be not dismayed, but hold on your course, & be it so far from you, to think your selves pure, & learn to have such a lively sense, and feeling of this festering fore of sin, eating us to eternal destruction, if our Physician Christ, put not to his help to heal the same by the blood of his passion, as that you acknowledge with the Prophet, all your righteousness to be like a stained cloth, and to this end labour in your selves, & persuade it in others to go on still, and to be climbing up from step to step, towards the mark ⟨image 9⟩of perfection set before us: not thinking it sufficient to begin well, and there to stay, nor to go and grow forward for a time, and then to stand still, but we must know that perseverance hath the promise, for he that persevereth to the end, he shall be saved. This then being the settled persuasion of all that truly fear the Lord, let not their course be hindered, neither in their course let them be discouraged, but carrying in themselves the testimony of a good conscience, that they have in them selves a desire to increase daily from faith to faith, from knowledge to knowledge, from godliness to godliness, until they become perfect men in Christ Jesus: let them know it is their glory to bear reproach for good dealing. See that none of you (saith the Apostle) suffer as a murderer, as a thief, as an evil doer, or as a busy body in other mens matters, but if any man suffer as a Christian &c. 1This is the portion of Gods people, to suffer for well doing; and of this we ought not to be ashamed, but for this we must glorify God: neither is this the uttermost of our trial, to be evil spoken of, but we are like to taste the smart of a more sharp school: Our sins provoke it, Gods justice doth threaten it, and ⟨image 10⟩I see not how we should avoid it. Let us learn therefore to be well provided against the day of trial. And surely if we profess, as we seem, or carry that sincere zeal, as we ought, we have cast our reckoning, we know the price, and therefore will endeavour to provide for payment. Crux comes Evangely: is an old rule, and he is a very delicate, or rather fainthearted soldier, that looketh to over come with out fighting: or to win victory without contending: and how can he fight, that is unprepared to the battle? or contend for victory, that is unprovided?
be not difmayed, but hold on your course, & be it so farre frō you, to thinke your selues pure, & learne to haue such a liuely sense, and feeling of this festering fore of sinne, eating vs to eternal destruction, if our Phisition Christ, put not to his helpe to heale the same by the blood of his passion, as that you acknowledge with the Prophet, all your righteousnes to be like a stayned cloth, and to this end labour in your selues, & perswade it in others to go on still, and to be climing vp from step to step, towards the mark ⟨image 9⟩of perfectiō set before vs: not thinking it sufficient to begin well, and there to stay, nor to goe and grow forward for a time, and thē to stand still, but we must know that perseuerāce hath the promise, for he that perseuereth to the end, he shalbe saued. This then being the setled perswasion of all that truely feare the Lord, let not their course be hindered, neyther in their course let them be discouraged, but carrying in thēselues the testimony of a good conscience, that they haue in thē selues a desire to encrease daily from fayth to faith, from knowledge to knowledge, from godlinesse to godlinesse, vntill they become perfect men in Christ Iesus: let them knowe it is their glory to beare reproch for good dealing. See that none of you (saith the Apostle) suffer as a murtherer, as a theefe, as an euill doer, or as a busie bodie in other mens matters, but if anye man suffer as a Christian &c. 1This is the portion of Gods people, to suffer for wel doing; and of this we ought not to be ashamed, but for this we must glorifie God: neither is this the vttermost of our triall, to be euil spoken of, but we are like to taste the smart of a more sharpe schoole: Our sinnes prouoke it, Gods iustice doth threaten it, and ⟨image 10⟩I see not how we should auoyd it. Let vs learn therefore to be wel prouided against the day of tryal. And surely if we professe, as we seem, or carry that sincere zeale, as we ought, wee haue cast our reckoning, we know the pryce, and therefore will endeuour to prouide for paiment. Crux comes Euangely: is an old rule, and he is a very delicate, or rather faintehearted souldiour, that loketh to ouer come with out fighting: or to winne victory without contending: and how can he fight, that is vnprepared to the battell? or contend for victory, that is vnprouided?
- 11. Pet. 4.
