1 o Direffions to theUnrenewed. IR.,ead, hear andJerior;jly and frequently confider. DirtC/o4• Dire&. 5· two courfesagainl\ the mofi innocent fervants of the Lamb. How jnfi is it that they dwell together hneafrer, that are here Co like in diCpofition and adion: even as the Righteous flull dwell with Chrifl, who bore his image, and imitated his holy fuffcring life. 9·3· I Conclude then, that if thou wilt never turn to God and a holy life, till wicked men give over belying, and r~ proachitig them, thou maifi as well fay, that thou wilt never be reconciled to God, till the Devil be fi;{l reconciled to him; and never love Chrifi, till the Devil love him, or bid thee Jove him; or never be aSlint till rhe D..:vil be a Saint.., or will give thee leave, and that thou wilt not be Caved, till the Devil be willing that 1hou b~ Caved. Direction 4• THat thy underftandilt~ may be tnlif!,htned, and·thy heart rwew,etl, be much andftrioUf in Rc:adi,g the Word ofGod, t~nd thofe Book,.r that are fitted tomm i1z an uNconvertcd ftatr, and r[p<>i•Uy ill bearing tbe plain a11dfearcl>ing preaching of the word. 9· •· There is a heav<nly light and power and Majefty in the Word of God, which in the ferious Reading or hearing of it,may pierce tfie heart; and prick it,and open it, that corruption may go out, and grace come in. 1be Law of the Lord is perfel1, convming the foul: The teftimony of the Lird is fHTe, mal(jng wife tbt fimple: 1he StatuttS of the Lord are right, rijoycing the heart. Pfal.tp.7, 8. Moreover by tiJtm it i1 th11t we are warned, and in k,!epi11g of them there i1 grtat reward, ver. I r. The Eunuch was Reading the Scripture, when Philip was fent to expound it to him for his conver– fion, ACis 8. The preaching ofPeter did pricl;, many thoufands to the heart to theirconverfion. Aas 2. 37· The heart of Lydia was opmctl to attend to the preaching of Paul, Acts t6. '4· The wsrd of God i< quicl(_ and powerful, andJharprr than any two-edged fword, piercing even to tke dividing of foul and [pirit, Heb. 4· u. Thefe wiapons are mighty through God, to the pulling dew• ofjlrong h,/ds, cafting dunm imagination!, and every high thing that exalteth it felf againft the l(_nowltdge of God, and bringing into captivity every t!Jought to the obedience of Chrift, 2 Cor. 4· 5· Hafi thou often read and heard already, and yet findefi no change upon thf heart ? Yet read and hear again and again: Mini– ftmmull not give over preaching, when they have laboured without fuccefs : Why then fhould Y'" give over htaring or reading? As the Husbandman !aboureth, and looketh to God for rain and for rhe bldfing, (o mull we, and fo mull you. Look' up to God: remember it is his Word, in which he callc-th you to Repentance, and offerethyou mercy., and treateth with you concerning your everlafiing happinefs: Lament your former negligence and difob<dience, and beg his bkfling on his Word, and you !hall find it will not be in vain. 9· 2· And the ferious Reading of Books which expound and apply the Sctipturcs fuitably to your cafe may by the blefiing of God be effeCl:ual to your converfion. I have written fo many to this ure' my felf, that I flJa!l be the lhorter on this fubjed now, and defrre you to read them, or fome of them, if you have not fitter at hand; vit. A CaV to the Vnconverttd: A Treatife ofConverfton: N"" ot Nevtr : Dirtflio1t1 f.qr a fo:md Converfum: A_ Saint o~ ~ Bruit: A 1'reatjf! ofJud;.ement : A Sermon againft "'al(fng ligbt ofCbrijl: A Sermon of Chrijls Domtltlon: Another of his Soverazgnty, &c. Direction 5· IF thou wouldft not be drjlitule uf faving Grace, ltt thy Reafon be exrrcifed about 'the matters of thy falvaiUJH, in fome proportion of frequent, fober , ferioU< Thoughts, ar tbou art convinced the weight of the matter dotb require. C §.,.To have Rtafon is ·commqn to all men,even the fleepy and dillraCled:To ufe Rea[on is common to ~rat'~'~·,~: all that have their fenfi:s awake and fit to ferve their Minds: To ufe Rea[on in the greauft matters, 6, r. is proper to wife men, that know for what end God.made them Reafonabk. lnconfidmte men are r Cor: rr. as. all ungodly men: for Reafon not ufed is as bad as no Rea[on (and will prove much "'"fe in the day The wo~d ht ofreckoning.) The truth is; though finners are exceeding blind and erroneous, about the_ things ~~~r:~"~~d ofGod, yet all Gods precepts are fo Reafonable, and tend lo clearly to our joy and happinefs, that Preach~rs are if the Devil did not win mofi fouls by filencing Rea{on, and laying it aflttp, or drowning its voice, by Reafon to with the noife and crowd of worldly bufincfs, Hell would not have fo many fad inhabitants. I fl~2meall fm fcarce believe that God will condemn any finner that ever lived in the world ( that had the ufe of :;ar;:~bfe.tm- Reafon ) no not the Heathens that had but one talent, but he will be able to fay to them as Luk.I9·22· And tho wont Out ofthineown moutb will I judge thee, thou wick!d fervant: ThoH IQ~twr/l, &c. TQ ferve God and of fuch exci· labour diligently for falvation, and prefer it before all worldly things, is fo Reafonablta thing, that tatJO/r by every one that Repenteth of the cont1'ary courfl, doth call ·it from his heart an impiouJ madmfr. RF~~;:;;~;~ >nd fon mull needs be for God that made it. Reafon mufl needs be for that which is its pruper End and pbin inntua- Vfe. Sin as it is in the Underllanding, is nothing but Vnreafonablmefi: a blindnefi and error: a lofs ~~~ 0 •• 0 per(ons confidering, is agreac caufe of the worlds undowg. For rhofe Pruchers rbat lay all tbe bhmc on rhe peoples. ftupJdJt) or !tulig– nity, I defirethem to rca4 a fati~fa8:ory anfwcr iw Acoj.a the Jefui~. Ji. 4· c.,, 3;&4• Few fouls perilh comparatJvely where :.ll,rrhe means is ufcd which fuou.Jd be ufed by their fuperiours for rh.eir f2lv:.rion: If every Pari!h bad hD/y, s~il{ul, bborioU! Paflon, th.lt ,,.ould publicklyand privately do their par_t; _guat things might b~ exprtled in the wor!d· Bu~ faith A~o{la, Ita.J;_ pr.tcipua caufa a.d Miwi~r~~ pttmllf 1dontos rtdit. /i1...1f.<etlllmq; eft pr~tdiCAtto no/ha? qu.e fidtiUtt? figna cut( non edlmus: 'f.llt.t[An[IJtattno.:z tmllltm"S; bmficmna noii uvttamNs; 'f.ltrbi ac fp'rit.tiS t!Ji~acia no:t ptrfuademlls; lachqmis ac pruibus a Dto non impttram11s ; lmmo ne mtf)lopm q11idem C!,rttmt~s. .f!!!.~ tr"fO 11Df/r;;. q•mla eft? q11<1 tanta ]11d1mm acr;.faJio? ( An inger.uous confellion of the Roman Pric.fthood. And fucb Priel!s _cJn exped no ~tter fuccefs. But having feen another Wrt of Min.ifters, through Gods "mercy, I have feen an anfwerable fruir of che&t ende.ll"onrs.) lib. 'I• r· 365. - ami
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=