that we fall not into Temptation To take heed least our hearts at any time be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness c. to take heed of false Prophets and that no man deceive us To give all diligence that we fail not of or fall not off from the Grace of God To beware of flothfulness because that casteth into a deep sleep of Spiritual security and carelessness and then a man lies open to the enemy to fall upon him and destroy or devour him but to follow the steps of those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises exhortations and warnings and provocations by manifold Arguments to all diligence in this matter are every where obvious in the Scriptures to believers and that that is said and shewed before both of the possibility and danger of failing otherwise of the Grace and love of God as to its continuance and the fearful things that befal in such a case as also the certainty of abiding in it and obtaining unspeakable joy and happiness in our care and diligence in depending on God and Christ and expectance of such diligence and earnestness in us may incite and provoke to the diligence circumspection and watchfulness exhorted too and reprove that too great carelessness negligence and slothfulness in these matters of so great concernment too ordinarily found even in Believers as it was found and reproved in the Angel of the Church of Ephesus leaving his first love and in the Angel of the Church of Sardis that had almost quite lost all his strength so as that he was ready to die and in the Church of Laodicea or the Angel therof grown Lukewarm therefore ready to be spewed out of Christs mouth unless he awakened up to zeal and diligence and repented of his indifferencie upon Christs reproofs of him Rev. 2.4 5. and 3.1 2 14 15 16 19. Oh it is a great shame for us to be careful and diligent to keep or increase our Estates or Honours here in this World which after a while do what we can must be taken from us from us or we from them and to be so indifferent and negligent about retaining that Grace and favour of God whereto he hath admitted us by Jesus Christ as if it were not of that worth and excellencie as those other poor fading and uncertain matters when as it is the source spring and fountain of all blessedness and happiness But I shall pass from this first and main matter of the Text to the next The way and mean to keep our selves in God's love and that is edifying our selves in our most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost whence we may note That Observ 5. The way for Believers to keep themselves in the love of God is to edifie themselves on their most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Here be two means 1. Edifying themselves on their most holy Faith 2. Praying in the Holy Ghost Let us if God permit consider them in order And first 1. Divers things as to the first of them are to be explained for better understanding and usefulfulness of the Proposition as to that Branch of it as to say 1. What is meant by the Faith here on which Believers are to build up themselves and one another 2. Why is it called their Faith 3. Why is it called their most holy Faith 4. What that is that is to be builded on it 5. How the believer is to be builded on it And 6. What that signifies that they build up themselves and how that they may do that 7. How the building up themselves thereon conduceth to the keeping themselves in the love of God 1. For the Faith here mentioned what it is or signifies we are to mind that the word Faith is is used two ways either 1. For the act or habit of believing and so it often signifies as in these expressions Lord increase our faith and if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed ye should be able to say to this Sycamore tree be thou plucked up by the roots and be thou planted into the midst of the Sea and it should obey you Luke 17.4 5. Your faith is spoken of throughout the world Rom. 1.5 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing is of the word of God Rom. 10.17 After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the Saints Ephes 1.15 and many others 2. For the Doctrine of faith and the matter and object of faith in it contained to that purpose is that of Paul Gal. 1.22 He that persecuted us now preacheth the faith that he destroyed So Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith So verse 5. and 7. and 9. They that he of Faith the same are the Children of Abraham and are blessed with faithful Abraham Now in as much as the Faith or Doctrine preached is also called the preaching of Christ or of Jesus Christ Acts 9.20 Rom. 16.25 1 Cor. 1.22 24. We preach Christ crucified And 2 Cor. 4 5. We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord Therefore even Christ himself as preached and declared in the Gospel may also be contained in the signification of the word Faith when taken in this second sense and meaning Now that the word faith is not meant here in the former but in the latter sense is evident because it is here represented as the foundation to be built upon or matter wherewith they were to be built up but that is not faith as it signifies the act or habit of believing for that is something built rather upon the foundation or at most the way or means of building or being built on it Christ himself as held forth in the Apostles Doctrine or also the Apostles Doctrine as holding forth Christ in it is the foundation and is so spoken of in the Apostles Writings as in 1 Cor. 3 11. Other foundations can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ What more plain than that Jesus Christ is the only foundation laid of God and of his Apostles in their Doctrine To this purpose it is that the Apostle Peter quotes that Scripture of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 28.16 and applyes it to Christ in 1 Pet. 2.4 6. where having called him the Living stone chosen of God and precious he saith Wherefore it is contained in the Scriptures behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded Unto you therefore which believe he is precious c. This is that foundation which the Apostle speaks of to Timothy when he saith 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or firm having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his c. For therein God seals to it owns and approves or knows all that be his the foundations namely or knows the foundation it self as peculiarly his as Christ is and others that
grounds with the Apostle that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God even from loving God in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.37 38. but then all right Believers and Lovers of God are not so spiritual as appears 1 Cor. 1.12 with 3.1 2. nor have attained such wisdom and knowledge of him Thence the Apostle saith not I am perswaded nothing shall be able to separate you as speaking to the Romans as in Vers 13. If ye walk after the flesh ye shall dye but us as speaking of himself and the other Apostles and such as they in perfectness and growth 2. Or else by born of God rather may be meant the same with the abider in Christ as in Vers 6. He that abideth in him sinneth not and so Chap. 2 29. He that doth righteousness that constantly and perseveringly doth it is born of God and 1 John 5.1 He that believeth that is goeth on believing perseveringly for words of the present tense it s observed usually or often imply continuance that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and so its like that in Psal 119.23 They that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart they do no iniquity c. 3. Or He that is born of God that is that is led by the Spirit of God as Rom. 8.14 he sins not nor can sin namely as while so led no such fruit can be of him in opposition to Gnosticks or others that impute their sinnings to Gods Spirit say they are tempted or led of God to it 4. And then the word Cannot is taken in a compound sense as when it 's said An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit nor good tree bad fruit Mat. 7 18. that is abiding such but a bad tree may be made a good tree and a bad man a good and a good tree a right noble Vine may degenerate into a strange plant Jer. 2.21 and so a good man into a bad a lover of God to leave his love of him and that by entertaining 1. The love of the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him and of that even Fathers and young men such as had overcome the wicked one it seems needs to be admonished also 1 John 2.12 13 14 15 16. as the Apostles themselves were by Christ Matth. 6.24 Luke 21.34 35 36. 2. Corrupt Doctrines such as lead to high-mindedness pride carelesnes or corrupt any ways from the Faith and Gospel Therefore the Apostle warns the Fathers and young men also of the Antichrists 1 John 2.18.26 2 John 8. as Christ did also his Apostles Matth. 24.45.23.24 25. Principles of Atheism Infidelity rejecting the Scriptures and the Hope and Judgement to come Thence the Apostle Peter warning of the Mockers in the last days that would say Where is the promise of his coming bids the Believers take heed lest being led away with their error they should fall from their own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.4 5 17. By such means men may be withdrawn from their love of God Or 3. By thinking themselves to have abtained and so growing remiss So men heated with their labour and thinking they have wrought enough sitting down may grow cold or catch cold and He that deals with a slack hand becomes poor Prov. 10.4 Or 4. Through the same conceit withdrawing from the Assemblies and Societies of Brethren Thence the Apostle opposes these to those that separate themselves Jud. 19. and forsaking the Assemblies is opposed to holding fast the profession and ushers in wilful sinning Heb. 10.23 25 26. for how can one be hot alone Eccl. 4.11 Need therefore of this Exhortation now especially when Atheism and evil principles so abound And we may be encouraged to take the Apostles Exhortation because he further implies that Note 3. Believers may in a diligent minding the Grace of God and using the means appointed of him through his promised presence and assistance keep themselves in a warm temper in the love of God So our Saviour implies in Matth. 24.13 in that having said The love of many shall wax cold he addes but he that continues to the end shall be saved Men may continue warm in their love then to the end and why not A man in a good way may easily keep himself in it though he meet with Cheats or Robbers if having good directions a skilful faithful guide using strong perswasions to follow him and his directions and a strong Guard to secure him from violences he will but adhere to and follow them and nothing but amazing wilfulness Jer. 2.12 13. may endanger him being brought into the love of God The same that brought us into it will keep us in it namely the love and grace of God in Christ if minded kept in view and obeyed by us whereto we have good directions in his Word and Doctrine and the Holy Spirit of Wisdom is given from Christ to be our Guide and Director therein And taking heed thereto and making use of those Gifts and Ordinances appointed by him to that purpose God and Christ will guard and secure us from Satan and his instruments Thence it s said Forsake not wisdom and she will preserve thee love her and she will keep thee Prov. 4.6 and He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son to secure him from miscarrying 2 John 9. 1 John 2.24 25. The same exercise or perpetuated fire that will warm a man when cold will easily preserve a man in his heat when heated by it if not forsaken and both the Word and Love of God are compared to fire and hot burning coals Jer. 23.29 Cant. 8.6 7. Keep we but to them and they will keep us warm and as for exercise to keep us warm It s further implied Note 4. That it 's a good and useful exercise that we are here directed to viz. To edifie our selves on our most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost For 1. Therein we are put upon minding Gods and Christs love to us that being the great matter held forth in the Faith whence it 's called The Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 20.24 and that minded will nourish as well as beget love and warmth thereof in us toward him 2. Thence we shall gather strength against our enemies and what would prejudice us against God and cool our love to him for a little to adde to what is somewhat too barely mentioned p. 177. l. 25 26 27. there through we may grow in wisdom for he that cleaves more firmly to Christ the Wisdom of God shall receive more of the Spirit of Wisdom from him and He that walks with wise men shall be wise Prov. 13.20 for in the mystery of Christ held forth by and among them amd in Christ himself are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 and the wise man is strong and the man of understanding encreaseth strength Prov. 24. â— for wisdom
it offendeth and cast it from us least by gazing with a carnal judgment and mind upon the things that are seen we should either for the love or fear of them neglect things unseen that are objects of our faith only as also thence David prays God to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity and quicken him in his way Psal 119.36 But again besides there are also 4. False Teachers or false Prophets that come in Sheeps-cloathing in great shews and appearances of piety and holiness and wisdom men oft-times that have the approbation and countenance of the world and are of great learning as to the Learning of the the World yea and many that seem to be skilfull in Mysteries and to have a kind of Spiritual force in their teaching so as that the sheep if not very wary and watchful may easily mistake them for true Shepheards or Teachers of the Truth Yea and these so earnest fervent industrious oftentimes that they will deceive if possible the Elect Matth. 7.15 16. and 24.24 25. where note that those words if possible for the words it were are nâ— in the Greek Text do not imploy an absolute iâ—possibility of their being deceived but a greater difficulty and therefore greater diligence used by the Deceivers to deceive them if possible even as the same words if possible used in Act. 20.16 and Rom. 12.16 where it is said that the Apostle Paul hastned if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem by the Feast of Pentecost and exhorts us if it be possible so much as in us lies to have peace with all men do not argue an utter impossibility of either of those things but only some difficulty there may be or were therein and therefore greater earnestness used or required such is the intimation of the phrase in that of Matth. 24. Indeed this may be implied that they the Deceivers are so specious in their pretences and so diligent and earnest in their endeavours that it was onely because it was not possible for them to do it that any of the Elect are not deceived by them even such as are not deceived by them would have been deceived by them also had it been possible for them to have been deceived and so it may signifie an impossibilty of somes being deceived as indeed it is not possible for Sathan or any of his instruments to deceive those that are not only called and chosen but also faithful as in Rev. 17.14 those do overcom all their enemies through the power of Christ with them and cannot be overcome possibly by them that is such as faithfully cleave to Christ and use the means and walk in the wayes he hath appointed them to go in and promised his presence and helpfulness to them in no possibility much less danger where there is not a remiss negligence or carelesness 〈◊〉 presumption in departing from him or not â—ng the weapons and ways of safety appointed to them But otherwise they may possibly and there is danger too especially if after often warnings to awaken up to more faithfulness and watchfulness yet men be slack therein Now these false Teachers are manifold nor may I speak of them in this place For many deny or corrupt the Fundamental Truths of the Gospel or some one or more of them as in denying the person of the Son of God his Deity or humanity or the preciousness and vertuousness of his death and sufferings to make atonement for our sins or the extent of that atonement or the Resurrection from the dead and the last Judgment or the personal and glorious appearance of Christ thereunto Or else corrupt the Doctrine of Justification and so the compleatness of the faith of Christ alone for justifying us in the sight of God yea or for making us wise to salvation or for sanctification or the like Nay I conceive those are not the least dangerous false Teachers that teach men to believe that every man ought to judge himself Elect and then that none of the Elect or real hearty believers that are once such can possibly fall finally and totally away by any sinning from the Grace and favour of God for this directly tendeth to open a gap for their boldly closing with and following after that temptation of Sathan If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down from the pinnacle of the Temple for it is written He shall give his Angels charge over thee and they shall bear thee up in their hands that thou dash not thy foot against a stone that is however thou mayst precipitate thy self into any sin or danger of sinning or neglect the means of preservation yet thou canst not being a Son of God possibly hurt thy self thereby at least not to destruction And indeed he that well minds the Scriptures of the Prophets and Evangelists may see that those were of the most dangerous sort of false Prophets amongst the people of Israel and that one of their most dangerous errours and false Prophecyings whereby the people were born in hand and perswaded that because they were the Children of the Patriarks the Children of Abraham the Elect chosen and beloved Nation therefore they should have peace and no disinheriting or destruction could befal them yea though they walked after their own imaginations or served Baalim their apprehension and perswasion of their being in such a sure safe infallible state of Covenant Grace or favour with God as that by no means they could be rejected or cast away occasioned the fall rejection and destruction of multitudes of them See Deut. 29.18 19 20. Jer. 7.4 5 6. Mic. 10 11 12. and thence it is that the Apostle warning us Gentiles by their fall tells us that our standing is by faith and wishes us not to be high minded as if because made of the choice people of God grafted in upon and the Root of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Covenant made with them through the faith of Christ therefore we could not fall nor might God harden and reject us but fear and take heed to continue in his goodness or else we however grafted into the stock of Israel by Christ shall be cut off by him who hardens whom he will Now that which makes these false Teachers as all or most of the rest of them so dangerous to the flock of God is their great pretences to appearances of piety holines orthodoxy or righteous judgment or rather their boasts thereof even as those false Prophets who u'sd to cry peace peace to the Jews notwithstanding their great wickednes stil'd themselves the Prophets of the Lord reproached and persecuted those who were such indeed because they prophesied otherwise than themselves dealing faithfully with the people to warn them of sinning against God and shew them the danger thereof as mad-men and Deceivers as may be seen in Jer. 18.18 Come say the false Prophets let us devise devises against Jeremiah for the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor
give light to all that come into the house In a word he doth nothing he gives nothing to us in vain but for use and service And to what better use or of greater concernment can we imploy what he gives us than to keep our selves and one another in the love of God seeing therein lies our welfare and happiness and out of that nothing but wo and misery can befal us It is true that it is his work to keep us safe but in our hearing and following him and his Counsels and so in keeping to him as it 's the Castle and strong hold that keeps the man that flies to it but it is in his keeping within it and not departing out of it because of any assaults made against it or flatteries of the enemy that would intice him out of it Yea it is the goodness strength and every way commodiousness of the strong hold considered by him that is in it that arms him also against those fears or inticements from without that endeavour to make him leave it Even so it is only Christ abid in by men that every way secures the Soul against all assaults it from men or Devils and it is the diligent consideration of Christ as the great Saviour and means yea Author of safety and happiness provided for us of God and the infinite excellencies and preciousness of him as delivered up for our offences and raised again for our justification and glorified at Gods right hand as Lord and Christ that being considered by us prevails with the Soul to abide in him whence to that purpose the Apostles every where make it their business to set forth the fulness and faithfulness of Christ the infinite abiding vertues of his Sacrifice with God and for men his wonderful mercy and compassionateness the fulness and compleatness oâ— the righteousness and the abundance of the Redemption in him the infiniteness of his power and wisdome c. to move and perswade believers to abide him and not listen to the enemy or wander out of him after any other way name thing or person in whole or in part from him Col. 2.1 ver 3.4 8 9.10 Gal. 3 7 9 13 14 26 27 28 29 as also to that purpose they exhort us to consider him and the excellencies in him as Heb. 3.1 and 12.2 Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession Jesus Christ who was faithful in all things to him that appointed him as Moses also was and consider him who endured such contradictions of sinners least ye be weary and faint in your mindes So Heb. 4.14 15 16. and 10 14 15 19 20 21 35 36 37 c. the want of which or slothfulness in it lays open the Soul to the power of Sathans temptations and false Teachers seducements It is his work to keep us then but in his way to be sought for and waited for by us which being our work though that also in his power and strength we may well be exhorted to keep our selves that the wicked one touch us not According to that in Prov. 4.6 Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Wisdome will keep us in our cleaving to her and depending upon her to keep us she will preserve us in our loving her and observing her instructions to which also her goodness and the goodness of her instructions will allure us if considered by us and if proved and tryed by us in our listning to and obeying her Counsels It s his work in our looking to and obeying him it s our work in the strength and helpfulness afforded to us by him and in his keeping us He keeps those that trust in him as a hen that defends from the Kite the Chickens running under her wings but as there if the chickens straggle and come not not when she clocks they may be catched up and devoured so unless we come and stay under the wings in the Doctrine and obedience of Christ or at his clock or call return again to him from our strayings from him we may be devoured by the adversary of our Salvation Vse All which things being duly considered by us may both confute and admonish us of divers vain evil and false conceptions that betray mens Souls into the snares of death and may awaken and provoke us to diligence in taking heed to our standings and taking to us and making use of the whole armour of God to resist our Adversaries as 1. It reprehends and shews the falshood of that conception that if a man be once in the love and Grace of God he must of necessity abide so always no possibility of his falling therefrom Once a Son and alway so no sin can un-son him that is once a Son of God whomsoever God loves once he loves for ever and the like for which they usually quote that in John 13.1 which is but That Christ having so loved his own that were in the world loved them to the end that is he loved his Disciples to the end of the time of his being in the world with them He loved that is took all occasions to testifie also his love and accordingly even till his death testified it in his words and works to them yet so as he bids them abide in him and continue in his love Take heed least any deceive them as implying that for all this his great love toward them they were not out of all possibility of being deceived or departing from him if they should be careless as conceiting such a thing impossible they might be circumvented and not continue in his love Yea he tells Peter that except he wash him he should have no part in him John 13.8 and sure all his exhorting them to keep his Commandments and abide in him c. imply at least a possibility of their doing otherwise â— no need to have been so earnest to exhort them to such things Again we have seen before what the Apostle said to and of the Galathians whom he asserts to have been Sons and known of God what fear he had of them what warnings he gives them and what he supposes might yea and affirms would befal them if they went on to follow after the false Apostles who had begun to seduce them Indeed all the Scriptures do shew sufficiently the certain attainment of eternal life by those that are careful to wait upon God and look diligently to him by Jesus Christ for his supplying keeping and saving of them that wait upon him and keep his way that hear Christs voice and follow him and do not presume to turn away from him or sit loose from his instructions by which they may and should be kept close to him but though the just do live by faith yet if he draw back the Soul of God shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.39 2. Again such conceptions and sayings as import that God works so altogether and irresistibly in the believer as that he
leaves nothing upon the Believer to do in order to his preservation in his love and favour to which they alledge that in Phil. 2.12 13. That it is God that worketh in you to will and to doe of good pleasure Where the Apostle asserts that not as an evidence or argument to prove that there is nothing therefore left for the believer to doe in which he may possibly fail and to which he needs to be exhorted but as the reason and ground wherefore the believer should be careful to work out his own Salvation with fear and trembling for which there would be no room or ground if God wrought all things in the belieliever yea and his working out too irresistibly nor any need for to have exhorted them if they could not chuse but so work upon the account of God's working in them But the Apostle plainly implies that because its God that works in and through the Grace revealed to and received by the believer of good pleasure so as not bound or obliged so to work but only of his mercy and good will therefore it behooves believers to yield up themselves to and in his operations to will and do and so to work out what he is working in them and not to resist and quench his operations least so they should provoke him who is a free agent and works only of good will to be offended with them and withdraw his operations and good Spirit by which he is operating and working in them from them and then they can do nothing toward their salvation but be in danger to goe back to destruction As also the argument used ver 16. to inforce that instruction upon them seems clearly to imply in that he says That I may rejoyce in the day of Jesus Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain for to what purpose should he mention such a thing with respect to them if there had been no possibility of their failing of the Grace and happiness to which he laboured to bring them instrumentally or if there was nothing to be done by them that might conduce to their obtaining the end of his running and labouring amongst them at least that could possibly be neglected and left undone by them so as therethrough to indanger their failing thereof and so a disappointment of the Apostles desire and hope concerning them The whole Scripture as it were suspending the tenour of the continuance of believers in Gods love and favour upon their keeping his Commandments and exhorting therefore to diligence in observing and keeping them shews the vanity of such apprehensions and that there is something required on mans part to his being preserved in the Grace of God Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Prov. 4.6 If ye love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father c. And be that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved that is continue to be loved of my Father and I will love him continue to loue him as John 15.10 and I will manifest mine own self to him John 14.21 23. Keep your selves in the love of God 3. Again it reproves and discovers the evil and naughtiness of those high and presumptuous thoughts which are the issue and fruit of the two former mentioned Deut. 29.18 19. wherein men having believed and being pronounced righteous and so being under the sentence of life as Ezek. 33.13 thereupon presume to commit iniquity and say in their hearts that though they do so and add drunkenness to their thirst satisfie their vain and sinful desires and lust never so greedily yet they are safe enough they cannot miscarry but shall have peace and favour with God still or if they may provoke God to some displeasure against them so as to chastise them yet that shall be the worst that shall or may befal them These thoughts also contrary to what is foreshewed and to many serious threats in the Scriptures as that the Lord will not spare such an one but then his wrath and his jealousie shall smoke against him and the Lord shall blot his name from under Heaven Deut. 29.20 and that he who when God hath said unto him as righteous thou shalt surely live shall thereupon trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity shall surely die Ezek. 33.13 and therefore even believers are admonished not to be high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 21 22. 2. It also serves to exhort and provoke believers to watchfulness care and diligence in taking heed to the Grace of God and cleaving thereto and quitting themselves as men that they may continue and abide in that state of love and favor to which they are freely chosen of God in Christ making their calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and election thereto firm and sure as 2 Pet. 1.10 to that purpose adding to or in their faith vertue or courage for God and his truth and against Sathan sin and all that stands cross to their well-doing and in vertue knowledge to direct and guide all their zeal and courage aright and in knowledge temperance sobriety in thoughts of themselves not aspiring to pry into things above their reach or that they have not seen in the testimony of God as also temperance in use of the mercies of God in the things of this life and of their liberties thereto to which their knowledge makes way least by undue use of their liberties offend other ◠and in their temperance patience both to continue therein denying themselves and abstaining from fleshly lusts and also in induring whatsoever sufferings and adversities may befal them in their way and in patience Godliness an acknowledgement of God and his power and goodness and a depending on him and looking to him in all things and making him the Alpha and Omega of their lives and actions receiving all from him and living in all things to him by Jesus Christ and in godliness Brotherly kindness an hearty intire love of the Brethren being kind and courteous and of one minde with them loving as Brethren and Heirs together of the same Grace and inheritance and in Brotherly kindness charity a free and gracious affection and love to men not for any goodness in them rendring them worthy of love as in Brotherly kindness but because of Gods free and gracious love and affection both to us and them so loving others even all men as we are loved of God as men seeking to win by love those that are without and to doe them good even as he hath done to us though unworthy of love from him If we doe those things we shall never fall if we goe on thus adding Grace to Grace Growing in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To such like purposes both our Lord himself and his Servants have given manifold exhortations and Counsels As to watch and pray