Chap. 23. An Expoftion upon the Book of J OB. Vera. I I. 393 fpeakes both in the affirmative, Ihave kept, and in the negative, I have not declined. Some keep the wayes of God a while, but theykeepe not on, much leffe doe they keep up in keeping them. There is a twofold declining. Firft, a declining from the wayof God to evill and finfuli wayes ; and thefe are of two forts, firft, erroneous opinions; fecondly, wicked praâices ; fecondly, there is a declining in the way ofGod, when though we keep the good way, yet we are not fogood in theway as we were,but Hacke our pace and cool in our zeal to the good wayes ofGod,We mayex.. pound fobs negative in reference to both thefe; as if hehad fiid,I have neither goneout ofthe wayofGod,nor have 1. been floath. full in it. 'Tis the higheft commendation of man, thus to keep the wayof God, andnot decline. Hence note, Agodly man ts, or ought to fie, and 'tiehis honour to befteadl in agood way. Perfeverance is our Crowne. The Apoftle (t Cor. i 5. 58.) Exhorts to be (teddy and unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the worke ofthe Lord. We fhouldbe alwayes moving in the workeof the Lord, but never moving out of the worke of the Lord : we fhould be as a rock in regard offtedfafnes,and as fire in regard of aetivenefe. The Author to the Hebrews ( Chap. i o. z 3.. ) gives this admònition to believers, Let us holdfall the profsffion ofour faithwithout wavering, or without declining. There are tome ofwhomwe may fay, they hold nothing, they hold noprofeffi. on, they dare not make a profeliìon left they fhould be bound to ftand to ir, or they and not to that which they have made; and as they hold no proffíion_, fo they hold no pofition, but as to the dudrine of faith are meer fcepricks, they are alwayes que- rying, but neverconcluding.The Apoftle fpeakes offome(a Tim. 5. 7.) who are ever learning, but never able to come to the know ledge ef the truth ., and there are others ever learning, but never willing to declare their knowledgeof the truth ; and they who hold nothing in dodrin,will not hold long in prattice. Therefore faith the Apoftle ; Let toe h91dffll our profefon, let us be fteadyin it, and that without wavering. And this is the great argument which the Apoftle carries through that whole Epiftle, toeftablifb the Saints, that fo-they might hold fart, without wavering, and E e e de-
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