Disciples should be offended because of him and that they should be cast out imprisoned reviled and suffer many persecutions for his names sake And the ground or reason of all this is from that promise in Gen. 3. That God would set enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent and this enmity hath abided ever since and will ever abide between those two mystical seeds until the seed of the woman Christ and his members shall become absolute conquerors in the binding up the old serpent who is the father of all enmities and mischiefs This informeth God's people that it should not seem strange unto them when the world and their enemies do rage against them Here a question may come in Whether christians when they are called unto it are bound in duty to suffer for the profession of all the Truths of God To clear this question I shall premise briefly That Truths are either about fundamentals or circumstantials Fundamentals are such as without the knowledge thereof we cannot ordinarily be saved and they are conversant either about the very being of a Saint and Christian or secondly about the well-being in preserving and building up this Christian in his holy faith and these are called principles or rudiments of Religion Heb. 6.1 You know no one can proceed to be an Artist in any Art or Science or come to any perfection therein without some certain rules and principles to proceed by so none can become a true Christian or Artist in that heavenly Science of Christianity without some first laid principles And amongst those Fundamentalls which are necessary to the Being of a christian I believe as some have been too large in the description of their Fundamentals so some have been too narrow and therefore seeing they are not precisely determined by any universal assembly of christians but are left to be gathered up here and there in the Word of God by parcels I shall not be so presumptuous to define their certain number only I say thus much That that Creed which is called the Apostolical setting a qualified sense on that article of Christ's descent into hell to be the exactest square and rule of principles that relates unto the very Being of a Christian that is this day extant and he that is not ready to suffer for the profession thereof is not worthy the name of a Christian Now secondly other Fundamentals are about the well-being of a christian and such are all the Ordinances of the Gospel As Baptism Lord's Supper Prayer Thanks-givings all Church Orders and Fellowships Preaching Exhorting Reproving Overseeing and the like And if it be in our power we are rather to forbear the use of one of them then to defile our souls or consciences under corrupt administrations of them but if at any time we were called to suffer for the essential truth of them we are bound to suffer and to bear them a testimony as a part of the Truth and Word of God But for every opinion that arises about the right administrations of the latter or manner of understanding of the former principles which are but the circumstantials of Religion to set bonds upon the conscience therein it savours rather of a spirit of contention heat and passion then of found judgement and christian wisdom This is to make hard knots where there is none and Christ calls his yoke easie this were to make it burdensom and intollerable The substantial part of Christian Religion is plain and easie and the blinde may walk therein and a lamb may wade thorow This is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 It is true there are mysteries high questions and deep things of God in the word these are for the exercise of our spirits and gifts not of our faith no further then as part of the revealed mind of God and therefore we believe them to be truth though we understand them not which are reserved until the day of the revelation of all things when we shall know as we are known and when all our ignorances and imperfections shall be done away This sets a check upon some hot spirits of these times that rather then lose or part with their wilde opinions or let them lie unvented would break all the bonds of peace charity and communion amongst Christians and so utterly deprive the churches of Christ of all the benefit which otherwise their gifts and parts might stand in stead for I doubt all sorts of christians of our times are too far baptized into this errour and Satan hath too great a stroke in it to divide the hearts of Christians about circumstantials when as they hold one and the same fundamentals joyntly together The Lord in mercy to his churches remedy this great evil and sin of our times Vers 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a Trumpet In the Greek copie it is no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in the Spirit which in Beza's translation is rendred correptus in Spiritu I was rapt in Spirit It was indeed a rapture of spirit an extasie wherein John received this Vision and so it hath been with all the Prophets of old they were acted by the Spirit in all their visions and prophesies they were lift up above themselves and out of themselves when they were to have cognizance of Divine things and this was by the Eternal Spirit of God working mightily in their spirits Observ That the Spirit of God does as it were set a violence on those persons he employs about the high mysteries and discoveries of his choicest Truths Paul that great light of the Gentiles he had his raptures into the third heaven whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell Exekiel when he was to receive those high Visions he oft reports of the Spirit entring into him and taking him up cap. 3.12 and 2.2 John for his better accomplishment to receive those divine Visions he is here said to be rapt in Spirit And the reasons of this is First That he might be the better enabled to take a clear and full view of those divine discoveries which were about to be shown unto him When we would show one things distinctly we use to place him up on high for the better sight Secondly That he might have satisfaction in his own spirit that those his visions were from God seeing he had so extraordinary taste of the Spirit in the first place he might well conclude he was now as it were to become the mouth of the Spirit unto the churches Lastly That his thoughts and heart might have been sequestred from things below and his contemplation raised higher on things divine as a true Prophet of God ought to have Another Note from hence is as a corrollary to the former That when Christ sets up any eminent Officer or Light in
wherein sin is but not in the sinfulness of the action as the Sun that emits his efficacious beams upon a dunghil yet it self is undefiled from the corruption of the dunghil so God that has his hand and efficiency about sin is far from mixing with the obliquities of the creature neither can he be said to be the direct author of it nor the next proper cause thereof sin is only a moral being or entity and it hath subsistence alone in our corrupt natures but all our physical actions are good wherein God hath a concurrence and they become ill or sinful by our own depravities and so the divel and our own lusts are the mixt proper authors and fountains of all sin So let God be justified and all men lyars Secondly Yet I say God hath his hand and efficiency about sin several manner of ways and for distinct method sake I shall briefly set them down 1. God foresees and pre-ordains it else as I said it could not come to pass seeing God is omniscient and omnipotent to hinder it if he would Acts 2.23 Christ was delivered by the fore knowledge and determinate counsel of God What was a greater sin then the betraying the innocent and that too the Saviour of the world Yet this was pre-ordained of God and he meant to draw excellent good out of it and Gen. 15.19 20. Joseph tells his brethren As for you ye thought evil but God meant it for good to bring it to pass as it is this day to save much people alive 2. God permits it God's Decrees imply a necessity that sin shall be but do not impel or enforce thereunto We being left to our free choice God is not bound to hinder us he suffered them to walk in their own ways Acts 14.16 and we being left unto our own choice without God's special grace we are sure to chuse the worser part 3. God hath his concurrence in every action wherein sin is but not in the obliquity of it all our actions and motions are from God but the sinfulness thereof is from the lusts of the heart of man 4. God withdraws his preventing Grace or suspends it from a sinner for God is not bound up to Laws and conditions unto us and he may do it out of Soveraignty and he will do it somtimes in wisdom to try us and see whether we will seek after him and keep close unto him as he did to Hezekiah 2 Chron. 33.31 God left Hezekiah that he might know what was in his heart So somtimes he withdraws his grace in Justice and Judgement Psal 81.12 I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels 5. God gives a concession and permission to wicked Instruments to stir up and move to evil as 1 Kings 22.22 I will go forth and be a lying Spirit in the mouth of Abab's Prophets And God said Go forth 6. God wisely disposes his Providences that they become a snare unto the sinner and yet no dishonour to God for his acts of Providences are in themselves good and are rather motives to holiness and duty if our hearts were sound then temptations to sin yea his very mercies will become unto them a snare Psal 69.22 Let their Table become a snare and their Welfare a Trap. A sinner like the Sea will make all it receives brackish though ever so sweet that runs into it 7. God's hand is conversant about sin as some of his judiciary punishments that he afflicts the sinner with as Rom. 1.26 2 Thes 2.11 God gave them up to vile affections and gave them strong delusions When we leave God and his ways justly may he give us up to our own lusts and perverse ways in a Judiciary way and to a reprobate sense 8. God limits sin Thus far thou shalt go and no farther Psal 76.10 The wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder thereof shalt thou restrain So far as God gets glory by the permission of sin God will let the sinner take his swing but it shall not exceed its bounds but can presently destroy it or stop the current of it in an instant And so the remainders of wrath thou wilt restrain 9. God disposes the events and ends of all sin to his glory God would never permit sin if he could not bring good out of it Rom. 3.7 Adam's sin as one wittily said was a happy sin because it made way for the grace of God to be more clearly manifested unto the creature Many of God's attributes would never be so clearly advanced if it were not for sin to wit his mercy in pardoning justice in punishing wisdom in ordering power in over-ruling it Let us never therefore murmure against God for pre-ordaining and permitting sin for though the wages thereof be death yet thanked be God we have Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Observ 4. Another Note from the words The Divel shall cast some of you in prison is That it is the Saints great comfort to know that their imprisonments and afflictions comes from Satan and his wicked instruments Saint Peter's rule was 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as an evil doer The comfort of sufferings will be quite abated by the guilt of sin neither must the Saints sufferings be voluntary and out of choice for unto such it may one day be said Who required these things at your hands There must be a just call unto afflications that must make them comfortable to us It is but a fond presumption to cast our selves upon imprisonments and tribulations Satan and his wicked instruments will be apt enough to do it and in that we may truly rejoyce that Christ hath thought us worthy to be Martyrs to his Truth Acts 5.41 Matth. 5.12 and hath given us so sure and strong a token of our Interest in him together with a sight of that glory of our interest which we then under that condition must virtually and strongly enjoy in him by faith but such are very fond that will desire to fall into imprisonments and tribulations out of an affectation to Martyrdom as many of the Quakers of these days do and Christ hath taught us to pray Lead us not into temptation and this had not been taught us had it not been grievous and evil to fall into it whether it were either the temptation unto sin or temptation of affliction or the cross for Christ himself prayed when his soul was troubled within him Father save me from this hour and Let this Cup pass from me John 12.27 though Christ submitted to the will of his Father and freely chose death and sufferings as our Mediator yet as a private person he would manifest the same affections that are in us and deprecate the evil of sufferings if possibly he could Therefore for us to desire or rush into them would be a mad zeal and irregular and not according to sound knowledge but if we desire to wait on God sincerely and live godly
Satan Law nor the second death cannot take hold upon him for it is Christ that died for him for Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is Christ that is risen for their justification therefore they are beyond all danger of miscarrying and so may justly tryumph and say O Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory But thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. Vers 12. And to the Angel of the Church which is at Pergamus write this saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges Christ here followeth the charge against the church at Pergamus It is inscribed to the Angel or Pastor of the church which is at Pergamus and in the 18. vers following To the Angel of the Church which is at Thyatira the Spirit herein clearly denoting unto us that the inscription in the first verse of this chapter To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus or of the Ephesian Church and here To the Angel of the Church at Pergamus or in Pergamus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of one and the same significants and latitude and therefore such places are very incongruously taken up to prove a Church of the same extent and latitude with the Nation And though we may lawfully use the terms of the church of England of Scotland France c. it must always be understood in a limited sense not that all England Scotland France Ephesus Smyrna or Pergamus were the Church but that it is the church of England or in England of Ephesus or in or at Ephesus of Pergamus or rather as it is here in Pergamus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or at Thyatira And therefore it is most safe to keep close to the sound of wholsom words in such expressions Write this saith he that hath the sharp sword with two edges Christ sets himself forth unto each church in a diverse mode John saw him in the first chapter in a general and full appearance and discovery of himself in his full luster And now he discovers himself by parts unto the churches according to their several wants and imperfections Where by the way take this Note Observ That Christ's discoveries of himself unto his Churches are always most suitable to their present conditions To afflicted and persecuted faithful churches as Ephesus and Smyrna were he appears as a God of protection and salvation unto them as in the first verse under the description of having the seven Stars in his right hand and walking in the midst of the seven Golden candlesticks and in the eighth verse he saith to the church of Smyrna for a comfortable discovery unto them write these things saith he that is first and last which was dead and is alive But now unto the more unsound and corrupted churches of Pergamus and Thyatira his discovery is in another posture as one having a two edged sword proceeding from his mouth and eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass v. 18. an appearance of indignation Wrath and Judgment Faithful afflicted Christians need discoveries of grace peace and consolation but unfound and corrupt ones ought to have the doctrine of Judgments and wrath preach'd unto them he that knoweth not rightly to divide the words of truth is no compleat workman in Christ's Vineyard he is a workman that need not be ashamed that knows how to preach Gospel and glad tidings of reconciliation and peace to poor humbled and repentant sinners But Hell and wrath and judgments and fiery indignations to the obstinate and impenitent the doctrine of grace and threats are not contradictories being wisely managed yet in this appearance of Christ of having a sharp two edged sword proceeding out of his mouth there is much mercy in it for understand that by the sword of Christ's mouth is meant his word and doctrine confer with Heb. 4.12 Psal 148.6 and 56.5 Prov. 5.4 for that is two edged and cuts two ways First it cuts off the sin and corruptions of the faithful by its kindly operating through the influence of the Spirit Secondly It cuts confounds and destroys the wicked not through any innate quality in the Word but by accident for by their refusal and contempt thereof so consequently of the divine Majesty the Author and Instituter thereof God goes out with the other edg or side of his sword against them on his black and red horse of wrath and Judgments Hence Note Observ That God's Judgments towards his back-slidden Churches are mingled with much mercie Though Christ's appearance to Pergamus and Thyatira was much in wrath for their defilements and back-slidings yet he added much grace and mercy thereunto both in approbation of their graces and calling them to repentance for their defections Christ gives always line upon line and precept upon precept providence after providence and mercy after mercy to invite us to repentance before he will take his last cause of Judgment with us his heart is still towards our amendment though he is provoked highly by our sins against us and who but an heart of Adamant would not believe him when he swears As I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn and live And the very weapons that he uses against sinners are the sword of his mouth with two edges it heals as well as wounds the one edge is anointed with the balm of Grace though the other with the gall of Judgment Vers 13. I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is and thou heldest fast my Name and hast not denyed my faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful Martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth Christ in the first place goes on in the approbation and encouragement of the church of Pergamus and tels her that he knows her works and that her habitation or domestical conversation for so the word signifies is in a place even where Satan's Seat is or Throne is as the Orginal has it We know the Seat or Throne is taken in Scripture for the place or ensign of Dominion Rule or Sway as Psal 1. v. 1. Blessed is he that sitteth not in the seat of the scornful that is in the society of such scorners as go on with a high hand and say their tongues are their own who shall us controul As Christ has his Throne and Seat so Satan has his as Christ goes out as an absolute Monarch in his Kingdom hath his Royal Laws and commands and the observers thereof therein so Satan hath also his Kingdom and his Throne set up therein where his commands are obeyed by the childen of disobedience without controul and therefore this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Throne of Satan is is rendred in the latter part of this verse in another variation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Satan dwelleth or does his houshold affairs A mans house
is under it and having plucked up the rotten prop the building thereon must needs fall to ground and come to nought Cum tollitur causa tollitur effectus and instead of this broken reed let the faithful soul comfort and support it self in patience with the hopes of Christ's true and real Kingdom wherewith John was affected and supported Rev. 1.9 which shall come in glory and great power and none shall say as now Lo here is Christ or there is Christ but he shall be most evident and perspicuously glorious Lo He cometh in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierced him and every one shall mourn because of him v. 7. This Kingdom of Christ is not advanced by any capricious whimsies of ours but is brought to light in power and great Majesty where Christ comes with his Armies and myriads of Angels and raised Saints Rev. 19.14 20.4 to take the Kingdom unto himself when Antichrist and all his adherents are destroyed by the appearance of the Lord Christ then shall they fly unto the Rocks and the Mountains and call to them to fall upon them to hide them from the presence of the Lamb that sitteth on the Throne and then all the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdoms of our God and his Christs and he shall reign for ever and ever Hallelujah Amen And for a conclusion of all let the faithful ones of Christ hearken to the often repeated admonition of the Spirit in the last verse Vers 22. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches He that is an understanding christian among you let him consider what graces the Spirit hath set forth to their imitation and approved of by various encouragements and promises of rewards and what sins and faults he hath reproved and menaced with dreadful judgements in each and every one of those seven Asian churches that he may avoid the one and embrace the other that so his portion may fall in the land of the living What was written to them was written for our example and if we be found in their conditions we shall receive our rewards accordingly for every one shall receive according to his works O Lord Christ that has moved the heart of thy servant to make these things known unto the children of men let him be a learner himself at the foot-stool of thy grace and blessed be thy holy Name that hath gone thus far with thy poor servant O let his own words be imprinted in his own heart Keep him humble Lord that he be not lifted up in his own eyes lest whiles he comes a Teacher unto others he himself becomes a cast-away O Lord Christ Give thy servant power from thy self to overcome his temptations that he may sit with thee in thy Throne even as thou hast overcome and art set down in thy Fathers Throne Pardon O Christ not only the faults of this undertaking but the many sins and errours of all his life O cover him and them with thy white rayment and then he shall walk in white before thee and at thy appearance his nakedness shall not appear Remember O Lord thy Church and People among us for good O let them hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches That thy Name may be gloriously exalted within our days That thy Truth may run to and fro and be increased and that all be kept and preserved within the compass of their duty both towards God and Man That so we may have sweet smelling Gardens holy Assemblies within our Land where the Lord may take delight to dwell in Hear O Lord thy poor servant for thy wonted mercies sake in and thorow the Son of thy own love to whom with thy Self and holy Spirit one Eternal Ever-living Lord God be all glory dominion praise and power for ever and for ever Amen Δοξὰ μονῷ τῷ Θεῷ FINIS
to any and after follows a complaint of want of will to holy performances it is a good signe that there is a good will unto it or else there would not be a complaint which is only for a greater measure not for a total want of will unto it Thirly and lastly Understand that Christ often exhibits his commands of faith and repentance even to the reprobate themselves to manifest unto them their duty the due performance whereof they have in their original first parent lost and forfeited and God is not obliged to restore it seeing the vindication of Gods justice is as dear unto him as his mercy and therefore when Christ in his Ministery bids such persons to believe and repent they never complain of want of wills unto the work but rather add sin unto sin in a more obdurate unbelief But to proceed Or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent As if Christ had said unto the church of Ephesus if thou wilt not return unto me and unto thy first love by this gracious warning I have given thee be sure I will come in judgment against thee and that shortly and though my appearance as yet unto thee whiles there is hopes of thy recovery be in the likeness of the Son of man one of thy own nature and compassionate towards thee yet know if thou wilt not repent and do thy first works of love zeal and charity I shall forthwith come in another like resemblance having mine eyes as a flame of fire and a two-edg'd sword proceeding from my mouth and destroy thee and thy church-state and that quickly unless thou speedily amend thy faults Observ Hence Note That a speedy repentance is the only means to avert the judgements of God from falling upon a church or people Ahab's repentance though it was but hypocritical and unsound yet stayed God in executing his judgements on him The repentance of David and Solomon for their Adultery and Idolatry stayed God's hand against them and many others of the Kings of Israel experienced the goodness of God in this particular and by reason of their sincere endeavours of returning unto God by demolishing their abominations and idolatries God promised them he would not bring the evil in their days which he had denounced against his Idolatrous people the Jews but should be gathered in peace unto their fathers The Ninivites upon their repentance in sackcloth and ashes on Jonas preaching had a longer date set to their political state and City and this repentance too ought to be speedy for who knows how long God will suffer though long often he does before he sends forth the unevitable decree of execution As God is merciful slow to anger slow to wrath yet know that God is also just and that one attribute is as dear unto him as another the duty we see is presently required and we know not though God defers the execution whether he will give us hearts again unto the work after we have once slighted his gracious calls and invitations thereunto It was an old Proverb Sero sapiunt Phryges which may be our lot if we defer too long and we know that to be true that sera penitentia raro vera and consider how it was too late for Jerusalem to howl and cry after she had slighted the many gracious invitations of our Saviour unto repentance who would have gathered her as a hen gathers her chickens under her wing When Titus the Roman General had cast a Trench against her walls and bolted up her gates by the siege of a potent Army Christ tells the church of Ephesus and the rest of those Sister Asian churches if they do not repent he will come quickly in judgements against them as indeed he did in few ages after by the incursions of barbarous Nations and quite removed their churches from amongst them Quere But is not this a Legal teaching to denounce wrath and judgements on non-amendment or for want of repentance I answer Such as object thus are much mistaken for repentance is not strictly a Legal duty but a duty Evangelical and of grace for the Law admits of no repentance for it saith The soul that sinneth shall die It is the Gospel of grace alone that saith Repent and live that is Return from thy wicked ways and accept of Christ as thy Lord Saviour and Teacher and thou shalt be saved The Law is inexorable and exacts the whole satisfaction as the penalty of the breach thereof which was fully laid on Christ and satisfied by him It is grace alone that accepts the will for the deed and admits of repentance in the sinner whiles the Surety hath compleatly satisfied the justice and rigour of the offended Law Secondly What God hath sanctified no man should call unholy for hath not Christ commanded this duty of repentance very abundantly in the Gospel and very often to be interpreted for faith it self and shall we count it Legal Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins Acts 2.38 Repent or ye shall all likewise perish c. But I confess there is no little difference between Repentance under the Gospel administration and the old Testament administration under the one the doctrine thereof is more clearly taught upon more evident terms of grace In the other more darker and on more sensitive and carnal grounds As Christ under the Law was vailed under clouds and typical ordinances but under the Gospel more clearly preached unto all so his doctrines of grace faith and repentance were not by far so radiant before the days of his manifestation in the flesh as after so the difference lies in the degrees of clearness not of the verity and truth of the doctrine Quere 2. But again some may query Is not this to joyn Repentance unto Christ in some causality unto salvation and to set them both as it were in a joynt commission though somwhat subordinately unto that great end Indeed this is a question worthy the clearing which many unskilful ignorantly handle not knowing how to divide the Word of God aright do miserably stumble in it Understand for clearing of this in the order of causes God's free love is the first moving and predeterminating cause unto life and salvation Christ next is the alone procuring and meritorious cause and as Christ hath purchased the Elect unto himself by his death and merit so as a King or a Soveraigne Legislator he sets up a Royal Law for his Redeemed people to walk by to wit that of Repentance towards God and Faith unto Jesus Christ Now he sets not Faith nor Repentance in any causality with himself in this great work of life and salvation this is only but a principal part of his revealed Will and Law that he will have his redeemed ones to walk in he doth not require those graces in them as co-operating or efficient causes unto life or justification nor as conditions properly
received to and by souls before they can act towards God in the least acceptable services Object But then again some one may say If the small remaines of grace that were in Sardis were almost dead or ready to dy does not this argue a falling away and a possibility of the faithful to perish totally Answ Grace may be very low and yet not dead it was as sparks of fire under much ashes with Sardis and yet we know sparks are as real fire though not as fervent and virtual as a flaming one Indeed it was low with Sardis in her spiritual condition and it is most just with God when we are great sinners against him that he hides much of his gracious presence from us When by sin we quench the operations of the spirit of God God may justly quench its effects towards us but no sooner shall we follow the motions of the spirit and renew by repentance but presently God gives a more enlivening and effectual spirit into our souls and notwithstanding his former withdrawings yet it is but a Fatherly chastisement not an utter dereliction and forsaking Secondly I answer Persons that are Elect and have really tasted of the vertue of Christ's death and intercession can never utterly fall away unless they would make the power wisdome and preordination of God to be weak and fallible and the death and intercession of Christ impotent and insufficient unto that end to which it is ordained yet withal I assert though Elect persons cannot utterly fall away as being given by the Father unto Christ and none such can be cast away being helped by the mighty powâ—â— of God unto salvation yet Election of a state of persons may fail and perish As to instance in the Jewish Nation the Election thereof did obtain Rom. 11.7 to wit those that did pertain to the Election of God in that Nation did obtain mercy and reconcilliation by Christ yet at last for the sin of that Nation the Election of God did fail as respecting that State and Nation and the Ax was laid unto the root and that good Olive cut down and cast into the fire and the wild Olive or Gentile Nations graffed in upon their Stock Obstinacy in sin and unbelief was their cutting off and faith is the Gentiles incision and graffing in as the one is cut off by unbelief so the other is graffed in by faith Rom. 11.20 Those few names in Sardis that do hold fast the faith they are in a safe condition whilst all the rest of that church may perish utterly the first are marked and written in the eternal book of life of God and of the Lambe and therefore cannot perish but after God had finished his work at Sardis Thyatira Rome Corinth c. and called his Elect out of them and secured their eternal happiness he can remove the current of his Election to another people without any changeableness or shaddow of change in him and make those very people in their posterities the very seat and Sinagogue of Satan who were once his beulahs darling and beloved ones Thirdly there are guilded formal hipocritical graces and believers and such may not be only ready to dy but dead twice dead dead at the root and fit for nothing but to be plucked up and cast into the fire and therefore it is very ordinary in Scripture to say that such are fallen away perished and lost from their faith which they seemed to have all their graces are in the outward appearance only So Demas Simon Magus Judas Ananias and Saphira c. may be said to fall away from the faith because they had never the truth of real grace in them all was but seeming formal hypocritical and at best but historical which the divels may have and for all this perish everlastingly Observ 2. It is a great mercy for God to leave some remains of grace in a sinful Church and people If God had not left us a remnant we had been worse then Sodome and Gomorrah Small sparks being blown and cherished may become a flame so little grace though like a Mustard-seed may become a great Tree If God should deprive us of all the seed of grace there must needs follow a spiritual death unto our souls for when the soul of the soul is gone the soul will be soul-less and dead unto every good and spiritual worke As long as there is life in us though it is infirm and weak yet there is some hopes of recovery but being once dead there is no hopes of Redemption from the grave So as long as we have the Spirit of Christ though it works but faintly and weakly by reason of corruption in us and if it comes but to the first step and lowest degree of spiritual life to wit to be sensible of its dead and carnal condition and to complain under it there are good hopes of recovery unto such a soul and unto such I may boldly say unto its comfort Awake and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dy Observ 3. Though our graces are but weak and low and ready to dy yet it is our duty to cherish strengthen and confirm them until we bring forth the worke of Christ within our selves unto perfection We are not to contemn the day of small things for he that improves but one Talent well shall be made ruler of many Talents The Beasts in the Prophet always went forward Ezek. 1.11 but grubs that are backward are reckoned among unclean creatures Lev. 11.10 God hath promised that he will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax If we cherish the work of grace in us though in never so small a measure God will add a greater and fuller supply unto us God will add unto faith vertue unto vertue patience c. and according to that word in 2 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall all come hand in hand in consort as following one the other as in a chorus or dance Doubtless it would not be labor lost for Sardis to strengthen and revive the remainders of grace that were ready to expire within her though Christ would be at hand to assist her by his grace and spirit yet he would not do it without her motion and improvment as it was once said by Austine Though God made us without us yet he would not save us without us Grace works most kindly when it meets with improving hearts that are ready to say with young Samuel Thy servant heareth Lord speak Though God hath ascertained and decreed the salvation of his Elect yet it does not exclude the duty of creatures and the work of second causes Ezek. 36.37 Jer. 29.11 12. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling we are to worke for life as if life were to be got by working and doubtless the crown will be the more glorious where the greater improvments of grace are made the more grace the Vessel is capable of and filled with here