Patience and its perfect work under sudden & sore trialsPatience and its perfect work under sudden & sore tryals

§. Secondly, That he speaks this to them whom he supposeth true Believers, and unto them as such, is evident: Although at the first blush (as we say) the words would seem to point at and speak to unregenerate men, who wholly want all true wisdom and grace: and so the drift should be an intended Direction to, or for such, ⟨p. 144⟩to seek true Grace, which they lack, at the hands of God, by Prayer.

§. Secondly, That he speaks this to them whom he supposeth true Believers, and unto them as such, is evident: Although at the first blush (as we say) the words would seem to poynt at and speak to unregenerate men, who wholly want all true wisdom and grace: and so the drift should be an intended Direction to, or for such, ⟨p. 144⟩to seek true Grace, which they lack, at the hands of God, by Prayer.

But the Coherence manifestly shows, that he speaks to such, whom he supposeth to be already true Believers: For in the next words, he exhorts the same Persons, whom he speaks to in these words, to ask in Faith; and therefore supposeth them to have true Faith already, whom he directs this Exhortation unto. And otherwise it had been more proper, yea requisite to have exhorted them (if he had intended it of unregenerate men,) first, to seek Faith it self, and then out of Faith and in that Faith to seek for this Wisdom, or Grace of endurance. And again he speaks to them that were Brethren; so he calls them. And in this passage, says; if any of [YOU] and such, who being true professors of Christianity were exposed ⟨p. 145⟩unto those sundry Tentations from persecutions, especially: And 'tis such, also whom he exhorts to count it all joy, &c. and here to ask a Wisdom of GOD, whereby to be able to suffer for their holy profession. Furthermore, this Wisdom lying in Patience having its perfect work in them, it supposeth the persons such, as had some Work of Patience, and of other Graces begun in them already. And indeed, to have exhorted Unregenerate Men, that were as yet utterly destitute of all Grace, and so out of harms way, as to any sufferings, for the Gospel; and to direct them to make this the first of their addresses to GOD, and of their requests, that they might be able to endure Tentations, and that Patience should have a perfect work in them; and so to have taught them, that, which is the hardest lesson in Christianity, afore