to them in blessing them and giving such further dispensations to them of his Spirit and spiritual blessings as may be good for them and further their salvation And in respect of the perfection of his Sacrifice to God and Priesthood before God he is able to prevail with God for whatsoever he maketh request for to him and being an everlasting and ever-living Priest after the order of Melchisedeck he is able to save to the utmost from wrath and judgment and in the grace and favour of God them that come to God by him because He He so high and holy and undefiled an one ever liveth to make intercession for them Rom. 8.26 27 34. Heb. 7 24 25 26 27. And then also 3. As King and Lord over all he is able to protect and hide them and safely keep them from the power and malice of their enemies controuling their enterprises defeating their plots and overthrowing their power and confederacies and turning them about as he pleases sustaining and upholding all his Servants and followers under all their tryals and sufferings and giving issues and deliverances to them out of them as he sees good for them so as that no man can pluck them or take them by force out of his hands nor any sin of weakness and infirmity cause him to disown them And also as Christ who is thus appointed and furnished to save them So 7. He is faithful and merciful can pity and sympathize with them in their ignorances tryals sufferings and temptations and knows how to succour them having himself had experience of sufferings and temptations and will faithfully discharge the trust committed to him of his Father and the oversight he hath taken of them He is faithful in all things as Moses was yea and more because Moses was but faithful as a Servant but Christ as a Son over his own house or houshold Heb. 2.17 18. and 3.1 2 5 6. He will not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment truth and righteousness in the earth till he have accomplished the whole will of God committed to him He is the Author and Finisher of the Faith his hands have laid the foundation and his hands too shall finish the building Isai 42.1 3 4. and Zech. 4 7 9. So that all these put together make it appear that the love and grace of God or God and Christ in his favour and love to his people is a strong and sure refuge for them and defence to them so that they may in betaking themselves to him and abiding in their faith in him be surely kept in his love there is not only a possibility of it but an assured certainty also they may trust boldly in him at all times and contentedly sit down and solace themselves in his shadow and rejoyce in his love and sing with chearfulness The Lord is our refuge and defence a present help in time of trouble therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Seas The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Psal 46.1 2 6. Whence they be blessed that trust in him at all times or exercise faith in and relyance on him their dwelling is on high so as no enemy can overtop or storm them so as to get to them to harm or pull them out except they were greater then God and could overtop him and be above him in strength and power their defence is the munition of rocks so that no undermining them or digging through their defence by policy or industry unless they could outvye God in wisdom and strength and pluck away his everlasting armes from about them and strike through his sides as it were to pierce them bread shall be given them and their waters shall not fail so as there can be no starving of them out Other strong Holds may be either storm'd or undermined or batterd down or else they that be in them may for want of provision of bread and drink be forced to yield themselves to
them either from Satan as an enemy suggesting fears to them even from their Fathers righteously judging them or on other accounts or from the world persecuting them the assured hope of Gods salvation or the salvation of God Gods sure protection and defence of them here and his bringing or delivering them out in his due time as set before them by way of promise in the Gospel and so an object and matter of hope to be looked for by them And then They have 6. The Sword of the Spirit the Word of God as a two-edged Weapon fit and forcible to do them service both by way of defence to themselves and by way of offence to their enemies so as that thereby they may both be preserved from the lyes of Satan and his Instruments and from all his lying and wicked suggestions and they may beat them away and drive them from them yea and cause the enemies of Christ and of their faith by their powerful convincements thereof to fall before them so Christ kept himself from the wicked one that he touched him not by any of his temptations Matth. 4. and so both he and his Servants have confounded their Adversaries and convinced and converted many of them And then lastly They have free access to God through Jesus Christ by Prayer and supplication to make known their needs and requests to him either for supplyes and help to themselves and one another or for rebuking taking off or weakening their Adversaries and Exercises And they have through Christ the Spirit of grace and supplication to instruct and help them to pray and direct their desires and petitions for them and Christ himself with God as their Mediator High-Priest and Advocate to make their Prayers acceptable to God and this is a marvellous powerful and effectual Weapon being filled with Faith to obtain any thing from Heaven needful for their defence and safety and to batter down the Forts and Strengths of their Adversaries by pulling down judgments from Heaven upon them This is as the Christians Bullets of Ordnance that he storms Heaven by as it were and takes it by force and that being shot up towards Heaven from a fervent faithful heart falls down again upon the wicked Adversaries and doth great execution and slaughter upon them so we may see how the Prayers of the Saints being offered up by the Angel who had many sweet odours to make them acceptable Revel 8.3 4 5. procured fire to be cast upon the earth with voyces thundrings lightnings and a great earthquake whereby the judgments of God upon the Adversaries were implyed and signified Now all these things being considered it will evidently appear that it is very possible for the Believer to be kept in the love of God nay that it is certain he shall be so if he be not greatly neglective of the means of his safety and preservation so many and so effectual for that purpose yea indeed a man might marvail these things for the Believers defence being well weighed how it should possibly be that he should fail of the Grace of God fall out of his love and favour and perish from his presence by any means but that we have seen the possibility and danger too thereof before asserted which also may further as to the reason of it be made manifest in the next consideration wherein it is further noted as implyed that he being so strongly and well fortified and furnished for his safe keeping in the love of God Point 4. It is expected from him and in some sense lyes upon him as his work to keep himself and each Believer to keep his Brother therein Though as he did not bring himself into Christ and so into the love and favour of God by his wisdom will power or goodness but he was called into him and made in him of God so neither is it his work in his own power wisdom and strength to keep himself there or defend himself from what would intice him or force him out Yet as it was his act in and by the Grace of God in Christ to believe and come to Christ and so into the love and favour of God So it is his act also subordinately in and by the same Grace to keep himself in Christ and so in the love of God whence our Saviour so often requires it of his Disciples Abide in me and let my words abide in you continue ye in my love Joh. 15.4.9 Hold fast what thou hast let no man take away thy Crown Rev. 3.11 with which agrees many passages of the Apostles to stand fast quit themselves like men let that they have received abide abide in Christ and the like as also that assertion in 1 John 5.18 He that is born of God keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not In which keeping a mans self in the love of God is signified as to the act of it 1. That the Believer be and abide in that state and way he is already in through the Grace of God not departing voluntarily leaving or going out therefrom keep himself well while he is well being content with Christ confident and well assured of his well doing and happiness in so continuing to that purpose are those phrases of abiding continuing not departing or withdrawing from the living God as in John 8.32 and 15.4 5 6 7. Col. 1.23 1 John 2.24 28. Heb. 3.12 and 10.35 38 39. as implying that no man heartily believing in Christ can miscarry but through a voluntary neglect of or departure from him It is no violence done to him can force him but by his own consent The case of a Believer as we shewed before is like the condition of a man that though very weak and unable of himself to resist or stand against the power of his enemies yet hath a strong Castle or Tower in which he is so strongly fortified and so every way unattachable by either storming undermining or starving of him that there is certain safety for him in abiding in it and no possibility for his enemies catching of him unless he voluntarily go out of it Such is the Believers condition being in Christ and God nothing can come upon him to harm him none can pluck or take him by force out of it unless he willingly sin and depart from God and Christ after the knowledge of the Truth received against which departing and drawing back from and forsaking God and so their own mercies the Spirit of God therefore by his Servants is diligently provoking and exhorting them as Take heed Brethren least there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God and let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised Cast not away your confidence c Heb. 3.12 and 10.23 35. 2. That because Satan by himself and Instruments is crafty subtle and vigilant to intice allure and tempt Believers to make a voluntary
give light to all that come into the house In a word he doth nothing he gives nothing to us in vain but for use and service And to what better use or of greater concernment can we imploy what he gives us than to keep our selves and one another in the love of God seeing therein lies our welfare and happiness and out of that nothing but wo and misery can befal us It is true that it is his work to keep us safe but in our hearing and following him and his Counsels and so in keeping to him as it 's the Castle and strong hold that keeps the man that flies to it but it is in his keeping within it and not departing out of it because of any assaults made against it or flatteries of the enemy that would intice him out of it Yea it is the goodness strength and every way commodiousness of the strong hold considered by him that is in it that arms him also against those fears or inticements from without that endeavour to make him leave it Even so it is only Christ abid in by men that every way secures the Soul against all assaults it from men or Devils and it is the diligent consideration of Christ as the great Saviour and means yea Author of safety and happiness provided for us of God and the infinite excellencies and preciousness of him as delivered up for our offences and raised again for our justification and glorified at Gods right hand as Lord and Christ that being considered by us prevails with the Soul to abide in him whence to that purpose the Apostles every where make it their business to set forth the fulness and faithfulness of Christ the infinite abiding vertues of his Sacrifice with God and for men his wonderful mercy and compassionateness the fulness and compleatness oâ— the righteousness and the abundance of the Redemption in him the infiniteness of his power and wisdome c. to move and perswade believers to abide him and not listen to the enemy or wander out of him after any other way name thing or person in whole or in part from him Col. 2.1 ver 3.4 8 9.10 Gal. 3 7 9 13 14 26 27 28 29 as also to that purpose they exhort us to consider him and the excellencies in him as Heb. 3.1 and 12.2 Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession Jesus Christ who was faithful in all things to him that appointed him as Moses also was and consider him who endured such contradictions of sinners least ye be weary and faint in your mindes So Heb. 4.14 15 16. and 10 14 15 19 20 21 35 36 37 c. the want of which or slothfulness in it lays open the Soul to the power of Sathans temptations and false Teachers seducements It is his work to keep us then but in his way to be sought for and waited for by us which being our work though that also in his power and strength we may well be exhorted to keep our selves that the wicked one touch us not According to that in Prov. 4.6 Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Wisdome will keep us in our cleaving to her and depending upon her to keep us she will preserve us in our loving her and observing her instructions to which also her goodness and the goodness of her instructions will allure us if considered by us and if proved and tryed by us in our listning to and obeying her Counsels It s his work in our looking to and obeying him it s our work in the strength and helpfulness afforded to us by him and in his keeping us He keeps those that trust in him as a hen that defends from the Kite the Chickens running under her wings but as there if the chickens straggle and come not not when she clocks they may be catched up and devoured so unless we come and stay under the wings in the Doctrine and obedience of Christ or at his clock or call return again to him from our strayings from him we may be devoured by the adversary of our Salvation Vse All which things being duly considered by us may both confute and admonish us of divers vain evil and false conceptions that betray mens Souls into the snares of death and may awaken and provoke us to diligence in taking heed to our standings and taking to us and making use of the whole armour of God to resist our Adversaries as 1. It reprehends and shews the falshood of that conception that if a man be once in the love and Grace of God he must of necessity abide so always no possibility of his falling therefrom Once a Son and alway so no sin can un-son him that is once a Son of God whomsoever God loves once he loves for ever and the like for which they usually quote that in John 13.1 which is but That Christ having so loved his own that were in the world loved them to the end that is he loved his Disciples to the end of the time of his being in the world with them He loved that is took all occasions to testifie also his love and accordingly even till his death testified it in his words and works to them yet so as he bids them abide in him and continue in his love Take heed least any deceive them as implying that for all this his great love toward them they were not out of all possibility of being deceived or departing from him if they should be careless as conceiting such a thing impossible they might be circumvented and not continue in his love Yea he tells Peter that except he wash him he should have no part in him John 13.8 and sure all his exhorting them to keep his Commandments and abide in him c. imply at least a possibility of their doing otherwise â— no need to have been so earnest to exhort them to such things Again we have seen before what the Apostle said to and of the Galathians whom he asserts to have been Sons and known of God what fear he had of them what warnings he gives them and what he supposes might yea and affirms would befal them if they went on to follow after the false Apostles who had begun to seduce them Indeed all the Scriptures do shew sufficiently the certain attainment of eternal life by those that are careful to wait upon God and look diligently to him by Jesus Christ for his supplying keeping and saving of them that wait upon him and keep his way that hear Christs voice and follow him and do not presume to turn away from him or sit loose from his instructions by which they may and should be kept close to him but though the just do live by faith yet if he draw back the Soul of God shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.39 2. Again such conceptions and sayings as import that God works so altogether and irresistibly in the believer as that he
leaves nothing upon the Believer to do in order to his preservation in his love and favour to which they alledge that in Phil. 2.12 13. That it is God that worketh in you to will and to doe of good pleasure Where the Apostle asserts that not as an evidence or argument to prove that there is nothing therefore left for the believer to doe in which he may possibly fail and to which he needs to be exhorted but as the reason and ground wherefore the believer should be careful to work out his own Salvation with fear and trembling for which there would be no room or ground if God wrought all things in the belieliever yea and his working out too irresistibly nor any need for to have exhorted them if they could not chuse but so work upon the account of God's working in them But the Apostle plainly implies that because its God that works in and through the Grace revealed to and received by the believer of good pleasure so as not bound or obliged so to work but only of his mercy and good will therefore it behooves believers to yield up themselves to and in his operations to will and do and so to work out what he is working in them and not to resist and quench his operations least so they should provoke him who is a free agent and works only of good will to be offended with them and withdraw his operations and good Spirit by which he is operating and working in them from them and then they can do nothing toward their salvation but be in danger to goe back to destruction As also the argument used ver 16. to inforce that instruction upon them seems clearly to imply in that he says That I may rejoyce in the day of Jesus Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain for to what purpose should he mention such a thing with respect to them if there had been no possibility of their failing of the Grace and happiness to which he laboured to bring them instrumentally or if there was nothing to be done by them that might conduce to their obtaining the end of his running and labouring amongst them at least that could possibly be neglected and left undone by them so as therethrough to indanger their failing thereof and so a disappointment of the Apostles desire and hope concerning them The whole Scripture as it were suspending the tenour of the continuance of believers in Gods love and favour upon their keeping his Commandments and exhorting therefore to diligence in observing and keeping them shews the vanity of such apprehensions and that there is something required on mans part to his being preserved in the Grace of God Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Prov. 4.6 If ye love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father c. And be that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved that is continue to be loved of my Father and I will love him continue to loue him as John 15.10 and I will manifest mine own self to him John 14.21 23. Keep your selves in the love of God 3. Again it reproves and discovers the evil and naughtiness of those high and presumptuous thoughts which are the issue and fruit of the two former mentioned Deut. 29.18 19. wherein men having believed and being pronounced righteous and so being under the sentence of life as Ezek. 33.13 thereupon presume to commit iniquity and say in their hearts that though they do so and add drunkenness to their thirst satisfie their vain and sinful desires and lust never so greedily yet they are safe enough they cannot miscarry but shall have peace and favour with God still or if they may provoke God to some displeasure against them so as to chastise them yet that shall be the worst that shall or may befal them These thoughts also contrary to what is foreshewed and to many serious threats in the Scriptures as that the Lord will not spare such an one but then his wrath and his jealousie shall smoke against him and the Lord shall blot his name from under Heaven Deut. 29.20 and that he who when God hath said unto him as righteous thou shalt surely live shall thereupon trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity shall surely die Ezek. 33.13 and therefore even believers are admonished not to be high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 21 22. 2. It also serves to exhort and provoke believers to watchfulness care and diligence in taking heed to the Grace of God and cleaving thereto and quitting themselves as men that they may continue and abide in that state of love and favor to which they are freely chosen of God in Christ making their calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and election thereto firm and sure as 2 Pet. 1.10 to that purpose adding to or in their faith vertue or courage for God and his truth and against Sathan sin and all that stands cross to their well-doing and in vertue knowledge to direct and guide all their zeal and courage aright and in knowledge temperance sobriety in thoughts of themselves not aspiring to pry into things above their reach or that they have not seen in the testimony of God as also temperance in use of the mercies of God in the things of this life and of their liberties thereto to which their knowledge makes way least by undue use of their liberties offend other ◠and in their temperance patience both to continue therein denying themselves and abstaining from fleshly lusts and also in induring whatsoever sufferings and adversities may befal them in their way and in patience Godliness an acknowledgement of God and his power and goodness and a depending on him and looking to him in all things and making him the Alpha and Omega of their lives and actions receiving all from him and living in all things to him by Jesus Christ and in godliness Brotherly kindness an hearty intire love of the Brethren being kind and courteous and of one minde with them loving as Brethren and Heirs together of the same Grace and inheritance and in Brotherly kindness charity a free and gracious affection and love to men not for any goodness in them rendring them worthy of love as in Brotherly kindness but because of Gods free and gracious love and affection both to us and them so loving others even all men as we are loved of God as men seeking to win by love those that are without and to doe them good even as he hath done to us though unworthy of love from him If we doe those things we shall never fall if we goe on thus adding Grace to Grace Growing in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To such like purposes both our Lord himself and his Servants have given manifold exhortations and Counsels As to watch and pray
the good of others Is not easily provoked against another or to leave off pursuing his good and benefit Thinks not or surmises not evil Nay if it discern evil it is willing to pass it by and not impute it to the withdrawing his good offices of love from his neighbour Rejoyceth not in iniquity harm evil or deceit ' but rejoyceth in the truth and therefore also endeavours the prosperity and spreading thereof that the mouth of iniquity might be stopped Beareth all things all burthens put upon it Believeth all things that God hath discovered and that he hath any ground to believe concerning the good of others Hope 's all things that may further their good and endures all things that it meets with for exercise of its patience 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6 7 this will lead us to deny our selves and our own things to do others good and so to use our liberties in things indifferent as may tend to the good and profit of others and forbear the use of it where it might prejudice them as S. Paul who would not eat flesh or drink wine till the world stood or do any thing whereby the Brother should be offended if he knew such things would offend him weaken him in or stumble him from the truth 1 Cor. 8.13 with Rom. 14.21 this will lead men to doe all things for edification and nothing for destruction to any this therefore is a most useful way of edifying and building up one another in the most holy faith 4. And in a word the walking as becomes the Gospel of Christ and so the shewing forth his vertues in our conversations in an innocent abstinence from all ungodlines fleshly worldly lusts walking soberly righteously and godlily in this present World and in a patient bearing and suffering and so overcoming with goodness all the injuries and abuses done to us especially for the Gospels sake for that also tends exceedingly to the furtherance of the Gospel and the confirming and strengthning one another in the belief and confession thereof Philip. 1.12 13 14 20 27. After such a sort are we to build up our selves and one another on our most Holy Faith Now such a building up our selves thereon tends to keep us in the love of God because 1. They that build up themselves thereon keep or abide thereon and are not waved or turned aside from that precious foundation to which the love special respect care and approbation of God are as it were intailed Christ is the first prime and immediate object of Gods delightful love so that a man being and abiding in him doth in through and by vertue of him abide also in his love Now a building up our selves on that foundation is a firming us more in and fastning us more upon him who is that foundation whereon his love is inseparably placed The foundation of God Jesus Christ as held forth in the Apostles Doctrine for other foundations can no man lay is a firm and sure foundation and standeth sure having this Seal or confirmation the Lord knoweth them that are his It is known of God as his and therefore cared for owned and loved by him and all that are his the foundations or Christs are therefore also known owned and accepted of God If Christs then Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise c. Gal. 3.29 2. The building up our selves on that foundation the most holy faith is the way to keep our selves untouched of the adversaries of it and 3. To do Gods Commandments using our gifts talents to those ends intents to which God hath given us them and as he hath given us Commandments and in this way he hath promised his presence and blessing with us and favour towards us If we have Christs Commandments and keep them as we doe in thus doing then are we lovers of Christ and God will love us and Christ will love us manifest his own self to us John 14.21 if we keep his Commandments we shall continue in his love John 15.10 If we do these things adde in our faith vertue c so edifie and build up our selves on our most holy faith we shall never fall for so an abundant entrance shall be administred to us into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.5 10 11. It is the idle Soul shall suffer hunger the barren and fruitless branch that the husband-man takes away not the diligent and fruitful in good works Joh 15.2 This therefore is the way for us to keep our selves in the love of God Not to be careless and secure and say in our hearts we cannot miscarry our standing depends not on our working and diligence and therefore we will do nothing but give up our selves to minde and walk after the flesh and do our own pleasures for we are sure of eternal life nothing can deprive us Christ will keep it for us and give it to us what ever we do having closed with him and believed on him no sin of ours can un son us nor no carelesness or neglect of ours provoke God to neglect us Take we heed of such abusive reasonings and actings and exercise we our selves to Godliness to build up our selves on our most holy faith for through slothfulness negligence tâ—e house may else drop through so will God be with us love us own and delight in us to dwell with and amongst us But then add we still the second way or means of keeping our selves in the love of God which is also to be practised all along together with the former and not after we have done with that for that is never to be done with while here but always to be practised and so is this second too namely 2. Praying in the Holy Ghost Where we have to consider 1. The exercise it self that is praying 2. The way or manner of it that is in the Holy Ghost In speaking unto which let us inquire into and consider 1. What it is to pray 2. What it is to pray in the Holy Ghost 3. What is implied in the exhorting Believers so to pray 4. How that conduces to the keeping themselves in the love of God 1. And first To pray is more than to say or read or frame a prayer for that may be as to the two former an exercise of the tongue and lips in which the heart may be altogether unexercised yea and it may be other mens desires or needs that we say or read over and not our own And as to the last expression the framing of a prayer it may be but an exercise of the brain parts not of the heart and Spirit of a man yea the Stage-Players have done all this in derision of prayer sometime whereas to pray is To exercise the heart in minding uttering or pouring out unto God through Jesus Christ its needs and desires or the needs of and its desires for others let us view the particulars
and not those things that tend to the glory of Christ and furtherance of his Name praise and Kingdom in the world and in such an evil selfish peevish uncharitable proud passionate distemper of spirit as the wisdom or will of the flesh begets or produces in men and not in such a frame and efficacie as is of Gods spirit which kinde of praying is displeasing to God who being a Spirit will be worshipped by men in spirit and truth and cannot accept or like of that that is not of his holy spirit and therefore also is unprofitable to men and tends not to build them up in the most holy faith whence need for exhorting believers and for believers to accept the exhortation both to pray and to see that they doe it aright not in any spiritless formal way or in any carnal and unholy Spirit but in the holy Ghost 8. That this praying in the holy Ghost is a good means to edifie the believers in their most most holy Faith and so for keeping them in the love of God for therefore this clause is joyned with them and joyned with them in such a manner of speaking as clearly denotes and implies it to be a means to them For in saying Building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost he shews that the building up themselves on their most holy faith would not goe well on if trusting to their own power and skill therein they should neglect Gods help or neglect to pray and call upon God for it in such a way as he might accept them and send them help Therefore they were to doe that with the former action as a means to it and then in coupling the counsel to both those and that absolutely by a Verb or word of command or counsel Keep your selves in the love of God and mentioning both of those by a Participle as having reference to some further end namely that expressed in that following counsel he implies that they be both of them means to that great end or that such a building themselves on their most holy Faith as is exercised with praying in the Holy Ghost will much conduce to or is the means to preserve and keep themselves in the love of God Which leads us to the next enquiry namely 4. How the praying in the Holy Ghost conduces to the keeping our selves in the love of God To which it is to be minded as was noted above that the love or peculiar favour of God and his blessing is fixed upon the foundation or most holy faith in the first place It firstly fastens upon and imbraces Christ his beloved delightful one who is the great subject of the Gospel Doctrine and for his sake it is upon or with that Doctrine also as it sets forth and contains his name and is the means to glorifie him to men and to draw in men to him so as his eye and heart is thereupon as a most holy thing to him the slighters of which he will slight and punish with more intolerable judgements than those upon Sodom and Gomorrah as in Matth. 10.15 and those that receive and embrace that are imbraced and beloved of him so as to be rewarded with life everlasting John 5.24 He that heareth my words which he gave to his Apostles and they preached in his name and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life c. and Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized namely into Christ shall be saved c. Thence it follows that that which furthers mens being edified and built up on that most holy faith doth also further their being and abiding in that love and favour of God which he bears toward those that are thereupon for the sake thereof And so praying in the Holy Ghost conduces to the keeping men in the love of God as it is a means to keep them on their most holy Faith And a means thereto it is both 1. As there is no praying in the Holy Ghost but by and from the most holy Faith Jesus Christ and the Doctrineâ— of him taken heed unto and minded by men Praying in the H. Gh. then argues a being on the most holy Faith and exercises men to it even to the holding to and minding of it because the Holy Spirit is not otherwise to be met with to breath in us and frame our hearts to spiritual and right desires and prayers but on that most holy Faith for the Holy Spirit is onely that way ministred namely By the hearing of Faith and not by the works of the Law much less by any inventions and works in obedience to other Laws or in any lawless courses Gal 33.3 The Holy Spirit dwells and rests upon Christ and is sent forth in his name unto men Isa 42.1 6â— 1 11.12 John 14.26 and that to witness to Christ lead them to and unite them with him John 15.26 16.13 14. 1 Cor. 6. â—7 for he is so dwelling in Christ as not to be separated from him and therefore all that he dwells in must be one with Christ also for it is by vertue of Christ and in union with him that he that dwells and rests on Christ the head dwells in them as his members also And it is in the Name and Doctrine of Christ as Christ is therein named and set forth that the Holy Spirit breathes unto and in men therein and makes it a Ministration of Spirit or a means of conveying the light power presence and influence of the Spirit which is therefore no further abiding in men and leading and framing them than that Word and Doctrine of Christ in which he is ministred and Christ as held forth therein is received by and abides in men and they in them Whence that in 2 John 9. Whoso transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God to wit by his Holy Spirit in and with them for so God dwells in Believers namely by his Spirit as in Ephes 2.21 Whoso abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son namely in and by the influence and presence of the Spirit of both in and with them as well as in other considerations for them So then he that prayeth in the Holy Ghost being on the most holy Faith and so in Christ in whom and for whose sake God so loveth and favoureth men as we have shewed must needs be in the love of God and the praying in the Holy Ghost a means to keep men in the love of God because it is a way to keep men in Christ and a fruit of their keeping in him 2. Again it must needs be a means to preserve Believers in the love of God as it is a means to obtain further grace from God for more building up themselves on their most holy Faith where the love of God runs and is certainly enjoyed for what men ask of God believing in Christ and in the name of Christ as the Holy
it is never to have known the way of truth than after the knowledge of it to turn away again from the holy Commandement 2 Pet. 2.21 Their root is rottenness and their blossom goeth up as dust because they have cast away the Law and Doctrine of the Lord of Hosts and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel Isai 5.24 Though they may profess that they know God yet in deed they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobates bunglers at the best and void of judgment Tit. 1.16 Now as there is such difference between them so it is the part and practice of Christs Apostles and Servants to separate and put difference between them in their ministration as Jude here doth To say to the Righteous It shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings and to pronounce wo to the wicked for he shall in going on to be so surely dye the reward of his hands shall be given him Isai 3.10 11. and so to separate the precious from the vile incouraging confirming and strengthening the one in the Lord and so in the way of righteousness and reproving discouraging and fighting against the other in the way of his wickedness that he might be filled with shame and either be turned from his wicked way or be weakened and confounded however in it that he may not be able to do hurt to others and hinder them in the way of righteousness and salvation Jerem. 15.19 But as I said before I shall not inlarge further upon these things but proceed to consider the Councel and Exhortation here given for the direction and preservation of Believers But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith c. In speaking to and considering of which I shall God willing observe the order above propounded first speak to the main thing directly exhorted to and then to the means and manner thereto and thereof prescribed as God shall afford his assistance and help to me And so I shall consider 1. The matter mainly or directly exhorted to and see what it implyes and signifies unto us that is Keep your selves in the love of God In which is signified Obser 3 4. 1. That unfeigned Believers in Christ are in the love of God 2. That it greatly behooves them and it is required of them that they keep themselves therein Indeed those words In the love of God may be so construed as to signifie either the way in which we are directed to keep our selves namely from the error of the wicked and the dangers and woes attending it and then the sense might be Keep your selves from those persons and evils forementioned by taking heed to the love of God or else which I judge the righter as to the intent of the Apostle here the way state or condition in which the Believers at that present were this I say I judge the righter for the other sense representing those words in the love of God as if they signified in minding the love of God or the like is included in the words Building up your selves on your most holy faith as we may see in considering that phrase and therefore I conceive the Apostle would not speak the same thing twice in the same breath as it were besides that his sentence should be somewhat defective in omitting the word minding or the like whereas in the other sense all things are plain And the former Observation from these words evidently appears to be implyed namely That unfeigned Believers are in the love of God Obser 3. where we shall mind 1. What is meant by the love of God here and then 2. Shew that and how the Believer is in it 1. By the love of God is sometime meant and signified his loving merciful pitiful and compassionate affection in which he willeth and desireth the good of the party loved and doth that that he sees needful and conducible thereto yet so as not in the mean while liking or approving or taking into fellowship with himself the party loved because of the unfitness and incapacity in the present condition for it A Love of pity commiseration and well-willing but not of owning and delight and so it is said John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life which is only meant of such a pitying and well-willing love not of owning and approving love For it is not said That God so loved the world as that he approved its state and way or owned it to be his peculiar people his portion and the heirs of his Kingdom or admitted it into fellowship with himself No the world being there plainly persons not as yet believing in him or in his Son but in such a condition as needed his Sons being given to do that for it and receive that power and fiâ—ness thereupon to help it as might render him an object to be believed in by it were in such a sinful wretched ungodly State as in which it was liable to perish in its wickedness or sinfulness and therefore God could not as in that state in which he is yet said so to love it as to give his Son approve of it or admit it into his presence to the injoyment of fellowship with him and life therein And that is evident for could God as then and in that state have delighted in owned and approved of it and so admitted it into fellowship with himself and had God accordingly so have loved it as so to do then was it in no danger of perishing much less in no such danger as that it needed the coming forth and death and sacrifice of Christ to save it therefrom unless we could imagine that God sent Christ only to preserve the world in his owning approving love and not to procure that it might be so loved or have a way to be brought into it which is contrary to the Scripture which both tell us that the world was in a state of enmity to God and therefore not in an approved state and that Christ was sent forth for its reconciling to him 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself c. and every where implies a need for his doing so that it or any man in it might come into such a state by him as that it might be owned and accepted which needed not if it was accepted before For if it was owned of God and approved notwithstanding the sin of Adam that sinfulness which thereby entred upon it defiled it then why might it not stil have been always accepted and approved whatever it might sin in by the power or virtue of that its corrupted state that its sinning notwithstanding for if the root hindred it not of God's favour to it why should any fruit springing from that root and so Christ's coming had or should have been in vain or
of the flesh to be honoured of God or will of this or that man hath any thing to do in or makes any difference in All that are in Christ being born thereto and therein of God and reckoned after Christ in whom they are as Gal. 3.28 29. with John 1 13. signifies and then from and as a consequent to this 4. God so loves them as to give them the Spirit of the Son both his Spirit to open the knowledge of Christ his Son to them and the disposition liberty boldness towards and affection to and affiance in him in some measure The same Spirit that dwelt in and yet dwells in Christ and led him as man in the dayes of his flesh to have confidence in and boldness towards his Father and so to go to him upon all occasions as to his Father he gives also to the believer in him to let him know Gods Fatherly love to and care of him upon the account of Christ and to lead him in hope and confidence to depend on and call upon him as also to guide instruct comfort strengthen and help him on all occasions To this purpose is that in Gal. 4.5 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father and so many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and the Spirit it self helps our infirmities c. Rom. 8.15 16 26 27. and this he gives both as a pledge of his love and acceptance and as an earnest of the Inheritance Ephes 1.13 14. 2 Cor. 1.22 5. Yea and as he gives them the priviledge of Sons and the Spirit of his Son so also the respect of Sons so as that as he heard and helped Christ his only begotten Son in the dayes of his flesh in all that he called upon him for and took care of him to provide for and protect him so doth he also to those that believe in his Son The eyes of the Lord are open upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cryes and his face is set against the wicked that hate and oppress them 1 Peter 3.12 13. He is nigh unto his people in all that they call upon him for as our Saviour also promises John 15.7 Abide in me and let my words abide in you and ask what ye will it shall be given you and that as a testimony of his great love to them in which he imbraceth them in Christ his beloved one in whom they are accepted Ephes 1.16 See also John 14.13 14. Psal 145.17 18 19. as our Saviour testifies John 16.27 saying In that day ye shall ask the Father in my Name namely when they had received the promise of the holy Spirit to be a Spirit of grace and supplication in them and I do not say that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God Yea 6. In his love he teacheth them by his holy Spirit and leads them into all truth as is good and needful for them John 14.17 26. Prov. 1.23 teacheth them how to walk and how to pray guides and leads them in the way that they should go makes known his words shews them his mind the Mysteries of his Kingdom c. So Psal 25 8 9 12 14. Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners the way the meek will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach his way i. e. those that being convinced of their own poverty and emptiness do meekly receive his words The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant And Matth. 13.11 To you sayes Christ to his Disciples it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and I have called you not Servants but Friends for all things that I have heard of my Father have I made known to you He takes care of them that they may not wander out of the way of life and righteousness yea he shews them those delights and pleasures of his wayes and gives them a glimpse too of the glory of the end of it even of the glory of his Kingdom so as that they are thereby made to love his way and walk in it comfortably and with great delight Prov. 3.17 Psal 119 32 165. 7. In love also he nurtures them as his Children giving them chastisement as he sees needful and good for them not leaving them to their own counsels wayes and wills as he doth those that coutemn his counsels and submit not to him He is faithfully reproving and warning them and timely châ—stening them with his afflictions that he might teach them his Law and they might keep his Statutes Psal 94 12. and 119 67 71. as a Father that loves his Child and therefore spares not his Rod Prov. 13.24 for he knows that a Child left to himself comes to misery and shame nor yet doth he in afflicting smite them as he smites these that smite them and are his and their enemies but as a Father chastens the Son in whom he delighteth Prov. 3.11 12 Isai 27.7 8. that is he doth it in measure and judgment not in fury so as he sees they may bear and as may be for their profit Isai 27.8 9. Heb. 12.10 He is faithful and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able but with the temptation or tryal will give an issue that they may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10 12. For he pities them as a Father pities his Child knowing their mold and temper and that they are but dust and therefore doth not deal with them after their sins nor reward them according to their iniquities but punisheth them less than they deserve is slow to wrath toward them and abundant in goodness and truth and doth not chide them alwayes nor retain his anger for ever Psal 103.9 10 11 12 13. yea and with his chastisements affords his supports and consolations to refresh their hearts Psal 94.18 19 yea and turns again and hath compassion according to the multitude of his tender mercies Lam. 3.32 Yea 8. He takes pleasure in them in them that fear him and in them that hope in his mercy Psal â—47 11 The Lord takes pleasure in his people Psal 49.4 It 's his design and delight to make them happy and to beautifie them with his Salvation to make them as a Crown of Glory and as a royal Diadem in his hand therefore he calls them Hepâ—zibah that is my delight or pleasure is in her owning them together in Christ as his royal Spouse and Consort as Isai 54 5. with 62 2 3 4. it rejoyceth his heart to see them thrive and prosper for he hath pleasure in the prosperity of his Servants Psal 35.27 Yea and though they have their failings weaknesses and spots that might render them unlovely yet having given Christ to
devour yet God who loves us is stronger than he and none can pluck the sheep or followers of Christ out of his hand Yea Christ our Shepherd is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah and he hath spoiled Principallities and Powers and triumphed over them openly in his Cross He is stronger to defend us than Sathan to devour us and he was manifested on purpose to destroy his cursed works 1 Pet. 5.8 John 10.29 30. Col. 2.14.15 1 John 3.8 hold we fast by him and Sathan cannot harm us however much he malice us Christ both can and will surely defend and save us from his rage and malice Doth the world frown upon us hate reproach threaten and abuse us Be of good courage saith our Lord I have overcome the world and stronger is he that is in or amongst us than he that is in the world John 16.33.1 John 4.4 5. Nor can any hardship that may here befal us tribulation or distres persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword cause God and Christ to cease to love us Rom. 8.35 He is a sheild and sure defence against all these enemies His truth abides that in us shall be shield and Buckler to us so that what is therein Earth or Hell that may discourage or affright us Psal 91.3 He is such a place of defence to every one that uprightly cleaveth to him that nothing can pierce through him to annoy or harm him as in Isa 33 6â— He shall dwel on high so high as none can overtop him to storm him his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks so that no undermining him or blowing him up oh but perhaps we may be starved or famished out for wants No not so for it follows bread shall be given him his waters shall not fail Ah but perhaps such a strong Castle and well victualled may be so close and scant of air or other delightful accommodations as to force a man to yeild to get breath or air No it follows that there is both pleasant sight fair prospects to delight for v. 17. thine eyes shall behold the King in his beauty and thou shalt see the Land that is very far off So then neither need we fear evil will befal us to harm us oâ— that good will be wanting to us to supply and satisfie us For if the Lord be our Shepheard how can we want any good thing He is a Sun sheild and will give Grace glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly with him Psal 84.11 and 23.1 He will supply our inward wants Give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk 11.13 to lead them into his truth fill them with hope and peace and comfort them in all their troubles and afflictions teach them also to pray and therein and otherwise help their infirmities subdue their corruptions and sanctifie them throughout in Body Soul and Spirit c. John 16.13 Rom. 8.26 27. and 15.13 1 Thess 5.23 24. And he will supply all our outward wants so far as is good and needful for us Seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness all those things shall be added to us The Lyons shall lack and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord are sure to want no good thing Matth. 6.33 Psal 34.9 10. He giveth food to them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant Psal 111.5 And he will every way do what is good for us till he have fitted us for and bring us to the eternal inheritance So that here we have everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace 2 Thes 2.16 2. It 's useful also by way of instruction and exhortation to diverse duties that this great grace and love of God towards us doth challenge of us and afford good ground for as 1. To love him again that hath so loved us and yet so loves us as Psal 31.23 Oh Love the Lord ye his Saintsâ— for he preserveth the faithful those that believe in him and are constant in cleaving to and serving him It is but a meet return to him love for love that we love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 to delight our selves in him whose delight is in his people and accepts us in his Beloved One and will give unto us in so doing the desire or satisfaction of our Souls Psal 37.4 we cannot set our loves and affections upon either a more deserving or a more lovely object None there is to whom we are so much ingaged or hath so much in it to content satisfie and save us we may be sure not to loose our loves by loving him for he is not only infinitely before hand with us but also keeps mercy and Covenant for ever to them that love him and keep his Commandments we may loose our loves in loving any thing else besides him but not in loving him 2. To hope and trust in him for seeing he loves us so who is so strong and mighty to save us a Great King above all Gods in whose hands are all the corners of the Earth and the strength of the hills is his also The Sea is his and so all troubles and afflictions and he hath made it and his hands have prepared the dry land a stable port and safe haven of refuge we may be confident that he will not suffer any harm to befal us if we stay upon him and his Grace to save us yea though he may correct and nurture us yet he will take care of us to support and save us Oh trust in him then at all times ye people especially ye his people and inheritance pour out your hearts to him he is a refuge for us Psal 62.8 Yea trust in him at all times for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 26.4 especially too seeing in his great love he hath made great and precious promises to us both for this life the life that is to come hath confirmed them in the blood of the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son and appointed him to be the Mediator of them for us to take away the sin and unworthiness that might hinder us of them and to obtain a dispensation of them to us Surely we have in Christ great ground and cause of hopeing and trusting in God seeing God did therefore raise him from the dead and give him glory that our faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.21 and seeing through him his favour doth compass about the righteous as a shield from what might harm them Psalm 5.12 as it is also a Sun to give light and all refreshing influences to us even Grace and Glory and all good things to those that walk uprightly with him Psal 84.11 whence also that Counsel Philip. 4.6 7. In nothing be careful but in all things make known your requests to God by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving and the peace of God that passeth all understanding shall guard
God But now in this Observation that follows fairly from the words as the main thing here directly exhorted to by the Apostle there are divers things implied that we shall take distinct notice of as to say 1. That possibly believers may go out of or from the love of God they may not abide in it Yea 2. That there is no necessity that he must do so he may keep himself therein and then 3. There is great danger if care be not taken of and in turning out of it or from it 4. That it is expected from him and in some sense lies upon him as his work to keep themselves and each believer his Brother therein 1. Point 1. That such as do believe may possibly go out from the love of God This will on every hand be granted concerning such as are fained false-hearted believers counterfeit Christians and hypocrites if it might be granted as it may not that such are in the love of God in that choice sense of the word Love here understood and meant but indeed such as and while such are not nor can be in his love He cannot own justifie and approve of such and therefore to say such may fall from it is to speak absurdly and inconsistently with the Truth They were not such that the Apostle here wrote to but such as were sanctified of God the Father preserved in Jesus Christ and called and therefore were wholly of another stamp from those hypocrites false pretenders and Deceivers of whom and of whose ways they were warned and admonished and from all such as men commonly say may fall from the Grace of God which they must be in before they can fall from These were beloved of God and his Apostles and yet to such he writes to keep themselves in the love of God which would have been a needless labour for him to have taken in hand a needless exhortation to be given them if they could not but be in it could not turn aside from it or go out of it It is to be understood then of true and right believers such as God doth own and approve that such may possibly go out of or fâ—ll 〈◊〉 favour of God And that this is true also of such as his anger or wrath is or may be opposed to his love and favour that they may so demean themselves as instead of his approving them and their ways he may reprove and fault them and instead of smiling upon them he may frown upon them and chide them yea be very much displeased with smite them it will easily be granted too seeing many instances thereof are found in the Scriptures As that God was angry with Moses Aaron and Miriam David and Solomon and other holy men so as that he inflicted great punishments upon them as appears in these Scriptures Numb 120 12â— and 27 14. Deut. 1.37 and 3.26 2 Sam. 11.27 and 12.1 9 10. Psal 32.3 4 and 38.3 4. 1 King 11.9 c. Moses and Aaron amongst his Priests and Samuel amongst those that called upon his Name they called upon the Lord and he answered them He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar they kept his Testimonies and the Ordinances he gave them Thou answeredst them O Lord our God thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest Vengeance on their inventions Psal 99.7.8 Yea how often doth the Scripture tell us of God's wrath and anger against his people even his Zion and Israel as Psal 80.4 Oh Lord how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people thou feedest them with the bread of tears and givest them tears to drink in great measure c. and Psal 85.5 Wilt thou draw out thine anger for ever or be angry to all generations So Lam. 3.1 I am the man that have seen affliction by the rod of his anger c. Yea the Fathers in the Wilderness whom God highly favoured and brought in love and mercy out of Egpyt were highly priviledged by him yet how did they provoke him to displeasure by their unbelief and murmurings so as they most of them were destroyed in his judgments and their carkases fell in the wilderness and they are propounded as admonitions and warnings to us even to such as were justified sanctified and washed from their sins in the Name of the Lord Jesus Yea the Apostle Paul himself looked upon their falls and the disfavour that they procured to themselves as warnings to him See 1 Cor. 9.16 24 25 26 27. with chap. 10.1 2 3 4 5. and 6.11 and from the consideration of what befel them he lays down this general caution Wherefore he that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall c. 10.12 And if it were only possible for believers in this sense to go or fall out of God's love into his wrath and anger considering the dreadfulness of his wrath and the sad consequents thereof upon the objects of it that might be a sufficient motive to move us to take heed to our selves that we sin not against him but keep our selves in his love and favour considering also on the other side how sweet and advantageous his Love is But that seems not to be all that believers may possibly fall into out of the love of God Nay indeed love in a high sense may consist with anger so far at least as still to own and acknowledge for his the person with whom he is angry yea and his in near relation too though there be not an approving of the way and action that causeth the anger As a man may be angry and greatly displeased with his Son or wife whom yet he doth not disinherit or cut off So God is angry with his Children and people often yet he owns for his Children and people So Psal 78.59 60 61 62. When God heard this the the unfaithfulness and Idolatry of his people he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel so that be forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh the Tent which he placed amongst men and delivered his strength into Captivity that is the Ark and his Glory into the enemies hands He gave his people over also unto the sword and was wroth with his inheritance c. they were still his people though given over to the sword and his inheritance though he was wroth with them There is somthing worse than all this yet implied as possible namely an utter rejection disowning if men be not careful to keep themselves in his love as is implied in Ezek. 33 13. When I say to a righteous man thou shalt surely live note by the way that God doth not say so to any seemingly outwardly righteous man onely that is not so indeed he promises not life to the hypocrite or meer moral man but only to those that are righteous in and through Christ if he that righteous man trust to his own righteousness to his being righteous and commit iniquity all his righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity which
persons that set themselves to poyson mens meats and drinks that so while men think only to feed themselves with wholesome food they might instead of wholesome meat take down poyson then there may be greater need to admonish men to take heed what they eat or drink and for men to be cautelous what they eat or drink and from whom they receive their meat because then there is not only possibility but danger of it too it may too too easily happen else that they poyson themselves and so when of divers meats propounded to them and lying in their way divers of them are mixt with poyson The like may be said when there are crafty and naughty persons that set themselves on work to intoxicate men and make them drunk at unawares and then to lead them amongst Rocks and Precipices whence they may break their necks Now if it appears that there is danger of mens loosing or turning out from the love of God unless they be careful to keep themselves in it then it appears more dearly yet to be a principal business or work that men that are therein should bend themselves to to keep themselves therein otherwise not they need not set themselves to keep themselves from those things which are barely possible and of which though they be careless there is no great danger that they should befall them or come to pass I say though they be careless for indeed there is no danger of any Believers loosing or falling from the love of God if he be diligent and careful to take heed to the means and way of safety provided of God for his preservation therein The danger asserted is only in case of carelesness or presumption and so there is danger 1. In respect of the many enemies that lye in wait to subvert and withdraw us from Christ As First Satan who indeavours it what he can and Goes about as a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour And although he be a conquered enemy and Christ that is with the Believer is stronger to preserve the Believer from his wiles and assaults than he is to assault and hurt and Christ also is as well faithful as able yet his faithfulness is ingaged for the helpfulness of the Believer and for overcoming for him in the diligent use of the means the Believers putting on and exercising himself in the armour of God provided and afforded of which if he be careless and neglective and slothful in the use of means and so grow from slothfulness to deep sleep as Slothfulness doth cast into a deep sleep Prov. 19.15 then is not Christ in point of faithfulness ingaged to save him but as the Apostle implies in Eâ—â—s 6.13 14. 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Satan may prevail upon the unsober unwatchful sleepy and unarmed Soul to overthrow and devour it And that the Soul may very possibly be unsoâ— secure careless or presumptuous and so through slothfulness fall into a deep sleep of sencelesness either of the Grace and Goodness of God brought to it in Christ and the excellent advantages thereby afforded for its attainment of happiness or of the dangers that either others or it self is in of being led away by the deceitfulness of sin and so lye open to Satans malice and malicious enterprises the many exhortations to watchfulness and cautions against slothfulness and negligence propounded in the Scriptures to the Believers as well as the experience of the sleepy decaying tempers that have oft befallen Believers sufficiently testifie See the exhortations and warnings in these Scriptures Matth. 24.42 43 44 c. and 25.13 and 26.41 Mark 13.33 35 36.37 where it is said by our Saviour that what he there said was both to the Disciples who were generally real Believers and to all besides viz. Watch. So also in Luke 21.34 35 36. Ephes 6.11 12 13 14. 1 Cor. 16.13 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Heb. 3.12 13. and 6.12 and 12.15 16. Revel 3.2 3. and 16.15 Instances of sore decayes by heedlesness and thereby of great danger signified See in Revel 2 4â— 5. and 3.1 2 13 14 15 16. and the reason of it is partly from other enemies As 2. The flesh with its affections and lusts warring against the Soul and lusting against the â—pirit that endeavours the good of the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 Galat. 5.17 18 19. it lusts after ease and pleasures riches honours and the injoyment of this present world the love of which cannot consist with the love of the Father but will by degrees choak it and eat it out of the heart No man being able to serve two Masters but that he must either love the one and hate the other or lean to the one and forsake the other and that it is very possible and easie for a Believer to walk after and mind the flesh as well as to mind and walk after the Spirit or at least if not so easie to the conscience and renewed mind yet easie enough in respect of the natural affections and desires is sufficiently proved by every one 's own experience and by all those serious watch-words counsels and provocations to watchfulness there against it and to deny it and not walk after it Not to love the world and the things of it the many falls of the Servants of God as David Peter c. and reproofs for their walking after it seeking to make themselves friends of the world c. as partly appears in the Scriptures before quoted under the former Head and further in these Scriptures Rom. 6.11 12 13 14 15 c. and 8 12.13 14. and 13.12 13 14. Galat. 5.13 14 25 26. Ephes 4.17 18 c. 1 Cor. 5. and 6. and 10. and 11.17 18 20 21 22. James 2. and 3. and 4.4 5 6 c. Revel 2.4 5 c. to which also add 3. The World both in the seeming good and desirable injoyments of it and in the persons of it pretending piety knowledge of God and friendship to Believers persons as also the examples and customs of it and of many Professors of the Gospel in it prove oftentimes very great baits and inticements to their lusts and put vigour and force into them while wistly lookt upon and considered by them with a carnal eye as appears in Prov. 2.12 13 15 16. and 5.3 4. c. and 6.25 26. and 7.10 11 18 21 22 23 26 27. and 23.20 21 26 27 28 31 c. Luk. 8.14 and 12.15 and 21.34 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. Jam. 4.4 5. c. and also in the threats and frowns of the great and mighty persons of it the harsh and biâ—ter afflictions and sufferings they are oft exposed to in and from it which being viewed do affright and scare from the stedfastness of the faith and of the profession of it by believers as it is intimated in Thes 3.1 2 3 4. Matth. 13.20 21. Heb. 12.2 3 4. and therefore in both these cases we are exhorted by our Saviour to pluck out the right eye where
that we fall not into Temptation To take heed least our hearts at any time be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness c. to take heed of false Prophets and that no man deceive us To give all diligence that we fail not of or fall not off from the Grace of God To beware of flothfulness because that casteth into a deep sleep of Spiritual security and carelessness and then a man lies open to the enemy to fall upon him and destroy or devour him but to follow the steps of those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises exhortations and warnings and provocations by manifold Arguments to all diligence in this matter are every where obvious in the Scriptures to believers and that that is said and shewed before both of the possibility and danger of failing otherwise of the Grace and love of God as to its continuance and the fearful things that befal in such a case as also the certainty of abiding in it and obtaining unspeakable joy and happiness in our care and diligence in depending on God and Christ and expectance of such diligence and earnestness in us may incite and provoke to the diligence circumspection and watchfulness exhorted too and reprove that too great carelessness negligence and slothfulness in these matters of so great concernment too ordinarily found even in Believers as it was found and reproved in the Angel of the Church of Ephesus leaving his first love and in the Angel of the Church of Sardis that had almost quite lost all his strength so as that he was ready to die and in the Church of Laodicea or the Angel therof grown Lukewarm therefore ready to be spewed out of Christs mouth unless he awakened up to zeal and diligence and repented of his indifferencie upon Christs reproofs of him Rev. 2.4 5. and 3.1 2 14 15 16 19. Oh it is a great shame for us to be careful and diligent to keep or increase our Estates or Honours here in this World which after a while do what we can must be taken from us from us or we from them and to be so indifferent and negligent about retaining that Grace and favour of God whereto he hath admitted us by Jesus Christ as if it were not of that worth and excellencie as those other poor fading and uncertain matters when as it is the source spring and fountain of all blessedness and happiness But I shall pass from this first and main matter of the Text to the next The way and mean to keep our selves in God's love and that is edifying our selves in our most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost whence we may note That Observ 5. The way for Believers to keep themselves in the love of God is to edifie themselves on their most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Here be two means 1. Edifying themselves on their most holy Faith 2. Praying in the Holy Ghost Let us if God permit consider them in order And first 1. Divers things as to the first of them are to be explained for better understanding and usefulfulness of the Proposition as to that Branch of it as to say 1. What is meant by the Faith here on which Believers are to build up themselves and one another 2. Why is it called their Faith 3. Why is it called their most holy Faith 4. What that is that is to be builded on it 5. How the believer is to be builded on it And 6. What that signifies that they build up themselves and how that they may do that 7. How the building up themselves thereon conduceth to the keeping themselves in the love of God 1. For the Faith here mentioned what it is or signifies we are to mind that the word Faith is is used two ways either 1. For the act or habit of believing and so it often signifies as in these expressions Lord increase our faith and if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed ye should be able to say to this Sycamore tree be thou plucked up by the roots and be thou planted into the midst of the Sea and it should obey you Luke 17.4 5. Your faith is spoken of throughout the world Rom. 1.5 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing is of the word of God Rom. 10.17 After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the Saints Ephes 1.15 and many others 2. For the Doctrine of faith and the matter and object of faith in it contained to that purpose is that of Paul Gal. 1.22 He that persecuted us now preacheth the faith that he destroyed So Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith So verse 5. and 7. and 9. They that he of Faith the same are the Children of Abraham and are blessed with faithful Abraham Now in as much as the Faith or Doctrine preached is also called the preaching of Christ or of Jesus Christ Acts 9.20 Rom. 16.25 1 Cor. 1.22 24. We preach Christ crucified And 2 Cor. 4 5. We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord Therefore even Christ himself as preached and declared in the Gospel may also be contained in the signification of the word Faith when taken in this second sense and meaning Now that the word faith is not meant here in the former but in the latter sense is evident because it is here represented as the foundation to be built upon or matter wherewith they were to be built up but that is not faith as it signifies the act or habit of believing for that is something built rather upon the foundation or at most the way or means of building or being built on it Christ himself as held forth in the Apostles Doctrine or also the Apostles Doctrine as holding forth Christ in it is the foundation and is so spoken of in the Apostles Writings as in 1 Cor. 3 11. Other foundations can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ What more plain than that Jesus Christ is the only foundation laid of God and of his Apostles in their Doctrine To this purpose it is that the Apostle Peter quotes that Scripture of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 28.16 and applyes it to Christ in 1 Pet. 2.4 6. where having called him the Living stone chosen of God and precious he saith Wherefore it is contained in the Scriptures behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded Unto you therefore which believe he is precious c. This is that foundation which the Apostle speaks of to Timothy when he saith 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or firm having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his c. For therein God seals to it owns and approves or knows all that be his the foundations namely or knows the foundation it self as peculiarly his as Christ is and others that
of Faith so also of patient waiting that being a fruit of faith He that believeth maketh not haste Isa 28.16 Such is the praying in the holy Ghost not to mention any other particulars And that 's the second thing inquired 3. The third is what is implied in exhorting believers so to pray And that is divers things as 1. That believers are not able or sufficient of themselves as of themselves to keep themselves in the love of God or to that purpose to edifie or build up themselves on their most holy faith They need the help and furtherance of God and his Grace thereunto In all their minding his Grace exercise of their gifts walking in Charity c. they need to look to God for direction and guidance and for his strength and assistance they need him to build them up in their building up themselves and to keep watch over them in all keeping themselves and watching over themselves and one another Except the Lord build the house in this sense too they labour but in vain that build it And except the Lord watch over the City the watchman watcheth but in vain Psal 127.1 2. their strength being so small and their enemies so many and so great 2. That there is sufficient Grace in God and Christ for their helpfulness therein and that also communicable to them by him by which they may be built up and so be kept in his love all the oppositions from without them or from within them notwithstanding If they had sufficiencie in and of themselves or in what they have already received then need they not cry unto God continually for more from him or if there were none in him for them to be afforded to them than no ground or incouragement for their crying to him however much they might want but in willing them to pray in their building up themselves both are implied we need like the builders of the wall in Nehemiahs time to fight with one hand and to build with the other and the former by praying to and calling upon God for so shall we be saved from our enemies Psal 18.3 for we are not led to pray to a God that cannot save but to him who is mighty in power able to save us one that can perform all things for us as being Almighty able to doe all things and hath made ready in Christ all supplies of Grace and Blessing for us all things are ready that may conduce unto our protection and preservation in his Grace and the edifying our selves in our most holy faith as well as for bringing us at first thereunto 3. That yet God will be sought unto and depended on for the supplies of his Grace to us he will have us in that way exercise our faith in him in calling upon him though he could give us without our asking and doth give us and doe much for us before we ask to move and incourage us to look to him and ask of him for more yet he will have us accustome our selves in that exercise of prayer to him to that purpose are many passages in Scripture as Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 so in Jer. 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Ezek. 36 37. God having promised to do great things for Israel yet says For this he will yet be inquired of by them And our Saviour bids ask seek knock and so they should receive find and have it opened to them Matth. 7.7 8. And this God will have his people do 1. That they might therein exercise and shew forth their faith in him and dependance on him for his Grace while they goe to him for all things as a child to his Father or as a wife to her Husband Therefore it is noted in Scripture as a fruit and consequent of faith with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and then with the mouth confession is made to Salvation for whosoever calleth upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.10 11 12 13. 2. That they may have more acquaintance and intercourse with God and not live as strangers from him but by calling often upon him and receiving answers of Grace from him have a holy familiarity and communion with him as persons dayly resorting to the Court and speaking to the King and presenting Petitions to him and receiving answers from him thereby get more knowledge of him and acquaintance with him and so are fitted the better for going out and publishing to others the manner of his entertainment of mens suits and the vertues and goodness they discern in him Children that scarce ever come and speak to their Father grow strange to him and so do men that make little use of this priviledge of coming nigh unto God whereas such as come dayly to him to ask favours of him gather good acquaintance and proof of his love and faithfulness to them David implies this in saying Oh taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 and Eliphaz in saying to Job Acquaint or accustome thy self now with God Job 22.21 3. To keep them in a more reverend awe of him lest they should offend him and so put a barr against their own petitions to him for as Children that have often occasion to come before their Parents will be more careful of dirtying or soyling their cloathes or tearing and renting them or of doing any thing unbecoming them if they know their parents cannot like to see them in such a case whereas they that seldome come into then sight grow more loose and careless dirtied and torn c. even so God foresees that if we did not come often to him we would be little careful of our conversation before him whereas seeing we call upon the Father who without respect of persons judgeth every man righteously according to his works therefore it behoves us to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear and take heed that we regard not iniquity in our hearts because that wil provoke God to hide himself from us not hear our prayers That he might make us therefore stand in awe of him and be perfect with him he makes us to be often waiting upon him in his presence and begging at his door for Grace and Mercy to help us in our needs 1 Pet. 1.17 Psal 66.18 4. To give us more experience of his care over us and notice taking of us and so of his love to us in that he hears our prayers and helps us Did we not pray unto him we should not have that experience that his eyes are open upon us and his eares attentive to our prayers we should look upon mercies as proceeding from some other causes be more obnoxious to atheistical principles whereas the experience of his nighness to us gives us a more full proof of his care over us and so of
Spirit instructs and moves them they do surely receive it of God as Christ hath promised saying Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it John 14.13 14. and again If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ask what ye will it shall be done to you John 15.7 and again Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it you Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full John 16.23 24. And thus the Apostle Paul implies of the prayers of the faithful put forth in the Spirit of God when he speaking of the Spirit it self making Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered adds And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth which may signifie also approveth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for us according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. Now this is one main thing that the Holy Spirit instructs and leads such as be led by him in their prayers to desire and pray for That they may be more confirmed rooted and built up on their most holy Faith and â—o be preserved in the Grace of Christ and love of God and that such Spiritual mercies and blessings may be extended to them as may further them therein So that the praying in the Holy Ghost as it springs from the being on the most holy Faith or rather from that faith abiding iâ— us and exercising the heart thereto wherein the love of God is certainly enjoyed So it also obtains of God through Christ a further rootedness therein and growing up thereon and so by consequence an abiding in yea an encrease of this grace and favour of God upon them 3. Thereby also is obtained of God through Christ power and grace to withstand the assaults of Satan and deceits of all his Instruments and Engines imployed by him to draw men out of the most holy Faith and so out from the grace and love of God toward them and therefore as we see before this praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit is mentioned as the last piece of the whole Armour commended to us by the Apostle as of main use or force to preserve us in the evil day or time of temptation from being overcome of Satan and turned aside from the truth of Christ and love of God Ephes 6.18 according to that of David in Psal 18.3 I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies and the practices and experiences of the servants of God often mentioned in the Scriptures as Psal 22.4 5 24. 34.3 4 5. for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much with God the God that hath stiled himself a God hearing prayers both for himself and others Let no man therefore as also Bernard saith despise prayer for if it be in faith and in the Holy Ghost it is heard and recorded in heaven as soon as if not before it proceed out of thy mouth here And one of these two things saith he we may assuredly expect namely either â—â—at God will give us what we we ask or what he knows to be better for us and more profitable than what we ask Vse What we have considered about these means of keeping our selves in the love of God viz. The building up our selves on the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Ghost might be diversly useful I shall onely hint at some uses of it 1. It may reprove and tax the too great sloathfulness and negligence found with us and many Believers in every place in not minding to build up our selves on our most holy faith and to that purpose to exercise our selves to the mindfulness of that faith and oft speaking one to another and thinking on the Name and Doctrine of God exhorting and furthering the faith of one another therein and conformity thereto There is too much minding other things mean time in us the present world our own names honors ease lusts wills c. and too great aptness to let those things as noxious roots spring up and â—hoak the good seed in us so as that it brings not forth in us fruit to perfection Thence a too great aptness to forsake the assembly of our selves unto such purposes as to exhort and edifie our selves a fault reproved Heb. 10.25 as also the abuse of such liberties to assemble together to edifie our selves which is too general or common when Believers coming together come not for the better and for edification or do not so improve their assemblings but rather for hearing and telling news if not which is worse for contention and strife and what tends to destruction A fault reproved 1 Cor. 11.17 18. 2. In not stirring up our selves to call upon Godâ— and be much in prayer to him both in private for our selves and others and publickly or altogether as was practised by the Apostles and Believers Acts 1.13 14. 2.41 6.4 12.5 12. 13.2 There is too great an hanging down of the hands every where among Believers instead of a diligent lifting up pure hands in the name of the Lord without wrath and doubting as we are exhorted 1 Tim. 2 8. a fault reproved Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name or that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee and bewailed by Daniel Chap 9.13 All this evil is come upon us as we may see and say much evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand the truth Too great a fault in restraining prayer are we guilty of and that also much hinders our edification and profiting in the most holy faith and deprives of much experience of the love of God and lays us open to vanity and many assaults and snares of sin and Satan to the procuring wrath and displeasure from God upon us 3. It may also reprove and fault the formality and faultiness of our prayings and exercises of our selves in our assemblings together as praying here may be put for all exercises of seeking the Lord as praying and seeking him be put together Zech. 8.21 22. that we pray so much in our own spirits and so little in the Holy Spirit so much with an unholy frame and temper of spirit as holding fast iniquity corruption and deceit and refusing to return from it taking the name of God in vain or seeking perishing meat to our selves in our pretensions to follow after Christ as seeking therein a name and honor or followers to our selves or the colouring over our love of vanity with an appearance of piety or thinking to bribe Gods justice and our own consciences for our lusts and iniquities by multiplying prayers and professions or praying out of strife vain-glory
of God and Christ and of his unspeakable glory and glorious joys and satisfactions that shall be injoyed by all that are counted worthy thereof in the world to come according to that distinction or distribution of rewards promised by Christ to those that forsake all to follow him Mark 10.30 he shall receive an hundred fold in this time houses Brethren and Sisters Mothers and Children and fields with persecution and in the world to come everlasting life that is the full and perfect injoyment of God and Christ and all happiness without persecution for ever till when they are to wait for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ therein This is the great hope of the Believers as in Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie hath promised and Chap. 3.7 That being justified by his Grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life and therefore the great things hoped for are included therein because therein is contained all the fulness of the injoyment of God and Christ and their favour and blessing and so all happiness yea it is the great thing promised in Christ as 1 Iohn 2.25 and therefore it is to be waited for by the Believer all his time till he attain the injoyment of it yea even the Souls of those that have suffered death for the testimony of Christ and that be under the Altar though they rest quiet from all further sufferings and persecutions from men or temptations and oppressions from Sathan or whatever here annoyed theâ— yet they also still wait for the full accomplishment of that great promise the full injoyment of life everlasting yea and the mercy of the Lord Iesus Christ is that that is exercised toward and over them even his free Grace goodness and compassion until that be attained by them Rev. 6.11 3. And as all his Mercy tends unto the Believer so this also being waited for shall be the certain and sure issue of his Mercy they shall not fail of it but shall have and injoy eternal life when fully built up and fiâ—ted for it As they have his love and favour toward them here in which is life so their patienâ— expectation of the utmost Salvation and full recompence of reward shall in it's time also namely in the World to come without fail be given them for 1. It was the end and design of God in giving his only begotten Son into the World that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life as also it was of his exalting and lifting him up both to the Cross in his Death and out of the Grave being dead for us unto his own right hand and in the Doctrine of the Gospel by his Holy Spirit commending and glorifying him unto the hearts and consciences of men that so he might be and be represented as a fit and compleat Object of faith and hope for them and that so many as should believe and hope in him might live for ever John 3.14 15 16. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up that so whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the World through him might be saved c. 2. It is the will and pleasure of God that Jesus Christ came down from Heaven to doe and is gone up to Heaven again to prosecute the thing to which he hath anointed and appointed him the work or pleasure of the Lord that lyes upon his hand to see done that whoso seeth and believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life John 6 40. And he is both alsufficient for accomplishing it having offered up himself a perfect and infinitely virtuous and precious Sacrifice and being filled with all the fulness of God and so able to doe all things and to subdue all things to himself and he is also faithful in all things to God who appointed him and therefore will not fail nor be discouraged till he bring forth judgment into victory and accomplish what he is ingaged in and hath undertaken to doe and accomplish Col. 2.9 10. Heb. 7.25 and 9.15 and 10.14 and 3.1 2. Isa 42.3 4. 3. It is the promise of God and his Covevenant made and ratified with mankinde in Jesus Christ that he will give eternal life to as many as do believe in and are subject to him 1 John 2.24 25 Tit. 1.2 and God that hath promised is true and faithful and cannot lye or break Covenant yea he hath also confirmed his promise and Covenant by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye they might have strong consolation who flee for refuge to Christ the hope set before them Heb. 6.18 19. 4. Yea whereas we are too prone to sin and break ouâ— Covenant with God or fail in what he requires of us to the injoyment of eternal life Christ hath undertaken as the surety and Mediator of it to see it performed to us and to that purpose to fit us for the performance of it to us taking away our sins imperfections and forfeitures by the vertue of his blood and Sacrifice pleaded with his Father for us so as with reference thereto God keeps Covenant and mercy with them that fear him and Christ effects in us by his Grace and Spirit what is required of us and necessary for us Writing the Law in our heart and putting his fear in our inward parts Heb. 2.17 18. and 7.22 25 and 8.2 3 9 10 11. and 9.15 and 10.15 16 17 18. 5. Yea Christ as the great King of Saints and Nations Shepheard and Bishop of the soul hath undertaken it to lead guide protect and keep his sheep or his Disciples that hear his voice and follow him to the injoyment of everlasting life and he hath the Presence and Oneness of the Father with him therein and so power wisdom and love to guide and keep them so as none can pluck them away from him as he saith John 10.27.28 29 30. My sheep hear my voice and I know or own them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father that gave me them is greater than all and none can pull them ouâ— of my Fathers hand I and my Father are one So that the Believer hath the greatest certainty of eternal life that may be in believing and cleaving unto Christ and so in building up himself and being built up on that most holy faith and foundation and praying in the Holy Ghost and so keeping himself in the love of God and waiting for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ having God and Christ so ingaged for his having it given to him and conferred upon himâ— to which we may also yet add 6. The earnest helpfulness
deserts but as the fruit of the mercy of Jesus Christ in what he hath done for them in his death and in what he further doth to and for them in his life pitying pleading for and succouring them all along as the Captain of their salvation a merciful and faithful Priest bearing them in his bosom making reconciliation for their sins and sending them relief and comfort in their temptations till having led them through and fed them in the wilderness the state of exercise and living by faith here he bring them safely in the taking them hence as to their spirits and in the Resurrection of the just as to their bodies reunited with their spirits to the enjoyment of this eternal life and happiness which is so great and so glorious a condition and enjoyment as passes and exceeds all expressions and conception For no man knows nor can enter into the heart to conceive the things that God hath prepared for them that love him onely they are in some measure made understandable by the Revelation of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 2 9 10 11 12. Vse Now both the love of God and the abiding in it and this which is the great issue and advantage of it being all the fruit and profit of the most holy faith built upon and abidden in It doth exceedingly commend that most holy faith to us even the Son of God that loved us and gave himself for us as he is in the Gospel preached and declared to us And therefore it may serve to move and provoke all persons to love and imbrace and close with it repenting of their neglects and slightings of it and of their running in their hearts and ways after vain and empty words and things to believe and take heed unto the Gospel and Christ crucified as therein displayed that so they may therein discern and be found in the love of God and be made heirs and enjoyers of this unfathomable endless happiness eternal life Ho every one that thirsteth come to these waters of the knowledge and doctrine of Christ and he that hath no money let him come and buy wine and milk without money and without price Why do you lay out your money for that that is not bread and labour for that that will not satisfie you when in enclining the ear and coming hither to the most holy faith and so to Jesus Christ you may eat that which is good and let your souls delight themselves in fatness Isa 55.1 2. The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let every one that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely Rev. 22.17 even of the words of Christ whose words are the words of eternal life John 6.68 2. It shews the marvellous faultiness and wretched wickedness as of those that neglect so great a salvation such a most holy faith such a precious jewel and pearl of great price as the Gospel is such a feast as therein is declared and set before us to run after their Farms and Merchandize So much more of those that having embraced the Gospel and Christ as therein declared and having come to him and tasted of him and of his sweetness and graciousness do afterward turn away and fall off from him to some other way or doctrine or to some other object for delight stay or satisfaction crucifying him to themselves and making him and the grace in him of none effect They do most foolishly and madly for themselves putting away from them both the love and favour of God and that which is the product of it everlasting life and all that mercy and pity of Christ that leadeth thereunto and is necessary and was ready to be extended to them for their attainment thereof Oh foolish people and unwise that do not onely so badly requite God for all his love and mercy in Christ and grace extended to them by him but also reward evil to their own souls losing them for very vanities and trifles depriving them of such infinite mercy and happiness and plunging them into everlasting wo and miseries Who can express their folly and wretchedness to sell everlasting life and that after some good progress towards it for a mess of pottage It was a great folly in Esau so to â—ell his birth-right and in the Israelites when they were well on their way toward Canaan and in a great likelihood nay certainty of enjoying it in following Gods conduct yet then for a little meat to satisfie their lusts for leeks and cucumers c. for a little pleasure with the Moabitish daughters when arrived at the borders of it to forfeit their inheritance in and perish in the wilderness But no folly and madness like this of withdrawing from God and Christ to perdition after the tastes of his goodness and experience in some measure of the the powers of the world to come as Heb. 6.4 5 6. O therefore that we may receive admonition while it is yet called to day and avoid or break off from such practises as tend to such a loss and utter undoing for He that transgresses and abides not in the doctrine of Christ the most holy faith hath not God and he that hath not the Son hath not life 2 Jo. 9 11. Jo 5.12 3. It shews the infinite happiness of those that be and abide in Christ in the faith and obedience of Christ edifying themselves and one another on him praying in the Holy Ghost and so doe keep themselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life they have the love and favour of God now as a Sun and Shield unto them and they shall have in the world to come everlasting life they are in a happy and blessed state and condition whatever tryals and afflictions doe or may befal them Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed and happy is he whose God is the Lord Psalm 33.12 and 144. last And therefore also 4. It may incourage and provoke all that do believe in Christ and are upon that precious and most excellent foundation to abide in him and beware of all those things that may indanger their falling and departure therefrom Looking diligently least they or any of them fail of the Grace of God and least any root of bitterness spring up and thereby many be defiled least there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau Heb. 12.15 16 17. least there be found an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God least any false Prophet or Antichrist deceive any of us or the love of this world or of the things of it stealing in upon us withdraw us from Christ and from the love of the Father which cannot consist with it and so we be choked and all the Grace of God bestowed upon us prove ineffectual to us But on the contrary Exhort we one another while it is called to day least any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Considering one another to provoke to love and to good works so running that we may obtain Laying hold on eternal life and suffering no man or corruption or evil spirit to deceive us deprive us thereof But let that which we heard from the 〈…〉 in us and then we shall 〈…〉 â—â— the Father and in the Son and not fail of the promise of eternal life seeing he is faithful that hath promised and will perform it and perfect what concerns us Let us not be slothful then but followers of them that through faith and patience have inherited the promises Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and not cast away our confidence in God by Jesus Christ which hath so great a recompence of reward only remember we have need of patience that we may bear and suffer injuries and temptations and not faint but yet hope in the Lord and quietly wait for his Salvation waiting for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life that so when we have done the will of God we may receive the promise which yet for a little while is deferred but will not fail to be performed to those that keep Gods waâ— â—nd therein wait for it He that shall come wâ—ll come and will not tarry Now the good Lord the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that Great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect with him in every good work to doe his will working in â—s that which is well-pleasing in his sight 〈…〉 Iesus Christ To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen Amen March 26. 1664. FINIS
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