An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

and this always falleth out, that he who is an Apostate from the true profession of Christ, doth become a cruel and bloody enemy of that way he once walked in. Omnis Apostata est osor sui ordinis, All Apostate persons, whether in Doctrine or Practice, are implacable adversaries to truth and holiness. This hath been experimentally proved in all ages; and one reason is, because hereby they would be revenged upon those from whom they have departed; for their guilty conscience telleth them, they have justly incurred the censure of the godly; They have lost their repute and esteem, their good name is blasted; and this maketh them study all opposition and malignity that may be. Look then to thy motives at first, to those terms thou didst profess Christ at the beginning; if it was any humane or false motive, if it was not such an entire and enduring principle, that will not make thee stand upon a Rock immovable; Let any winds or tempests arise, as great a friend, and as forward a well-wisher, as now thou seemest to be for good things. Had we a prophetical discerning, we might with the Prophet look steadfastly upon thee, as he did on Hazael, and weep to think what enmity and mischief thou mayest create to such as fear God. This man taketh up the old Rule, Ama tanquam osurus; He loveth this way of Christ, so as thinking his outward advantages may sometimes or other make him hate it.

and this alwayes falleth out, that he who is an Apostate from the true profession of Christ, doth become a cruel and bloudy enemy of that way he once walked in. Omnis Apostata est osor sui ordinis, All Apostate persons, whether in Doctrine or Practice, are implacable adversaries to truth and holinesse. This hath been experimentally proved in all ages; and one reason is, because hereby they would be revenged upon those from whom they have departed; for their guilty conscience telleth them, they have justly incurred the censure of the godly; They have lost their repute and esteem, their good name is blasted; and this maketh them study all opposition and malignity that may be. Look then to thy motives at first, to those termes thou didst professe Christ at the beginning; if it was any humane or false motive, if it was not such an entire and enduring principle, that will not make thee stand upon a Rock immovable; Let any winds or tempests arise, as great a friend, and as forward a well-wisher, as now thou seemest to be for good things. Had we a propheticall discerning, we might with the Prophet look stedfastly upon thee, as he did on Hazael, and weep to think what enmity and mischief thou mayest create to such as fear God. This man taketh up the old Rule, Ama tanquam osurus; He loveth this way of Christ, so as thinking his outward advantages may sometimes or other make him hate it.