William Ames

“ This may serve to comfort weake Christians; for if they have true faith, though it be but like a graine of Mustard seed, they have the same comfort that the Apostles themselves had. If they be truly knit unto Christ, though it be but with a slender thred as it were, yet they hold Christ as well as they that are tyed unto him with the strongest cords: which yet is not so to be taken, as if we were not to seeke for a stronger and surer faith; for although the weake possesse the same good that the strong do, yet they have not the same fruit and benefit of this possession. ”

“ To direct, as well the Preachers as the hearers, not only to teach the truth, but also to bring a word of exhortation alwayes, that is, to apply it to the use of the truth which they deliver, and then the hearers, to come unto Sermons, not as being greedy of novelty or speculation, but being prepared before hand and ready to receive exhortations and admonitions, and to turne them into practise. ”

“ Because if they had all knowledge and also faith, yet their will and affections must be by these meanes stirred up unto their duty. For our will is like unto a slow and dull servant, to whom it is not enough once to heare the commands of his master, but they must be often told him. ”

“ For that is the reason why Peter saith that he is an Apostle of Jesus Christ. All the faithfull are Christs servants, but they are not Apostles: even the ordinary Ministers themselves, although in a large sense they may be called Apostles and Embassadours of Christ, yet not in that sense as Peter, Paul, and the like are called. For the word Apostle, in this and the like places, signifies not only an Embassage, but a singular priviledge or prerogative in that embassage. ”

“ Verse 9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Verse 10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Iesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. ”

“ All those professors of the faith that do not adde vertue unto faith; and all those Preachers that do not with zeale and constancy stirre up the faithfull to labour for vertue, do greatly dishonour the Gospell, as if it were of the same nature with cunningly devised fables. ”

“ To admonish us, never so to rest satisfied with that which we have attained, as if there were nothing more to be gotten; for although we have all other things, yet it is required, that we should increase more and more in it, 1 Thessalonians 4.1,10. ”

“ To admonish us, never to reject or make light account of those things which are preached unto us out of Gods word, because it is the Spirit of Christ, which preacheth unto us those things, like as he preached unto others from the beginning of the world. ”

“ Because we have too much offended God already in the time past, and if we should abuse his mercy and patience any longer, we could expect nothing else but the revelation of his just anger and indignation, to our eternall confusion. ”

“ That is, a conscience bearing us witnesse, both of the grace of God towards us in Christ, and of the sincere desire and endeavour of our hearts to please God in all things.
Reason 1. Because without such a conscience, our faith, confidence, fortitude, and liberty, doth languish and decay.
2. Because such a conscience freeth us from all that burthen, wherewith otherwise we should be oppressed, and terrified, and affrighted from doing our duty.
3. Because it stirreth us up to all the duties of piety; for without the care of performing them, a good conscience can afford us no comfort. ”

“ To reprove those, that either altogether neglect this primary duty of the faithfull, or take such slight care of it, that they must needs alwayes waver in their minds touching those things whereof they should be most assured. Dangerous is that doctrine of the Papists, that holds mens minds alwayes in suspense, both in life and death. For in life they accuse this firme confidence of presumption, and in death they leave wretched men in doubt, how long they shall be tormented in Purgatory. ”

“ To exhort us, to raise up our minds to receive the word of God with a congruous affection. We may easily think with our selves how our minds would be affected, if we should receive a letter that was written by the hand of God in heaven, and directed unto us by name, and sent unto us by one of his Angels: after the same manner should we be affected in reading and hearing the written word of God. ”

“ Because all the whole businesse of our salvation depends upon the omnipotency of God: for the enemies of our salvation, and the difficulties of it are so great, that no other power is able to subdue them. ”

“ God is the first and principall author, and so also Christ, as he is God: but as he is God and man, our Mediatour, so he is the beginning ordained by God, as the head, from whom all grace is to be derived unto his members, as into the vessels of grace; so that God is as it were the first and principall fountaine, Christ as the secondary fountaine, in whom is hid all grace that is to be given unto the faithfull, and the faithfull themselves are the vessels that draw and receive this grace, which runnes into them from these fountaines, and the word and Sacraments are as the channels. ”

“ Some are more damnable then others, yet all do in their nature tend to damnation. For all are contrary unto the way of truth, whereof mention is made, verse 2. which way alone leads unto life. But there are some heresies which can by no meanes consist with salvation or eternall life. Hereupon such opinions are by a kind of appropriation called heresies in the Church, that is, opinions altogether damnable. For there is a difference to be observed betwixt things rashly spoken, bare errors in faith, and heresies properly so called. ”

“ Because sinne in respect of the guilt that is joyned with it, hath a kind of power whereby it drawes all evill; like as faith and prayers obtain every good gift from God. Hence is it, that our sins are said to cry for vengeance; and also to draw punishment unto it as it were with strong cords, Isaiah 5.18. For while men draw sin with such-like cords, they do also draw the punishment of sinne, which is joyned unto it. ”

“ An endeavour to abound in vertue, and to do good workes is the only meanes to make our calling and election sure.
This is gathered from the words, If ye do these things.
Reason 1. Because these are the proper effects of calling and election.
2. They are the causes of that knowledge which we have of our calling and election. For the knowledge and assurance of these things depends upon the reflex act of our understanding, whereby we see in our selves the markes and signes of effectuall calling, and consequently of eternall election. ”

“ Now while the Apostle disputes from the promises to the gifts promised, he disputes from the testimony to the things testified, which kinde of argumentation he doth sufficiently intimate, when he puts things promised in stead of the promise. And the things promised are thus explained; 1. In general, by two adjuncts, that they are exceeding great and precious, that is, neither concerning small things, or things of little moment, nor concerning things that we have nothing to do with, or are little to be esteemed by us, but things of exceeding great weight, and of exceeding great price. ”

“ They are unlearned and unstable men, that wrest the Scripture to maintaine their impiety.
For that the Apostle means, when he saith that they wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction; not that it is such an exceeding dangerous thing to interpret some place of Scripture otherwise then it should be, but that it is the property of a very wicked man to argue out of the word of God against God, or against his will. Now they are called unlearned, not because they have no skill in the tongues or arts, wherein such pestiferous men may sometimes excell ”

“ Because if there be any difference in other things, which doe not belong unto that way, they are not so great, as that they should cause any discord: For there may be some difference of opinions in many things without any discord or alienation of mens minds. And if there be some difference about those things, which doe belong unto that way, a bearing one with another, when they doe both earnestly desire the truth, will preserve concord safe and sound betwixt those which are true Christians, according to that of the Apostle Philippians 3.15,16. ”

“ Now faith is signified by the name of knowledge, because by the hearing and knowledge of the word it is usually begotten in us. And faith is called the instrument of grace, not as it is in God himselfe, willing, intending, and ordaining spirituall good things unto us, for so grace is the cause of faith; but as the sense, fruit and knowledge of this grace is communicated unto us. For faith is so the fruit and effect of grace, that it hath the first place, and is the instrumentall cause of all following grace. ”

“ This may serve to instruct us, by faith to relye upon every testimony of God. For that which God promiseth or any way witnesseth, is as sure as that which we have already received or do see brought to passe. We may oftentimes doubt of mens words, because they have neither perfect truth, nor perfect power: but the excellent glory of God, whereof mention is here made, requires far otherwise of us.
2. To exhort us, for the confirmation of our faith, to have alwayes in our eyes the excellent glory of God, whereby he can and also will do whatsoever he hath said. ”

“ Because in our prayers we do stirre up our faith, hope, and desire touching those good things, which the Lord will impart unto us at his comming.
2. Because by our prayers we do turne aside and remove those evils from our selves, which make his comming dreadfull unto sinners: for by flying unto Gods mercy, we do flye both from our sinnes, and from his wrath. ”

“ To comfort us against all those feares and terrours, that may arise from the consideration of our own infirmities; for although of our selves we are continually falling to corruption, yet there is something borne in us, if we be truly faithfull, which is incorruptible and shall abide unto eternall life. ”

“ The world or the multitude of the world is blinded; therefore one Christian which hath the eye of his mind inlightned by the Spirit, and followes the light of Gods word, can see more then a great multitude of others. ”

“ Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. To the first reason or objection we answer; that one eye of a man that seeth, perceives more, then a thousand blind eyes. ”

“ But by this phrase are signified not only the inclinations of the body, but all those that belong to the old man: for there is something to be sanctified even in the very spirit of our minds, 1 Thessalonians 5.23. and therefore some lust of the flesh is seated in the spirit; but these lusts are in generall said to be of the flesh, because they are most of all manifested in those things which belong to the body and the flesh: for most men care for and looke after nothing else almost but those things that belong to this present life. ”

“ Because the subjection of a servant is such, that it doth necessarily command a feare to displease, not only in that respect, because in every duty, both towards God and man, we should feare to offend by doing amisse, but also in respect of that singular power, which masters have to punish their servants. This is that feare, which we usually call servile, which is not to be disliked in servants, though in the children of God there be another feare required over and above, which ariseth from love. ”

“ Now that it may be knowne who are the servants of God, we must know that there are two things, as it were essentiall to a servant, 1. To depend upon his Masters will and pleasure, for direction in his worke. 2. To referre all that he hath to the use and profit of his Master, not to his owne. So also every faithfull servant of God, 1. depends wholly upon God for the direction of his life, not upon himselfe and his owne counsell, nor upon the examples and customes of the world, much lesse upon the suggestions of the flesh and the devill. ”

“ Because our prayers themselves do bind us to such an endeavour. For in every prayer there is a promise and vow, wherein we promise unto God that we will seeke that which we aske of him: so that to aske any thing of God without such an endeavour, is not only to take Gods name in vaine, but also plainly to mock his Majestie.
Our endeavours also must be joyned with the grace of God, because grace tends thereunto, both to afford us strength to endeavour, and also to stirre us up to exercise that strength. ”