Co . r . OfIntegrity, and Perfzderance, e. Chap. 7, rI i 8 The words , Non habebis muff not be anfwered withnon babes', or nonhabui, but with non habebo, I will haveno other Gods; and this isperfeverance. This is a great- er matrer than many do imagine : fui,fxm, and eroare diflinftions ofthe three times. ì. For fisá ; it is certain , that whofoever (hall confider what he hath been , will be brought into a melancholick, and fad Nihon. St. Bernard faith, Recordareprate- rita, d- erubefce, it wil! confound a Man to remember what hebath done. 2. For rum. Peradventure there may be force comfort, in regard that we en- deavour anddrive to obtain. 3.. But howfoever it Rands with us for the prefent , our comfort depends chiefly upon ero , what we (hall be ; and ifwe perfevere not in good , ere muff needsbe ter- rible: for a Man to confider in what cafe he may be hereafter and confiderare no- vifTma, to think upon his end : whether God may not forfake him , if he be not careful to perfevere on his part, as he bath done others, that have been for thepre- lent-in as good , and peradventure better cafe than he is , but werenot careful to endeavour, and to ufe the means required on their part , toperfevere, and there- fore were left of God, and returned with the Dog to their Vomit : thereforenon babebis is a (harp and ftric`t command, and to be looked to. In the common conveyances at Law , there is , Habendum d- tenendum , to have and to hold; we have formerly fecn Quidhabendum, what we were tohave, now WC are to fee Quid tenendum , what we muft hold and keep. It fallsnaturally into the Taft place by due order. t. Firft becaufe (as theHeathen fay) ,exci d,n> da<e .idpti, wildem or knowledge is the beginning of vertue : but eonftancy and perfeverance , is virtutis apex , the pitch and perfeftionof vertue, and as St. Bernard, Perfeverantia eft unicafitlia fummi Regis, finis virtutum, earnmque inEpii . confammatiol, perfeverance is the only Daughter of the great King , the end and confummation of all vertues. 2. Secondly, becaufe all other vertues are preferved by this, or (toufe theApoffles Co1.4.6. phrafe) feafoned with this Salt. As God fee 'David over Ifrael by a Covenant of Salt;that is, by aneverlafting Covenant, and no Sacrificewas under theLaw with- out Salt , to (hew that as the Covenant is perpetual on Gods part , fo ought the condition to be on ours, by perfeverance , and thereby is known the truth ofour obedience , without which an Hypocrite may go for a true Chriftian. St. Bernard calleth it , tatiue boni repofitorium &virtue , the place where allgood is preferved andkept and the ftrengm andvertueof all other. 3. Becaufe as there is in every vertue a refemblance or conformity in.us toforce Attribute of God, as in our knowledge to hiswifdom, in our belief tohis truth, in our fear to his Juftice, in our love to his Mercy, in our integrity tohis ubiquity, fei in this of perfevranceto his eternity. q. Becaufe God is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end ', which inhis Book of perfeverance. So muff we perfevere according to our quandin, that is, till we dye, ufqueadmortem and not only to natural, but even to violent death. The Apoffle hash another ufque, ufq; ad fanguinem, unto blood, and fohis own refolution was, ( not only ufque ad vincula) not to be bound only, but argue admortem, to Ads 31.13: dye for the Nameof the Lord J erns. Thismuft be our Omega. Wherefoever our Alpha is placed , this muff be our Omega, our eternity. Otherwifeas Sr. Bernard faith , .Quid levitati cam aternitate ? there is no fellowfhip; between God and Man without perfeverance. Inconftancy bath no congruity with eternity. On the other-fide, backiliding is condemned. Our Nature is fo corrupt, that, as in the laft affetlion we fpake of [Sincerity] we have a defire to feem, rather than to be, becaufe it is caller, and we naturally love cafe : fo here wehave a defireof Pfala, 7x.57 fallingaway, or !farting back like a Bow, likea deceitful Bow, to which the Pro- phet refembles the Ifraelites. Weare naturally like aBow, which being almoft bent,Gal.6.9. and let go never fo little; harts, _back. Or as the Apoftle no lefsexcellently , we are apt iyx. =äg fegnefcere, or to feel agrudging itiour Bones all the while weare doing good,and are foonweary of well-doing. a. How neceffary this venue is, is plain by diversreafons. Firft, all the good wehave formerly done, is loft without it, Incafftem bonum agitar ( faith St. Gregory) fi ante gira terminun, deferatur, quia frafbra iieloeitur Carrie, qui priu fgáamadmetas venerit, deffhit ; all the good we do is inAvain, if we leave doing good before the i endteb.r,ro.Aa.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=