A Christian Directory

PART I. General Directions for the Government of the Senses (by a Life of Faith).

§. 1. THE most wise and gracious God, having been pleased to constitute us of soul and body, that our nobler part in its preparation and passage to a nobler state, might have a companion and instrument suited to the lower place and employment, through which it is to pass, hath appointed our senses not only for the exercise, and helps of life, and the management of our inferior actions, and the communication of his inferior mercies, but also to be the common passage to the fantasie, and so to the mind, to be serviceable to our Rational powers, and help in our service of our Maker, and communion with him in his higher gifts. To these ends all our senses should be used; as being capable of being sanctified and serviceable to God. But sin made its entrance by them, and by sin they are now corrupted and vitiated with the body, and are grown inordinate, violent and unruly in their appetite; and the rational powers having lost and forsaken God, their proper End and chiefest Object, have hired or captivated themselves to the sensitive appepetite, to serve its Ends. And so the sensitive appetite is become the ruling faculty in the unsanctified, and the senses the common entrance of sin, and instruments of Satan: And though the work of Grace be primarily in the Rational powers, yet secondarily the lower powers themselves also are sanctified, and brought under the Government of a renewed Mind and Will, and so restored to their proper use. And though I cannot say that Grace immediately maketh any alteration on the senses, yet mediately it doth, by altering the mind, and so the Will, and then the imagination, and so the sensitive appetite, and so in exercise, the sense itself. We see that Temperance and Chastity do not only restrain, but take down the appetite from the rage and violence which before it had: Not the natural appetite, but the sensitive, so far as it is sinful.

§. 2. The Sanctifying and Government of the senses and their appetite, lieth in two parts: First, In guarding them against the entrance of sin: and Secondly, In using them to be the entrance of good into the soul. But this latter is so high a work that too few are skilled in it: and few can well perform the other.

§. 3. Direct. 1. The principal part of the work is about the superior faculties, to get a well informed judgment, and a holy and confirmed will; and not about the sense itself. Reason is dethroned by sin: and the will is left unguided and unguarded to the rapes of sensual violence. Reason must be restored, before sense will be well governed; for what else must be their immediate Governor? It is no sin in Brutes to live by sense, because they have not Reason to rule it: And in man it is ruled more or less, as reason is more or less restored: When Reason is only cleared about things temporal (as in men of worldly wisdom) there sense will be mastered and ruled as to such temporal ends, as far as they require it. But where Reason is sanctified, there sense is ruled to the ends of sanctification, according to the measure of grace.

§. 4. Direct. 2. It is only the high eternal things of God and our salvation, objectively settled in the mind and will, and become as it were connatural to them, and made our Ruling End and interest that can suffice to a true and holy Government of the senses. Lower things may muzzle them, and make men seem temperate and sober as far as their honor, and wealth, and health, and life require it: But this is but stopping a gap, while most of the hedge lieth open, and an engaging the sense to serve the Flesh, the World, and the Devil in a hansome, calm and less dishonored way, and not so filthily and furiously as others.

§. 5. Direct. 3. The main part of this Government in the exercise, is in taking special care that no sensitive good be made the ultimate End of our desire, nor sought for itself, nor rested in, nor delighted in too much; but to see that the soul (having first habitually fixed on its proper higher end and happiness) d • direct all the actions of every sense (so far as it falls under deliberation and choice, to serve it remotely to those holy ends. For the sense is not sanctified, if it be not used to a holy end, and its object is not sanctified to us, if it be not made serviceable to more holy objects. A mere negative restraint of sense for common ends, is but such as those ends are for which its done. When the eyes, and ears, and taste, and feeling are all taught by reason to serve God to his glory and our salvation, then and never till then they are well governed.

§. 6. Direct. 4. To this End the constant use of a lively belief of the Word of God and the things unseen of the other world, must be the first and principal means by which our Reason must govern every sense, b • th a • to their restraint and their right employment: And therefore living by sight, and living by faith are opposed in Scripture, 2 Cor. 5. 7. For we walk by faith, not by sight: that is, sight and sense is not our principal guiding faculty, but subservient to faith; nor the objects of sight the things which we principally or ultimately seek or set by, but the objects of faith: As it is before expounded, 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Therefore Faith is described to be the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 12. 1. Believing is to a Christian instead of seeing; because he knoweth by God's testimony, that the things believed are true, though they are unseen. And you know that the objects of sense are all but trifles, to the great astonishing objects of faith. Therefore if faith be lively, it must needs prevail and over-rule the senses, because its objects utterly cloud and make nothing of the transitory objects of sense. Therefore the Apostle John saith, 1 John 5. 4. Whatsoever is b • rn of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. And Moses by seeing him that is invisible, overcame the desires of Aegypts treasures, and the fear of the wrath of the King, Heb. 11. 26, 27. having respect to the recompense of reward. Stephen easily bore his cruel death, when he saw Heaven opened, and Christ standing at the right hand of God, Acts 7. 56. I dare appeal to that man that is most sensual, and saith, I am n • t able to deny my appetite, or rule my senses, whether he would not be able if he did but see at the same time whats done in the other world? If he saw Heaven, and Hell, the glorified and the damned, and saw the Majesty of that God who commandeth him to forbear, would he not then be able to let alone the Cup, the Dish, the Harlot, the Sport, which is now so powerful with him? I would not thank the most beastly sensualist among you, to live as temperately (as to the act) as the strictest Saint alive, if he did but see the worlds which departed souls now see. It is not possible but it would overpower his sensual desires: yea, and call off those senses to serve him in some enquiry what he should do to be saved. Therefore if Believing the unseen world, be instead of seeing it with our eyes, its most certain that the means to overcome sensuality is faith, and lively Belief must rule our senses.

§. 7. Direct. 5. The more this Belief of God and glory doth kindle Love to them, the more effectual in will be in the Government of the senses. Our common Proverb saith, Where the Love is, there is the Fye. How readily doth it follow the heart. Love will not alter the sense itself, but it commandeth the Use of all the senses. It will not clear a dim decayed sight; but it will command it what to look upon. As the stronger love of one dish, or one sport, or one company, will carry you from another which you love more faintly; so the Love of God, and Heaven, and Holiness, will carry you from the captivity of all sensual things.

§. 8. Direct. 6. It must be well considered how powerful and dangerous things sensible are, and how high and hard a work it is in this our depraved earthly state to live by faith upon things unseen, and to rule the sense and be carried above it: that so the soul may be awakened to a sufficient fear and watchfulness, and may fly to Christ for assistance to his faith. It is no small thing for a man in flesh, to live above flesh: The way of the souls reception and operation, is so much by the senses here, that its apt to grow too familiar with things sensible, and to be strange to things which it never saw. Its a great work to make a man in flesh, to deny the pleasures which he seeth, and tasteth, and feeleth for such pleasures as he only heareth of; and heareth of as never to be enjoyed till after death, in a world which sense hath no acquaintance with. O what a glory it is to faith that it can perform such a work as this! How hard is it to a weak believer! And the strongest find it work enough. Consider this that it may awake you, to set upon this work with that care, that the greatness of it requireth, and you may live by faith, above a life of sight and sense: For it is this that your Happiness or misery lieth on.

§. 9. Direct. 7. Sense must not only be kept out of the Throne, but from any participation in the Government, and we must take heed of receiving it into our counsels, or treating with it, or hearing it plead its cause, and we must see that it get nothing by striving, importunity, or violence, but that it be governed despotically and absolutely, as the Horse is governed by the Rider. For if the Government once be halved between sense and reason, your lives will be half bestial: And when Reason ruleth not, Faith and Grace ruleth not: For faith is to reason, as sight is to the eye: There are no such Beasts in human shape, who lay by all the use of Reason, and are governed by sense alone (unless it be idcots or madmen ): But sense should have no part of the Government at all: And where it is chief in power, the Devil is there the unseen Governor. You cannot here excuse yourselves by any plea of necessity or corstcaint: For though the sense be violent as well as enticing, yet God hath made the Reason and Will the absolute Governors under him; and by all its rebellion and violence, sense cannot depose them, nor force them to one sin, but doth all the mischief by procuring their consent. Which is done sometime by affecting the fantas • e and passions too deeply with the pleasure and alluring sweetness of their objects, that so the higher faculties may be drawn into consent; and sometime by wearying out the resisting mind and will, and causing them to remit their opposition, and relax the reins, and by a sinful privati • n of restraint, to permit the sense to take its course: A head-strong Horse is not so easily ruled, as one of a tender mouth, that hath been well ridden: And therefore though it be in the power of the Rider to rule him, yet sometime for his own case he will loose the reins; and a Horse that is used thus by a slothful or unskillful Rider, to have his will when ever he striveth, will strive when ever he is crossed of his will; and so will be the Master. As ill-bred Children that are used to have everything given them which they cry for, will be sure to cry before they will be crossed of their desire. So is it with our sensitive appetite; If you use to satisfy it when it is eager or importunate you shall be mastered by its eagerness and importunity: And if you use but to regard it over much, and delay your commands till sense is heard and taken into counsel, its two to one but it will prevail; or ar least will be very troublesome to you, and prove a traitor in your bosom, and its temptations keep you in continual danger. Therefore be sure that you never loose the reins, but keep sense under a constant government, if you love either your safety or your ease.

§. 10. Direct. 8. You may know whether Sense, or Faith and Reason be the chief in Government, by knowing which of their objects is made your chiefest End, and accounted your Best, and loved, and delighted in, and sought accordingly: If the objects of sense be thus taken for your Best and End, then certainly sense is the chief in Government: But if the objects of faith and Reason, even God and life eternal be taken for your Best and End, then faith and reason are the ruling power. Though you should use never so great understanding and policy for sensual things, (as Riches, and honor, and worldly greatness, or fleshly delights) this doth not prove that Reason is the ruling power; but proveth the more strongly that sense is the Conqueror, and that Reason is depraved and captivated by it, and truckleth under it, and serveth it as a voluntary slave: And the greater is your learning, wit and parts, and the nobler your education, the greater is the victory and dominion of sense, that can subdue, and rule, and serve itself by parts so noble.

§. 11. Direct. 9. Though sense must be thus absolutely ruled, its proper power must neither be disabled, prohibited, nor denied. You must keep your Horse strong and able for his works, though not headstrong and unruly! And you must not keep him from the use of his strength, though you grant him not the Government. Nor will you deny but that he may be stronger than the Rider, though the Rider have the ruling power: He hath more of the power called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , natural power, though the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be yours. So is it here, 1. No man must destroy his bodily sense: The quickest sense is the best servant to the soul, if it be not headstrong and too impetuous. The Body must be stricken so far as to be kept under and brought into subjection, 1 Cor. 9. 27. but not be disabled from its service to the soul: 2. Nor must we forbid or forbear the exercise of the senses, in subordination to the exercise of the interior senses, Heb. 4. 14. It is indeed a smaller loss to part with a right hand or a right eye, than with our salvation: But that proveth not that we are put to such straits, as to be necessitated to either (unless persecution put us to it): 3. Nor must we deny the certainty of the sensitive apprehension, when it keepeth its place; as the Papists do that affirm it necessary to salvation to believe that the sight, and taste, and smell, and feeling of all men in the world, that take the Sacrament are certainly deceived, in taking that to be Bread and Wine which is not so: For if all the senses of all men though never so sound and rational, be certainly deceived in this, we know not when they are not deceived, and there can be no certainty of faith or knowledge: For if you say that the Church telleth us that sense is deceived in this, and only in this: I answer, If it be not first granted that sense (as so stated) is certain in its apprehension, there is no certainty then that there is a Church, or a man, or a world, or what the Church ever said, or any member of it: And if sense be so fallible, the Church may be deceived, who by the means of sense doth come to all her knowledge. To deny faith is the property of an Infidel: To deny Reason is to deny Humanity, and is fittest for a mad man, or a Beast (if without reason, reason could be denied): But to deny the certainty of sense itself, and of all the senses of all sound men, and that about the proper objects of sense, this showeth that ambition can make a Religion, which shall bring man quite below the Beasts, and make him a Mushrome, that Rome may have subjects capable of her Government, and all this under pretence of honoring faith, and saving souls: Making God the destroyer of nature in order to its perfection, and the deceiver of nature in order to its edification.

§. 12. Direct 10. Sense must not be made the Judge of matters that are above it, as the proper objects of faith and reason: nor must we argue negatively from our senses in such cases, which God in nature never brought into their Court. We cannot say, that there is no God, no Heaven, no Hell, no Angels, no souls of men, because we see them not: We cannot say, I see not the Antipodes, nor other Kingdoms of the world; and therefore there is no such place: so we say as well as the Papists, that sense is no Judge whether the spiritual body of Christ be present in the Sacrament, no more than whether an Angel be here present: But sense with reason is the Judge whether bread and Wine be there present, or else human understanding can judge of nothing. Christ would have had Thomas to have believed without seeing, and feeling, and blesseth those that neither see him, nor feel, and yet believe; but he never blesseth men for believing contrary to the sight, and feeling, and taste of all that have sound senses and understandings in the world. Their instance of the Virgins conception of Christ, is nothing contrary to this: For it belongeth not to sense to judge whether a Virgin may conceive: Nor will any wise man's Reason judge, that the Creator who in making the world of nothing was the only cause, cannot supply the place of a partial second cause in Generation: They might more plausibly argue with Aristotle against the Creation itself, that ex nihilo nihil fit: but as it is past doubt, that the infallibility of sense is nothing at all concerned in this, so it is sufficiently proved by Christians, that God can create without any pre-existent matter. Reason can see much further than sense, by the help of sense; and yet much further by the help of Divine Revelation by faith. To argue Negatively against the conclusions of Reason or Divine Revelation, from the mere negation of sensitive apprehension is to make a Beast of man. We must not be so irrational or impious, as to say, that there is nothing but what we have seen, or felt, or tasted, &c. If we will believe others who have seen them, that there are other parts of the world, we have full Reason to believe the sealed testimony of God himself, that there are such superior worlds and powers as he hath told us: We have the use of sense in hearing, or seeing God's revelation; and we have no more in receiving man's report of those Countries which we never saw.

§. 13. If they will make it the Question, whether the sense may not be deceived; I answer, we doubt not by distance of the objects, or distempers, or disproportions of itself or the Media, it may: But if the sense itself, and all the means and objects have their natural soundness, aptitude and disposition it is a contradiction so say it is deceived: for that is to say, it is not the sense which we suppose it is: If God deceive it thus, he maketh it another thing. It is no more the same, nor will admit the same definition. But however, it is most evident, that the senses being the first entrance or inlet of knowledge, the first certainty must be there, which is presupposed to the certain judgment of the intellect: But if these err, all following certainty which supposeth the certainty of the senses is destroyed: And this error in the first reception (like an error in the first concoction ) is not rectified by the second. And if God should thus leave all men under a fallibility of sense, he should leave no certainty in the world; and I desire those that know the definition of a lie, to consider whether this be not to feign God to lie in the very frame of nature, and by constant lies to rule the world, when yet it is impossible for God to lie. And if this Blasphemy were granted them, yet it would be man's duty still to judge by such senses as he hath about the objects of sense: For if God have made them fallible, we cannot make them better: Nor can we create a Reason in ourselves which shall not presuppose the judgment of sense, or which shall-supply its ordinary natural defects. So that the Roman faith of Transubstantiation, denying the reality of Bread and Wine, doth not only unman the world, but bring man lower than a Beast, and make sense to be no sense, and the world to be governed by natural deceit or lies, and banish all certainty of faith and reason from the Earth: and after all, (with such wonderful enmity to charity, as maketh man liker the Devil, than else could easily be believed) they sentence all to Hell that believe not this; and decree to burn them first on earth, and to depose Temporal Lord's from their dominions, that favor them, or that will not exterminate them from their Lands, and so absolve their Subjects from their Allegiance, and give their Dominions to others. All this you may read in the third Canon of the Lateran General Council under Innocent 3.

§. 14. Direct. 11. Look not upon any object of sense with sense alone, nor stop not in it, but let reason begin where sense doth end, and always see by faith or reason the part which is invisible, as well as the sensible part by sense. By that which is seen collect and rise up to that which is unseen. It God had given us an eye, or ear, or taste, or feeling, and not a mind, then we should have exercised no other faculty but what we had. But sure he that hath given us the higher faculty requireth that we use it as well as the lower. And remember that they are not mere co-ordinate faculties, but the sensitive faculty is subordinate to the Intellectual: And accordingly that which the sensible creature objectively revealeth through the sense unto the Intellect, is something to which things sensible are subordinate. Therefore if you stop in sensible things, and see not the Principle which animateth them, the Power which ordereth and ruleth them, and the End which they are made for, and must be used for, you play the Beasts; you see nothing but a dead carcass without the soul, and nothing but a useless senseless thing. You know nothing indeed to any purpose: no not the creature itself; while you know not the use and meaning of the creature, but separate it from its Life, and Guide, and End.

§. 15. Direct. 12. First therefore see that you ever look upon all things sensible as the products of the will of the invisible God, depending on him more than the Sunshine doth upon the Sun; and never see or ta •• e a creature separatedly from God. Will you know what a plant is, and not know that it is the earth that beareth and nourisheth it? Will you know what a Fish is, and yet be ignorant that he liveth in the water? Will you know what a branch or fruit is, and yet not know that it groweth on the Tree? The nature of things cannot be known without the knowledge of their causes, and respective parts: It is as no knowledge to know incoherent scraps and parcels: To know a hand as no part of the body, or an eye or nose without knowing a head; or a body without knowing its life or soul, is not to know it; for you make it another thing. It is the difference between a wise man and a fool, that Sapiens respicit ad plura, insipi • ns ad pauciora: A wise man looketh comprehensively to things as they are conjunct, and takes all together, and leaveth out nothing that is useful to his end; but a fool seeth one thing and overseeth another which is necessary to the true knowledge or use of that which he seeth: see God as the Cause and Life of everything you see: As a carcass is but a ghastly sight without the soul, and quickly corrupteth and stinketh when it is separated; so the Creature without God is an unlovely sight, and quickly corrupteth and becomes a snare or annoyance to you: God is the beauty of all thats beautiful, and the strength of all thats strong, and the glory of the Sun, and all that is glorious, and the wisdom of all thats wise, and the goodness of all thats good, as being the only original total cause of all. You play the Brutes when you see the creature, and overlook its Maker, from whom it is, whatsoever it is. Will you see the Diall, and overlook the Sun. Remember it is the use of every Creature to show you God, and therefore it is the use of every sense to promote the knowledge of him.

§. 16. Direct. 13. See God as the Conductor, orderer and disposer of all the creatures, according to their natures, as moved necessarily or freely: and behold not any of the motions or events of the world, without observing the interest, and over-ruling hand of God. Sense reacheth but to the effects and events, but Reason and faith can see the first cause and disposer of all. Again, I tell you, that if you look but on the particles of things by sense, and see not God that setteth all together, and doth his work by those that never dream of it, you see but the several wheels and parcels of a Clock, or Watch, and know not him that made and keepeth it, that setteth on the Poise, and winds it up, to fit his ends. Joseph could say, God sent me hither when his Brethren sold him into Egypt; And David felt his Fathers Rod in Shimei's curse.

§. 17. Direct. 14. See God the End of every creature; how all things, are ordered for his service; and be sure you stop not in any creature, without referring it to a higher end: Else as I have oft told you, you will be but like a Child or illiterate person, who openeth a Book, and admireth the workmanship of the Printer, and the order and well forming of the Letters, but never mindeth or understandeth the subject, sense or end. Or like one that looketh on a comely picture, and never mindeth either him that made it, or him that is represented by it. Or like one that gazeth on the Sign at an Inn-door, and praiseth the workmanship, but knoweth not, that it is set there to direct him to entertainment and necessaries within. And this folly and sin is the greater, because it is the very end of God in all his works of Creation and Providence, to reveal himself by them to the intellectual world: And must God show his Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness so wonderfully in the frame of the creation, and in his daily general and particular providence? and shall man that daily seeth all this, overlook the intended use and end? and so make all this glorious work as nothing, or as lost to him? Sense knoweth no End but its own Delight, and the natural felicity of the sensitive creature, such as things sensible afford: But Reason must take up the work where sense doth end its stage, and carry all home to him that is the End of all. For OF Him, and THROUGH Him, and TO Him are all things, to whom be Glory forever, Amen, Rom. 11. 36.

§. 18. Direct. 15. Besides the General Use and Ultimate End of every creature, labor for a clear acquaintance with the particular Use and nearer End of everything which you have to do with, by which it is serviceable to your Ultimate End: And suppose still you saw that special use as subserving your highest End, as the Title written upon each creature. As suppose upon your Bible it were written, The Word of the Living God to acquaint me with himself and his will that I may please, and glorify, and enjoy him forever. And upon your godly friend suppose you saw this Title written, A Servant of God that beareth his Image, and appointed to accompany and assist me in his service unto life everlasting. Upon your meat suppose you saw this Title written, The provisions of my Father sent me as from my Savior's hands not to gratify my sensuality, and serve my inordinate desires, but to refresh and strengthen my body for his service in my passage to everlasting life. So upon your Clothes, your Servants, your Goods, your Cattle, your Houses and everything you have, inscribe thus the proper use and end.

§. 19. Direct. 16. Know both the final and the mediate danger, of everything that you have to do with: and suppose you still see them written upon everything you see. The final danger is Hell; The mediate danger in general is sin: But you must find what sin it is that this creature will be made a Temptation to by the Devil and the Flesh. As suppose you saw written upon money and riches, The bait of Covetousness and all evil to pierce me through with many sorrows and then to damn me: And suppose you saw written upon great buildings, and estates, and honors, and attendance, The great price which the Devil would give for souls; and the baits to tempt men, to the inordinate Love of fleshly pleasures, and to draw their hearts from God and Heaven to their damnation: Suppose you still saw written upon Beauty and and tempting actions and attire, The bait of lust, by which the Devil corrupteth the minds of men to their damnation. Suppose you saw written on the Play-house door, The Stage of the Mountebanck of Hell, who here cheateth men of their precious time, and enticeth them to vanity, luxury and damnation, under pretence of instructing them by a nearer and more pleasant way than Preachers do: The like I say of Gaming, Recreations, company: See the particular snare in all.

§. 20. Direct. 17. To this end be well acquainted with your own particular inclinations and distempers; that you may know what creature is like to prove most dangerous to you, that there you may keep the strictest watch. If you be subject to pride, keep most from the baits of Pride, and watch most cautelously against them. If you be subject to Covetousness, watch most against the baits of Covetousness; If you are inclined to lust, away from the sight of alluring objects. The knowledge of your temper and disease, must direct you both in your diet and your Physic.

§. 21. Direct. 18. Live as in a constant course of obedience; and suppose you saw the Law of God also written upon everything you see. As when you look on any tempting beauty; suppose you saw this written on the forehead, [ Thou shalt not lust: Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge: They shall not enter into the Kingdom of God: ] See upon the forbidden dish or cup the prohibition of God, [ Thou shalt not eat, or drink this ]: See upon money and riches this written, [ Thou shalt not cove • ]: See upon the face of all the world, [ Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world: If any man love the world, the Love of the Father is not in him. ] Thus see the Will of God on all things.

§. 22. Direct 19. Make not the objects of sense over tempting and dangerous to yourselves; but take special care as much as in you lieth, to order all so, that you may have as much of the benefit, and as little of the snare of the creature as is possible. Would you not be gluttonous pleasers of your appetite? Choose not then too full a Table, nor over-pleasant tempting drinks or dishes, and yet choose those that are most useful to your health. Would you not over-love the world▪ nor your present house, or lands, or station? Be not too instrumental yourselves in gilding or dulcifying your bait! If you put in the sugar, the Devil and the flesh will put in the poison. Will you make all as pleasant and lovely as you can, when you believe that the overloving them is the greatest danger to your salvation? Will you be the greatest tempters to yourselves, and then desire God not to lead you into temptation.

§. 23. Direct. 20. Let not the tempting object be too near your sense: For nearness enrageth the sensitive appetite and giveth you an opportunity of sinning. Come not too near the fire if you would not be burnt (And yet use prudence in keeping the usefulness of it for warmth, though you avoid the burning: ) Distance from the snares of pride, and lust, and passion and other sins, is a most approved remedy: and Nearness is their strength.

§. 24. Direct. 21. Accustom your souls to frequent and familiar exercise about their invisible objects, as well as your senses about theirs: And as you are daily and hourly in seeing, and tasting, and hearing the creature, so be not rarely in the humble adoration of him that appeareth to you in them. Otherwise use will make the creature so familiar to you, and disuse will make God so strange, that by degrees you will wear yourselves out of his acquaintance, and become like carnal sensual men, and live all by sense, and forget the holy exercise of the life of faith.

§. 25. Direct. 22. Lose not your humble sense of the badness of your hearts, how ready they are as tinder, to take the fire of every temptation: and never grow fool-bardy and confident of yourselves. For your holy fear is necessary to your watchfulness, and your watchfulness is necessary to your escape and safety: Peters self-confidence betrayed him to deny his Lord. Had Noah and Lot and David been more afraid of the sin, they had been like to have escaped it. It is a part of the character of the beastly Heretics that Jude declaimeth against, that they were spots in their feasts of charity, when they feasted with the Church, feeding themselves without fear. verse. 12. When the knowledge or sense of your weakness and sinful inclination is gone, then fear is gone, and then safety is gone, and your fall is near.

PART. II. Particular Directions for the Government of the Eyes.

§. 1. Direct. 1. KNow the uses that your sight is given you for: As, 1. To see the works of God, that thereby your Minds may see God himself. 2. To read the word of God, that therein you may perceive his mind. 3. To see the servants of God whom you must Love; and the poor whom you must relieve or pity, and all the visible objects of your duty: To conduct your body in the discharge of its office about all the matters of the world: And in special often to look up towards Heaven, the place where your blessed Lord is Glorified, and whence he shall come to take you to his glory.

§. 2. Direct. 2. Remember the sins which the eye is most in danger of, that you may be watchful and escape. 1. You must take heed of a Proud, and Lofty, and Scornful eye: which looketh on your selves with admiration, and delight, as the Peacock is said to do on his tail; and on others as below you with slighting and disdain. 2. You must take heed of a lustful wanton eye, which secretly carrieth out your heart to a befooling piece of dirty flesh, and stealeth from beauty and ornaments a spark to kindle that fire which prepareth for everlasting fire. 3. Take heed of a greedy covetous eye, which with Achan and Gehazi looketh on the bait to tempt you to unlawful love and desire, and to bring you by their sin unto their ruin. 4. Take heed of a Luxurious, Gluttonous and Drunken eye; which is looking on the forbidden fruit, and on the tempting dish, and the delicious cup, till it have provoked the appetite of that greedy worm, which must be pleased, though at the rate of thy damnation. 5. Take heed of a gazing wandering eye, which like a vagrant hath no home, nor work nor master but gaddeth about to seek after death, and find out matter for temptation: Prov. 17. 24. Wisdom is before him that hath understanding, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 6. Take heed of an envious eye, which looketh with dislike and discontent at the prosperity of others, especially such as stand cross to your own interest: Matth. 20. 15. Is thine eye evil because I am good? It is the envious eye, that in Scripture most usually is called by the name of an evil eye, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : It is an eye that would see evil rather than good upon another: as Deut. 15. 9. Lest thy eye be evil against thy poor brother, &c. Prov. 23. 6. it is an eye that grudgeth another anything that is ours. So Prov. 28. 22. Mar. 7. 22. 7. Take heed of a passionate cruel eye that kindleth the hurting or reviling fire in thy breast, or is kindled by it: that fetcheth matter of rage or malice from all that displeaseth thee in another. 8. Take heed of a self-conceited and censorious eye, that looketh on all the actions of another with quarrelling, undervaluing, censure or reproach. 9. Take heed of a fond and fanciful eye, that falls in Love too much with Houses, or Friend, or Child, or Goods or whatsoever pleaseth it. 10. Take heed of a sleepy sluggish eye, that is shut to good, and had rather sleep than watch, and read, and pray, and labor. 11. Abhor a malignant eye, which looketh with hatred on a godly man, and upon the holy assemblies and communion of Saints, and upon holy actions; and can scarce see a man of exemplary zeal and holiness, but the heart riseth against him, and could wish all such expelled or cut off from the earth. This is the heart that hath the Image of the Devil in most lively colors; he being the Father of such, as Christ calleth him, John 8. 44. 12. Abhor an Hypocritical eye, which is lifted up to Heaven, when the heart is on earth, on lusts, on honors, on sports or pleasure, or plotting mischief against the just. Know the evil and danger of all these diseases of the eye.

§. 3. Direct. 3. Remember that the eye being the noblest, and yet the most dangerous sense, must have the strictest watch. Sight is often put in Scripture for all the senses: And living by sight is opposed to living or walking by faith. 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith, not by sight. And a sensual life is called, a walking in the ways of our heart and in the sight of the eyes, Eccles. 11. 9. An ungoverned eye doth show the power of the ungoverned senses. Abundance of good or evil entereth by these doors: All lieth open if you guard not these.

§ 4. Direct. 4. Remember that as your sin or duty, so your sorrow or joy do depend much on the government of your eyes: And their present pleasure is the common way to after sorrow. What a flood of grief did David let in to his heart by one unlawful look?

§. 5. Direct. 5. Remember that your eye is much of your honor or dishonor, because it is the index of your minds: You see that which is next the mind itself, or the most immediate beam of the invisible soul, when you see the eye. How easily doth a wandering eye, a wanton eye, a proud eye, a luxurious eye, a malicious eye, a passionate eye, bewray the treasure of sin which is in the heart? Your soul lieth opener to the view of others in your eye, than in any other part: your very reputation therefore should make you watch.

§. 6. Direct. 6. Remember that your eye is of all the senses most subject to the will, and therefore there is the more of duty or sin in it: For Voluntariness is the requisite to Morality, both good and evil. Your will cannot so easily command your feeling, tasting, hearing or smelling, as it can your sight; so easily can it open or shut the eye in a moment, that you are the more inexcusable if it be not governed: For all its faults will be proved the more voluntary. Cham was cursed for not turning away his eyes from his Fathers shame, and Shem and Japheth blessed for doing it. The righteous is thus described, Isa. 33. 15. He that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high: &c. Men's Idols which they are commanded to cast away are called, The abomination of their eyes, Ezek. 20. 7. Covetousness is called, The lust of the eyes, 1 John 2. 16. It's said of the unclean, that they have eyes full of adultery, 2 Pet. 2. 14. And as sin so punishment is placed on the eye: Isa. 5. 15. The eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: Yea the whole bodies of the daughters of Zion are threatened to be dishonored with nakedness, scabs, and stink, and shame, because they walked with wanton eyes, haughtily, and mincing as they go, &c. Isa. 3. 16.

§. 7. Direct. 7. Therefore let believing reason and a holy resolved fixed will, keep a continual Law upon your eyes, and let them be used as under a constant government: This Job calleth, the making a covenant with them, Job 31. 1. Leave them not at liberty: as if a look had nothing in it of duty or sin; or as if you might look on what you would. Will you go to foolish tempting plays, and gaze on vain alluring objects, and think there is no harm in all this? Do you think your eye cannot sin as well as your tongue? undoubtedly it's much sin that is both committed by it, and entereth at it: Keep away therefore from the bait, or command your eye to turn away.

§. 8. Direct. 8. Remember still how much more easy and safe it is to stop sin here at the gates and out-works, than to beat it out again when it is once got in: If it have but tainted your very fantasie or memory (as tempting sights will almost unavoidably do) it hath there spawned the matter for a swarm of vain and sinful thoughts: It is almost impossible to rule the Thoughts without ruling the eye: And then the passions are presently tainted; and the cittadel of the Heart is taken before you are aware. You little know when a lustful look or a covetous look beginneth the game, to how sad a period it tendeth. Many a horrid adultery, and murder, and robbery, and wickedness, hath begun but with a Look: A Look hath begun that, which hath brought many a thousand to the gallows, and many millions to Hell?

§. 9. Direct. 9. Keep both eye and mind employed in continual duty, and let them not be idle, and have leisure to wander upon vanity. Idleness and neglect of spiritual and corporal duty is the beginner and the nurse of much sensuality. Let your spiritual work and your lawful bodily-labors take up your time and thoughts, and command and keep your senses in their services.

§. 10. Direct. 10. Beg daily of God the preserving assistance of his Grace and providence: Of his inward grace to confirm you and assist you in your resolutions and watch; and of his providence and gracious disposals of you and objects, to keep the Temptations from before your eyes: And when others will run and go on purpose, to gaze on vain or tempting shows, or to admire like children the vanities of the playful pompous world, do you go to God with David's prayer, Psalm 119. 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity: and quicken me in thy way: And imitate him verse. 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word. And make every look a passage to thy mind, to carry it up to God, and pray, Psal. 119. 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law. Observe these, with the General Directions fore named.

PART. III. Directions for the Government of the Ear.

§. 1. Direct. 1. IMploy your ears in the duties which they were made for: and to that end understand those duties: Which are as followeth. 1. To be the organe of reception of such communications from others, as is necessary for our converse in the world, and the duties of our several relations and vocations. 2. To hear the word of God delivered publicly by his appointed Teachers of the Church. 3. To hear the counsel of those that privately advize us for our good: and the reproofs of those that tell us of our sin and danger. 4. To hear the Praises of God set forth by his Church in public, and particular servants in private: 5. To hear from our ancestors and the learned in history, what hath been done in the times before us. 6. To hear the complaints and petitions of the poor and needy and distressed, that we may compassionate them and endeavor their relief. 7. To be the passage for grief and hatred to our hearts, by the sinful words which we hear unwillingly.

§. 2. Direct. 2. Know which are the sins of the ear that you may avoid them. And they are such as follow. 1. A careless ear, which heareth the word of God, and the private exhortations of his servants, as if it heard them not. 2. A sottish sleepy ear that heareth the word of God but as a confused sound, and understandeth not, nor feeleth what is heard. 3. A scornful ear, which despiseth the message of God, and the reproofs and counsel of men, and scorneth to be reproved or taught. 4. An obstinate stubborn ear, which regardeth not advice or will not yield. 5. A profane and impious ear, which loveth to hear oaths, and curses, and profane, and blasphemous expressions. 6. A carnal ear which loveth to hear of fleshly things, but savoreth not the words which favor of holiness. 7. An airy hypocritical ear, which loveth more the music and melody, than the sense and spiritual elevation of the soul to God; and regardeth more the numbers and composure and tone, than the matter of preaching, prayer or other such duties; and serveth God with the ear, when the heart is far from him: 8. A curious ear, which nauseateth the most profitable sermons, prayers or discourses, if they be not accurately ordered and expressed; and slighteth or loseth the offered benefit, for a (modal) imperfection in the offer, or the instrument! and casteth away all the gold because a piece or two did catch a little rust: And perhaps quarrelleth with the style of the sacred Scriptures, as not exact or fine enough for its expectations. 9. An itching ear, which runs after novelties, and a heap of Teachers, and liketh something extraordinary better than things necessary. 10. A selfish ear, which loveth to hear all that tends to the confirmation of its own conceits, and to be flattered or smoothed up by others, and can endure nothing that is cross to its opinions. 11. A proud ear which loveth its own applause, and is much pleased with its own praises, and hateth all that speak of him with mean undervaluing words. 12. A peevish impatient ear which is nettled with almost all it heareth; and can endure none but silken words, which are oiled and sugared and fitted by flattery or the lowest submission, to their froward minds: and is so hard to be pleased that none but graduates in the art of pleasing can perform it. 13. A bold presumptuous ear, which will hear false Teachers and deceivers in a proud conceit and confidence of their own abilities to discern what is true and what is false. 14. An ungodly ear, that can easily hear the reproach of holiness, and scorns at the servants and ways of Christ. 15. A neutral indifferent ear, that heareth either good or evil, without much love or hatred, but with a dull and cold indifferency. 16. A dissembling temporizing ear, which can complyingly hear one side speak for holiness, and the other speak against it, and suit itself to the company and discourse it meets with. 17. An uncharitable ear, which can willingly hear the censures, backbitings, slanders, revilings, that are used against others, yea against the best. 18. An unnatural ear, which can easily and willingly hear the dishonor of their parents, or other near relations, if any carnal interest do but engage them against their honor. 19. A rebellious disobedient ear, which hearkeneth not to the just commands of Magistrates, Parents, Masters and other Governors, but hearkeneth with more pleasure to the words of seditious persons that dishonor them. 20. A filthy, unclean, adulterous ear, which loveth to hear filthy ribbald speeches, and Love-songs, and Romances, and lascivious plays, and the talk of wanton lust and dalliance. 21. A self-provoking ear, that hearkeneth after all that others say against them, which may kindle hatred or dislike or passion in them. 22. A busy meddling ear, which loveth to hear of other men's faults or matters which concern them not, and to hearken to twatlers and carry-tales, and make-bates, and to have to do with evil reports. 23. A timorous, cowardly unbelieving ear, which trembleth at every threatening of man, though in a cause which is God's, and he hath promised to justify. 24. An idle ear, which can hearken to idle timewasting talk, and make the sins of twatlers your own. All these ways (and more) you are in danger of sinning by the ear, and becoming partakers in the sins of all whose sinful words you hear, and of turning into sin the words of God and his servants which are spoken for your good.

§. 3. Direct. 3. Know when the hearing of evil, and not hearing good is your sin: that is, 1. When it is not out of any imposed necessity, but of your voluntary choice: and when you might avoid it upon lawful terms, without a greater hurt, and will not. 2. When you hate not the evil, which you are necessitated to hear, and love not the good which through necessity you cannot hear; but your hearts comply with your necessities. 3. When you show not so much disowning and dislike of the evil which you hear, as you might do without an inconvenience greater than the benefit; but make it your own by sinful silence or compliance. 4. When you are presumptuous and fearless of your danger.

§. 4. Direct. 4. Know wherein the danger of such sinful hearing lieth. As 1. In displeasing God, who loveth not to see his children hearkening to those that are abusing him; nor to see them playing too boldly about fire or water, nor to touch any stinking or defiling thing; but calls to them, Come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. 2 Cor. 6. 16, 17, 18. 2. It is dangerous to your fantasie and memory; which quickly receiveth hurtful impressions by what you hear. If you should hear provoking words, even against your wills, yet it's hard to escape the receiving of some hurtful impression by them: And if you hear lascivious filthy words against your wills (much more if willingly ) it's two to one but they leave some thoughts in your minds which may gender unto further sin. And it is dangerous to your passions and affections, lest they catch fire before you are aware. And it is dangerous to your understandings lest they be perverted and seduced: and to your wills lest they be turned after evil, and turned away from good; and alas, how quickly is all this done? 3. It is dangerous to the speaker, lest your voluntary hearing encourage him in his sin, and hinder his repentance. 4. And it is dishonorable to God and Godliness.

§. 5. Direct. 5. Do your best to live in such company where you shall hear that which is good and edifying, and to escape that company whose conference is hurtful and corrupt. Run not yourselves into this temptation: Be sure you have a call, and your call must be discerned, 1. By your office or place; whether any duty of your office or relation bind you to be there. 2. By your ends: whether you be there as a Physician to do them good (as Christ went among sinners) or to do the work of your proper calling: or whether you are there out of a carnal, man-pleasing or temporizing humor? 3. By the measure of your abilities to attain those ends. 4. By the measure of your danger to receive the infection. 5. By the quality of your company, and the probability of Good or Evil in the event.

§. 6. Direct. 6. When you are called into ill company go fortified with defensive and offensive arms, as foreseeing what danger or duty you are like to be cast upon. Foresee what discourse you are like to hear, and accordingly prepare yourselves: Let your first preparation be to preserve yourselves from the hurt, and your next preparation to confute the evil, and convince the sinful speaker, or at least to preserve the endangered hearers, if you have ability, and opportunity. If you are to hear a seducing heretical Teacher, there is one kind of preparation to be made: If you are to hear a beastly filthy talker, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear a cunning Pharisee, or malignant enemy of Godliness reproach or cavil or wrangle against the Scriptures or the ways of God, there is another kind of preparation to be made: If you are to hear but the senseless scorns or railings and bawlings of ignorant profane and sensual sots, there is another kind of preparation to be made: To give you particular Directions for your preparations against every such danger would make my work too tedious. But remember how much lieth upon your own preparations or unpreparedness.

§. 7. Direct. 7. Be not sinfully wanting in good discourse yourselves, if you would not be ensuared by bad discourse from others. Your good discourse may prevent, or divert, or shame, or disappoint their evil discourse. Turn the stream another way: And do it wisely, that you expose not your selves and your cause to scorn and laughter: And do it with such zeal as the cause requireth that you be not born down by their greater zeal in evil. And where it is unfit for you to speak, if it may be let your countenance or departure signify your dislike and sorrow.

§. 8. Direct. 8. Specially labor to mortify those sins, which the unavoidable discourse of your company doth most tempt you to: that where the Devil doth most to hurt you, you may there do most in your own defense. Doth the talk which you hear tend most to Heresy, Seduction, or to turn you from the truth? Study the more to be established in the truth: Read more books for it; and hear more that is said by wise and godly men against the error which you are tempted to. Is it to profaneness or dislike of a holy life, that your company tempt you? Address yourselves the more to God, and give up yourselves to holiness, and let your study and practice be such as tendeth to keep your souls in relish with holiness, and hatred of sin. Is it Pride that their applauding discourse doth tempt you to? Study the more the doctrine of Humiliation. Is it lust that they provoke you to, or is it drunkenness, gluttony, sinful recreations or excesses? Labor the more in the work of mortification, and keep the strictest guard where they assault you.

§. 9. Direct. 9. Be not unacquainted with the particular weaknesses and dangers of your own hearts, or any of your sinful inclinations: That when you know where the wall is weakest you may there make the best defense. That wanton word will set a wanton heart on fire, which a sober mind doth hear with pity as a bedlam kind of speech. A peevish passionate heart is presently disturbed and kindled, with those words which are scarce observed by a well-composed soul.

§. 10. Direct. 10. Hear every sinful word as dictated by the Devil; and suppose you saw him, all the while at the speakers elbow, putting each word into his mouth, and telling him what to say. For it is as verily the Devil that doth suggest them all, as if you saw him: Suppose you saw him behind the railer hissing him on as boys do dogs in fighting, and bidding him, Call him thus or thus: Suppose you saw him at the malignants ear, bidding him, Revile a holy life, and speak evil of the ways and servants of the Lord: Suppose you saw him behind the wanton, bidding him use such ribbald talk, or on the stage suggesting it to the actors; or at the ear of those that would provoke you to passion, to tell them what to say against you: This just supposition would much preserve you.

§. 11. Direct. 11. Suppose you heard the end annexed to every speech: As when you hear one tempting you to lust, suppose he said, come, let us take our pleasure a while and be damned forever: So also in every word that tempteth you to any other sin; if the Tempter put in the sin, do you put in God's wrath and Hell, and separate not that which God hath adjoined, but with the serpent see the sting.

§. 12. Direct. 12. Observe when the infection first seizeth on you, and presently take an antidote to expel it, if y • u love your souls. The signs of infection are, 1. When your zeal abateth, and you grow more indifferent what you hear. 2. Next you will feel some little inclination to it. 3. Next you will a little venture upon an imitation. 4. And lastly you will come to full consent, and so to ruin. If you feel but a remitting of your dislike and hatred, or any filth or tincture left on your thoughts and fantasie, go presently and shake them off; Bewail it to God in true Repentance, and wash your souls in the blood of Christ, and cast up the poison by holy resolutions, and sweat out the remnant by the servant exercises of Love and Holiness.

PART. IV. Directions for Governing the Taste and Appetite.