Secondly, to shut up all, do and suffer all unto the end; let it be said of you as of Ephesus, you have laboured and have not fainted. Sincerity is ever accompanied with constancy. They who work for right ends, will work unto the end. They who seem what they are not 1will quickly (if they be put to it) cease to be what they seem. And they who work by art only, will soon return to their own nature. But (Honourable and Beloved) I hope, nay I know better things of you, though I thus speak: only I admonish you (with all humbleness) in the Apostles language, Be not weary in welldoing, for in due season you shall reap, if you faint not. Or in the words of Christ to the Philadelphian Angel, hold fast, let no man take your crown. It is constancy which sets the crown upon the head of every action. If at any time any of your spirits begin to faint (as who may not have a qualm) then let me bespeak such a one as he Prophet doth almost fainting Israel. Hast thou ⟨p. 60⟩2not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord the Creator of the ends of the Earth fainteth not, neither is weary. If you say, what's that to me? though God who is omnipotent faint not, yet I who am but weakness, may. No, while God hath strength he who works for God cannot utterly want it. For (as it follows) He giveth power to the faint, and to them 3that have no might, he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall (the greatest strength and vigour of natural 4abilities is weakness and infirmity without God) But they who wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, 5they shall mount up with wings as Eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Christ who gives you work, will also give you strength. As it is your duty not to faint, so it is his promise that you shall not. What a Master do we serve? who helps us 6to do his business, and then pays us for doing it, who works so in us, as if we did nothing, and then rewards us so, as if we had done all. To him who gives all both strength and reward, both Grace and Glory, be all strength ascribed and Glory given, for ever, Amen.
Secondly, to shut up all, doe and suffer all unto the end; let it be said of you as of Ephesus, you have laboured and have not fainted. Sincerity is ever accompanied with constancy. They who worke for right ends, will worke unto the end. They who seem what they are not 1will quickly (if they be put to it) cease to be what they seeme. And they who worke by art only, will soone returne to their own nature. But (Honourable and Beloved) I hope, nay I know better things of you, though I thus speake: only I admonish you (with all humblenesse) in the Apostles language, Be not weary in welldoing, for in due season you shall reape, if you faint not. Or in the words of Christ to the Philadelphian Angell, hold fast, let no man take your crowne. It is constancy which sets the crowne upon the head of every action. If at any time any of your spirits begin to faint (as who may not have a qualme) then let me bespeake such a one as he Prophet doth almost fainting Israel. Hast thou ⟨p. 60⟩2not knowne? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord the Creatour of the ends of the Earth fainteth not, neither is weary. If you say, what's that to me? though God who is omnipotent faint not, yet I who am but weakenesse, may. No, while God hath strength hee who workes for God cannot utterly want it. For (as it followes) He giveth power to the faint, and to them 3that have no might, he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall (the greatest strength and vigour of naturall 4abilities is weaknesse and infirmity without God) But they who wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, 5they shall mount up with wings as Eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walke and not faint. Christ who gives you worke, will also give you strength. As it is your duty not to faint, so it is his promise that you shall not. What a Master doe we serve? who helps us 6to do his businesse, and then payes us for doing it, who workes so in us, as if we did nothing, and then rewards us so, as if we had done all. To him who gives all both strength and reward, both Grace and Glory, be all strength ascribed and Glory given, for ever, Amen.
- 1Nemo potestdiú personam fictam far, ficta citò in naturam suam recidunt. Sen. Ep Heb. 6. 9. Gal. 6. 9. Rev. 3. 11.Nemo potestdiú personam fictam ferre, ficta citò in naturam suam recidunt. Sen. Ep Heb. 6. 9. Gal. 6. 9. Rev. 3. 11.
- 2Isa. 40. 18.
- 3Ver. 29.
- 4Ver. 30.
- 5Ver. 31.
- 6Joh. 15. 3.Ioh. 15. 3.
