2. Protection from all Evil and Danger, Pfal. 1. 15. Ifa. xli. 10. and xliii. 1, 2. Pfal. lvii. 1. Ifa. 1. 10. 3. His bleffing upon all ye have, Deut.xxviii. 1, 2, 3. 4. All things will be yours, 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. and work together for your good, Rom. viii. 28. yea your very Afflictions too, 2 Cor. iv. 17. 2. In the life that is to come, we fhall have all manner of Perfection. 1. Perfect Conqueft over all our Enemies, yea over Death it self, 1 Cor. xv. ss, 56, 57. 2. Perfect cafe and freedom from all manner of evil, Rev. xxi. 4. and vii. 17. 3. Perfect Knowledge and Understanding, 1. Of the whole Creation. 2. Of the Creator himself, 1 Cor. iii. 9, IO, 12. 4. Perfect Purity and Conformity to his Law and Nature, 1 John iii. 2. 1 Pet. i. 15. 5. Perfect Joy and Happiness in the vifion and fruition of GOD himself, Pfal.xvi. 11. Pfal. xvii. 15. 6. Perfect continuance of all this to all Eternity, Mat. xxv. 46. 2 Cor. v. 1. 1 Pet. i. 4. 2 PET. 2 PET. i. 5. And befides this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue. Ere the Apoftle gives us a Chain of all Chriftian Graces: Wherein we may observe in general, For, I. Faith leads the Van, as 1 Cor. xiii. 12. 1. It is only by Faith that we have, or exercife any Grace. 1. All Grace comes by Chrift, John i. 17. and xv. 5. 2. We receive it from him only by Faith, Acts xxvi. 18. 1 Fob. v. 5. 2. It is only by Faith that our other Graces or good Works are acceptable unto GOD, Heb. xi. 5, 6. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Hence we are to endeavour after Faith in the first place, Eph. vi. 16. II. Where true Faith leads the Van, all other Graces follow. For Faith works by Love, Gal. v. 6. And Love is the fulfilling the Law, Rom. xiii. ΙΟ. He that believes is born of GOD, 1 Job. v. I. Therefore a true and lively Faith always Ἡ δὲ πιεις ἕδρασμα ἀγάπης, ἀνεπάγεσα τὴν ἐυ Fides que eft juftitia fundamentum quam nulla bona opera procedunt, & ex qua omnia procedunt, infa nos à peccatis purgat, mentes noftras illuminat. Profper. Καθ ̓ ἑαυτὴν πίςις πλήρης ἐσὶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων, Chryf. III. We must not content our felves with one or more Graces, but muft endeavour to get and exercise all manner of Grace and Goodness, 1 Pet. 1,15. Tit. 11. 12. Eph. vi. 11. Jam. ii. 10. IV. We must give all diligence to be thus truly good and pious, juft and righteous, and to get and exercise all true Grace and Virtue. 1. What is it to give all Diligence? It implies. 1. That we prefer true Grace and Piety in our Judgments before all things elfe, Pfal. cxxxvii. 6. 1. Because it is really more excellent, than all other things, Prov. xii. 26. Pfal. xvii 3. Prow. iii. 13, 14,15: 2. Because it is the only needful thing in the World, Luke x. 39,42. Heb. xii. 14 2. That we defire it in our Hearts before all things elfe, Pfal. xix. 9. 10. Pfal. lxxiii. 25. Phil. iii. 8. 3. That we take more Care and Pains, and ufe all Diligence about it, more than about any thing else, Mat. vi. 33. A&ts xxiv. 16. 2 Pet. i. 10. Phil. iii. 14. 2. Why should we use so much Diligence about this? 1. Because it is fo hard and difficult thing to attain it, Mat. xix. 23, 24. Mat. vii. 13, 14. John vi. 27. 1. By reafon of Original Corruption. 2. Of our being accustomed to Sin, Fer. xiii. 23. 2. If we use all the Care and Diligence we can about it, we are fure to attain it, otherwise not, 1 Cor. xv. 58. 3. If we do attain it by all our Diligence, it will be abundantly recompenced. And indeed it is the only thing that is worth our Care and Study, 2 Tim, iv. 7, 8. 3. Wherein muft this our Diligence be principally employed? What Means and Methods muft we ufe, that we may at length attain it by our Diligence? 1. Refolve ftedfaftly by the Bleffing of GOD, to fet about it in good earneft. 2. Give your felves conftantly to publick and private Prayer, fam. i. f. Luke xi. 13. 3. And to reading and hearing the Word of GOD, Rom.x. 17. and Meditation. 4. To the Sacrament. 5. In all these truft only on Christ, A&s V. 31. 2 PET. i. S. Add to your faith. Hat is Faith? What I. For Fidelity or Faithfulness. 1. In God, Rom. iii. 3. 1 Johni. 9. II. For a Perfwafion of the Lawfulness of an III. For the Object which we believe, the i. 23. IV. It is most usually taken for the Act of Believing, and so it is an Affent unto some Truth upon the Teftimony of one that doth affert it. 1. It is an Affent; and fo not only in the Intellect apprehending, but in the Will receiving and embracing it. Credere eft in Affenfu cogitare, Aug. Otherwife it is not Faith, but Folly and Delufion,2 Thef. ii. 10, 12. 2. Unto Truth. 3. As attefted by another; and fo it is dif tinguished, 1. From Senfe; whereby we affent because we fee or feel it. 2. From Knowledge; whereby we affent because we know it to be fo, |