of his Spirit To blow upon the garden of our hearts that the spices thereof may flow forth 4. Improving Song 4.16 and blowing up grace by spiritual exercises of reading singing meditation conference private communication of gifts 5. Evacuation purging out by renewed repentance such matter as might cause an oppilation of those passages in which grace should flow unto us for Christ to whom we are joyned as members if we be believers is an head full of the holy Ghost full of grace truth if we defire to receive abundantly of his fulness we must take heed the nerve of faith and pipes of Gods ordinances be not stopped or made ineffectual in us by our worldliness deadness of spirit lusts or some known corruption too indulgently handled 6. Laying our hearts low before the Lord in humiliation and humility For the low valleys because they receive most dew and rain into their bosoms are most fruitful so the humble heart the broken spirit is of all others a subject most capable of the spirit and shall be most plentifully watered with the showres of grace because the God of all grace and goodness hath promised to dwell in such a spirit Do you now see the way Walk in it that you may find rest to your souls Do you know these things Blessed are you if you do them And therefore still suffer the word of exhortation in the use of these means propound this mark to your selves To be filled with the holy Ghost with wisdom and understanding with all riches of full assurance with all might patience and long sufferance with joy and peace in believing to be full of good works of mercy and good fruits of thankfulness and Gods praiset all the day Oh spare no pains for storing up abundance of grace as David said of his children the fruit of the womb happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them so may I much more truly say of the fruits of the spirit happy is the man that hath his heart full of this treasure here only covetousness yea violence is lawful and holy Say not within your selves this is an hard doctrine and impossible What we cannot be perfect here such thoughts are prompted by Satan to make you lazie and rob you of your crown The Apostle Paul was not ignorant of this yet He forgat the things that were behind and stretched himself unto the things before yea laboured if it were possible to attain to the resurrection of the dead So that though we cannot reach an entire and compleat perfection yet we may and must grow still more and more perfect and though our attainments shall never in this life overtake and equal our desires yet as he that shoots at the noon-Sun though he be sure he shall never hit the mark is sure to shoot higher than he that aims at a bush so if we desire and aim at the highest pitch of grace vve shall be sure to outstrip our fellows and attain such a measure as shall make our profession both comfortable to our own souls exemplary to our brethren and glorious in the eyes of strangers And thus much touching this branch of Pauls prayer for though I perceive there is one point more couched in it which have not been handled yet for brevity I will refer and reserve it to be wrapt up as well it may in the conclusion of the next member which now remaineth to be opened wherein a second thing is craved by the Apostle as a necessary and more special means of making them worthy their calling The words are and the work of faith with power where consider 1. The blessing asked which is fulfilling the work of faith By work of faith may either be meant the exercise operations fruits of faith faith stirring acting labouring producing such works as are proper to her or faith as it is Gods work in man the grace or habit of faith wrought by God in our hearts I take this latter sense the difference is not great and this includes the other 2. The efficient cause of it Gods power For so I understand those last words with power that is by his own Almighty power joyning them to the word fulfil rather than to faith which worketh powerfully in believers The meaning then is as if the Apostle had said But above all other graces we make suit unto God for the perfecting of that blessed and singular work of faith which his grace hath begun in you and that by the strength of his own right hand who is omnipotent and all-sufficient The instructions to be gathered from these words follow whereof the first is this The best faith hath wants doct 1 Understand it of faith in the sons of men in this world It s plain in our text The Apostle witnesseth in his former Epistle that this people received the word with much assurance that their faith to Godward was spread abroad in other places In this very Chapter he hath given thanks to God that their faith grew exceedingly yet here he tels us they have need to be prayed for that God would perfect their faith A cloud of witnesses doth further confirm it Abrahams faith did â—imp and halt a little when he hearkned â—o the counsel of Sarah in going in to Hagar for he consented to the use of unlawful means for bringing about Gods purpose likewise when through fear he sained Sarah to be his sister weakness appeared in Sarahs faith when she laughed at the promise of a son in Jacobs vvhen tidings of Esaus coming did so affright and distress him though he had a promise of Gods presence and protection in that journey in Davids when in his haste and fear he said I am câ—st out of thy sight all men are liars when he fained himself mad in Peters when being afraid of his skin in the high Priests hall he denied his Master And no marvel for first if knowledge be imperfect in all Christians confidence cannot be perfect in any How can the heart desire or cleave unto this or that further than the mind apprehends it as true and good I cannot rest upon a man believing he will do this or that for me further than I know him The measure of faith in the will depends upon and sollows the measure of light in the understanding 〈◊〉 mean in respect of latitude not intension or in intrinsecal vigour for otherwise I know there may be great faith where there is but small knowledge as in many Martyrs A man may know more than he believes so do many wicked men in the Church but he cannot believe more than he knows Now its certain that we know but in part for neither do we apprehend the whole object of knowledge that is the whole body of divine truth my meaning is vve know not all things to be known vve are still ignorant of many things neither do we see those things which now we know so fully clearly distinctly as vve should and
a Grammarian to speak incongruously a Musitian to play or sing unskilfully how great a shame is it in the sight of God and his holy Angels for one to profess and make shew of Christianity and yet so grosly to fail in observing and obeying the rules of it that his own works condemn him in the gate What a shame is it lastly that those who by their lives ought to condemn the unclean world as Noah did by his obedience and all ought who hope to be assessors or benchers with Christ in judging the world should give the world just cause to condemn their lives I would gladly take off mine hand and make an end but the point holdeth me as if it were loth to leave you till you were perswaded I befeech you set your hearts to all these words which I testifie unto you this day and let them sink down into your ears yea into your souls Let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ walk worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdom and glory that you may by a real demonstration of the power of Religion stop the mouths of foolish and ignorant men who would be barking against Religion by practise and expressions of holiness muzzle or make ashamed the slanderous brood of Antichrist who charge us to deny or contemn inherent holiness Solomon said once Goe to the Pismire so say I Go the little Bees consider their ways and be ashamed of irregular lives of ill composed manners when you see their little cels or hony-combs so artificially and accuratly framed Consider remember often that your Christian calling calls for requires great circumspection watchfulness great purity and uprightness See you not how careful some Men are when they walk or ride in a fair new suit to keep it from spotting So must you your heavenly vocation Speak do nothing but that which beseems your calling and you shall not easily offend in word or work What shall I say no more but this let 's either be such indeed as our names import and report to others or else cast away the names and call our sesves from the masters we serve and the Lord grant that whosoever heareth or readeth may be perswaded or this doctriue may put a sting into his conscience never giving him rest till he resolve to lead the life of a Christian And so I pass on to The third instruction A Christians walking worthy of his calling is from God All ability in believers to grace and adorn their profession is Gods gift Therefore doth the Apostle beg this grace at the hands of God for the Thessalonians And there is good reason for it First no man is of himself sufficient to think much Iess to accomplish that which is good This that great Apostle who was taken up into the third heaven confesseth and confirmeth in himself therefore all the sufficiency of the faithful must needs be from that Father of lights from whom descendeth every good and perfect gift Secondly God gives the first grace whereby they begin both to deny ungodliness to renounce all that spiritual uncleanness of sin which is contrary to their calling and to do those good works to which they are called to bring forth new fruits of holiness and righteousness a greeable to their new calling Thirdly he continues and confirms this grace or gracious work by a subsequent upholds them in their integrity stablisheth their hearts in holiness gives wisdom to espie and shun the snares of the tempter Delivers from every evil work and consequently preserves from shameful fals disgracing their calling waters them as a garden that they may be fruitful in good works which are a comely ornament to their profession Lastly he limiteth or restraineth their adversaries spiritual corporal whether solliciting to defection from the faith or tempting to sin in conversation suffers them not to assault his children when where with what weapons with what force and fury they would or else ministreth strength to withstand and overcome them Now he that curbs or puts to flight the enemies which would draw us to dishonourable acts must needs be the cause of our honourable standing in the day of battel and consequently of our winning credit to our calling First then hast thou escaped many dangerous pit-falls and quick-sands in which others have been overthrown many foul sins of youth of age which have foiled others and defiled both them and their profession Hast thou as a brave Souldier of Jesus Christ warded or repelled those blows of temptation which have brought others on their on knees or driven them from their station Hast thou purchased the name and repute of a worthy Christian by a godly harmless meek sober peaceable conversation gained honour not only to thy self but to the general calling of Christianity and so sent abroad the smell of the ointment of thy graces that others have been thereby induced to speak honourably of Religion for thy sake Be not proud of it its Gods work in thee ascribe the glory of it wholly to him who keeps back his children from evil and confirms them in good without whom we have no stedfastness no power to live well or hold out in good courses but should certainly after we have begun in the spirit end in the flesh It s truly said of an Enemy the least temptation if God forsake us and suffer the Devil to work as powerfully as he can will be intolerable invincible Secondly Vse 2 Dost thou desire to honour thy Christian calling by walking as beseems the Gospel Do for thy self what Paul did for his Thessalonians send every day post to the Court of heaven none other but thine own heart on the winged horse of Prayer Spread thy petition as Hezek his letter before the Lord say unto him Lord as thou hast made me partaker make me also worthy of the heavenly calling give grace that whiles I live I may shew such behaviour as is sitting the honourable condition to which thou hast brought me Let me die rather than I should admit or commit any thing which might impair the reputation of Religion and cause Christianity to find worse entertainment in the world Guide me therefore by thy counsel till thou receive me to glory hold me by thy right hand strengthen me with thine own might turn from me shame and contempt order my steps in thy word and let no iniquity have dominion over thy servant keep my spirit ever waking and watchful against sin stablish my heart in thy fear my feet in the way of thy precepts enable me to continue holy and faithful unto death and lead me in the way everlasting to the land of righteousness This is the way to obtain this excellent grace and he that perseveres earnestly begging it adding thereunto holy endeavours making the matter of his prayer the matter of his practise shall be preserved from opprobrious evils The second petition of Paul followeth wherein such things are
as you increase in days and stature so you may increase in all sanctifying gifts and in favour with God and men flourishing in the Courts of our God as those that are planted in the house of the Lord and bringeth forth more fruit in old age to the glory of his blessed name Amen and Amen from his heart saith To your Honour most addicted SAMUEL WALES Apr. 30. 1627. 2 Thess 1. v. 11 12. 11. Wherefore we also pray always for you that our God would make you worthy of this calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power 12. That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. THE scope of the Apostle in this Chapter is to refresh with the cool water of consolation the faithful Thessalonians now in the fiery Tryal of Tribulation and with Cordials of lively Comforts to confirm their spirits macerated and steeped in afflictions His chief Argument is taken from that righteous recompence of reward which the just Judge of all the world will give in the day of his appearing endless trouble and torment to them that have here troubled and tormented the godly eternal case and refreshment to them who are now hated and vexed for Christs sake And to the end this comfort might sink more deeply and stick more firmly he digresseth a little into a description of Christs coming to Judgement opening as it were the very Heavens and representing him to their eyes with all his glory These two Verses now contain the conclusion of this consolation the sum whereof is a commemoration of the Apostles Christian care and religious practise of carrying the names of these Thessalonians continually before the Lord in holy petition and making suit for them that they might hold out in this noble but painful race and warfare which was indeed the scope of his consolation In them we may consider 1. The act or duty simply propounded 2. The amplification of it 1. From the adjunct circumstance of time when or how often he did exercise it 2. From the moving cause included in the first word Wherefore 3. From the subject or persons for whom the afflicted Thessalonians 4. From the object or person to whom our God 5. From the matter of the prayer that he would make you worthy c. Let us begin with the first The act or duty performed by Paul and two other holy men of God Sylvanus and Timotheus is prayer we also pray that is we do not only give thanks to God for you comfort and teach you the way of salvation both by preaching and writing but moreover we make earnest requests to God in yoor behalf Our lesson hence is Ministers must pray for their People Teachers of the Church must add prayers for the Church to all their other labours prayers I mean both private and publick The sons of Aaron are commanded to bless the Children of Israel Num. 6.23 Deut. 33.10 1 Sam. 12.23 Jer. 18.20 to put incense before the Lord a type of holy prayers Samuel calls the neglect of this duty a sin against God The Prophet Jeremy professeth he had stood before the Lord to speak good for his hearers and to turn away his wrath from them Nothing is more plain or frequent in all the Epistles almost of all the Apostles And good reason For First They are spiritual Fathers of their Congregations and therefore should have paternal affections in them which cannot but send forth Prayers for their Children Will not natural Parents earnestly wish and defire the good of their sons and daughters Secondly Their Prayers may greatly help and advantage the People 1. By diverting threatned and imminent or removing already inflicted and incumbent Plagues Moses standing in thâ— breach turned away the Lords wrath from rebellious Israel and saved them from deserved destruction Psal 106.23 The withered hand of that wicked Jeroboam at the Prayer of the Propher is restored Two heavy Judgements shewed in Vision to the Prophet Amos prepared for Israel at his intercession were stayed at least for a season Read Amos 7.1.2 3 c. 2. By procuring or pulling down from Heaven many blessings upon them spiritual and corporal Elias prayed saith the Apostle James and the Heaven gave rain and the Earth brought forth her fruit If the prayers of private Christians may prevail with God for healing those that are sick in soul or body shall we think the requests of his faithful Messengers who come nearer unto him will do nothing But especially their Prayers may obtain of God that blessed success and fruit of their Ministerial travels in the conversion and sanctification of their hearers than which nothing can be more profitable for the People and which is the Crown of the Ministers rejoycing First then many are worthy to be reproved Some are so sull of Satan that if any of their hearers do but cross or displease them they break our into black and bitter cursing instead of blessing wishing Gods Plagues and vengeance may fall upon them Some are so ignorant they cannot pray some so profane they care not for praying either for themselves or others they have more skill of swearing and swaggering than powring out spiritual prayers Many utter words of prayer in publick who are dumb at home all the week long and trouble not the Lord with one servent and savoury request for the spiritual welfare of the souls of their people I fear when the great Shepherd the Prince of Pastors shall appear these will appear and be found unfaithful Shepherds For as that Christian who never prays for himself but in the Church is convinced to pray only for fashion so that Preacher who never prays for his sheep but in the Pulpit may justly be thought to pray of custom rather than from conscience and zealous desire of their salvation and he that prays of custom only will I warrant him by cold and careless teaching except the wind of praise drive his Mill testifie to the world that he cares not much who carry away their souls so he have their fleeces Secondly therefore let all that are set over Congregations in the Lord provoke themselves to this duty I mean to be as well instant suiters for them to the Lord as constant instructers of them from the mouth of the Lord. Let every faithful Steward of Christ say with Samuel God forbid I should cease praying for the people of God committed to my charge For 1. If we bear them in our hearts 2 Cor. 7.3 as Paul did his Corinthians Philippians if we earnestly long after and love them in the bowels of Christ Jesus as the same Paul did the same Philippians Phil. 1.7 8. and what are we but hirelings if we do not we cannot but remember and mention them to God in our daily prayers as Paul did all the Churches 2.
the knowledge of himself as the waters cover the sea to make the parched ground a pool the thirsty land springs of water the feeble in the Church like David instrength so that they shall mount up with wings like Eagles run and not be weary walk and not faint Now he that promiseth wanteth neither will nor power to perform his word being the All-sufficient a most bountiful Father and Master Rich to all that call upon him giving liberally and upbraiding no man delighting in the posperity of his servants 2. The Scripture affordeth examples of such as have attained it I speak not of extraordinary persons such as the Apostles of whom joyntly it is said They were filled with the holy Ghost as the same is affirmed particularly of Peter and Paul such also as were sundry ministers believers in that first Church for example Steph'n others with him in Jerusalem Barnabas c. but of ordinary Christians Doth not the Apostle give this honourable testimony of the ancient Romanes Rom. 15.14 that he was perswaded they were full of goodness filled with all knowledge Of the Corinthians and Ephesians that they were enriched with all knowledge utterance wisdome prudemce Now that which God hath promised and the Saints have received from him why should not the godly still desire and hope to obtain If in any thing this point contradicteth other Scriptures and the places mentioned in the former Doctrine I answer fulness is either absolute such a perfection as admits no defect this is reserved for the life to come or comparative such a measure or degree of grace as fitteth falleth into a grown Christian is answerable to the age of a Father in Christ which in respect of the weak beginning of young Christians may be termed fulness this is that we affirm may be found enjoyed here on earth wch thing the Apostle also plainly teacheth for in the very same place where he denies himself to be perfect he calleth himself those believers in Philippi that were of good standing and growth in Christianity perfect wch sentences seemingly contrary are to be reconciled by the fore-named distinction Secondly Reason 2 this fulness is exceeding comfortable for it gives strong assurance of the special and everlasting love of God The richer a man grows in grace the more is his election evidenced and sealed unto him because this is the fountain whence all saving and gracious gifts as streams do flow the more he is conformed to Christ and so ascertained of Christs dwelling in him the nearer he draws to heaven and the life of Angels hath more certain testimonies and pledges of his salvation and lastly the less power shall any evil which can befal him have to disquiet his course damp his joy disturb his inward peace or remove him from his stedfastness Thirdly Reas 3 the more a man abounds with grace the more able he will be to glorifie God First in word he will be often breaking out into Pauls doxologies Psâ—l 63.5 Eph. 5.18 19. When the soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness the mouth will praise God with joyful lips if the heart be filled with the Spirit the mouth will be filled with Psalms and spiritual songs of hearty thankfulness Secondly in works of obedience 1. Active As abundance of spirits in the body makes one more light and lively so abundance of grace in the heart makes a Christian go about Gods business more nimbly strongly with more chearfulness and largeness of heart more ready to do the good will of God more fruitful and abundant in all good actions 2. Passive As he that is well lined with meat and drink will best endure winter blasts and as the body or any part of it the fatter it is the less it is pierced with pinching cold whence it is that in greatest frosts our eyes never feel cold because the fatness of the white keeps them warm so the richer any one is in grace he will bear afflictions the more equally rejoyce in tribulations more sweetly and like the Elephant walk most steadily under the greatest load Lastly Reas 4 the best have some vacuity or emptiness in them and therefore stand in need of repletion for neither doth spiritual light so perfectly possess their minds nor holiness their wills that there is not place for increase and these heavenly graces are of all things in the world incomparably far the best and worthiest as being the very image of God coming from heaven and fitting for heaven excelling finest gold and costliest pearl a thousand times further than these excel the mire in the streets Is not a large portion of such riches worthy to be desired This reproveth three sorts Vse 1 1. Our muddy and base minded wordlings who thirst indeed after fulness but of Mammon of earthly and outward blessings they desire but what To see their corn and wine encreased and God abundantly bringing into their hands even more than heart can wish to have their bellies filled with his hid treasure their garners full affording all manner of store their bags full of gold and silver their hearts of food and gladness that they may be able to say to their souls with the rich man in the Gospel Soul thou hast much good laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry these are the things which the men of this generation admire this is the only happiness their Souls long to find As for the gifts of the Spirit the riches and ornaments of the Soul which make man an Angel among men abide with him in death and goe with him into heaven they are so far from desiring to be filled with them that they care not for tasting or being acquainted with them yea scarcely once think of them except when they are forced in hearing a Sermon Alas silly wood-cocks whose whole life is in sucking the ground when you see a company of little children busie as Bees in making houses and banquets and yet if a shower fall or hunger pinch take themselves to their heeles and seek refuge or relief elsewhere do you not laugh at their folly Should you send your servant to buy in a market-town spices drugs wines and such things of special price and use and he come again laden with clay or peble-stones or should you see a Merchant undertake a long painful perillous â—stly voyage into the remotest parts of the world and return at length fraught with sand vile earth or such baggage as either he could not carry out of the ship with him or if he did would not profit him would ye not stand amazed at the mans madness I tell you before hand the terrours of death shall open your eyes to see and confess the case to be your own that is that all the study thought care of your whole life hath been consumed in heaping up goods which can do you no good in the day of wrath or else if your hearts in
custom is and he knows its for his profit to apply false comfort to hypocrites when God hath terrified and wounded them not to tempt them to unbelief I mean still about the matter of their salvation except when he gets them at a dead lift as in the hour of death or in some great extremity wherein he hopes to push them headlong into desperation because then he should minister occasion of seeking that precious faith of which himself is as much afraid as the Lion of fire and consequently should be divided against himself his own enemy But the doubts of a sound Christian come principally from Satan yet not without the help of natural ignorance and infidelity by means whereof he hath great advantage to work whose policy is when he cannot keep the child of God from grace then by aggravating his sin and unworthiness by extenuating or hiding from his eyes the good things God hath given him to hold and deter him from beleiving to make him if it were possible wholly to cast away his hope or else to languish in an heavy uncomfortableness greatly displeasing and dishonourable to God But how may one know that his doubts are from Satan 1. If after a diligent privy search in the closet of his soul he finds such signs of faith as certainly declare its there present though the comfort of it be not presently felt and discerned as namely a turning of the streame and bent of the thoughts and affections after heavenly things an ingenuous and lovely melting of the heart into sorrow for offending to the Lord strong desires of honouring and pleasing God with resolutions of cleaving to and following him though he should never receive comfort from him an hearty hatred of joyned with a serious strife against secret hypocrisie and carnal ends in well-doing and the like 2. If he feel that the spirit in the ministry of the Word fights against his doubts sweetly perswades and draws him to believe comforteth and rejoyceth his heart not beatting and battering down his confidence as ordinarily it doth the hypocrites but bettering and strengthening it for hereby it appears that his doubts are the enemies of Gods Word and Spirit and therefore not the eccho of the word nor the just verdict of conscience speaking from the word but the voice of Satan Secondly a believer finding doubts in himself is exceedingly grieved for them bewails want of Faith as his greatest misery willingly accuseth and condemneth himself for these pangs and qualms of unbelief as for greatest sins they are very burthensome to him chiefly because they rob God of his glory and make him less cheerful in rendring unto the Lord praises and other obedience But the hypocrites doubts trouble him and he wisheth to be rid of them only because they are attended with inward disquietness terrours fears of the Lords judgments not because they are sins against God whereof this is a sufflcient proof that if he enjoy a kind of peace and perswasion that he is the Child of God though his evil heart full of infidelity secretly deny or call into question an hundred things in divinity one after another he relents not he is not troubled tush these are but flitting motions nor worthy check or controlement Thirdly doubts drive a true believer first to God by earnest requests for the discovering and diminishing of his unbelief strengthening of his faith then into himself by a more exact and impartial scrutiny of his own Conscience and estate they quicken him unweariedly and constantly to go forward in resisting and subduing them in seeking and lamenting after Christ and never to sit down till God have brought his heart into the harbour of a stablished assurance till he see feel and as it were handle eternal life in himself till he know Christ and all the treasures of grace and glory in Christ as undoubtedly to be his own as his apparel money house lands till the Holy Ghost have signed sealed and delivered the heavenly inheritance in the Court of conscience in a word till he have gotten such a faith as can glory in God insult over Hell Death Devil Sin the Curse of the Law and out-wrestle all difficulties but the unsound Christian either builds himself a Castle of imaginary assurance upon the sand of false grounds or lies under his doubts irrecoverably giving over seeking before he receive a sound certain and satisfactory answer from the Lord either out of sloth or despair of obtaining or because he hath learned the strongest faith is subject to some faintings and therefore judgeth it needless to strive any longer or labour for more faith seeing that which he hath will serve his turn and it s no otherwise with him than it is with a true Christian Thirdly We must hence be admonished not to disdain or condemn such Christians as sometimes bewray some feebleness of faith in word or work Thou seest or hearest thy brother is impatient in affliction fears poverty shrinks at the approach of persecution or death is discouraged by reproaches and slanders not so zealous and valiant in maintaining Gods glory and cause as it were to be wished for fear of the wrath of Man omits some necessary good defiles himself with the doing of some evil do not now think or say such a one is a faithless temporizer take heed of such judgment lest thou be judged seeing the truly faithful have done as much thou shalt do well to be sparing in thy censures till thou canst shew a persect faith Fourthly Vse 4 see the reason why sometimes the lives of very godly men are blemished with some faults Alas the tree is imperfect therefore the fruits must needs be so for nothing can give that it hath not Though the godly by the grace of God may be free from notorious sins yet they cannot obey perfectly because they believe but in part Why then do carnal men if they spie but a spot in a godly mans face a frailty in his conversation though it be but a moat in comparison of their beams Why do they presently cry out These that make so much profession are naught they are naught all of them they are dissemblers they are not what they seem c. Absurd unreasonable men do you expect they should be perfectly holy when they are but imperfectly faithful If one of your children have a slow or unseemly pace by reason of lameness or debility in some member you think he is rather to be pitied than upbraided If you will not learn to judge mercifully of the godly when they fall and to impute their slips rather to the imperfection of their condition than the hypocrisie of their hearts and naughtiness of their disposition you shall but prove your selves to be haters of your brethren and he that hates his brother is a murtherer 1 John 3.15 and no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him Fifthly hence we are taught Vse 5 that believers must not trust to the strength of