5. And if you thus _taste of the good word and of the powers of the world to come_, you will not murmur against God, because you are not yet _meet for the inheritance of the saints in light_. Instead of repining at your not being wholly delivered, you will praise God for thus far delivering you. You will magnify God for what he hath done, and take it as an earnest of what he will do. You will not fret against him, because you are not yet renewed, but bless him because you shall be; and because _now is your salvation_ from all sin, _nearer than when you_ first _believed_. Instead of uselessly tormenting yourself because the time is not fully come, you will calmly and quietly wait for it, knowing that it _will come and will not tarry_. You may therefore the more chearfully endure as yet, the burden of sin that still remains in you, because it will not always remain. Yet a little while and it shall be clean gone. Only _tarry thou the Lord’s leisure: be strong, and he shall comfort thy heart, and put thou thy trust in the Lord_.
6. And if you see any who appear (so far as man can judge, but God alone searcheth the hearts) to be already partakers of their hope, already _made perfect in love_: far from envying the grace of God in them, let it rejoice and comfort your heart. Glorify God for their sake. _If one member is honoured_, shall not _all the members rejoice with it_? Instead of jealousy or evil surmising concerning them, praise God for the consolation. Rejoice in having a fresh proof of the faithfulness of God in fulfilling all his promises. And stir yourself up the more, to _apprehend that for which you also are apprehended of Christ Jesus_.
♦6. *In order to this, redeem the time, improve the present moment. Buy up every opportunity of growing in grace, or of doing good. Let not the thought of receiving more grace to-morrow, make you negligent of to-day. You have one talent now. If you expect five more, so much the rather improve that you have. And the more you expect to receive hereafter, the more labour for God now. Sufficient for the day is the grace thereof. God is now pouring his benefits upon you. Now approve yourself a faithful steward, of the present grace of God. Whatever may be to-morrow, give all diligence to-day, to _add to your faith, courage, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness and the fear of God_, ’till you attain that pure and perfect love. Let _these things be_ now _in you and abound_. Be not now slothful or unfruitful. So shall an entrance be ministred _into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ_.
7. Lastly, If in time past you have abused this blessed hope of being holy as he is holy, yet do not therefore cast it away. Let the abuse cease, the use remain. Use it now to the more abundant glory of God and profit of your own soul. In stedfast faith, in calm tranquillity of spirit, in full assurance of hope, rejoicing evermore for what God hath done, _press_ ye _on unto perfection_. Daily growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and going on from strength to strength, in resignation, in patience, in humble thankfulness for what ye have attained, and for what ye shall, run the race set before you, _looking unto Jesus_, ’till through perfect love ye enter into his glory!