A Hand of Fellowship to Help Keep Out Sin and Antichrist, To the reader – Errata
TO THOSE CHRISTIAN Readers, of whoſe reading I am well aſſured, euen to my deare and louing Pariſhioners of Cranebrooke in Kent.
THE GOD of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Ieſus,Heb. 13.20, 21. the great Shepherd of the ſheepe, through the bloud of the euerlaſting Couenant, make you all perfect in all good workes, to doe his will, working in you that which is pleaſant in his ſight, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Though I cannot ſay with Paul to the Galathians, I beare you record, that if it had beene poſſible,Gal. 4.15. yee would hauehave plucked out your owne eyes, and hauehave giuen them me: Yet, out of a taſte of the ſingular louelove and reſpect which yee hauehave had vntounto me for my workes ſake,1 Theſſ. 5.13. I can with good conſcience greet you as the ſame Apoſtle doth the Philippians; My brethren, beloued and lon…ed for, my ioy,Phil 4.1. and my crowne; and doe beſeech you to continue in the Lord yee beloued. Yee ſee that in publiſhing theſe Sermons, I doe offer my ſelfe vntounto publike cenſures. In ſo good a cauſe I only deſire to be found faithful,1 Cor. 4.2, 3. and then I care little to be iudged by mans iudgement: I know that ſome of the things which I write of, are commonly knowne: 2 Pet. 1.12, 13, 14, 15.yet I will not be vnmindfull to put you in remembrance of what yee hauehave knowledge, and of that truth wherein yee are alreadie eſtabliſhed. And though I cannot ſay that the time is at hand, that I muſt lay downe this my Tabernacle, yet I thinke it meet, ſo long as am in it, to ſtirre you vp, yea and to endeuour that you may hauehave in remembrance the ſecret of the Goſpell euen after my departure. 1 Tim. 3.16.For I hauehave not followed deceiueable fables, but the myſterie of godlineſſe, which may helpe you with, or hold you out, a right hand of fellowſhip to keepe out ſinne and Antichriſt. I hauehave no dominion ouer your faith,2 Cor. 1.24. yet am I vnderunder God a helper of your ioy:Gal. 3.7. In which reſpect yee hauehave runne well, and yee doe well, in that (in my weake, but, by Gods fauour, willing Miniſtery) yee hauehave and doe take heed vntounto the moſt ſure word of the Prophets, 2 Pet. 1.19.as vntounto a light that ſhineth in a darke place, Iames 1.21.and as to that good word of God, which is able to ſaue your ſoules.2 Theſſ. 1.11, 12 And I deſire to pray alwaies for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and fulfill all the good pleaſure of his goodneſſe, and the worke of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God.1 Theſſ. 2.19, 20 For what is my hope, or ioy, or crowne of reioycing? Are not euen ye in the preſence of our Lord Ieſus at his comming? Yea, yee are my glory and ioy. And therefore (becauſe one deſire of mine is to keepe out ſinne) I will pray againe for you, Epheſ. 3.14. Verſ. 16.and bow my knees vntounto the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, that yee may be ſtrengthned by his Spirit in the inner man:Verſ. 17. That Chriſt may dwell in your hearts by faith. Oh how vnwillingly ſhould I ſay of you with the Apoſtle, Gal. 4.11. 1 Cor. 6.15.19.I am in feare of you, leſt I hauehave beſtowed on you labour in vaine. Know yee not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghoſt in you, and the members of Chriſt?Phil. 2.1, 2. If therefore there be any conſolation in Chriſt, if any comfort of louelove, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any compaſſion and merciemercy, fulfill my ioy, In thinking vponupon and doing whatſoeuer things are true,Philip. 4.8. whatſoeuer things are honeſt, whatſoeuer things are iuſt, whatſoeuer things are pure, whatſoeuer things pertaine to louelove, whatſoeuer things are of good report, or if there be any other vertue. I know that in times paſt yee were fooliſh,Titus 3.3. diſobedient, deceiued, ſeruing the luſts and diuers pleaſures, liuing in maliciouſneſſe and enuy, hatefull and hating one another. But it is ſufficient, yea too too much for you, 1 Pet. 4.3.that ye hauehave ſpent the time paſt of your liues after the luſts of the Gentiles, walking in wantonneſſe, luſts, drunkenneſſe, in gluttony, drinkings, and in abominable ſecuritie. Now therefore dearely beloued,1 Pet. 2.11, 12. abſtaine from fleſhly luſts which fight againſt the ſoule, and hauehave your conuerſations honeſt amongſt the wicked, both that they who ſpeake euill of you, as of euill doers, may glorifie God in the day of their viſitations; and alſo that you may aſſure your ſelues that you are in Chriſt by being new creatures.2 Cor. 5.17. 2 Theſſ. 2.7.
Dearely beloued, Antichriſt alſo and his myſtery of iniquitie hath alreadie wrought euen from the Apoſtles times, and is ſo farre growne paſt his height, that his raging time is come, becauſe his time is but ſhort. Therefore, Beware of dogs,Phil. 3.2. beware of euill workers: For there are falſe teachers, which priuily,2 Pet. 2.1. Marke 8.15. with many falſe gloſſes, bring in damnable hereſies. But take heed and beware of the leauen of the Phariſies:Matth. 7.16. By their fruits ye ſhall know them.1 Tim. 4.1.3. They forbid mariage and meats by the doctrine of deuils, and ſerue not the Lord Ieſus,Rom. 16.18. but their owne bellies, and with faire ſpeech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the ſimple. They deſpiſe gouernment,2 Pet. 2.10. and feare not to ſpeake euill of them that are in dignitie. They hauehave hearts exerciſed with couetouſneſſe,Verſ. 14. Verſ. 16. eyes full of adultery: tongues that ſpeake ſwelling words, and boaſt of high matters. They are brute beaſts, lead with ſenſualitie,Verſ. 12. and made to be taken at the laſt and deſtroyed.2 Pet. 3.17, 18. But beware leſt yee be plucked away with the errour of the wicked, and fall from your owne ſtedfaſtneſſe; but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Finally, brethren,2 Cor. 13.11. fare yee well, be of one minde, and liue in peace.Gal. 5.15. If ye bite and deuoure one another, take heed leſt ye be deuoured one of another. All which that it may the better be effected, Gal. 4.19.(my little children of whom I hauehave trauelled in birth,Heb. 13.17. & for whoſe growth I ſhal trauell) I beſeech you obey me ſtill, who hauehave the ouerſight of you, in the Lord, and ſubmit your ſelues, for I deſire to watch for your ſoules, as one that muſt giuegive accounts, that I may doe it with ioy, and not with griefe, for that will be vnprofitable for you. Now becauſe my hearts deſire is,Rom. 10.1. that you may be ſaued; and that to this end I may ſtill pray for you, and ſhew you the good way; therefore I humbly pray the very God of peace to ſanctifie you throughout,1 Sam. 12.23. 1 Theſſ. 5.23. and that your whole ſpirits, and ſoules, and bodies, may be kept blameleſſe vntounto the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. So prayeth he, who deſireth that his miniſterie amongst you may be a ſauour of life vntounto life, euen your euer-louing Shepherd and Watch-man,
ROBERT ABBOT.
Faults eſcaped.
PAge 20. line 10. reade brethren for brother. p. 22. l. 30. r. in the mids of, for about. p. 39. l. 22. r. yee for yea. p. 40. l. 7. r. him for whom. p. 44. l. 14. adde to ſeruice (in an) and l. 15. adde to vnknowne (tongue) p. 56. l 22. r. in them, for them in. p. 62. l. 1. r. mouings for meanings. p. 71. l. 15. r. parly for partie. p. 84. l 9. r. fiue for fine. p. 113. marg. r. Gal. 2. for Apoc. p. 118. l. 21 r. and for in. l 22. r. thy for the, and wherein for whereof p. 129. l. 26. betweene …he ſecond and the third word, put in (liue in ſinne.) p. 136. l. 1. for I am, r. (am J) p. 184. l. 12. betweene the eight and the ninth words, put in (powers of.)