Apostle here, agreeing with ss. Fames in his first chapter and the fourteenth verle, Every man is tempted, when he is intised and drawn away of bis own luft.

fpicit; and luft

The place where this corruption is, is the world; So St. Peter faith, and the first epiftle of Fohn and the fecond chapter, There is nothing in the world but concupifcentia oculorum & carnis, and St. Paul faith, They that will be rich in this world, fall into many foolish and noysom lufts, the first epiftle to Timothie, the fixt chapter. There are quara supus, the fecond epiftle to the Corinthians the seventh Filthineffe of chapter and the firft verfe, and the fecond epiftle of Peter the fe- the flesh and cond chapter and the tenth verse, but we must keep our felves unspot of uncleannels. ted of the world, as in the firft chapter of St. James epiltle; and hate the garment spatted of the flesh, Fude the twenty fitt verfe. For avoiding of corruption we must know, That temptations, which come by fair and flattering fpeeches, are not to be refifted, but a man must fly from them, Heb. 12. 1. There is dimeisaros duarie, an imbracing fiane; and Fames the 1. 13. there is a line or bait, or angle which you must flye from, fo fhall you be fafe: If you refift not you will be taken, and Fames the fourth chapter and the feventh verfe, Refift the Devil, but in the first epistle to the Corinthians che fixt chapter, Fugite fornicationem; for it is an embracing finne; the fecond epiftle to Timothy the fecond chapter, Flye lufts of youth: There is no other way, for by talking and arguing the point, is the way to be catched, that is, feeing the world from without doth corrupt as in the first epistle to the Corinthians the fift chapter, A little levan maketh fower the whole lump, they that will not avoid it, are fervants of corruption, the fecond epiftle of Peter the second chapter, and Fude calls them pots and blots; they that will be partakers of these promifes, must avoid the evil company of fuch: As, when Facobs rods lay before the Ewes, they brought forth party coloured Lambs, Genefis the thirtieth chapter : So that is the effect of evil company, And for ill fpeeches, that corrupts good manners, in the firft epiftle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter, for as Michab the seventh chapter and the third verle, there are fome, that speak out of the corruption of their foul, it spreads like a canker and corrupts many, the second epistle to Timothy and the fecond chapter. Evil example and bad companie, lewd fpeeches and vain fongs, are to be avoided, if we will avoid corruption: For, left that we may know from whence it proceeds, he that flies not allurements and provocations, cannot avoid them ; Therefore, in Pfalm the hundred and nineteenth, the Prophet prayech, Turne away mine eyes: So for occafions, Proverbs the fift chapter, Come not neer the harlots houfe And for the time and opportu nity, that is carefully to be refpected, Proverbs the leventh chapter, Inthe twilight the young man was found going to the harlots house, and sa was corrupted. So though neither object nor opportunity be offered, yet a man being idle and without exercife may be corrupted; for that was the finne of Sodome; Eekiel the fixteenth chapter and the fourty ninth verfe, Pride, abundance of bread, and idlenesfe. Then a

man

man must never purpofe to finne, for fo he corrupteth the spirit of his minde; nor to let his defire be corrupted, He must shun evil company, Ephefians the fitt chapter, have no fellowship with the unfruit ful works of darkneffe, and that is a figne of grace. Grace is the motion of the fpirit, the end of grace is glory. He whofe reasonable foul doth not purpose to doc evil, and his will doth not defire it, but thunnes all occafions and opportunity of evil, fuch a one hath a be, ginning of grace, which will not forfake him till it have brought him to glory, and made him partaker of the Divine nature.

Ad hoc ipfum verò vos, omni præterea collato Studio, adjicite fidei veftra virtutem, &c.

HERE is no promile made by God, but is with a condition, either by way of a restraint, with fi qui, as Romans the eighth chapter and the firtt verfe; or of affirmative illi verò, or conclufion, the second epistle to the Corinthians the seventh chapter: Therefore feeing we have such promifes, in this place we have both. Before promife is made us, to be partakers of the divine nature, so that we flie the corruption; And the Apostle, not contenting himself with that, doth joyn a fecond, as an affirmative condition: Therefore give all diligence to this.

The first obferva ion from hence is, To know how to draw a conclufion from the promise of God: For fome, from the promife of Gods grace, did conclude, that they might now freely finne, Romans the fixt chapter: But the Apostle here diflikes that, as also Paul in the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the feventh chapter, seeing we bave fuch promifes, let us confummate our holinesse in the fear of God, The cause of so many diffentions in the world is, because we are of diverfe fpirits, and gather contrary conclufions, as in the first epiftle to the Corinthians the feventh chapter, the Apostle, from the shortneffe of life, draweth this conclufion, that men fhould use the world as if they used it not; So from the fame, there are another fort that conclude thus, Seeing we must dye to morrow, let us eat and drink, the first epiftle to the Corinthians and the fifteenth chapter; as Romans the fixt chapter, because where finne abounds, grace (uperabounds they conclude, let us finne that grace may abound. From the promise of God we may not draw any other conclufion,but as here he exhorts, there fore let us give all diligence.

Secondly, He fheweth wherein this diligence is to be fhewed, joyn to your faith virtue.

Firft of Diligence; and then of the thing wherein it is to be im ployed.

repen

Care, or Diligence, the Apoftle maketh the first part of tance from ill, the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the leventh chapter: And it is the fame word in both places; It is here the God of repentance; and the Apostle he makes it the gates of affirmative virtues, and a good life; the one for taking away finne, the other for bringing in of godlineffe. There are many kinds of diligence; but this is that a man uleth, when he makes it tempeftiva diligentia; when a man having day before him, he doth not put off till the end, about anò acsufty, as Pfalm the hundred and nineteenth, I made hafte and prolonged not to keep thy commandements; and in the third chapter, looking for and hafting to the comming of the day of the Lord. As we must look for it, fo make haste to meet him joyfully.

Now we know the nature of it, we will confider the degree of it in the word all, not fome kinde of care or indeavor, but all diligence. Seeing we have great and presious promifes,in the highest degree, let our diligence be in the highest degree. Men must not perfwade themselves it is an easie matter to be a good Chriftian; but a thing wherein all care and diligence is to be shewed, and he had the spirit of God to dire& him, He layeth upon us no other burdens, then neceffary commandements, Acts the fifteenth chapter and the eighteenth verfe. Our Saviour Chrift, by crying often Watch and pray, Mark the thirteenth chapter, Take heed, Luke the thirteenth chapter, Strive to enter into the freight gate, Matthew the seven.h chapter, Labour not for the meat that perifheth, Fohn the fixt chapter, calling entrance into life, as hard as for a camel to paffe through the eye of a needle, Luke the fixteenth chapter, fhews, men may not think but it requires all diligence and contention. If the prefervation of mans body cannot be without caring for apparel and meat; And if humane nature be decayed, and will not be repaired without coft, there must be care and diligence to keep a good dyet; then our union and incorporation into the Deitie is no matter ofcafe. We must use diligence both in ceafing from evil and following good, and that in as good degree as we can, for when we have done what we can, yer it is true, in the first epiftle of Peter the fourth chapter, juftus vix fervabitur. Unto which we add thirdly, that the word give, here uled; is very effectual: It is ufed two wayes, It is to bring in a thing with an oppofition; as if the Apostle faid, Heretofore ye have shewed great diligence in vanities; ye can watch, fpend your time and money: Shew the like diligence in following good. The other is a fense used in the fixt chapter to the Galatians and in Fudes epistle, that if Hereticks cannot get in, they will creep in craftily in the next chapter he faich, Privily bringing in herefies; and the fame Fade verfe the fourth So here it is brought in by imitation. We must be as carefull to poffeffe our felves with good, as the wicked are to joyn vice to vice. It is Chrifts advife, Luke the fixteenth chapter, The children of light to be as wife as they of the world. This joyning is imeni, It hath a plain expreflion in the 68. Pfalm,

Kkkk

The

1

The fingers went before, the players went after: This proceffion in order of a Quier, is the true motion fignified by this word. It is used by the Apoftic, fpeaking of the body in the fourth chapter to the Ephefians and the fecond to the Colossians and the nineteenth verfe This coupling of one bone with another, thus orderly marching or training, he calls by the fame name: Such a thing the Apostle exhorts unto here. From hence we learn, that Chriftianity or Religion is as a Quier, confifting of many veins; or a body, of many parts. It is not a thing ftanding of one virtue; they that have learn ed Chrift truly, Ephefians the fourth chapter, have learned first to put off the old man, and then to put on the new. And fo the Apoftle reckoning up, as a great train of virtues, as Peter doth here; and St. Peter faith, verfe the ninh, They that conceive not fo of Christianity, are blinde, and cannot see afarre off: When in the Scripture, we finde any main matter of weight laid upon one virtue, we must take a part for the whole, it is but one virtue of the train. As there are many parts of repentance, the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the feventh chapter; fo the Apoftle gives a compleat harneffe, ftanding of seven several parts, Ephefians the fixt chapter.

As they that are partakers of the Divine nature, are a body compact of many joynts and fianews; fo the divine fpirit is not one alone, but as the ancient Fathers define the eleventh verfe of the feventh chapter of Ifaiah, and the fourth chapter of the Apocalyps.

Secondly, This is not promifcuè, confufedly; but orderly as in a Quier, one begins, another follows: This multitude of virtues is Acies ordinata, Canticles the fixt chapter, like the marching of Soldiers; for it comes from God, who is the God of order and not of confufion.

Thirdly, All at once doc not break out, but there is a fucceffive bringing in one of the other. In that order there ate degrees, First, Faith Secondly, Virtue: Thirdly, Knowledge. The number of virtues be eight, as eight parts of repentance, in the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the feventh chapter. Thole contain our separation from the Devils nature. As the other are our union with Gods nature, which are usually compared to those eight steps, in Ezekiel the fourtieth chapter, from the thirty first to the fourty first verse, they are our affents, whereby we approach to the Altar, fo the promiles of bleffedneffe which our Saviour fpeaketh of, are eight, Matthew the fift chapter.

Another thing to be obferved is, That of these eight there are four pair; for to a theologicall virtue is added ever more a moral : Faith, knowledge, godlinesse, and charity, are theologicall; to evey one of these there is a moral virtue.

To come to the particulars, we shall observe that faith begins, and charity ends, as Galatians the fift chapter, fides per charitatem operatur: So in Peter faith works till it come to love; He that will come to God must beleeve, Hebrews the eleventh chapter; but that is nothing without love, I Cor. 13.

Love is the bond of perfection, Colossians the third chapter, Above all have love, which is the chain of perfection. Faith is a moft pretious thing, lo he faith verfe 1. And it hath this honor,to be the root and foundation of all,as Colossians 2. grounded in faith;it is the ground of all vertue,it is Choragus,the first that leadeth the dance. Men hope to receive the end of faith, and that is the falvation of fouls, the first epiftle of Peter the first chapter; then faith is the beginning of it. To this truth we must add another truth; that as it is the firft, fo but a part; and not as the world would have it, to be all. Because faith commeth by hearing, Romans the tenth chapter, the world is all fet on hearing, but in the first epistle to the Corinthians and the twelfth chap. the body is not all an care : Faith is but a part, and that an eighth part. As here we have warrant from St. Peter, it is the firft; ergo we must begin at it, but not to ftand there, but goe further. As it is choragi, so epicorigia, that is, not fo compleat of it felf, but fomething is to be joyned to it. For faith, St. Peter, the fittest to take inftruction from, who fhewed the failing and wavering of his faith, when Chrift asked him, Loveft thou me? The answered Thou knowest that I love thee, Fohn the twenty firft chapter. But how knew he it, when he denyed him before a poor Damofel? Matthew the twenty fixt chapter. And in refpe&t of Chrift, Luke the twenty fecond chapter and the thirty fecond verle, I have prayed for thy faith: Chrifts promife and his own experince may perfwade us, he knew the nature of faith: And this is an infallible mark of true faith, that it hath joyned virtue, and is taught of the Law of God; and true faith doth not abrogate the Law; nay. Romans the third chapter, the Law is established by faith. Faith muft bring in virtue by the hand So in that great chapter of faith, having gone through all, he faith, They chufed rather to fuffer, than to enjoy pleasures of finne, Hebrews the eleventh chapter. Paul faith true faith operatur juftiam & per charitatem: So Peter here, and Fames the fecond chapter and the twenty fecond verfe, it doth cooperari; that is the figne Fames gives of faith: In the first epiftle of John the fift chapter, the figne of true faith is, it overcomes not only the Devil, but the world, and the pleasures, riches, honors of the world, as in Hebrews the cleventh chapter: It is the fame figne that, Hebrews eleventh chapter and the fourth verfe, fhewed it felf in Mofes, when he refuled to be the sonne of Pharaohs daughter: And Fude, in the twentieth verse, faith, If it be true faith, it is fides fanctificans. So they all agree, Paul faith, Faith must work righteousneffe, Peter, It must bring virtue in by the hand, Fohn, It must overcome the world; and Fude faith, It is a Janctifying faith, not locked up in a mans confcience. So that it is no true faith, which virtue follows got.

: