An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

¹The word signifies to hold fast, strongly and prevailingly. Jobs wife (Chap. 2.) speaks thus, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? And God himself speaks in the same language concerning Job, Doest thou not see, though thou hast moved me to afflict him without cause, how he holdeth fast his integrity? The hypocrite (after his manner, Mordicus tenet) holds his duties, performancies, gifts, tufly, or (as it were) with his very teeth, he will hold them to ⟨p. 99⟩the very death, and not let them go, the hypocrite will not give over, will not be beaten off from trusting to these false and weak props, here he sets up his rest, he will die by his gifts, his duties, his outward profession, and go no further.

1. 1[Greek or Hebrew] Eam mordicus tenens, see in ea stabilem & firmum semper fore putans. Merc.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Eam mordicus tenens, se in ea stabilem & firmum semper fore putans. Merc.

It is our glory to hold integrity fast, to hold grace fast, yea and duties in point of practice and obedience; but it is our sin and danger, to hold them fast in reliance and confidence.

It is a sad use which some make of this truth, when they hear that hypocrites hold fast upon duties, &c. they let go their duties; they let prayer go, repentance, and sorrow for sin go; they say, it is no matter for duties, they need not trouble themselves, Christ doth all. This is to turn the grace of God into wantonness. We must let go both our graces and our duties in point of justification, but hold them we must as our lives, in conversation, and the tenor of our lives. Prayer, hearing, fasting, repenting must not die, while we live; Do them we must, but glory in them we must not.