Uses. 1. That which we here pray for, we must endeavour to practise;1 and therefore our special care must be to resist the devil, and to keep our selves from the assaults of Satan unto sin, whether they come from our own corruption, or from this evil world: 1. John 5. 18. He that is borne of God sinneth not, but keepeth himself that the •icked one toucheth him not. This we see may be done, and it is a notable2 sign of our adoption and regeneration: now the way to do it is set down by the Apostle Paul, 1. Tim. 1. 18, 19. Fight the good fight: ⟨p. 313⟩which he expounds in the words following, which prescribe 2. duties; having faith and a good conscience: To have faith, is to hold and maintain true religion in life and death, renouncing all heresy whatsoever, whether of Jews, Turks, Papists, or any other: which, whosoever3 would do, must not content himself with a show of godliness in profession, but must get the power of religion fast rooted in his heart, which he must express▪ in his conversation. And for this end these rules must be remembered: First, we must have in our4 hearts sincere love to God in Christ, and to his Church, and true religion: Christ must have the chief place in our hearts, & our love to God in him must be so strong, that it must overwhelm all other affections, so as we may truly say with Paul,▪ I count all things loss, and doc judge 5them to be dung, that I might win Christ: and this must be the order of our love, we must love God and Christ for themselves, & the church of God, and true religion, for Gods sake. Secondly, we must not only6 know and believe that Christ died for our sins, and rose again for our justification; but we must labour to feel the power and efficacy of his death, killing sin in us, and the virtue of his resurrection, raising us up to newness of life: he that hath only a show of religion, may make profession of faith in Christs death and resurrection; but herein stands the power, when we be made conformable unto his death, in regard of the death of sin, and know the virtue of his resurrection, by our holy endeavour in new obedience, and do frame our selves to his example in all such things wherein he left himself a pattern unto us.
Uses. 1. That which we here pray for, wee must endeauour to practise;1 and therefore our speciall care must be to resist the deuill, and to keepe our selues from the assaults of Satan vnto sinne, whether they come from our owne corruption, or from this euill world: 1. Iohn 5. 18. Hee that is borne of God sinneth not, but keepeth himsef• that the •icked one toucheth him not. This wee see may be done, and it is a notable2 signe of our adoption and regeneration: now the way to doe it is set downe by the Apostle Paul, 1. Tim. 1. 18, 19. Fight the good fight: ⟨p. 313⟩which he expounds in the words following, which prescribe 2. duties; hauing faith and a good conscience: To haue faith, is to hold and maintaine true religion in life and death, renouncing all heresie whatsoeuer, whether of Iewes, Turkes, Papists, or any other: which, whosoeuer3 would doe, must not content himselfe with a shewe of godlinesse in profession, but must get the power of religion fast rooted in his heart, which hee must expresse▪ in his conuersation. And for this ende these rules must bee remembred: First, wee must haue in our4 hearts sincere loue to God in Christ, and to his Church, and true religion: Christ must haue the chiefe place in our hearts, & our loue to God in him must be so strong, that it must ouerwhelme all other affectiōs, so as we may truely say with Paul,▪ I count all things losse, and doc iudge 5them to be dongue, that I might win Christ: and this must bee the order of our loue, we must loue God and Christ for themselues, & the church of God, and true religion, for Gods sake. Secondly, wee must not onely6 know and beleeue that Christ died for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iustification; but we must labour to feele the power and efficacie of his death, killing sinne in vs, and the vertue of his resurrection, raysing vs vp to newnes of life: he that hath only a shew of religion, may make profession of faith in Christs death and resurrection; but herein stands the power, when we be made conformable vnto his death, in regard of the death of sinne, and know the vertue of his resurrection, by our holy endeauour in new obedience, and do frame our selues to his example in all such things wherein he left himselfe a patterne vnto vs.
- 1Resist the d•••l.
- 2The way h•• to […] […].The way h•• to 〈…〉 〈…〉.
- 3How to keep the faith.How to keepe the faith.
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- 5Phil. 3. •.
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