1. All means without the Lords grace will not keep us from 1falling: The Apostle requireth duty of the faithful, but asketh grace of God; he had before said, keep your selves in the love of God, and now to him that is able to keep from falling, ⟨p. 547⟩&c. we fall not because God doth not let go his hold; our necessities and difficulties are so great, that nothing less then a divine power can support us, 1 Pet. 1. 5. Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation: This power of God is set a work to encourage hope, not to check industry, use means, but look for his blessing: We cannot stand a moment longer then God upholdeth us, we are as a staff in the hand of a man, take away the hand and the staff falleth to the ground, or rather as a little infant in the Nurses hand, Hosea 11. 3. if we are left to our own feet, we shall soon fall and get a knock; created grace will never hold out against so many difficulties: One of the Fathers bringeth in the flesh, saying, ego deficiam, I shall fail; the world, ego dicipian, I will deceive them; the Devil, ego eripiam, I will take them away; but […] saith, ego custodium, I will keep them, never fail them, nor forsake them, and there lieth our safety; the world is full of snares, we are carnal, and there are carnal persons about us, and the Devil is a restless enemy, watching all advantages; and surely having so much pride in us, and love of pleasures, and so many worldly desires, we give them him but too too often, therefore unless God keep us, we shall be tossed too and fro like feathers, with the wind of every temptation.
1. All means without the Lords grace will not keep us from 1falling: The Apostle requireth duty of the faithful, but asketh grace of God; he had before said, keep your selves in the love of God, and now to him that is able to keep from falling, ⟨p. 547⟩&c. we fall not because God doth not let go his hold; our necessities and difficulties are so great, that nothing less then a divine power can support us, 1 Pet. 1. 5. Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation: This power of God is set a work to encourage hope, not to check industry, use means, but look for his blessing: We cannot stand a moment longer then God upholdeth us, we are as a staff in the hand of a man, take away the hand and the staff falleth to the ground, or rather as a little infant in the Nurses hand, Hosea 11. 3. if we are left to our own feet, we shall soon fall and get a knock; created grace will never hold out against so many difficulties: One of the Fathers bringeth in the flesh, saying, ego deficiam, I shall fail; the world, ego dicipian, I will deceive them; the Devil, ego eripiam, I will take them away; but 〈…〉 saith, ego custodium, I will keep them, never fail them, nor forsake them, and there lyeth our safety; the world is full of snares, we are carnal, and there are carnal persons about us, and the Devil is a restless enemy, watching all advantages; and surely having so much pride in us, and love of pleasures, and so many worldly desires, we give them him but too too often, therefore unless God keep us, we shall be tossed too and fro like feathers, with the wind of every temptation.
- 1Observat. 1.
