Corn. t. Of Integrity, andPerfeverance, c: Chap.I 7' t 8, r . For they do firft, as Demas did. He at the firft was reputed fo in the Church, that aint `Paul joyns him with Saint Luke. But afterwards St. Paul faith, Dona" Men,. 14. bath forfaken me , having followed this prefent World. a Tim.4.1a, And there are of twb.forts for either they fall quite away at once, without any figs of returning ; or elfe in the fecond place, they are fuch as may be compared to Pharaoh, from the 7. of Exodus to the r r. of whom we read , that he had many Exec?. 6.&c. beginnings, and many interruptions : come a fhower of Rain or Hail, or any new Plague, he Crycth, the Lord is righteous, and I and my People are finners ; and then pray for me , that this Plague may be taken from the Land , and I will let you go. So there are fome that have many beginnings, every daya beginning , andnever go forward. It is fitly called Religio laterizia, a Religion of Bricks, or that cometh by fits, and continues not. Such are like that Beaft in the Revelation, that had fever z.g Heads, many beginnings, but never goonto bring any thing toperfeftion. z. The fecond fort are fuch as fet themfelves out of malice to oppofe the truth which they formerly profeffed , with a refolution never to return again which is high Apoftacy. r. Forafmuch as Patience is joyned with Perfeverance ; one of the belt means m,,, ofper:: to attain this duty is; to cart before hand , to forefee what troubles may, and willpveranee befall us , that we may be armed againft them; and how long the time may be. It may be the Lord may come in the firftwatch, it may be not till thefecond; nay, not till the third : though looser, orlater , yet we mutt not be found aflec when Luke 1x. ;R. foeverhecomes. God.commanded 7afhua, and reiterates it often , topovideandJom.i.6',R, ftrengthen himfelf, against all croffes which fhould happen to him before hecame to 9. the Land of Protnife. Elio fortis, be ftrong faint not. And it is the Apoftles conu- fel, be throng in the Lord, So that this fore-arming our felves againft the aflàults Ephef..6.ro, or difficult our Enemies , is a very good ;mans tomake us hold out in times dangerous 2. If we confider with our felves , what our own judgement is , when it is not our owncafe, what account we make ofthings that continue not. AChriftian is compared toa Tree that brings Fruit in feafon, wholeLeaf dothnot wittier, &c. Now what account do we make ofFruit that'snip'd,orbitten in the Bloffom,or that's wind.. fhaken, or that is rotten, or wormeaten, that cannot laft till the gathering, or keep ifit begathered. What account doth the Husbandman makeofa Morning Cloud (hat vanifheth, and promifeth no fhowers; or ofthe Seed that falls among Stones, which may grow up for a time, but when the Sun arifeth, is parched, andwithereth, and nevercomes to perfeCtion, the Reaper filleth not his hand, nor the Mower his bofom. SuchFruit is all our obedience, ifwe perfevere not, like a morning Cloud, Ent 6.4. Or likeSeed fowen upon ftony ground. In all other things we prefer that which ispermenant: Vcffels of Wood or Pewter, before Glaffes or earthen ware, becaufe they are brittle, though they make never fo faira Phew : a poor Croft or a fmali Ciofb, efpecialiy if we have the Free-hold, weefteent before a goodlÿ.Houfe for which we pay Rent, becaufe of the continuance. So that by our own praCife we condemn our felves, if we be not careful to perfevere and hold our 3. Unlefs we perfevere, all that Chrift did for us, and all that we db for him, or our felves, is in vain :. now no Man delires to do any thing in vain) to bear the Wind; This vanity ofall, maybe feen in two refpe£ts. r. In refpeC of Chrift, we make all that he did in vain. .How.intollerable is it , that fo great a Perron as the Son of God fhould come down fromHeaven, be born and live amongf us, and dye fo bare and ignominious adeath , and all in vain : yet we fruftrate all ifwe continue not inGrace to the end. He perfevered to the end, went through all the work required for our Salvation : The Cup was not fuffered to pafs from him , but hedrank it up clear, even to the dreggs ofit. This was the price of his labours, our perfeverance in that eftate he obtained for us; wherein if we continue not, this is moregrief to him, than it was to Puffer; Labor irritus fupro amnem laborem , to labour in vain is more to him , than all the torments he fuffered, though they wrought fo upon him, that he cryed out, Eli. Eli, eke. My Gód, my God, why haft thou forfaken me ? This fhould move us to perfevère. 2, In refpeft ofour felves : all we have done or fuffered will be in vain,if we per- revere not,if after we have efeaped the pollution of the World, we be intangled again WC
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