subtilty which they use We have it exprest emphatically in Ephes. 4. 14. Be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Our Saviour hath foretold us that they should come as wolves in sheeps-clothing and the Apostle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and again With all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thessal 2. 9 10. All which places do loudly bespeak our earnest care to look to our selves and to examine doctrines before we embrace them lest unawares we entertain doctrines of devils in stead of the truths of God By this little that hath been said I hope it does appeare that it is our duty to examine But two things there be which are necessarily requifire to the right performance of it as we ought An infallible rule and a faculty rightly prepared the one by which the other with which we are to judge 1. There must be a faculty or a soul rightly prepared and that must be 1. A reasonable soul this is the subject of faith and all our other graces and is the principium quod of all the actions that flow from them Faith is a rational grace although it do not alwayes act discursively E.g. in its assent to the primò credita which is to a testimony not for a testimony no more than the understanding does by discourse induce it self to an assent unto first notions 2. This soul or faculty must be enlightened and assisted by the holy Spirit else it cannot apprehend aright spiritual things The natural man perceives not the things of the sprit neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Not but that a natural man may apprehend and assent unto divers truths recorded in the Scriptures but not with a saving kind of apprehension and assent nor as they are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the things of the Spirit so they are not known but in a spiritual manner and by the assistance of the same Spirit Which assistance consists in the infusion of an habit of spiritual wisdome and understanding and the Spirit 's gracious excitation of it and concourse with it whereby the eyes of a believer's mind being enlightened he is enabled in some measure to discern and apprehend the truths and will of God objectively revealed and propounded to him by the same Spirit in the Scriptures This is that donum intellectûs and illumination which is bestowed upon every believer at his first conversion though in a lesser measure both of evidence and object than afterwards for it grows and increases according to the proportion of faith which God hath dealt to every man and extends itself as large as a divine faith does from which it is inseparable Now because all believers have sooner or later a divine faith of all things necessary for them so to be believed and some of more accordingly is this donum intellectûs dispensed all have some more or lesse none all but onely Christ to whom alone the Spirit was given without measure and of whose fulnesse we all receive grace for grace And as it is of the same extent so is it of the same original with a divine faith wrapt in the same womb and nursed by the same breasts it 's both attained and kept by the self same means prayer hearing of the word reading and meditating on it This the Papists are not willing to allow unto private believers yet Aquinas is cleare in the point Nullus habens gratiam caret dono intellectûs quod nunquam se subtrahit sanctis circa ea qua sunt necessaria ad salutem A very cleare and full testimony So that I shall forbear to adde any more 3. That the soul may be rightly fitted for to judge it must be sanctified First It must have a reverence of the divine Majesty and of his word then will it not so boldly go about with Socinus and our modern circulatours to bassle Scripture just as a Sophister would deal with a peice of Aristotle Then shall we not profanely abuse it by I know not what kind of mystical cabalistical interpretations Is this to reverence the word of God would any man take it well at our hands to have his words so played withall so screwed and wrested from their simple and most apparent sense and meaning Secondly the soul must be humble Such the Lord himself hath undertaken to teach they shall be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he resists the proud while he gives grace to the humble grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from those that fear him psal. 25. 14. and 84. 11. A proud man is a bad scholar he will confide in himself rather then in God he is fond of his own opinions and will not yield unto the truth being stubborn and disobedient in will and affections but if any one be humble and obedient if any one will do God's will he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God There is great need of humility also upon this account that those who have the gift in a lesser measure be not presumptuous so as to wade beyond their depth Which Saint Paul thought a seasonable caution in the matter in hand Rom. 12.3 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith the words are emphaticall {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not out of an overweening opinion of self-sufficiency to enterprise things beyond their strength but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith for according to that is the measure of this gift as you heard before I might adde also in the third place that the soul must be indued with a sincere love of the truth that it must obey the truth and mortifie its own corruptions but of these more conveniently afterwards Thus much may suffice for the first thing required that we may judge aright a faculty rightly prepared 2. The second is the Rule according to which we must judge by which we must examine all doctrines and according to their agreeing or disagreeing with it either entertain or reject them This rule must be 1. in it self infallible 2. in respect of us clear and known 3. in respect of the doctrines to be tryed it must be adequate These are agreed upon as necessary properties of a rule of divine faith Now such a
wind of doctrine but that we may grow up unto him who is the head and so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} we must {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ephes. 4. 15. Follow the truth in love not out of fansie as children do That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith we must be rooted and grounded in love Ephes. 3. 17. and therefore where the love of truth once decayes there truth it self staies not long after it We reade of some Rom. 1. 28. who not liking to retain God in their knowledge he gave them over to a reprobate mind And it a remarkable place that of 2 Thess. 2. 10 11 12. where it is said that the man of sinne should come after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish See what becomes of those who are deceived by the man of sinne they perish and if ye ask why so the words following will give you an answer Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved See there how necessary the love of truth is to salvation For indeed where there is no sineere love of the truth there can be no true belief of it For as the Apostle there goes on For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Observe the opposition A sad place it is and I wish it were well considered by all that are so coldly affected to the truth especially by such as hate it and are so much inclined in their minds and affections to the errours of that man of sinne whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and will destroy with the brightnesse of his coming as he there threatens In the 10 verse 't is they received not the love of the truth and by the 12 verse 't is come to they believed not the truth they had lost the truth for want of love to it Would we hold truth fast we must hold it in corde as well as in capite hold it fast by loving it unfainedly Thirdly hold fast that which is good by remembring it faithfully and doubtlesse where truth is believed and beloved the mind will often be upon it quae curant meminerunt 1 Cor. 15. 1 2. Moreover brethren I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein ye stand by which also ye are saved {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} if ye hold fast keep in memory what I preached unto you unlesse ye have believed in vain Those that do truly believe the truth will be carefull to keep it in memory which is a speciall means to preserve the faith and love of it in their hearts Memory holds fast the truth while faith and love renew their acts upon it for this cause ought we to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} lest we leak and let them slip and so we that I say not they be spilt and perish irrecoverably Heb. 2.1 The Spirit of God confirms us in the truths taught by bringing them to our remembrance The Scriptures were written that we might believe that by hearing them preached by frequent reading them and meditating upon them as David did we might have faith begotten increased in us Therefore we ought {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be taken up with these duties As Paul to Timothy The minister is appointed for a remembrancer to us 1 Tim. 4.6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things then shalt thou be a good minister of Jesus Christ and when S. Paul himself went over again the cities where he had formerly preached the word the text tells us what the succese was And so were the Churches est ablished in the faith Acts 16. 5. And S. Peter thought it meet as long as he continued in his earthy tabernacle to put Christians in remembrance of the truths delivered that so they might have them alwayes in remembrance after his decease and that although they knew them already 2 Pet. 1. 12. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though you know them and be established in the present truth Though they were already established and therefore might seem not to need putting in remembrance which is the means of establishment yet the Apostle thought it meet to do it alwayes even as long as he lived for it would further confirm them and be a means to keep them from falling from their stedfastnesse and to persevere in holding fast that which is good Fourthly another way of holding fast that which is good is by practising it conscientiously To keep the commandments is to obey them Jesus Christ tells his disciples John 15.10 if ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love as many branches as bring forth fruit abide in the vine and are fastened in it by the sap they draw S. John 1. cpist 3.c last verse He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us S. Peter 2. cpist 1. chap. exhorts to give all diligence to adde unto faith vertue temperance godlinesse charity and the rest of the graces there reckoned up for if these things be in you and abound they will make you fruit full in the knowledge of Jesus Christ they will put forth themselves into acts and what then vers. 10. if ye do these things ye shall never fall Oft times custome engages men to continue in evil practises while they are ashamed of their principles but when good practises are backt with good principles the engagement is the stronger to continue in them and defend them An honest and good heart having heard the word keeps it and brings forth fruit with patience A good heart is the fittest cabbinet to keep the good word of God in And indeed when once the word is ingraffed upon the soul by faith it over-rules the sap of the stock and sanctifies the fruit Truth being espoused to the soul by faith and bedded by love brings forth fruit unto holinesse faith working by love and proles firmat conjugium If we would be stedfast and immoveable let us be alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. If we would but follow that which is good as we are exhorted in the 15 verse before my text we should find that one means and a good one too of holding fast that which is good Fifthly a fifth way that we must hold fast that which is good is by professing of it constantly S. Paul was not ashamed to preach the Gospel no more must we be
To think that we must therefore be of no opinion because others are of so many is to be of the worst opinion of all for whoso adheres to a particular opinion may ineed be i th' wrong but he that is of no opinion cannot possibly be i th' right If other men do so differ in their opinions it concerns us to be well-resolved in our own judgements If the winds and waves be so boisterous without the more need is there of a good ballast within All cannot have the truth therefore make them not thy rule yet all pretend to it therefore give them an hearing Condemn not all because there 's truth among them neither approve all because some must needs be false Let us therefore neither swallow all by a blind credulitie nor reject all by a rash precipitancy but follow the advice of the Apostle in the text Prove all things but hold fast that which is good The words contain in them a double dutie which all believers are bound unto as well the people as their pastours every one in their severall orbe Although more immediately they seem to be directed to the people who in the words immediately foregoing are forbidden to despise prophesyings and here are bid to trie them all and to hold fast that which is good Of both these in their order First of the first Prove all things HEre there are two things to be spoken to by way of explication First What it is to try Secondly What it is that we are to try For the first By proving or trying here is not meant that we should experimentally be of all opinions many such seekers instead of finding truth have lost themselves in a maze of errour and an inextricable labyrinth of perplexitie 'T is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Nor is it meant that we should all judices agere in foro externo sit and determine controversies binding up all others to acquiesce in our decisions but as it concerns all Christians quà tales to prove or try is an act of judgement to be exercised by every one within the private court of his own conscience in order to his own particular embracing or rejecting of any doctrine offered to his faith Which act is no further obligatory to any other man than the grounds thereof being made known shall merit his assent But secondly what are we here to understand by {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} all things must we examine all things surely then we shall have work enough If we must alwayes be examining what will become of all holy living I answer a man may live by rule as well as build by rule But further Though we must try all things here meant yet is it not meant that we should be alwayes trying of them But I conceive the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the text is not to be taken in the utmost extent of its possible latitude Truth fears no fair triall her face is not painted and therefore the fairer for the washing she is justified of her children yet is she sometimes condemned by strangers that know her not and her face may possibly get a scratch in the scuffle and herself prove though perhaps more fair yet in the mean while lesse fruitfull and therefore desires not to live alwayes under dispute And indeed some truths seem by their own nature to be exempt from triall there must be some basis to move upon and that must be immoveable {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} some first rule and how shall that be tried some first principles and how shall they be proved He that will learn must first believe and doubtlesse there are primòcredita in Divinity as well as primò-cognita in Philosophy the mind assents to the one by a prima sides as it doth to the other by the habit called intelligentia Such there must needs be to give a solid basis to discourse and had they prius to prove them by they were not prima These have usually been acknowledged by all for that native evidence that shines in them bringing letters credentiall writ in their very faces yet I know not how of late some out of the abundance of their leisure or curiositie have been pleased to question them We lately digged for fundamentall laws till we had like to have pulled the house down about our ears and some have digged for principles in philosophy till they have quite lost them in the rubbish certainly the man was either very idle or very melancholick when he began to suspect he might be deceived in thinking he had a being which yet was impossible and came to Cogito ergò sum But that which is worse yet have we not some who call in question the very fundamentals of religion also they are but bad builders who as the Apostle speaks are alwayes laying the foundation when then shall we think that they will set on the roof and bring the building to perfection who are alwayes digging of it up I shall say no more but I had thought the truth of the scriptures had been out of gun-shot and that God might have been believed upon his own word If once it appeare to us to be the word of God we are not to call in question the truth or equity of it Let us not spend our time in calling those truths into question whereof we have already entertained a firm and well-grounded belief but presse forwards toward those things which remain and practise what we have believed The blowing of this wind makes the tree take deeper root and it is well if it doth alwayes so but yet in the mean while it oftimes blowes down the fruit But what is it then that we must try try the spirits saith S. John 1. 4. 1. and try prophesyings mentioned here in the verse before my text the sense and meaning is one and the same of both try all doctrines that are offered to you by any man whatsoever how great how learned soever he be receive them not upon his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but bring them first unto the beam unto the touch-stone whence arises the proposition to be spoken to That it is the duty of all Christians to examine the doctrine which they heare before they fully entertain it as a principle of faith and life a truth of very great importance but because there hath been already so much written I shall need now to speak the lesse and shall content my self with two arguments onely for confirmation of it the one from Scripture the other from Reason and be brief in both The first argument I shall take from Scripture which doth expressely both command and commend this duty to us it commands it Mark 4. 24. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} have an eye to your hearing take heed what you heare as also in the 1. epist. of
John chap. 4. vers. 1. Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God it commends the practise of this duty in the Bereans Acts 17. 11. where 't is said of them that they were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} more nobly-spirited than those of Thessalonica for that they searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so as the Apostles preached notwithstanding they were assisted by an infallible spirit It was not any slownesse in them to believe which made them examine but an holy prudence for so the words are They received the word with all readinesse of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so they received them readily and yet searched making no more hast then good speed But Bellarmine thinks to take off the edge of this place of Scripture by this distinction The Bereans were but beginners and had not yet entertained the faith and therefore might examine but such as are already Christians and believe the Churche's infallibility are bound to believe the doctrine it proposeth without examination I answer first by way of concession that as many as believe the Churches infallibility are bound consequently to believe whatever she propounds as farre as an errour can bind them But secondly If all be beginners but those that believe that truly for our parts We Protestants do professe our selves to be Bereans and therefore I hope he will give Us leave to examine their doctrine in the balance of the Sanctuary and so we have and found it light And thirdly is Bellarmine sure the Bereans were not believers when they searched since they received the word with all readinesse of mind and then 't is added and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so But fourthly If they were not I wonder how men before they beleive should be better able to judge than afterwards and how they should come to loose that power and priviledge by beleiving Besides these there are many other Scriptures which do ex consequenti not onely permit but also require to try the doctrines before we entertain them as Matth. 24. 4. where our Saviour bids See that no man seduce you and the Apostle Paul in Ephes. 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words and 2 Thessal 2. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means To what purpose are all these monitory cautions if we may not try nay do they not implicitly require and command us to try and examine the doctrines whoever they be that bring them S. Paul is bold in Gal. 1. 8 9. Though we or an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel let him be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And that you may see that this expression proceeded neither from rashnesse nor passion but a most advised and well resolved deliberation he repeats the words in the verse following As we said before so say I now again If any preach any other Gospel unto you than that you have received let him be accursed Whence I observe these two things to my present purpose first that there must be an examen else how could they know it was another Gospel and so reject it and secondly that the hearers as such and not teachers were to be the judges unlesse wee 'l say they were bound to curse themselves But the truth in hand may be further evidenced to us by reason thus Because we must neither embrace all doctrines nor reject all nor take some such as come next no nor the truth it self upon slight grounds therefore we must examine 1. We must not reject all for so we shall be sure to reject the truth and besides we do ow so much reverence to the name of God as not rashly to reject without examen any doctrine that hath but an appearance of any just pretence unto it 2. Nor may we embrace all promiscuously for so we shall be sure to be in the wrong and I see not how possibly the soul can at the same time assent unto contradictions and yet such there are found among opinions 3. Nor in the third place may we take up a certain number of opinions as they come next to hand as they are offered to us by the place where we live or the next comer by for so there will be great danger of falling into errour and truth is of more concernment to us than that we should adventure it upon the hazard of such a contingency 4. Nor lastly may we entertain truth it self if we should happen on it on so slight grounds if we take no better hold of it we shall never be able to hold it fast If we build upon such a sandie foundation how do we think to stand when the winds and waves of temptation and persecution shall arise It remains therefore that we must examine that so we may both refuse the evil and also hold fast that which is good And for the further quickning of us unto this duty I shall propound onely two considerations and very briefly First Let us seriously consider what great danger there is in being deceived our souls ate at the stake no lesse than the everlasting good of our souls is concerned in it for errour in understanding begets errour in life and practise and the Scripture tells us of damnable heresies and what ever some may think of speculative errours yet surely as they proceed from that maim in the understanding which is the effect of original sinne and as they are cherished and abetted by corruption in the will they are sinns and make us guilty For the actions of the understanding as well as of the other faculties are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} under the law of God and the will shall answer at God's tribunal for not putting the understanding to school to Scripture as well as for not bridling the passions and not governing the outward man Since then there is such danger in errour as you have heard had we not need be carefull had we not need examine especially considering What danger there is of being deceived which is the second consideration For first the best are subject to errour themselves and so may though unwittingly and unwillingly be means of seducing others who do not examine and then their godlinesse and learning which were wont to keep them from errours will become arguments to draw others into them But then secondly how many false prophets deceivers and seducers are there in the world who make it their designe and purpose to deceive MANY shall come in my name faith our Saviour Matth. 24.5 and shall deceive many and Many false prophets ARE gone out into the world 1 John 4. 1. and that which makes them the more dangerous they are indefatigably industrious in their way compassing the earth with their master and compassing sea and land to make a proselyte Which they do the more easily effect by reason of the craft and
apprehensions of other men But besides this knowledge there is another kind of assent found in all believers quà tales given to a truth onely in respect to the divine testimony this is faith which though it be much helped by that other assent when in conjunction with it yet it is often found without it and this is that assent upon which God will have our salvation to depend and this must we therefore yield unto truth 1. Because this is God's way wherein he will save souls by Faith not by Philosophy although it may be man would have liked that way best but it pleased God through the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe that the glory of the power might be of God S. Paul tells us 2 Thess. 2.13 that God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth and on the other side our Saviour tells us plainly and without a parable he that believes not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. 2. Because this way of faith makes most for a christian's security against falling away Faith takes the surest and fastest hold of truth By faith ye stand 2 Cor. 1. 24. but if ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established Isai. 7.9 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Faith and firmnesse are very neare of kind in the originall the word for faith grows upon a root that signifies to nourish no danger then of withering or fading away the just by faith shall live shall indure shall persevere Heb. 10. 38. And it signifies to be firm also Hence {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Being grounded and settled and unmoved through faith as it may be well translated Col. 1. 23. But wherein may some say doth this great strength of faith lie or how comes it to be so sure an hold-fast I answer briefly 1. It is in its own nature a depending grace and doth chain the soul to God who is Adon an immoveable basis even truth it self Its root is fastened in God and from him it draws and sucks continuall supply of strength and nourishment yea further it doth link the soul to God's truth by a mutual clasping of hands as it were The soul layes hold on God by faith and God holds our faith in his own almighty hand and none can take it thence If faith do shrink and faint at any time yet God almighty will not let go his hold and so long no danger of Apostasie This mutuall complication we may see variously exprest in Scripture Sometimes the doctrine of faith is said to be delivered unto the Saints Jude 3. Sometimes they are said to be delivered into that Rom. 6. 17. Sometimes we are said to be in the truth and on the other side that to be in us we to abide in that and that to dwell in us we to keep that and that again to keep us Our faith and God's truth are as it were mutuall hostages and pawns between God and the believing soul God he engages his truth to the soul and the soul trusts God with its faith God deposites his truth in the soul and that again places its faith in God and commits it self also into his hand by believing 1 Pet. 4. 19. God trusts Paul with his Gospel counting him faithfull 1 Tim. 1. 5. as an Ambassadour 2 Cor. 5. 19. as a steward 1 Cor. 4. 1. and Paul again trusts God with his soul for he knew whom he had trusted 2 Tim. 1. 12. In which verse also we reade of Paul's {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which was in God's keeping and in the next verse but one we heare of another {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} committed to Timothies trust and keeping If we keep God's truth he will keep our souls Christ hath praied and God hath promised that our faith should not fail but he never did so much for our rational knowledge There is faith's first advantage 2. The second advantage which faith hath above other knowledge in holding fast the truth against temptation and persecution is this That in believing the soul rests it self upon the veracity and infallibility of God whereas in other knowledge it relies upon the goodnes of its own eye-sight in observing the principles consequents the pedigree and off-spring of truth wherein it is very subject to be mistaken and is oftimes imposed upon The Devil will sooner perswade a man's reason that the world was not created by raising difficulties and puzzling his arguments than he can perswade a believers faith that God is fallible who sayes it was created The Devil wants no sophistry the more we have to do with syllogisme and deduction the more room will he find to get in his nails Again faith overcomes the flatteries and frowns of the world by seeing through them it believes God and dare not offend him knows what heaven is and will not be cheated of it as a child for a butterflie it knows what hell is and fears God rather than men who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Thus doth faith overcome the world by believing the promises and threatnings of God and thus hath faith a preeminence over all our natural knowledge as to closing with and keeping possession of the truth Knowledge that holds it may be till a better Oratour or a more subtile disputant come but when we shall be beaten from these out-works faith will be acitadel that will hold out against all opposition for by it the heart is fixed trusting in God and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it Thus have you the first way of holding fast that which is good viz. by believing it stedfasly I shall be briefer in those that follow Secondly We must hold fast that which is good by loving it unfeignedly We have truth here presented to us under the notion of good and surely then we cannot but love it goodnesse being love's load-stone and the proper object about which it is conversant When once the soul having entertained truth doth tast and relish it delight and take pleasure in it then doth it cleave unto it as David's soul did to Jonathan's Love is an uniting affection twining it self about the thing beloved and if it be in an intense degree the thing may possibly by violence be torn from its embraces but it will first raise all its posse to prevent it And therefore the Apostle Paul bids Timothy to hold fast the form of sound words as in faith so in love 2 Tim. 1. 13. and by this we are said to cleave unto that which is good Rom. 12. 9. Let love be without dissimulation abhorre that which is evil and cleave to that which is good {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} being glewed to it as it were which is by love as the opposition there shews That we be not as children tossed to and fro and carried about with every