The Sinners Safety if Here He Look for Assurance, Part 1

The Sinners Safety if Here He Look for Assurance · Part 1

p. 32To make your calling & election ſure.

THere are diuerſe ends of our vertuous foreign. Firmam vel certam, ratā veſtram vocationē, & electionem faccre. Eight ends of good workes.liuing in religion; To ſhew our louelove and thankfulneſſe to God in obedience; to winne ſuch as are not yet called; to confirme the conuerted; to ſtop the mouthes of the wicked, ſhaming them by wel doing when they ſpeake ill of vsus; to make our calling and election ſure, as the Apoſtle here exhorteth; to aſſure to our ſelues that inward graces in vsus are true, and not counterfait; to ſhew that we are truly ingrafted into Chriſt; and laſtly, for the mutuall benefit one of another, for our quiet peaceableneſs in the Church and Common-wealth. Theſe ends of good workes wee finde in the word: theſe we acknowledge & know to be attained by well liuing; but that popiſh point of good workes wee may not approue, to doe good workes to merit heauen by in any ſort, a deuiſe of man without the word. It taketh away Many reaſons againſt iuſtification by works.from the ſufficiency of Chriſts ſatiſfaction: it lifteth vp the heart of man in the imagination of his owne worthines: p. 33it is contrary to Chriſts words, When you hauehave done all you can, you are vnprofitable ſeruants.

The godly are commended for good workes, but not ſaid thereby to merit; rewarded they are, but it is onelyonly in mercy: our beſt deedes are imperfect; & ſo farre as wee rely vponupon workes of the lawe, ſo farre are we accurſed, and hauehave loſt righteouſnes by faith in Chriſt: before God we ſtād iuſt in Chriſts iuſtice, the forme of our iuſtification is the imputation of Chriſts righteouſnes, or the mutuall donation and acception (the giuing and receiuing) of Chriſt Ieſus, betweene God in his merciemercy and a poore ſinner by faith. Our goodnes is a menſtruous cloth, and none wholly ſanctified in perfection. In Adam we loſt our ſpirituall life: In Chriſt and by him only and alone, wee purchaſe our primarie happines, but not perfectly till wee be in heauen in our owne perſons. Accurſedly blinde, therefore, as beetles are our Antichriſtian aduerſaries, who hauing ſo many ends of good workes preſcribed plainely by the Word, yet cannot ſee them, but hauehave added one of p. 34their owne, againſt all truth, againſt the honour of Chriſt, yea and a mans owne ſaluation.

And thus much to preuent the aduerſarie in his hereſie of merit by workes: of which wee had occaſion to ſpeake both from the Apoſtles ſcope, vrging to a vertuous life by the argument here laid downe, the gaining of aſſurance of ſaluation thereby; as alſo from the diuerſe reading of this text; for in ſome copies foreign.it is thus: To make ſure by good works your calling and election, and ſo it is in the vulgar which is commōly called Ieromes tranſlation: which may well ſtand with the drift of the text and truth of diuinity in this point; as that very reaſon added to this exhortation ſufficiently confirmeth. Let the aduerſarie peruert good things as he pleaſeth, veritie is warrantable: Words of good workes ſound well euer to religious mindes, though peruerſe ſpirits wreſt them heretically to an ill end. But to proceede;

Two generall leſſons may be collected from this matter of the exhortatiō:

Doctrine. Firſt, that it is no eaſie thing to be in our ſelues ſure of our ſaluation, and ſetled p. 35in the way of life; becauſe the Apoſtle vrgeth vsus to ſo great diligence, care, and endeauour about it: which if it were eaſie needed not. Light things aske not much labour; eaſie things are ſoone done, and wiſedome requireth not to be much about a little: therefore in that, whereunto the ſpirit preſſeth with ſuch reaſon, & vrgeth with ſo earneſt an exhortation, as here; there is difficultie, & to attaine thereunto it is not eaſie? And for proofe of this doctrine, let vsus weigh I beſeech you, how hard a thing it is to enter How this doctrine is confirmed.into the way; to abide in it being entred; how eaſie to decline from the right way; & what trouble is in the recouery, if euer we returne back at all.

Before we come to God, ſure wee are Iohn. 8. Ephe. 2. 1. 2. 3. 2. Tim. 2. 26John 8Eph 2:1Eph 2:2Eph 2:32 Tim 2:26the diuels; no child ſo like his father, as we be like Satan our grād fire, who doth rule vsus, & that as he pleaſeth: ſtrong hold he hath of vsus: eaſily he wil not let vsus go. In our ſauiours time, he tormented, rent & tore the bodies of men, whom he poſſeſſed, before he would let go his hold; ſo loth is he to loſe vsus, not of louelove, but to deuoure vsus. If thus he ſtriue to keep poſſeſſion of the body, how hard it is to win p. 36out of his hands bodie and ſoule? wherto if wee adde our owne madnes herein, that we vnwillingly are deliuered, rather reſiſting the meanes, and perſecuting the meſſengers ſent to recouver vsus that would bring vsus into the ſtate of grace, then any way willingly yielding our ſelues for our bettering; wee cannot but graunt it true, that it is hard for vsus to enter into the way of ſaluation.

We are naturally like wilde beaſts, Hard to win men to God.loth to be tamed; we can better away to be ſauages, to liue in our corruptions after our luſts, then walke in any orderly courſe, if vnpleaſing to the fleſh. What adoe is there to winne men from their wickednes? ſome of vsus from our whordome, ſome from drunkenneſſe, ſome from blaſphemous oathes, ſome from greedy couetouſnes, ſome from ſuperſtition, ſome from one thing, ſome from an other, but eſpecially from our beloued perſonall ſinne? God may thunder from heauen againſt rebellious Iſraelites, but they will not amend: Chriſt may lay lode vponupon the conſcience of Iudas, and tell him, that it were better he had neuer beene borne, then to bee a p. 37traytor to the ſonne of man; but it cannot ſtay him, couetouſnes ſo hath taken hold vponupon him: Iohn Baptiſt may call the Phariſes a generation of vipers, yet will they ſtill eate out their Mothers ſide, and keepe their conditions: And he may perhaps by long and much labour bring Herod to doe this and that, but Herodias will he not forſake: So louelove we to liue in ſinne, leaſt Sathan ſhould wholy loſe v…nd God fully enioy vsus. Wee neede n…her confirmation herein, but the witnes of our owne hearts. Many Sermons hauehave we heard, ſome after one manner, ſome after an other, to bring vsus into the right way: our conſciences hauehave accuſed vsus often, & cauſed vsus to feare wrath and deſtruction: good exāples of other before vsus; Gods mercies motiues ouer vsus; his chaſticemēts vponupon vsus; & the rule of reaſon within vsus to reduce vsus; yet hauehave we not left off to doe wickedly: as if wee had ſworn with a high hand to reſiſt both God and all good men, to bring vponupon our ſelues deſerued damnation: forlorne caitifs & accurſed wights may wee thinke our ſelues, and hence condiſcend to this infallible p. 38truth, that it is very hard to begin to be good.

As it is not eaſie to enter into the Men hardly abide in the way; when they are entred.ſtraite gate: ſo is it a thing of no leſſe difficultie to abide, hauing ſet foote into that path of peace. For we beeing in the ſtate of grace, though wee hauehave true graces, yet are we not therein perfect; and the imperfection of good argueth ſo much of corruption; this affecteth corrupt things, and pulleth vsus from the deſire of that which is holy. Hence is it, that a man findeth in him a continuall combat, ſometime the fleſh preuailing, ſometime the ſpirit: with faith is doubting: with will is an vnwillingnes, a proneſſe to euill; but to doe good is not preſent with vsus: whereupon it commeth to paſſe, that we ſinne often, and eueryevery ſin interrupteth the comforts of a peaceable conſcience; which maketh vsus call into queſtion the aſſurance of ſaluation, and worketh much ſorrowe of heart: ſo that eueryevery man may with the Apoſtle cry out ſaying, O miſerable man that I am, Rom. 7.Rom 7who ſhall deliuer me from the bodie of this death? VponUpon this our imperfect ſtate & corruption, Satan doth take aduantage, p. 39hee layeth baites to allure vsus, and ſnares to entrap vsus, according to our perſonall infirmities, from our natural diſpoſition; he maketh motions by internall ſuggeſtions, or elſe prepareth externall obiects for the ſenſes to drawe away the heart: by both or either are wee deceiued; hee tempting, and wee either yielding, or but weakely reſiſting. Thus brought he out of the way perfect Adam, iuſt Lot, faithfull Abraham, meeke Moſes, holie Aaron, zealous Dauid, ſtrong Sampſon, and that wiſe Salomon. What man was euer encountred and not ouercome, if GOD did not aide the beſt graces with his ſecond grace? We then ſee it to bee as hard, to abide, as to make entrance into the way of ſaluation.

Eaſily wee ſlippe out of the way, Hard to recouer after relapſe.hardly go wee on, back can wee run faſt: but when wee are gone from home, wee make ſmall haſte to returne againe: long lay Dauid in his ſinne, ere hee recouered, till the Prophet Nathan came and awoke him in theſe plaine tearmes ſaying, p. 40thou art the man. Sathan giueth ſuch attendance, 2 Sam. 12. 72 Sam 12:7if a childe of God bee taken wandring, as he can ſcarcely finde the way home againe: He either bewitcheth vsus ſo with pleaſures, that we cannot returne, or affrigheth vsus with feare, as Adam, that we dare not. If we get out of his hands againe, and by Gods good merciemercy outrunne him, yet is it with ſuch ſtriuing, as wee almoſt faint betweene feare to be held, and hope to eſcape: weighing Gods iuſtice with our ſinne, we dread damnation; conſidering our back ſlyding, ſcarcely dare we looke for mercy, but with ſighs, grones, & teares, wee come lamenting to the throne of grace, confeſſing ſometime with the prodigall ſonne, Father I hauehave ſinned againſt Luke 15.Luke 15heauen and againſt thee, I am not worthy to be called thy ſonne, make mee as one of thy hyred ſeruants: ſometime confeſſing Luke 18.Luke 18with the Publicane and crying, Lord hauehave merciemercy vponupon me a ſinner, acknoledging with Eſra our vnworthineſſe, ſaying, O my God I am confounded, and aſhamed Eſdra. 9. 6. 7to lift vp mine eies vntounto thee, ô my God: and praying with Dauid, HaueHave Pſal. 6. 2. 4.Ps 6:2Ps 6:4merciemercy vponupon me (O Lord) for I am weake: p. 41O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed: returne, O Lord, deliuer my ſoule, ſaue me for thy mercies ſake. And thus it may be, after many teares, lowd cries bitter weeping, and long ſute made, we find at the length fauour and pardon: Hee that commeth the eaſilieſt, returneth with confeſſion of vanity of vanities; all is but vanitie in his mouth, and with vexation of ſpirit in the heart: but many cry, and weepe. powring downe many a ſalt teare from the eie for their former folly, before they obtaine merciemercy. Much trouble then and difficulty is in the recouery of a ſinner.

To conclude, many men of excellent Many of ſingular note hauehave fallen, and neuer could returne againe. 2. Kings. 9 10.2 Kgs 9:10gifts, of great note in the Church, famous for worthy acts, hauehave 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 p. 42witneſſe thereof with him. So Demas Col. 4. 14.Col 4:14intertained the Goſpell, accompanied the Apoſtle in his afflictions, ſaluted the Saincts, and was famous in Churches. Ioaſh long liued religiouſly; he honoured 2. Kin. 12.2 Kgs 12godly 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.Matt 10and 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 D…mas forſake the Goſpell and entertained this preſent world, and no mē tion of his returne againe: yet did Ioaſh fall to Idolatrie and cruelty, ouerthrowing Gods worſhip, and perſecuting yea murthering his prophets without repē 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 p. 43our ending. Doe wee ſee ſuch, ſo qualified, ſo famous men to fa… vtterly? & ſhal we preſume of a better end without any ſuch tokens of grace?

Vſe. By all this which hath beene ſaid, it The… 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 vponupon eueryevery 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; p. 44but one way for heauenly. Men may beſtow vponupon thee for this time▪ but God onelyonly for the time to come: Thine own labour here may procure thee maintenance; and what thou canſt not get, other may giuegive thee: but no man can redeeme a ſoule and giuegive 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 onelyonly 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 eueryevery 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 vsus, that hee neuer ſawe the righteous forſakē 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 p. 45ſet 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 louelove her owne: but we are vncapable of grace, and enemies to goodnes, ſo as God in iuſtice abhorreth vsus. In the world we may liue, thogh we hauehave 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 vsus 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 reaſōs ſeriouſly weighed, we may rather ſuppoſe our ſelues to be p. 46deluded 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 eueryevery one in time ordained to be ſaued: elſe the Apoſtle Peter here would not hauehave exhorted vsus to labour for this aſſurance; which the Apoſtle S. Paule attayned alſo Rom. 8. 38Rom 8:38vntounto in this life: which hee publiſheth not onelyonly 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 foreign.of faith, but a certaine meaſure; nor at once, but by little and little; nor to eueryevery profeſſour, but to ſuch as are ordained to eternall life. And this is effected by How to get aſſurance. By meditation.meditation, inſpiration, & ſanctificatiō.

To hauehave 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 vponupon Gods euerlaſting decree without p. 47alteration: of his promiſes made irreuocably with the manner of deliuery, in the time preſent (Ioh. 3. 36) He that beleeueth Ioh. 3. 36. foreign.John 3:36in 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. 40Jer 32:40not for a time: and with ſuch as he maketh it, he giueth them grace, & putteth his feare in their hearts, that they neuer depart from him. Ier. 32. 40.

Laſtly we may eſtabliſh our thoghts vponupon the ground of a mans ſaluation: The foundation of God remaineth ſure, his 2. Tim. 2 19.2 Tim 2:19free merciemercy in Chriſt Ieſus chuſing ſome to euerlaſting life: no inducement in mā: before we hauehave being, our end is appointed: nothing good foreſeene in vsus mouing God: no way in vsus is there cauſe at all of our happines, but begun frō Gods free good pleaſure, and eſtabliſhed in Chriſt; out of whom wee may not ſuppoſe any leaſt thing that may be beneficiall to worke mans ſaluation, or to procure good to vsus, which is not freely giuen of God, and obtained by Chriſt p. 48alone without any reſpect of vsus at all. Whence, a penitent ſinner may thus cō fortably reaſon; Gods I was, before I had my beeing, in my beeing by corruption of nature hee found me his enemy, yet did he not hate me, but ſhewed his merciemercy vntounto me: he ordained me before the world, that cauſed him in time to bring me into the world: my ſinnes did not hinder the paſſage of mercy, becauſe in Chriſt he would be ſatisfied for mee: I will therefore ſurely conclude, that God remaining one in merciemercy, & Chriſt Ieſus alway wel-pleaſing to his father, the cauſe of my ſaluation beeing ſtil one and the ſame, I will not doubt damnation, for falles of infirmity; when as Gods merciemercy and Chriſtes merit preuented the ſame in mine obſtinate ſtanding in rebellion. Thus by meditation may wee ſtrengthen and ſettle our ſelues in aſſurance to be ſaued. Praiſe the Lord.

It pleaſeth God to afford his childrē By diuine inſpirationmore in muſing on heauenly comforts, then when mens thoughts are beſtowed vponupon other things: he aydeth them with his ſpirit, who openeth our eies to ſee the ſecrets of the kingdome of God, and p. 49to know the things that are giuen vsus of God: 1 Cor. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 10.1 Cor 2:12Rom 8:10who giueth teſtimony to our ſpirit, that we are the children of God: which witnes alſo is true and not lying, (as Iohn ſaith). This is the ſpirit of adoption, by which we are ſealed; and the earneſt which he giueth, when he taketh vsus to be his. HaueHave I then the ſpirit of Chriſt? I am Chriſts; and in him there is no cō demnation▪ (Rom. 8. 1.)

Now leaſt we be miſled by Satans deluſion, and take it for the holy ſpirits inſpiration, By ſanctification. How to know the perſwaſion of Gos ſpirit, from Sathans deluſion. ſee Rom. …. 2. 5. 11. 15. 16.there is a third thing to be added, that is ſanctification. For if we hauehave the ſpirit of God, we are led by it; wee walke not after the fleſh, but ſauour the things of the ſpirit, which quickneth our mortall bodies; by it wee doe mortifie the deedes of the fleſh; by it we are without feare, and dare come to God & cry Abba father: this ſpirit helpeth our infirmities in prayer, it maketh requeſt for vsus with ſighes that cannot be expreſſed. This is the witneſſing of Gods ſpirit with our ſpirit: it is not a bare motion, but a true perſwaſion from the effectuall graces which it worketh in vsus, cauſing vsus to liue in newneſſe of life. p. 50This ſpirit witneſſeth not to our ſpirit, if it bee adulterous, nor to our drunken ſpirit, nor to our ſweating, lying, blaſphemous and rayling ſpirit, nor to our prophane and mocking ſpirit (if ſuch we be) that we are the ſonnes of God: no, no, for our conſcience telleth vsus, that ſuch are the ſonnes of the Diuel, and all perſwaſion of ſaluation is but Sathans deceiueable deluſions to ſecure vsus in ſin.

The holie ſpirit will not ſay wee are coheires with Chriſt & certaine of heauen, whilſt we walke on in wickednes; hee teacheth in the ſcripture the contrarie, and ſheweth that there is no peace Eſai. 57. 21. Pſal. 9. 17. Mat. 25.Isa 57:21Ps 9:17Matt 25to the wicked, they ſhall go into hell, and all the workers of in…quity.

Vſe. Therefore let vsus not think otherwiſe, but it is the ſpirit of Sathan, and not the holy Ghoſt, that worketh an imagination of any certaintie of ſal…ation, whilſt wee liue vnſanctified, in our thoughts, vnchanged in our ſpeech, and vnreformed in our conuerſation.

We ſee, that aſſurnace may bee had by the foreſaid meanes, it muſt make vsus ſtriue by theſe means for it: which if we obtaine; O bleſſed are we, ſaluation is come vntounto vsus, the comfort of all p. 51comforts. Through this aſſurāce, thogh we fall, we riſe againe, and doubt not of The benefits which ariſe vntounto vsus by hauing aſſurance.merciemercy when we repent. We ioy to heate of death, becauſe we are perſwaded to be with Chriſt, which is beſt of all; we feare not man, that onelyonly can kill the bodie, for that our ſoules are in ſafety: This maketh vsus deſire to bee taken from hence, and to be diſſolued: This maketh vsus louelove and long after the comming of the Lord Ieſus; ſaying how long Lord, whē Lord, O come Lord Ieſus, come quickly: Reue. 6. 10. 22. 20.Rev 6:10Rev 6:22Rev 6:20This (to conclude) freeth vsus frō all dread of any euil that may befall vsus, from the rigour of the law: it cānot condemne vsus; if it do, Chriſt Ieſus acquiteth vsus▪ frō terror of conſcience: it dare not accuſe vsus; if it do, Chriſt will ſpeak for vsus: frō deaths ſting & dead ſtroke; it hath not right to rule ouer vsus: if it do, its but a while, Chriſt hath got the victory: frō the fierce wrath of the Iudge in the laſt day, when he ſhal be before vsus, Angels on one hand; diuels on an other; about vsus the world burning; in million… of thouſāds conſcience accuſing, crying out to the mountains to couer them; hell gaping ready to deuoure all to whome Chriſt ſhall ſay, Go ye curſed with the Diuell & his angels: p. 52Math. 25▪Matt 25But what terrour can this be to the penitent, aſſured of life? none at all. The Diuels cannot daunt vsus, the repentant hath his pardon: Angels will not diſclaime vsus, they here hauehave waited vponupon vsus: God will acknowledge vsus, we hauehave his ſpirit the aſſurance of his louelove: And can the Iudge Ieſus Chriſt condemne vsus, who is our ſauiour, and hath by his death acquited vsus?

Laſtly, we are freed from the horrour of hell, where Diuels & damned ghoſts bee; where paine is endleſs; the place darkneſſe; the perſons puniſhed with fire and brimſtone remedileſſe; their noiſe is hydeous; weeping and wayling for time loſt and not recouerable; howling & lamentably crying for time preſent and paines intollerable, they gnaſh with their teeth one vponupon an other, their conſcience accuſing & cōntinually tormenting: They languiſh with paine, wiſhing to die: but they ſhall remaine and euer bee, though liueleſ…e, that their torment may be endleſs.

Sithen aſſurance of ſaluation here deliuereth vsus from the dread of theſe things, what cauſe hauehave wee to vſe all p. 53meanes to get ſo great and vnſpeakable a good? Oh let vsus then meditate ſeriouſly, pray for the ſpirit ardently, and liue here conſcionably, that wee may bee therefore certaine of our ſaluation, and ſo liue eternally, Amen.