A Complete collection of farewell sermons preached by Mr. Calamy, Dr. Manton, Mr. Caryl…A Compleat collection of farewel sermons preached by Mr. Calamy, Dr. Manton, Mr. Caryl…

Secondly, It is not only a manly act to hold fast that which is good, and childish to let it go: but it is a Christian act, a proper Christian act, a right Christian act, it is that which doth distinguish a true Christian from a hypocrite and a counterfeit; you know it is a character of a Godly man, he is a praying man: there went up two men into the Temple to pray, the one was a hypocrite, the other a Publican; now, what is there then in prayer, that doth distinguish these two men? why faith Job, will the hypocrite pray ⟨image 121⟩always? no not he. I will warrant you, that is well, he held out in the profession of God and of his Worship and Service; the Saints are always said to pray: but as for the hypocrite, will be pray always? no not he; for here the true children of God, they will hold fast; but Hypocrites and Formalists, they will let go. Now mark here, the Apostle makes this distinction, Heb. 10. ver. last; But we are not of them who draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of their souls; that is, of them that believe to the end: for the end of our Faith is the salvation of our Souls: now pray you mark by the way, what you draw back to; when you draw back, you draw back to perdition; they that go backward, go to Hell. How, saith he, We are not of them that draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of their souls: that is, of those that believe to the end; and this is the difference he makes between them that are the People of God, and them that are not, that to the end holds fast, the other lets go. Thus I have given you an account of the Arguments that are couched in these words, drawn from the Subject, the Object, and the Act, with its qualifications. I think I promised you a few helps, with which I shall conclude, take them in these three or four particulars.

Secondly, It is not only a manly act to hold fast that which is good, and childish to let it go: but it is a Christian act, a proper Christian act, a right Christian act, it is that which doth distinguish a true Christian from a hypocrite and a counterfeit; you know it is a character of a Godly man, he is a praying man: there went up two men into the Temple to pray, the one was a hypocrite, the other a Publican; now, what is there then in prayer, that doth distinguish these two men? why faith Job, will the hypocrite pray ⟨image 121⟩