Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

First, Then let us make this use of it, let us not content our selves then with any thing that nature hath wrought ¹in us; let us not content our selves with moral virtues: let us not content our selves with common care of worshipping of God, nor with all the outward actions and shows of Religion only, for all this is not acceptable to God, as you see: but let us labour for this which is called true Godliness; this is all in all. Therefore you shall find that the Apostle Saint Peter, 2 Pet. 1. he exhorts you ²to this that we are now about, Saith he add to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge temperance, to your temperance patience, and to your patience godliness. Mark, what is his meaning in this? surely this, As if he should say, when you here me speak to you of patience, and temperance, &c. and that all these are goodly virtues, you must add godliness to all, or else they are nothing worth, the Lord will not regard them; that is, you must look to God in them all, there must be more then nature in you, you must reach at an higher end then nature can, and therefore content not your selves with any of these.

First, Then let us make this use of it, let us not content our selves then with any thing that nature hath wrought ¹in us; let us not content our selves with moral vertues: let us not content our selves with common care of worshiping of God, nor with all the outward actions and shewes of Religion onely, for all this is not acceptable to God, as you see: but let us labour for this which is called true Godliness; this is all in all. Therefore you shall find that the Apostle Saint Peter, 2 Pet. 1. he exhorts you ²to this that we are now about, Saith he add to your faith vertue, to your vertue knowledge, to your knowledge temperance, to your temperance patience, and to your patience godliness. Mark, what is his meaning in this? surely this, As if he should say, when you here me speak to you of patience, and temperance, &c. and that all these are goodly vertues, you must add godliness to all, or else they are nothing worth, the Lord will not regard them; that is, you must look to God in them all, there must be more then nature in you, you must reach at an higher end then nature can, and therefore content not your selves with any of these.