The Progress of Saints to Full Holiness, Verse 21 · Part
Hold that which is good.
THis precept is aptly knit to the former, and informeth us what we should doe after we have examined and tryed the truth, and hath in it,
1. A Commandement: Keepe or hold.
2. A limitation: That which is good.
For the former: It is not enough lightly to examine our courses, no nor yet so judicially as to finde out the truth, if we goe no further: as many who please themselves, and feede their eyes with reading, and their mindes with meere speculation, but cleave to no sound opinion, but are unstable and unsettled in all their wayes. And therefore the Apostle knitteth to Tryall, keeping or holding: For, what a madnesse were it to try a peece of mettall, and finding it to be good golde, cast it away? which is the folly of many a man in the case of sound and saving Doctrine, which is far more pure and precious than gold seven times tryed in the fire.
For the latter, we must try every thing, but not lay hold on every thing, and not catch whatsoever comes next to hand, as many are ready to keepe and holde, but it is chaffe in stead of good corne, and drosse in stead of golde: as many curious and dainty hearers, who are as men having ill stomackes, which cast up wholsome and strong meate, and hold nothing but fruite and trash, which feede and increase the humours there already: So wholsome and savoury Doctrine is rejected, and a few fine sentences, savouring of wit or learning, fetched any where but from the Scriptures, are held, and nothing else in comparison: Which is with the Prodigall Sonne to feede upon huskes in stead of the bread of his fathers house. And therefore the Apostle limiteth us in our keeping, that onelyonly which is good. Now as God is the Authour, and his word the Rule of all goodnesse, it followes, whatsoever God appoints, and his word approove, that is good, and nothing else.
Every one is bound in conscience to keepe whatsoeuer good thing he knowes approoved by the word of God. For the word keepe, Doct. All things must be tryed, but onelyonly good things must be held.requireth a constancy in the knowne good, either of Doctrine or practise: Deut. 4.6. These are the Commandements: Keepe them, and doe them: for that is your wisedome. This is the generall precept to all Gods people. For particular Churches: Rev. 2.25. To the Church of Thyatira hee saith, That which yee have already, hold fast till I come: and chap. 3.3. to the Church of Sardis, Remember what thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. And for particular persons: 2 Tim. 3.14. But continue thou in the things thou hast learned: Tit. 1.9. Hold fast the faithfull word. The like for all the sonnes and daughters of wisedome: Prov. 4.4.13. Take hold of instruction and leave her not, and keepe her, for she is thy life.
Reason 1.1. Satan and seducers will seeke to snatch away the truth from us. This reason the Apostle seemeth to imply in the composition of the word foreign: as if hee had said, hold against all men, and all adversaries, which would withhold: hold with both hands all good and holy truthes, concerning faith and manners. Theeves and robbers will meddle with no beggars, but where they have hope of a booty: Satan and his agents lye most in ambush against such as embrace the truth, and follow the thing that good is; there is the treasure of truth, the wealth of grace, and a booty which Satan would faine finger: He makes many on-sets to this purpose; and if we keepe not our ground, (here called the keeping of good) hee pulls us from our hold, and easily surprizeth and draweth us to the contrary evill. We had neede therefore so much the more watchfully to hold that which is good, as our adversaries are watchfull to robbe us of all our goods.
And, were it not that wee had such enemies without us, our inward and bosome companion, our owne corrupt nature is ever soliciting us, and drawing us aside; for were we of our selves inclinable to hold good things, the Apostle might have spared a number of the like precepts to this: But the Spirit of God seeing our disposition so rimie and full of holes, to let good things slippe, and perceiving our dulnesse and sleepinesse, (with whom it is as with children, who being once asleepe, let things slippe out of their hands, which before no meanes could winne from them:) yea and which is worse, that while wee seeme waking, wee hold weakly, as a thing which a man cares not whether he hold, or no: therefore hee supplies our need, and strengthens our weaknesse, and awaketh our dulnesse, with this and the like exhortations, Hold that which is good. Which shew, that it is no lesse Christian vertue and fortitude to retaine and keepe,Non minor est virtus quam quarere, parta tueri. than to attaine that which is good.
2. Hold and keepe all sound Doctrine, because of the great utility or profit thereof:Reas. 2. for 1. It is the evidence of thy salvation, and of the inheritance of the Saints: How carefully doe men keepe their Evidences, & lock them up safe in the surest chests they have, because if they lose their Evidences, they may easily lose their lands? So lose thou thy part of the word, thou losest thy part of heaven. Shall men be wise to keepe their Deedes and conveyances of lands and leases so safe as no man shall cousen or cheate them of them, and whatsoever casualty comes, these shall be provided for; and can it be wise or safe for any to bee carelesse in keeping the word, his evidence for heaven, without which he hath no tenure, nor assurance (out of his idle conceit) to one foote in heaven? 2. Wholsome Doctrine is the staffe and support of a man in the way to heaven: A lame man, if he hold not his staffe, falls downeright; and if the word directs us not in our duty, and supports us in temptation, wee fall quite away. 3. The sound doctrine and truth of Gods word is a notable preservative in dangers, so farre as it is held unto. A man in perill of drowning will catch and lay fast hold on any meanes of safety, and will lose his hand before hee will lose his hold: Every Christian is in this world as on a dangerous sea; the Church is the shippe, in which is salvation, represented by the Arke; the anchor is faith, Heb. 6.9. the mast is the crosse of Christ; the prosperous winde is the Spirit of God; adverse windes tossing and tumbling the Church, are persecutions, tryalls, temptations, afflictions; the fraught, graces, good conscience, hope, love, and the like; and the haven is heaven. Now lose the doctrine of faith, and shipwracke is presently made, 1 Tim. 1.19. good conscience and all is lost: But hold the doctrine of faith sound and entire, by the hand of faith, and all is safe.
33. There is but one right rule and way to attaine salvation, even the truth, which the Truth himselfe hath purchased at a deare rate: For the word of life, and the holy Gospell was not easily purchased, but by the precious blood of Iesus Christ; and should wee lightly esteeme so deare and precious a purchase? this will evince that it was never purchased for us: For, the Church for whom it was purchased is honoured with this title, to be the Pillar and keeper of truth, 1 Tim. 3.15. for there in the Church fundamentall truth fitteth as on a rocky foundation: And every good man is a part of that good ground, described Luke 18.15. who with honest and good hearts heare the word of God and keepe it.
4. No man but desires comfort when he most needeth it, especially in the houre of death:4 Now there is no surer way to provide and lay up comfort for these seasons, than by carefull keeping the truth. This ministred comfort to Paul, 2 Tim. 4.7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, &c. The Scriptures are the wells of consolation, Esay 12.3.
5. It is not enough for a man that expects future salvation, to heare,5 know or professe the truth, unlesse he abide and continue in it. Hence saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.2. Whereby yee are saved, if ye keepe what I have preached unto you. And our Saviour tyeth blessednesse not to those that heare the word of God, but to them that keepe it, Luke 11.28.
This serves to confute the Schoolemen, who have turned all Divinity into questions,Vse 1. even the Articles of religion and fundamentall points are turned into Vtrums, and a questionary Divinity, from which no edification, no proficiency in piety can be expected. These be most of them vaine bablings, and oppositions of science falsly so called, 1 Tim. 6.20. As vaine as if a man should dispute whether the Sunne be risen at noone: And yet in Popish Schooles and Churches he is not thought a teacher of any worth, who is not a Quodlibetary, and prepared to dispute pro et con of the least apex or iota in Divinity: So as nothing can be so certaine or grounded but they must call it into question, and boldly dispute and propound opposite reasons: which is farre from this precept of Holding that which is good. A farre safer way they might learne of the Turkes, who suffer not a word of their Alcaron to be called in question under paine of death.
Vse 2.Secondly, this reprooves many of our ordinary hearers, who are farre to seeke in this precept. 1. Some come and heare much good and wholesome doctrine, but hold little or none of it, but are like the tunnell that takes in the liquor at one end, to let it out at the other; so many take in the word with one eare, and let it out at the other: yea some that seeme to take some content and delight in the word while they heare, keepe as little as the other: whom wee cannot compare fitlier than to the sive in the water, so long as it stayes there it is full of water, but take it out it keepes never a drop; so many longer than the Church holdes them, they hold nothing for an after-use. For how comes it to passe that many men are so grosly ignorant of many principles of religion (some not knowing at 60 yeares of age whether Christ was a man or no) wherein they have beene often instructed, but because they thinke it enough to heare, and not to keepe? How have many lost many worthy things in which they have beene greatly strengthened and comforted, but because they made no conscience to keepe what they seemed to have? 2. Some can heare and seeme to keepe something, if they can carpe or catch any thing, either to feede their owne corruption, or to heape their displeasure upon the head of their teacher. Ahab could remember that Micaiah never prophecyed good unto him. Oh such a man spake many yeares agoe against our government, he tolde us of our trades, buying and selling, setting of rackes and vatts on the Saboth day; hee was busie with our fashions and habits, our games and recreations; hee speakes inconsideratly and uncharitably: And a great deale such they can holde and mutter some foure or five yeares after, as if they were spoken but yesterday. But aske such men, what was the text of the last Sermon you heard but two dayes agoe? you put them into a study, and after a long pause and rubbing their memory, they will perhaps tell you they doe not remember. These men are like the boulter poke, which lets out the finest flowre, and if there be any bran or huskes, will be sure to keepe it: And most opposite to our rule, because they catch and hold not that which is good, but that which is worst and most hurtfull. The proud man will hold his fashions, and the foole his folly though you bray him in a morter, and the ambitious his errour, if it will adde but one cubit to his height and state in this world. 3. There is a kinde of Academicall and Skepticall Christians, who notwithstanding all their hearing are unstaid and unsettled in their judgements and courses, such as holde all things in suspence and question, that they may admit of any thing that may make for their profit or preferment: who walke not certainely in wisdomes way, for that doth try all things, and keepes that which is good: and how can he hold any good thing that holds not the rule of good, which is the word?
Vse 3.Thirdly, let us frame our selves to this so necessary precept, to hold the good lessons which are delivered unto us.
And for our direction herein we will consider,
1. The Rules of holding good.
2. The Meanes of holding good.
3. The motives thereunto.
Rules of holding good. 1 VponUpon tryall.The first is in the Text: Hold Doctrine after examination, when we have tryed it to be good and sound, 2 Tim. 3.14. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and art perswaded thereof: for the very keeping of good is not acceptable, except it be out of faith and sound judgement. The Pharisies thought they did God good service not onelyonly in their devotions, but in their revenges and murders of the Saints, but all our service must be reasonable, Rom. 12.
2. Rule, Hold onelyonly the good: for the extent of keeping reacheth onelyonly to good,2 Hold onelyonly good. because many keepe some good, but some evill also with it. The Iewes will worship God in the Temple, but keepe their high places and altars too. Papists will admit of Christ, but not part with Moses, they will worship God and Christ, but Idolls too. Many Protestants will serve Christ and Mammon too; would walke in the Spirit, and in the flesh both at once; and thinke themselves excused, because they hold some good, although mixed with some evill.
3. Rule. Hold all that is good:3. Hold all that is good. Some will not sweare or curse often and ordinarily, but sometimes; nor by great oathes, but ordinarily by smaller: but the rule is, Sweare not at all. Matth. 5.Some will sanctifie some part of the Lords day, but if they hold all good, they must sanctifie the whole day as the Lord did. Magistrates will hold some good, and looke to civill peace and justice; but if they did hold all good, they would looke as carefully to duties of the first table, to Gods part as well as their owne. When Min…sters are diligent in doctrine, & careles in life, they hold some good, but not all. Private men that carry themselves soberly and civilly, and are fully content with the name of honest men, holde some good; but they reforme not their family, nor walke religiously in the midst of their houses; and so are farre from holding all good.
This is in matter of practise: So in matter of judgement. The truth and every part of it is our birth-right, saith Cyprian: wee must not lose a foote of it, but hold the least truth. Many hold fast the maine grounds and articles of religion, but in things of lesser moment are altogether regardlesse: as Bishop Latimer thought at first that the cause of the Sacrament was rather to be dissembled than suffered for; but considering better that hee must holde all that is good, himselfe happily suffered in it.
Nay we must not onelyonly hold truth in sense, but even the words wherein the Spirit of God hath conveyed it to us, not departing easily from them: for wee shall finde what great mischiefe hath oppressed the Church by taking liberty to depart from the very words of Scripture, and in stead of them using other improper speeches to expresse the same thing. As for example: The Fathers used to expresse the Pastors of the Church by the name of Priests: whereupon the Romish Church builds and backes her order of Priesthood. Doctour Fulke in his sixth chapter of his defence of the translation against Gregory Martin hath these words: It is a folly to thinke that a sacrificing office externall can be established in the new Testament, which never calleth the Ministers thereof Sacerdotes, or Priests.
They often call the Table of the Lord an Altar, and the celebration of the Supper a Sacrifice; and gave a reasonable good sence: but had they kept to the words of the Scripture, they had prevented much mischiefe springing thence. For the Romanists make advantage of their speeches, wrested out of their sense, to set up that blasphemous doctrine of the sacrifice of the Masse.
And the word Masse, what Papist knowes whence it comes, being neither Hebrew, Greeke, nor Latine, nor taken from any other language of any Nation, but raked out of the bottomlesse pit, without all signification, unlesse it agree with our English word [masse] that is, an heape, a lumpe, a chaos of blasphemies and abominations.
The like of the word Pope, a strange, unknowne and mysticall name, the learned Papists knew it not, but confounded themselves in the Etymologie of it: some from Pape the interjection of admiration, some from Papa, which Latine children used to call their fathers by, answering to our infants dad: some from the Romane abbreviation of Pater Patriae, expressed by pa pa and a pricke betweene: some from the Siracusans word Papas signifying a father. Such follies and ridiculous and childish dotages are they faine to wander in, to seeke and finde their holy father the Pope, who as himselfe is a beast rising out of the earth, in whose forehead is written MYSTERIE, so his name is mysticall, and from men, not from heaven, not from the Scriptures: yet is the name as ancient as Cyprian, and used by the Fathers. Wherein we may see how dangerous it is (as Beza observes) to decline from the word an hayrebreadth, and not to hold all that is good, even the least. An arrow set a little awry at first makes a great errour before it fall at the marke. How happy had it beene if the ancient Fathers (otherwise godly and learned men) had held them to the very names, termes, and proper words of Scripture, rather than by departing therefrom have opened a flood-gate to Antichrists delusions? who as Satan creepes in the darke, and getting in his toe will shove in his bulke: for, give sinne an inch, it will take an ell; and so of the Man of sinne.
4. Hold chiefly the chiefe good4. Rule. Hold most carefully the chiefe good things: for so men doe in earthly matters. Now there be three things worth most care in keeping. 1. Gods favour, presence, and loving countenance: Psal. 4. Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, let others keepe corne and wine, keepe thou this, feare sinne most of all, as that which would most dangerously robbe thee. 2. Thine owne sincerity, uprightnesse, and first love: Iob 27.6. I will never lose my innocency, till I die. 3. The Crowne of life is promised to him that is faithfull to death. Hold the kingdome fast in the meanes, and so strive as thou maist obtaine. As the Martyrs who apprehended it through fire and flames.
5. Hold good against with-holders.5. Rule. Hold all that is good, stiffely and stoutly, against with-holders and opposers: for a man shall never hold good, if he doe coldly approove it. Hold it as one firmely glued to it; for so the word signifies, Rom. 12.9. foreign, Cleave to that which is good: things glued are not easily disjoyned; God hath by this phrase glued every Christian to every truth, in judgement and practise, and no man must separate himselfe from it. Tit. 1.9: Holding fast the faithful word (foreign contra foreign) against gain-sayers. Take hold with both hands, against hereticks, tyrants, false-teachers, flatterers, that have laid hold to snatch it from us: or as men in perill of drowning lay fast hold upon any thing they can catch to save themselves, and will not let it goe.
6. Hold it constantly.6. Rule. Hold the truth constantly, to the death, whatsoever the issue be: Rev. 2.25. Hold fast that thou hast till I come: as the renowned Saints and Martyrs, who have rather parted with their lives than their depositum, 2 Tim. 1.14. Let us therefore labour to see into every truth, and seeing it let us hold it. As that famous souldier Cynegrius held the shippe, first with his right hand, till that was cut off, then with his left hand, till hee lost that too, and last of all with his teeth, till his head and body were severed: So let us resolve every one with himselfe, That which I see to be good, I will holde it so long as I live or breathe, my hands, my heart and soule shall cleave unto it, I will carry it to heaven with me.
The second thing proposed,Meanes of holding that which is good, foure. is the meanes of holding that which is good.
I. If wee would hold things approoved to be good, let us avoid carefully such things as would hinder us in holding them: And they are of two sorts: 1. Some shut out good things, 2. others thrust them out, or choake them.
The former are 1. Presumption of our owne wisdome and knowledge. Humility stands porter at the doore of discipline: Psal. 25.9. God teacheth the humble. Ier. 13.15. Heare and give eare, and be not proud. Men of conceits will heare whom they list, but an humble man will receive good even from the meanest, though it be an earthen vessell: Naaman from his servant,2 Cor. 47. and Iob from his hand-maid. 2. Distempered affections; as rash conceit against the teacher, which is an usuall bait of Satan to make all good things carelesly rejected: Micaiah for this was turned out of dores, as no fit Counsellor for King Ahab. So the itching eare which is still desirous of novelties;2 Tim. 4.5. as the young man having heard the olde commandements, would still heare more new. And a tediousnesse in hearing the same things often, which the Apostle calls a safe thing.
The latter are, 1. Hardnesse of heart: cast as much seede as you will among stones, and cover them therewith, no fruite followes, for the stones hinder the rooting: as we see in Pharaoh. Mollifie the heart throughly, and the word wil abide in it. 2. Cares of the world,Luke 8.14. which are as thornes to choake it: All seede sowne among thornes, getteth no strength, but perisheth. The Pharisies mocked Christ in his doctrine, because they were covetous, Luke 16.14.3. Voluptuous living makes men heare onelyonly for fashion, and to be like those widdowes which are ever learning, but never come to the knowledge of the truth, 2 Tim. 3. or at least not to joyne vertue to their knowledge: as the intemperate patient that heares the physitian, but will not follow him.
2. Meanes.II. Provide and furnish the soule with helpes to hold that which is good. These helpes respect, 1. Intention, 2. Attention, 3. Retention.
First, the Intention must must bee cleane and sincere: we must not heare for envie, as the Pharisies and Iewes in Paules time, nor for newes as the Athenians, nor for gaine or curiosity as Felix, but to receive (as babes) the sincere milke of the word, to grow in grace thereby, 1 Pet. 2.2. This intention shall be the better furthered by premeditation of the force, use and efficacy of the word, that it is the power of God to salvation, the incorrupt seede, the word of life, the instrument of faith, the sword of the spirit, the bread and water that preserveth eternall life.
Secondly, Attention must be used: Acts 8.6. the people of Samaria gave heede to the things that Philip spake. This attention is a keeping of the heart and affections to the word deliuered. Acts 16.14. when Paul preached, Lydia attended, and the Lord opened her heart: When Christ preached, all the peoples eyes were fastened upon him, Luke 4. Attention is the doore by which the word enters. It is much furthered by a due estimation of the word: Thy word (saith David) is wonderfull, therefore my soule keepeth it. Men will attend to their learned counsell, when their free-hold is in question: so here, conceive aright of the word as a matter of life and death, a matter that concernes thy inheritance in heaven, thou wilt carefully attend it.
Thirdly, Retention must follow. In the body there are two nutritive powers, one Attractive, to draw meate into the stomacke, the other Retentive, to hold it there till it be turned into nourishment: so in the soule. And, if the former draw too little, the latter holds little, and so the body pines: and if the former draw too much, that the body is not able to hold it, the body pines still: So here, the soule must be still drawing, but it must also forcibly holde it, till the soule be refreshed. Now this Retentive faculty is strengthened by 4. meanes: 1. Meditation, cleane beasts chew the cud, Deut. 11 2. Consider the workes of the Lord: Psal. 1.1. Meditate in his Law both day and night: The acts of God must be in the mouthes of them that feare him, Psal. 149. and 39.3. while David mused, his heart was warmed. Phil. 4.8. whatsoever things are honest, just and pure, thinke on those things; men have therefore evill thoughts, because they nourish not the good. 2. Conference: which is a whetting of holy lessons both on our selves and others: Deut. 11. the Iewes are commanded to conferre of the word early and late. Acts 17. The Bereans are commended for comparing the Apostles doctrine with Scripture. 3. A full purpose of heart to practise good things: Psal. 119.106. I have sworne to keepe thy law: and 50.16. Why takest thou my word into thy mouth, and hatest to be reformed? 4. Fervent and constant prayer, which is the key of knowledge, gets the hearing eare, and the soft heart; it is a key to open the coffers of God, out of which we may take those treasures which are not from our selves, but from above our reach.
3. Meanes.III. Chuse sure and safe places to hold good things in. First, in memory: we must remember good things we heare: Deut. 4.9. Take heed to thy selfe, and keepe thy soule diligently, that thou forget not the things thine eyes have seene. Psal. 119.16. I will not forget thy word: and ver. 93. I will never forget thy precepts, because by them thou hast quickened me. Secondly, keep them in the faith of thy heart, else all is unprofitable, Heb. 4.2. for that onelyonly gives them rooting in our hearts, Col. 2.7. Prov. 4.21. Keepe them in the midst of thy heart: then shall they be as alight in the lanthorne, shining through every part of thy life. This was the coffer that Abraham locked up the promises of God in, and held them fast without reasoning, though it was difficult and seemed impossible: Rom. 4.20. and David, Psal. 119.11. I have hid thy word in my heart. Thirdly, keepe it in the affections of thy soule; love earnestly the word of God and all good things: for the things that wee like not or affect not we care not for keeping. The great commandement is, to love the Lord with all thy heart. And every Christian ought to appeale to the Lord himselfe as Peter to Christ, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee, Iohn 21.16. And the tryall of our love to him, is, to keepe his commandements, chap. 14.15. Fourthly, keepe them in the practise of thy life and whole conversation: 1. By professing good things; as Christ himselfe professed a good profession before Pontius Pilate. 1 Tim. 6, 13.2. By promoting all good causes to thy utmost power. 3. By maintaining and defending all good things and causes. 4. By suffering for good things, and every way giving testimony, and setting seale to them, if neede be with thy dearest heart blood.
IV. If we would hold good things,4. Meanes. let us furnish and arme our selves against theeves and robbers. 1. Our owne carelesnesse: Many times we care not to understand the things of God; vanity of minde, worldly lusts, and desire of riches, partly take up the roome, partly choake good things, so as they are neither received, nor held.
But if we understand not, let us not be ashamed to enquire and seeke out till wee doe understand. 2. Satans slynesse, who steales the word and good purposes out of mens mens hearts strangely, even while they looke on and consent. Doe as Abraham who drave away the birds that troubled him in sacrificing, Gen. 15.11. so doe thou drive away these ravenous birds that are sent by Satan. 3. Temptation and persecution: Much ground keeps the seede till the heate of persecution comes, and in persecution falls away, and loseth the word in temptation: we must arme our selves against the tryalls of the truth, and having obtained to beleeve, we must also get of God strength to suffer for his sake.
Motives to holde that which is good. 5.The third generall proposed, is, Motives to hold that which is good.
1. Let us consider how little we have kept heretofore of all that wee have heard. If a man lay coyne or jewells in a chest, and afterward come and finde none in it, he will presently conclude, certainly a theefe hath beene here; so may wee in these losses, certainly the Divell hath beene here: Looke to it more narrowly. 2. This is all the commendation of a Christian, 1 Cor. 11.2. I commend you, that you keepe the ordinances as I delivered. A good husband will keepe and save his stocke, yea and increase it. 3. Keepe them and they will keepe thee, as Salomon saith, Prov. 4.6. Forsake not wisdome, and she shall keepe thee: Hold them, and they shall uphold thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee: keepe them safe, and they will keepe thee. Iohn 8.26. If the Sonne set you free, ye shall be free indeede, that is, from errours in doctrine, and corruptions of life. So long as we keepe the word, we cannot fall quite away, because the seede of God abideth in us. 4. There is no such losse in the world, as to lose the good things that thou seemest to lay hold on: Losse of wealth, of honour, of children, is nothing to the losse of spirituall good things. A man had better lose all the seede he sowes upon his ground, than the good seeede sowne in his heart. Better for a man to lose all the joyes and pleasures of the world, than the joy of his salvation. Better to lose all the labour of his calling, and put all his gaines in a broken bagge, than lose what hee hath wrought in his generall calling. Therefore suffer the word of exhortation, 2. Iohn 8. Looke to your selves that ye lose not the things you have done, but may have a full reward. 5. Let us consider that this is more necessary for us than for any, seeing Satans aime and scope is to make great places and townes more backward, and carelesse to hold good things, than others: Hee sets his throne in great places, because he knowes that thence wickednesse shall be plentifully derived into the Country round about, as tradesmen doe their wares. Wee for example sake must labour to know, love, and obey the truth, that Gods throne may be set up every where, that our godlinesse and obedience may come abroad, and provoke others: Let it be said of other great places, that pride, pleasure, and profit choake the word, and that there is but a forme of godlinesse without power: Let us stirre up our selves to our first beginnings, our first diligence in receiving the Gospell. Object. No doubt but we shall keepe good things. Answ. 1. You are indeede that which you are in tryall: You hardly keepe them while you have good meanes, what would you doe if the meanes were gone? 2. What if tryall should come, as wee may justly feare it? could wee then stand? Oh now lay a good foundation, provide for it, that thou faint not in the day of adversity.