PERSEVERANCE. a Let us hold faft the Profeffion of our Faith, without wavering. b Continue ye in the Faith, grounded and fettled, and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard. Beware, left being led away by the Error of the wicked, ye fall from your own Stedfaftness : For we are made Partakers of Chrift, if we hold the beginning of our Confidence ftedfaft unto the end. a If ye continue in my Word, (faith Christ) then are ye my Difciples indeed. e They which have believed in God should be careful to maintain good Works: Keep your felves therefore in the Love of God; wait on God continually; and be conftant to do his Commandments. f Look to your felves, that ye lofe not thofe things which ye have wrought; but that ye receive a full Reward. g Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed left he fall. h Let us not be weary in well-doing: For in due season we fhall reap, if we faint not. i Till I die, I will not remove my Integrity from me: My Righteoufnefs I hold faft, and will not let it go; my Heart fhall not reproach me fo long as I live. " Heb. 10. 23. 10. 12. 03 2 Pet. 3. 17% " f Tit. 3. 8. Jude 21. 2 John 8. g I Cor.. Job 27, 5, 6. a Because a Because Iniquity fhall abound, the Love of many fhall wax cold: But he that fhall endure unto the end, the fame fhall be faved. b When the Righteous turneth away from his Righteoufnefs, and committeth Iniquity, and doth according to all the Abominations that the wicked Man doth, all his Righteousness that he hath done fhall not be mentioned; in his Trefpass that he hath trefpaffed, and in his Sin that he hath finned, in them fhall he die. If they that had efcaped the Pollutions of the World, through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, are again intangled therein, and overcome; the latter end is worfe with them than the beginning: For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteoufnefs, than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them. d As ye have therefore received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him: Holding Faith, and a good Confcience; and continuing in the Love of Chrift; that when he fhall appear ye may have Confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. e The hoary Head is a Crown of Glory, if it be found in the way of Righteousness. a Mat. 24. 12, 13. b Ezek. 18. 24. € 2 Pet. 2. d Col. 2. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 19. John 15. 9. Prov. 16. 31. 20, 21. r John 2.-28. CHAP that thou mayeft find out all thy Iniquities, whereby thou haft finned, and whereby thou haft tranfgreffed against the Lord. a Let every Man prove his own Work; and then shall he have rejoicing in himself. b A wicked Man hardneth his Face: but as for the upright, he directeth his Way. Every one of us fhall give account of himfelf to God; and every. Man fhall bear his own Burthen: Therefore let us judge our felves, fo fhall we not be judged. d If our Heart condemn us not, then have we Confidence towards God. But let us take heed that we be not deceived in the Fudgment we make of our felves: For the Heart is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked; who can know it? e Let us judge truly whether we have lived in all good Confcience before God; whether we have finned ignorantly in Unbelief; or whether we be of thofe that rebel against the Light; who knowing the Judgment of God, that they which commit fuch things as we have committed are worthy of Death, not only do the fame, but have pleasure in them that do them. There are certain which truft in Presumption. themselves, that they are righteous, and despise others; and yet are they full of Hypocrify and Iniquity. Gal. 6. 4. Jer. 33. 8. Gal. 6. 5. 1 Cor. 11. 31. Rom. 14. 12. Acts 23. 1. 1 Tim. r. 13. Job 24, 13. Rom. 1. 32% 0 5 b Prov. 21. 29. There a There is a Generation that are pure in their own Eyes, and yet is not washed from their Filthiness. b Wherefore have we fafted, fay they, and thou feeft not? Wherefore have we afflicted our Soul, and thou takeft no Knowledge? Despair. Let us not fay, as fome have faid, There is no Hope, but we will walk after our own Devices; and we will every one do the Imagination of his evil Heart: For if our Heart condemn us, God is greater than our Heart, and knoweth all things CONFESSION. d Acknowledge thine Iniquity, that thou haft tranfgreffed against the Lord thy God. Confefs thy Tranfgreffions unto the Lords and hide not the Iniquity of thy Sin. e Take with you Words, and turn to the Lord fay unto him, We have finned against thee, O Lord; we have finned, and have done perverfly; we have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the Commandments, nor the Statutes, nor the Judgments which thou commandedft; we would not walk in thy Ways,.. neither were we obedient unto thy Law. f I acknowledge my Tranfgreffion, and my Sin is ever before me. I have finned; what fhall I do unto thee, O thou Preferver of Men? a Prov. 30. 12. b If. 58. 3. 1 John 3. 20, d Jer. 3. 13. Pf. 32. 5, Jer. 14. 20. 1 Kings 8. 47. Neh. 1. 7. II, PL. 51, 3. Job 7. 2001. a If we say that we have no Sin, we deceive our felves, and the Truth is not in us: But, if we confess our Sins, God is faithful and juft to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanfe us from all Unrighteousness. * Cleanfe b Who can understand his Errors? e Cover not thy Tranfgreffions as Adam; by hiding thine Iniquity in thy Bofom. d He that covereth his Sins fhall not profper: But whofo confeffeth and forfaketh them, fhall have Mercy. e Woe to the rebellious Children, faith the Lord, that cover with a Covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add Sin to Sin. f There are that hold faft Deceit, and refufe to return unto the Lord Who, when they have committed Abomination, are not at all afhamed, neither can they blush. The fhew of their Coun tenance doth witness against them, and they de-r clare their Sin, as Sodom; they hide it not: Woe unto their Soul; for they have rewarded Evilunto themselves. Thinkelt thou this to be right, that thou faidft, My Righteousness is more than God's How fhould Man be juft with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of |