1. AS flesh and blood is commonly inclined either to exceed or fall short in matters of duty; so it is easy, while we avoid the fear of man, to run into presumption, rashness, and inconsiderateness. Therefore it is necessary that we be continually on our guard, that so our boldness may be ever tempered by wisdom; that wisdom I mean which cometh from above, and is called by St. _Luke_, _the wisdom of the just_. And so St. _Paul_ stiles it the spirit of a sound mind: _God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind_. For indeed one spirit works all this in man; and through him again in others; making him not only discharge his duty with undaunted courage, and giving him a pure desire to promote nothing but the glory of God, and the good of his neighbour, but enabling him also, in all his doings and sufferings, to behave with divine prudence and wisdom. And _if any lack this wisdom, let him ask of God, and it shall be given him_. It shall surely be given him, who continually keeps a watchful eye over his own spirit; who is ever humbling himself in the sight of God; and, like a helpless infant, praying to God for discretion and understanding, and taking the word of God for his constant counsellor. 2. Where this foundation is laid, we need not fear any hurt from the boldness of faith. And though perhaps, for want of experience, it may not always be exerted in due time and place, yet we are to take heed, as soon as we are sensible of it, not to be too much dejected for this imperfection; but to praise God, who therefore shews us our failings, that we may mend them, and who will himself supply what is yet behind. And whenever we observe such failings in others, we ought to be particularly cautious how we judge them. For God will not judge according to our, but according to his own mind; and _out of the mouths of babes and sucklings he hath_ often _perfected praise_. But hereby we do not in the least reflect upon any one, who, from a long experience in the ways of the Lord, doth, in the spirit of love, mind his brother of the failings, which have overtaken him in any of his actions. By this he doth not stifle any good that is in him, but rather prunes the good tree from its superfluous, irregular shoots, taking care of, and having an eye over it, that it may bring forth its fruit in due season.