loseth the word in temptation we must arme our selves against the tryalls of the truth and having obtained to beleeve we must also get of God strength to suffer for his sake The third generall proposed is Motives to hold that which is good 1. Let us consider how little we have kept heretofore of all that wee have heard If a man lay coyne or jewells in a chest and afterward come and finde none in it he will presently conclude certainly a theefe hath beene here so may wee in these losses certainly the Divell hath beene here Looke to it more narrowly 2. This is all the commendation of a Christian 1 Cor. 11.2 I commend you that you keepe the ordinances as I delivered A good husband will keepe and save his stocke yea and increase it 3. Keepe them and they will keepe thee as Salomon saith Prov. 4.6 Forsake not wisdome and she shall keepe thee Hold them and they shall uphold thee love her and she shall preserve thee keepe them safe and they will keepe thee Iohn 8.26 If the Sonne set you free ye shall be free indeede that is from errours in doctrine and corruptions of life So long as we keepe the word we cannot fall quite away because the seede of God abideth in us 4. There is no such losse in the world as to lose the good things that thou seemest to lay hold on Losse of wealth of honour of children is nothing to the losse of spirituall good things A man had better lose all the seede he sowes upon his ground than the good seeede sowne in his heart Better for a man to lose all the joyes and pleasures of the world than the joy of his salvation Better to lose all the labour of his calling and put all his gaines in a broken bagge than lose what hee hath wrought in his generall calling Therefore suffer the word of exhortation 2. Iohn 8. Looke to your selves that ye lose not the things you have done but may have a full reward 5. Let us consider that this is more necessary for us than for any seeing Satans aime and scope is to make great places and townes more backward and carelesse to hold good things than others Hee sets his throne in great places because he knowes that thence wickednesse shall be plentifully derived into the Country round about as tradesmen doe their wares Wee for example sake must labour to know love and obey the truth that Gods throne may be set up every where that our godlinesse and obedience may come abroad and provoke others Let it be said of other great places that pride pleasure and profit choake the word and that there is but a forme of godlinesse without power Let us stirre up our selves to our first beginnings our first diligence in receiving the Gospell Object No doubt but we shall keepe good things Answ. 1. You are indeede that which you are in tryall You hardly keepe them while you have good meanes what would you doe if the meanes were gone 2. What if tryall should come as wee may justly feare it could wee then stand Oh now lay a good foundation provide for it that thou faint not in the day of adversity VERSE 22. Abstaine from all appearance of evill AS a carefull father who is come to the end of his life hath but a while to speake and therefore heapeth up his lessons shortly together which he would have his sonnes remember when hee is gone So the Apostle here drawing to the end of this Epistle heapes together his most necessary precepts in short manner as knowing what a friend brevity is to memory God who hath put an infinite distance and disproportion betweene light and darknesse betweene which as the Apostle saith there can be no communion their natures being so fully abhorring hath under that similitude shewed how hee hath separated and put as great contrariety betweene good and evill truth and falshood which are a spirituall kinde of light and darknesse so as they can never agree in one subject but where light comes darknesse is chased before it and when darknesse succeedes the light gives place unto it And as darknesse is the privation of light so evill is the absence of of good and as it is impossible for a man at the same time to be both good and evill so neither can he affect evill and good at the same time but if hee will hold that which is good he must abstaine from the contrary evill or if he will not abstaine from evill let him never professe the holding of good Whence not onely this Scripture but many other joyne these two by an inseperable band Psal. 34.14 Eschew evill and doe good Esay 1.16 Cease to doe evill learne to doe well Rom. 12.9 Abhorre that which is evill and cleave to that which is good And here Hold what is good Abstaine from all appearance of evill for there can be no holding of good if a man withhold not himselfe from evill 1. By evill is meant whatsoever departeth from the rule of good and 2. by abstaining is meant refraining or removing a mans selfe from it as farre as may be so the word is used Matth. 15.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their heart wandreth farre from mee 3. The Apostle saith not Abstaine from evill but from the appearance of evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or species is that which seemes to be a thing but is not a shape or representation of a thing rather than a thing it selfe So the same word is used Iohn 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee saw not his shape 4. The extent of the proposition all appearance yet more helpeth us to the true sense of the words which requires of us to runne as fast away from whatsoever hath any shew of evill as if it were evill in it selfe for the same word is used 1 Pet. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts and in 1 Thess. 4.3 the will of God is that ye abstaine from fornication All noting that we must avoid the least shew of evill with the same care that wee doe the greatest evill it selfe and even all shews as making conscience of all Christians must not onely avoid that which is apparantly evill but that also which seemeth to be evill or may carry some evill with it though it selfe be be not so For the explaining hereof we must know that in every action there bee three things First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the action or evill it selfe whether it be an evill of doctrine or manners as all false doctrine heresie superstition and all sinnes of all sorts which stand not in conformity with the law This is not so much aymed in the text Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leaders incentives or moovers of our selves or others unto any sinne so Eves looking on the Apple was not in it selfe evill but so farre as it drew on her appetite yea her conference with the Serpent and Adams with her in that subject
not all is well when thou hast gotten grace righteousnesse and holinesse but keepe thy selfe pure for know it is no lesse vertue to keepe grace than to get it Iude 21. Keep your selves in the love of God and againe Keep that thou hast obtained lest another take thy crowne And the rather First because this is the effect of true religion for true religion unspotred and undefiled before God is to keepe a mans selfe blamelesse and unspotted without just crimes in the world and this is to keepe himselfe blamelesse Secondly no part of man can be kept blamelesse without great care and industry Adam in innocency could not keepe himselfe blamelesse as hee was created and much lesse the sonnes of Adam now in corruption No watch is sufficient against that subtill Serpent that windes himselfe into us insensibly every faculty as an eare and every sense as a window lets him into us to come in and spoyle us and therefore it is necessary wee should labour to keepe that we have gotten 3. Excellent and precious things are to be kept most charily mens gold silver jewells and treasures are carefully kept but their lives much more because they are precious unto them But of all treasures our spirits soules and bodies are of most incomparable value nothing so worth keeping as this First what a precious blood was shed for to redeeme them Secondly if these be lost what price can recover them what shall a man give for the recompence Nothing but the blood of Christ tread that under foote nothing can recover it a treasure must be kept most carefully but a godly mans heart is a good treasurie sending out good things A worldlings treasure is without him and that he holds fast but the godly mans treasure is within him he layes hold upon faith and grace in Christ and these hee holdes worth the keeping but for the things of the world they are not worth the keeping in safe custody If they be not kept till the day of Christ they are lost eternally there is no time of keeping them but the present neglect that there is no salvation 4. The necessity of keeping our selves blamelesse is exceeding great 1. If we looke upon our selves in our naturall inclinations to soyle and blacke our selves or whether we looke upon our whole or parts First the whole frame of mans heart is evill the whole naturall spirit imagineth evill continually Gen. 6.5 Secondly and for the parts 1. The conscience is darkened by the blacke darknesse of ignorance and impured by a thousand sinnes of most ugly hue 2. The thoughts which in the day of Gods appearing shall either accuse or excuse Rom. 2.15 are naturally vaine roving and stragling from God 3. The affections which are of great force to good or evill If they be sinfull they are as wings to carry us as slaves to the most barbarous and unnaturall evills and ever pulling us aside to the world and lusts As Cain to hate and murder his innocent brother C ham to lay open his fathers nakednesse Iudas to betray the most righteous Sonne of God But if they bee rightly ordered they are powerfull instruments of excellent duties and as wings to carry us to the high pinnacles of Christianity All excellencies have beene brought out of the strong affections of grace Thirdly Looke upon our selves in the presence of grace the cleanest house will gather soyle if it be not daily swept the brightest vessells take rust if not often scoured and oyled enemies chased will turne head againe trees lopped will grow againe nature expelled returnes againe fire quenched will kindle againe and therefore all watch is little enough Fourthly Looke on our selves in that to which we are called and set apart by grace to be sonnes of God Temples of the Spirit of God mansions for God and Iesus Christ to come into us and suppe with us How carefull are we to cleanse our houses from all filth when we are to give entertainment to an honourable friend whom wee are sure will be ready to pry into every corner as the Lord will surely doe when hee commeth into us This serves to discover the generall errour of men who if they had innocency it selfe could not stand by themselves without watchfulnesse yet can keepe any thing better than themselves their horses their swine cattle their money their wares but very few thinke they neede to be so carefull to keepe themselves They keepe no watch over their thoughts they are free nor over their words words are but winde nor did they ever see their soules and therefore care not to keepe them How carefull are wise men to keepe themselves out of the lurch of the law lest by word or deed they should forfeit any of their outward estate much more their liberty lives c But how carelesse are the same men of keeping themselves out of the lurch of Gods law and out of the actions which forfeit the whole estate of grace the liberty and life of their soules And yet 1. Is not thy charge straighter to keepe thy soule than any thing else 2. Is any thing so exposed to robbers and spoylers so many so vigilant so resolutely bent to mischiefe thee 3. Is any losse so irrecoverable so irrepairable 4. Can any thing thou keepest so fast doe thee good when thou hast lost thy selfe whatsoever thou most carefully keepest else that thou receivest not for thy selfe but for others and wilt thou fondly save all for others with the losse of thy selfe Alas our folly that needes so many warnings and motives for the keeping of our selves Be we incited to keepe our selves blamelesse Wherein observe 1. The generality 2. The time 3. The order 4. The rules First for the generality our Apostle saith the whole man consisting of soule body and the whole spirit soule and body for bonum est ex causis integris malum ex quolibet defectu if any part be blemished the whole is blamed Secondly keepe all or none God will have all or none no polluted part shall get into his presence hee will have no part of a divided man Thirdly the Saints tooke themselves bound to keepe all Above all David will looke to his heart and looke to his thoughts and hee will have an eye to his will I have vowed and will performe and then to his mouth he will keepe that as with a bid and bridle and to his wayes Psal. 39.1 Then he will lift up his hands to the Law and then refraine his feete from every evill way Fourthly The danger of not looking to the whole a thorne in the foote may fester a gangrene in one part is deadly one poyson in the body one part without armour is the ruine of the whole 2. For the time We must now keepe our selves Men thinke they can never be Saints till they come to heaven and professe they cannot bee blamelesse here But our Text saith we must be blamelesse till
a good honest man but a Christian so at this day hee is a right honest man but a Puritan Come to a Papist and tell him of a profane man that walkes after the flesh how odious his wayes are this doth not much trouble him hee may be a good Catholicke for all that hee will thinke very charitably of such a one Like one in Queene MARIES time taken in adultery in Red-crosse-streete said yet I thanke God I am a good Catholicke Tell him of a man that professeth enmity to his religion in many Articles of faith yet if he be not too precise there is hope of him there may be a reconcilement at least hee is a wise moderate man hee will not out-runne himselfe But tell him of a man that will cleave to the Scripture in all things both greater and lesse and will not bee beaten an hayre-breadth out of it and doth so flie from BABEL according to the commandement that hee will touch nothing that seemes uncleane Hee hates all appearance of evill Oh these curious fellowes saith hee are not to be suffered or endured they trouble the Church and Common-wealth Nay wee may wish some of our owne had not learned the Gileaditish language to preferre the Papists as better men and better subjects than the faithfull servants of God and their Soveraigne onely because they desire to avoide the least appearance of evill But whence should this bee but out of the hatred of goodnesse that they whose hands are yearely almost in some monstrous conspiracie should bee preferred before such as whose innocency was neuer yet touched Well let such as feare God buckle to this precept of the Apostle because First God lookes on such as bowe not their knee to Baal upon such as touch no uncleane thing 2 Corinth 6 and couenanteth to bee their Father Secondly wee cannot touch pitch and not bee defiled with it Thirdly it argues soundnesse of heart in our hatred of sinne when wee hate not onely capitall crimes which shame us before men but lesser euills and such as wicked men cannot hate Fourthly sweete shall be the comfort when wee suffer the word to binde us in least things not suffering us to cast downe our countenance but couenanting with our eyes neither to whisper evill of others much lesse to reproach them or haue our mouth full of cursing repressing also even unchaste thoughts and mentall sinnes before they come to appearances VERSE 23. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and J pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE Apostle here proceedeth to the conclusion of the Epistle and annexeth a fervent and heavenly prayer to the former precepts For the Thessalonians might say you have heaped up a number of excellent precepts together but how should we that are but flesh and blood and weake to any thing that is good performe them You command much more than we can attaine You have given us not onely many precepts but of such nature and strictnesse as are rather fit for Angels and Saints in heaven than flesh and blood weake and fraile creatures on earth wee must Try all things hold all and onely that which is good and abstaine from not evill onely but all appearance of evill which seeme to us impossible commandements All which and the like allegations our Apostle meetes withall and tells them it is his meaning indeede First that they should ayme at full holinesse which is conversant in every good duty and shunneth the least sinfull defilement Secondly he sends them out of themselues to God who can sanctifie them throughout Thirdly seeing he onely can teach them their duties but cannot goe further to give them grace and enable them to performe it he goes to God with them that by their joynt prayers they might be established in them and to sanctifie them throughout for if God sanctifie you throughout you shall be able to performe the former duties Whence note that it is the duty of godly Ministers not onely to preach exhort and admonish men in their duty but earnestly to pray for them and with them for the obtaining of good things which they have commended unto them It was the usuall manner of the Apostles to pray to God for the obtaining of those graces they had exhorted unto In this Text having chap. 4.3 shewed that this is the will of God even their sanctification and hauing laid downe the parts of sanctification in the particulars till this verse now prayes that according to the precepts they may be wholly sanctified So Rom. 12.16 hauing exhorted to like mindednesse in the 15.6 prayeth that they may be like minded Ephes. 3.14 15. having exhorted the Ephesians not to faint at his troubles he prayes for strength For this cause saith hee I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man And chap. 1.8 hauing shewed how abundant God was toward us in wisdome and understanding and in opening the mystery of his will he ceaseth not to pray verse 17. that God would giue to them the spirit of wisdome and reuelation that their eyes might be opened And in the 1 Pet. 5.10 Resist stedfastly in the faith c. then prayes the God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you And this doubtlesse the Apostle learned of the Lord Iesus himsele whose custome was to teach and instruct in the day-time and to goe out in the night to pray for a blessing upon his Ministery Luke 21.35 1. God is hereby glorified and acknowledged the father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift is Iames 1.17 for now wee depend on him for wisdome and draw somewhat from his fulnesse 2. It is not in man to make his doctrine effectual he cannot reach the heart much lesse renew it Man may hold forth the light but God must giue eyes to see it man may speake to the eare but God onely can speake to the heart Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must give the increase 1 Cor. 3. It is his priuiledge to write his law in the hearts of his people Ierem. 31. Lydia heard the word from Paul but not hee but God opened her heart Acts 16.14 3. As in all other labours and workes so much more here we must doe that which is our part and leaue God his The husbandman must plow and sowe and plant and water but hee must leaue all the successe to God hee cannot command raine nor blessing So in this spirituall husbandry Gods seeds-men must doe their worke cheerefully being co-workers with him but commend the successe to God in which sense the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.7 saith He that plants is nothing neither he that waters that is if hee be compared with that divine action which is all in all or nothing without him Hereby wee see
distressed consciences 107 Sound doctrine must be strongly held for 3 reasons 127 Doctrine of faith all grounded on Gods faithfulnesse 343 E. Eare to be shut 5 rules 288 Hearing eare knowne by 3 notes 291 Elias sinned not in calling for fire from heaven but the Disciples did two differences 116 Eye must be watched in 5 things 282 Why we must carefully order our eyes 4 reasons 287 Examples of Scripture warrant not our marriage with IIdolaters 3 reas 162 Examples to uphold our perseverance 4. 330 F. No fall so wofull as to fall from grace 16 False rules of triall of things 6. 73 Ancient Fathers avoided all conformity with heretickes in their externall ceremonies Instances 160 Fantasticall and forreigne fashions of apparell condemned 5 Arguments 122 Faithfull is God 4 wayes 334 Faithfulnesse in the Creator and creature differ in 4 things Ibid. Faithfulnesse required in our promises 339 In our callings 340. In our friendship 341. In communicating our talents 342 Faithfulnesse of God preserveth to salvation all that are effectually called 4 reasons 385 Fearfull is the condition of that man that repines at a powerfull and faithfull Ministry 3 reasons 406 Fire of the Spirit how quenched 3 Fire of grace violently smothered how 22 Folly of those that neglect the assurance of their owne salvation 4 reasons 365 Forefathers way no sure rule of tryall 5 reasons 77 Foure excellent fruits in avoiding petty evills 152 Sweet fruits of well guiding our affections 6. 270 G. Gifts of the Spirit to be observed in our selves for 4 reasons 26 Gifts of God which and how without repentance 390 Godly by the inhabitation of the Spirit both honoured and comforted 9 Godly must be carefull not to quench the Spirit 5 reasons 14 God called the God of peace 3 reas 175 Godlinesse makes no man unpeaceable or turbulent 188 Godly company a meanes of growth in holinesse 3 wayes 213 God to be glorified in our bodies how 273 God must be glorified in our bodies 3 reasons 274 God is most faithfull 4 reasons 336 Glory of Christ now vailed 3 wayes 310 True goodnesse groweth from good to better and so is best at last 227 No good must be held but after tryall 132 Good things must be carefully held and kept for 5 reasons 125 Good actions spoyled in undue circumstances 113 Graces of the Spirit compared to fire in 5 things 3 Grace quenched in what degrees 5 Graces of some kindes not wholly extinct 4 Grace as fire suffered to die of it selfe 3 wayes 20 Grace in others must be excited 3 reasons 37 Grieve the Spirit 4 wayes 25 Growth in holinesse rare 4 proofes 220 Grounds on which the prayers of people for their Ministers must be raised 3. 401 H. Hand to be ordered 5 rules 292 The heart must be kept pure for the pure Spirit of God 10 For keeping the heart 5 generall rules 247 The heart how bounded within Gods limits 3 directions 252 We must hate where the Lord hateth 4 instances 261 Hatred of evill knowne by the practise of the contrary vertue 165 Helpes of perseverance 5. 327 Wee must hold onely that which is good and all that is good 132 Humility in lowest degree pretended by seducers 64 I. Iesuiticall confusion of phrases hath beene the confusion of the world 95 No Iewells to be so carefully kept as our soulâ—s and spirits 2 reas 232 and 4 reasons more 235 Image of God must be gotten not onely into our nature but into our conversation 277 Implicit popish faith refuâ—ed 69 No imperfection hinders Gods faithfulnesse 4 Instances 337 Illumination is not sanctification 4 reas 205 In all indifferent things 〈◊〉 are to avoid all appearance of evill and scandall with 4 limitations 149 Indifferent things to be forborne for edification with 4 cautions 117 The inside to be washed first for 5 reasons 236 Invocation of Saints departed derogateth from the glory of God 97 L. Lawes humane imperfect rules of life for 4 reasons 81 Lots of perseverance to be removed 5. 324 Losse of worldly things no losse to losse of spirituall graces 143 Love our neighbor as our selves with what conditions 116 We must love most where God most loveth 4 instances 260 M. Man by nature more prone to any evill than to the least good 3 reasons 67 Manifold mischiefes which overtake the despisers of Prophecy 5 instances 45 Man of God 1 Kings 13.6 praying in an Idolatrous Temple no warrant for us 4 reasons 157 Marriage with Idolaters unlawfull 4 reasons 161 Marks of effectuall calling reduced to 3 generall heads 370 Meanes of quenching the Spirit 3. 20 Meanes to blow up the Spirit 7. 33 Meanes to embrace Prophecy 5. 48 Meanes of holding that which is good 4. 137 Meanes of maintaining sound peace of conscience 5. 185 Meanes of attaining a full measure of holinesse 209 Meanes to keepe the tongue blamelesse 4. 298 Meanes of perseverance in generall 3. 322 Meanes by which God keepeth his owne 4. 394 Meditations helping the increase of holinesse 1. Concerning God 3 2. Concerning our selves 4 3. Concerning holines it self 209 Meditations to stablish us against persecutions 326 Members must be weapons of righteousnesse how and why 275 Memory how to be kept unblameable in 2 things 245 Men of greatest grace neede the prayers of weaker Christians 3 reasons 398 Merits humane against analogy of faith 91 Merit an ambitious word in reference to man not found in Scripture 100 Ministers must not onely preach but pray for their people 3 reasons 172 Ministery powerfull must be conscionably embraced for 3 reasons 42 Mischiefe of disordered affections 266 Motions of the Spirit much different in the godly and wicked 4 instances 18 Motions of the Spirit to be observed 36 Motives to stirre up the Spirit 4. 33 Motives to carefull use of meanes of quickening the Spirit 3. 38 Motives to full sanctification 6. 221 Motives to perseverance 5. 329 Motives to finde in our selves the sure signes of effectuall calling 4. 383 Monasticall life refuted by 6 reasons 93 Multitude of voices not to be numbred but weighed 56 N. Naamans practise no warrant for us to be present at Idolatrous service for three reasons 158 Name of a Christian hath in it many motives to grow up to full holinesse 226 Necessary duties must be done though all the world be offended 148 Necessity of increasing in holinesse 4 reas 203 Necessity of carefull keeping our selves drawne from our selves in 4 things 233 Necessity of well guiding our thoughts 4 reasons 245 Necessity of well ordering our affections 2 reas 268 O. Obedience of faith all grounded upon Gods faithfulnesse 344 Right objects of our affections in which they must be most vehement and intense 258 Choyse objects for the eye 5. 284 Objections against perseverance answered 304 Objections from infirmities of our prayers answered 400 Outward man must be kept blamelesse 3 reasons 300 P. All peace must be from the God of peace 3 reas 179 No peace to be affected but