shall finde rest unto our souls See Matth. 11.28,29,30 Whereunto his beloved Disciple bears witness out of his own experience saying For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Christ 1 John 5.3,4,5 There is then no bar or let to the keeping of Gods Commandments but the wicked world of sin which may be overcome by Faith in the Son of God and then Gods Commandments shall not be grievous but delightful unto us For what is easier or more delightful then to love and therefore this burden of Christs which he lays upon us is both light and sweet in general Psal 19.10 also 119.103 There is nothing that unites us more closely to God then love Rom. 8.35,36,37,38 Nothing is stronger and more victorious Cant. 8.6,7 Nothing is crowned with more vertues nor more omnipotent in the Lord see 1 Cor. 13. throughout Thus of the Duty to be done Perfecting holiness now concerning the way wherein it is to be accomplished or acquired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fear of God Which words may be three ways understood First Of that Obedience to Gods Commandments which is commonly called The fear of God Psal 111.10 112.1 Eccles 12.13 In which way the Lord hath promised to make us an holy people Deut. 26.17,18,19 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgments and to hearken to his voice And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldst keep all his Commandments and to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise in name and in honor that thou maist be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken Secondly The fear of God may be understood of a reverend and awful fear of Gods Righteousness and Judgments And so it is the posture we should always stand in while we are in our Christian race towards Perfection Phil. 2.12 Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Which fear when perfect love is come is set aside 1 Joh. 4.17,18 For perfect love casteth out fear Thirdly It may be taken for a filial or conjugal fear of God and his goodness Hos 3.5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days And this fear as it is love in some good measure and degree so it is the way to that perfect love which is the fulfiling of the Law For the beginning augmenting and perfecting whereof I crave leave to speak a word or two to my Reverend Brethren of the Ministry by way of Avisa from this Proviso And I hope that I may say with Paul That I my self also am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye also are full of goodness filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another Nevertheless I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in minde because of the Grace that is given to me of God Rom. 15.14,15 It is not unknown to you how Phineas the son of Eleazer that is as the name imports Confidence of face in or from Gods help obtained the Covenant of Peace and of the Everlasting Priesthood to wit by slaying Cozbi the lie or lying nature of Sin and Zimri or that disposition that rejoyceth therein Num. 25.6,7 Psal 106.30,31 Nor that if we will be Gods mouth we must take away the precious from the vile Jere. 15.19 Nor that we must stand in the Council of the Lord ere we can practise and hear his words Jere. 23.18 and much more before we can turn men from the evil way and from the evil of their doings Verse 22. Yea that the Law of Truth was in Levi's mouth and iniquity was not found in his lips and that he walked with God in peace and equity when he turned many away from iniquity Mal. 2.6 Onely mine earnest Prayer to God for my self and you is That whereas the Spies and Searchers out of the promised Land were of different mindes and did in conclusion run two contrary courses Joshuah and Caleb following the Lord fully as himself testifieth Numb 14.24 and encouraging the people to obey the Lord to stand firm in the Faith and so to set upon their enemies with courage and hope of victory but the other ten degenerating from the Faith and Obedience of God and drawing thousands after them by their pretence of difficulties yea of impossibility to subdue the Canaanites and to take possession of the promised Inheritance That none of us may be found in the number of the last named but all of us in the first though the smalest number for our Saviour saith That little of this Faith that God will avenge his elect on their spiritual enemies shall be found upon the Earth at his coming Luke 18.6,7,8 And mine humble suit unto you all is first That seeing God giveth some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that none of us discourage or retard the Saints in their progress by any pretended impossibility as those formerly did Eph. 4.10,11,12 Secondly Whereas Verse 14. the Apostle henceforth would have no men and muchless us to be children tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctrine by the cunning craftiness of men whereby they lie in wait to deceive That we take heed that we suffer not the Authors whom we read to impose upon us in this or any other kinde To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to that it is because there is no light nor morning in them Isai 8.20 Thirdly To remember that the Apostle willeth that we speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in love Ephes 4.15,16 For the end of the Law and Commandments is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.15 Fourthly That with St Paul we preach Christ in the Saints the Hope of Glory warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Colos 1.27,28 Fifthly That we pray earnestly under Hope for the perfecting of the Saints as the Apostles and holy Ministers of Christ did Eph. 3.14,21 Phil. 1.10 Colos 4.12 1 Thes 5.23 1 Pet. 5.10 Sixthly That neither the weak Brother may judge the strong nor the strong may despise the weak seeing we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ Rom. 14.10 Finally Let us all follow the counsel of St. Peter 1 Pet. 5.1,2,3,4 and pray for one another as the Apostle doth Heb. 13.20,21 for there are many Adversaries FINIS
holiness and love hath predestinated us to be made conformable unto the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 Who is the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his person Heb. 1.3 And the genuine Son of the Father in Truth and Love 2 Epist John 3. Secondly He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1.4 Thirdly This holiness in love is that whereunto we are called 1 Thes 4.7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness Col. 3.14 1 Pet. 4.8 Fourthly Holy love to God and men is that which we ow to him for his love unto us in Christ Psal 31.23 116.1 I love the Lord c. 2 Cor. 5.14 For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judg that if one died for all then were all dead 1 John 3. to 16. Fifthly It is through holiness and love that all sin must be overcome and buried in us Rom. 12.21 Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good 1 Pet. 4.8 And above all things have fervent love among your selves for love shall cover the multitude of sins yea all sins whatsoever as Solomon testifieth in these words Prov. 10.12 Hatred stirreth up strife but love covereth all sin and that in a burying way first or in mortification Sixthly The Law of God whose fulfiling and accomplishment standeth in love is established in Heaven for ever Psal 78.5,6,7,8 119.89 insomuch That Heaven and Earth shall sooner pass away then one jot or tittle of the Law shall go unfulfilled Matth. 5.18 Which fulfilling must be accomplished not onely by Christ for us but by him and us joyntly Also Matth. 3.15 For he saith unto John Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness Seventhly There is no other way left unto us in Christ that leadeth to life but the keeping of the Commandments through his grace and help Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 19,17 But if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and enter through the Gates into the City Eightly God hath not left us destitute either of outward or inward means for the fulfilling and accomplishment of the Law and the love holiness and righteousness which it requireth For first as to outward means the Apostle speaks thus 2 Tim. 3.16,17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for redargution for correction and for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfected and throughly furnished unto all good works Eph. 4.11,12,13 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ And for inward means Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 And that as otherwife so that through his Grace and Spirit the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8,4 Ninthly God hath not onely promised to put his Law into our inward parts and to write it in our hearts Jere. 31.33,34 Ezek 36.25,26,27 but hath expresly engaged himself to work so much love in us as the Law any where requireth Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God shall circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live Tenthly God is willing and ready to perfect his work unto the end Phil. 1.6,7 Eleventhly Christ hath not onely taught us to pray for a perfect obedience to Gods will in this Petition Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven but he himself who in all things was heard of his Father hath prayed for our perfection in love John 17.20,21,22,23 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall believe on me through their word That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us That the world may believe that thou hast sent me and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Lastly The work which God hath given us to do must be perfected and finished in this life See Eccles 9.10 Tit. 2.12 That we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed Hope c. Much more might be alleadged upon this accompt Sed Vivitur exigno si quis bene noverit uti Come we then to the Transposition and Application of this Proposition where first by way of Information we may learn these Consequents 1. That as the Spiritual Promises aforesaid are precious and sweet-conditioned Covenants so they are to flesh and blood without assisting Grace difficult and hard-conditioned Promises But our blessed Saviour told us aforehand Matth. 7.14 That strait is the way and narrow is the Gate which leadeth unto life and that there be few that enter in thereat as did also his Apostle Peter who saith 1 Pet. 4.18 That the righteous shall scarcely that is with much difficulty be saved where then shall the ungodly and sinner appear 2. We may observe what need we have of a Saviour that should be God as well as Man and that as in other regards so to redeem us from all iniquity and purifie or renew us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 See also the end for which he gave himself not onely to sanctifie and wash us with water through the Word but also that he might present us to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrincle but that we should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 Hence it is that Moses speaks thus Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the sheild of thine help and who is the sword of thine excellency Secondly By way of Redargution this first serves to controul their mistake who conceive that it is sufficient unto Salvation for us to be holy and religious with any kinde or in any degree of holiness For Paul speaks thus Gal. 3.3 Are ye so foolish having begun in the spirit are ye made perfect in