74 Put on the whole Armour ofGod. hang together like links in a chain, ftones in an arch, members, in the body; prick one vein, and the blood of the whole bo- dy may run out at that fluce ; negleti one duty, and no other will do us good. The Apoffle Peter, in his fecond Epifile,chap.r. ver. 5, 6, 7. prefl'eth the Chriftian to a joynt endeavour, to en- creafe the whole body of grace ; indeed, that is health when the whole body thrives. e.idde (faith he) to your faith vertue ; Faith is the file-leading grace. Well, haft thou faith, adde vertue : True,faith is of a WOJ king lb:Ting nature;without good works it is dead or dying. Fides pinguticit °pram, Luther. 'Tis kept in plight and heart by a holy life, as the flefh which planters over the frame ofmans body, though it receives its heat from the vitals within, yet helps to preferve the very'life of thofe vitals ; thus good works and gracious actions have their life from faith, yet are neceffary helps to preferve the life of faith ; thus we fee fometimes the childe nurfing the Parent that bare it, and thereinperformes but his duty. Thou art fruitful in good works, yet thou art not out of the devils fbot, except thou addeft to thy vertue knowledge. This is the candle without which faith cannot fee to do its work. Art thou going to give an alrnes ? if it be not oculata charitas, if charity bath not this eye of knowledge todirect when, how, what,and to whom thou art to give, thou mayell at once wrong God, the perfon thou re- lieveft, and thy felf. Art thou humbling thy felfe for thy fin? for want of knowledge in the tenour of the Gofpel, Satan may play upon thy ignorance, and either perftvade thee thou art not humbled enough, when, God knowes, thou art almoft quack- led with thy teares, and even carried down by the impetuous torrent of thy forrow into defpair, or elfe fhewing thee thy blubber'd face,may flatter thee into acarnal confidence of thy hu- miliation. Perhaps thou feeft the Name of God Zfhonoured in the place where thou liveft, and thy fpirit is flirted within thee, (as Fault at /New) now if knowledge fits not in the fiddle to reine and bridle in thy zeal, thou wilt be loon carried over hedge and ditch, till thou falleft into forte precipice or o- ther by thy irregular acing. Neither is knowledge enough, ex- cept thouboeft arm'd with Temperance, which here (J conceive) is that grace, whereby the dhriftian (as Mailer ofhis own houfe) fo orders his affeftions. Servants to reafou and faith,) that they
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