The vvorldes resurrection, or The generall calling of the Iewes A familiar commentary vpon the eleuenth chapter of Saint Paul to the Romaines, according to the sence of Scripture, and the consent of the most iudicious interpreters, wherein aboue fiftie notable questions are soundly answered, and the particular doctrines, reasons and vses of euery verse, are profitable and plainly deliuered. By Thomas Draxe. Minister of the word of God.

If thou shalt continue in his bountifulnesse.

* 1.1It sufficeth not once to haue intertained the grace & Gospell of God, to haue made a gay and goodly profes∣sion of it, and to haue gotten credit and esteeme by it, ex∣cept with a perpetuall tenour we follow our vocation,* 1.2 except we keepe a setled and continued course in godly∣nesse and hold fast the beginning of our substance whereby we are vpholden vnto the end,* 1.3 hauing set our hand to the plowgh, we must not once looke backe, we must perseuer vnto the end,* 1.4 if we will be saued: If wee would winne and weare the Crowne of righteousnesse, wee must with blessed Paul fight a good fight,* 1.5 finish our cou••se, and keepe the faith.

The reasons hereof, are (especially) these; first God is a bountifull Lord and vnchangeably good, therefore wee must serue him willingly and with all our heartes, and that for euer if we would be rewarded by him. Second∣ly except we persist and abide in Gods loue, truth and seruice, all our former labour is but lost, al our righte∣ousnesse shall be forgotten;* 1.6 if we fall and part away from God, we are the instruments of our owne destruction, & shall die and be damned in our sins.

Vse. 1. Seeing that many that only in shew and ne∣uer in good earnest imbraced Gods goodnes and his promises, are iustly depriued of them, let vs while wee haue time and meanes, labour & contend to go forward in piety and religion to the end, and to make our electi∣on sure (vnto vs) by good workes. 2. Pet. 1.10.

Vse. 3. Here are iustly reproued those y^t serue GOD only by star••s and brunts, by accompt of daies, yeares and moneths, and so are soone whot and soone cold, soone ripe, soone rotten, their zeale and religion vanisheth away like a cloude or a morning dew. Hosea. 6. V. 4.

Vs. 3. We must not in this heauenly course consult with flesh and bloud,* 1.7 nor bring a fleshly mind to religion, nor any worldly respect & sinister aimes of procuring honour, authority, credit, riches, praise: for when we speed of our desire, then our religion determineth and endeth, and when our ends faile, then our godlinesse goeth away with them, or if the sincerity of the gospell shall con∣demne and crosse vs in our vices and vanities, profits and pleasures, then we bid adewe to religion, and will desire it to depart out of our coasts as the Garge••its did our Sauiour. Wherefore we must alwaies be aduised by Gods word, we must loue it and delight in it and with all our soules, serue the Lord of heauen: then shall we con∣tinue in Gods goodnesse and neuer be confounded.

Or else thou shalt be cut of .i. because thou art vnthanke∣full, or but an Hipocrite, God will take his kingdome and Gospel from thee,* 1.8 or he wil leaue thee to thy selfe, or giue thee ouer to Sathan, for to be seduced & hardned by him.

It is expedient and necessary for the ministers and preachers of the word sometimes, (especially) in time of a generall security, and corruption of maners when they see and espy there people and hearers to grow secure and proud,* 1.9 to contemne other, and to rest onely in titles shewes & outward appearances to vse argumen••ts, of ter∣rour and to denounce the heauy iudgements of God that hang ouer their heads, Heb. 6.10. 1. Cor. 10.11. 2, Tim 4.2.3.4. Iud. 23.

The first reason hereof is, because without this rough dealing, the conceited Hipocrite, the glosing Gospeller, and the drowsie professour cannot possibly be throughly couninced, much lesse awaked and conuerted.

Secondly there is often in the best Christians a kind of be-nummednesse, a kind of worldly drowsinesse, and a kind of spirituall pride and conceitednesse, therefore for the finding out & redresse of these infirmities and faults they haue need of daily and sound admonition,* 1.10 and the more that faith is corrupted and mens manners infected, the more need to plye them with admonitions.

1. Vse. Let vs labour and endeuour to serue God in singlenesse of heart, and in godly sinceritie, without any by respects or sinister aimes; for then shall we cleare our selues from hipocrisie, and in the time of distresse and in the agonie of death, finde and feele euerlasting and vn∣speakable comfort.

2. Vse. It behoueth vs, if we would approue the sound∣nesse of our conscience, or bee raised from the sleepe and slumber of negligence and securitie, and bee kept from Apostacie, and the custome and sway of sinne, to endure and admit of wholsome reprehensions and sharpe admo∣nitions. If we do so, they will bee but warnings vnto vs, nay, purgations to purge vs of many superfluous humors, of pride; false opinions, and euill conuersation, yea and a notable restoratiue to recouer vs, and a preseruatiue to keepe vs in good plight, being once cured & recouered.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doctr.
• * 1.2

  Heb. 3.14.
• * 1.3

  Luke 9.2.
• * 1.4

  Math. 24.13.
• * 1.5

  2 Tim. 4.7.8.
• * 1.6

  Ezech. 18.24.
• * 1.7

  Gal. 1 V. 16.
• * 1.8

  Doctr.
• * 1.9

  Esa. 58. Heb. 6.10. 1. Cor. 10.11.12.
• * 1.10

  Apoc. 3 17.