father and mother more than me He that prefers father and mother more than me and my doctrine and will renounce that or any part of it to save them or his own life and whatsoever is dearest to him in this world is not worthy of me The sincere Resolution of preferring God and his holy Truth before all worldly advantages is that which makes the honest and good heart which affords depth of earth for the Seed of Gods Word to root in and bring forth fruit to life eternal St. Luk. 8.15 Let us therefore retire to our closets and frequently renew this honest purpose and resolution especially when we come to the holy Eucharist that we may get it seal'd and confirmed there by the Grace of the holy Spirit let not the cost we may be at affright us the rich pearl of the holy Faith the end of which is the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 is not dearly bought though we sell all that we have to purchase it St. Mat. 13.46 THIS resolution will not continue stedfast unless we purge out of our hearts all such violent lusts and passions as will ravish our Wills from the holy Faith which we have believed let us therefore be careful to cast out them especially those which are most dangerous to the stedfastness of the Faith As 1. THE inordinate love of this present world this made Demas forsake St. Paul after he had been a long time his fellow-laborer in the preaching of the Gospel 2 Tim. 4.10 There be too many such who follow Christs doctrine for gain who make great profession of this holy Faith when it fills their baskets Jo. 6.14 who run away from it as fast to any impertinent nay damnable Error which appears more advantageous if we have hearts exercised with covetous designs we shall certainly forsake the right way as Balaam did for the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.14 2. AMBITION and Vain-glory Diotrephes who loves to have the pre-eminence receives not the Apostles nor their doctrine Jo. ep 3. Nay slights their doctrine vilifies their persons prating against them with malicious words vers 10. and all this to get himself a name and esteem amongst the credulous vulgar This hath made most of the Hereticks and Schismaticks in elder times as Epiphanius and others have observed when they thought their worth and merit not enough rewarded when they could not be so great or powerful as they affected to be when they could not obtain by the regular and just wayes of preferment such places and dignities such esteem and repute as their ambition made them covet and think themselves to have deserved then they broacht new Doctrines and invented new Disciplines to draw parties after them of the weaker sort that they might be in a Faction what they could not be in the Church Chiefs and Leaders Nor doth this Ambition appear only in the Leaders but every little member of the most ridiculous Sect is swoln with the same tumorous vain-glory each party affecting to be call'd the Godly Where this winde of Ambition blows no wonder if it carries them away to divers and strange doctrines Heb. 13.9 How can ye believe receiving or catching at Glory one of another Joh. 5.44 When the Teachers court the people and they again the Teachers for applause and reputation when vain-glory is the end of the deâ—ign how can men be stedfast for when the holy Faith becomes as oftentimes it does vile and contemptible in the eyes of the people such men must needs forsake it and profess any new though damnable doctrine that grows popular Besides no man can hope to stand stedfast in the Faith without the assistance of Gods grace who resists the proud and gives his grace only to the Humble Jam. 4.6 if we will be constant Disciples of Christ we must be like him lowly in Spirit Mat. 11.29 3. THERE is in our nature a softness or tenderness that is apt to betray our constancy As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that would appear with a fair face without a skar renounce their Christianity and turn Jews only lest they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.12 This tenderness made the Apostles St. Peter and all once forsake their Lord and the same hath made too many forsake the Lords holy Truth It may not perhaps be thought needful to urge this any further at this time when God be thankt there is no present danger of suffering persecution for the Faith of Christ it being now defended by the Defender of the Faith but though Confessors of the Faith and Doctrine of our Lord be not persecuted by the sword of Authority it is at least some part of it curstly persecuted by the spears and arrows and sharp swords of slanderous tongues who like the Donatists of old cry out of persecution even then when they are thus sharply persecuting those who profess and preach the holy Truth and Faith of Christ To instance in a few particulars let any man preach or practise Decency and Order in the Service and Worship of God which is a direct command in Christs holy Doctrine 1 Cor. 14.10 Let him preach or practise Loyalty and Obedience to the King and his Laws which is part of the same holy doctrine Rom. 13.5 1 Pet. 2.13 Let him preach or practise obedience to the Church according to our Lords direction Mat. 18.17 And submission to the guidance of those who by God and mans Laws are set over us to watch for our Souls Heb. 13.17 and he shall soon find the truth of that which I have said his doctrine slandered and his person reproached and persecuted by malicious tongues The fear of this persecution we see hath made some who are too tender follow our Lords doctrine as St. Peter did his Master at a distance it is not amiss to remember what the Holy Ghost hath observed for our instruction in St. Peter that soon after he drew back and followed at a distance he forsook nay forswore his Lord Mat. 26.58,74 from all which we may certainly conclude that we shall never stand stedfast in the Doctrine and Faith of our Lord unless we indeavour to harden our faces and strengthen our foreheads against all such fear of the looks or tongues of men Ezek. 3.8,9 4. AS there is a tenderness so there is a fickleness and love of change in our corrupted nature St. Paul calls it childishness Eph. 4.14 loving much but not long delighting in change not only in ordinary matters dresses and fashions but even in Religion too new Prayers new Doctrines new Governments many men having itching ears heap to themselves Teachers 2 Tim. 4.3 after their own lusts such as may rub their ears and gratifie their lusts and several humors with doctrines suitable and please their childishness with novelties new Revelations new Truths are by many much affected and daily expected I pray God we come not to the