Put on the whole Armour of God. to faith; he is ever to be compleating of his grace. It is that which is frequently preft upon believers, Mat. 5. A, 8. Be le perfel1,as your heavenly Father is perfea And purifie your (elves, aiGodis pure. Where we have an exaCt copy let, not as if we could equallize that purity and perfeetion which is in God, but tomake us Drive the more, when we shall fee how infinitely abort we fall of our copy, whenwe write the faireft hand. So 7ames 1. 3. Let patience have its perfect Work, that you may be en- tire, wanting nothing, or wanting in nothing. 1 hou who ma- keit a hard fhift tocarry a little burden with thy little patience, wouldef fink under a greater, therefore there is need that pati- ence fhould be ever perfeCling,left at fait wemeet a burden too heavy for our weak Moulders. Take a few reafons why the Chriflian fhould thus be compleatingof his grace. Firft, becaufe grace is fubjeCt to decayes, and therefore ever needs compleating, as inan army efpecially which often enga- geth in battel, their armes are batter'd and broken, one man bath his helmet bent, another his fword gap's, a third his piflol unfix't ; and therefore recruits are ever neceffary. In one temptation the Chriflianhath his helmet of hope beaten off his head, in another his patience hard put to it. The Chriflian had ,need havean Armourers fhop at hand to make up his loffe, and that fpeedily, for Satan is moll like to fall on, when the Chri- Dian is leaft prepared to receive his charge ; Simon, Simon, Satan loath defired toliftjou ; he knew they were at that time weakly provided, (Chrift their Captain now to be taken from the head of their troop, difcontents among thernfelves Driving who Mould be greateft, and their recruits of fironger grace, which the Spirit was to bring, not yet come.) Now he hath a defign to furprife them : and therefore' Chrift carefully to prevent him, promifeth fpeedily to difpatch his Spirit for their fupply, and in themean time fends them to jerufalem, to Rand as it were in a ,Acts I. 4. body in their -joynt fupplications, upon their guard, while he comes to their relief, Chewing us in the weakneffe of our graces what to do, and whither to go for fupply. Secondly, becaufe Satan is compleating his skill and wrath. 'Tis not for nought that he is cali'd the old Serpent, fubtil by nature, but more by experience ; by nature, yet every day more and more enraged ; like a bull, the longer he is bait- ed,
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