called himself Lord or Head of the Church but discharged it in all Ministers 1 Pet. 5.3 and here taketh a lower title to himself A Servant 2. It is necessary for Christ's Ambassadors to know and assert their Calling from Him that Truth may have weight with People and they may have courage what-ever their faithfulnesse may cost them for while the Apostle knoweth himself to be a Servant of Jesus Christ he dare avow himself by name and surname even when he 〈◊〉 publishing Truths that cost him his life Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ 2. He describeth these to whom the Epistle is mainly directed from the worth of their faith equal to the faith of the Apostles for all saving effects and cleareth the way how they came by it to wit by the vertue of the faithfulnes of God and the merits of Christ Hence Learn 1. The Scriptures are not only given for converting sinners and working grace where it is not Psal 19.7 But also for their sake who are already converted and gracious fine places being mainly intended for them to further their growth guard them against temptations and to fit them for their last meeting with Christ which are the ends of this Epistle directed mainly to them that have obtained precious faith 2. Although some Believers are more strong in believing and so have more joy and peace than others 1 Joh. 2.13 14. Yet is the faith of them all of alike worth in so far as it uniteth them all to the same Saviour from whom the weakest faith shall never shed interesteth them all in the same spiritual promises priviledges and glorious reward and is bought for them all with the same price in all which respects the true faith of the meanest Believer is alike precious with the faith of the Apostles 3. The way how saving faith cometh to the Elect and is wrought in their hearts is by vertue of the faithfulnesse of God who promised to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption the bestowing of it upon the Elect Psal 110.3 and to the Elect in the Covenant of Grace Isa 54.13 Joh. 6.45 It being God's righteousnesse to prove himself faithfull in making all these promises and it comes also through Christ's righteousnesse which is his doing and suffering to purchase it and other saving graces for us and so although we have it freely Yet Christ bought it dear and God is righteous in giving what Himself promised and Christ paid for 1 Joh. 1.9 So the Apostle makes this precious faith to come to all that have it through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Vers 2. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. In this Salutation he wisheth to them a daily growth in their hearts 1. Of the sweet sense of God's free favour making the graces of His Spirit to thrive 2. Of true spiritual peace flowing from the former and carrying with it every necessary blessing as the signification of these words grace and peace and their order doth import and all this through their growing in that knowledge of God and his Son Christ which hath faith affection and practice with it Hence Learn 1. No lesse than what is here wished for is the Lords allowance to every Believer if they get it not they have themselves to blame for His Majesty doth nothing to mar the multiplying of grace and peace upon all that have precious faith 2. They that would have this rich allowance must not only expect in this order Grace or God's free favour first and then Peace with every necessary blessing But they must study to grow daily in the knowledge of the nature and will of God the purchase fulnesse and offices of Christ so as by the use-making of all heart and life may be changed for such a knowledge is this through which grace and peace is multiplied 3. It is not formality or vain repetition to use frequently the same expressions to God or to others when they flow from new sense of the worth and need of the things for this Apostle and others do ordinarily use these same expressions in the beginnings of their Epistles Grace and peace c. Vers 3. According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godlinesse through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and vertue Followeth the ground of his confidence which might also hearten them that it should be acording to his wish to wit That Gods powerful grâ—â—â—â—ad already begun a saving work in them by bestowing freely upon them all that is essential to a gracious frame of spirit within and a holy life without and this he had done by making them so to know Christ as to consent to Him calling them by the Gospel to glory or eternal life as the end by vertue which is grace and holinesse as the way or means Hence Learn 1. The seen beginnings of a saving work of grace are comfortable pledges and confirmations to faith that that work shall thrive it being suitable to the Lords wisdom power and constancy to carry on and perfect what He hath begun for the Apostle wisheth grace and peace to be multiplied According as His divine power had begun the work 2. To give grace to a graceless soul is a work of Gods infinit power there being so much unworthinesse guiltinesse and opposition to hinder that work in all the Elect Therefore the cause of this work is here made divine power 3. The Lord in the bestowing of saving grace worketh both irresistably and freely neither can any for whom it is appointed and purchased so oppose as to hinder the bestowing of it for it is divine power that worketh it Nor can any in nature so use their naturals as to prepare themselves for or merit the bestowing of it for divine power worketh by giving freely all things that pertain to life and so the very preparations for the new life 4. The substance of every saving grace though not the full measure and a right to what may enable for honouring God in practice is given at once in conversion As a Child when it first liveth or is new born hath all the essential parts of a man Therfore to these to whom the Apostle wisheth encrease of grace and upon whom he is to presse growth he affirmeth to be already given all things that pertain to life and godliness 5. The very first beginnings of grace is wrought in the heart by making a sinner drink-in the knowledge of Christ the Law indeed prepares for this work by discovering sin and deserved wrath and terrifying the conscience But the Gospel which holdeâ—â— out Christ the Saviour from sin and wrath having in Him the fulnesse of grace and a heart to let it out freely upon gracelesse sinners is the Spirit 's instrument of working grace for as the Apostle wished grace to thrive in the former Verse
through the knowledge of Christ So here he saith it is given at first through the knowledge of Him 6. Then Christ is savingly known and so saving grace wrought when the heart consenteth to Him calling in His Word to eternal life by grace and holinesse the way to it They may quit their part of glory who come not to Christ to be made vertuous or gracious and holy for He hath called us to glory and vertue Vers 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust Both the means of working and the nature of this saving work i◠here further cleared The means are the promises of the new Covenant containing such worthy and dear-bought blessings as the pardon of sin taking away the stony-heart c. the fulfilling of which Promises to sinners by the divine power of God doth make them partakers not of the infinit Essence of God which can neither be divided nor communicated to any creature but of such heavenly qualities as make them in some weak measure like their heavenly Father and so doth free them from the disposition fashions and estate wherein unregenerate men live and perish Hence Learn 1. As the Promises of the new Covenant are beyond all expression great and precious because of the spiritual and eternal riches which they do contain and will be therefore highly esteemed and commended by all that have faith to imbrace the gift of them So the way how the Lord worketh saving grace at first is by making out these Promises enabling the guilty gracelesse and cursed sinner to believe and apply the pardon grace and blessednesse freely offered in them for so the Apostle expresly affirmeth that by the divine power of God these Promises are given to us that by them we may be changed 2. The receiving of these Promises by faith maketh a wonderfull change upon sinners for so soon as a sinner getteth grace to believe and apply the free promises of the Covenant as soon doth the Lord begin to make out upon his heart the things promised so stamping it with His own Image that the sinner receiving these Promises beginneth presently to look like God his Father and in some weak measure to resemble Him in heavenly wisdom holinesse uprightnesse and other of His communicable properties especially in humility self-denial love and pity toward other miserable sinners zeal for the Lords honour and such other perfections as were eminent in the Man Christ and this is to partake of the divine nature This change kythes also in abhorring and flying from the filthie fashions which flow from the unmortified corruption of these that are yet living in nature and so eschewing the wrath and ruine which such are liable to both which may be understood by escaping the corruption which is in the world through lust and is here made the effect of receiving the Promises and where this work is it proveth a right to the Covenant and giveth ground of confidence that that work shall grow The study of the growth whereof the Apostle presseth in the next place Vers 5. And besides this giving all diligence adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge 6. And to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse 7. And to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity To the end that this saving work of grace described in the preface may thrive The Apostle doth here seriously exhort gracious 〈◊〉 not to satisfie themselves with the sight of one or some few graces in themselves but to give more than ordinary diligence that they may see every grace drawn forth to exercise and kything in fruits for which cause he reckoneth forth a number of these graces in the exercise whereof a Christians growth doth consist Hence Learn 1. Even they who discern in themselves a saving work of grace and know the priviledges spoken of before to be theirs are not now to sit down idle and satisfied but to be the more active and diligent in the exercise of grace and holy duties for so saith the Apostle Besides this that ye have precious faith and promises and do partake of the divine nature give all diligence 2. As it is not that ordinary diligence wherewith most Professors satisfie themselves that will be blest to make a thriving Christian but such as goeth through all means and waiteth upon all opportunities of profiting that their ability and calling will permit them to follow and gets the flower of a Christians wit affections and time which is here called all diligence So a Christian's end in being thus diligent must not be his own credit before others or the satisfaction of his conscience only But that the exercise and fruits of one grace may be still added to another and so Christ may be honoured in him and by him Giving all diligence adde to your faith c. 3. Saving faith which gripeth Christ for pardon and strength and daily flyeth to Him for both must be holden fast and renewed in the exercise of it by all that would thrive in any other grace or be fit for any duty if either we loose the grips of faith or do not frequently renew them we can thrive in nothing therefore is faith here made the first stone in this spiritual building to which all the rest are to be added Add to your faith c. 4. With the maintaining and renewing the acts of saving faith a Christian that would grow must so mind his duty as that he keep himself in the nearest disposition for it for no lesse is signified by vertue than the working habit of every grace which keepeth a Christian in such a fitnesse for doing or suffering that when he is called to them either of them are lovely to him and he is in some measure ready for them which the Scripture calleth elsewhere the having of the heart at the right-hand Eccl. 10.2 and standing with the loyns girt Eph. 6.14 and here is called Adding to faith vertue 5. There is more than this readinesse of disposition for duty requisit to make a growing Christian even the use of holy reason to time and mannage duties wisely that as the heart lieth to duty there may be skill to go about it with prudence and circumspection as the word knowledge here signifieth which is to be added to vertue 6. Because there remaineth in the best many immoderate and unruly affections and passions which as they are ready to exceed bounds even about lawfull objects so the excesse of them doth darken reason indispose the heart for duty mar the exercise of faith and so hinder all the former three Therefore a Christian that would grow must labour to have by the power of God's grace in him such a command over his passions of anger fear grief c. and over his affections of love joy and the like
His Bow abode in its strength Gen. 49.24 there being nothing in Him to befriend a temptation Job 14.30 He being by His miraculous conception exempted from the contagion of Original sin Luke 1.35 whence actual transgressions flow Jam. 4.1 and it behoved Him to be so that He might be compleatly lovely to God as being the truth of all those spotless Lambs that were offered under the Law as types of Him Joh. 1.29 and that He might be a perfect pattern of holinesse to His Followers who did no sin 2. There is nothing but truth and sincerity in all the words of Christ He never exprest more willingnesse to receive and do good unto sinners than He doth mind really to make out to all that come to Him nor hath He exprest more wrath against slighters of Him than they shall find to be true for this is another branch of the commendation of Christ from His innocency Neither was guile found in His mouth 3 How innocent soever the Children of the Lord may be of those crimes which are unjustly charged upon them by persecutors as the cause of their sufferings Yet the sense of their sinfulness in other things ought to make them submissive to and patient under hardest sufferings from men considering that they suffer for lesse than they deserve Ezra 9.13 and that it becomes them to bear indignation because they have sinned Mica 7.9 for the Apostle proposeth the innocency of Christ who was a patient sufferer as an argument from the more to the lesse to move sinfull things not to take ill with sufferings since Christ was a patient sufferer who did no sin c. 4. As all that would glorifie the Lord by their sufferings and have comfort under them must study to imitate Jesus Christ in His innocency and sincerity So they that have attained to the greatest measure of conformity to Him in these may not therefore expect exemption from sad sufferings but rather the liker to Him in these they are to look for the worse usage from wicked men for as Christ's innocency and sincerity are here held forth as steps of His which they that would honour Him by their sufferings and have comfort under them must follow So He is here held forth as exposed to extream grievous sufferings notwithstanding He had these in their perfection He did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth yet He was reviled and put to hardest sufferings 5. It was the lot of our Lord Jesus when He was in our place in the estate of His humiliation not only to suffer hard things in His Person but likewise in His Name to have that rent and torn with reproaches and to have foul crimes as the word here rendred to revise signifies unjustly laid to His charge such as compliance with Satan Joh. 10.20 blasphemy Joh. 10.33 sedition Luke 23.2 and the like and that because though He never did any thing worthy of blame He stood in the room of many sinners really guilty of all these crimes which were only upon Him by imputation so as He bear the curse of God and the shame of the world that was due to these sins for this lot is here suppoâ—ed to have been Christ's that He not only suffered but was reviled 6. While our Lord Jesus was under this lot He did not give a meeting of any kind to his enemies but was so far from charging them with foul crimes unjustly which is reviling that when they had done so to Him calling Him a Devil Joh. 8.48 He did not at that time so much as repeat the like challenge which He had before justly laid to their charge Joh. 8.44 and though He did sometimes threaten fearful judgments upon despisers of reconciliation with God through Him Mat. 23.13 c. Yet upon his receiving of greatest personal wrongs He did not so much as renew any of these threatnings but on the contrary prayed for his enemies Luke 23.34 lest in the misapprehension of any onlookers His sufferings might have been stained with imputation of passion or revenge and his followers might have abused his practise to vent their carnal passion against their persecutors the hazard whereof is likewise imported in the Apostle's guarding thus against it Who when He was reviled reviled not again when He suffered He threatned not 7. As all Christ's Followers should resolve to meet with grievous reproaches and slanders joyned with their other sufferings as Christ did So ought they to follow Christ's steps in not requiting their enemies or giving ill language for the worst usage but must learn to die to their reputation as well as to other things for His sake who when He was reviled reviled not again when He suffered he threatned not 8. While Christ our Lord was suffering in our room He did with much confidence and willingnesse deliver Himself up to the will of his righteous Father to endure the utmost that was due to sinners according to his undertaking in the Covenant of Redemption Psa 40.7 8. knowing that his Father's righteousnesse was engaged in the same Covenant to sustain his Manhead under all his sufferings Isa 50.7 c. to reward Him for them by giving Him all that He died for as his seed to serve him and praise him for ever Isa 53.10 11. and to punish all the rest according to their deserving Psal 110.5 6. for this is here expresly asserted as the ground of the patience and submission of the man Christ to the Fathers will He committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously 9. Although these acts of Faith which do necessarily presuppose guiltinesse or have with them any mixture of mis-belief or discouragement could not be in Christ who was holy harmlesse undefiled and separated from sinners Heb. 7.26 Yet His Soul was eminently endued with the grace of Faith as it is taken for resting upon the faithfulnesse of God and resignation of ones person and cause to Him under unjust sufferings from men for thus is Christ here as a Believer described He committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously 10. The opprest and suffering People of God who are not able to defend themselves from wrongs at mens hands nor to redresse the same ought to commit themselves and their cause to God their Father as to a righteous Judge not out of malice against or desire of judgment upon their persecutors but as a mean to prevent their own despondency of spirit and despair under their hard usage for this practise of Christ's is one of his steps which suffering Christians ought to follow He committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously 11. The best way for Christians to attain to true christian patience under a crosse for Christ to keep down their carnal passions while they suffer wrongfully from men and to guard their hearts against the study of revenge toward their persecutors is to resign themselves and their cause in the hands of God the righteous Judge for though there was no hazard of such
to cleanse and purifie the souls of His People both from the guilt and dominion of sin Ezek. 36.25 Yet His People who are meerly passive in the first infusion of grace Eph. 2.1 are thereafter made by Him active instruments in the carrying on of that work of mortification by employing Christs vertue for subduing and fighting in His strength against their corruptions as is imported in this Ye have purified your souls 4. The Lords mean of purging the souls of His People from the love and power of sin which is naturally in them is their obedience to His Truth which consists not only in their aiming at conformity to those precepts which enjoyn purity and holiness such as that is ver 15. but principally in their imbracing by Faith and use-making of the promises of the new Covenant wherein the Lord undertakes to work this purity Ezek. 36.25 26 27. This is the chief part of that obedience to the Truth which purifieth souls for saith the Apostle Ye have purified your souls in obeying the Truth 5. This obedience to the Truth which purifieth the souls of Believers cannot be attained unto by our own naturall strength or the use of the fittest means of grace without the special working of the Spirit of Jesus who cleareth to sinners the nature of that purity which is pleasing to God and powerfully worketh the same in them for so the Apostle affirms of those Believers that they had purified their souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit 6. One special part of this work of purging the souls of Believers consists in the subduing of those filthy roots which are in their hearts contrary to that grace of love to the rest of the Lords People such as pride self-love and the like for this is here made their aim in purifying their souls that they might attain unto unfeigned love of the Brethren importing that their pains was much bent to purge out those evils which are contrary to that grace 7. Believers have need to be seriously pressed to exercise and grow in these graces and duties whereof they have already attained to some approven measure for upon those who had already purified their souls unto unfeigned love of the Brethren the Apostle presseth this See that ye love one another 8. It is not every sort of love to the Saints of God that evidenceth mortification and the indwelling of Christs Spirit but such only as is without dissimulation or hypocrisie which is unfeigned love such as flows from holy principles to wit respect to the Command of Christ and not from respect to our own credit or advantage only from desire of the true good of others and not from love to our selves which is Love out of a pure heart and such as breaks forth in real proofs and is continued toward others notwithstanding of provocations from them which is To love one another fervently Vers 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever The eleventh motive whereby the Apostle presseth upon Believers the study of holiness especially that branch of it which he was last upon to wit Love to the Saints is taken from the excellency of their spiritual original the sum whereof is That since they had a new life and nature in their regeneration wrought in them not by so fading a cause of principle as that which is the instrument of producing their natural substance but by the Word of God which in the effects it hath upon the Regenerate liveth and abideth for ever Therefore the excellency of their new nature and permanency of their spiritual estate should move them to walk suitably unto it and particularly to live in love with the rest of their Fathers Children Hence Learn 1. Every true Believer in Jesus Christ is in some measure acquainted with a new and second birth which is that work of God with sinners whereby there is a new spiritual life and nature communicated to them Eph. 2.1 and they are brought through some pangs and straits arising from the sight of their own sinfulness and fear of deserved wrath Act. 2.37 out of their darkness and bondage which is natural to them and is resembled by the state of the child before the birth into a state of light and knowledge of God in Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 and freedom from the slavery of sin and subjection to wrath Rom. 8.2 and whereby also they are made in some measure to resemble their heavenly Father and are inclined to obey Him and to love Him and all His Children 1 Joh. 5.1 for this the Apostle makes a description of true Believers that they are born again 2. Our life and nature that we have by vertue of this second birth or regeneration is far more excellent than what we have by the first our natural estate is subject to corruption and will be shortly dissolved but our spiritual estate can never fade for though all have immortal souls that are not corruptible yet the natural life and state of all shall be dissolved and the eternal being of those who are unacquainted with Regeneration and a second birth will be but an eternal corruption or perishing which should make all long to be acquainted with Regeneration for to lead us to esteem the one above the other the Apostle commends the one above the other from the difference of their seeds Not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 3. Although the Word separated from the working of the Spirit can do nothing to the regenerating of a sinner Joh. 3.5 yet the Word is the ordinary instrument of the Spirit who makes use of all the principal parts of it in that work of the Law to put the sinner in some straits of the second birth through fear of deserved wrath and of the Gospel to revive the soul and liberate it from those fears and of the Law again to direct the Regenerate how to walk suitably to their estate for the Apostle explains what that incorruptible seed is of which we are born again to wit The Word of God 4. Although there be no life either formally or by way of efficiency in the letters or sound of the words of Scripture and though that Word passeth with the speaking as any other words do Yet in regard of the effects which through the operation of the Spirit it hath upon sinners such as fear and terror upon the believing of the threatnings Act. 2.37 comfort under crosses and quickning for duties upon the believing of the promises Psal 119.50 It is as the Apostle here calleth it A Word that liveth and in regard of the execution of eternal wrath upon them that reject it and of the performance of those everlasting blessings which are promised in it to them that receive and obey it it is a Word that abideth for ever 5. They who do professe and esteem themselves to be of the number of those who are born again should by
incarnation of Christ and the clearer out-breaking of the light of the Gospel which reveals Him should think the Lord hath had a special respect to them and hath in a peculiar manner designed Christ for them and manifested Him to them that they may be more eminent in holiness and thankfulness to Him for to this end the Apostle speaks thus of Christ Manifested in these last times for you 5. Although experience hath proven that there was a considerable part of time to be after Christs incarnation yet all that is but the last time in regard it is to be much shorter than the time that was before and because after that time though there be a continual increase of knowledge and grace to be expected Ezek. 47.1 c. Yet there is no more change of that way of Worship and Ordinances which Christ setled before He left the world Mat. 28.18 19 20. for which cause among others the times after Christs incarnation are here called The last times Vers 21. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Having commended Christ the Redeemer he describeth those for whose sakes He was appointed and manifested to wit those who do by Faith flee to God thorow Him and that they may be the more encouraged so to do he leads them to consider the Father as one fully satisfied with the ransom paid for sinners by Jesus Christ seing after the payment of it He hath exalted and glorified Him for this very end That the Faith of sinners may safely and comfortably rest upon God as now pacified toward all that flee to Him thorow Christ Which purpose doth contain the ninth argument to the study of holiness That since the Father hath exalted and glorified our Cautioner in our nature for this very end that we may confidently draw near to Him as to our own reconciled God we ought therefore to live to the honour of the Father and the Son in the study of holiness Hence Learn 1. When ever the Ministers of Christ hold forth the ransom paid by Christ for sinners and the benefits purchased thereby to them they ought also to design and describe the persons who may appropriate the same to themselves and ought not to propose that which is peculiar to some Joh. 10.15 as common to all So shall the few that have right to apply the benefits of His Redemption be the more sure and comforted and others shall not be disappointed for so doth the Apostle here while having described Christ the Redeemer and set forth some of the benefits of His Redemption he comes next to describe what manner of persons they are who may comfort themselves in that Redemption purchased by Him even those who by Him do believe in God 2. Although our Faith may close with any one of the blessed Persons of the Trinity providing we do not divide in our thoughts the Divine Essence which is One in all the Three 1 Joh. 5.7 Yet God the Father considered as the fountain of the Deity to whom we come thorow the Second Person cloathed with our flesh being helped by the holy Spirit the Third Person is that full and most satisfying object with which saving Faith closeth when it acts most distinctly for such an object is here proposed with which the Faith of the Redeemed doth close to wit the whole Godhead in the Father apprehended as ours by the Son incarnate thorow the help of the Spirit as the next verse compared with this makes clear 3. There is no closing with God as ours but by the Mediatour Christ in whom God trysts with sinners who hath merited Gods favour to them the power to believe the same and actually works that Faith in them Who by Him do believe in God 4. Although Jesus Christ being the same God equal with the Father Philip. 2.6 did by His own proper vertue raise Himself from the dead Joh. 2.19 and 10.18 Yet to assure us of the Fathers full satisfaction with the price paid by our Cautioner and because the power of all the Three Persons is one and the actions ascribed to any of them in reference to the creatures are common to all His raising from the dead and exaltation is here as frequently elswhere in Scripture Eph. 1.20 Philip. 2.9 attributed to the Father who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory 5. Gods justice is fully satisfied in the behalf of all that flee to Him through Jesus Christ because their Cautioner is liberate and glory is insured to all such their Head being already possessed in it for in testimony that His satisfaction for the Elect is accepted God hath raised Him from the dead and as a sure pledge that His Members shall be glorified He hath given Him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Vers 22. Seing ye have purified your souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently The tenth motive to presse upon Believers the study of holiness is taken from the former progress they had made therein whence the Apostle infers an exhortation to that particular duty of holiness to wit love to the Saints The sum of both is That since by the power of Christ's Spirit enabling them to obey the Gospel they had gotten their heart-corruptions so far purged out as to attain unto some sincere affection unto the rest of the Lords People Therefore they should study to grow in grace particularly in love to the Saints and that they should labour to have such love to them as sloweth from a sincere desire of their good and by the effects of it doth prove it self to be such Hence Learn 1. The fairer beginnings and further progress any have already made in the way of holiness they should find themselves the more strongly obliged to hold on in that way lest they lose the fruit of their former pains 2 Joh. 8. and prove more dishonourable to God and offensive to others than if they had never entered or made such progress in that way 2 Pet. 2.22 for the Apostle here makes former progress in holiness a motive to further progress therein Seing you have purified your souls c. see that ye love c. 2. As all those whom the Lord hath savingly enlightened and renewed will discern in their souls many filthy and unclean roots besides any that have broken out so their great work should be to have their souls purged from those knowing that from the polluted fountain of the heart flows all the pollution of the life Mat. 15.19 and that except the heart be in some measure cleansed all the purity of the outside is loathsom to God Mat. 23.27 for the Apostle thus describeth the Regenerate that they have purified their souls 3. Although it be the alone work of God as the principal efficient cause