fJireElions for a well grou1rded Faitl1. 9· 33• Dircd-. 2· Yet mujl yo11 be wiUingand obedient in applying rhe Remediu prefcribed Y"' by Chrift, and obfrrvinJ!, bU Dircliioni in ortkr to yottr Cure. And you n:uft not be ten~er, and coy, and fineifh, and fay, This is toobitter, and tha~ ts too fharp; but trull hts Love, a~d s~tll and care, and take it as he prefcribeth it, or givcth it you, witho11t any mor~ado. Say not, It u grzevou1, a~~ I cB.n– not tak,_e it : For he commands you nothing but what ts fafc, and ~~olefome,~ and neceffary, and if you c,m1rot takJ it, you muft try whether you can btar your ficknefs, a_n_d death, and the fire of Hell ! Is humiliation, confeflion, rdlitution, mortification and holy dtltgence, worfe than Hell? 10~ 9· 34· Di.re&. 3· See that you tak..,e not. part with fin, and w~angle "?'' or ftrivt not a~~i~ft your J])ireQ. 3, Phyficion, £'r any that w~uld do yo1t g?od. Excufing fi~, anti .Plead~n~ for H, and ext~nuatmg tt, and 1hiving againfi theSpint and Conictence, and wranglmg agamfi Mmt!lers and godly fnends) and hateing reproof, are not the means to be cured and fand:ified. . , §. 3S· Direct. 4· See that maliJ!,nitJ in every one ofY.our parti~ular fin.J, Wh~ch yo'! can fee and. fay ]Jjretl. 4 • i; in fin in gwcral. It's a grofs dccctt of your felves, tf you wdl fpcak a great deal of the evd of Fw, and fee none of this malignity, iny;1ur Pride, and Y_OU( world~i'!efr, and y~itr paffion, ~nd_pievjfh· m[s, and )'OH.r malice, and uncharitablentji, and your lymg, b.ac~hztz?g., fl.znderz.ng, .or finmng agamft <:onfcicnce for ~orldly commodity or [afety. \·Vhat felf·contradui:wn ts tt for a man mpray~r m aggra· vatefin, and when he isreproved for ir, to j:~Jlifie or excu[t it? For a Popi£h Priefl to enter finfuf!y upon his phce, by jitb{cribing or[wearing the Trent Crm[c{fio1t, and then to preach zealoufly again~ fi/J ill tbe gqur;I, as if he had never committed fo horrid a crime ? This is like him that will fpeak againfi TreafUn, and the Enemies of the King, bu! becaufe the Traytors are his friends and kindred, will protelt,or hide them, and cake their parts. 9· 36. Direll. 5· Kerp ar far at you c~nfrom tbofe temptation; which ferd andflrengthtn the fim which Dire{}. 5 , yOu would ovtrcome. Lay fic:ge to your fms, and flarve them our, by keep1ng away the food and fewe\ which is their maintmance and lite. - §. 37· Direct. 6. Live in the exercife of tbofe gracts and dutiu whicb are contrary to the ji1u which Direll. 6. you aremujt in d:mger of. For grace and duty is contrary to fin, and killeth ir, and cureth us of it, as the fire cmeth us of cold, or health of fickncis; 9· 38. Direct. 7· Heari(pn not to weak,ning unbe!ief and dij!rujl,and c# >tot away the comfortJ ofGod, DireC1. 7· wbiciJ are your cordi.:lls and ftrcngth. It is not a frightful dejected defpairing frame of mind, that is littef\ to refill fin; but it is the encouraging [enfe of the love ofGod, and thankful fenfe of grace re• ceived ( with a cautelc;ms (ear ). I 9· 39· Dirifr. 8. Be alwaye; fufpicioU< of c;rna! fe!J-!ove, and roatcT> againjl it. For that is the Dirr{J. 8; burrow or fortrefs of fin ; and the common Patron of it ; ready to draw you to it, and ready to julli~ ' fie it. We arc very prone to be partial in our own cau(e; as the cafe ofJudah with7hamar, and Da· vidwhen N:~tha;: reproved him in a Parable, fhew. Our ow11 paffionJ, our own pride, our owncenfurer, I or back,;bitingr, or injuriour dtalingr, our own nl!glel]J of duty, feem fmall excufable, ifnot jull:ify- . able thing,s to us~ whereai we could eafily fee the faultinefs of all thc:fe in another, efpecially in an · enemy : when yet we lhould be be!l acquainted with our felves, and we lhould molll,ove our felves, and therefore hate our own Jin.t moll. 9· 40. Dirtct. 9· Betlow your fir!l and chiefe!l labour to kill (;n at the Root : To cleanfe the Hear~ DireC1· 9· which is the fountain ; for out of the heart cometh the evils of the life. Know which are the Matler~ Roots; and bend your greatell care and indu!lry to mortifie thofe : And that is efpecially thefe that follow; t.lgnorance. 2· Unbelief. 3· Inconlideratcnefs. 4· Selfi!hnefs and Pride. 5• Fle!hlinefs, ~n pleafing ·a bruiti!h appetite, luf\ or fantafie. 6. Senfdefs , hard-heartednefs and lleepinefs, m fin. 9, 4'· Direct. 10. Account the world and all its pleafures, wealth and honours no better than in- D're{J 10 , deed they are, and then Satan will find no bait to catch you. Elleem all as dung with Paul ' ' Phi!. 3• 8. And no man will fin, and fell his foul, for that which he accounteth but a; dung. . 9· 42: Direct. 1•·. Keep up above in a Heavenly co~vcrfation, a':d then your fouls willbe alwayes . m the hght, and as tn !he fight of God, and taken up Wtth thofc bulmdf<S and dehghts, which put Dm{J. 1 1 " them our of relli(h with the baits of fin. 9. 43• Direct. 12. Let S::hriflian watchfulnds be your daily work; And cheri!h a preferving, though DireGI. , 2 • not a di(hading and difcouraging fear. 9· 44• Direct. ·~· Take he~d of the firll approaches ~nd beginnings of fin: Oh ho.v great a mat- Dire[]. '3· ter doth a little ol th!S fire kmdle ? And 1f you fall, nfc quickly by found repentance, whatever it may coli you. 9· 45· Direct. '4· Make Gods word your only Rule: and labour diligentlytounderllandir. Dirtfl. , 4 , ~. 46. Direct. 15· In doubtful Cafes, do not eafily depart from the unanimous judgement of the generality of the mofi wife and godly ofall ages. · 9· 47· Direct. t6. And in doubtful Cafes In: not pallionate or ralh, but proceed deliberately, and Dire[r. r 5 • prove things well, before you faften on them. 1 9· 48. Dire/l. 17· Be acquainted with your bodily temperature; and what fin it mof\ enclineth you Dire{i. t6. to, and what fin alfo. your Calling or c?nverfc doth lay you mofi: open to , that there your ~ watch may be the finctex ; (Of all whiCh I !hall fpeak more fully under the next Grand Di· re{iion.) p
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