Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
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A20168
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An exposition vpon the first chapter of the second Epistle of Peter with, the principall doctrines naturally arising from euery verse of the same chapter. By Stephen Denison minister of Kree-Church London.
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Denison, Stephen, d. 1649 or 50.
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1622
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STC 6603; ESTC S109588
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124,709
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220
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tooke Gen. 32.40 The drought consumed him by day and the frost by night and the sleepe departed from his eyes Thus the good woman spoken of in Prou. 31. was a true Christian and behold she seeketh wooll and flaxe and worketh willingly with her hands yea she riseth whilst it is night and eateth not the bread of idlenesse Pro. 31.13.15.27 Thus Paul was a Christian Minister and he laboured more aboundantly then they all 1. Cor. 15.10 A Christian hath a double calling to follow First his generall calling as he is a Christian Secondly his particular calling as he followeth this or that trade of life and this double calling will not suffer him to be idle he may haply want worke in his particular calling at some times but he can neuer want worke in his generall calling he shall haue enough to do to worke out his saluation though he worke day and night therefore a true Christian cannot be an idle person Obiection But some possibly may obiect that in 2. Thes 3.11 I heare saith Paul that there be some which walke disorderly amongst you and worke not at all Answer Such indeede were amongst the Thessalonians but they were not of them Or secondly we deny not but a true childe of God may for a time be ouertaken with idlenesse as he may be ouertaken with other sinnes but idlenesse doth not raigne in him Vse This serues to discouer many to be no true Christians as first many of our gentry which follow no calling but spend their precious time idly and scandalously Secondly our common beggers which cast off all labour and liue by begging Thirdly vsurers which cast off their lawfull callings and liue by vsury Fourthly stage-players and cheators and drunkards and harlots with many others which follow no lawfull imployment These are no true Christians as appeareth by their idlenesse Secondly this may serue to excite vs to auoide idlenesse as we desire to approue our selues true Christians let vs alwayes be found either in our generall or particular calling and that for these reasons First because idlenesse is one of the very sinnes of Sodom Ezek. 16.49 Secondly because it is the breeder of other sinnes 1. Tim 5.13 Thirdly because it bringeth pouerty by a iust iudgement of God Pro. 24.34 And lastly because it bringeth damnation as appeareth by the foolish virgins which were found sleeping Math. 25. Nor vnfruitfull The best Greek copies reade it thus though there be some bookes which reade it otherwise The lesson hence to be learned is this viz. that Doctrine as a true sanctified Christian is no idle person so he is not barren vnfruitful He is like a tree planted by the riuers of waters which bringeth forth fruit in due season Psal 1. yea such as are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age Psal 92.13.14 And the wisedome which is from aboue is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits Iam. 3.17 Thus the Macedonians were true sanctified Christians and their deepe pouerty abounded to their rich liberality 2. Cor. 8.2 The like may be said of Iob in his 31. chapter and of Cornelius Acts. 10.1.2 and of Dorcas Acts 9.39 and of Zacchaus Luke 19.8 and of the poore widdow which cast in all her liuing into Gods treasury Mar. 12.34 and of the good women which followed Christ from Galile ministring vnto him Mat. 27.55 Reason And indeede it cannot be but a true Christian must be fruitfull First because Christ is his roote Rom. 11.18 Secondly because God the Father is his planter Esay 5.2 Vse This may serue to discouer many that make shew of religion not to be true sanctified Christians because they are barren and vnfruitfull their vnfruitfulnesse argueth their vnsoundnesse but let all such remember the barren fig-tree which Christ cursed and let them tremble Secondly It may serue to excite euery one of vs to fruitfulnesse Let vs bring forth fruits worthy of repentance Math. 3.8 Let vs haue our fruit vnto holinesse Rom. 6.22 Let vs be filled with the fruits of righteousnes Phil. 1.11 Let vs offer the sacrifice of prayse to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giuing thanks to his Name Heb. 13.15 And to distribute or communicate let vs not forget for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 They make you Whence obserue and note that Doctrine grace in the childe of God is the cause of painfulnesse and fruitfulnesse Of painfulnesse thus Paul was besides himselfe as it were in the seruency and labour of his ministery because the loue of Christ constraineth him 2. Cor. 5.14 Thus Noah moued with feare prepared the Arke Heb. 11.7 Thus Ieremiah was constrained to preach by that fire of grace which was within Ier. 20 7. Thus Peter and Iohn could not but speake the things which they had seene heard being moued by the Spirit of God within them Acts 4.20 And this puts a difference between the painfulnesse of worldlings of Christians Worldlings are moued to painfulnesse for greedinesse of gaine or the like but Christians by the motion of grace become painfull the one sort are moued by an outward cause the other by an inward Secondly as grace is the cause of painfulnesse in the childe of God so it is of fruitfulnesse For what moued Rahab to receiue the Spies and to hide them from the rage of their enemies but faith Heb. 11.31 What moued the good Samaritane to take care of the wounded man Luke 10.33 but his inward compassion What moueth the good man to lend Psal 112.5 but mercie and louing fauour And this also serues to put difference betwixt a true Christian and an hypocrite For an hypocrite doth all for an outward cause to wit to be seene of men but a true Christian doth that which he doth in sinceritie and by the inward motion of grace In the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ The knowledge of Christ consists mainly in those things first in knowing him to be very God secondly to be very man thirdly to be God and man in one person fourthly to be the second person in the Trinitie equall to the Father fiftly to be conceiued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Mary and so as followeth of him in the Creed sixtly to know him to be the true Messiah to be the onely Sauiour to be a King to rule ouer vs a Priest to offer Sacrifice for vs and a Prophet to instruct vs seuenthly to know him experimentally to know the working of his Spirit the vertue of his death buriall resurrection ascension mediation and the like This is the chiefe knowledge of all others as the Apostle acknowledgeth Philip. 3.8 yea it is eternall life Iohn 17.3 And Paul himselfe desired to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified 1. Corint 2.2 Yea if a man knew
had the tongues of men and Angels but these things are noted in generall in holy Scripture concerning it First that it is not a dissolute but an holy life and for this cause heauen is called an holy place Hebr. 9.12 and Gods holy habitation Deut. 26.15 Secondly it is not a miserable but a blessed life For blessed are they which shall be called to the marriage Supper of the Lambe Reuel 19.9 and blessed are they which die in the Lord c. In this life shal be no sorrow for all teares shall be wiped away In this life shall be no want for we shall hunger no more nor thirst no more Reuel 7.16.17 In this life we shall be happy in respect of our company for we shall euer be with the Lord 1. Thess 4.14 Yea we shall come to the company of innumerable Angels Hebr. 12.22 and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Matth. 8.11 Thirdly that it is not a disquietous but a peaceable life and in this respect it is called a rest in Heb. 4.9 There remained therefore a rest to the people of God Here Gods children shall rest from their labours Reuel 14.13 Here they rest from their troubles and molestations Iob 3.17.18 Yea here they shall rest from their temptations For he that is dead is freed from sinne Romans 6.7 and so by consequence from all occasions and temptations of sinne Fourthly and lastly it is an eternall life which is prepared as appeares by that speech of Christ himselfe in Iohn 10.28 And I giue vnto them eternall life And by that of the Apostle in 1. Pet. 1.4 where this life whereof we speake is termed an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fadeth not away c. Vse The application of this point may serue first to refell the cursed opinion of Atheists which impugne and gaine-say especially in their hearts the truth of this doctrine These are like vnto blinde men which say there is neither Sunne Moone nor Starres in the firmament because they see none not considering what others see and know Vse Secondly this should moue vs to be thankfull to God for this his infinite mercie toward vs in that he hath prouided thus for vs for time to come we shall not droppe downe like dogges and bruite beasts but we shall liue for euer Vse Thirdly it should teach vs to labour to attaine this life And that we may do so we must obserue these rules first we must learne to know God and Christ aright For this is life eternall to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Iohn 17.3 Secondly we must heare Gods word with diligence for God hath said Heare and your soule shall liue Esay 55.3 Thirdly we must beleeue for the iust shall liue by faith that is shall obtaine eternall life by faith Romans 1.17 For of that life the holy Ghost speaketh in that place Fourthly we must endeuour to keepe the Commandements Mathew 19.17 Fiftly if we would receiue the crowne of life we must be faithfull to the death Reuel 2.10 Thus much for this point And godlinesse The word in the originall signifieth the right worship of God part being put for the whole But certainely by godlinesse we are to vnderstand the same as is vnderstood by Vertue in the words following to wit all grace and goodnesse but especially holinesse Doctrine Now concerning this grace first let vs obserue the motiues which should moue vs to labour for it and they are these first because we are commanded of God to labour for it as in 1. Timothy 6.11 But thou a man of God flie these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith loue patience meeknesse c. Secondly because it is a signe of election Psalme 4.3 But know that God hath chosen to himself a godly man Thirdly because it is profitable for all things and hath the promises of this life present and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 Fourthly because it is great gaine being ioyned with contentment 1. Tim. 6.6 Now the means to attaine godlinesse are these first we must haue a care to keep the Sabbath day holy Profanenesse vpon the Sabbath is the cause of profanenesse all the weeke after Secondly we must be carefull of priuate duties as of prayer reading meditating and the like and that euery day in the weeke Thirdly we must conuerse with such as are godlie Much increase of godlinesse is obtained by Christian societie Fourthly we must be content to part with our sinnes yea our especiall sinnes reigning sinnes and godlinesse can neuer stand together Fiftly we must be practisers of the will of God and not hearers onely Practise is the very life of godlinesse 2. Timothy 3.5 Lastly if any desire to trie themselues whether they be godly or no let them examine themselues by the fiue fore-named rules for the practise or not practise of the rules is a signe either of our godlinesse or profanenesse By them it will appeare what we are By the knowledge of him What it is to know God aright we heard before and how knowledge is the means of increase in grace Which hath called vs vnto glory vertue Some reade the words thus which hath called vs by glory and vertue vnderstanding by glorie and vertue the glorious and vertuous worke of God himselfe in the conuerting and sauing of a sinner And howsoeuer this sence might stand well with the construction of the Greeke Text yet it doth not well agree to the scope of the holie Ghost For the scope is not to shew by what we are called but vnto what we are called so that I embrace this reading who hath called vs to glorie and vertue And if any shall obiect that the word in the originall signifieth by glory and vertue I answer the word originall may signifie by or to as the same word is vsed in Rom. 6.4 where it is said that Christ was raised from the dead by the glorie of the Father or as it may be better rendred to the glorie of God the Father Which hath called vs vnto glorie and vertue Where from the coniunction of these two together we may obserue Doctrine that glorie and vertue are twinnes which go together the one cannot be had without the other He that will attaine glorie must haue vertue and he that hath attained true vertue he shall be sure to obtaine glorie For the proofe hereof I referre you to that in Psalme 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sunne and shield the Lord will giue grace and glory Where note that the Lord giues not grace without glorie nor glory without grace but vnto whom he imparts the one to them also he giues the other The like we reade in Acts 28.32 And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance amongst all them which are sanctified Where we must also