ed. the Epifl le to the Romans. 5 5 9 to belong all thofe promifes, Mat. so. He tball be faved which continueth to the end:atid the threatning of being 'hut out of the Kingdome, if we look back after we have let our hand to the plough, Lok. 9. 62. and thofe reproofs, Will ye end in the flefh after ye have be- gun in the fpirit? Gal.3.3.and thofcex- hortations,RememberLots wife : again, So run as ye may obtain, t Cor. 9.24. and, Keep faith and a good con fcience, i Tim 1.19. and, Strive lawfully, and lay hold on eternal' life; and whatfoe- ver places do perfwade to increafe more and more, and to grow, and to hold fafi what we have received, and to continue in the bountifulneffe of God. He that is a watchman may not wake one tialfof the day, and fleep the other, fo he may lofe his head ; nor a runner in a race may not give over afore he come to the goal, then he leftth the garland, and fuch as faint in wreftling lofe the crown ;therefore quicken your hearts,andencourage your f elves to pro- fit and proceed in your godly courfe, whereof a great part being already run, and there being peril' by flacking and giving over ftudy of piety,and loch fruit and benefit in perfeverance, it behoveth you fo much themore cheerfully to fi- nifh the refs of the race, knowing there wil bean end, and your hope with your labour in the Lord will not be in vain. DIALOGUE VIII. Verf. 52. The night is pdfl, and the day is at hand, let us therefore raft away the works of dark nefe,andput on the armour oflight. T i M O T H E u s. WHat is done here by our ilpoflle ? S I L. Here is a third argu- ment taken from the circumftance of time, or of the Romans prefent condi- tion, concluded in thefe two Syllo- gifines : &ít, When the night is gone the works of the night mutt be laid a- fide; but we beleeve, the night is gone: therefore we are to ceafe the works ofdarkneffe. Secondly,When the day is come,we are to do the works of I the day;but the day doth thine upon us, therefore we are CO do the works of the day. The fumme of the whole argument is, that feting the night of ignorance is part (which is the feafon of living in fin and fccurity J and the day of the knowledge of God is appea- red (which is the feafon fo awake in,) let us therefore endeavour to frame our lives futable unto the time and prefent Rate of grace wherein we are placed, by putting on the armour of light, and tatting off the works of darkneffe. T t M. Shew us now more plainly what is meant by the night and the day, and by being far fpent ? S r L. Night properly is the time which follower the felting of the Sun, when darkneffe covers the earth, and men give themfelves to fleep and :eft : but here Metaphorically it fignile's that time of ignorance and unbelief, which goeth before our effeEtuall calling. And by [being farce ffient,] is meant not being quite pall over, for then it fhould not be laid, the day is at hand, ( for it fhould be prefent : ] but the word Lignifies, that it is well gone for- ward and proceeded in, and near fpent, growing towards the day (as one would (peak.) Thus the Greek word imports, according to which it is tran- flated by the Latines, not Preteriit, but proceffit nox. T i M. What dairine may we learn from thefe fir ft words? S i L. Thefe two : the ftrfi is, that even the ele& of God before their new birth, are covered with the night, and oppreffed with the darkneffe of infide- lity and finne. They do no more fee the way to eternal' life, then men in the dark fee the way CO walk in : they grope even at noon day, even like the Sodomites at Lots door. So they do not fee what they are to do that they may pleafe God, as they in Aft. 2. For they which are in darkneffe, know not whither they go. In this refpee3, being
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