Many of singular note haue fallen and neuer could returne againe 2. Kings 9 10. gifts of great note in the Church famous for worthy acts haue falne neuer returned againe as appeareth in couragious and valiant Iehu a captaine for the Lord of hostes against the house of Ahab who slew two kings Iehoram and Ahaziah of Iuda and Israell by him was Iezabel cast downe that cursed Queene and the dogs did eat her in the gates of Isreel hee ouerthrew Baall his Priests and temple he was zealous for the Lord and tooke Ionadab to bee a witnesse thereof with him So Demas Col. 4. 14. intertained the Gospell accompanied the Apostle in his afflictions saluted the Saincts and was famous in Churches Ioash long liued religiously he honoured 2. Kin. 12. godly Iehotada and was counselled by him he repaired the Temple and did many things worthy praise Iudas was a follower of Christ three yeares he preached Christ in his name cast out diuels Mat. 10. and was an Apostle one of the twelue chosen by Christ out of all the world yet was not Iehu his heart vpright but he embraced Ieroboams calues and fell from God and claue to his Idolatrie yet did Dâ—mas forsake the Gospell and entertained this present world and no meÌ„tion of his returne againe yet did Ioash fall to Idolatrie and cruelty ouerthrowing Gods worship and persecuting yea murthering his prophets without repeÌ„tance And lastly Iudas became a miserable miscreant a thiefe a traytor and in horrour of mind so desperat as after the fact being hopelesse of mercy he hanged himself Who readeth feareth not who heareth and trembles not we see our beginning is it easie thence to conclude our ending Doe wee see such so qualified so famous men to faâ—â— vtterly shal we presume of a better end without any such tokens of grace Vse By all this which hath beene said it Theâ— are deceiued that think assurance of saluation easily atteined is more then manifest that it is not easie to attaine assurance of saluation It is therefore altogether a fault in such as labor the least in this matter Of the world we feare to want heauen wee make no question of For the body here wee take care and doe vpon euery light occasion distrust fall to shifts in feare of want but for the soule wee make our selues sure that it is well albeit it doth want all the meanes of saluation and we our selues liue in our naturall corruption vnreformed What is this but carnall presumption it commeth from Sathans suggestion A motion from the diuine spirit it is not where this giueth hope of heauen there it moueth to goodnesse this teacheth that the assurance of things aboue after death is beyond reason and therefore more hard to bee attained then things belowe in this life present Many waies are here to make supply for the bodie in earthly things but one way for heauenly Men may bestow vpon thee for this time but God onely for the time to come Thine own labour here may procure thee maintenance and what thou canst not get other may giue thee but no man can redeeme a soule and giue life man must let that alone for euer here wee are led by sense but in the other by faith money can here purchase but onely mercy there man may deserue well of man but nothing can he merit of God We may be superiours amongst men and yet touching the future good of the soule may be worse then beasts Diues may fare deliciously euery day and yet bee so farre from assurance of life as that he is damned at his death All the world may we winne yet lose our owne soules Dauid can tell vs that hee neuer sawe the righteous forsakeÌ„ touching the things of this life but the wicked flourishing yet come to a fearefull end The way is brode and the gate wide that leadeth to destruction and many runne that way but the gate to heauen is straight and the passage narrow leading to life and many seeke it but fewe finde it many set foote in the way few go on any time and of these fewe some turne back againe and a very small number perseuere to the end Of the world wee are and the world will loue her owne but we are vncapable of grace and enemies to goodnes so as God in iustice abhorreth vs. In the world we may liue thogh we haue offended in many things keeping them secret from men and neuer make satisfaction but in an other wee cannot if but one sinne be vnrepented of and God not satisfied and the price of blood payed to redeeme vs by faith in Christ Here offences committed may bee pardoned by many the King not taking notice of them but there is no euill in the soule though neuer so secret but the King of heauen is acquainted with the same and a pardon must be procured from his owne person and by none but by his own sonne else that offendor shall vtterly be condemned and pay the punishment duely for euer according to the trespasse Therefore if all these things be well considered and the weight of the reasoÌ„s seriously weighed we may rather suppose our selues to be deluded by imagination to thinke the assurance of saluation to be so easily attayned then to be the settlednes of our iudgement from a grounded perswasion And thus much for the first lesson Doctrine The second lesson is this that yet there is in this life a true assurance of saluation in a certaine measure to euery one in time ordained to be saued else the Apostle Peter here would not haue exhorted vs to labour for this assurance which the Apostle S. Paule attayned also Rom. 8. 38 vnto in this life which hee publisheth not onely singularly in the behalfe of himselfe but plurally for the rest of all those whom God loueth in Christ Iesus Neither doe I say that it is that fulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith but a certaine measure nor at once but by little and little nor to euery professour but to such as are ordained to eternall life And this is effected by How to get assurance By meditation meditation inspiration sanctificatioÌ„ To haue assurance we must meditate of Gods inchangeablenes both in his owne nature Iam. 1. 17. as also in his gifts and calling which are without repentance Rom. 11. 29 we must think vpon Gods euerlasting decree without alteration of his promises made irreuocably with the manner of deliuery in the time present Ioh. 3. 36 He that beleeueth Ioh. 3. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sonne hath euerlasting life to take away doubting and to establish our harts in an assured possession thereof No lesse gaine ariseth by remembring the Lords couenant which hee maketh with his how it is a couenant euerlasting Ier. 32. 40 not for a time and with such as he maketh it he giueth them grace putteth his feare in their
all and this is right Many men go vnder a good name by ciuil honesty either thorow restrayned nature or good education in commendable maners of ciuility who are farre from sanctification and the graces of the spirit They doe many actions of vertue either of a custome or by imitation or respectiuely for this or that person for this or that by-end but not for vertue it selfe neither doe they shew fruits of vertue other then may preserue common honesty their credit to liue amongst meÌ„ to procure them praise secret or lesse publick they regard not dueties of holinesse prayer reading the scripture saÌ„ctifying of the Sabaoth instruction of their family countenancing of the word preached and such like they be so farre from as they mock at men herein zealously affected for vices which they shunne they be such onely as be discoÌ„modious or odious amongst men that haue but common honesty but to sweare in ordinary communication to be companions with men superiour in place how wicked soeuer they make no conscience of neither of many other euils which by the rule of godliness are odious to God and such as sincerely seeke him A sanctified spirit doth not thus shuffle things together neither maketh a mixture of that which cannot be compounded but they truly hate all vice are affected to euery good thing and become in their place after the measure of grace giuen them doers of these things But least naturall men should carp PreuentioÌ„ of obiection say Belike I wold haue men here without sinne or else to be without grace vnlesse we do all things we do nothing I answere It is not mine intendment to teach any such thing but that meÌ„ should leaue sin to the vtmost not dally with any that they should doe vertuously liue in purpose of heart and will without sinne Legal obedience is beyond what is legal obedience our power to performe which is after the exactnesse of the law the commanders holiness and mans perfection by creation which we haue lost and is not here in our owne persons recouerable whatsoeuer the Phariâ—aâ—cal Papists say to the contrary but I speake of obedience Euangelical obedience and vertuous liuing Euangelically which is an earnest endeuour in loue thankfulnes to God for his mercies in Christ in faith apprehending his merits in whom we be acceptable and wel-pleasing to God in truth and sincerity of heart to doe whatsoeuer we are commanded and is commended vnto vs which will appeare by our ioy in well Sigâ—es of 〈…〉 rity doing by our prayers and holy desires to doe well by our feare to offend by our sorrow when we faile in our dueties wherein stands the perfection of the best Christian wee can neither be equall to the lawe to fulfill it nor go beyond to do more any way to merit S. Paule in his Apostolical estate found imperfections And Hezechias could speak of vprightness but of no perfectioÌ„ And thus much for the condition of the promise Ye shall neuer fall Ye shall neuer sâ—ip or slide downe ye shall not come to any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The exposition hurt the word here vsed is drawne from the bodie to the minde and is diuersly taken in scripture sometime for sinne Prou. 24. 16. therefore is the word so translated in the vulgar translation sometime for destruction 2. Sam. 3. 38. 1. Cor. 10. 8. sometime to be downe on a sodaine so as a standing and course is not kept which is the common signification thereof All these three may here very fitly stand Ye shall not sinne ye shall not be destroyed ye shall not decline from your standing to fall away from the state of grace whereunto ye are called And therefore here I wil speake of them all as reasons to spur vs on to a vertuous life which is the scope of the words Doctrine Ye shall not sinne Vertuous men sinne 1. Iohn 3. not He that committeth sinne is of the Diuel and he that is borne of GOD sinneth not yet he that saith hee hath 1. Iohn 1. no sinne â—s a â—yer and the truth is not in him It is true neuerthelesse that he which abideth in Christ sinneth not such do coÌ„mit Psal 119. 3 none iniquity to wit first in Gods acceptation according to that saying He saw none iniquity in Iacob nor transgression How godly are said not to sin Num. 23. 21. Ier. 50. 20. in Israel their sins shall not bee found saith Ieremie and the reason is because the Lord will be mercifull vnto them secondly in Christs satisfaction in whom we are the righteousness of God and in him there is no condemnation Thirdly 2 Cor 5. 21 Rom. 8. 1 Rom. 7. in a godly mans will for as the Apostle saith good they would doe and wherein they doe euill they sorrowe and would not doe and herein the will stands for the deede Lastly in respect of time for as the child of God sinneth not wholly so neither finally for God hath put his feare into him that hee shall Ier. 32. 40. Ps 37. 24. neuer depart from him but if he fall he shall not be cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Thus the vertuous sinne not and this grace shall be attained vnto by such as doe these things saith Peter Vse Now this reason hath great force to perswade vs to be vertuous to bee free from sinne is blessednesse as Dauid affirmeth in Psal 32. 1. 2. This blessing can we not better know then to consider What it is to sin and to liue therein what it is to sinne and to liue in it It is the state of corruption seruice to the Diuell contempt of Christs death the resistance of grace the racing out of Gods image the bearing vpon vs the Dâ—uels likenesse it is cause of calamities the curse in our calling the eating canker in the soule the obiect of Gods wrath and deaths sting it breaketh the vnion betweene God and vs it maketh conscience to accuse and the lawe to condemne it maketh our life miserable death fearefull and the last day terrible and to conclude by it we lose heauen Angels attendance saincts society and all celestiall comforts eternally and we purchase hell fiends attend vs diuels accompany vs the cursed crue of damned soules abide with vs and we vtterly depriue our selues of all good liue in woe and paines euerlastingly This is to sinne this is to liue in sinne and not to sinne is to be acceptable to God in Christ righteous our will plyable to his bidding and our end comfortable as we to goodnes are conformeable Doctrine Ye shall not be destroyed The vertuous as they sinne not so they perish not Godliness hath the promise of this life and of the life to come there is no cause of feare then A great inducement to liue vertuously wee all naturally feare destruction we desire to preuent it no greater ioy then to be
and vrge them with such arguments least they should bee wanting in this duety For indeed men are loath to lay good things to heart and more loath to practise Wee are like Balaam heauen can we wish O that we might die the death of the righteous but wee would not liue their life Flesh seeketh after ease the way to life is strait we would not be as Lazarus here but like Diues fare deliciously euery day and yet like Lazarus looke for heauen at our ending Therefore it is needfull for ministers to vrge and to set vs on forward to follow our sluggish nature with reason vpon reason as so many goades pricking our consciences to cause vs to stirre our feete and so go on in the way of saluation Bare narrations to slowe dispositions are of no force And if words take place without waight of reason it is either the worke of faith which is rare or leuity of affection which is too common and to which agreeth well the prouerb Soone ripe soone rotteÌ„ A Iewish intertainment of Christ to day Hosannah to morrow Crucifie Let vs then say shew why that vnderstanding may be informed iudgement setled with reason Suspect the ground sandy where the house is built with sound of words a little storme will shake it and easily ouerthrow it Such as are won souÌ„dly as a diseased meÌ„ber perfectly healed will abide constant And thus much for the Coherence The words diuide themselues into The diuision of the Text. two generall parts 1. An exhortation wherein note 1. The ground of it in the word Wherefore 2 The parties exhorted Brethren 3 The matter of the exhortatioÌ„ in the words following Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 A reason wherin is contained a promise wherein note 1 The condition thereof If yee doe these things 2 The thing promised in these words Ye shall neuer fall Doctrine Of these as the words lie in order But first it is not to bee omitted that the Apostle vsing in this verse a reason to enforce the embracing of vertue as is aforesaid doth not barely set it downe as the former but deliuereth it by way of exhortation which argueth the Apostles affection in speaking desiring that this reason might not onely bee vnderstoode but also embraced with affection For exhortations are to enflame the affection to make men zealous as doctrine is to make them iudicious both necessarie to feede the soule Vnderstanding without feruencie of affection is cold entertainment such growe sooner full of policie then pietie the best is luke-warmenes a burthen that God cannot beare but must needes spue them out of his mouth Vse for either the Lord or Baal And if affection be alone it is but folly running into schisme or superstition Therefore must men be vrged to affect that which is taught Doctrine But in that the Apostle is so earnest in this reason that they may get assurance of saluation he commendeth vnto vs the waight of this argument chiefly of all other to bee affected And indeede if wee consider that without assurance wee are altogether comfortlesse who would not hereby be moued to embrace vertue and exercise himselfe therein Without assurance though we haue possession of the best good wee are not in perfect ioy Vncertainty of contâ—nuance of happinesse in a happy estate maketh the same lesse comfortable the minde often charged with feare of too sodaine an end No man hireth but hee seeketh to know a certaine terme and hee that hath a Lease for many yeares would also make it his owne by purchase for better assurance Assurance is a salue to cure feare it is a stay in wauering and distrust the best safety against desperation that dreadfull soules miserie Vse Therefore let it moue vs to be vertuous that so wee may get assurance For assurance of Land wee will be at cost to pay money for certaine gaine wee do trauell farre to bee sure of promotion wee will serue long euen hard Masters in drudgery great men not without slauerie And is a vertuous life a seruice to the Almightie the father of mercy nothing worth is it so loathsom or irksome that we cannot indure it to haue assurance of heauen the gaine of Glory and the honour of Angels with Christ for euer Oh! hearken and consider the one and the other What is the assurance of all the world without hope of heauen The bodies blisse caryon the soules death damnation Now to the words Wherefore that is because vnles you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paraphrase explaining the word for to raise the doctrine haue these vertues you shall be but idle professors fruitlesse blinde vnthankfull to God and without any assurance of saluation therefore giue diligence to liue vertuously and to make your calling election sure It is a word shewing how that which followeth doth depend on that which goeth before from which we learne That the discommodities The doctrine of the want of these vertues and the good insuing by them should make vs seeke to be endued with them To auoid danger bodily and to get Reasons to inforce it aduantage to our selues in earthly commodities wee are moued to seeke after those things by which wee may escape losse and gaine some good Men studie to become learned men labour for friends they trauel for riches and seeke for promotion onely for that the benefite of them is so much for mans welfare and the want thereof held so greatly hurtfull as without them men are but iudged miserable and yet learning and friends riches and honour are nothing at all either so auaileable to make him happy that hath them as hee that hath grace or so miserable that wanteth them as hee which is without grace Holy vertues are a pledge of Gods loue the fruits of the spirit the hand writing The benefit of verâ—he benefit of vertues heauenly graces what they â—re of God in our hearts witnessing his loue and confirming his couenant with vs. They be so many staies from slyding in slippery prosperity so many potions purging out vices so many pull-backs from vanity and so many comforts in aduersitie They be marks of Gods children and pleasant flowers to decke vp sweetely our Temples the dwelling of the holy Ghost What comparison betweene humane learning and heauenly vertues betweene riches of the world and this wealth of the soule betweene these friends here and Gods good fauour between earthly greatnes spirituall grace none at all And is there any equality in the losse nothing lesse A man that hath grace and vertue may be and is happy though he want learning riches honour and friends But enioy all these without grace see the ende Hamans honour occasioned his hanging Absoloms beautie was his bane the young mans wealth held him from Christ Achitophels learning and wisedome was his destruction and all this came to passe through want of grace and these heauenly vertues To
houre this caÌ„not be denyed but yet one onely though there were two one that a true penitent sinner may not despaire but one that vngodly wilfull traÌ„gressours may not presume Many cannot heare the threats of the Law for feare of desperation yet can they willingly run on in sin so perish by presumption By this many millions of thousands haue fallen headlong downe into hell remember what Christ said of Luke 17. 27 28. Sodom the old world but the Scripture mentioneth few that haue gone to destruction by desperation Cain Sauâ—e Achitophel Iudas Dost thou hope to speede as did the good thiefe and why rather dost thou not feare to be like the bad thiefe they both were in one case had the like punishment Christ betweene them and death before theÌ„ nay the worse thiefe had the good thieues rebuke admonition to warne him of his wickedness and to cease to sin yet he had no grace to repent Meanes wil not preuaile in the latter end where God vouch safeth not the gift to amend If thou dost perswade thy selfe that God wil giue thee grace then to repent thou art deceiued if now hee offer grace and thou refuse it At what time so-euer a sinner doth repent from the bottome of his heart at that time will GOD freely forgiue but that time is not when we lift God is not at our beck but the time is at his call To day if ye will heare Heb. 3. Psal 95. his voice harden not your harts to day if we be not ready wee shall be lesse apt to morrowe the longer we continue in sinne the older it is and the more strength it getteth It is not as other things the older the weaker but daily it groweth stronger If we say we can repent when we wil that is not in our power and if it be then if thou dost not repent now and can thou encreasest sin by wilfull transgression and so makest more iust thy deserued damnation Therfore let vs now amend not deferre Conclusion off till he eafter when at death there is no remedie but either to heauen or to hell to God or to the diuell in which case men hardly or neuer finde that coÌ„fort which presumptuously they haue expâ—cted but doe dye as they haue liued in sinne without sense or taste of ioies euerlasting prepared onely for the righteous for Hee that beleeueth in Iohn 3. 36 the sonne hath euerlasting life but he that obeyeth not the sonne hath not life but the wrath of God abideth vpon him These things that is which before he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath mentioned Men do many things some the inuentions of their owne braine some the custome of forefathers some one thing some another but not these things that is which the word teacheth Men do but not what they should doe the perfect rule of righteousnes from which we may not decline to the right hand or to the left neither adding thereto nor taking there from for if wee doe we keepe not our standing we lose our comfort and wander without our guide we know not whither some wholy as Apostaâ—ates some in part persisting obstinately as hereticks some against loue as schismaticks and most as lawlesse for our liues like prophane Esaus will despise our birthrights and sell heauen soules health conscience comfort the words of eternal life for a mease of pottage euen for our momentanie pleasures lusts and liking in this life Many there are which will doe this Men doe some things but not all things thing and that thing these singularly but not these things plurally when a maÌ„ desirous of the assurance of saluation must be studious of euery vertue which helpeth thereunto It is the nature of vertue to loue vertue whence it is that one vertuous man imitateth an other wherein one seeth another to go before him any way One two or few vertues cannot liue where other vertues are either hated or not sought after one dependeth vpon another as links in a chaine and cannot be sundred we may not be like Agryppa almost a Christian for almost is not a Christian neither content our selues with many things as Herod though with gladness whilst we nourish some sinne and be infected but with one notorious vice God will haue all of vs or none of vs though Sathan desireth but any least part he wel knowing that where he hath any thing at all God will haue there nothing at all He that breaketh one of the least of these commandements shal be the least in the Mat. 5. kingdome of God Iames saith He that Iames. 2. breaketh one is guilty of all and one vice is enough to ouerthrowâ—s though wee haue some vertues one sinne of couetousness ouerthrew Iudas the desire of a bribe got Gehezi the leprosie Sampson his lust lost him his strength and eies Caines enuie made him so to sinne as hee became accursed Ismaels mocking cast him forth Esaus prophanenesse lost him his birth-right Ely his indulgency was his breaknecke Michols deryding spirit made her barren and Ananias for hypocrisie was a spectacle of iudgement to others Herod albeit he doe many things yet will haue his Herodias his beloued sinne still for enioying whereof wee are content to leaue other vices I Wee will leaue any sin to keepe our beloued sin will saith the boone companion doe any thing and let me bee but drunke And I saith the carnall caitiffe and let mee but satisfie my lust bee wanton liue in dalliance and commit filthynesse And I saith the couetous man and let mee gaine goods and wealth And I saith the proud man and yield me honour little knowing that such a maister-sinne is not without his many attendants It ruleth but the other haue their power to which the miserable is also in bondage vnwittingly for we must know that no one vice wil be singled out from his fellowes but if one get head other haue gone before as harbengers and other waite and followe after as Assistants one breedeth an other and one nourisheth an other continuallie Examples hereof not onely in the wicked who heape sinne vpon sinne as Ioash murther to his Idolatrie Iudas treason to his couetousnesse but euen in the falles of the faithfull children of GOD Dauid his lying in the bed and gazing idlely abroad bred his lust lust adulterie and adultery murther Therefore such as suppose to walke with a partie coloured coate betweene vertue and vice or rather with some vertues and some vices these men yet know not that vertue will dwell alone as God or vice alone they are contraries they neuer can accord in one where vertues are carelesly neglected there no one vertue hath full possession and where any one sinne beareth sway there viciousnesse is Lord master Therefore let vs not doe this or that The meere ciuill honest man is no commendable ChristiaÌ„ vertue for so may we sinisterly but endeuour to doe