762 / 808
VER
Ephefana,Chap,G.
.io.!
3.
If
we
will
enter
ir, he will break
e
us
off
by difficulties,
dilcom.
forts,
diftraciions,
and
make
us
yeild our weapon,
as
weary.
But here
the power
of
Chrift,
the author
and finifher
of
faith, the beginner
and
perfeéter
of
his
owne good worke,
loth
carry
us
on:
and
the
feed of
God
is
of
fuch
force,
that
it
will
not let
us
fall
to
finning.
Secondly,
the confcience
of
Gods Commandement
on one hand
,
and the
com-
fort
of
his
acceptance on
the other
fide,
doe encourage
us
:
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
thy
heart,
&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.
The
anfwer is, by getting
a
found
knowledge
how
farre we are
to ftand upon
the righteoufneffcof our
courfes
;
of which markethefe
things.
Firft,
we doe
not
account
of
it
as
able to abide
the tryall
of
juf}ice,
or to Rand for our full righteoufneffe before
God. This
we account
is
droffe and
dung;
thefe things may difmay
a
Papift, they cannot
dif
may us.
Secondly
,
Wee
place
the ftrength
of
our righteoufncffc
in
two
things.
z.
That
it
doth
teftifie
of
our true faith
:
for
a
worke good
in
any
meafure,
doth
argue
a
heart good
in fome
meafure; for
you cannot
have
a
figge
of
a
thiftlr:
now
a
heart
in
any meafure
good, doth
argue
a
true
fáith, for
that
only
can purifie
the
heart.
2.
In
this
that
weknow
they
are pleating
unto
our
God
:
not
that
they
can
endure the tryall of
his juffice
in
themfelves,but
becaufe faith
on
Chrift
Both
cover their imperfections
:
and
therefore
are
juftly
ac-
cepted
through
grace
,
when the dcfrct
is
covered
;
they being
not
much ours,
as
the
work
of
the
fpirit (Colof
z.
s
t.
ftrengthened with
all
might through
his
power unto
all
patience,
&c.)
the wants
feu
afide.
Nov
wefhallf ronglytold
this
part
ofeur armour,
if
weexcrcif
thefe
things.
z.
Labour to
give obediencce
of
faith,
in
the
leaft things
:
for
theremuft be
precifeneffe
in
keeping
Gods Commandemenrs,and
we
muff
count nothing
little
that
he
commandeth.
Solomon
will have
us
keepe his
precepts
as
the
fight
of
oureye, Prov.
7.2.
And little
fins lived
in
will make way
to
greater. 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
the
foule, when
it
cannot digeft the
leaft fin,
but
is
ready
to
turne
at
it.
3.
We
mutt think what
fecure and
comfortable ccurfes
we
have,
while
we keepe this
purpofe,
and practice
of
a
good confcience
t
and
what