3. Because all our spirituall life proceeds from God, and of him should we aske it.
Vse 1. This may serve to admonish us, not to rest in good purposes and intentions, but alwayes to seeke for grace from God, to accomplish the same happily.
2. To direct us, when we reade, heare, and meditate upon Gods word, to water it, as it were, with our prayers, that it may be fruitfull.
Note. By such conclusions of the Apostles, wherein they do close up their Doctrine with prayer, the Ministers especially are warned and admonished, after their Sermons to desire God to give both themselves and the people grace to observe those things, which they have learned in the Sermon: and others also are admonished diligently and earnestly to seek the same, both in publick with the Minister, and in private by themselves.
Doctrine 8. We stand in need of manifold grace.
As it is set forth by divers words in the text: Make perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle, which may be thus distinguished, that to make perfect is to adde those degrees of grace, which are yet wanting: to stablish, is to protect and defend from temptations and dangers: to strengthen is to give inward power and strength: and to settle, is to fasten the root it selfe of grace more and more.
Reason 1. Because all those good things which we have, we have but in part.
2. Because we are assaulted by continuall temptations, and are over and above prone to revolt.
3. Because great and manifold is that perfection, whereunto we are called.
Vse. This may serve to admonish us, not to rest in the beginnings, but by much prayer to aske much grace of God.