404 (_ gip. 3. An Expoftionupon the llo:4 rf 30 R. Vert. t 2. mach le& lothhe goe back ; hedoth not onely ftay where'he Iv s, but he is better then he was, his course is onward and for- ward. (7kb 17.9 ) The rigbteoue(hall hold en hi, way. It is bad. enough not to goe forward, but Co goe backWard is farre worfe,. if any draw bark (faith God, Heb. to, 38)my foule flail have no pleajure in them. At:d what pleafu e can their feules take, is when the fouleofGod takes no pleaure ? To draw back is per, dition , as they who draw backe are the moft forward to deftroy others (Hof 5.2.) Tot revoulters are profound to makeJl,ugh- ter) fo they (hall be lure tobe deftroyed thernfelves. The people of Ifrael in their travels through the wildernes to (ao a,:n,didof tendifcover this fpirit of Apottacy (P.al. 78. 41.) They turned back and tempted Cjod ; We find them at a confultation about it.. (Numb. 14. 4.) They/aid one to another, let us make us a Cap - taine,and let us retorne into Eoypt.Oar Lord jefus had (uch a fort ofinen; who followedhim in perfon (?oh.6.66.) Erem that time many of his Vifciples went backfrom him, and walkedno afore with kiln. They were D.fciples who went back, and there were many of them, fo many that Chril(i:n the next serfe) ¡aid to the twelve, Will ye afrogoe away? T 'cen Peterarrfwercd. Lard, whether fill tregee ? thou haft the wordsof eternal! life : As if he had Paid, we cannot mend our (elves whether foeverwe go ; why then íhould we goe from thee? : s a godly mangoeth on,fo Joe feeth reaforc why be lh,nld. ' f is as irrational!. as fin to 1, to goe back from himwho bath the words ofeternal) iife,or from the commandement ofhis lips, who bath given the p-omife of life. TheApoftle Paul had a reaching fpirit, and he was alwayes reaching forward (Phi/.3.12, I3,) 2Ce as though 1had already attained,or were alreadyperfcit, but 1follow after, if that 1 mayapprehend that, for which alfo 1am _apprehendedof Chrifl 7efs ; As ifhehad' faid, I would -to the ut- moft anfwer thedeuigne which Chrift had upon me,wben he firfi t oke hold of me effectually by his grace. Toul was fo farfrom going backe,.that he forgot what was backward.Some remember what is paff, or what theyhave done; fo much,. that they forget what is to be done. But (faithParr!) this one thing I doe, forget- ting thole things which are khinde, and reaching forte unto thofe things whichare before, I preJJ'e towards the marke ; for the price if the high calling ofGod in Gerift yefus. The marke and the price are aiwayes before us, there is no coming at the marke, nor win- . ring,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=