The Life of Faith

CHAP. IX. How to live by Faith, in order to the exercise of other graces and duties of Sanctification, and Obedience to God. And first of the Doctrinal Directions.

WE cannot by Faith promote Sanctification, unless we understand the nature and reasons of Sanctification. This therefore must be our first endeavor.

The word [ Sanctified ] doth signify that which is separated to God from common uses. ] And this separation is either by God himself (as he hath sanctified the Lord's day, &c.) or by man's dedication ; either of persons to a holy office ; and so the Ministers of Christ are sanctified in their Ordination (which is a Consecration ) and their self-dedication to God. (And it is high sacrilege in themselves, or any other, that shall alienate them unjustly from their sacred calling and work.) Or of things to holy uses ; (as places and utensils may be sanctified: Or it may be a dedication of persons to a holy state, relation and use ; as is that of every Christian in his Baptism▪ and this is either an external dedication ; and so all the baptized are sanctified and holy, or an internal Dedication, which if it be sincere, it is both actual and habitual ; when we both give up ourselves to God in Covenant, and are also disposed and inclined to him; and our hearts are set upon him; yea and the life also consisteth of the exercise of this disposition, and performance of this covenant. This is the Sanctification which here I speak of. And so much for the name.

The doctrinal Propositions necessary to be understood about it, are these (more largely and plainly laid down in my Confession, Chap. 3.)

Prop. 1. So much of the appearance or Image of God as there is upon any creature, so much it is good and amiable to God and man.

Object. God loveth us from eternity, and when we were his enemies; not because we were good, but to make us better than we were.

Answ. God's Love (and all Love) consisteth formally in complacency. God hath no complacency in anything but in good ; or according to the measure of its goodness: From eternity God foreseeing the good which would be in us, loved us as good in esse cognito ; and not as actually good, when we were not. When we were his enemies, he had a double love to us (or complacency) the one was for that natural good which remained in us as we were men, and repairable, and capable of being made Saints. The other was for that foreseen goods in esse cognito, which he purposed in time to come, to put upon us. This complacency exceeded not at all the good which was the object of it: But with it was joined a will and purpose to give us grace and glory hereafter; and thence it is called, A Love of Benevolence: Not but that complacency is the true action of Love ; and Benevolence, or a purpose to give benefits, is but the fruit of it. But if any will needs call the Benevolence alone by the name of Love, we deny not in that sense that God loveth Saul a persecutor, as well as Paul an Apostle; in that his purpose to do him good is the same.

Object. God loveth us in Christ, and for his righteousness, and not only for our own inherent holiness.

Answ. 1. The Benevolence of God is exercised towards us in and by Christ; and the fruits of his Love are Christ himself, and the mercies given us with Christ, and by Christ. And our Pardon, and Justification, and Adoption, and Acceptance is by his meritorious righteousness: And it is by him that we are possessed with God's Spirit, and renewed according to his Image, in Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Holiness: And all this relative and inherent mercy we have as in Christ, related to him, without whom we have nothing: And thus it is that we are accepted and beloved in him, and for his righteousness. But Christ did not die or merit to change God's Nature, and make him more indifferent in his Love to the holy and the unholy, or equally to the more holy, and to the less holy. But his complacency is still in no man further than he is made truly amiable in his real holiness, and his relation to Christ, and to the Father. (The Doctrine of Imputation is opened before.) John 16.27. The Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and believed, &c. And 14.21. He that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father — As God loved us with the love of benevolence, and so much complacence as is before described before we loved him (1 John 4.10. Ephes. 2.4.) so he now loveth us complacentially for his Image upon us, and so much of his grace as is found in us; and also for our relation to his Son, and to himself, which we stand in by this grace: But as he loveth not Saul a persecutor, under the notion of a fulfiller of his Law in Christ ; so neither doth he love David in his sin, under the notion of one that is without sin, and perfect, as having fulfilled the Law in Christ: But so loveth him in Christ, as to pardon his sin, and make him more lovely in himself, by creating a clean heart, and renewing a right spirit within him, for the sake of the satisfaction and merits of Christ.

Prop. 2. Holiness is God's Image upon us, and that which was our primitive amiableness, Col. 3.10.

Prop. 3. The loss of Holiness, was the loss of our amiableness, and our state of enmity to God.

Prop. 4. Holiness consisteth in 1. Our resignation of ourselves to God as our Owner, and submission to his Providence: 2. And our subjection to God as our Ruler; and obedience to his Teaching and his Laws: 3. And in Thankfulness and Love to God as our Chief Good, efficiently and finally.

Prop. 5. Love is that final perfective act, which implieth and comprehendeth all the rest; and so is the fulfilling of the Law, and the true state of sanctification, Rom. 13.10. Matth. 22.37. Mark 12.33. 1 John 7.16.

Prop. 6. Heaven itself, as it is our ultimate end and perfection, is but our perfect Love to God maintained by perfect vision of him, with the perfect reception of his Love to us.

Prop. 7. Therefore it was Christ's great business in the world, to destroy the works of the Devil, and to bring us to this perfect Love of God.

Prop. 8. Accordingly the greatest use of Faith in Christ is to subserve and kindle our Love to God.

Prop. 9. This it doth two special ways: 1. By procuring the pardon of sin, which forfeited the grace of the Spirit; that so the Spirit may kindle the Love of God in us: 2. By actual beholding the Love of God, which shineth to us most gloriously in Christ, by which our Love must be excited, as the most suitable and effectual means, John 3.1. & 4.10.

Prop. 10. Our whole Religion therefore consisteth of two parts: 1. Primitive Holiness, restored and perfected: 2. The restoring and perfecting means: Or 1. Love to God, the final and mor • excellent part: 2. Faith in Christ, the mediate part. Faith causing Love, and Love caused by Faith, 1 Cor. 12. last, & 13. Rom. 8.35. Ephes. 6.23. 1 Tim. 1.5. 2 Thes. 3.5. 1 Cor. 2.9. & 8.3. Rom. 8.28. James 1.12. & 2.5. 1 Pet. 1.8.

Prop. 11. Repentance towards God, is the souls return to God in Love; and Regeneration by the Spirit, is the Spirits begetting us to the Image and Nature of God our heavenly Father, in a heavenly Love to him: So that the Holy Ghost is given us to work in us a Love to God, which is our sanctification, Rom. 5.5. Titus 3.4, 5, 6, 7. 2 Cor. 13.14. 1 John 4.16.

Prop. 12. When Sanctification is mentioned as a gift consequent to Faith, it is the Love of God as our Father in Christ, and the Spirit of Love, that is principally meant by that Sanctification.

Prop. 13. The pardon of sin consisteth more in forgiving the poenam damni, the forfeiture and loss of Love, and the Spirit of Love, than in remitting any corporal pain of sense. And the restoring of Love, and the Spirit of Love, and the perfecting hereof in Heaven, is the most eminent part of our executive Pardon, Justification and Adoption. Thus far Sanctification is Pardon itself, Rom. 8.15, 16, 17. Gal. 4 6. 1 Cor. 6.10, 11. Titus 3.6, 7. Titus 2.13, 14. Rom. 6. Rom. 8.4, 10, 13.

Prop. 14. The pardon of the pain of sense, is given us as a means, to the executive pardon of the pain of loss, that is, to put us in a capacity, with doubled obligations and advantages to Love God, Luke 7.47.

Prop. 15. Sanctification therefore being better than all other pardon of sin, as being its end; we must value it more, and must make it our first desire to be as holy as may be, that we may need as little forgiveness as may be, and in the second place only desire the pardon of that which we had rather not have committed; and not make pardon our chief desire, Rom. 6, & 7, & 8. throughout, Gal. 5.17. to the end.

Prop. 16. Holiness is the true Morality; and they that prefer the preaching, and practice of Faith in Christ, b • fore the preaching and practice of Holiness, and sleight this as mere morality, do prefer the means before the end, and their physic before their health: And they that preach or think to practice Holiness, without Faith in Christ, do dream of a cure without the only Physician of souls. And they that preach up Morality as consisting in mere justice, charity to men, and temperance, without the Love of God in Christ, do take a branch cut off and withered, for the tree.

Some ignorant Sectaries cry down all Preaching, as mere morality, which doth not frequently toss the name of Christ, and Free Grace.

And some ungodly Preachers, who never felt the work of Faith or Love to God in their own souls, for want of holy experience, savor not, and understand not holy Preaching ; and therefore spend almost all their time, in declaiming against some particular vices, and speaking what they have learned of some virtues of sobriety, justice or mercy. And when they have done, cover over their ungodly unbelieving course, by reproaching the weaknesses of the former sort, who cry down Preaching mere morality. But let such know, that those Ministers and Christians, who justly lament their lifeless kind of Preaching, do mean by morality, that which you commonly call Ethics in the Schools, which leaveth out not only Faith in Christ, but the Love of God, and the Sanctification of the Spirit, and the heavenly Glory. And they do not cry down true morality, but these dead branches of it, which are all your morality: It is not morality itself inclusively that they blame, but mere morality, that is, so much only as Aristotle's Ethics teach, as exclusive to the Christian Faith and Love. And do you think with any wise men (or with your own consciences long to find it a cloak to your Infidel or unholy hearts and doctrine, to mistake them that blame you, or to take advantage of that ignorance of others? The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God the Father, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, do shut up your Liturgy by way of Benediction ; but it is almost all shut out of your Sermons, unless a few heartless customary passages: And when there is nothing less in your preaching, than that which is the substance of your Baptismal Covenant and Christianity, and your customary Benediction ; you do but tell the people what kind of Christianity you have, and what Benediction : that is, that you are neither truly Christians, nor Blessed.

True Morality, or the Christian Ethics, is the Love of God and man, stirred up by the Spirit of Christ, through Faith; and exercised in works of Piety, Justice, Charity and Temperance, in order to the attainment of everlasting happiness, in the perfect vision and fruition of God. And none but ignorant or brain-sick Sectaries, will be offended for the Preaching of any of this Morality. Luke 11.42. W • to you Pharisees; for ye tythe Mint and Rue—and pass over Judgment and the Love of God: These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

CHAP. X. The Practical Directions to live by Faith, a life of Holiness or Love.

Direct. 1. TAke Jesus Christ as a Teacher sent from Heaven; the best and surest revealer of God and his Will unto mankind.

All the Books of Philosophers are sapless and empty, in comparison of the teaching of Jesus Christ; they are but enquiries into the nature of the creatures, and the lowest things, most impertinent to our happiness or duty: Or if they rise up to God, it is but with dark and unpractical conjectures, for the most part of them: and the rest do but grope and fumble in obscurity. And their learning is mostly but useless speculations, and striving about words and sciences falsely so called, which little tend to godly edifying. It is Christ who is made wisdom to us, as being himself the wisdom of God. If you knew but where to hear an Angel, you would all prefer him before Aristotle or Plato, or Cartesius, or Gassendi ; how much more the Son himself? He is the true Light, to lighten every man that will not serve the Prince of darkness. Christians were first called Christ's Disciples ▪ and therefore to learn of him the true knowledge of God, is the work of every true Believer, John 17. • . Acts 3.23. John 8.43, 47. & 10.3, 27. & 12.47. & 14.24. Matth. 17.5.

Direct. 2. Remember that Christ's way of Teaching is ; 1: By his Word, 2. His Ministers ; 3. And his Spirit conjunct, and the place for his Disciples is in his Church.

1. His Gospel written is his Book which must be taught us. 2. His Ministers office is to teach it us. 3. His Spirit is inwardly to illuminate us that we may understand it. And he that will despise or neglect either the Scripture, Ministry or Spirit, is never like to learn of Christ.

Direct. 3. Look on the Lord Jesus, and the work of man's Redemption by him, as the great designed Revelation of the Fathers Love and Goodness; even as the fabric of the world is set up to be the Glass or Revelation (eminently) of his Greatness.

Therefore as you choose your Book for the sake of the Science or subject which you would learn; so let this be the designed, studied, constant use which you make of Christ, to see and admire in him the Fathers Love. When you read your Grammar, if one ask you, why? you will say it is to learn the language which it teacheth; and he that readeth Law-books, or Philosophy, or Medicine, it is to learn Law, Philosophy or Physic: so whenever you read the Gospel, meditate on Christ, or hear his Word; if you are asked why you do it? be able to say, I do it to learn the Love of God, which is nowhere else in the world to be learnt so well. No wonder if Hypocrites have learned to mortify Scripture, Sermons, Prayers, and all other means of grace; yea all the world which should teach them God; and to learn the letters, and not the sense: But it is most pitiful that they should thus mortify Christ himself to them; and should gaze on the glass, and never take much notice of the face even of the Love of God which he is set up to declare.

Direct. 4. Therefore congest all the great discoveries of this Love, and set them all together in order; and make them your daily study, and abhor all doctrines or suggestions from men or devils, which tend to disgrace, diminish or hide this revealed Love of God in Christ.

Think of the grand design itself; the reconciling and saving of lost mankind: Think of the gracious nature of Christ; of his wonderful condescension in his incarnation in his life and doctrine, in his sufferings and death ; in his miracles and gifts: Think of his merciful Covenant and Promises ; of all his benefits given to his Church; and all the privileges of his Saints; of pardon and peace, of his Spirit of Holiness, of preservation and provision, of resurrection and justification, and of the life of glory which we shall live forever. And if the Faith which looketh on all these, cannot yet warm your hearts with love, nor engage them in thankful obedience to your Redeemer, certainly it is no true and lively Faith.

But you must not think narrowly and seldom of these mercies; not hearken to the Devil or the doctrine of any mistaken Teachers, that would represent God's Love as veiled or eclipsed; or show you nothing but wrath and flames. That which Christ principally came to reveal, the Devil principally striveth to conceal, even the Love of God to sinners ; that so that which Christ principally came to work in us, the Devil might principally labor to destroy ; and that is, our love to him that hath so loved us.

Direct. 5. Take heed of all the Antinomian Doctrines before recited, which, to extol the empty Name and Image of Free Grace, do destroy the true principles and motives of holiness and obedience.

Direct. 6. Exercise your Faith upon all the holy Scriptures, Precepts, Promises and Threatenings, and not on one of them alone. For when God hath appointed all conjunctly for this work, you are unlike to have his blessing, or the effect, if you will lay by most of his remedies.

Direct. 7. Take not that for Holiness and Good Works, which is no such thing; but either man's inventions, or some common gifts of God.

It greatly deludeth the world, to take up a wrong description or character of Holiness in their minds. As 1. The Papists take it for Holiness, to be very observant in their adoration of the supposed transubstantiated Host; to use their relics, pilgrimages, crossings, prayers to Saints and Angels, annointings, Candles, Images, observation of meats and days, penance, auricular confession, praying by numbers and hours on their beads, &c. They think their idle ceremonies are holiness, and that their hurtful austerities, and self-afflictings (by rising in the night, when they might pray as long before they go to bed) (and by whipping themselves) to be very meritorious parts of Religion. And their vows of renouncing marriage and propriety, and of absolute obedience, to be a state of perfection.

2. Others think that Holiness consisteth much in being rebaptized, and in censuring the Parish-Churches and Ministers as Null, and in withdrawing from their communion; and in avoiding forms of prayer, &c.

3. And others (or the same) think that more of it consisteth in the gifts of utterance, in praying, and preaching, than indeed it doth; and that those only are godly, that can pray without book (in their families, or at other times) and that are most in private meetings; and none but they.

4. And some think that the greatest parts of Godliness, are the spirit of bondage to fear; and the shedding of tears for sin; or finding that they were under terror, before they had any spiritual peace and comfort; or being able to tell at what Sermon, or time, or in what order, and by what means they were converted.

It is of exceeding great consequence, to have a right apprehension of the Nature of Holiness, and to escape all false conceits thereof. But I shall not now stand further to describe it, because I have done it in many Books, especially in my Reasons of the Christian Religion, and in my [ A Saint, or a Bruit ] and in a Treatise only of the subject called The character of a sound Christian.

Direct. 8. Let all God's Attributes be orderly and deeply printed in your minds ; (as I have directed in my book called, The Divine Life. ) For it is that which must most immediately form his Image on you. To know God in Christ is life eternal, John 17.3.

Direct. 9. Never separate reward from duty, but in every religious or obedient action, still see it as connext with Heaven. The means is no means but for the end ; and must never be used but with special respect unto the end. Remember in reading, hearing, praying, meditating in the duties of your callings and relations, and in all acts of charity and obedience; that All this is for Heaven. It will make you mend your pace, if you think believingly whither you are going, Heb. 11.

Direct. 10. Yet watch most carefully against all proud self-esteeming thoughts of proper merit as obliging God; or as if you were better than indeed you are. For Pride is the most pernicious vermin that can breed in gifts or in good works. And the better you are indeed, the more humble you will be, and apt to think others better than yourself.

Direct. 11. So also in every temptation to sin, let Faith see Heaven open, and take the temptation in its proper sense, q. d. [ Take this pleasure instead of God: sell thy part in Heaven for this preferment or commodity: cast away thy soul for this sensual delight. ] This is the true meaning of every temptation to sin, and only Faith can understand it. The Devil easily prevaileth, when Heaven is forgotten and out of sight; and pleasure, commodity, credit and preferment, seem a great matter, and can do much, till Heaven be set in the balance against them; and there they are nothing, and can do nothing, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. Heb. 12.1, 2, 3. 2 Cor. 4.16, 17.

Direct. 12. Let Faith also see God always present. Men dare do anything when they think they are behind his back; even truants and eye-servants will do well under the Masters eye: Faith seeing him that is invisible ( Heb. 11.) is it that sanctifieth heart and life. As the Attributes of God are the seal which must make his Image on us; so the apprehension of his presence setteth them on, and keepeth our faculties awake.

Direct. 13. Be sure that Faith make God's acceptance your full reward, and set you above the opinion of man.

Not in self-conceitedness, and pride of yourself-sufficiency, to set light by the judgment of other men: (That is a heinous sin of itself, and doubled when it is done upon pretence of living upon God alone.) But that really you live so much to God alone, as that all men seem as nothing to you, and their opinion of you, as a blast of wind, in regard of any felicity of your own, which might be placed in their love or praise: Though as a means to God's service, and their own good, you must please all men to their edification, and become all things to all men, to win them to God, Gal. 1.10, 11. Rom. 15.1, 2. Prov. 11.30. 1 Cor. 9.22. & 10.33. yea and study to please your Governors as your duty, Titus 2.9. But as man-pleasing is the Hypocrites work and wages ; so must the pleasing of God be ours, though all the world should be displeased, Matth. 6.1, 2, 3, 5, 6, &c. 2 Tim. 2.4. 1 Cor. 7.32. 1 Thes. 4.1. 2 Cor. 5.8, 9. 1 Thes. 2.4. 1 John 3.22.

Direct. 14. Let the constant work of Faith be, to take you off the life of sense, by mortifying all the concupiscence of the flesh, and over-powering all the objects of sense.

The nearness of things sensible, and the violence and unreasonableness of the senses and appetite, do necessitate Faith to be a conflicting grace. Its use is to illuminate, elevate and corroborate Reason, and help it to maintain its authority and government. The life of a Believer is but a conquering warfare between Faith and Sense, and between things unseen, and the things that are seen. Therefore it is said, that they th •• are in the flesh cannot please God ; because the flesh b • ing the predominant principle in them, they most savor and mind the things of the flesh; and therefore they can do more with them, than the things of the Spirit can do, when both are set before them, Rom. 8.5, 6, 7, 8.

Direct. 15. Let Faith set the example, first of Christ, and next of his holiest servants, still before you.

He that purposely lived among men in fl • sh, a life of holiness and patience, and contempt of the world, to be a pattern or example to us, doth expect that it be the daily work of Faith to imitate him; and therefore that we have this Copy still before our eyes. It will help us when we are sluggish, and sit down in low and common things, to see more noble things before us. It will help us when we are in doubt of the way of our duty; and when we are apt to favor our corruptions: It will guide our minds, and quicken our desires, with a holy ambition and covetousness to be more holy: It will serve us to answer all that the world or flesh can say, from the contrary examples of sinning men: If any tell us what great men, or learned men think, or say, or do, against Religion, and for a sinful life; it is enough, if Faith do but tell us presently, what Christ, and his Apostles, and Saints, and Martyrs, have thought, and said, and done to the contrary, Mat. 11.28, 29. 1 Pet. 2.21. John 13.15. Phil. 3.17. 2 Thes. 3.9. 1 Tim. 4.12. Ephes. 5.1. Heb. 6.12. 1 Thes. 1.6. & 2.14.

Direct. 16. Let your Faith set all graces on work in their proper order and proportion; and carry on the work of holiness and obedience in harmony; and not set one part against another, nor look at one while you forget or neglect another.

Every grace and duty is to be a help to all the rest: And the want or neglect of any one, is a hindrance to all: As the want of one wheel or smaller particle in a clock or watch, will make all stand still, or go out of order. The new creature consisteth of all due parts, as the body doth of all its members. The soul is as a musical instrument, which must neither want one string, nor have one out of tune, nor neglected, without spoiling all the melody. A fragment of the most excellent work, or one member of the comliest body cut off, is not beautiful: The beauty of a holy soul and life, is not only in the quality of each grace and duty, but much in the proportion, feature and harmony of all. Therefore every part hath its proper armor, Ephes. 6.11, 12, 13▪ 14. And the whole armor of God must be put on: Because all fullness dwelleth in Christ; we are complete in him, as being sufficient to communicate every grace. Epaphras labored always fervently in prayers for the Colossians, that they might stand perfect and complete in all the Will of God, Col. 4.12. James 1.4. Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. We oft comfort ourselves, that though we want the perfection of degrees, yet we have the perfection of parts, or of integrity. But many are fain to prove this only by inferring, that he that hath one grace, hath all ; but as to the discerning and orderly use of all, they are yet to seek.

CHAP. XI. Of the Order of Graces and Duties.

BEcause I find not this insisted on in any Writers for the people's instruction, as it ought, I will not pass over so needful a point without some further advertisement about it. I will therefore show you, 1. What is the completeness and the harmony to be desired: 2. What are our contrary defects and distempers: 3. What are the causes of them, and what must be the cure: 4. Some useful Inferences hence arising.

I. He that will be complete and entire, must have all these Graces and Duties following.

1. A solid and clear understanding of all the great, the needful and practical matters of the sacred Scriptures, 2 Tim. 3.16. (And if he have the understanding of the Scripture languages, and the customs of those times, and other such helps, his understanding of the Scripture will be the more complete, Acts 26.3. If he have not, he must make use of other men's.)

2. A settled well grounded Belief of all God's supernatural Revelations (as well as the knowledge of natural verities.)

3. Experience to make this knowledge and belief to be satisfactory, powerful and firm. Especially the experience of the Spirits effectual operations in ourselves, by the means of this word, Rom. 5.4. & 8.9. Gal. 4.6.

4. The historical knowledge of the Scripture matters of fact, and how God in all ages (since Scripture times) hath fulfilled his Word, both promises and threatenings, and what Christ, and Satan, Grace and Sin, have been doing in the world. Therefore the Scripture is written so much by way of history; and therefore the Jews were so often charged to tell the history of God's works to their children, 1 Cor. 10.1, 2, 6, 7, 11. Exod. 12.29. Deut. 26.22. Josh. 4.6, 21, 22. & 22▪ 24, 27. Therefore the writing of Church-history is the duty of all ages, because God's Works are to be known, as well as his Word: And as it is your forefathers duty to write it, it is the children's duty to learn it (or else the writing it would be vain.) He that knoweth not what state the Church and world is in, and hath been in, in former ages, and what God hath been doing in the world, and how error and sin have been resisting him, and with what success, doth want much to the completing of his knowledge.

5. And he must have prudence to discern particular cases; and to consider of all circumstances, and to compare things with things, that he may discern his duty, and the seasons and manner of it; and may know among inconsistent seeming duties, which is to be preferred; and when and what circumstances or accidents do make anything a duty which else would be no duty or a sin; and what accidents make that a sin which without them would be a duty. This is the knowledge which must make a Christian entire or complete.

2. And in his Will there must be 1. A full resignation and submission to the Will of God his Owner ; and a full subjection and obedience to the Will of God his Governor ; yielding readily, and constantly, and resolut • lie to the commands of God, as the Scholar obeyeth his Master, and as the second wheel in the clock is moved by the first: And a close adhering to God as his chief Good, by a Thankful Reception of his Benefits; and a desirous seeking to enjoy, and glorify him, and please his Will: In a word, loving him as God, and taking our chiefest complacency in pleasing him; in loving him, and being loved of him.

2. And in the same will there must be a well regulated Love, to all God's works, according as he is manifested or glorified in them: To the humanity of our Redeemer ; to the glory of Heaven, as it is a created thing; to the blessed Angels, and perfected spirits of the just, to the Scripture, to the Church on earth, to the Saints, the Pastors, the Rulers, the holy Ordinances, to all mankind, even to our enemies ; to ourselves, our souls, our bodies, our relations, our estates, and mercies of every rank.

3. And herewithal must be a hatred of every sin in ourselves and others: Of former sin, and present corruption, with a penitential displicence and grief; and of possible sin, with a vigilancy and resistance to avoid it.

3. And in the Affections there must be a vivacity and sober fervency, answering to all these motions of the Will ; in Love, Delight, Desire, Hope, Hatred, Sorrow, Aversation and Anger; the complexion of all which is godly Zeal.

4. In the vital and executive Power of the soul, there must be a holy activity, promptitude and fortitude, to be up and doing, and to set the sluggish faculties on work; and to bring all knowledge and volitions into practice, and to assault and conquer enemies and difficulties. There must be the Spirit of Power (though I know that word did chiefly then denote the Spirit of Miracles, yet not only ) and of Love, and of a sound mind.

5. In the outward members there must be by use a habit of ready obedient execution of the souls commands: As in the tongue a readiness to pray, and praise God, and declare his Word, and edify others; and so in the rest.

6. In the senses and appetite, there must by use be a habit of yielding obedience to Reason; that the senses do not rebel and rage, and bear down the commands of the mind and will.

7. Lastly, In the Imagination there must be a clearness or purity from filthiness, malice, covetousness, pride and vanity ; and there must be the impressions of things that are good and useful; and a ready obedience to the superior faculties, that it may be the instrument of holiness, and not the shop of temptations and sin, nor a wild, unruly, disordered thing.

And the harmony of all these must be as well observed as the matter: As

1. There must be a just Order among them: every duty must keep its proper place and season.

2. There must be a just proportion and degree: some graces must not wither, whilst others alone are cherished: nor some duties take up all our heart and time, whilst others are almost laid by.

3. There must be a just activity and exercise of every grace.

4. And a just conjunction and respect to one another, that everyone be used so as to be a help to all the rest.

I. The Order 1. Of Intellectual graces and duties, must be this. 1. In order of Time, the things which are sensible are known before the things which are beyond our sight, and other senses.

2. Beyond these the first thing known both for certainly and for excellency, is, that there is a God.

3. This God is to be known as one Being in his three Essential Principles, Vital Power, Intellect and Will.

4. And these as in their Essential Perfections, Omnipotency, Wisdom and Goodness (or Love. )

5. And also in his perfections called Modal and Negative, &c. (as Immensity, Eternity, Independancy, Immutability, &c.)

6. God must be next known in his Three Personalities ▪ as the Father, the Word, or Son, and the Spirit.

7. And these in their three Causalities; efficient, dirigent and final.

8. And in their three great works, Creation, Redemption, Sanctification (or Perfection ) producing Nature, Grace and Glory, or our Persons, Medicine, and Health.

9. And God who created the world, is thereupon to be known in his Relations to it; as our Creator in Unity, and as our Owner, Ruler, and Chief Good (efficient, dirigent and final) in a Trinity of Relations. You must know how the Infinite Vital Power of the Father, created all things by the Infinite Wisdom of the Word, or Son, and by the Infinite Goodness and Love of the holy Spirit (As the Son redeemed us as the eternal Wisdom, and Word Incarnate, sent by the eternal Vital-Power of the Father, to reveal and communicate the eternal Love in the Holy Ghost: And as the Holy Ghost doth sanctify and perfect us, as proceeding and sent from the Power of the Father, and the Wisdom of the Son, to shed abroad the Love of God upon our hearts, &c.)

10. Next to the knowledge of God as Creator, is to be considered the World which he created, and especially the Intectellual Creatures ; Angels, or heavenly Spirits, and Men. Man is to be known in his person or constitution first, and afterward in his appointed course, and in his end and perfection.

11. In his constitution is to be considered, 1. His Being or essential parts: 2. His Rectitude or Qualities: 3. His Relations, 1. To his Creator; And 2. To his fellow-creatures.

12. His essential parts are his soul and body: His soul is to be known in the Unity of its Essence, and Trinity of essential faculties (which is its natural Image of God.) Its essence is a Living Spirit: Its essential faculties are 1. A Vital Activity, or Power: 2. An Understanding: 3. A Will.

13. His Rectitude, which is God's Moral Image on him, consisteth 1. In the promptitude and fortitude of his Active Power: 2. In the Wisdom of his Understanding: 3. In the Moral Goodness of his Will, which is its Inclination to its End, and Readiness for its Duty.

14. Being created such a creature, by a mere resultancy from his Nature, and his Creator, he is related to him as his Creature ; and in that Unity is the subsequent Trinity of Relations: 1. As we are God's Propriety, or his Own : 2. His Subjects: 3. His Beneficiaries and Lovers : all comprised in the one title of his children. And at once with these Relations of man to God, it is that God is as before related to man, as his Creator, and as his Owner, Ruler, and Chief Good.

15. Man is also related to his fellow creatures, below him, 1. As their Owner, 2. Their Ruler, 3. Their End under God: which is God's Dominative or Honorary Image upon man, and is called commonly our Dominion over the creatures: So that by mere Creation, and the Nature of the creatures there is constituted a state of communion between God and Man, which is 1. A Dominion, 2. A Kingdom, 3. A Family or Paternity. And the whole is sometime called by one of these names, and sometime by the other, still implying the rest.

16. God's Kingdom being thus constituted, his Attributes appropriate to these his Relations follow: 1. His Absoluteness as our Owner: 2. His Holiness, Truth and Justice as our Ruler: 3. And his Kindness, Benignity and Mercy as our Father or Benefactor.

17. And then the Works of God as in these three Relations follow; which are 1. To Dispose of us at his pleasure as our Owner: 2. To govern us as our King: 3. To love us, and do us good, and make us perfectly happy as our Benefactor and our end.

18. And here more particularly is to be considered, 1. How God disposed of Adam when he had new made him: 2. How he began his Government of him: And 3. What Benefits he gave him, and what he further offered or promised him.

19. And as to the second, we must 1. Consider the Antecedent part of God's Government, which is Legislation and then (hereafter) the consequent part; which is 1. Judgment, 2. Execution. And God's Legislation is 1. By making our Natures such as compared with objects, Duty shall result from this Nature so related: 2. Or else by Precept or Revelation from himself, besides our Natures. 1. The Law of Nature is fundamental and radical in our foresaid Relations to God themselves, in which it is made our natural duty, 1. To submit ourselves wholly to God, and his disposal, as his own: 2. To obey his commands: 3. And to receive his mercies, and thankfully to return them, and to love him. But though (as God's essential principles, and his foresaid Relations, are admirably conjunct in their operations ad extra ; so) our Relative obligations are conjunct, yet are they so far distinguishable, that we may say, that these which conjunctly make our Moral duty, yet are not all the results of our Relation to a Governor, as such ; but the second only; and therefore that only is to be called the Radical Law in the strict sense, the other two being the Moral results of our Rectitude. The duty of subjection and obedience in general, arising from our Natures related to our Creator, is the radical governing Law of God in us. But yet the same submission, and gratitude, and love, which are primarily our duty from their proper foundations, are secondarily made also the matter of our subjective duty, because they are also commanded of God. 2. The particular Laws of Nature are 1. Of our particular duties to God; or of Piety: 2. Or of our duties to ourselves and others: 1. Acts of Justice, 2. And of Charity. These Laws of Nature are 1. Unalterable ; and that is, where the nature of our persons, and of the objects, which are the foundations of them are unalterable, or still the same: 2. Or mutable, when the Nature of the things which are its foundation, is mutable. As it is the immutable Law of immutable nature, that we love God as God, and that we do all the good we can, &c. because the foundation of it is immutable: But e. g. the Law against Incest was mutable in nature: For nature bound Adams children to marry each other; and nature bindeth us since (ordinarily) to the contrary: 2. The revealed Law to Adam was superinduced. The parts of God's Law must also here be considered. 1. The introductive Teaching part (for God's teaching us, is part of his ruling us) and that is, Doctrines, History and Prophecy. 2. The Imperative part, commands to do, and not to do. 3. And the sanctions or motive parts in Law and execution, which are 1. Promises of Beneficial Rewards: 2. Threatenings of hurtful penalties.

20. God's Laws being thus described in general, and those made to Adam thus in particular, the next thing to be considered, is man's behavior in breaking those Laws ; which must be considered in the Causes, and the Nature of it, and the immediate effects and consequents.

21. And next must be considered God's consequent part of Government as to Adam, viz. his judging him according to his Law.

22. And here cometh in the Promise, or the first edition of the New Covenant, or Law of Grace; which must be opened in its parts, original and end.

23. And then must be considered God's execution of his sentence on Adam, so far as he was unpardoned; and so upon the world, till the end.

24. And next must be considered God's enlargements and explications of his Covenant of Grace, till Christ's Incarnation.

25. And next, men's behavior under that explained Covenant.

26. And God's sentence and execution upon them thereupon.

27. Then we come to the fullness of time, and to explain the work of Redemption distinctly. And 1. Its Original, the God of Nature giving the world a Physician or a Savior: 2. The Ends: 3. The constitutive Causes: Where 1. Of the Person of the Redeemer, in his Essence, as God and Man, and in his perfections, both essential, and modal, and accidental.

28. And 2. Of the fundamental works of our Redemption (such as Creation was to the first Administration) viz. (his first Undertaking, Interposition, and Incarnation, being all presupposed.) 1. His perfect Resignation of himself to his Father, and submission to his disposing Will: 2. His perfect subjection and obedience to his Coverning Will: 3. His perfect Love to him: 4. And the suffering by which he expressed all these. The three first meriting of themselves ; and the last meriting as a satisfactory Sacrifice, not for itself, but for its usefulness to its proper ends.

29. From this Offering once made to God, Christ acquired the perfecter title of a Savior, or Redeemer, or Mediator, which one contained this Trinity also of Relations towards Man : 1. Their Owner: 2. Their Ruler: 3. Their Benefactor: The Father also as the first principle of Redemption, acquiring a second title (besides the first by Creation) to all these: and towards God, Christ continueth the Relation of a heavenly Priest.

30. In order to the works of these Relations for the future, we must consider of Christ's exaltation ; 1. Of his Justification and Resurrection: 2. Of his Ascension and Glorification : And 3. Of the delivering of All Power, and All Things into his hands.

31. The work of Redemption thus fundamentally wrought, doth not of itself renew man's nature; and therefore putteth no Law of Nature into us of itself, as the Creation did: And therefore we must next proceed to Christ's Administration of this office, according to these Relations; which is 1. By Legislation or Donation ; enacting the New Covenant (where this last and perfect edition of it is to be explained; the Preceptive, the Promisory and the Penal parts, with its effects, and its differences from the former Edition, and from the Law of Nature and of Works.

32. And 2. By the promulgation or publication of this Covenant or Gospel to the world, by calling special Officers for that work, and giving them their commission, and promising them his Spirit, his Protection, and their Reward.

33. And here we come to the special work of the Holy Ghost ; who is 1. To be known in his Essence and Person, as the third in Trinity, and the eternal Love of God: 2. And as he is the grand Advocate or Agent of Christ in the world, where his works are to be considered 1. Preparatory, on and by Christ himself: 2. Administratory: 1. Extraordinary, on the Apostles and their helpers: 1. Being in them a spirit of extraordinary Power, by gifts and miracles: 2. Of extraordinary Wisdom and Infallibility, as far as their commission-work required: 3. And of extraordinary Love and Holiness. 2. By the Apostles, 1. Extraordinarily convincing and bringing in the world: 2. Settling all Church-Doctrines, Officers and Orders which Christ had left unsettled (bringing all things to their remembrance which Christ had taught and commanded them; and guiding them in the rest.) 3. Recording all this for posterity in the holy Scriptures. 2. His Ordinary Agency 1. On Ministers, 2. By sanctification on all true Believers is after to be opened.

34. And here is to be considered the Nature of Christianity in fieri: Faith and Repentance in our three great Relations to our Redeemer, as we are his Own, his (Disciples and) Subjects, and his Beneficiaries ; with all the special benefits of these Relations as antecedent to our duty; and then all our duty in them as commanded: And then the benefits after to be expected (as in promise only.)

35. Next must distinctly be considered, the preaching, and converting, and baptizing part of the ministerial Office; 1. As in the Apostles: 2. And in their successors to the end; with the nature of Baptism, and the part of Christ, and of the Minister, and of the baptized in that Covenant.

36. And then the description of the universal Church, which the baptized constitute.

37. Next is to be described the state of Christians after Baptism: 1. Relative, 1. In Pardon, Reconciliation, Justification, 2. Adoption. 2. Physical, in the Spirit of Sanctification.

38. Where is to be opened 1. The first sanctifying work of the Spirit: 2. Its after-helps and their conditions. 3. All the duties of Holiness, primitive and medicinal towards God, ourselves and others.

39. Our special duties in secret: reading, meditation, prayer, &c.

40. Our duties in Family Relations and Callings.

41. Our duties in Church Relations; where is to be described the nature of particular Churches, their work and worship, their ministry, and their members, with the duties of each.

42. Our duties in our Civil Relations.

43. What temptations are against us, as be to be overcome.

44. Next is to be considered the state of Christians and Societies in the world: How far all these duties are performed; and what are their weaknesses and sins.

45. And what are the punishments which God useth in this life.

46. And what Christians must do for pardon and reparation after falls, and to be delivered from those punishments.

47. Of Death, and the change which it maketh, and of our special preparation for it.

48. Of the coming of Christ, and the Judgment of the great day.

49. Of the punishment of the wicked impenitent in Hell.

50. And of the blessedness of the Saints in Heaven, and the everlasting Kingdom.

These are the Heads, and this is the Method of true Divinity, and the order in which it should lie in the understanding of him that will be complete in knowledge.

II. And as this is the Intellectual Order of knowledge; so the order which all things must lie in at our hearts and wills, is much more necessary to be observed: 1. That nothing but GOD be loved as the infinite simple good, totally with all the heart, and finally for himself: And that nothing at all be loved with any Love, which is not purely subordinate to the Love of God, or which causeth us to love him ever the less.

2. That the blessed person of our Mediator, as in the Human Nature glorified, be loved above all creatures next to God: Because there is most of the Divines Perfections appearing in him.

3. That the heavenly Church or Society of Angels and Saints be loved next to Jesus Christ, as being next in excellence.

4. That the Universal Church on earth be loved next to the perfect Church in Heaven.

5. That particular Churches and Kingdoms be next loved; and where ever there is more of God's Interest and Image, than in ourselves, that our Love be more there, than on ourselves.

6. That we next love ourselves, with that peculiar kind of love which God hath made necessary to our duty, and our happiness and end; with a self-preserving, watchful, diligent love; preferring our souls before our bodies, and spiritual mercies before temporal, and greater before less.

7. That we love our Christian Relations with that double Love which is due to them as Christians and Relations ; and love all Relations according to their places, with that kind of Love which is proper for them, as fitting us to all the duties which we must perform to them.

8. That we love all good Christians as the sanctified members of Christ, with a special Love according to the measure of God's Image appearing on them.

9. That we love every visible Christian (that we cannot prove hath unchristened himself by apostasy or ungodliness) with the special Love also belonging to true Christians, because he appeareth such to us: But yet according to the measure of that appearance, as being more confident of some, and more doubtful of others.

10. That we love our intimate suitable friends that are godly with a double Love, as godly and as friends.

11. That we love Neighbors and civil Relations, with a Love which is suitable to our duty towards them (to do to them, as we would have them do to us; which is partly meant by loving them as ourselves.)

12. That we love all mankind, even God's enemies, much more our own, as they are men ; for the dignity of human nature, and their capacity to become holy and truly amiable.

13. That all means be chosen according to the end (which is to be preferred before other ends) and their suitableness and fitness for that end (as they are to be preferred before other means.)

III. And the order of practice is, 1. That we be sure to begin with God alone, and proceed to God in the creature, and end in God alone.

It is the principal thing to be known for finding out the true method of Divinity and Religion, that (as in the great frame of Nature; so) in the frame of Morality, the true motion is circular: From 〈◊〉 the efficient by God, the Dirigent to God, the final Cause of all; therefore as God is the first spring or cause of motion; so the creature is the Recipient first, and the Agent after, in returning all to God again.

Therefore mark, that our receiving Graces are our first graces in exercise ; and our receiving duties are our first duties ; and then our returning graces and duties come next; in which we proceed from the lesser to the greater, till we come up to God himself.

Therefore in point of practice, the first thing that we have to do, is to learn to know God himself as God and our God, and to live as from him, and upon him as our Benefactor, from our hearts confessing that we have nothing but from him, and shall never be at rest but with him, and in him, as our ultimate end ; and therefore to set ourselves to seek him as our end accordingly; which is but to seek to love him, and be beloved by him, in the perfection of knowledge and d • light.

2. The whole frame of means appointed by God for the attainment of this end, must be taken together, and not broken asunder; as they have all relation each to other. And 1. The whole frame of Nature must be looked on as the first great means appointed to man in innocence, for the preservation and exercise of his holiness and righteousness: 2. And the Covenant or Law positive, as conjoined unto this: 3. And the Spirit of God, communicated only for such a mere sufficiency of necessary help, as God saw meet to one in that condition. And though these means (the Creatures, and the Spirit of the Creator in that degree ) be not now sufficient for lapsed man; yet they are still to be looked on as delivered into the hand of Christ the Mediator, to be used by him on his terms, and in order to his blessed ends.

2. But it is the frame of the recovering and perfecting means▪ which we are now to use: And in this frame 1. Christ the Mediator is the first and principal; and the Author of our Faith, or Religion; and therefore from his Name it is called Christianity. He is • ow the first means used on God's part for communicating mercy unto man; and the first in dignity to be received and used by man himself ; but not the first in Time, because the means of revealing him must go first.

2. The second means in dignity (under Christ) is the operation of the Holy Spirit as sent or given by the Redeemer: which Spirit being as the soul of outward means (which are as the body ) is given variously in a suitableness to the several sorts of means (of which more anon.)

3. The outward means for this Spirit to work by and with, have been in three degrees: 1. The lowest degree, is the world or creatures (called The Book of Nature ) alone: 2. The second degree was the Law and Promises to the Jews and their forefathers (together with the Law of Nature.) 3. The third and highest degree of outward means, is the whole frame of Christian Institutions, adjoined to the Book of Nature, and succeeding the foresaid Promises and Law.

Everyone of these hath a sufficiency in its own kind, and to its proper use. 1. The Law of Nature is sufficient in its own kind, to reveal a God in his Essential Principles and Relations ; and to teach man the necessity now of some supernatural Revelations and Institutions ; and so to direct him to inquire after them ( what and where they be.)

2. The Promises and Jewish Law (of Types, &c.) was sufficient in its own kind, to acquaint men that a Savior must be sent into the world, to reveal the Will of God more fully, and to be a sacrifice for sin, and to make reconciliation between God and man, and to give a greater measure of the Spirit, and to renew men's souls, and bring them to full perfection, and to the blessed fruition of God. The Jewish Scriptures teach them all this, though it tell them not many of the Articles of our Christian Belief.

3. The Christian Gospel is sufficient in its own kind, to teach men first to believe aright, in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and then to love and live aright.

When I say that each of these is sufficient in its own kind, the meaning is, not that these outward means are of themselves sufficient without the Holy Spirit ; for that were to be sufficient not only in suo genere, but in alieno vel in omni genere ; not only for its own part and work ; but for the Spirits part also: But other causes being supposed to concur, it is sufficient for its own part: As my Pen is a sufficient Pen, though it be not sufficient to write without my hand.

Now the measure of the Spirits concourse with all these three degees of means is to be judged of by the nature of the means, and by God's ends in appointing them, and by the visible effects. And whereas the world is full of voluminous contentions about the doctrine of sufficient and effectual grace, I shall here add thus much in order to their agreement. 1. That certainly such a thing there is, or hath been, as is called sufficient not-effectual grace: By sufficient they mean so much as giveth man all that Power which is necessary to the commanded act (or forbearance) so that man could do it without any other grace or help from God (which supposeth that man's will in the Nature of it, hath such a vital, free, self-determining power, that (sometimes at least) it can act, or not act, when such bare power is given to it) and sometimes doth, and sometimes doth not. But the word [ necessary ] is more proper than [ sufficient: ] The latter being applicable to several degrees, but [ nec • ssary ] signifieth that degree, without which the Act cannot be performed.

That there is such a thing, is evident in Adams case, who had that grace which was necessary to his forbearing the first sin (or else farewell all Religion.) And there are few men will deny but that all men have still such a degree of help for many duties which they do not perform; and against many sins which they do not forbear; (as to forbear an oath, or a lie, or a cup of drink, to go to Church when they go to an Alehouse, &c.) Such a thing therefore there is, and such a power man's will hath to do or not do, when such a degree only of help is given.

Therefore we have reason enough to suppose 1. That such a degree of the Spirits help is given under the bare Teachings of the Creature, or to them that have no outward light but natural revelation, as is necessary to the foresaid ends and uses of that Light or Means, that is, to convince man that there is a God, and what he is, as aforesaid, and that we are his subjects and ben • ficiaries, and owe him our chi • fest love and service, and to convince them of the need of some further supernatural revelation. Not that every one hath this measure of spiritual help; for some by abusing the help which they have, to learn the Alphabet of Nature, or to practice it, do forfeit that help which should bring them into Natures higher forms. But so much as I have mentioned of the help of the Spirit is given to those that do not grossly forfeit it by abuse, among the Pagans of the world: And so much multitudes have attained.

2. And so much of the Spirit was given ordinarily to the Jews, as was sufficient to have enabled them to believe in the Messiah to come, as aforesaid; if they did not willfully reject this help.

3. And so much seemeth to be given to many that hear the Gospel, and never believe it; or that believe it not with a justifying Faith, is as sufficient to have made them true Believers, as Adams was to have kept him from his fall. For seeing it is certain that such a sufficient ineffectual grace there is, we have no reason to conceit that God doth anymore desert his own means now, than he did then ; or that he maketh Believing a more impossible condition of Justification under the Gospel, to them that are in the nearest capacity of it (before effectual grace) than he made perfect obedience to be to Adam. The objections against this are to be answered in due place, and are already answered by the Dominicans at large.

4. The outward means of grace under Christ are all one frame, and must be used in harmony as followeth.

1. The Witness and Preaching of Christ and his Apostles, was the first and chief part; together with their settling the Churches, and recording so much as is to be our standing Rule in the holy Scriptures, which are now to us the chief part of this means.

2. Next to the Scriptures, the Pastoral Office and Gifts, to preserve them, and teach them to us, is the next principal part of this frame of means. In which I comprehend all their office [Preaching for conversion, baptizing, preaching for confirmation and edification of the faithful, praying and praising God before the Church; administering the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of communion; and watching over all the flock, by personal instruction, admonition, reproofs, censures and absolutions.

3. The next part (conjunct with this) is the communion of the faithful in the Churches.

4. The next is our holy society in Christian families, and family-instructions, worship and just discipline.

5. The next is our secret duties between God and us alone: As. 1. Reading, 2. Meditation, and self examination, 3. Prayer and thanksgiving, and praise to God.

6. The next part is our improvement of godly men's intimate friendship, who may instruct, and warn, and reprove, and comfort us.

7. The next is the daily course of prospering Providences and Mercies, which express God's Love, and call up ours; (as provisions, protections, preservations, deliverances, &c.)

8. The next is God's castigations (by what hand or means soever) which are to make us partakers of his holiness, Heb. 12.9, 10.

9. The next is the examples of others; 1. Their graces and duties: 2. Their faults and falls: 3. Their mercies: And 4. Their sufferings and corrections. 1 Cor. 10.1, 10, 11.

10. And lastly, Our own constant watchfulness against temptations▪ and stirring up God's graces in ourselves. These are the frame of the means of Grace, and of our receiving duties.

2. The next in order to be considered, is the whole frame of our returning duties, in which we lay out the talents which we receive, which lie in the order following.

1. That we do what good we can to our own souls: that we first pluck the beam out of our own eyes, and set that motion on work at home, which must go further: Therefore all the foregoing means were primarily for this effect ; (though not chiefly and ultimately for this end. )

2. Next we must do good according to our power to our near Relations.

3. And next to our whole Families, and more remote Relations.

4. And next, them to our Neighbors.

5. And next, to Strangers.

6. And lastly, To Enemies, of ourselves and Christ.

7. But our greatest duties must be for public Societies, viz. 1. For the Common-wealth (both Governors and People,) 2. And for the Church.

8. And the next part (in intention and dignity) must be for the whole world (whose good by prayer and all just means we must endeavor.)

9. And the next for the honor of Jesus Christ our Mediator.

10. And the highest ultimate temination of our returning duties, is the pure Deity alone.

For the further opening to you the Order of Christian Practice, take these following Notes or Rules.

1. Though receiving duties (such as hearing, reading, praying, faith, &c.) go first in order of nature and time, before expending, or returning duties, so that the motion is truly circular; yet we must not stay till we have received more, before we make returns to God of that which we have already: But every degree of received grace, must presently work towards God our end: and as there is no intermission between my moving of my hand and pen, and its writing upon this paper; so must there be no intermission between God's beams of Love and Mercy to us, and our reflections of Love and Duty unto him. Even as ths veins and arteries in the body lie much together, and one doth often empty itself into the other, for circulation, and not stay till the whole mass hath run through all the vessels of one sort (veins or arteries) before any pass into the other.

2. The internal returns of Love are much quicker than the return of outward fruits. The Love of God shed or streamed forth upon the soul, doth presently warm it to a return of Love: But it may be some time before that Love appear in any notable useful benefits to the world, or in anything that much glorifieth God and our Profession. Even as the heat of the Sun upon the earth or trees, is suddenly reflected; but doth not so suddenly bring forth herbs, and buds, and blossoms, and ripe fruits.

3. All truly good works must have one constant Order of intention (which is before opened; God must be first intended, then Christ, then the universal Church in Heaven and Earth, &c.) But in the order of operation and execution, there may be a great difference among our duties: As God appointeth us to lay out someone way, and some another. Yet ordinarily, as the emitted beams begin from God, and dart themselves on the soul of man; so the reflected beams begin upon, or from our hearts, and pass toward God (though first beloved and intended) by several receptacles, before they bring us to the perfect fruition of him.

4. Therefore the order of Loving (or complacency) and the order of doing good (or Benevolence ) is not the same. We must Love the universal Church better than our selves: But we cannot do them sincere service, before we do good to ourselves. And our nearest Relations must be preferred in acts of Beneficence before many whom we must love more.

5. When two goods come together (either to be Received, or to be Done ) the greater is ever to be preferred; and the choosing or using of the lesser at that time, is to be taken for a sin. I lately read a denial of this, in a superficial satyre; but the thing itself, if rightly understood, is past all doubt with a rational man. For 1. Else good is not to be chosen and done as good, if the best be not to be preferred. 2. Else almost all wicked omissions might be excused: I may be excused for not giving a poor man a sh • lling (whatever his necessity be) because I give him a farthing: No doubt but Dives, Luke 16. did good at such a rate as this at least: and else a man might be excused from saving a drowning man, if he save his horse that while, &c. A quatenus ad summum valet consequentia, in the case of desiring and doing good. But then mark the following explications.

6. That is not always to be accounted the greatest good, which is so only in regard of the matter simply considered: But that is the greatest good, which is so consideratis considerandis, all things considered and set together.

7. When God doth peremptorily tie me to one certain duty, without any dispensation or liberty of choice, that duty at that time is a greater good and duty, than many others which may be greater in their time and place. A duty materially lesser, is formally (and by accident materially ) greater in its proper season. Reaping, and baking, and eating, are better than plowing, and weeding the Corn; as they are nearer to the end: But plowing, and weeding are better in their season. To make pins or points, is not materially so good a work as to pray: But in its season (as then done ) it is better: And he that is of this trade, may not be praying when he should be about his trade: Not that he is to prefer the matter of it, before praying; But praying is to keep its time, and may be a sin when it is out of time. He that would come at midnight to disturb his rest, to present his service to his Lord or King, would have little thanks for such unseasonable service.

8. He that is restrained by a lower calling, or any true restraining reasons, from doing a good which is materially greater, yet doth that which is greatest unto him. Ruling and Preaching are materially a greater good, than threshing or digging; and yet to a man whose gifts and calling restrain him from the former to the latter, the latter is the greatest good.

9. Good is not to be measured principally by the Will or Benefit of ourselves, or any creature; but by 1. The Will of God in his Laws: And 2. By the interest of his pleasedness and glory: But secondarily, human interest is the measure of it.

10. It followeth not that because the greatest good is ever to be preferred, that therefore we must perplex and distract ourselves, in cases of difficulty, when the balance seemeth equal: For either there is a difference, or there is none: And if any, it is discernible, or not. If there be no difference, there is room for taking one, but not for choosing one : If there be no discernible difference, it is all one to us, as if there were none at all: If it be discernible by a due proportion of enquiry, we must labor to know it, and choose accordingly: If it be not discernible in such time, and by such measure of enquiry, as is our duty, we must still take it as undiscernable to us. If after just search, the weakness of our own understandings leave us doubting, we must go according to the best understanding which we have, and cheerfully go on in our duty, as well as we can know it, remembering that we have a gracious God and Covenant, which taketh not advantage of involuntary weaknesses, but accepteth their endeavors, who sincerely do their best.

11. Meer spiritual or mental duties require most labor of the mind ; but corporal duties (such as the labors of our calling) must have more labor of the body.

12. All corporal duties must be also spiritual (by doing them from a spiritual principle, to a spiritual end, in a spiritual manner:) But it is not necessary that every spiritual duty be also corporal.

13. The duties immediately about God our end, are greater than those about any of the means (caeteris paribus.) And yet those that are about lower objects, may be greater by accident, and in their season: As to be saving a man's life is then greater than to be exciting the mind to the acting of Divine Love or Fear: But yet it is God the greatest object then, which puteth the greatness upon the latter duty; both by commanding it, and so making it an act more pleasing to him: and because that the Love of God is supposed to be the concurring spring of that Love to man, which we show in seeking their preservation.

14. Our great duty about God our ultimate end, can never be done too much, considered in itself, and in respect to the soul only ; we cannot so love God too much: And this Love so considered, hath no extreme, Matth. 22.37.

15. But yet even this may by accident, and in the circumstances be too much: As 1. In respect to the bodies weaknesses; if a man should so fear God, or so love him, as that the intenseness of the act, did stir the passions, so much as to bring him to distraction, or to disorder his mind, and make it unfit for that or any other duty: 2. Or if he should be exciting the Love of God, when he should be quenching a fire in the Town, or relieving the poor that are ready to perish. But neither of these is properly called, A loving God too much.

16. The duties of the heart, are in themselves greater and nobler than the actions of the outward man, of themselves abstractedly considered. Because the soul is more noble than the body.

17. Yet outward duties are frequently, yea most frequently, greater than heart duties only; because in the outward duty it is to be supposed that both parts concur (both soul and body. ) And the operations of both, is more than of one alone: and also because the nobler ends are attained by both together more than by one only: For God is loved, and man is benefited by them. As when the Sun shineth upon a tree, or on the earth, it is a more noble effect, to have a return of its influences, in ripe and pleasant fruits, than in a mere sudden reflection of the heat alone.

18. All outward duties must begin at the heart, and it must animate them all▪ and they are valued in the sight of God, no further than they come from a rectified will, even from the Love of God and Goodness: However without this, they are good works materially, in respect to the Receiver: He may do good to the Church, or Common-wealth, or Poor, who doth none to himself thereby.

19. As the motion is circular from God to man, and from man to God again (Mercies received; and Duties and Love returned) so is the motion circular between the heart and the outward man: The heart moving the tongue and hand, &c. and these moving the heart again; (partly of their own nature, and partly by divine reward: ) The Love of God and Goodness produceth holy thoughts, and words, and actions ; and these again increase the Love which did produce them, Gal. 5.6.13. Heb. 6.10. Heb. 10.24. 2 John 6. Jude 21.

20. The Judgment must be well informed before the Will resolve.

21. Yet when God hath given us plain instruction, it is a sin to cherish causeless doubts and scruples.

22. And when we see our duty before us, it is not every scruple that will excuse us from doing it: But, when we have more conviction that it is a duty, then that it is none, or that it is a sin, we must do it, notwithstanding those mistaking doubts. As if in Prayer or Alms-deeds you should scruple the lawfulness of them, you ought not to forbear, till your scruples be resolved, because you so long neglect a duty: Else folly might justify men in ungodliness and disobedience.

23. But in things merely indifferent, it is a sin to do them doubtingly; because you may be sure it is no sin to forbear them, Rom. 14.23. 1 Cor. 8.13, 14.

24. An erring Judgment entangleth a man in a necessity of sinning (till it be reformed) whether he act or not ▪ according to it. Therefore if an erring person ask, What am I bound to? the true answer is, to lay by your error, or reform your Judgment first, and then to do accordingly▪ and if he ask an hundred times over [But what must I do in case I cannot change my Judgment?] the same answer must be given him, [ God still bindeth you to change your Judgment, and hath given you the necessary means of information; and therefore he will not take up with your supposition, that you cannot: His Law is a fixed Rule, which telleth you what you must believe, and choose, and do: And this Rule will not change, though you be blind, and say, I cannot change my mind. Your mind must come to the Rule, for the Rule will not come to your perverted mind: Say what you will, the Law of God will be still the same, and will still bind you to believe according to its meaning. ]

25. Yet supposing that a man's error so entangleth him in a necessity of sinning, it is a double sin to prefer a greater sin before a lesser: For though no sin is an object of our choice, yet the greater sin is the object of our greater hatred and refusal ; and must be with the greater fear and care avoided.

26. An erring Conscience then, is never the voice or messenger of God, nor are we ever bound to follow it; because it is neither our God, nor his Law, but only our own Judgment which should discern his Law. And mis-reading or misunderstanding the Law, will not make a bad cause good, though it may excuse it from a greater degree of evil.

27. The judicious fixing of the Wills, Resolutions, and especially the increasing of its Love, or complacency and delight in good, is the chief thing to be done in all our duties, as being the heart and life of all, Prov. 23.26.12. & 4.23. & 7.3. & 22.17. & 3.1, 2, 3. & 4.4, 21. Deut. 30.6. Psal. 37.4. & 40.8. & 119.16, 35, 70, 47. & 1.2. Isa. 58.14.

28. The grand motives to duty, must ever be before our eyes, and set upon our hearts, as the poise of all our motions and endeavors: (As the travelers home and business, is deepest in his mind, as the cause of every step which he goeth.)

29. No price imaginable must seem great enough to hire us to commit the least known sin, Luke 12.4. & 14.26, 28, 33. Mat. 10.39▪ & 16.26.

30. The second great means (next to the right forming of the heart) for the avoiding of sin, is to get away from the temptations, baits and occasions of it. And he that hath most grace, must take himself to be still in great danger, while he is under strong temptations and allurements, and when sin is brought to his hands, and alluring objects are close to the appetite and senses.

31. The keeping clean our Imaginations, and commanding our Thoughts, is the next great means for the avoiding sin: and a polluted fantasie, and ungoverned thoughts are the nest where all iniquity is hatched, and the instruments that bring it forth into act.

32. The governing of the senses is the first means to keep clean the Imagination. When Acha • seeth the wedge of gold, he desireth it, and then he taketh it. When men willfully fill their eyes with the objects which entice them to lust, to covetousness, to wrath; the impression is presently made upon the fantasie; and then the Devil hath abundance more power to renew such imaginations a thousand times, than if such impressions had been never made. And it is a very hard thing to cleanse the fantasie which is once polluted.

33. And the next notable means of keeping out all evil Imaginations, and curing lust and vanity of mind, is constant laborious diligence in a lawful calling, which shall allow the mind no leisure for vain and sinful thoughts; as the great nourisher of all foul and wicked thoughts, is Idleness and Vacancy, which inviteth the tempter, and giveth him time and opportunity.

34. Watchfulness over ourselves, and thankful accepting the watchfulness, fault-findings, and reproofs of others,, is a great part of the safety of our souls, Mat. 26.41. & 25, 13. Mark 13.37. Luke 21.36. 1 Cor. 16.13. 1 Thes. 5.6.2 Tim. 4.5. Heb. 12.17. 1 Pet. 4.7.

35. Affirmative Precepts, bind not to all times; that is▪ no positive duty is a duty at all times. As to preach, to pray, to speak of God, to think of holy things, &c. it is not always a sin to intermit them.

36. All that God commandeth us to do, is both a Duty and a Means ; it is called a Duty in relation to God the efficient Law-giver, first: and it is a Means next in relation to God the end, whose work is done, and whose will is pleased by it. And we must always respect it in both these notions inseparably. No Duty is not a Means ; and no true Means is not a Duty ; but many seem to man to have the aptitude of a Means, which are no duty but a sin; because we see not all things, and therefore are apt to think that fit, which is pernicious.

37. Therefore nothing must be thought a true Means to any good end, which God forbiddeth: For God knoweth better than we.

38. But we must see that the negative or prohibition be universal, or indeed extendeth to our particular case: and then (and not else) you may say that negatives bind to all times.

39. Nothing which is certainly destructive to the end, and contrary to the nature of a Means, is to be taken for a Duty. For it is certain that God's Commands are for edification, and not for destruction, for good, and not for evil.

40. Yet that may tend to present inferior hurt, which ultimately tendeth to the greatest good. Therefore it is not some present or inferior incommodity that must cause us to reject such a means of greater future good.

41. Whatsoever we are certain God commandeth, we may be certain is a proper Means, though we see not the aptitude, or may think it to be destructive; because God knoweth better than we: But then we must indeed be sure that it is commanded hic & nunc, in this case and place, and time, and circumstances.

42. It is one of the most needful things to our innocence, to have Christian wisdom to compare the various accidents of those duties and sins which are such by accident; and to judge which accidents do preponderate. For indeed the actions are very few which are absolutely and simply duties or sins in themselves considered, without those accidents which qualify them to be such: Accidental duties and sins are the most numerous by far: And in many cases the difficulty of comparing the various accidents, and contrary motives, is not small,

43. Therefore it is, that (as in Physic and Law Cases, &c. the common people have greatest need of the advice of skillful Artists, to help them to judge of particular Cases, taking in all the circumstances, which their narrow understandings cannot comprehend; which is more of the use of Physicians and Lawyers, than to read a public Lecture of Physic, or of Law, so) the Office of the Church-Guides, or Bishops, is of so great necessity to the people, in every particular Church: And that not only for public Preaching, but also to be at hand, to help the people, who have recourse unto them in all such cases, to know in particular what is duty, and what is sin.

44. And therefore it is (besides other reasons) that the Office of the Bishops or Pastors of the Churches, must in all the proper parts of it, be done only by themselves, or men in that Office, and not per alios, by men of another Office: And therefore it is, that bare titles or authority will not serve the turn, without proportionable or necessary abilities or gifts; because the work is done by personal fitness ; and cases and difficulties can no more be resolved, nor safe counsel given for the soul in matters of Morality, by men unable, than for the body or estate, in points of Physic, or of Law. (As the Lord Verulam in his Considerations of Ecclesiastical Government hath well observed.)

45. In such cases where duty or sin must be judged of by compared accidents ; the nature of a Means, or the interest of the End, is the principal thing to be considered: And that which will evidently do more harm than good, is not to be judged a duty (in those circumstances) but a sin: as if the question were whether Preaching be at this time, in this place, to this number, to these individuals, a duty: If it appear to true Christian prudence, that it would be like to do more hurt than good, it is a sin at that time, and not a duty: and yet Preaching in due season, as great a duty still. So if the question were, whether secret prayer be at this hour or day, a duty: If true reason tell you, that it is like to hinder, either family-prayer, or any other greater good, it is not at that time a duty: Or if the question be, whether reproof or personal exhortation of a sinner be now a duty: If true reason tell me, that it is like to do more harm than good, it is not a duty then, but accidentally a sin: For we must not cast pearls before Swine, nor give that which is holy unto Dogs, lest they tread it underfoot, or turn again and all to rend us. And there is a time when Preachers that are persecuted in one City, must fly to another; and when they must shake off the dust of their feet, for a witness against the disobedient, and turn away from them. (The imprudent people can easily discern this when it is their own case, but not when it is the Preachers case; so powerful is self-love and partiality) Mat. 7.6, 7. Mat. 10.14. & 23.34. & 10.23. The reason of all this is 1. Because God appointeth all Means for the End : 2. And because the Law by which in such cases we must be ruled, is only general ; as, Let all things be done to edification ; as if he should say, Fit all your actions, which I have not given you a particular peremptory Law for, to that good which is their proper end. ] 1 Cor. 14.5▪ 12.3, 26.17. 2 Cor. 10.8. & 12.19. & 13.10. 1 Cor. 10.23. Ephes. 4.12, 16, 29. 1 Tim. 1.4. Rom. 15.2. 1 Cor. 12.7.

46. Public Duties, ordinarily, must be preferred before private: And that which is for the good of many, before that which is for the good of one only.

47. Yet when the private necessity is more pressing, and the public may be omitted at that time with less detriment, the case doth alter. As also when that one that we do good to is more worth than the many, in order to the honor of God, or the more public good of the whole society: or when it is one that by special precept, we are obliged to prefer in our beneficence

48. Civil Power is to be obeyed before Ecclesiastical, in things belonging to the Office of the Magistrate: and Ecclesiastical before the Civil, in things proper to the Ecclesiastical Gvoernours only. And Family Power before both, in things proper to their cognizance only. But what it is that is proper to each power, I shall tell them when I think they are willing to know, and it will do more good than harm to tell it them.

49. The supreme Magistrate is ever to be obeyed before his Inferiors: because they have no power but from him; and therefore have none against him (unless he so give it them.)

50. No Human Authority is above God's, nor can bind us against him; but it is all received from him, and subordinate to him.

51. No Human Power can bind us to the destruction of the society which it governeth; because the public or common good, is the end of Government.

52. The Laws of Kings, and the Commands of Parents, Masters and Pastors (in cases where they have true Authority) do bind the soul primarily, as well as the body, secondarily: But not as the primary, but the secondary bond. It is a wonderful and pitiful thing, to read Divines upon this point [Whether the Laws of men do bind the conscience?] what work they have made as in the dark, when the case is so very plain and easy? some are peremptory that they do not bind conscience; and some that they do; and some calling their adversaries the Idolizers of men; and others again insinuating that they we guilty of treason against Kings, who do gainsay them; when surely they cannot differ if they would.

1. The very phrase of their question is non-sense, or very unfit. Conscience is but a man's knowledge or judgment of himself as he is obliged to his duty and the effects; and consequently, of the obligations, which lie upon him.

It is a strange question, whether I am bound in knowledge of myself: But it were a reasonable question, whether I be bound to know ; or whether I know that I am bound. It is the whole man, and most eminently the Will, which is bound by Laws, or any Moral Obligations. The man is bound.

But if by conscience, they mean the soul, it is a ridiculous question: For no bonds can lie upon the body immediately, but Cords or Iron, or such like materials. The soul is the first obliged, or else the man is not morally obliged at all.

If the sense of the question be, whether it be a Divine or a Religious obligation, which men's commands do lay upon us▪ The answer is easy: 1. That Man is not God ; and therefore as human it is not Divine. 2. That Mans Government is God's institution, and Men are God's Officers ; and therefore the obligation is Religious, and Instrumentally or Mediately Divine. Either men's Laws and Commands do bind us or not: If not, they are no Laws, nor authoritative Acts: If they do bind, either it is primarily by an authority originally in themselves that made them (and then they are all gods: And then there is no God. ) Or else it is by derived authority. If so, God must be the Original (or still the Original must be God. ) And then is the high way any plainer than the true answer of this question, viz. That Princes, Parents, &c. have a governing or Law-giving power from God, in subordination to him; and that they are his Officers in governing: And that all those Laws which he hath authorized them to make do bind the soul, that is, the man, immediately as human, and instrumentally or mediately as Divine, or as the bonds of God. As my Covenant bind myself to conscience, (if you will so speak, rather than that they bind my conscience) so do men a Laws also bind me. You may as well ask whether the writing of my pen, be its action or mine ; and be an animate, or inanimate act; which is soon resolved.

53. To conclude these Rules, as the just impress of the Spirit, and Image of God upon the soul, is Divine Life, Light and Love, communicated from God by Jesus Christ, by the holy Spirit, to work in us and by us for God (in the soul and in the world) and by Christ to bring us up at last, to the sight and fruition of God himself; so this Trinity of Divine principles, must be inseparably used, in all our internal and external duties towards God or men; and all that we do must be the work of Power and of Love, and of Wisdom or a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1.7.

II. Having been so large in opening the Order of our Duties, I must be briefer than our case requireth, in telling you our Disorders, or contrary disease. O what a humbling sight it would be, if good Christians did but see the pitiful con •• sions of their minds and lives. They find little melody in their Religion, because there is little harmony in their apprehensions, affections or conversations. If the displacing one wheel or pin in a clock, will so much frustrate the effect, it is a wonder that our tongues or lives do ever go true, which are moved by such disordered parts within: that were it not that the Spirit of grace doth keep an order where it is essential to our Religion (between the End and the Means, &c.) we should be but like the parts of a watch pulled in pieces, and put up together in a bag. But such is God's mercy, that the body may live when many smaller veins are obstructed; so that the Master vessels be kept clear.

I. There are so few Christians that have a true method of Faith or Divinity in their understandings, even in the great points which they know disorderly, that it is no wonder if there be lamentable defectiveness and deformity, in those inward and outward duties, which should be harmoniously performed, by the light of this harmonious truth. And no Divine in the world can give you a perfect Scheme of Divinity in all the parts; but he is the wisest that cometh nearest to it. Abundance of Schemes and Tables you may see, and all pretending to exactness: But everyone palpably defective and confused; even those of the highest pretenders that ever I have seen. And one error or disorder usually introduceth, in such a Scheme, a confusion in all that followeth as dependant on it.

Some confound God's Attributes themselves (nay who doth not:) They confound the Three great Essential Principles, with all the Attributes, by similitude called Modal and Negative: and they use to name over God's Attributes, like as they put their money or chess-men into a bag, without any method at all.

Some confound God's Primary Attributes of Being, with his Relations, which are subsequent to his Works, and with his Relation-Attributes.

Some confound his several Relations to man, among themselves; and more do confound his Works, as they flow from these various Relations.

The great works of the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, and their several designs, significations, and effects, are opened obscurely and in much confusion.

The Legislative Will of God de debi •• institutive, (which is it that Damascene, Chrysostom, and the School-men mean by his Antecedent will, if they speak properly) which ever goeth before man's actions (duties or sins, or as the Fathers called them merits or demerits) is confounded by many with the acts of his Judgment and Execution (called his consequent Will, because it ever presupposeth men's precedent actions:) Or, his works, as Law-giver, Judge and Executioner, are oft confounded.

And so are the Orders of his Precepts, Promises, and penal Threats, and the Conditions of his Promises: and the order of his Precepts among themselves; and of his Promises as one respecteth another.

And our Relations to God, and the several respective duties of those Relations, are ordinarily much confounded.

The work of the Holy Ghost (as we are baptized into the belief of him) is poorly, lamely and disorderly opened, to the encouraging of the carnal on one hand, or the Enthusiasts on the other.

Law and Gospel, and Covenant and Covenant; words and works; the precepts of Christ, and the operations of the Spirit, are seldom thought on in their proper place and order, and differences.

In a word, Consectaries are confounded with principles: Nature, Medicine, and Health ; the precepts and parts of Primitive Sanctity, with the precepts and means of M • dicinal Grace ; the End and the Means ; yea nothing more usually than words and things are confounded and disordered by the most (that I say not by us all.)

The circular motion of grace, from God, and by God, and to God, and in man the receiving duties as distinct from the improving duties; and these, as communicative and dispercing unto man, from those ascendent unto God, partly in the fruits, and partly in the exaltation of the mind itself, these are not to be found, nor abundance more which I pass by, in any just harmonious Scheme.

II. And O what confusion is in our Hearts or Wills, and lameness, & defect as well as confusion; which must needs be the cons • quent of a lame and confused understanding. It is so great, that I am not willing to be so tedious as to open it at large.

III. And the confusion in our practices, taking it in, and expressing it, will show you your heart-confusion of itself. But to open this also would be long; and the regular order before laid down, will show you our disorders without any further enumerations or instances.

Only some of our lameness and partialities, contrary to entire and complete Religiousness, I shall briefly mention, because I think it to be of no small need, to the most, even of the more zealous part of Christians.

1. In our Studies and Meditations, we are partial and defective: we search hard perhaps for some few Truths, with the neglect of many hundred more.

2. In our Z • all for Truth, we are oft as partial, greatly taken with someone or few, which we think we have suddenly and happily found out, and see more into than others do; or in which we think we have some singular or special interest▪ and in the mean time little affected with abundance of Truths of greater clearness and importance, and of more daily usefulness, because they are things that all men know, and common unto you with the most of Christians.

3. In your love to the godly, and your charity, in expressions, and in your daily prayers, what lameness and partiality is there? Those that are near you, and conversant with you, you remember; and perhaps those in the Kingdom, or Country where you dwell: Or at least those of your own society, opinions and party. But when it cometh to praying for the world, and all the Church abroad ; and when it cometh to the loving of those that differ from you, what partiality do you show?

4. In the course of duties to God and man, how rare is that person that doth not quite omit, or slubber over some duty as if it were nothing, while he doth with much earnestness prosecute another? One that is much in receiving duties for themselves (as hearing, reading, meditating, praying) can live all the week with quietness of conscience, without almost any improving duties, or doing any good to others : as if they were made for themselves alone. And some Ministers lay out themselves in Preaching, as if they were all for the good of others; but pray as little, and do as little about their own heart, as if they cared not for themselves at all; or else were good enough already.

Some are constant in Church-duties, perhaps with some superstitious strictness; but in family duties how neglective are they? They are for very strict discipline in the Church, and cannot communicate with any that wear not the same badge of sanctity which they affect: But in their families, what profaneness, carelessness and confusion is there? They can have family communion with the most ungodly servants, that will but be profitable to them. Dumb Ministers are their scorn ; but to be dumb Parents and Masters to their children and servants, they can easily bear. Formal preaching and praying in the Church they exclaim against; but how formally do they pray at home, and catechize and instruct their family? If a Magistrate should forbid them to pray, or catechize, or instruct their families, they would account him an impious, odious persecutor▪ but they can neglect it ordinarily when none forbiddeth them, and never lay any such accusation on themselves.

Some are much for the duties of Worship in private ; but negligent of public Worship: and some are diligent in both, that make little scruple of living idly without a Calling, or doing the works of their Callings deceitfully and unprofitably. They are censorious of one that is negligent in God's Worship, but censure not themselves (nor love to be censured by others) for being idle and negligent servants to their Masters; and omitting many an hours work, which was as truly their duty as the other. Yea when they are told of such duties as they love not (as obedience, labor, charity, patience, mortifying the flesh, &c.) their consciences are just as senseless, or as prejudiced, or quarrelsome, as the consciences of other men are against Religious exercises.

5. And in our reformation and resisting sins of commission, shell lameness and partiality is common with the most. He that is most tender of a sin which is in common disgrace among the godly, is little troubled at as great a one which hath got any reputation among them by the advantage of some errors. In England, through God's mercy, the profanation of the Lord's day, is noted as a heinous sin. But beyond Sea where it is not so reputed, how ordinarily is it committed? Many would condemn Joseph, if they had heard him swear by the life of Pharaoh, because through God's mercy, swearing is a disgraced sin. But how ordinarily do the dividing sort of Christians, rashly or falsely censure men behind their backs that differ from them▪ upon unproved hearsay, and gladly take up false reports, and never shed a tear for many such slanders, back b •• ings and wrongs▪ Many 〈◊〉 one that would take an oath or curse for a certain sign of an ungodly person yet make little of a less disgraceful way of evil speaking, and of a pi • vish unpleasable disposition; and when they are in patient of a censure, or a soul word, are patient enough with their impatiency.

And it deserveth tears of blood to think how little the sins of selfishness and pride are mortified in most of the forwardest Christian (even in them that go in mean attire.) How much they love and look to be esteemed, to be taken notice of, to be well thought of, and well spoken of? How ill they bear the least contempt, neglect or disrespect? How abundantly they overvalue their own understandings? and how wise they are in their own conceits? and how hardly they will think ill of their most false or foolish apprehensions? and how proudly they disdain the judgments of wiser men, from whom if they had humility, they might learn perhaps twenty years together, and yet not reach the measure of their knowledge? and what a strange difference there is in their judging of any case, when it is another's, and when it is their own?

And among how few is the sin of flesh-pleasing sensuality mortified? abundance take no notice of it, because it is hid, and can be daily exercised in a less disgraceful way. If they be rich, they can enjoy that which is their own; and they can cleanlily do as Dives did, Luke 16. and take their good things here. Having enough laid up for many years, they think they may take their case, and eat, drink, and be merry, without rebuke, Luke 12.19, 10. They that are the most zealous in strict opinions, and modes of Worship, can live as Sodom did, in pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, and use meat for their lusts, and make provision for the flesh, to satisfy those lusts, and yet never seem to themselves, nor those about them to offend; much less to do anything that is grossly evil, Ez • k 16.49. Psal. 78.18, 30. Rom. 13 13, 14. They drink not till they are drunk, they eat not more in quantity than others; they labor as far as need compels them; and this they think is very tolerable. And because the Papists have turned the just subduing of the flesh, into hurtful austerities, or formal mockeries, therefore they are the more hardened in their flesh pleasing way. They take but that which they love, and that which is their own, and then they think that the fault is not great: and what Christ meant by Dives his being clothed in purple and silk, and faring sumptuously every day, they never truly understood: Nor yet what he meaneth by the poor in spirit, Matth. 5.3. which is not (at least only or chiefly) a sense of the want of grace, but a spirit suited to a life of poverty, contrary to the love of money, and of fullness, and luxury, and pride: When we are content with necessaries, and eat and drink for health more than for pleasure, or for that pleasure only which doth conduce to health: and when we will be at no needless superfluous cost upon the 〈◊〉 , but • h • se the cheapest food and raiment which is sufficient to our lawful ends; and use not our appetites, and sense, and fantasie to such delight and satisfaction as either increaseth lust, or corrupteth the mind, and hindereth it from spiritual duties and delights, by hurtful delectation or diversion: nor bestow that upon ourselves, which the poor about us need to supply their great necessities. This is to be poor in spirit ; and this is the life of abstinence and mortification, which these sensual professors will not learn. Nay, rather than their throats shall not be pleased, if they be children in their Parents Families, or Servants, they will steal for it, and •• ke that which their Parents and Masters (they know) do not consent to, nor allow them: And they are worse thieves than they that steal for hunger and mere necessity ; because they steal to satisfy their appetites and carnal lusts ; that they may fare better than their superiors would have them. And yet perhaps be really conscientious and religious in many other points, and never humbled for their fleshly minds, their gluttony and thievery; especially if they see others fare better than they: and they quiet their consciences, as the most ungodly do, with putting a hansome name upon their sin, and calling it, taking, and not stealing, and eating, and drinking, and not fullness of bread, or carnal gulosity. Abundance of such instances of men's partiality in avoiding sin, I must omit, because it is so long a work.

6. Yea in the inward exercise of Graces, there are few that use them completely, entirely, and in order ; but they neglect one, while they set themselves wholly about the exercise of another; or perhaps use one against another. Commonly they set themselves a great while upon nothing so much as laboring to affect their hearts with sorrow for sin, and meltingly, to weep in their confessions (with some endeavors of a new life.) But the Love of God, and the thankful sense of the mercy of Redemption, and the rejoicing hopes of endless Glory, are things which they take but little care about: and when they are convinced of the error of this partiality, they next turn to some Antinomian whimsie, under the pretence of valuing Free Grace ; and begin to give over per • ile • s 〈◊〉 and the care▪ and watchfulness against sin▪ and diligence 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 in a holy fruitful life, and say that they were long enough Legal • sts, and knew not Free Grace, but looked all after doing, and something in themselves ; and then they could have no peace; but now they see their error, they will know nothing but Christ. And thus that narrow foolish soul cannot use Repentance wi • hout neglecting Faith in Christ; and cannot use Faith, but they must neglect Repentance; yea set Faith and Repentance, Love and Obedience in good works, like enemies or hindrances against each other: They cannot know themselves and their sinfuln • ss, without forgetting Christ and his righteousness: And they cannot know Christ, and his Love, and Grace, without laying by the knowledge or resistance of their sin. They cannot magnify Free Grace, unless they may have none of it, but lay by the use of it as to all the works of holiness, because they must look at nothing in themselves ▪ They cannot magnify Pardon and Justification, unless they may make light of the sin and punishment which they deserve, and which is pardoned, and the charge and condemnation from which they are justified: They cannot give God thanks for remitting their sin, unless they may forbear confessing it, and sorrowing for it. They cannot take the Promise to be free, which giveth Christ and pardon of sin, if it have but this condition, that they shall not reject him: Nor can they call it the Gospel, unless it leave them masterless and lawless; whereas there is indeed no such thing as Faith without Repentance, nor Repentance without Faith: No love to Christ without the keeping of his Commandments; nor no true keeping of the Commandments without Love: No Free Grace without a gracious sanctified heart and life; nor no gift of Christ and Justification, but on the condition of a believing acceptance of the gift; and yet no such believing but by Free Grace: No Gospel without the Law of Christ and Nature; and no mercy and peace but in a way of duty. And yet such Bedlam Christians are among us, that you may hear them in pangs of high conceited zeal, insulting over the folly of one another, and in no wiser language, than if you heard one lunatic person say, I am for health, and not for medicine ; and another, I am for medicine, and not for the taking of it ; and another, I am for the Physic, and not for the Physician ; and another, I am for the Physician, and not the Physic ; and another, I am for the Physic; but not for health. Or as, if they contended at their meats, I am for meat, but not for eating it, and I am for putting it into my mouth, but not for chewing it ; or I am for chewing it▪ but not for swallowing it ; or I am for swallowing it, but not for digesting it ; or I am for digesting it, but not for eating it, &c.

Thus is Christ divided among a sort of ignorant proud Professors: and some are for his Sacrifice, and some for his Intercession, some for his Teaching, and some for his Commands, and some for his Promises ; some for his Blood, and some for his Spirit ; some for his Word, and some for his Ministers, and his Church ; and when they have made this strange proficiency in wisdom, every party claim to be this Church themselves; or if they cannot deny others to be parts with them of the Mystical Church, yet the true ordered Political disciplined Church is among them, the matter of their claim and competition, and one saith, It is we, and the other, no but it is we; and the Kitchen, and the Cole-house, and the Sellar go to Law, to try which of them is the House. Thus when they have divided Christ's garments among them, and pierced, if not divided himself, they quarrel rather than cast lots for his coat.

7. I perceive this Treatise swelleth too big, or else I might next show you, how partial men are in the sense of their dangers.

8. And in the resisting of Temptations; he that scapeth sensuality, feareth not worldliness; or he that feareth both, yet falleth into Heresy or Schism; and he that scapeth errors, falleth into fleshly sins.

9. And what partial regard we have of God's mercies.

10. And how partial we are as to our Teachers, and good Books.

11. And also about all the Ordinances of God, and all the the helps and means of grace.

12. And how partial we are about good works, extolling one, and senseless of another; and about the opportunities of good. In a word, what l • me apprehensions we have of Religion, when men are so far from setting all the parts together in a well-ordered frame, that they can scarce forbear the dividing of every part into particles: and must take the food of their souls as Physic, even like Pills which they cannot get down, unless they are exceeding small.

III. The Causes of this Calamity I must for brevity but name.

1. The natural weakness of man's mind, doth make him like a narrow-mouthed bottle that can take in but a little at once, and so must be long in learning and receiving.

2. The natural laziness and impatience of men, will not give them leave to be at such long and painful studies, as completeness of knowledge doth require.

3. The natural pride of men's hearts will not give them leave to continue so long in a humble sense of their emptiness and ignorance, nor to spend so many years in learning as Disciples: but it presently persuadeth them that their first apprehensions are clear and right, and their knowledge very considerable already; and they are as ready to dispute and censure the ignorance of their Teachers, if not to teach others themselves, as to learn.

4. The poverty and labors of many, allow them not leisure to search and study so long and seriously, as may bring them to any comprehensive knowledge.

5. The most are not so happy as to have judicious, methodical and laborious Teachers, who may possess them with right principles and methods, but deliver them some truths, with great defectiveness and disorder themselves; and perhaps by their weakness tempt the people into pride, when they see that they are almost as wise as they.

6. Most men are corrupted by company and converse with ignorant e • roneous, and self-conceited men, and hearing others (perhaps that are very zealous) make something of nothing, and make a great matter of a little one, and extolling their own poor and lame conceits, they learn also to think that they are something when they are nothing, deceiving themselves, Gal. 6.3, 4.

7. Most Christians have lost the sense of the need and use of the true Ministerial Office, as it consisteth in personal counsel and assistance, besides the public Teaching; and most Ministers by neglecting it, teach them to overlook it.

8. Every man hath some seeming Interest in someone Opinion, or Duty, or Way, above the rest; and selfishness causeth him to reel that way that interest leadeth him.

9. Education usually possesseth men with a greater regard of some one opinion, duty, way or party, than of the rest.

10. The reputation of some good men doth fix others upon some particular ways or notions of theirs above others.

11. Present occasions and necessities sometime do urge us harder to some means and studies, than to others: especially for the avoiding of some present evil, or easing of some present trouble ; and then the rest are almost laid by.

12. Some Doctrines deeplier affect us in the hearing, than others; and then the thoughts run more on that, to the neglect of many thing as great.

13. Perhaps we have had special experience of some Truths and Duties, or Sins, more than others; and then we set all our thoughts about those only.

14. Usually we live with such as talk most of some one duty, or against some one sin, more than all the rest; and this doth occasion our thoughts to run most in one stream, and confine them by hearing and custom to a narrow channel.

15. Some things in their own quality, are more easy and near to us, and more within the reach of sense. And therefore as corporal things, because of their sensibility and nearness, do possess the minds of carnal men, instead of things spiritual and unseen; even so Paul, and Apollo, and Cephas ; this good Preacher, and that good Book, and this Opinion, and that Church-society, and this or that Ordinance, do possess the minds of the more carnal narrow sort of Christians, instead of the harmony of Christian truth, and holy duty.

16. Nature itself as corrupted, is much more against some truths, and against some duties, internal and external, than against others. And then when those that it is less averse to, are received, men dwell on them, and make a Religion of them, wholly or too much, without the rest. As when some veins are stopped, all the blood is turned into the rest; or when one part of the mould is stopped up, the metal all runneth into the rest, and maketh a defective vessel: Or when one part of the seal is filled up before, it maketh a defective impression on the wax. Therefore the duties of inward self-denial, humility, mortification, and heavenliness, are almost left out in the Religion of the most.

17. Temptations are ever more strong and violent against some duties, than against others, and to some sins, than to others.

18. Most men have a memory, which more easily retaineth some things than others: especially those that are best understood, and which most affect them. And grace cannot live upon forgotten truths.

19. There is no man but in his Calling, hath more frequent occasion for some graces and duties, and useth them more, and hath more occasions to interrupt and divert his mind from others.

20. The very temperature of the body inclineth some all to fears and grief, and others to love and contentedness of mind: and it vehemently inclineth some to passion, some to their appetite, some to pride, and some to idleness, and some to lust ; when others are far less inclined to any of them: And many other providential accidents, do give men more helps to one duty, than to another, and putteth many upon the trials, which others are never put upon: And all this set together is the reason that few Christians are entire or complete, or escape the sin and misery of deformity; or ever use God's graces and their duties, in the order and harmony as they ought.

IV. I shall be brief also in telling you what Inferences to raise from hence for your instruction.

1. You may learn hence how to answer the question, whether all God's Graces live and grow in an equal proportion in all true Believers. I need to give you no further proof of the negative, than I have laid down before: I once thought otherwise; and was wont to say, as it is commonly said, that in the habit they are proportionable, but not in the act. But this was because I understood not the difference between the particular habits, and the first radical power, inclination or habit (which I name that the Reader may choose his title, that we may not quarrel about mere words.) The first Principle of Holiness in us, is called in Scripture, The Spirit of Christ or of God: In the unity of this are three essential principles, Life, Light and Love ; which are the immediate effects of the heavenly or divine influx upon the three natural faculties of the soul, to rectify them, viz. on the Vital Power, the Intellect and the Will: And are called the Spirit, as the Sunshine in the room is called, the Sun: Now as the Sunshine on the earth and plants, is all one in itself as emitted from the Sun, Light, Heat and Moving force concurring, and yet is not equally effective, because of the difference of Recipients ; and yet every vegetative receiveth a real effect of the Heat and Motion at the least; and sensitives also of the Light ; but so that one may (by incapacity) have less of the heat, and another less of the motion, and another less of the Lght ; so I conceive that Wisdom, Love and Life (or Power ) are given by the Spirit to every Christian: But so that in the very first Principle or effect of the Spirit, one may have more Light, another more Love, and another more Life: Bus this it accidental from some obstruction in the Receiver ; otherwise the Spirit would be equally a Spirit of Power (or Life ) and of Love, and of a sound mind (or Light. )

But besides this New Moral Power, or Inclination, or Universal Radical Habit, there are abundance of particular Habits of Grace and Duty, much more properly called Habits, and less properly called the Vital or Potential Principles of the New Creature: There is a particular Habit of Humility, and another of Peaceableness, of Gentleness, of Patience, of Love to one another, of Love to the Word of God; and many habits of Love to several truths and duties: a habit of desire, yea many, as there are many different objects desired; there is a habit of praying, of meditating, of thanksgiving, of mercy, of chastity, of temperance, of diligence, &c. The acts would not vary as they do, if there were not a variety and disposition in these Habits ; which appear to us only in their acts. We must go against Scripture, reason, and the manifold hourly experience of ourselves, and all the Christians in the world, if we will say that all these graces and duties are equal in the Habit in every Christian. How impotent are some in bridling a passion, or bridling the tongue, or in controlling pride and self-esteem, or or in denying the particular desires of their sense, who yet are ready at many other duties, and eminent in them. Great knowledge is too oft with too little charity or zeal; and great zeal and diligence often with as little knowledge. And so in many other instances.

So that if the Potentiality of the radical graces of Life, Light and Love, be or were equal, yet certainly proper and particular habits are not.

But here note further, 1. That no grace is strong where the radical graces, Faith and Love are weak: As no part of the body is strong, where the Brain and Heart are weak; (yea or the naturals, the stomach and liver.)

2. The strength of Faith and Love is the principal means of strengthening all other graces; and of right performing all other duties.

3. Yet are they not alone a sufficient means, but other inferior graces and duties may be weak and neglected, where Faith and Love are strong; through particular obstructing causes. As some branches of the tree may perish when the root is sound; or some members may have an Atrophie, though the brain and heart be not diseased.

4. That the three Principles, Life, Light and Love, do most rarely keep any disproportion; and would never be disproportionable at all, if some things did not hinder the actings of one more than the other, or turn away the soul from the influences and impressions of the Spirit more as to one than to the rest.

2. Hence you may learn, That the Image of God is much clearlier and perfectlier imprinted in the holy Scriptures, than in any of our hearts. And that our Religion objectively considered, is much more perfect, than subjectively in us. In Scripture, and in the true doctrinal method our Religion is entire, perfect and complete. But in it, it is confused, lame and lamentably imperfect. The Sectaries that here say, None of the Spirits works are imperfect, are not to be regarded: For so they may as well say, that there are none infants, diseased, lame, distracted, poor, or monsters in the world; because none of God's works are imperfect. All that is in God is God, and therefore perfect; and all that is done by God is perfect as to his ends, and as it is a part in the frame of his own means to that end which man understandeth not: But many things are imperfect in the receiving subject. If not, why should any man ever seek to be wiser or better than he was in his infancy, or at the worst.

3. Therefore we here see that the Spirit in the Scripture is the Rule by which we must try the Spirit in ourselves, or any other. The Fanatics or Enthusiasts, who ra • l against us, for trying the Spirit by the Scriptures, when as the Spirit was the Author of the Scriptures, do but rave in the dark, and know not what they say. For the Essence of the Spirit is everywhere; and it is the effects of the Spirit in both which we must compare: The Spirit is never contrary to itself: And seeing it is the Sunshine which we here call the Sun, the question is but, where it shineth most? whether in the Scripture, or in our hearts? The Spirit in the Apostles indicted the Scriptures, to be the Rule of our faith and life unto the end: The Spirit in us doth teach and help us to understand and to obey those Scriptures. Was not the Spirit in a greater measure in the Apostles, than in us? Did it not work more completely, and unto more infallibility in their writing the Scriptures, than it doth in our Understanding, and obeying them? Is not the seal perfect, when the impression is oft imperfect? Doth not the Master write his Copy more perfectly, than his Scholars imitation is, though he teach him, yea and hold his hand? He that knoweth not the Religious distractions of this age, will blame me for troubling the Reader with the confutation of such dreams: But so will not they that have seen and tasted their effects.

4. Hence we may learn that he that would know what the Christian Religion is indeed (to the honor of God, or their own just information) must rather look into the Scripture to know it, than into Believers. For though in Believers it be more discernible in the kind (as men's lives are more conspicuous than Laws and Precepts, and the impress than the seal, &c.) yet it is in the Laws or Scriptures more complete and perfect, when in the best of Christians (much more in the most ) it is broken, maimed and confused.

5. This telleth us the reason why it is unsafe to make any men (Popes, or Councils, or the holiest Pastors, or strictest people) the Rule either of our faith or lives. Because they are all imperfect and discordant, when the Scripture is concordant and complete. He that is led by them, may err, when as the Scripture hath no error. And yet it is certain, that even the imperfect knowledge and grace of faithful Pastors and companions, is of great use to those that are more imperfect than they, to teach them the Scriptures, which are more perfect than they all.

6. Hence we see why it is, that Religion bringeth so much trouble, and so little comfort to the most, or too many that are in part Religious. Because it is lame and confused in them. Is it any wonder that a d • splaced bone is painful? or that a disordered body is sick, and hath no great pleasure in life? or that a disordered or maimed watch or clock, doth not go right? O what a life of pleasure should we live, if we were but such as the Scripture doth require! and the Religion in our hearts and lives were fully agreeable with the Religion described in the Word of God.

7. And hence we see why most true Christians are so querulous, and have always somewhat to complain of and lament; which the senseless, or self-justifying hypocrites overlook in themselves. No wonder if such diseased souls complain.

8. And hence we see why there is such diversity and divisions among Believers, and such abundance of Sects and Parties, and Contentions, and so little Unity, Peace and Concord. And why all attempts for Unity take so little in the Church. Because they have all such weakness, and distempers, and lameness, and confusedness, and great disproportions in their Religion. Do you wonder why he liveth not in peace, and concord, and quietness with others, who hath no better agreement in himself? and no more composedness and true peace rt home? Men's grace and parts are much unequal.

9. And hence we see why there are so many scandals among Christians, to the great dishonor of true Christianity, and the great hindrance of the conversion of the Infidel, Heathen and ungodly world: What wonder if some disorder, falsehood, and confusion appear without, in words and deeds, when there is so much ever dwelling in the mind?

10. Lastly, Hence we may learn what to expect from particular persons, and what to look for also publicly, in the Church, and in the world. He that knoweth what man is, and what godly men are, but as well as I do, will hardly expect a concordant uniform building to be made of such discordant and uneven materials; or that a set of strings, which are all, or almost all out of tune, should make any harmonious melody; or that a number of Infants should constitute an Army of valiant men; or that a company that can scarce spell, or read, should constitute a learned Academy. God must make a change upon individual persons, if ever he will make a great change in the Church. They must be more wise, and charitable, and peaceable Christians, who must make up that happy Church state, and settle that amiable peace, and serve God in that concordant harmony as all of us desire, and some expect.

CHAP. XII. How to use Faith against particular sins?

THE most that I have to say of this, is to be gathered from what went before, about Sanctification in the general. And because I have been so much longer than I intended, you must bear with my necessary brevity in the rest.

Direct. 1. When temptation setteth actual sin before you, or inward sin keeps up within, look well on God and sin together. Let Faith see God's Holiness and Justice, and all that Wisdom, Goodness and Power, which sin despiseth. And one such believing sight of God, is enough to make you look at sin, as at the Devil himself; as the most ugly thing.

Direct. 2. Set sin and the Law of God together ; and then it will appear to be exceeding sinful ; and to be the crooked fruit of the tempting Serpent. You cannot know sin, but by the Law, Rom. 7.14, &c.

Direct. 3. Set sin before the Cross of Christ: Let Faith sprinkle his blood upon it, and it will die and wither. See it still as that which killed your Lord; and that which pierced his side, and hanged him up in such contempt; and put the gall and vinegar to his mouth.

Direct. 4. Forget not the sorrows and fears of your conversion (if you are indeed converted:) Or (if not) at least the sorrows and fears which you must feel if ever you be converted. God doth purposely cast us into grief and terrors, for our former sins, that it may make us the more careful to sin no more, lest worse befall us: If the pangs of the new birth were sharp and gr •• vous to you, why will you again renew the cause, and drink of those bitter waters? R • member what a mad and sad condition you were in while you lived according to the flesh, and how plainly you saw it when your eyes were opened? And would you be in the same condition again? Would you be unsanctified, and unjustified, and unpardoned, and unsaved? Every willful sin is a turning backward, toward the state of your former captivity and misery.

Direct. 5. When Satan sets the bait before you, let Faith always set Heaven and Hell before you, and take all together, the end with the beginning. And think when you are tempted to lie, to steal, to deceive, to lust, to pride, to gulosity or drunkenness, &c. what men are now suffering for these same sins? and what all that are in Hell and in Heaven do think of them? Suppose a man offered you a cup of wine, and a friend telleth you, I saw him put poison into it, and therefore take heed what you do. ] If the offerer were an enemy, you would hardly take it. The world, and the fl • sh, and the devil, are enemies: when they offer you the delights of sin, hear Faith, and it will tell you, there is poison in it; there is sin, and hell, and God's displeasure in it.

Direct. 6. Let Faith keep you under the continual apprehensions of the Divine Authority and Rule ; that as a child, a servant, a scholar, a subject, doth still know that he is not masterless, but one that must be ruled by the will or Law of his superior; so may you always live with the yo • k of Christ upon your necks, and his bridle in your mouths: Remembering also that you are still in your Masters eye.

Direct. 7. Remember still that it is the work of Faith to overcome the world, and the flesh, and to over-rule your sense and appetite; and to make nothing of all that would stand up against your heavenly interest; and to crucify it by the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14. & 5.24. Rom. 8.1, 9, 10, 13. Set Faith therefore upon its proper work ; and when you live by Faith, and walk after the Spirit, you will not live by sight, nor walk after the flesh, 2 Cor. 5.7.

Direct▪ 8. It is also the work of Faith to take off all the masks of sin, and open its nakedness, and shame, and cast by all shifts, pretences, and excuses. When Satan saith, It is a little one, and the danger is not great, and it will serve thy pleasure, profit, or preferment; Faith should say, Doth not God forbid it? There is no dallying with the fire of God: Be not deceived, man; God will not be mocked! Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall be also reap: If you sow to the flesh, of the fl • sh you shall reap corruption, Gal, 6. When Satan saith, Ye shall not die: and when the sinner with Adam hideth himself, Faith will call him out to Judgment, and say, What hast thou done? Hast thou eaten of the fruit which God forbade?

Direct. 9. Let Faith still keep you busied in your Masters work. Nothing breedeth and feedeth sin so much as idleness of mind and life : Sins of omission have this double mischief, that they are the first part of Satan's game themselves, and they also bring in sins of commission. When men are not taken up with good, they are at leisure for temptations to entice them; and they set open their doors to the tempter, and tell him he may speak with then when he will. Wanton thoughts, and covetous thoughts, may dwell there when better thoughts are absent. But when you are so wholly taken up with your duty (spiritual or corporal) and so constantly and industriously busy in your proper work, sin cannot enter, nor Satan find you at leisure for his service.

Direct. 10. Let Faith make God's service pleasant to you, and lose not your delight in G • d and godliness, and then you will not relish sinful pleasures. You will find no need of such base delights, when you live on the foretaste of Angelical pleasures. You will not be easily drawn to steal a morsel of dung or poison from the Devils table, while you daily feast your souls on Christ: or to steal the Onions of Egypt, when you dwell in a Land that floweth with milk and honey. But while you keep yourselves in the wilderness, you will be tempted to look back again to Egypt. The great cause of men's sinning, and yielding to the temptations of forbidden pleasures, is because they are negligent to live upon the pleasures of Believers.

Direct. 11. Take heed of the beginnings, if ever you would escape the sin. No man becometh stark naught at the first step. He that beginneth to take one pleasing unprofitable cup or bit, intendeth not drunkenness and gluttony in the grossest sense: But he hath set fire in the thatch, though he did not intend to burn his house; and it will be harder to quench it, than to have forborne at first. He that beginneth but with lascivious dalliance, speeches or embraces, thinketh not to proceed to filthy fornication: But he might better have secured his conscience, if he had never meddled so far with sin. Few ruinating damning sins, began any otherwise than with such small approaches, as seemed to have little harm or danger.

Direct. 12. If ever you will scape sin, keep off from strong temptations and opportunities. He that will be still near the fire or water, may be burnt or drowned at last. No man is long safe in the midst of danger, and at the next step to ruin. He that liveth in a Tavern or Ale-house, had need to be very averse to tippling. And he that sitteth at Dives table, had need to be very averse to gulosity: And he that is in the least danger of the fire of lust, must keep at a sufficient distance, not only from the bed, and from immodest actions, but from secret company and opportunities of sin, and from a licentious ungoverned eye and imagination. This caused Christ to say, How hard it is for the Rich to be saved? because they have a stronger fleshly interest to keep them from Christ and godliness, which must be denied; and because their sin hath plentiful provision, and the fire of concupiscence wanteth no fuel, and it is a very easy thing to them still to sin, and always a hard thing to avoid it: And man's sluggish nature will hardly long either hold on in that which is hardly done, or forbear that which is still hard to forbear. Good must be made sweet and easy to us, or else we shall never be constant in it.

Direct. 13. If you find any difficulty in forsaking any disgraceful sin, cherish it not by secrecy, but 1. Plainly confess it to your bosom friend: And 2. If that will not serve, to others also, that you may have the greater engagements to forbear.

I know wisdom must be used in such confessions, and they must be avoided when the hurt will prove greater than the good. But fleshly wisdom must be no councellor, and fleshly interest must not prevail, Secrecy is the nest of sin, where it is kept warm, and hidden from disgrace: Turn it out of this nest, and it will thd sooner perish. God's eye and knowledge should serve turn: but when it will not, let man know it also, and turn one sin against another, and let the love of Reputation help to subdue the love of Lust. Opening a sin (yea or a strong temptation to a sin) doth lay an engagement in point of common credit in the world, upon them that were before under the divine engagements only. It will be a double shame to sin when once it's known. And as Christ speaketh of a right hand, or eye, so may I of your honor in this case; it is better go to Heaven with the shame of a penitent confession, than to keep your honor till you are in Hell. The loss of men's good opinion is an easy price, to prevent the loss of your salvation, Prov. 28.13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. So 1 John 1.9, 10. James 5.15, 16.

Direct. 14. Especially take heed of heinous sins, called mortal, because inconsistent with sincerity.

Direct. 15. And take heed of those sins which yourselves or others that fear God are in greatest danger of: Of which I will speak a little more distinctly.

CHAP. XIII. What sins the best should most watchfully avoid? and wherein the infirmities of the upright d • ffer from mortal sins?

Q • est. WHat sins are religious people who fear sin, most in danger of? and where must they set the strongest watch?

Answ. 1. They are much in danger of those sins, the temptations to which are near, and importunate, and constant, and for which they have the greatest opportunities: They have senses and appetites as well as others: And if the bait be great, and always as at their very mouths, even a David, a Solomon, a Noah, is not safe.

2. They are in danger of those sins which they little think of; for it is a sign that they are not forewarned and fortified; nor have they overcome that sin ; for victory here is never got at so cheap a rate: especially as to inward sins: If it have not cost you many a groan, and many a days diligence, to conquer selfishness, pride and appetite ; it's twenty to one they are not conquered.

3. They are much in danger of those sins which they extenuate, and count to be smaller than they are. For indeed their hearts are infected already, by those false and favorable thoughts. And they are prepared to entertain a nearer familiarity with them. Men are easily tempted upon a danger which seemeth small.

4. They are much in danger of those sins, which their constitutions and temperature of body doth incline them to; and therefore must here keep a double watch. No small part of the punishment of our Original sin (both as from Adam, and from our nearest Parents) is found in the ill complexion of our bodies: The temperature of some inclineth them vehemently to passion ; and of others unto lust ; and of others to sloth and dullness : and of others to gulosity, &c. And grace doth not immediately change this distemper of the complexion; but only watch over it, and keep it under, and abate it consequently, by contrary actions, and mental dispositions: Therefore we shall have here uncessant work, while we are in the body. Though yet the power of grace by long and faithful use, will bring the very sense, and imagination, and passions into so much calmness, as to be far less raging, and easily ruled: As a well ridden horse will obey the Rider; and even dogs and other bruits will strive but little against our government: And then our work will grow more easy: For as Seneca saith, Maxima pars libertatis est been moratus venter: A good conditioned belly is a great part of a man's liberty: meaning, an ill conditioned belly is a great part of men's slavery: And the same may be said of all the senses, fantasie and passions in their respective places.

5. We are much in danger of the sins which our callings, trades and worldly interest, do most and constantly tempt us to. Every man hath a carnal interest, which is his great temptation; and every wise man will know it, and there set a double watch. The carnal interest of a Preacher, is applause or preferment: The carnal interest of Rulers and great men, I shall pass by; but they must not pass it by themselves. The carnal interest of Lawyers and Tradesmen, is their gain, &c. Here we must keep a constant watch.

6. We are much in danger of those sins, the matter of which is somewhat good or lawful, and the danger lieth only in the manner, circumstances or degree. For there the lawfulness of the matter, occasioneth men to forget the accidental evil. The whole Kingdom feeleth the mischief of this, in instances which I will now pass by. If eating such or such a meat were not lawful itself, men would not be so easily drawn to gluttony. If drinking wine were not a lawful thing, the passage to drunkenness were not so open: The apprehension that a lusory lot is a lawful thing (as Cards, D • ce, &c.) doth occasion the heinous sin of time-wasting, and estate-wasting gamesters. If apparel were not lawful, excess would not be so easily endured. Yea the goodness of God's own Worship, quieteth many in its great abuse.

7. We are much in danger of those sins, which are not in any great disgrace among those persons whom we most honor and esteem. It is a great mercy to have sin lie under a common odium and disgrace: As swearing and drunkenness, and cursing, and fornication, and Popish errors, and superstition, is now amongst the forwardest Professors in England: For here conscience is most awakened, and helped by the opinion of men; or if there be some carnal respect to our reputation in it sometimes, yet it tendeth to suppress the sin; And it is a great plague to live where any great sin is in little disgrace (as the profanation of the Lord's day in most of the Reformed Churches beyond Sea ; and they say, tippling, if not drunkenness in Germany ; and as backbiting and evil speaking against those that differ from them is among the Professors in England, for too great a part; and also many superstitions of their own; and dividing principles and practices.)

8. But especially if the greater number of godly people live in such a sin, then is the temptation great indeed; and it is but few of the weaker sort, that are not carried down that stream. The Munster case, and the Rebellion in which Munster perished in Germany, and many other; but especially abundance of Schisms from the Apostles days till now, are too great evidences of men's sociableness in sinning. We all like sheep have gone astray, and turned everyone to his own way, Isa. 53 6. And like sheep • n this, that if one that is leading, get over the hedge, all the rest will follow after; but especially if the greater part be gone. And do not think that our Churches are infallible, and that the greater part of the godly cannot err, or be in the wrong: For that would be but to do as the Papists, when we have sinned by fallibility, to keep off repentance by the conceit of infallibility.

9. We are in great danger of sinning, in cases where we are ignorant: For who can avoid the danger which he seeth not? And who can walk safely in the dark? Therefore we see that it is the ignor anter sort of Christians, and such as Paul calleth Novices, that most err; especially when Pride accompanyeth Ignorance, for then they fall into the special condemnation of the Devil, 1 Tim. 3.6. Study therefore painfully and patiently till you understand the truth.

10. But above all, we are in danger of those sins which are masked with a pretence of the greatest truths and duties, and use to be fathered on God and Scripture; and so under the specious titles of Holiness and of Free Grace. For here it is the understanding chiefly that resisteth, while the very names and pretences secretly steal in, and bring them into love and reverence with the Will. And the poor honest Christian is afraid of resisting them, lest it should prove a resisting God. What can be so false that a man will not plead for, if he take it to be a necessary truth of God? And what can be so bad that a man will not do, if he take it once to be of God's commanding? The foresaid instances of the Munster and Germane actions, with those of the followers of David George in Holland (who took himself to be the Holy Ghost, or the immediate Prophet of his Kingdom) and Hacket and his Grundletonians, and the Familists, the Ranters, the Seekers, the Quakers, the Church-dividers, and the Kingdom and State-overturners in England, have given so great a demonstration of this, that it is not lawful to overlook it or forget it. The time cometh, that they that kill you, shall think that they do God service, Joh. 16.2. And then who can expect that their consciences should avoid it? Why did Paul persecute the Christians, and compel them to blaspheme? Because he verily thought that he ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus, Acts 26.9. O it is religious sins which we are in danger of! such as come to us as in the Name of God, and Christ, and the Spirit: such as pretend that we cannot be saved without them: and such as plead the holy Scriptures: such as James 3. is written against, when a wisdom from beneath, which is earthly, sensual and devilish, working by envy and strife, unto confusion and every evil work, pretendeth to be the wisdom from above: when Zeal consumeth Love and Unity, under pretence of consuming sin: which made Paul and John require us not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits whether they be of God, 2 Thes. 2.2. & 1 Thes. 5.20, 21. 1 Joh. 4.1, 2, 3. And made Paul say, If an Angel from Heaven bring you another Gospel, let him be accursed, Gal. 1.7, 8. And more plainly, 2 Cor. 11.13, 14. Such are false Apostles; deceitful workers; transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ: and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light: therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. And Acts 20.30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away Disciples after them. And what need any Disciple of Christ greater warning, than to remember that their Savior himself was thus assaulted by the Devil in his temptation, with [ It is written. ]

Yet let no Papist hence take occasion to vilify the Scripture, because it is made a plea for sin: For so he might as well vilify human Reason, which is pleaded for all the errors in the world; and vilify the Law, because Lawyers plead it for ill Causes ; yea and vilify God himself, because the same and other sinners plead his will and authority for their sins: when contrarily, it is a great proof of the Scripture Authority and Honor, that Satan himself, and his subtilest instruments, do place their greatest hope of prevailing, by perverting and misapplying it; which could be of no use to them, if its authority were not acknowledged.

11. We are in constant danger of those sins which we think we can conceal from men: Therefore suppose still that all that you do will be made known ; and do all as in the open streets: It's written (by two) in the life of holy Ephrem Syrus, that when a Harlot tempted him to uncleanness, he desired but that he might choose the place; which she consenting to, he chose the open market-place, among all the people; and when she told him, that there they should be shamed, for all would see; he told her such a lesson of sinning in the sight of God, who is everywhere, as was the means of her conversion. Conceit of secrecy emboldeneth to sin.

12. We are in constant danger of sins of sudden passion and irruption, which allow us not season to deliberate, and surprise us before our reason can consider.

13. We are in danger of sins that come on by insensible degrees, and from small beginnings creep upon us, and come not by any sudden wakening assaults: Thus pride and covetousness, and ambition, do infect men: And thus our zeal and deligence for God, doth usually decay.

14. Lastly, We are in much danger of all sins which require a constant vigorous diligence to resist them ; and of omitting those duties, or that part or mode of duty, which must have a constant vigorous diligence to perform it: Because feeble souls are hardly kept (as is aforesaid) to constant vigorous diligence.

Quest. 2. Wherein differeth the sins of a sanctified person from other men's that are unsanctified.

Answ. 1. In a sanctified man the habitual bent of his will, is ever more against sin, than for it; however he be tempted into that particular act.

2. And as to the Act also, it is ever contrary to the scope and tenor of his life; which is for God and sincere obedience.

3. He hath no sin which is inconsistent with the true Love of God, in the predominant habit: It never turneth his heart to another End, or Happiness, or Master.

4. Therefore it is more a sin of passion, than of settled interest and choice. He is more liable to a hasty passion, or word, or unruly thoughts, than to any prevalent covetousness or ambition, or any sin which is a possessing of the heart instead of God, 1 John 2.15. James 3.2. Though some remainders of these are in him, they prevail not so far as sudden passions.

5. There are some sins which are more easily in the power of the will, so that a man that is but truly willing, may forbear them; as a drunkard may pass by the Tavern or Ale-house, or forbear to touch the cup; and the fornicator to come near, or commit the sin, if they be truly willing: But there be other sins which a man can hardly forbear though he be willing ; because they are the sins of those faculties over which the will hath not a despotical power: As a man may be truly willing to have no sluggishness, heaviness, sleepiness at prayer, no forgetfulness, no wandering thoughts, no inordinate appetite or lust at all stirring in him, no sudden passions of anger, grief or fear; he may be willing to love God perfectly ; to fear him and obey him perfectly, but cannot. These latter are the ordinary infirmities of the godly: The former sort are, if at all, his extraordinary falls, Rom. 7.14. to the end.

6. Lastly, The true Christian riseth by unfeigned Repentance, when his conscience hath but leisure and helps to deliberate, and to bethink him what he hath done. And his Repentance much better resolveth and strengtheneth him against his sin for the time to come.

To sum up all; 1. Sin more loved than hated. 2. Sin willfully lived in, which might be avoided by the sincerely willing. 3. Sin made light of, and not truly repented of when it is committed. 4. And any sin inconsistent with habitual Love to God, in predominancy, is mortal, or a sign of spiritual death, and none of the sins of sanctified Believers.

CHAP. XIV. How to live by Faith in Prosperity.

THE work of Faith in respect of Prosperity, is twofold: 1. To save us from the danger of it. 2. To help us to a sanctified improvement of it.

1. And for the first, that which Faith doth, is especially, 1. To see deeper and further into the nature of all things in the world, than sense can do, 2 Cor. 4.17, 18. 1 Cor. 7.29, 30, 31. To see that they were never intended for our Rest or portion, but to be our wilderness provision in our way. To foresee just how the world will use us, and leave us at the last, and to have the very same thoughts of it now, as we foresee that we shall have when the end is come, and when we have had all that ever the world will do for us. It is the work of Faith, to cause a man to judge of the world, and all its glory, as we shall do when death and judgment come, and have taken off the mask of splendid names, and shows, and flatteries: that we may use the world as if we used it not, and possess it as if we possessed it not, because its fashion doth pass away. It is the work of Faith to crucify the world to us, and us to the world by the Cross of Christ, Gal. 6.14. that we may look on it as disdainfully as the world looked upon Christ, when he hanged as forsaken on the Cross. That when it is dead, it may have no power on us, and when we are dead to it, we may have no inordinate love, or care, or thoughts, or fears, or grief, or labor to lay out upon it. It is the work of Faith • o make all worldly pomp and glory, to be to us but loss, and dross, and dung, in comparison of Christ, and the righteousness of Faith, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. And then no man will part with Heaven for dung, nor set his God below his dung, nor further from his heart; nor will he feel any great power in temptations to honor, wealth or pleasure, if really he count them all but dung; nor will he wound his conscience, or betray his peace, or cast away his innocence for them.

2. Faith showeth the soul those sure, and great, and glorious things, which are infinitely more worthy of our love and labor. And this is its highest and most proper work, Heb. 11. it conquereth Earth by opening Heaven; and showing it us as sure, and clear, and near. And no man will dote on this deceitful world, till he have turned away his eyes from God; and till Heaven be out of his sight and heart. Faith saith, I must shortly be with Christ; and what then are these dying things to me? I have better things, which God that cannot lie hath promised me with Christ, Titus 1.2. Heb. 6.18. I look every day when I am called in. The Judge standeth before the door, James 5.9. The Lord is at hand, Phil. 4.5. And the end of all these things is at hand, 1 Pet. 4.7. And shall I set my heart on that which is not?

Therefore when the world doth smile and flatter, faith setteth Heaven against all that it can say or offer. And what is the world when Heaven stands by? Faith seeth what the blessed souls above possess, at the same time while the world is alluring us to forsake it, Luke 16. Heb. 11. & 12.1, 2. &c. Faith setteth the heart upon the things above, as our concernment, o • r only hope and happiness: It kindleth that Love of God in the soul, and that delight in higher things, which powerfully quencheth worldly love, and mortifieth all our carnal pleasures, Matth. 6.20.21. Col. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. Rom. 8.5, 6, 7. Phil. 30.20, 21.

3. Faith showeth the soul those wants and miseries in itself, which nothing in the world is able to supply and cure. Nay, such as the world is apter to increase. It is not gold that will quench his thirst, who longs for pardon, grace and glory. A guil • y conscience, a sinful and condemned soul will never be cured by riches, or high places, by pride, or fl • shly sports and pleasures, James 5.1, 2, 3. This humbling work is not in vain.

4. Faith looketh to Christ, who hath overcome the world, and carefully treadeth in his st • ps, John 16.33. Heb. 12.2, 3, 4, 5. It looketh to his person, his birth, his life, his cross, his grave, and his resurrection: to all that strange example of contempt of worldly things which he gave us from his manger, to his shameful kind of death. And he that studieth the Life of Christ, will either despise the world, or him He will either vilify the world in imitation of his Lord, or vilify Christ for the pleasures of the world. Faith hath in this warfare, the surest and most onourable guide, the ablest Captain, and the most powerful example in all the world. And it hath with Christian unerring Rule, which furnisheth him with armor for every use. Yea it hath through him a promise of Victory before it be a • tained; so that in the beginning of the fight, it knows the end, Rom. 16.20. John 16.33. It goeth to Christ for that Spirit which is our streng • h, Ephes. 6.10. C • l. 2.7. And by that it mortifieth the desires of the flesh: and when • he flesh is mortified, the world is conquered: for it is loved only as it is the provision of the fl • sh.

5. Moreover, Faith doth observe God's particular Providence, who distributeth his talents to every man as he pleaseth, and disposeth of their estates and comforts: so that the Race is not to the swift, nor the Victory to the strong, nor Riches to men of understanding, Eccles. 9.11.

Therefore it convinceth us, that our lives, and all being in his hand, it is our wisdom to make it our chiefest care to use all so as is most pleasing unto him, 2 Cor. 5.8. It foreseeth also the day of Judgment, and teacheth us to use our prosperity and wealth, as we desire to hear of it in the day of our accounts. Faith is a provident and a vigilant grace; and useth to ask when we have anything in may possession, which way I make the best advantage of it for my soul? which way will be most comfortable to me in my last review? how shall I wish that I had used my time, my wealth, my power, when time is at an end, and all these transitory things are vanished?