Coln. r. Of Integrity, andPerfeverance, &c. Chap.117. i r like a Bow, which ifyou bend it not forward till the ftring take hold, it wiltftart back of its own accord. A fecond and a better , is , if we find our felves more fruitful in good works, when more years have taken hold of us. It was the mark of the Church of Th 7 stirs y, Kai that her laft works weremore than her firft. When we abound more and more, as Pio. à .9a, r3,: q; the Apoftle fpeaks, The Pfalmiff faith, they that be planted in the Houle of the 84 7. Lord, (hall Rillbring forth Fruit in their Age, and gofrom ftrength to ftrength. 3. The Taft is, if we perfevere in time of trouble and afitifìion, if we fly not when the Woolf comes, if with Elijah we be not afraid ofthe fiety Horfes, nor ofthe fieryChariot. Ifperfecutions and croffes make us not waver, then we may z lot. /.1 1. perfwade our felves, that our cafe is like to?Ws ofwhomGod laid toSatan, he holdeth fart his Integrity, though thou movedit me againfthimwithout a caufe todeftroy him; and that Godwill fay the fameofus. The Taft, or fixth rule is, to procure it in others. And herein we mutt follow the Jobz. 3; Apoftles counfel,ftrengthen thole that are weak. Lift up theHandswhich hang down, and the feeble Knees. It is let down froman Aft ofPiety in Ramatma that heexhor. Heb.r,.rz; ted the People, that with purple of heart they wouldcleave unto the Lord; and MI. rrrt. of Saint Paul and Barnabaa, who perfwaded the religiouspews, to continue in the 1,313 Grace ofGod; and in another place, they confirmed the Difr iples, and exhorted Ezeclr,34.4: . : them to continuein the Faith, &c. As on the other-fide it is fet down by the Holy 9.4, Ghott,as a mark of an evil Shepheard, and ofbad Sheep, notto ftrengthen the weak, nor to bind up that which was broken, nor to reduce thole that (tray. As the receiving of Vinegar was Chrilts confummatam e1,, fo is perfeverance the confosmma. ma eft of a Chriftian. It is like the mark in the Prophet, the !aft Letter in theAl- phabet, the Letter rt tau, which is called the Letter ofPerfefìion, ofenduring and continuing, which whofoever bath (hall not be (lain , but (hall enter into the Hea- venly ferufalem, but theywhichhave it not, Ihall be Hainwithout pity. So much for the firft Commandment: THE
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