~ Boo~ IV. oJ'A.) OfEleflion. CHAP. XIII. Tbat thir Promi(e of per[efling; extendr to another cafe of decayed Chrifiianr , who decline from their fir~ love,and goodwor~: That even in them God wi/J rejlore and revive the Principler of Spiritual Life, which languiflm and it dying , 1 bit proved by comparing Heb. 1 J· 20, 21. with Pet. 5· 10. I proceed now to the other two Cafes of Chriflians; co1Jcerni11g dtclinitzgs w good works, fuch as a falling from their firfl love aud /{ack:ng to do thezr firfl works: And further, for fome time to omit, and ceafe tht do– illg of fame good duties, which they once had fitictly been frequent in,through a drowfinefs, and negligence of Spirit, that was come upon them, ( Awokt tbort that jleepejl; Ephrf. )· 14. which is fpoken, as I conceive, to a decay– ed Chrifiian , ) from out ot which if tl1ey be not recawered, their Salvation is in hazard, as thofe exhortations to the Church of Sardii, imply, Rev,~- 2, ~· Et watchful, midflrmgthtn the thiugs, which remain, that art ready to dye : For I have 110t found thy works perftC! 6efore God. Remtm6er there– fort how tbot< haft receivtd, and beard, and bold fajl, and repent, i.e. or they wilt dye. Now this fame firfl word here in my Text, is made ufe of to that cafe alfo as appears by what the Apofile prays for the He6rtws, and in them for all o~ ther Chriftinns, He6. 1 ~· Verf: 20, 21. The God of peace make you ptr{ect ;, _every good work, to do hi& Wilt: worki11g i11you that which u wdl-pleaji11g in his fight; through Je(tH Chrifl, to whom ~e Glory for ever, .Amm. Hence I conclude, That for God to make his Called Ones perfect, is to make themperfee1 in every good work, to do his Wilt : And a fupply of thefe words Jhould therefore in this Text be underfiood, as if our Apofile Peter had in like · manner, and in fo many words, alfo faid, The God of all Gract, (as there of Peace) wi!l make yot< perfee1 in every good work, to do hir will: And it is certain, that it is goodwork!, and the doing ofGods Wilt; thereby is that wherein that perfection, ( fo far as in this Life ) cloth in one principal manner confifi : And therefore although this be not here exprelfed, yet it is ju!Uy to be fuppofed : as ifour Apof11e had explicitly uttered it in words at length , fo that l'm•l is but explicative of Peter: And the Holy Ghofi who guided the Pens of both thefe Holy Apof11es, doth but inflrud: us out of rhat ·to the He6rtws , how, and of wliat to underfland his mind in making us perfeCt to be here; for though he fays no more, but God wilt ptr/tCf; yet he leaves it to us to fearch other Scriptures to feek what that Jhould be in the full latitude of it, and to extend it unro all thofe things whatever, wherein God is faid, and ufeth to make his Children perfeiJ, as to his workings of Grace in us after calling; for of that kind of PerfeCtion it is that 'Peter fpeaks. And for evtdence of this,to be his intent in this Particular word, look as he leaves this firll word, without f•ying wherein, fo he bath done the other thru words, indefinitely referring us to fuch Scriptures, to find out the particulars, wherein it is he is fa id to {1116li}h, flrmgthen, and (tttle us: And this is a received jufi law of interpreting fuch lil<e paffages of Scriptures, and therefore alfo this, acd wtll hold in every one of thefe four words. A_nd
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