Directions for a well grounded Faith• . y. 8. for the right improvement ofthe Kn?wledge of all·thefe A~tributes of God, I mull refer you De Dii'i ira ut 0 the fore-mentioned Treatife. The aCTs wh1ch you are to exerc1fe upon God are thefc:: r. The f~ut _loqucrc:: •fr. 1 rc[f Knotl'lcdge you can att_ain to: 2. The firm~(l: Belirf: 3· The highejf Eftimation .: 4· The gre~t- ~~;s;;5/'s:~·li Admir,ltiOJt ; 5· The lwzrzuft and fwette{l Complacency or Love: 6. The ftro11gtjl Difire: 7· A fibal /igrfi Thfa tit ~ wfuhujj, :Reverenceand Fear: 8. The boldejt quiwing 7'ru{l and confidence in .him: 9· The moO fixed At:htt)'pDMu<:.._ Yaiting, Dtpenda~u, Hope a~d '!-xpellation : 1 o. The moft abfo!utc felf-~·efignation. to_him. 1 ~.Thefu~ejf f 0 ,!:· Cat b. nd quiettejl fubmiffia~z to h1s difpofa/s. 12. Th~humbleft and molt abfoime fub;et1wn to Jus Gov~rm~g God nc\·~r utbarity and JYiU, and the exallejl obedience to h1s Laws. 13· The boldejf cowuge and forlitude m hls wrouoht MiC'aufi:, and owninghim before the world in the greatefl: fufferings. 14· The greateJt 7'banJU'ulnefi nc'e~o con– for his !Y!crcies. 15. The mofi faithful imprQvemwt of.his Talents, and ufe of .his Means, and pcrfo~- ;;,~ce ~~~~le manee of ?Ur uufi. 16. A reverent and holy ufe of h1s Name, ~nd Word : w1th a Revermce of h!s his 'orduury Secrets; tor bearing to intrude or meddle with them. 17· A w1fe and cautelo~s obfr:rvance of h1s works con– Ptovidmces, publick and private; neither negleCling them, nor miC-interpreting them : neither run- vinee it: L. ning before them, 110r Hriving difcontentedly againfi them. r8. A difc;erning, loving and honouring EamE!foy 16: his Image in his children, no.twithfia.nd.ing their in~rmiries ~nd faults; wirhout any frieodihip to t,~~·eft mens their faults, or over•magnifymg, or tmaating themm any cvd. 19· A revtrwt, {triouJ,{pirittul ado- lo!uta, liber:a ration, and wo;:fhipping him, in publick and private, with foul and body, in the ufe of all his holy & fc~reg::ua Ordinances : but elpccially in the joyful celebration of his Prai[c, for all his PcrfeUiom and his ab ~mm con– MerciCJ, _20· .The higl~ejl D_tlight and fu~lefi Content and G_omfort inG.od .that we ea~ atta~n : Efpe.ci- ~;fi:10~~:~rall,y a Ddtgbt m Knowmg Inm, and Obeymg and Pleafin,r, h1m, TYorjhzppmg and Pr.zifing h1m ; Lovmg fen:ien~, mo– him, and beinJ!. belovedof him, through Jefus Chriil:; at)d in the hopes of the Perft[iing of all thefe in vens, t!l'c. our Evtrlajting fruitiolt of him in Z.J.eavenly Glory. ciwor. T..jcNI' All thde are the ACh of Piety towards God ; which 1. hy together for your eafier ohfervation and memory : But fomc of them mull be mere fully opened, and infified on. DIRECT. V. IJVmember t/,at God is yotlr Lor~ or Owner : and fee tiJat yo11 make all abfoltlte Gr. Vir. 5 • iJVfignation of yorw .felves, and all t/,at yor1 IJave to him as his Own : and Ufe ~~;;~~~,S~gj yottr jr!JJes andall accordmgly; Tntjl: lum tvtt/, Ins Own; a~J reft m his difj;oJals. '""o'""· §. 1. QF this I have a'tready fpoken in my Sermon of .Chri~I Dominion, .and in my Diretiiom for a found Conurfion: and therefore mufi but touc~ Jt here. .Jr. JS eafie notionabY to know and fay that God is our Owner, and we are not our Own: But 1f the HabJtttal Pl'al.iical knowledge of it, were as eafie, or as common, the happy effeCts of it would be the fanCbfication and reformation of the world. I !hall tirtl tell you, ~hat thit Duty i1, and how it is to be performed; and then what fruits and benefits it will produce ; and what fhould move us to it. · ··. ?· 2. ]. The duty lyeth in thefc acts. I· That you confider the Ground ofGods Propriety in you, PerfiJl[um ~oC :--1. In makj1tg y8u ofNorh;1rg, and preferving yoU. 2· In Redumlng you by purchafe. 3· lnRegene- fir:l. .P.~mC!pJo rating you, and renerringyou for himfelf. The firn is the Ground of his CommoN Natural Propriety in ~01111.1 uous lr you and all things : The fecond is the Ground of his Commpn Gtaciaus Propriety in you and all men, as 0~~~:~: ~e,: Pur~b,;fld by Chril1, '!Zom. r~: 9, John. I 3· 3· The third is the Ground of his {ptcial Gracious Propri· rum ::~c mo– tty m you, and all b s fanCbhed peculiar people. Underfiand and acknowledge what a Plenary Domi- dcr.arores D::– nio;z God hath over you, and how abfolutely and wholly you arc HU. 2· Let it exceedingly Pleafe you qs' c::~q;qu:e to think that you arc wholly hU : it being much better for you; as to your SajCty, Hnnour andHappi.;. ~~~~n;~~i ~~;;_ neji, than to be your Own, or any's elfe. 3· As God rcquireth it in hisCovtnant ofGrace, that he have one :t~qucnuhis Right by your Confwt, and not by Co1,jtraint ; fo you muH thankfully accept the motion, and with m.n.---:Et he.1rty and fuUC/)~ftnt ot Will, Re.[ign your felv_:s to him as his Own,. even as his c;eatttre.r, his Ran- ~~,311~iT~i~~ fomed ones? and h1s R~generJJte Chzldren, by a Covenant never to b~ VIOlated. 4· You mull: CJrefully qui~ in fe ~d-. watch ag:unfi the Clazm and re[erver of carnal [elfijhnrji; lefl wh1le you confefs you are Gods, and mi:12:, qu:~. not your Own, you fl1ould fecretly fiill k,gep poffiffion of ) our felws againfi him, or rc-affume the t~:=!1te, qn polTdfion which you furrendred. 5· You mufi Vfe your [elves ever after as Gods, and not your ~~~~i~~~<?C:,t ~ . ~~ 9• 3· 11. In this Vfing yout felvu as wholly Gods, confiflerh both your further dutj, aod your ~umq:t~ & bcntfits: I. When Gods Propriety is difcerned and. con{ented to, ic will m1kc you fenfible how you are Jmr10rum .• obliged to ~mploy all you~ powers of {Oul and. body to his ~crvice~ and to p:rceivc ~hat N()tbing ~;1~1 ~reci:~~0°~ !hould be alunated from hun, no creature havmg any co-ordmate t1tle to a thought bf your hearts, d! u:. or a glance of your affrdion, or a word of your mouths, or a minute of your time. The fc:nfe of Gods Propriety mufr caufe you, to keep confrant accounu between God and you, and to call Your felV~s t~ a frequent rcck,_oning,, whether God have his Own) and you do not defraud him : whether it be hiS work that you arc doing : and for him that you think, and[ptak,., and live ? And alltb"'you h•vt, wiH
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