VER Ephefana,Chap,G. .io.! 3. Ifwewill enter ir, he will breake us off by difficulties, dilcom. forts, diftraciions, and make us yeild our weapon, as weary. But here the power of Chrift, the authorand finifher offaith, the beginner and perfeéter ofhis owne good worke, loth carry us on: and the feed of God is offuch force, that it will not let us fall to finning. Secondly, the confcience ofGods Commandement on one hand , and the com- fort ofhis acceptance on the other fide, doe encourageus : fo that this affault is fruftrate. 4. He fl:eweth himfelfe a Devil( indeed ; and by aggravating our imperfe ions, will offer to wreft from us the teftimony of a good confcience, in this wife. Gods eye is too pure to behold any evill, thou fhouldff love the Lord thy God with all thyheart, &c. But thy beftdeeds have beene fprinkled with filthineffe, thy owne confci- ence lath condemned thee in them ; God is greater then thy copfci- ence. Theanfwer is, by getting a found knowledge how farre we are to ftand upon the righteoufneffcof ourcourfes ; of which markethefe things. Firft, we doe notaccount of it as able to abide the tryallof juf}ice, or to Rand for our full righteoufneffe before God. This we account is droffe anddung; thefe things may difmay aPapift, they cannot dif may us. Secondly , Weeplace the ftrengthof our righteoufncffc in two things. z. That it doth teftifie ofour true faith : for a worke good in any meafure, dothargue a heart good in fome meafure; for you cannot have a figgeofa thiftlr: nowa heart in any meafure good, doth argue a true fáith, for that only can purifie the heart. 2. In thisthat weknow they are pleating unto our God : not that they canendure the tryall of his juffice in themfelves,but becaufe faith on Chrift Bothcover their imperfections : and thereforeare juftlyac- cepted through grace , when the dcfrct is covered ; they being not much ours, as thework ofthe fpirit (Colof z. s t. ftrengthened with all might throughhis power unto all patience,&c.) the wants feu afide. Novwefhallf ronglytold thispart ofeur armour, ifweexcrcif thefe things. z. Labour togive obediencce offaith, in the leaft things : for theremuft be precifeneffe in keeping Gods Commandemenrs,andwe muffcount nothing little that he commandeth. Solomon will have us keepe hisprecepts as the fight ofoureye, Prov.7.2. And little fins lived in will make way togreater. Men grow from {leafing pinnes, to points, from points to pounds. We mutt renew daily a furrow for our ordinary and fmalier of- fences : for though it be the weakneffe of the ftomach, that is able to beate with nothing that is a little offenfive to it ; yet it is a bleffed frame of thefoule, when it cannot digeft the leaft fin, but is readyto turne at it. 3. Wemutt think what fecure and comfortable ccurfes we have, whilewe keepe this purpofe, and practice ofa good confcience t and what
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