A Christian Directory

Direct. 8. KEep right apprehensions of the excellency of Charity and Unity among believers, and receive nothing hastily that is against them; especially take heed lest under pretence of their Authority, their Number, their Soundness, or their Holiness, you too much addict yourselves to any Sect or Party, to the withdrawing of your special Love and just Communion from other Christians, and turning your Zeal to the interest of your Party, with a neglect of the common interest of the Church: But Love a Christian as a Christian, and promote the Unity and welfare of them all.

§. 1. Use often to read and well consider the meaning and reason of those many urgent passages in Scripture, which exhort all Christians to Unity and Love. Such as John 11. 52. & 17. 11, 21, 22, 23. 1 Cor. 3. 10. 17. & 12. throughout: 2 Cor. 13. 11. 1 Thess. 5. 12, 13. Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3. 1 Pet. 3. 8. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 1. 10. & 3. 3. & 11. 18. And John 13. 35. Rom. 12. 9, 10. & 13. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Gal. 5. 6, 13, 22. Col. 1. 4. 1 Thess. 4. 9. 1 John 3. 11, 14, 23. & 4. 7, 11, 16, 19, 20, 21. Surely if the very life of Godliness lay not much in Unity and Love, we should never have had such words spoken of it, as here you find. Love is to the soul, as our Natural heat is to the Body: whatever destroyeth it, destroyeth Life; and therefore cannot be for our good. Be certain, that opinion, course or motion tends to death, that tends to abate your Love to your Brethren, much more which under pretence of zeal, provoketh you to hate and hurt them. To Divide the Body, is to kill it o • to maim it: Dividing the essential necessary parts, is killing it: Cutting off any integral part, is maiming it. The first can never be an act of friendship, which is the worst that an enemy can do: The second is never an act of friendship, but when the cutting off a member which may be spared, is of absolute necessity to the saving of the whole man, from the worse division between soul and body. By this judge what friends Dividers are to the Church, and how well they are accepted of God.

§. 2. He that loveth any Christian aright, must needs love all that appear to him as Christians: And when malice will not suffer men to see Christianity in its profession, and credible appearance in another, this is as well contrary to Christian Love, as hating him when you know him to be a true Christian. Censoriousness (not constrained by just evidence) is contrary to Love, as well as hatred is.

§. 3. There is a Union and Communion with Christians as such: This consisteth in having one God, one Head, one Spirit, one Faith, one Baptismal Covenant, one Rule of holy living, and in loving and praying for all, and doing good to as many as we can. This is a Union and Communion of Mind, which we must hold with the Catholic Church through the world. And there is a Bodily local Union and •••• muni •• , which consisteth in our joining in body, as well as mind, with particular Congregations: And this as we cannot hold it with all, nor with any Congregation, but one at once; so we are not 〈◊〉 to hold it with any, that will drive us from it, unless we will commit some sin: Statedly we must hold it, with the Church which regularly we are joined to, and live with: and Occasionally we must hold it with all others, where we have a call and opportunity, who in the substance worship God according to his Word, and force us not to sin in conformity to them. It is not Schism to lament the sins of any Church, or of all the Churches in the world: The Catholic Church on earth consists of sinners. It is not Schism to refuse to be partaker in any sin of the purest Church in the world: Obedience to God is not Schism. It is not Schism that you join not Bodily with those Congregations where you dwell not, nor have any particular call to join with them: Nor that you choose the pure •• and most edifying Society, rather than one that is less pure and profitable to you: • aeteris paribus, supposing you are at liberty: nor that you hold not Bodily Communion with that Church, that will not suffer you to do it, without sinning against God: Nor that you join not with the purest Church, when you are called to abide with one less pure.

But it is worse than Schism to separate from the Universal Church: To separate from its Faith i • Apostasy to infidelity. To separate from it in someone or few essential Articles, while you pretend to hold to Christ the Head, is Heresy: To separate from it in Spirit, by refusing Holiness, and not loveing such as are truly holy, is damning ungodliness or wickedness: To differ from it by any error, of judgment or life, against the Law of God, is sin. To magnify any one Church or party, so as to deny due Love and Communion to the rest, is Schism. To limit all the Church to your Party, and deny all or any of the rest to be Christians, and parts of the Universal Church, is Schism by a dangerous breach of Charity: And this is the principal Schism that I here admonish you to avoid. It is Schism also to condemn unjustly any particular Church, as no Church: And it is Schism to withdraw your Bodily Communion from a Church that you were bound to hold that Communion with, upon a false suppos • tion that it is no Church, or is not lawfully to be communicated with. And it is Schism to make Divisions or parties in a Church, though you divide not from that Church. Thus I have (briefly) told you what is Schism.

§. 4. 1. One pretence for Schism is ( Usurped ) Authority, which someone Church may claim t • Command others that owe them no subjection: Thus Pride which is the Spirit of Hell, having crep • into the Church of Christ, and animated Usurpations of Lordship and Dominion, and contending for superiority, hath caused the most dangerous Schisms in the Church, that ever it was infested with. The Bishop of Rome (advantaged by the Seat and Constitution of that Empire ) having claimed the Government of all the Christian world, condemneth all the Churches that will not be his subjects: And • o hath made himself the Head of a Sect, and of the most pernicious Schism that ever did rend the Church of Christ: And the Bishop of Constantinople, and too many more, have followed the same Method in a lower degree, exalting themselves above their Brethren, and giving them Laws▪ and then condemning and persecuting them that obey them not. And when they have imposed upon other Churches, their own usurped Authority and Laws, they have laid the plot to call all men Schismatics and Sectaries, that own not their tyrannical Usurpation, and that will not be Schismatics and Sectaries with them: And the cheat lieth in this, that they confound the Churches Unity, with their pretended Authority, and Schism with the refusal of subjection to them. If you will not take them for your Lord's, they cry out that you divide from the Church: As if we could hold Communion with no Churches, but those whose Bishops we obey? Communion with other Churches is maintained by Faith and Charity, and Agreement in things necessary, without subjection to them. As we may hold all just Communion with the Churches in Armenia, Arabia, Russia, without subjection to their Bishops, so may we with any other Church besides that of which we are members. Division or Schism is contrary to Unity and Concord, and not to a Usurped Government: Though disobedience to the Past • rs which God hath set over us, is a sin, and dividing from them, is a Schism. Both the Pope and all the lower Usurpers, should do well first to show their Commission from God to be our Rulers, before they call it Schism to refuse their Government. If they had not made better advantage of Fire and Sword, than of Scripture and Argument, the world would but have laughed them to scorn, when they had heard them say, All are Schismatics that will not be our Subjects: Our Dominion and will shall be necessary to the Unity of the Church. The Universal Church indeed is One, united under One Head and Governor; but it is only Jesus Christ that is that Head, and not any Usurping Vicar or Vice-Christ. The Bishops of particular Churches are his Officers; but he hath Deputed no Vicar to his own Office, as the Universal Head. Above all Sects take heed of this pernicious Sect, who pretend their Usurped Authority for their Schism, and have no way to promote their Sect, but by calling all Sectaries that will not be Sectaries, and Subjects unto them.

§. 5. 2. Another pretence for Schism is the Numbers of the Party: This is another of the Papists motives: As if it were lawful to Divide the Church of Christ, if they can but get the greater party? They say, We are the most, and therefore you should yield to us: (And so do others where by the Sword they force the most to submit to them.) But we answer them, As many as they are, they are too few, to be the Universal Church. The Universal Church containing all true professing Christians, is much more than they. The Papists are not a third part (if a fourth) of the whole Church. Papists are a corrupted Sect of Christians: I will be against Dividing the Body of Christ into any Sects rather than to be one of that Sect or divided party, which is the greatest.

§. 6. 3. Another pretence for Schism, is the soundness or Orthodoxness of a Party: Almost all Sects pretend that they are wiser and of sounder judgment than all the Christian World besides: yea, those that most palpably contradict the Scriptures, (as the Papists in their half-communion and unintelligible service) and have no better reason why they will so Believe or Do, but because others have so Believed and Done already.

But 1. The greatest pretenders to Orthodoxness, are not the most Orthodox: 2. And if they were, I can value them for that in which they excel, without abating my due respect to the rest of the Church. 3. For the whole Church is Orthodox in all the Essentials of Christianity; or else they were not Christians: And I must love all that are Christians with that special Love that's due to the members of Christ, though I must superadd such esteem for those that are a little wiser or better than others, as they deserve.

§. 7. The fourth pretence for Schism, is the Holiness of the party that men adhere to. But this must make but a gradual difference in our esteem and love to some Christians above others: If really they are most Holy, I must Love them most, and labor to be as Holy as they: But I must not therefore unjustly deny communion or due respect to other Christians that are less holy: nor cleave to them as a Sect or divided party whom I esteem most holy. For the holiest are most charitable, and most against the divisions among Christians, and tenderest of their Unity and Peace.

§. 8. The sum of this Direction is: 1. Highly value Christian Love and Unity: 2. Love those most that are most Holy, and be most familiar with them for your own edification: and if you have your choice, hold local personal communion, with the soundest, purest and best qualified Church. 3. But entertain not hastily any odd opinion of a divided party: or if you do hold it as an opinion, lay not greater weight on it, than there is cause. 4. Own the best as best, but none as a divided Sect; and espouse not their dividing interest. 5. Confine not your special Love to a party, especially for agreeing in some opinions with you: but extend it to all the members of Christ. 6. Deny not local communion, when there is occasion for it, to any Church that hath the substance of true Worship, and forceth you not to sin. 7. Love them as true Christians and Churches, even when they thus drive you from their communion.

§. 9. It is a most dangerous thing to a young Convert, to be ensnared in a Sect: It will before you are aware, possess you with a feverish sinful Zeal, for the Opinions and interests of that Sect: It will make you bold in bitter invectives and censures against those that differ from them: It will corrupt your Church-communion, and fill your very prayers with partiality and human passions: It will secretly bring malice under the name of Zeal, into your minds and words: In a word, it is a secret, but deadly enemy to Christian Love and Peace. Let them that are wiser and more Orthodox and Godly than others, show it as the Holy Ghost directeth them: James 3. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. [ Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation, his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying (or zeal) and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth: This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish: For where envying and strife is, there is confusion (or tumult) and every evil work; But the wisdom that is from above, is first Pure, then Peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality (or wrangling) and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. ]

Direct. 9. TAke heed lest any persecution or wrong from others, provoke you to any unwarrantable passions and practices, and deprive you of the Charity, meekness and innocence of a Christian; or make you go beyond your bounds, in censuring, reviling, or resisting your Rulers, who are the Officers of God.

§. 1. Persecution and wrongs are called Temptations in Scripture, because they try you, whether you will hold your integrity. As many fall in such trials through the fear of men, and the love of the world and their prosperity; so when you seem most confirmed against any sinful compliance, there is a snare laid for you on the other side, to draw you into passions and practices that are unwarrantable.

Those that are tainted with Pride, Uncharitableness and Schism, will itch to be persecuting those that comply not with them in their way: And yet while they do it, they will most cry out against Pride, Uncharitableness and Schism themselves. This is, and hath been, and will be too ordinary in the world: You may think that Schism should be far from them that seem to do all for Order and Unity. But never look to see this generally cured, when you have said and done the best you can: you must therefore resolve not only to fly from Church division yourselves, but also to undergo the persecutions or wrongs of Proud or Zealous Church-dividers. It is great weakness in you to think such usage strange: Do you not know that Enmity is put from the beginning between the woman's and the Serpents seed. And do you think the name or dead profession of Christianity doth extinguish the 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈◊〉 in the • erpents seed. Do you think to find more kindness from proud ungodly Christians, than Ab •• might have expected from his Brother Cain? Do you not know that the Pharisees (by then zeal for their 〈◊〉 , and Traditions, and Ceremonies, and the expectation of worldly dignity and rule from the Messiah) were more zealous enemies of Christ, than the Heathens were? And that the ca • nal members of the Church, are oft the greatest persecutors of the spiritual members? As then • e that was born after the flesh, did persecute him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is 〈…〉 and will be▪ Gal. 4. 29. It is enough for you, that you shall have the inheritance, when the S •• s of the Bo • dwoman shall be cast out. It is your taking the ordinary case of the godly for a strange thing▪ that makes you so disturbed and passionate when you suffer: And Reason is down, when passion is up: It is by overwhelming Reason with passion and discontent, that oppressi • n maketh some wise men 〈◊〉 : Eccl • s. 7. 7. For passion is a short imperfect madness. You will think in your p • ssion that yo • d 〈…〉 well • , w • en you do ill: and you will not perceive the force of reason, when it is never so plain 〈…〉 against you. Remember therefore, that the great motive that causeth the Devil to persecute y • u, 〈…〉 to •• rt your bodies, but to tempt your souls to impatiency and sin: And if it may but be 〈…〉 you, as of Job 1. 22. [ In all this Job sinned not ], You have got the victory, and are more than Conqu • r 〈…〉 , Rom. 8. 37, 38, 39.

Doth it s •• m strange to you, that few rich men are saved, when Christ telleth you it is so hard, as to be impossible with men? Luke 18. 27. Mar. 10. 27. Or is it strange, that Rich men should be the ordinary Rulers of the Earth? Or is it strange, that the wicked should hate the godly, and the world hate them that 〈◊〉 ch • sen out of the world? What of all this should seem strange? Expect it as the common lot o • the f •• thful, and you will be better prepared for it.

§. 2. S • e therefore that you resist not evil by any Revengeful irregular violence) Mat. 5. 39. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, and not resist le • t they receive damnation: Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3. Imitate your Lord, that [ When he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not, but committed all to him that judgeth righteously leaving us an ensample, that ye should follow his steps▪ ] 1 Pet. 2. 21, 23. An angry zeal against those that cross and hurt us is so • asily kindled, and hardly supp • ess •• , that it app • areth there is more in it of corrupted nature, than of God. We are very r •• dy to think that we may call for fire from heaven upon the enemies of the Gospel: But you know not what manner of Spirit ye are then of, Luke 9. 55. But Christ • aith unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you: do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that despi 〈…〉 htfully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven, Matth. 5. 44, 45. You find no such prohibition against patient suffering wrong from any. Take heed of giving way to secret wishes of hurt to your adversaries; or to reproachful words against them: Take heed of hurting yourself by p • ssion, or sin, because others hurt you by slanders or persecutions. Keep you in the way of your duty, and leave your names and lives to God. Be careful that you keep your innocence, and in your patience possess your souls, and God will keep you from any hurt from enemies, but what he will cause to work for your good. Read Psal. 37. [ Commit thy way unto the Lord▪ trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass: And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. Rest in the Lord, and wait patienly for him: fret not thyself because of him that pr • spereth in his way, because of the man that bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: f • et not thyself in any wise to do evil. ] Vers. 5. 6, 7, 8.

Direct. 10. WHen you are repenting of, or avoiding any extreme, do it not without sufficient fear and caution of the contrary extreme.

§. 1. In the esteem and Love of God, your Ultimate End, you need not fear over-doing: Nor any where, when impediments and backwardness or impotency, do tell you that you can never do too much. But sin lieth on both sides the Rule and Way: And nothing is more common than to turn from one sin to another; under the name of duty or amendment: Especially this is common in matter of opinion: Some will first believe, that God is nothing else but Mercy, and after take notice of nothing but his Justice. First, They believe that almost all are saved, and afterwards that almost none: First, That every Profession is credible; and next that none is credible without some greater testimony: First, that Christ satisfied for none at all that will not be saved: and next that he died for all alike. First, that none are now partakers of the Holy Spirit: and next that all Saints have the Spirit not only to illuminate and sanctify them, by transcribing the written Word upon their hearts, but also to inspire them with new Revelations instead of Scripture. First, they think that all that Papists hold and do must be avoided: and after that there needed no reformation at all: Now they are for Legal bondage, and anon for Libertinism: To day for a liberty in Religion to none that agree not with them in every circumstance: and tomorrow for a liberty for all: This year all things are lawful to them: and the next year nothing is lawful, but they scruple all that they say or do: One while they are all for a Worship of mere show and Ceremony; and another while against the determination of mere circumstances of order and decency by man: One while they cry up nothing but Free-grace: and another while nothing but Free-will. One while they are for a Discipline stricter than the Rule: and another while for no Discipline at all. First for timorous compliance with evil, and afterwards for boisterous contempt of Government. Abundance such instances we might give you.

§. 2. The remedy against this disease is, to proceed deliberately, and receive nothing, and do nothing rashly and unadvisedly in Religion. For when you have found out your first error, you will be affrighted from that into the contrary error. See that you look round about you: as well to the error that you may run into on the other side, as into that which you have run into already. Consult also with wise experienced men: And mark their unhappiness that have fallen on both sides; and stay not to know evil by sad experience. True mediocrity is the only way that's safe: Though negligence and lukewarmness be odious, even when cloaked with that name.

Direct. 11. I Et not your first Opinions about the controverted difficulties in Religion, (where Scripture is not very plain) be too peremptory, confident or fixed: But hold them modestly, with 〈…〉 your un • ipe understandings, and with room for further information, supposing it possible 〈…〉 , that upon better instruction evidence and maturity, you may, in such things, change y • ur minds.

§. 1. I know the factions that take up their Religion on the credit of their party, are against this Direction: thinking that you must first hit on the right Church, and then hold all that the Church doth hold; and therefore change your mind in nothing, which you this way receive. I know also that some Libertines and half-believers, would corrupt this Direction, by extending it to the most plain and necessary truths; persuading you to hold Christianity itself, but as an uncertain probable Opinion.

But as God's foundation standeth sure, so we must be surely built on his foundation: He that believeth not the Essentials of Christianity as a certain necessary revelation of God, is not a Christian but an Infidel. And he that believeth not all that which he understandeth in the Word of God, believeth nothing on the credit of that Word. Indeed faith hath its weakness in those that are sincere; and they are fain to lament the r • mnants of unbelief, and cry, [ Lord increase our faith: Help thou our unbelief: ] But he that approveth of his Doubting, and would have it so, and thinks the revelation is uncertain, and such as will warrant no firmer a belief, I should scarcely say this man is a Christian. Christianity must be received as of Divine infallible revelation. But controversies about less necessary things cannot be determined peremptorily by the ignorant or young beginners, without hypocrisy, or a human faith going under the name of a Divine. I am far from abating your Divine belief of all that you can understand in Scripture, and implicitly of all the rest in general. And I am far from diminishing the credit of any truth of God. But the Reasons of this Direction are these.

§. 2. 1. When it is certain that you have but a dark uncertain apprehension of any point, to think it is clear and certain, is but to deceive yourselves by pride. And to cry out against all uncertainty as scepti • isme, which yet you cannot lay aside, is but to revile your own infirmity, and the common infirmity of mankind, and foolishly to suppose that every man can be as wise and certain when he list as he should be. Now Reason and experience will tell you, that a young unfurnished understanding is not like to see the evidence of difficult points, as by nearer approach, and better advantage it may do.

§. 3. 2. If your conclusions be peremptory upon mere self-conceitedness, you may be in an error for ought you know: and so you are but confident in an error. And then how far may you go in seducing others, and censuring dissenters, and come back when you have done, and confess that you were all this while mistaken yourselves?

§. 4. 3. For a man to be confident that he knoweth what he knoweth not, is but the way to keep him ignorant, and shut the door against all means of further information. When the Opinion is fixed by prejudice and conceit, there is no ready entrance for the light.

§. 5. 4 And to be ungroundedly confident so young, is not only to take up with your Teachers word, instead of a faith and knowledge of your own, but also to forestall all diligence to know more; and so you may lay by all your studies, save only to know what those men hold, whose judgments are your Religion: (Too Popish and easy a way to be safe.)

§. 6. 5. If you must never change your first opinions or apprehensions, how will you grow in understanding? Will you be no wiser at age, than you were in childhood, and after long study and experience than before? Nature and Grace do tend to increase.

§. 7. Indeed, if you should be never so peremptory in your opinions, you cannot resolve to hold them to the end: For Light is powerful; and may change you whether you will or no: you cannot tell what that Light will do which you never saw. But prejudice will make you resist the light, and make it harder for you to understand.

§. 8. I speak this upon much experience and observation: Our first unripe apprehensions of things, will certainly be greatly changed, if we are studious and of improved understandings. Study the Con • rove •••• s about Grace and Free-will, or about other such points of difficulty when you are young, and •• s two to one that ripeness will afterward make them quite another thing to you. For my own •••• t my judgment is altered from many of my youthful confident apprehensions: And where it heldeth the same conclusion, it rejecteth abundance of the arguments as vain, which once it rested in: And where I keep to the same Conclusions and Arguments, my apprehension of them is not the sa •• , • ut I see more satisfying light in many things which I took but upon trust before. And if I had resolved to hold to all my first Opinions, I must have forborne most of my studies and lost much truth which I have discovered, and not made that my own which I did hold: and I must have resolved to live and die a child.

§. 9. The su 〈…〉 is, Hold fast the substance of Religion, and every clear and certain Truth which you see in its own evidence; and also reverence your Teachers; especially the Universal Church, or the generality of wise and godly men; and be not hasty to take up any private opinion: And especially to contradict the Opinion of your Governors and Teachers in small and controverted things. But yet in such matters receive their Opinions but with a human faith (till indeed you have more) and therefore with a supposition that time and study is very like to alter your apprehensions, and with a reserve impartially to study, and entertain the truth, and not to sit still just where you were b • rn.

Direct. 12. IF Controversies • ccasion any Divisions where you live, be sure to look first to the interest of Common Truth and Good, and to the exercise of Charity: And become not passionate contenders for any party in the division, or censurers of the peaceable, or of your Teachers that will not • ver 〈…〉 their own understandings, to obtain with you the esteem of being Orthodox or zealous men: But suspect your own unripe understandings, and silence your Opinions till you are clear and certain, and j • yn rather with the moderate and the peace-makers than with the Contenders and Dividers.

§. 1. You may easily be sure that Division tendeth to the ruin of the Church, and the hindrance of the Gospel, and the injury of the common interest of Religion. You know it is greatly condemned in the Scriptures: You may know that it is usually the exercise and the increase of Pride, uncharitableness and passion; and that the Devil is best pleased with it, as being the greatest gainer by it. But on the other side, you are not easily certain which party is in the right: And if you were, you are not sure that the matter will be worth the cost of the contention: Or if it be, it is to be considered whether the Truth is not like to get more advantage, by managing it in a more peaceable way, that hath no contention, nor stirreth not up other men so much against it, as the way of controversy doth. And whatever it prove, you may and should know, that young Christians that want both parts, and helps, and time, and experience to be thoroughly seen in controversies, are very unfit to make themselves parties, And that they are yet more unfit to be the hottest leaders of those parties, and to spur on their Teachers that know more than they. If the work be fit for another to do, that knoweth on what ground he goeth, and can foresee the end, yet certainly it is not fit for you. And therefore forbear it till you are more fit.

§. 2. I know those that would draw you into such a contentious zeal, will tell you that their cause is the cause of God, and that you desert him and betray it, if you be not zealous in it: and that it is but the counsel of flesh and blood which maketh you pretend Moderation and Peace; and that it is a sign that you are hypocrites, that are so lukewarm and carnally comply with error: and that the cause of God is to be followed with the greatest zeal and self denial. And all this is true, if you be but sure that it is indeed the cause of God; and that the greater works of God, be not neglected on such pretences; and that your Zeal be much greater for Faith, and Charity, and Unity, than for your opinions. But upon great experience I must tell you, that of the zealous contenders in the world, that cry up The Cause of God, and Truth, there is not one of very many, that understandeth what he talks of; but some of them cry up the Cause of God, when it is a brat of a proud and ignorant brain, and such as a judicious person would be ashamed of; And some of them are rashly zealous, before they have parts or time to come to any judicious trial; and some of them are mis-guided by some person or party that captivateth their minds; and some of them are hurried away by passion and discontent; and many of the ambitious and worldly are blinded by their carnal interests: and many of them in mere pride, think highly of an Opinion in which they are somewhat singular, and which they can with some glorying call their Own, as either invented by them, or that in which they think they know more than ordinary men do: And abundance after longer experience, confess that to have been their own erroneous cause, which they before entitled the Cause of God: Now when this is the case, and one crieth Here is Christ, and another There is Christ; one saith, This is the cause of God, and another saith, That is it; no man that hath any care of his Conscience, or of the honor of God and his profession, will leap before he looketh where he shall alight; or run after everyone that will whistle him with the name or pretence of truth or a good cause: It is a sad thing to go on many years together in censuring, opposing and abusing th • se that are against you, and in seducing others, and mis-employing your zeal, and parts, and time and poisoning all your prayers and discourses, and in the end to see what mischief you have done for want of knowledge, and with Paul to confess, that you were mad in opposing the truth and servants of God, though you did it in a zeal of God through ignorance. Were it not much better to stay till you have tried the ground, and prevent so many years grievous sin, than to scape by a sad repentance, and leave behind you stinking and venomous fruits of your mistake? (And worse, if you never repent yourselves;) Your own and your Brethren's souls are not so lightly to be ventured upon dangerous untryed ways. It will not make the Truth and Church amends, to say at last, I had thought I had done well. Let those go to the Wars of disputing and 〈◊〉 , and c • nsu • ing, and siding with a Sect that are riper, and better understand the cause: Wars are not for Children: Do you suspend your judgment till you can solidly and certainly inform it: and serve God in Charity, quietness and peace: And its two to one, but you will live to see the day, that the contenders that would have led you into their Wars, will come off with so much loss themselves, as will teach them to approve your peaceable course, or teach you to bless God that kept you in your place and duty.

§. 3. In all this I deny not, but every truth of God is to be valued at a very high rate; and that he that shall carry himself in a neutrality, when Faith or Godliness is the matter in controversy, or shall do it merely for his worldly ends, to save his stake by temporizing, is a false-hearted hypocrite, and at the heart of no Religion. But withal I tell you, that all is not matter of Faith or Godliness that the Autonomian-Papist, the Antinomian-Libertine, or other passionate parties shall call so: And that as we must avoid contempt of the smallest Truth, so we must much more avoid the most heinous sins which we may commit for the defending of an error. And that some Truths must be silenced for a time, (though not denied) when the contending for them is unseasonable, and tendeth to the injury of the Church. If you were Masters in the Church, you must not teach your Scholars to their hurt, though it be truth you teach them. And if you were Physicians you must not cramm them or Medicate them to their hurt. Your power and duty is not to Destruction; but to Edification. The good of the Patient is the end of your Physic. All Truth is not to be spoken, nor all Good to be done by all men, nor at all times. He that will do contrary, and take this for a carnal principle, doth but call folly and sin by the name of zeal and duty, and set the house on fire to roast his Egg, and with the Pharisees, prefer the outward rest of their Sabbath before his Brothers life or health. Take heed what you do when God's honor, and men's souls, and the Churches peace are concerned in it.

§. 4. And let me tell you my own observation. As far as my judgment hath been able to reach, the men that have stood for Pacification and Moderation, have been the most judicious; and those that have best understood themselves, in most controversies that ever I heard under debate among good Christians: And those that suriously censured them as lukewarm or corrupted, have been men that had least judgment, and most passion, pride and foul mistakes in the points in question.

§. 5. Nay, I will tell you more of my observation, of which these times have given us too much proof: Profane and formal Enemies on the one hand, and ignorant self-conceited wranglers on the other hand, who think they are champions for the truth, when they are venting their passions and fond opinions, are the two Thieves between whom the Church hath suffered from the beginning to this day: The first are the Persecutors and the other the Dividers and disturbers of the Church. Mark what the Holy Ghost saith in this case, 2 Tim. 2. 23, 24. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strife; and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men. Phil. 2. 14, 15. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the Sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine, as lights in the world, 1 Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5, 6. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine which is according to godliliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, &c. So 1 Tim. 1. 4, 5. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which Minister Questions, rather than godly edifying, which is in faith: Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and a good conscience and faith unfeigned.

§. 6. Yet I must here profess, that if any falsehearted worldly hypocrite, that resolveth to be on the saving side, and to hold all to be lawful that seemeth necessary to his safety or preferments shall take any encouragement from what I have here said, to debauch his conscience, and sell his soul, and then call all those [ furious zealots ] that will not be as false to God as he, let that man know, that I have given him no cloak for so odious a sin, nor will he find a cover for it at the bar of God, though he may delude his conscience, and bear it out by his carnal advantages before the world.

Direct. 13. KNow that true Godliness is the Best Life upon Earth, and the only may to perfect Happiness: Still apprehend it therefore, and Use it as the best: and with great diligence •• sist those Temptations which would make it seem to you a confounding grievous or unpleasant thing.

§. 1. There are all things concurrent in a Holy life, to make it the most delectable life on earth, to a rational purified mind, that is not captivated to the flesh, and liveth not on Air or Dung. The Object of it is the Eternal God himself, the Infallible Truth, the only satisfactory Good; and all these condescending and appearing to us, in the mysterious, but suitable glass of a Mediator, Redeeming, Reconciling, teaching, governing, sanctifying, justifying and glorifying all that are his own. The End of it is the pleasing and glorifying of our Maker, Redeemer and Sanctifier; and the everlasting happiness of ourselves and others: The Rule of it is the infallible Revelation of God, delivered to the Church by his Prophets, and his Son, and his Apostles, and comprised in the Holy Scriptures, and sealed by the Miracles and operations of the Holy Ghost that did indite them. The work of Godliness is a living unto God, and preparing for everlasting life, by foreseeing, foretasting, seeking and rejoicing in that endless Happiness which we shall have with God; and by walking after the Spirit, and avoiding the filthiness, delusions and vexations of the world and the flesh. The nature of man is not capable of a more noble, profitable and delectable life, than this which God hath called us to by his Son. And if we did but rightly know it, we should follow it with continual alacrity and delight. Be sure therefore to conceive of Godliness as it is, and not as it is mis-represented by the Devil and the ungodly. Read what I have written of this in my [ A Saint or a Brute. ]

§. 2. As long as a man conceiveth of Religion as it is, even the most sweet and delectable life, so long he will follow it willingly and with his heart, and despise the temptations and avocations of fl • shly gain and pleasure: He will be sincere, as not being only drawn by other men, or outward advantages, nor frightened into it by a passion of fearfulness, but loving Religion for itself, and for its excellent ends: And then he will be cheerful in all the duties, and under all the sufferings and difficulties of it: And he will be most likely to persevere unto the end. We cannot expect that the Heart or Will should be anymore for God and Godliness, than the Understanding practically apprehendeth them as Good. Nay, we must always perceive in them a transcendent Goodness, above all that is to be found in a worldly life: Or else the appearing Goodness of the Creature, will divert us and carry away our minds: We may see in the very Brutes, what a power apprehension hath upon their actions. If your Horse be but going to his home or pasture, how freely will he go through thick and thin? but if he go unwillingly, his travel is troublesome and slow, and you have much ado to get him on. It will be so with you in your way to Heaven.

§. 2. It is therefore the principal design of the Devil, to hide the Goodness and Pleasantness of Religion from you; and to make it appear to you as a terrible or tedious life. By this means it is that he keeps men from it: and by this means he is still endeavoring to draw you back again, and frustrate your good beginnings and your hopes. If he can thus mis-represent Religion to your understandings; he will suddenly alienate your wills and corrupt your lives, and make you turn to the world again, and seek for pleasure somewhere else, and only take up with some heartless lip-service, to keep up some deceitful hope of being saved. And the means which Satan useth to these ends, are such as these.

§. 3. 1. He will do his worst to overwhelm you with appearing doubts and difficulties, and bring you to a loss, and to make Religion seem to you a confounding, and not a satisfying thing. This is one of his most dangerous assaults upon the weak and young beginners. Difficulties and Passions are the things which he makes use of to confound you, and put you out of a regular cheerful seeking of salvation. When you read the Scriptures he will mind you of abundance of difficulties in all you read or hear. He will show you seeming contradictions: and tell you that you will never be able to understand these things. He will cast in thoughts of Unbelief and Blasphemy, and cause you, if he can, to • owl them in your mind: If you cast them not out with abhorrence, but dispute with the Devil, he hopes to prove too hard at least for such children and unprovided Soldiers as you: And if you do reject them and refuse to dispute it with him, he will sometime tell you that your cause is naught, or else you need not be afraid to think of all that can be said against it; and this way he gets advantage of you to draw you to unbelief: And if you scape better than so, at least he will molest and terrify you with the hideousness of his temptations; and make you to think that you are forsaken of God, because such blasphemous thoughts have been so often in your minds: And thus he will one while tempt you to blasphemy, and another while affright and torment you with the thoughts of such temptations.

§. 4. So also in the study of other good Books, he will tempt you to fix upon all that seems difficult to you, and there to confound and perplex yourselves: And in your Meditations, he will seek to make all to tend, but to confound and overwhelm you; keeping still either hard or fearful things before your eyes; or breaking and scattering your thoughts in pieces, that you cannot reduce them to any order, nor set them together, nor make anything of them, nor drive them to any desirable end. So in your prayers he would fain confound you, either with fears, or with doubtful and distracting thoughts about God, or your sins, or the matter or manner of your duty, or questioning whether your prayers will be heard. And so in your self-examination, he will still seek to puzzle you, and leave you more in darkness than you began, and make you afraid of looking homeward, or conversing with yourselves; like a man that is afraid to lie in his own house when he thinks it haunted with some apparitions. And thus the Devil would make all your Religion to be but like the unwinding of a bottom of Yarn, or a Skein of Silk that is ravelled; that you may cast it away in wea • iness or despair.

§. 5. Your Remedy against this dangerous temptation is, to remember that you are yet young in knowledge, and that Ignorance is like darkness that will cause doubts and difficulties and fears; and that all these will vanish as your Light increaseth▪ and therefore you must wait in patience, till your •• p • r knowledge • it you for satisfaction: And in the mean time be sure that you take up your hearts most with the great, fundamental, necessary, plain and certain points, which your salvation is laid upon, and which are more suited to your state and strength: If you will be gnawing bones, when you should be sucking milk, and have not patience to stay till you are past your childhood, no ma • v • l if you find them hard, and if they stick in your throats, or break your teeth. See that you live upon God in Christ, and love and practice what you know, and think of the excellency of so much as is already revealed to you: You know already what is the end that you must seek, and where your Happiness consisteth; and what Christ hath done to prepare it for you, and how you must be justified and sanctified and walk with God: Have you God, and Christ, and Heaven to think on, and all the mercies of the Gospel to delight in, and will you lay by these as common matters, or overlook them, and p • rpl • x yourselves about every difficulty in your way? Make clean work before you as you go, and live in the joyful acknowledgement of the Mercies which you have received, and • f the practice of the things you know, and then your difficulties will vanish as you go on.

§. 6. 2. Another of Satan's wiles is, to confound you with the noise of Secta • ies, and divers opinions in Religion: while the Popish Sect tell you that if you will be saved, you must be of their Church; and others say, you must be of theirs: And when you find that the Sects are many, and their reasonings such as you cannot answer, you will be in danger either to take up some of their deceits, or to be confound • d among them all, not knowing which Church and Religion to choose.

§. 7. But here consider, that there is but One Universal Church of Christians in the world, of which Christ is the Only King and Head, and every Christian is a member. You were Sacramentally admitted into this Catholic Church by Baptism, and Spiritually by your being born of the Spirit: You have all the promises of the Gospel, that if you Believe in Christ you shall be saved; and that all the living members of this Church are loved by Christ as members of his body, and shall be presented unspotted to the Father, by him who is the Savior of his body, Eph. 5. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29. And that by One Spirit we are all baptized or entered into this one body, 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. If then thou hast faith, and love, and the Spirit, thou art certainly a Christian, and a member of Christ, and of this Universal Church of Christians. And if there were any other Church, but what are the Parts of this one, then this were not Universal, and Christ must have two bodies. Thou art not saved for being a member of the Church of Rome, or Corinth, or Ephesus, or Philippi, or Th • ssalonica, or of any other such; but for being a member of the Universal Church or body of Christ, that is, a Christian. And as thou art a subject of the King, and a member of this Kingdom, whatever Corporation thou be a member of (perhaps sometime of one, and sometime of another) so thou art a subject of Christ, what ever particular Church thou be of: For it is no Church, i • they be not Christians, or subjects of Christ. For one Sect then to say, Ours is the true Church, and another to say, Nay, but ours is the true Church, is as mad as to dispute, whether your Hall, or Kitchen, or Parlor, or Cole-house, is your House: and for one to say, This is the House, and another, Nay, but it is that: when a child can tell them, that the best is but a part, and the house containeth them all: And for the Papists that take on them to be the whole, and deny all others to be Christians and saved, except the subjects of the Pope of Rome, it is so irrational, Antichristian a fiction and usurpation, and odious, cruel and groundless a damnation, of the far greatest part of the body of Christ, that its fitter for detestation, than dispute. And if such a crack would frighten the world out of their wits, no doubt but other Bishops also would make use of it, and say, All are damned that will not be subject to us. But if you would see the folly and mischief of Popery, both in this and other points, I refer you to my Treatise of the Catholic Church, and my Key for Catholics, and my Safe Religion, and my Dispute at▪ against Johnson, and my Winding-sheet for Popery.

§. 8. 3. Another temptation to confound you in your Religion, is, by filling your heads with practical scrupulosity; so that you cannot go on for doubting every step whether you go right: and when you should cheerfully serve your Master, you will do nothing but disquiet your minds with scruples, whether this or that be right or wrong. Your remedy here, is not by ca •• ing away all care of pleasing God, or fear of sinning, or by debauching conscience, but by a cheerful and quiet obedience to God, so far as you know his will, and an upright willingness and endeavor to understand it better; and a thankful receiving the Gospel-pardon for your failings and infirmities. Be faithful in your obedience; but live still upon Christ, and think not of reaching to any such obedience, as shall set you above the need of his merits, and a daily pardon of your sins: Do the best you can to know the will of God and do it: But when you know the Essentials of Religion, and obey sincerely, 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 let no remaining wants deprive you of the comfort of that so great a Mercy, as proves your •• ght to life •••• nal: In your s •• king further for more knowledge and obedience, let your care be such as tendeth to your profitting, and furthering you to your end, and as doth not hinder your joy and thanks for what you have received: But that which destroyeth your joy and thankfulness, and doth but perplex you, and not further you in your way, is but hurtful scrupulosity, and to be laid by. When you are right in the main, thank God for that, and be further solicitous so far as to help you on, but not to hinder you. It you send your servant on your message, you had rather he went on his way as well as he can, than stand scrupling every step whether he should set the right or left foot forward? and whether he should step so far or so far at a time, &c. Hindering scruples please not God.

§. 9. 4. Another way to confound you in your Religion is, by setting you upon overdoing by inventions of your own; when a poor soul is most desirous to please God, the Devil will be Religious, and set him upon some such ta • k of Voluntary humility or Will-worship, as the Apostle speaks of, Col. 2. 18, 20, 21, 22, 23. or s • t him upon some ensnaring unnecessary Vows or Resolutions, or some Pop • sh works of con •• ited sup • rerogation, which is that which Solomon calleth, being righte us overmuch, Eccles. 7. 16. Thus many have made duties to themselves, which God never made for them; and taken that for sin, which God never forbad them: The Popish Religion is very much made up, of such Commandments of their own, and Traditions of men. As if Christ had not made us work enough, men are forward to make much more for themselves. And some that should teach them the Laws of Christ, do think that their Office is in vain, unless they may also prescribe them Laws of their own, and give them new Precepts of Religion. Yea, some that are the bitterest enemies to the strict observance of the Laws of God, as if it were a tedious needless thing, must yet needs load us with abundance of unnecessary Precepts of their own. And thus Religion is mad both wear some and uncertain, and a door set open for men to enlarge it, and increase the burden at their pleasure. Indeed Pope • y is fitted to delude and quiet sleepy consciences, and to torment with uncertainties the consciences that are awaked.

And there is something in the corrupted nature of man, that inclineth him to some additions and voluntary service of his Own inventions, as an offering most acceptable unto God: Hence it is that many poor Christians do rashly entangle their consciences with Vows, of circumstances and things unnecessary, as to give so much, to observe such days or hours, in fasting and prayer, not to do such or such a thing that in itself is lawful, with abundance of such things, which perhaps some change of providence may make accidentally their duty afterwards to do: or disable them to perform their Vows: And then these snares are •••• t • rs on their p • rpl • x • d consciences, perhaps as long as they live. Yea, some of the Autonomians teach the people, that things Indifferent are the fittest matter of a Vow; as to live single, to p • ss • ss nothing, to live in solitude, and the like: Indeed all things lawful when they are vowed, must be performed: But it is unfit to be Vowed if it be not first profitable and best, for ourselves or others: and that which is best is not indifferent, it being every man's duty to choose what is best. Vows are to bind us to the performance of that which God had bound us to by his Laws before: They are our expression of consent and resolution by a self-obligation to obey his will: And not to make new duties or Religion to ourselves, which e • se would never have been our duty.

§. 10. To escape these snares, it is necessary that you take h • ed of corrupting your Religion by burdens and mixtures of your own devising: You are called to Obey God's Laws, and not to make Laws for yourselves. You may be sure that his Laws are just and good, but yours may be bad and foolish. When you obey him, you may expect your reward and encouragement from him: but when you will obey yourselves, you must reward yourselves. You may find it enough for you to keep his Laws, without devising more work for yourselves; or feigning duties which he commanded not, or sins which he forbad not. Be not rash in making Vows: Let them reach but unto necessary duties: And let them have their due exceptions when they are about alterable things: Or if you are entangled by them already, consult with the most judicious, able, impartial men, that you may come clearly • ff without a wound. There is a great deal of judgment, and sincerity necessary in your Counselors, and a great deal of submission and self-denial in yourselves, to bring you safely out of such a snare. Avoid sin what ever you do: for sinning is not the way to your deliverance. And for the time to come, be wiser, and lay no more snares for yourselves; and clog not yourselves with your own inventions; but cheerfully obey what God commandeth you, who hath Wisdom and Authority sufficient to make you perfect Laws. Christ's yoke is easy, and his burden light, Matth. 11. 30. and his Commandments are not grievous▪ 1 John 5. 3. But if your mixtures and self-devised snares are grievous to you, blame not God, but yourselves that made them.

§. 11. 5. Another of Satan's ways to make Religion burdensome and grievous to you, is by overwhelming you with fear and sorrow. Partly by persuading you that Religion consisteth in excess of sorrow, and so causing you to spend your time in striving to trouble and grieve yourselves unprofitably, as if it were the course most acceptable to God: And partly by taking the advantage of a • imorous passionate nature; and so making every thought of God, or serious exercise of Religion, to be a torment to you, by raising some overwhelming fears. For fear hath torment, 1 John 4. 18. In some faeminine, weak and melancholy persons, this Temptation hath so much advantage in the body, that the holiest soul can do but little in resisting it; so that though there be in such a sincere Love to God, his ways and servants, yet fear so playeth the Tyrant in them, that they perceive almost nothing else. And it is no wonder if Religion be grievous and unpleasant to such as th • se.

§. 12. But alas, it is you yourselves that are the causes of this, and bring the matter of your grievance with you: God hath commanded you a sweeter work. It is a life of Love, and joy, and cheerful progress to eternal joy that he requireth of you; and no more fear or grief than is necessary to separate you from sin, and teach you to value and use the remedy. The Gospel presenteth to you such abundant matter of joy and peace, as would make these the very complexion and temperature of your souls, if you received them as they are propounded. Religious fears when they are inordinate and hurtful, are sinful and indeed against Religion▪ and must be resisted as other hurtful passions. Be better acquainted with Christ and his promises, and you will find enough in him to pacifi • the soul, and give you confidence and holy boldness in your access to God, Heb. 4. 16. Ephes. 3. 12. Heb. 10. 19. The Spirit which he giveth, is not the Spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of Adoption, of Love and Confidence, Rom. 8. 15. Heb. 2. 15.

§. 13. 6. Another thing that maketh Religion seem grievous, is retaining unmortified sensual desires. If you keep up your lusts, they will strive against the Gospel, and all the works of the Spirit which strive against them, Gal. 5. 17. And every duty will be so far unpleasant to you as you are carnal, because it is against your carnal inclination and desire. Away therefore with your beloved sickness, and then both your food and your Physician will be less grievous to you. Mortify the flesh, and you will less disrelish the things of the Spirit. For the carnal mind is enmity against God: For it is not subject to his Law, nor can be.

§. 14. 7. Another cause of confounding and wearying you, is the mixture of your actual sins, dealing unfaithfully with God, and wounding your Consciences, by renewed guilt, especially of sins against knowledge and consideration. If you thus keep the bone out of joint, and the wound unhealed, no marvel if you are loath to work or travail. But it is your sin and folly that should be grievous to you, and not that which is contrary to it, and would remove the cause of all your troubles. Resolvedly forsake your willful sinning, and come home by Repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, (Acts 20. 21.) and then you will find that when the thorn is out, your pain will cease, and that the cause of your trouble was not in God or Religion, but in your sin.

§. 15. 8. Lastly, To make Religion unpleasant to you, the Tempter would keep the substance of the Gospel unknown or unobserved to you: He would hide the wonderful Love of God revealed in our Redeemer, and all the riches of saving grace, and the great deliverance and privileges of believers, and the certain hopes of life eternal: And the Kingdom of God which consisteth in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, shall be represented to you as consisting in errors only, or in tri •• es; in shadows and shows, and bodily exercise which profitteth little, 1 Tim. 4. 8. If ever you would know the pleasures of faith and holiness, you must labor above all to know God as revealed in his infinite Love in the Mediator, and read the Gospel as God's Act of Oblivion, and the Testament and Covenant of Christ, in which he giveth you life eternal: and in every duty draw near to God as a reconciled Father, the object of your everlasting Love and Joy. Know and use Religion as it is without mistaking or corrupting it, and it will not appear to you as a grievous, tedious or confounding thing.

Direct. 14. BE very diligent in mortifying the desires and pleasures of the flesh; and keep a continual watch upon your senses appetite and lusts; and cast not yourselves upon temptations, occasions or opportunities of sinning, remembering that your salvation lieth on your success.

§. 1. The lusts of the fl • sh, and the pleasures of the world, are the common enemy of God and souls, and the damnation of those souls that perish. And there is no sort more liable to temptations of this kind, than those that are in the flower of their youth and strength. When all the senses are in their vigor, and lust and appetite are in their strength and fury, how great is the danger? and how great must your diligence be if you will escape? The appetite and lust of the weak and sick, are weak and sick as well as they▪ and therefore they are no great temptation or danger to them. The desire and pleasure of the senses do abate, as natural strength and vigor doth abate: To such there is much less need of watchfulness: and where nature hath mortified the flesh, there is somewhat the less for grace to do. There needs not much grace to keep the aged and weak from fornication, uncleanness, excessive sports and carnal mirth: and gluttony and drunkenness also are sins which youth is much more liable to. Especially some bodies that are not only young and strong, but have in their temperature and complexion a special inclination to some of these (as lust, or sport, or foolish mirth) there needeth a great deal of diligence, resolution and watchfulness for their preservation. Lust is not like a corrupt opinion, that surpriseth us through a defect of Reason, and vanisheth as soon as truth appeareth: But it is a brutish inclination, which though Reason must subdue and govern, yet the perfectest Reason will not extirpate▪ but there it will still dwell. And as it is constantly with you, it will be stirring when objects are presented by the sense or fantasie to allure. And it is like a torrent, or a head-strong Horse, that must be kept in at first, and is hardly restrained if it once break loose and get the head. If you are bred up in temperance and modesty, where there are no great temptations to gluttony, drinking, sports or wantonness, you may think a while that your natures have little or none of this concupiscence, and so may walk without a guard: But when you come where baits of lust abound; where Women, and Plays, and Feasts, and Drunkards are the Devils snares, and tinder, and bellows, to enflame your lusts, you may then find to your sorrow, that you had need of watchfulness, and that all is not mortified, that is asleep, or quiet in you. As a man that goeth with a Candle among Gunpowder, or near Thatch, should never be careless, because he goeth in continual danger; so you that are young, and have naturally eager appetites and lusts, should remember that you carry fire and Gunpowder still about you, and are never out of danger while you have such an enemy to watch.

§. 2. And if once you suffer the fire to kindle, alas, what work may it make ere you are aware? James 1. 14, 15. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed: Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. Little knoweth the Fish when he is catching or nibbling at the bait, that he is swallowing the hook which will lay him presently on the bank. When you are looking on the cup, or gazing on alluring beauty, or wantonly dallying and pleasing your senses with things unsafe, you little know how far beyond your intentions you may be drawn, and how deep the wound may prove, how great the smart, or how long and difficult the cure. As you love your souls, observe Paul's counsel, 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee youthful lusts: Keep at a full distance: Come not near the bait. If you get a wound in your consciences by any willful heinous sin, O what a case will you be in? How heartless unto secret duty? afraid of God that should be your joy; deprived of the comforts of his presence; and all the pleasure of his ways? How miserably will you be tormented between the tyranny of your own concupiscence, the sting of sin, the gripes of conscience, and the terrors of the Lord? How much of the life of faith, and love, and heavenly zeal, will be quenched in a moment? I am to speak more afterwards of this; and therefore shall only say at present to all young Converts that care for their salvation: Mortify the flesh, and always watch, and avoid temptations.

Direct. 15. BE exceeding wary not only what Teachers you commit the guidance of your souls unto, but also with what company you familiarly converse: That they be neither such as would corrupt your minds with error, or your hearts with viciousness, prof • neness, lukewarmness, or with a feverish factious zeal: But choose, if possible, judicious, holy, heavenly, humble, unblameable, self-denying persons, to be your ordinary companions, and familiars; but especially for your near Relations.

§. 1. It is a matter of very great importance, what Teachers you choose in order to your salvation. In this the free grace of God much differenceth some from others: For as poor Heathens and Infidels have none that know more, than what the Book of Nature teacheth (if so much); so in the several Nations of Christians, it is hard for the people to have any, but such as the Sword of the Magistrate forceth on them, or the stream of their Countries Custom recommendeth to them. And it is a wonder if pure Truth and Holiness be countenanced by either of these. But when and where his mercy pleaseth, God sendeth wise and holy Teachers, with compassion and diligence, to seek the saving of men's souls, so that none but the malignant and obstinate are deprived of their help.

§. 2. Ambitious, proud, covetous, licentious, ungodly men, are not to be chosen for your Teachers if you have your choice. In a Nation where true Religion is in credit, and hath the Magistrates countenance or the Major Vote, some graceless men may join with better, in preaching and defending the purity of doctrine, and holiness of life: And they may be very serviceable to the Church herein; especially in expounding and disputing for the truth: But even there, more experienced spiritual Teachers are much more desirable: They will speak most feelingly, who feel what they speak: And they are fittest to bring others to faith and love, who believe and love God and holiness themselves. They that have life will speak more lively than the dead. And in most places of the world, the ungodliness of such Teachers makes them enemies to the Truth which is according to godliness: Their natures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they should preach: And they will do their worst to corrupt the Magistrates, and make them of their mind: And if they can but get the Sword to favor them, they are usually the cruellest persecutors of the sincere. As it is notorious among the Papists, that the baits of Power, and Honor, and Wealth have so vitiated the body of their Clergy, that they conspire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion; and in express contradiction to Sense and Reason, and to Antiquity and the judgment of the Church, and to the holy Scriptures, they captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false worship, and use the seduced Magistrates and multitude to the persecuting of those that will not follow them, to sin and to perdition. Take heed of proud and worldly Guides.

§. 3. And yet it is not everyone that pretendeth Piety and Zeal, that is to be heard or taken for a Teacher: But 1. Such as preach ordinarily the substantial Truths which all Christians are agreed in: 2. Such as make it the drift of their preaching, to raise your souls to the Love of God, and to a holy heavenly life, and are zealous against confessed sins. 3. Such as contradict not the Essential Truths by errors of their own; nor the doctrine of Godliness by wicked malicious applications. 4. Such as drive not on any ambitious tyrannical designs of their own, but deny themselves, and aim at your salvation. 5. Such as are not too hot in proselyting you to any singular opinion of their own: it being the prediction of Paul to the Ephesians, Acts 20. 30. Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 6. Such as are judicious with holy zeal, and zealous with judgment. 7. Such as are of experience in the things of God, and not young beginners or Novices in Religion. 8. Such as bear reverence to the judgments of the generality of wise and godly men, and are tender of the Unity of the Church, and not such as would draw you into a Sect or party, to the contempt of other Christians; no not to a party that hath the favor of Rulers and the people to promote them. 9. Such as are gentle, peaceable, and charitable, and not such as burn with hellish malice against their Brethren, nor with an ungodly, or cruel, consuming zeal. 10. Such as not live not sensually and wickedly, contrary to the doctrine which they preach, but show by their lives, that they believe what they say, and feel the power of the truths which they preach.

§. 4. And your familiar companions have great advantage to help or hinder your salvation, as well as your Teachers. The matter is not so great whom you meet by the way, or travel with, or trade and buy and sell with, as whom you make your intimate, or familiar friends. For such have both the advantage of their interest in your affections, and also the advantage of their nearness and familiarity; and if they have but also the advantage of higher abilities than you, they may be powerful instruments of your good or hurt. If you have a familiar friend that will defend you from error, and help you against temptations, and lovingly reprove your sin, and feelingly speak of God, and the life to come, inditing his discourse from the inward power of faith, and love, and holy experience, the benefit of such a friend may be more to you, than of the learnedst or greatest in the world. How sweetly will their speeches relish of the Spirit, from which they come? How deeply may they pierce a careless heart? How powerfully may they kindle in you, a love and zeal to God and his Commandments? How seasonably may they discover a temptation, prevent your fall, reprove an error, and recover your souls? How faithfully will they watch over you? How profitably will they provoke and put you on? and pray with you fervently when you are cold, and mind you of the Truth and duty, and mercy, which you forget? It is a very great mercy to have a judicious, solid, faithful companion in the way to Heaven.

§. 5. But if your ears are daily filled with froth and folly, with ribaldry or idle stories, with Oaths and Curses, with furious words, or scorns and jears against the godly, or with the Sophistry of deceivers, is it likely this should leave a pleasant or wholesome relish on your minds? Is it likely that the effect should not be seen, in your lean or leprous hearts and lives, as well as the effects of an infected or unwholesome air or diet, will be seen upon your diseased bodies? He is ungodly that liketh such company best: And he is proud and presumptuous that will unnecessarily cast himself upon it, in confidence that he shall receive no hurt: And he is careless of himself, that will not cautelously avoid it: And few that long converse with such, come off without some notable loss; except when we live with such, as Lot did in Sodom, grieving for their sin and misery; or as Christ conversed with publicans and sinners, with a holy zeal and diligence to convert and save them, or as those that have not liberty, who bear that which they have not power to avoid.

§. 6. Among the rest, your danger is not least from that are eager to proselite you to some party or unsound opinion: that they think they are in the right, and that they do it in love, and that they think it necessary to your salvation, and that Truth or Godliness are the things which they profess, all this makes the danger much the greater to you, if it be not Truth and Godliness indeed, which they propose and plead for. And none are in more danger than the ungrounded and inexperienced, that yet are so wise in their own esteem, as to be confident that they know Truth from Error when they hear it, and are not afraid of any deceit, nor much suspicious of their own understandings. But of this before.

§. 7. The like danger there is of the familiar company of lukewarm ones or the profane. At first you may be troubled at their sinful or unsavory discourse, and make some resistance against the infection: But before you are aware, it may so cool and damp your graces, as will make your decay discernible to others: First, You will hear them with less offense; and then you will grow indifferent what company you are in; and then you will laugh at their sin and folly; and then you will begin to speak as they; and then you will grow cold and seldomer in prayer and other holy duties; and if God prevent it not, at last your judgments will grow blind, and you will think all this allowable.

§. 8. But of all bad company, the nearest is the worst: If you choose such into your families, or into your nearest conjugal relations, you cast water upon the fire; you imprison yourselves in such • etters as will gall and grieve you, if they do not stop you; you choose a life of constant, close and great temptations: Whereas your grace, and comfort and salvation, might be much promoted by the society of such as are wise and gracious and suitable to your state. To have a constant companion to open your heart to, and join with in prayer and edifying conference, and faithfully help you against your sins, and yet to be patient with you in your frailties, is a mercy which worldlings neither deserve nor value.

Direct. 16. MAke careful choice of the Books which you read. Let the Holy Scriptures ever have the preeminence, and next them, the solid, lively, heavenly Treatises which best expound and apply the Scriptures: and next those, the credible Histories, especially of the Church, and Tractates upon inferior Sciences and Arts: But take heed of the poison of the Writings of false Teachers, which would corrupt your understandings: and of vain Romances, Play-books, and false Stories, which may bewitch your fantasies, and corrupt your hearts.

§. 1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the Holy Scriptures, than in any other Book whatever, so it hath more power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by imprinting itself upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer him, and make the Reader more reverent, serious and Divine. Let Scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands, and other Books be used as subservient to it. The endeavors of the Devil and Papists to keep it from you, doth show that it is most necessary and desirable to you. And when they tell you, that all Heretics plead the Scriptures, they do but tell you, that it is the common Rule or Law of Christians, which therefore all are fain to pretend: As all Lawyers and wranglers plead the Laws of the Land, be their cause never so bad, and yet the Laws must not be therefore concealed or cast aside: And they do but tell you, that in their concealment or dishonoring the Scriptures, they are worse than any of those Heretics. When they tell you that the Scriptures are misunderstood and abused, and perverted to maintain men's errors, they might also desire that the Sun might be obscured, because the purblind do mistake, and Murderers and Robbers do wickedly by its light: And that the earth might be subverted because it bears all evil doers; and High-ways stopped up because men travel in them to do evil: And food prohibited, because it nourisheth men's diseases. And when they have told you truly of a Law or Rule (whether made by Pope or Council) which bad men cannot misunderstand or break, or abuse and misapply, than hearken to them and prefer that Law, as that which preventeth the need of any judgment.

§. 2. The Writings of Divines are nothing else but a preaching the Gospel to the eye, as the voice preacheth it to the ear. Vocal preaching hath the preeminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according to the state of the Congregations which attend it: This way the Milk cometh warmest from the breast. But Books have the advantage in many other respects: you may read an able Preacher when you have but a mean one to hear. Every Congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful Preachers: but every single person may read the Books of the most powerful and judicious; Preachers may be silenced or banished, when Books may be at hand: Books may be kept at a smaller charge than Preachers: We may choose Books which treat of that very subject which we desire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the Preacher shall treat of. Books we may have at hand every day and hour: when we can have Sermons but seldom, and at set times. If Sermons be forgotten, they are gone. But a Book we may read over and over till we remember it: and if we forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So that good Books are a very great mercy to the world: The Holy Ghost chose the way of writing, to preserve his Doctrine and Laws to the Church, as knowing how easy and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations, in comparison of mere Verbal Tradition, which might have made as many Controversies about the very terms, as there be memories or persons to be the preservers and reporters.

Books are (if well chosen) domestic, present, constant, judicious, pertinent, yea, and powerful Sermons: and always of very great use to your salvation: but especially when Vocal preaching faileth, and Preachers are ignorant, ungodly or dull, or when then they are persecuted and forbid to preach.

§. 3. You have need of a judicious Teacher at hand, to direct you what Books to use or to refuse. For among Good Books there are some very good that are sound and lively: and some are good, but mean, and weak, and somewhat dull: and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or else of incautelous injudicious expressions, fitter to puzzle, than edify the weak. I am loath to name any of these later sorts, (of which abundance have come forth of late): But to the young beginner in Religion, I may be bold to recommend (next to a sound Catechism) Mr. Rutherfords Letters, Mr. Robert Boltons Works, Mr. Perkins, Mr. Whateleyes, Mr. Ball of Faith, Dr. Prestons, Dr. Sibbes, Mr. Hildershams, Mr. Pinkes Sermons, Mr. Io. Rogers, Mr. Rich. Rogers, Mr. Ri. Allen's Mr. Gurnall, Mr. Swinnocke, Mr. Ios. Simonds: And to stablish you against Popery, Dr. Challoners Credo Eccles. Cathol. Dr. Field of the Church, Dr. Whites Way to the Church, with the Defense, Bishop Ushers Answer to the Jesuit; and Chillingworth, with Drelincourts Summary. And for right Principles about Redemption, &c. Mr. Trumans Great Propitiation; and of Natural and Moral Impotency; and Mr. William Fenner of Wilful Impenitency, Mr. Hotchkis of Forgiveness of Sin. To pass by many other excellent ones, that I may not name too many.

§. 4. To a very judicious able Reader, who is fit to censure all he reads, there is no great danger in the reading the Books of any Seducers: It doth but show him how little and thin a cloak is used, to cover a bad caus • . But alas, young Soldiers, not used to such Wars, are startled at a very Sophism, or at a terrible threatening of damnation to diffenters, (which every censorious Sect can use) or at every confident triumphant boast, or at everything that hath a fair pretence of truth or godliness: Injudicious persons can answer almost no deceiver which they hear: and when they cannot answer them, they think they must yield, as if the fault were not in them, but in the cause, and as if Christ had no wiser followers, or better defenders of his truth than they. M • ddle not therefore with poison, till you better know how to use it, and may do it with less danger, as long as you have no need.

§. 5. As for Play books, and Romances, and idle Tales, I have already shown in my Book of Selfd • nyal, how pernicious they are, especially to youth, and to frothy, empty, idle wits, that know not what a man is, nor what he hath to do in the world. They are powerful baits of the Devil, to keep more necessary things out of their minds, and better Books out of their hands, and to poison the mind so much the more dangerously, as they are read with more delight and pleasure: and to fill the minds of sensual people with such idle fumes, and intoxicating fancies, as may divert them from the serious thoughts of their salvation: And (which is no small loss) to rob them of abundance of that precious time, which was given them for more important business, and which they will wish and wish again at last, that they had spent more wisely. I know the fantasticks will say, that these things are innocent, and may teach men much good (like him that must go to a Whorehouse to learn to hate uncleanness, and him that would go out with Robbers to learn to hate Theevery): But I shall now only ask them as in the presence of God, 1. Whether they could spend that time no better? 2. Whether better Books and practices would not edify them more. 3. Whether the greatest Lovers of Romances and Plays be the greatest Lovers of the Book of God, and of a holy life? 4. Whether they feel in themselves that the Love of these vanities, doth increase their love to the Word of God, and kill their sin, and prepare them for the life to come? or clean contrary? And I would desire men not to prate against their own experience and reason, nor to dispute themselves into damnable impenitency, nor to befool their souls by a few silly words, which any but a sensualist may perceive to be mere deceit and falsehood. If this will not serve, they shall be shortly convinced and answered in another manner.

Direct. 17. TAke heed that you receive not a Doctrine of Libertinism as from the Gospel, nor conceive of Christ as an encourager of sin; nor pretend free grace for your carnal security or sloth: For this is but to set up another Gospel, and another Christ, or rather the Doctrine and works of the Devil against Christ and the Gospel, and to turn the Grace of God into wantonness.

§. 1. Because the Devil knoweth that you will not receive his doctrine in his own Name, his usual method is to propound and preach it in the name of Christ, which he knoweth you reverence and regard. For if Satan concealed not his own Name and Hand in every temptation, it would spoil his game: And the more excellent and splendid is his pretence, the more powerful the temptation is. They that gave heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils, no doubt thought better of the Spirits and the Doctrines, especially seeming strict (for the Devil hath his strictnesses ) as forbidding to marry, and abstinence from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving, 1 Tim. 4. 1, 3. But the strictnesses of the Devil, are always intended to make men loose. They shall be strict as the Pharisees in Traditions and vain Ceremonies, and building the Tombs of the Prophets, and garnishing the Sepulchers of the Righteous, that they may hate and murder the living Saints that worship God in Spirit and in truth. Licentiousness is the proper Doctrine of the Devil, which all his strictness tendeth to promote. To receive such principles is pernicious: but to father them upon Christ and the Gospel, is blasphemous.

§. 2. The Libertines, Antinomians, and Autonomians of this age, have gathered you too many instances. The Libertine saith, [ The Heart is the man; therefore you may deny the truth with your tongue, you may be present at false Worship, (as at the Mass,) you need not suffer to avoid the speaking of a word, or subscribing to an untruth or error, or doing some little thing; but as long as you keep your hearts to God, and mean well, or have an honest mental reservation, and are forced to it by there • , rather than suffer, you may say, or subscribe, or swear anything which you can yourselves put a lawful sense upon in your own minds, or comply with any outward actions or customs to avoid • ffence and save yourselves. ]

The Antinomians tell you, that [ The Moral Law is abrogated, and that the Gospel is no Law; (and if there be no Law, there is no Governor nor Government, no duty, no sin, no judgment, n • punishment, no before they are born, or repent, or believe; that their sin is pardoned 〈…〉 , that God t •• k them as suffering and fulfilling all the Law in Christ, as if it had been they that di • i • in • i • : that we are justified by faith only in our consciences: that justifying faith i • but t 〈…〉 we are justified: that every man must believe that he is pardoned, that he may 〈…〉 ed in • is c •• science; and this he is to do by a Divine faith, and that this is the sense of the A • ti • le, [I beli •••• the forgiveness of sins] that is, that my s • ns are forgiven; and that all are forgi 〈…〉 it: that it is legal and sinful to work or do anything for salvation: that sin once pa 〈…〉 ssed and lamented, or at least, we need not ask pardon of sin daily, or of one 〈…〉 t: that 〈◊〉 are no punishments; and yet no other punishment is threatened to believers for their sins, and consequently that Christ hath not procured them a pardon of any sin after believing, but prevented all necessity of pardon: and therefore they must not ask the pardon of them, nor do anything to obtain it: that fear of Hell must have no hand in our obedience, or restraint from sin: And some add, that he that cannot repent or believe, must comfort himself that Christ repented and believed for him: 〈…〉 a contradiction): ] Many such Doctrines of Licentiousness the abusers of Grace have brought forth.

And the Sect which imitateth the Father of Pride in affecting to be from under the Government of God, and to be the Law-givers and Rulers of themselves and all others (which I therefore call the Antonomians) are Licentious and much more. They equally contend against Christ's Government, and for their own: They fill the world with Wars and bloodshed, oppression and cruelty, and the ears of God with the cries of the Martyrs and oppressed ones, and all that the spiritual and holy Discipline of Christ may be suppressed, and seriousness in Religion made odious, or banished from the earth, and that themselves may be taken for the Center, and Pillars, and Law-givers of the Church, and the Consciences of all men may be taught to cast off all scruples or fears of offending God, in comparison of •••••• ing them; and may absolutely submit to them, and never stick at any feared disobedience to 〈…〉 t: They are the scorners and persecutors of strict obedience to the Laws of God, and take those that • ear his judgments, to be men affrighted out of their wits; and that to obey him exactly (which alas who can do, when he hath done his best) is but to be hypocritical or too precise: but to question their domination, or break their Laws (imposed on the world, even on Kings and States without any Authority) this must be taken for Heresy, Schism, or a Rebellion like that of Corah and his company. This Luciferian Spirit of the proud Autonomians hath filled the Christian world with bloodshed, and been the greatest means of the miseries of the earth, and especially of hindering and persecuting the Gospel, and setting up a Pharisaical Religion in the world: It hath fought against the Gospel, and filled with blood, the Countries of France, Savoy, Rhaetia, Bohemia, Belgium, Helvetia, Polonia, Hungary, Germany, and many more: that it may appear how much of the Satanical nature they have, and how punctually they fulfill his will.

§. 3. And natural corruption containeth in it, the seeds of all these damnable Heresies; nothing more natural to lapsed man, than to shake off the Government of God, and to become a Lawgiver to himself, and as many others as he can; and to turn the grace of God into wantonness. Therefore the profane, that never heard it from any Heretics but themselves, do make themselves such a Creed as this; that [ God is merciful, and therefore we need not fear his threatenings, for he will be better than his word: It belongeth to him to save us, and not to us, and therefore we may cast our souls upon his care, though we care not for them ourselves. If he hath predestinated us to salvation, we shall be saved, and if he have not, we shall not, what ever we do, or how well soever we live: Christ died for sinners, and therefore though we are sinners, he will save us: God is stronger than the Devil, and therefore the Devil shall not have the most: That which pleaseth the flesh, and doth God no harm, can never be so great a matter, or so much offend him, as to procure our damnation. What need of so much ado to be saved, or so much haste to turn to God, when any one that at last doth but repent, and cry God mercy, and believe that Christ died for him, shall be saved? Christ is the Savior of the world, and his grace is very great and free, and therefore God forbid that none should be saved but those few that are of strict and holy lives, and make so much ado for Heaven. No man can know who shall be saved, and who shall not: and therefore it is the wisest way, to do nobody any harm, and to live merrily, and trust God with our souls, and put our salvation upon the venture: nobody is saved for his own works or deservings, and therefore our lives may serve the turn as well as if they were more strict and holy. ] This is the Creed of the ungodly: by which you may see how natural it is to them, to abuse the Gospel, and plead God's grace to quiet and strengthen them in their sin, and to embolden themselves on Christ to disobey him.

§. 4. But this is but to set Christ against himself; even his Merits and Mercy against his Government and Spirit; and to set his Death against the Ends of his death; and to set our Savior against our salvation; and to run from God and rebel against him, because Christ died to recover us to God, and to give us Repentance unto life; and to sin, because he died to save his people from their sins, and to purify a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works: Matth. 1. 21. Tit. 2. 14. He that committeth sin is of the Devil: for the Devil sinneth from the beginning: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil, 1 John 3. 8. John 8. 44.

Direct. 18. WAtch diligently hath against the more discernible decays of grace, and against the degenerating of it into some carnal affections: or something counterfeit, and of another kind: And so also of Religious duties.

§. 1. We are no sooner warmed with the coelestial flames, but natural corruption, is inclining us to grow cold: Like hot water, which loseth its heat by degrees, unless the fire be continually kept under it. Who feeleth not that as soon as in a Sermon or Prayer, or holy Meditation, his heart hath got a little heat, as soon as it is gone, it is prone to its former earthly temper, and by a little remissness in our duty, or thoughts, or business about the world, we presently grow cold and dull again. Be watchful therefore lest it decline too far: Be frequent in the means that must preserve you from declining: when faintness telleth you, that your stomachs are emptied of the former meat, supply it with another, lest strength abate. You are rowing against the stream of fleshly interest and inclinations; and therefore intermit not too long, lest you go faster down by your ease, then you get up by labor.

§. 2. The Degenerating of Grace, is a way of backsliding, very common, and too little observed. It is, when good affections do not directly cool, but turn into some carnal affections somewhat like them, but of another kind: As if the body of a man instead of dying, should receive the life or soul of a Beast, instead of the reasonable human soul. For instance: 1. Have you Believed in God, and in Jesus Christ, and Loved him accordingly? You shall seem to do so still as much as formerly; when your corrupted minds have received some false representation of him; and so it is indeed another thing that you thus corruptly Believe and Love. 2. Have you been fervent in Prayer? you shall be fervent still; i • Satan can but corrupt your prayers, by corrupting your judgment or affections, and get you to think that to be the cause of God, which is against him; and that to be against him, which he commandeth, and those to be the troublers of the Church, which are its best and faithfullest members: Turn but your prayers against the cause and people of God by your mistake, and you may pray as fervently against them as you will. The same I may say of preaching, and conference, and zeal: Corrupt them once, and turn them against God, and Satan will join with you for zealous and frequent preaching, or conference, or disputes. 3. Have you a confidence in Christ and his promise for your salvation? Take heed lest it turn into carnal security, and a persuasion of your good estate upon ill grounds, or you know not why? 4. Have you the Hope of glory? Take heed lest it turn into a careless venterousness of your soul, or the mere laying aside of fear and cautelous suspicion of yourselves. 5. Have you a Love to them that fear the Lord? Watch your hearts lest it degenerate into a carnal or a partial Love. Many unheedful young persons of different Sexes, at first love each other with an honest, chaste and pious Love; but imprudently using too much familiarity, before they were well aware it hath turned into a fleshly Love, which hath proved their snare, and drawn them further into sin or trouble. Many have honored them that fear the Lord, who insensibly have declined to honor only those of them that were eminent in wealth and worldly honor, or that were esteemed for their parts or place by others, and little honored the humble, poor, obscure Christians, who were at least as good as they. Forgetting that the things that are highly esteemed among men, are abomination in the sight of God, Luke 16. 15. and that God valueth not men by their places and dignities in the world, but by their graces and holiness of life. Abundance that at first did seem to Love all Christians as such, as far as anything of Christ appeared in them, have first fallen into some Sect, and over admiring their party, and have set light by others as good as them, and censured them as unfound, and then withdrawn their special Love, and confined it to their party, or to some few; and yet thought that they loved the godly as much as ever, when it was degenerate into a factious Love. 6. Are you zealous for God, and truth, and holiness, and against the errors and sins of others? Take heed lest you lose it not, while you think it doth increase in you: Nothing is more apt to degenerate than zeal: In how many thousand hath it turned from an innocent, charitable, peaceable, tractable, healing, profitable, heavenly zeal, into a partial zeal for some Party or Opinions of their own? and into a fierce, censorious, uncharitable, scandalous, turbulent, disobedient, unruly hurting and destroying zeal, ready to wish for fire from Heaven, and kindling contention, confusion and every evil work. Read well James 3. 7. So if you are meek or patient, take heed lest it degenerate into stupidity or contempt of those you suffer by: To be patient is not to be merely insensible of the affliction; but by the power of faith to bear the sense of it, as over-ruled by things of greater moment.

§. 3. How apt men are to corrupt and debase all duties of Religion is too visible in the face of the far greatest part of the Christian world: Throughout both the Eastern and the Western Churches, the Papists, the Greeks, the Armenians, the Abbyssinians, and too many others, (though the Essentials of Religion through God's mercy are retained, yet) how much is the face of Religion altered from what it was in the days of the Apostles? The ancient simplicity of Doctrine, is turned into abundance of new or private opinions introduced as necessary Articles of Religion (and alas, how many of them • alse?) So that Christians being too proud to accept of the ancient test of Christianity, cannot now agree among themselves what a Christian is, and who is to be esteemed a Christian? and so they deny one another to be Christians, and destroy their Charity to each other, and divide the Church, and make themselves a scom by their divisions to the Infidel world: And thus the Primitive Unity, Charity and Peace, is partly destroyed, and partly degenerate into the Unity, Charity and Peace of several Sects among themselves. The primitive simplicity in Government and Discipline, is with most turned into a • or •• ble Secular Government, exercised to advance one man above others, and to satisfy his will and lusts, and make him the Rule of other men's lives, and to suppress the power and spirituality of Religion in the world. The primitive simplicity of Worship is turned into such a Masque of Ceremony, and such a task of formalities and bodily exercise, that if one of the Apostolical Christians should come among them, he would scarce think that this is the same employment which former • y the Church was exercised in, or scarce know Religion in this antick dress. So that the amiable glorious face of Christianity, is so spotted and defiled, that it is hidden from the Unbelieving world, and they laugh at it as irrational, or think it to be but like their own: And the principal hindrance of the conversion of Heathens, Mohammedans, and other Unbelievers, is the corruption and deformity of the Churches that are near them, or should be the instruments of their conversion: And the probablest way to the conversion of those Nations, is the true Reformation of the Churches both in East and West: which, if they were restored to the ancient spirituality, rationality and simplicity of Doctrine, Discipline and Worship, and lived in charity, humility and holiness, as those whose hearts and conversations are in Heaven, with all worldly glory and honor as under their feet, they would then be so illustrious and amiable in the eyes, even of Heathens and other Infidels, that many would flock in to the Church of Christ, and desire to be such as they: And their light would so shine before these men, that they would see their good works, and glorify their heavenly Father, and embrace their faith.

§. 4. The commonest way of the degenerating of all Religious duties, is into this dead formality, or lifeless Image of Religion: If the Devil can but get you to cast off the spirituality and life of duty, he will give you leave to seem very devout, and make much ado with outward actions, words and beads: and you shall have so much zeal for a dead Religion, or the Corpse of Worship as will make you think that it is indeed alive. By all means take heed of this turning the Worship of God into lip-service: The commonest cause of it is, a carnality of mind (Fleshly men will think best of the most fleshly Religion: or else a slothfulness in duty, which will make you sit down with the easiest part: It is the work of a Saint, and a diligent Saint, to keep the soul itself both regularly and vigorously employed with God: But • o say over certain words by rote, and to lift up the hands and eyes, is • asie: And hypocrites that are conscious that they are void of the life and spirituality of Worship, do think to make all up with this formality, and quiet their consciences, and delude their souls with a hansome Image: Of this I have spoken more largely in a Book called, The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite.

§. 5. Yet run not here into the contrary extreme, as to think that the Body must not worship God as well as the soul, or that the decent and editying determination of the outward circumstances of Religion, and the right ordering of Worship, is a needless thing, or sinful; or that a form of prayer in itself, or when imposed is unlawful: But let the Soul and Body of Religion go together, and the alterable adjuncts be used, as things alterable, while the life of Holiness is still kept up.

Direct. 19. PRomise not yourselves long life, or prosperity and great matters in the world, lest it entangle your hearts with transitory things, and engage you in ambitious or covetous designs, and steal away your hearts from God, and destroy all your serious apprehensions of Eternity.

§. 1. Our own experience, and the alterations which the approach of death makes upon the most, doth sensibly prove, that the expectation of a speedy change, and reckoning upon a short life, doth greatly help us in all our preparation, and in all the work of Holiness through our lives. Come to a man that lieth on his death-bed, or a prisoner that is to die tomorrow, and try him with discourse of riches, or honors, or temptations to lust, or drunkenness, or excess: and he will think you are mad or very impertinent, to tell him of such things: If he be but a man of Common Reason, you shall see that he will more easily vilify such temptations, than many religious persons will do, in their prosperity and health: O how serious are we in repenting and perusing our former lives, and casting up our accounts, and asking, What we shall do to be saved, when we see that death is indeed at hand, and time is at an end, and we must away! Every sentence of Scripture hath then some life and power in it: Every word of Exhortation is savoury to us: Every reproof of our negligence and sin, is then well taken: Every thought of sin or Christ, or Grace, or Eternity goes then to the quick: Then time seems precious: and if you ask a man whether it be better spent in Cards and Dice, and Plays and Feastings, and needless recreations and idleness, or in prayer and holy conference, and reading and meditating on the Word of God and the life to come, and the holy use of our lawful labors? How easily will he be satisfied of the truth? and confute the Cavils of voluptuous time-wasters? Then his judgment will easilier be in the right, than Learning or Arguments before could make it. In a word, the expectation of the speedy approach of the soul into the presence of the Eternal God, and of our entering into an unchangeable endless life, of joy or torment, hath so much in it to awaken all the powers of the soul, that if ever we will be serious, it will make us serious, in every thought, and speech, and duty. And therefore as it is a great mercy of God, that this life which is so short, should be as uncertain, and that frequent dangers and sicknesses call to us, to look about us, and be ready for our change; so usually the sickly that look for death, are most considerate; and it is a great part of the duty of those that are in youth and health, to consider their frailty, and the shortness and uncertainty of their lives, and always live as those that wait for the coming of their Lord. And we have great reason for it, when we are certain it will be ere long; and when we have so many perils and weaknesses to warn us; and when we are never sure to see another hour; and when time is so swift, so quickly gone, so unrecoverable, and Nothing when it is past. Common reason requireth such to live in a constant readiness to die.

§. 2. But if youth or health do once make you reckon of living long, and make you put away the day of your departure, as if it were far off; this will do much to deceive and dull the best, and take away the power of every truth, and the life of every good thought and duty, and all will be apt to dwindle into customariness and form: You will hardly keep the faculties of the soul awake, if you do not still think of death and judgment as near at hand. The greatest Certainty of the greatest Change, and the greatest Joy or Misery forever, will not keep our stupid hearts awake, unless we look at all as near, as well as certain. This is plain in the common difference that we find among all men, between their thoughts of death in health, and when they see indeed that they must presently die. They that in health could think and talk of death with laughter, or lightly without any awakening of soul, when they come to die are oftentimes as much altered, as if they had never heard before that they are mortal. By which it is plain, that to live in the house of mirth is more dangerous, than to live in the house of mourning; and that the expectation of long life is a grievous enemy to the operations of grace, and the safety of the soul.

§. 3. And it is one of the greatest strengtheners of your temptations to luxury, ambition, worldliness and almost every sin: When men think that they shall have many years leisure to repent, they are apt the more boldly to transgress: when they think that they have yet many years to live, it tempteth them to pass away Time in idleness, and to loiter in their race, and trifle in all their work, and to over-value all the pleasures, and honors, and shadows of felicity that are here below. He that hath his life in his House or Land, or hath it for inheritance, will set more by it, and bestow more upon it, than if he thought he must go out of it the next year. To a man that thinks of living many years, the favor of great ones, the raising of his estate, and name, and family, and the accommodations and pleasing of his flesh, will seem great matters to him, and will do much with him, and will make self-denial a very hard work.

§. 4. Therefore though Health be a wonderful great mercy, as Enabling him to duty, that hath a heart to use it to that end; yet it is by accident a very great danger and snare to the heart itself, to turn it from the way of duty. The best life for the soul, is that which least endangereth it by being over-pleasing to the Body, and in which the flesh hath the smallest interest, to set up and plead against the Spirit. Not but that the largest stock must be accepted and used for God, when he trusteth us with it; for when he setteth us the hardest work, we may expect his greatest help: But a dwelling as in Tents, in a constant unsettledness, in a moveable condition, having little, and needing little, never feeling anything in the creature to tempt us to say, Soul take thy Rest; this is to most the safest life, which giveth us the free • st advantages for Heaven.

§. 5. Take heed therefore as you love your souls, of falling into the snare of worldly Hopes, and laying designs for rising, and ri • h • s, and pleasing yourselves in the thoughts and prosecution of these things: •• r then you are in the readiest way to perdition; even to idolatrous worldliness, and apostasy of heart from God, and opening a door to every sin, that seems but necessary to your worldly ends, and to odious Hypocrisy for a cloke to all this, and to quiet your guilty minds with something that is like Religion. When once you are saying with worldly security, as he Luke 12. 17, 18. 19. I will pull down my barn, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and goods, and I will say to my soul, Soul thou hast much go • ds laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and • e mercy, you are then befooling yourselves, and near being called away as fools by d •• th, • . 20, 21. And when, without a sense of the uncertainty of your lives, you are saying as those in • ames 4. 13, 14. To day or tomorrow we will go into such a City, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain; whereas you know not what will be on the morrow: You forget what your lives are, that they are a vapor appearing a little while, and then vanishing away. Ver. 14. Boast not thyself therefore of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Prov. 27. 1.

Direct. 20. SEe that your Religion be purely Divine, and animated all by God, as the Beginning, the Way and the End; and that first upon thy Soul, and then upon all that thou hast or dost, there be written HOLINESS TO THE LORD; and that thou corrupt not all with an inordinate hyp • critical respect to man.

§. 1. To be Holy is to be Divine, or devoted to God, and appropriated to Him, and his Will, and Use; and that our Hearts and Lives be not Common and Unclean: To be Godly, is to Live to God; as those that from their hearts believe, that he is God indeed, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, that he is our God All-sufficient, our shield and exceeding great reward, Heb. 11. 6. Gen. 15. 1. & 17. 1. And that Of Him, and Through Him, and To Him are all things, that all may give the Glory forever unto him: Rom. 11. 36. As God is infinitely above all Creatures, so Living upon God and unto God, must needs advance us above the highest sensual life: And therefore Religion is transcendently above all Sciences or Arts: so much of God as is in you and upon you, so much you are more excellent than the highest worldly perfection can advance you to: GOD should be the First and Last and All in the mind, and mouth, and life of a believer. God must be the Principal Matter of your Religion: The Understanding and Will must be exercised upon him: When you awake you should be still with him, Psal. 139. 8. Your Meditati • ns of him should be sweet, and you should be glad in the Lord, Psal. 104. 34 Yet creatures under Him, may be the frequent less principal matter of your Religion; but still as referred unto Him. God must be the Author of your Religion: God must institute it, if you expect he should accept it and reward it. God must be the Rule of your Religion, as Revealing his Will concerning it in his Word. God must be the Ultimate End of your Religion; It must be intended to Please and Glorify Him: God must be the continual Motive and Reason of your Religion, and of all you do▪ you must be able truly to fetch your Reason from Heaven, and to say, I do it because it is his will: I do it to please, and glorify, and enjoy him: God must be taken as the Sovereign Judge of your Religion, and of you, and of all you do: And you must wholly look to his Justification and approbation, and avoid what ever he condemneth. Can you take God for your Owner, your Sovereign, your Savior, your sufficient Protector, your Portion, your All? If not, you cannot be godly, nor be saved: If his Authority have not more Power upon you, than the authority of the Greatest upon earth, you are Atheistical Hypocrites, and not truly Religious, whatever you pretend. If HOLINESS TO THE LORD, be written upon you, and all that's yours, you are devoted to him as his Own peculiar ones: If your Names be set upon your Sheep, or Plate, or Clothes, you will say, if another should take them, They are mine; Do you not see my mark upon them: Slavery to the Flesh, the World and the Devil, is the mark that is written upon the ungodly (upon the foreheads of the profane, and upon the Hearts of Hypocrites and all ): and Satan, the world and the flesh have their service: If you are Conseerated to God, and bear his Name and Mark upon you, tell everyone that would lay claim to you, that you are His, and resolved to live to Him; to Love Him, to Trust Him, and to stand or fall to him alone. Let God be the very Life, and Sense, and End of all you do.

§. 2. When once Man hath too much of your regard and observation, that you set too much by his favor and esteem, or eye him too much in your profession and practice; when man's approbation too much comforteth you, and man • displeasure or dispraise doth too much trouble you; when your fear, and love, and care, and obedience are too much taken up for Man; You so far withdraw yourselves from God, and are becoming the servants of men, and friends of the world, and turning back to bondage, and forsaking your Rock and Portion and your excellency: The soul of Religion is departing from you, and it is dying and returning to the dust. And if once Man get the preeminence of God, and be preferred and set above him in your hearts or lives, and feared, trusted, and obeyed before him, you are then dead to God, and alive to the world, and as Men are taken for your God's, you must take up with such a salvation as they can give you: If your Alms and Prayers are done to be seen of men, and to procure their good thoughts and words; if you get them, make your best of them, For verily, your Judge hath said unto you, You have your reward, Matth. 6. 1, 2, 3.

Not that man is absolutely to be contemned or disregarded: No; under God your Superiors must be obeyed; you must do wrong to none, and do good to all, as far as in you lieth: you must avoid offense, and give good example, and under God have so much regard to men, as to become all things to all men for their salvation. But if once you set them above their rank, and turn yourselves to an inordinate dependence on them, and make too great a matter of their opinion or words concerning you, you are losing your godliness or divine disposition; and turning it into man-pleasing and hypocrisy. When man stands in competition with God, for your first and chief regard, or in opposition to him, or as a sharer in co-ordination with him, and not purely in subordination to him, he is to be numbered with things to be forsaken. Even good men, whom you must love and honor, and whose communion and help you must highly value, yet may be made the object of your sin, and may become your snare. Your honoring of them, or love to them must not entice you to desire inordinately to be honored by them, nor cause you to set too much by their approbation. If you do, you will find that while you are too much eying man, you are losing God, and corrupting your Religion at the very heart. And you may fall among those, that how Holy soever, may have great mistakes in matters of Religion, tending to much sin, and may be somewhat censorious against those that are not of their mind, and so the retaining of their esteem, and the avoiding of their censures, may become one of the greatest temptations of your lives. And you will find that man-pleasing is a very difficult and yet unprofitable task. Love Christ as he appeareth in any of his servants; and be followers of them, as they are followers of Christ, and regard their approbation as it agreeth with Christ's: But O see that you are able to Live upon the favor of God alone, and to be quietted in his acceptance, though man despise you; and to be Pleased so far as God is pleased, though man be displeased with you; and to rejoice in his Justification, though men condemn you with the odiousest slanders, and the greatest infamy, and cast out your names as evil doers: See that God be taken as Enough for you, or else you take him not as your God: Even as Enough without man, and Enough against man; That you may be able to say, If God be for us, who can be against us? Who is he that condemneth? it is God that justifieth? Rom. 8. 31, 33, 34. Do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ, Gal. 1. 10. Jer. 17. 5. Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord: For he shall be like the Heath in the Desert, and shall not see when good cometh—Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is: for he shall be as a Tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the Rivers, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. ] [ Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is be to be accounted of? Isa. 2. 22.]

§. 3. HAving given you these Directions, I must tell you in the Conclusion, that they are like foed, that will not nourish you by standing on your Table, or like Physic, that will not cure you by standing in the Box: They must be taken and digested, or you will find none of the benefit. It is not the Reading of them that will serve the turn to so great use, as the safe proceeding and confirmation of beginners or No • ices in Religion: It will require humility to perceive the need of them; and labor to learn, digest and practice them. Those slothful souls, that will refuse the labor, must bear the sad effects of their negligence: There is not one of all these Directions, as to the Matter of them, which can be spared. Study them, Understand them, and Remember them, as things that must be done. If either a senselessness of your necessity, or a conceit that the Spirit must do it without so much labor and diligence of your own, do prevail with you, to put off all these, with a mere approbation, the consequent may be sadder than you can yet foresee. Though I suppose you to have some beginnings of Grace; I must tell you, that it will be comparatively a sad kind of life, to be erroneous, and scandalous, and troublesome to the Church, or full of doubts, and fears, and passions, and to be burdensome to others and yourselves! Yea, it is reason that you be very suspicious of your Sincerity, if you desire not to increase in grace, and be not willing to use the means, which are necessary to your increase. He is not sincere, that desireth not to be perfect: And he desireth not sincerely, who is not willing to be at the labor and cost which is necessary to the obtaining of the thing desired. I beseech you therefore, as you love the happiness, of prudent, strong and comfortable Christians, and would escape the misery of those grievous diseases, which would turn your lives into languishing, unserviceableness, and pain, that you seriously study these Directions, and get them into your minds, and memories, and hearts; and let the faithful practice of them be your greatest care, and the constant employment of your lives.

CHAP. III. The General Grand Directions for Walking with God, in a Life of Faith and Holiness: Containing the Essentials of Godliness and Christianity.

I Am next to Direct you in that Exercise of Grace, which is common to all Christians. Habits are for Use: Grace is given you, not only that you may have it, but also that you may Use it. And it is fit that we Direct you how to Use it, before we direct you how to know that you have it; because it is Grace in exercise that you must discern; and Habits are not perceived in themselves, but by their Acts: And the more lively and powerful the exercise is, the more easily is Grace perceived: So that this is the nearest and surest way to a Certainty of our own sincerity: He that Useth Grace most and best▪ hath most Grace: And he that hath most, and useth it most, may most easily be Assured that he hath it in sincerity and truth.

In these Directions, I shall begin with those great internal duties, in which the very Life of all Religion doth consist; and the General Practice of these Principles and Graces: and all these Generals shall be briefly set together for the easiness of Understanding and Remembering them. And then I shall give you such Particular Directions, as are needful in subordination to those Generals.