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desperation, or into wretchlessness of unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.

Furthermore we must receive God's promises

whole Scripture, the power of God to salvation to them only who do believe it. Christ himself, the Prophets before him, the Apostles after him, all the true ministers of God's holy word, yea every word in God's book, is unto the reprobate the savour of death unto death.- -Christ Jesus, the Prophets, the Apostles, and all the true ministers of his word, yea every jot and tittle in the holy Scripture, hath been, is, and shall be for evermore, the savour of life unto eternal life, unto all those whose hearts God hath purified by true faith. Hom. xxii. 2.

St. Augustin saith, Although many things in the Scripture be spoken in obscure mysteries, yet there is nothing spoken under dark mysteries in one place, but the self-same thing in other places is spoken more familiarly and plainly, to the capacity both of learned and unlearned. And those things in the

k The earth, which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. Heb. vi. 7, 8. There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 4. A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 1 Pet. ii. 8. If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog has turned to his own vomit again;

and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 1 Pet. ii. 20-22. Ye have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh. Gal. v. 13. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. Heb. xii. 15.

1 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deut. xxix. 29. The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Tit. ii. 11. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Mark xvi. 15. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. Is. xlv. 22. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matt. xi. 28. Let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev. xxii. 17 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Is. lv. 7. I gave

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persons

in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture. And in our doings, that

m

Scripture that be plain to understand, and necessary for salvation, every man's duty is to learn them, to print them in memory, and effectually to exercise them. And as for the dark mysteries, to be contented to be ignorant in them, until such time as it shall please God to open those things unto him. Hom. i. 2.

That we may attain the wisdom of God, hidden in his word, we must with fervent prayer crave of God that with his Spirit he lighten our minds, being darkened with extreme darkness. Nowell, p. 6.

Let us beware therefore, good Christian people, lest that we, rejecting or casting away God's word, (by the which we obtain and retain true faith in God,) be not at length cast off so far, that we become as the children of unbelief, which be of two sorts, far diverse, yea almost clean contrary, and yet both be very far from returning to God: the one sort only weighing their sinful and detestable living with the right judgment and strait

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her space to repent of her fornica tions, and she repented not. Rev. ii. 4. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God. 1 Pet. iv. 17. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith; to God only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever. Amen. Rom. xvi. 25, 26.

m Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father. Matt. vi. 21. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Mic. vi. 8. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. John vii. 17. His secret is with the righteous.

Prov. iii. 32. The secret of the
Lord is with them that fear him;
and he will shew them his cove-
nant. Ps. xxv. 14. What man is
he that feareth the Lord? him
shall he teach in the way that he
shall choose. Ps. xxv. 12. The
mercy of the Lord is from everlast-
ing to everlasting upon them that
fear him, and his righteousness
unto children's children; to such
as keep his covenant, and to those
that remember his commandments
to do them. Ps. ciii. 17, 18. And
unto man he said, Behold, the fear
of the Lord that is wisdom; and to
depart from evil is understanding.
Job xxviii. 28. Then shall we
know, if we follow on to know the
Lord. Hos. vi. 3. He that followeth
me, shall not walk in darkness.
John viii. 12. Unto you that fear
my name shall the Sun of righ-
teousness arise with healing in his
wings. Mal. iv. 2. Let us there-
fore as many as be perfect be thus
minded: but if in any thing ye be
otherwise minded, God shall reveal
even this unto you. Nevertheless,
whereto we have already attained,
let us walk by the same rule, let us
mind the same thing. Phil. iii. 15,
16. Be ye doers of the word, and
not hearers only, deceiving your

classes of

will of God is to be followed, which we have

ness of God's righteousness, be so without counsel, and be so comfortless, (as they all must needs be, from whom the spirit of counsel and comfort is gone,) that they will not be persuaded in their hearts, but that either God cannot, or else that he will not, take them again to his favour and mercy. The other, hearing the loving and large promises of God's mercy, and so not conceiving a right faith thereof, make those promises larger than ever God did, trusting, that although they continue in their sinful and detestable living never so long, yet that God, at the end of their life, will shew his mercy upon them, and that then they will return. And both these two sorts of men be in a damnable state, and yet nevertheless, God (who willeth not the death of the wicked) hath shewed means, whereby both the same (if they take heed in season) may escape. The first, as they do dread God's rightful justice in punishing sinners, (whereby they should be dismayed, and should despair indeed, as touching any hope that may be in themselves,) so if they would constantly or stedfastly believe that God's mercy is the remedy appointed against such despair and distrust, not only for them, but generally for all that be sorry and truly repentant, and will therewithal stick to God's mercy, they may be sure they shall obtain mercy, and enter into the port or haven of safeguard, into the which whosoever doth come, be they beforetime never so wicked, they shall be out of danger of everlasting damnation, as God by Ezekiel saith, "What time soever a sinner doth return, and take earnest and true repentance, I will forget all his wickedness." Ezek. xxxiii. 19. Hom. viii. 2.

m For whereas God hath shewed to all them that truly believe his Gospel, his face of mercy in Jesus Christ, which doth so lighten their hearts, that they (if they behold it as they ought to do) be transformed to his image, be made partakers of the heavenly light, and of his holy Spirit, and be fashioned to him in all goodness requisite to the children of God; so, if they after do neglect the same, if they be unthankful unto him, if they order not their lives according to his example and doctrine, and to the setting forth of his glory, he will take away from them his kingdom, his holy word, whereby he should reign in them, because

own selves. James i. 22. He that is of God heareth God's words. John viii. 47. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed. Acts xvii. 11, 12. Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. Luke xi.

28. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John viii. 31, 32. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore, Ps. xxxvii. 27. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev. xxii. 14.

expressly declared unto us in the word of God.

they bring not forth the fruit thereof that he looketh for. Hom. viii. 1.

God at length doth so forsake his unfruitful vineyard, that he will not only suffer it to bring forth weeds, briars, and thorns, but also further punish the unfruitfulness of it. He saith he will not cut it, he will not delve it, and he will command the clouds that they shall not rain upon it: whereby is signified the teaching of his holy word, which St. Paul, after a like manner, expressed by planting and watering; meaning that he will take that away from them, so that they shall be no longer of his kingdom, they shall be no longer governed by his holy Spirit, they shall be put from the grace and benefits that they had, and ever might have enjoyed through Christ; they shall be deprived of the heavenly light and life, which they had in Christ, whilst they abode in him; they shall be (as they were once) as men without God in this world, or rather in worse taking. And, to be short, they shall be given into the power of the devil, which beareth the rule in all them that be cast away from God, as he did in Saul and Judas, and generally in all such as work after their own wills, the children of mistrust and unbelief. 1 Sam. xv. 23. Hom. viii. 2.

Man as a member of

a Christian community

XVIII. Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by
the Name of Christ.

THEY also are to be had accursed, that pre-
sume to say, that every man shall be saved by

a Because all men be sinners and offenders against God, and breakers of his law and commandments, therefore can no man by his own acts, works, and deeds (seem they never so good) be justified, and made righteous before God: but every man of necessity is constrained to seek for another righteousness or justification, to be received at God's own hands, that is to say, the forgiveness of his sins and trespasses, in such things as he hath offended. And this justification, or righteousness, which we so receive of God's mercy and Christ's merits, embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God, for our perfect and full justification. Hom. iii. 1.

This doctrine (that we be justified freely, without all merit of our own good works) whosoever denieth, is not to be accounted for a Christian man, nor for a setter-forth of Christ's glory; but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel, and for a setter-forth of men's vain glory. Hom. iii. 2. See also Art. XIII.

The inclination of man to have his own holy devotions, devised new sects and religions, called Pharisees, Sadducees, and

■ There be some that would per-
vert the gospel of Christ. But
though we or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached
unto you, let him be accursed. As
we said before, so say I now again;
If any man preach any other gospel
unto you
than that ye have re-
ceived, let him be accursed. Gal.
i. 7, 8, 9. Cursed be he that
maketh the blind to wander out of
the way. And all the people shall
say, Amen. Cursed be he that
confirmeth not all the words of this
law to do them. And all the people
shall say, Amen. Deut. xxvii. 18,
26. A man that is an heretic
(sectary) after the first and second
admonition reject; knowing that
he that is such is subverted, and
sinneth, being condemned of him-
self. Tit. iii. 10, 11. Having the
form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn
away. 2 Tim. iii. 5. Beloved, be-

lieve not every spirit; but try the spirits, whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. 1 John iv. 1-3. Many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God

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