All other exercises will be less to us without the exercise of Grace, therefore we had need to Improve our Graces. When the house is on fire, if a man should only pray, or cry, &c. he may be burnt for all that; therefore he must be active and stirring, he must run from place to place, and call out for help, and must work even in the fire, and bestir himself as for life, in the use of all means, whereby the fire may be quenched; so if Grace be not acted, its not all a mans praying and crying, &c. that will profit him, or better him, grace must be exercised, or all will be lost, prayers lost, tears lost, time lost, strength lost, soul lost, &c. 1 Tim. 4. 7, 8. But refuse profane and old wives 1fables: shift them off, as the word is, set them by, say thou art not at leisure to attend them, make a fair excuse, as the word notes, tell them thou hast business of an eternal concernment to look after, and exercise thy self rather unto Godliness, or 2lay aside thy upper Garments, as runners and wrestlers do, (to which the Apostle alludes) and bestir thy self lustily; for says he in the 8 ver. Bodily exercise profits little, but Godliness is profitable unto all things, and hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come. The Babylonians are said to make 360 several Commodities of the Palm Tree, but what are those hundred Commodities to those thousands that attend holiness, that attend the exercise of grace? nothing makes a man rich in spirituals, like the frequent and constant actings of grace. In the fourth of the Heb. 2. The word did not profit them that heard it, because it was not mixed with faith. He doth not speak there of unbelievers, but of those that had Grace in the habit, but not in the exercise, and therefore the word did not turn to their Accounts, they heard and were never the better, and what was the Ground of it? why, it was because they did not exercise Faith upon the word: the words that fell from the Preachers lips into their ears, were a sweet potion, but they did not work kindly, because there wanted the Ingredients of faith: faith is one of those Glorious Ingredients, that must make every Sermon, every truth, work for the souls advantage; nothing will work for a believers good, for his gain, if his graces lie asleep.
All other exercises will be lesse to us without the exercise of Grace, therefore we had need to Improve our Graces. When the house is on fire, if a man should onely pray, or cry, &c. he may be burnt for all that; therefore he must be active and stirring, he must run from place to place, and call out for helpe, and must worke even in the fire, and bestirre himselfe as for life, in the use of all meanes, whereby the fire may be quenched; so if Grace be not acted, its not all a mans praying and crying, &c. that will profit him, or better him, grace must be exercised, or all will be lost, prayers lost, teares lost, time lost, strength lost, soule lost, &c. 1 Tim. 4. 7, 8. But refuse prophane and old wives 1fables: shift them off, as the word is, sett them by, say thou art not at leisure to attend them, make a faire excuse, as the word notes, tell them thou hast business of an eternall concernment to look after, and exercise thy selfe rather unto Godliness, or 2lay aside thy upper Garments, as runners and wrastlers doe, (to which the Apostle alludes) and bestirre thy selfe lustily; for says he in the 8 ver. Bodily exercise profits little, but Godlinesse is profitable unto all things, and hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come. The Babylonians are said to make 360 severall Commodities of the Palme Tree, but what are those hundred Commodities to those thousands that attend holiness, that attend the exercise of grace? nothing makes a man rich in spiritualls, like the frequent and constant actings of grace. In the fourth of the Heb. 2. The word did not profit them that heard it, because it was not mixt with faith. He doth not speake there of unbeleevers, but of those that had Grace in the habit, but not in the exercise, and therefore the word did not turne to their Accounts, they heard and were never the better, and what was the Ground of it? why, it was because they did not exercise Faith upon the word: the words that fell from the Preachers lips into their ears, were a sweete potion, but they did not worke kindly, because there wanted the Ingredients of faith: faith is one of those Glorious Ingredients, that must make every Sermon, every truth, worke for the souls advantage; nothing will worke for a beleevers good, for his gaine, if his graces lie asleepe.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew] make a fair excuse.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 make a faire excuse.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew] is not to be taken in a sense wherein little signifies nothing at all, but as when it is set in comparison and opposition to some greater matter, as here in opposition to [Greek or Hebrew] for all things. Let the Patient take such or such a potion that in its self is good, yet if it want such or such a particular ingredient, it works not, it do's no good, 'tis so here.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is not to be taken in a sense wherein little signifies nothing at all, but as when it is set in comparison and opposition to some greater matter, as here in opposition to 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 for all things. Let the Patient take such or such a potion that in its selfe is good, yet if it want such or such a particular ingredient, it workes not, it do's no good, 'tis so here.
