I$$ Charagers of love to Chrifi, 5erm,' 9: And how may that love to him be kindled and inflamed ? And thereare but two or three things, that I delire to fuggeft, and then we (hill immediately begin to treat upon them in their order. I. Let is be confidered, chat there is a vats difference between there cafes,and fuch others as do refer onely to lower duties. When we in- quireafter thefincerity ofour love to Chrifi. It's all one as ifwe were up- on the fearch, whether we are Chrifiians, yea or not ; and whether con- fequentlyour portiondoth lie in the Divine Promifes or Threatnings; And what is our immediate duty, that all other fec alide , we muff ac- rend unto ? And again, when wePeek for direions to help us unto the dove of Chrifí, our inquiry is nor, how we may order this or that inferiour a&ion, but how we may attain to Paving Religion, and Chri- flianity ; how we may efcape the great Damning fin of theworld, and intitle our felves to the loveof God and Chrifi, and to all the rare pri- viledges, which belong to the,Communion of Saints. In a word, to the Grace of God here,and to eternallife hereafter. See 1 Cor.2.9.Tam. I.1 Land 2.5. fohn 14.21)23. 2. Let it beconfidered, That it is not the diffin& refolution of there cafes that tvili be of fassal advantage to any perfon, unlefs there be added to the formeran impartial foul-fearching examination of them- felves ; and to the latter, (as the cafe shall require) a confcienrious pra6tice; The refolutions given to cafes of confcience about theright performance of duties, being nothing elfe, but thebare providing the food or phylick; And again, the difcoveries of mens Elates thereby, being but the prefentingLooking-glaffes to them ; neither of which are effe5tual,or do any good,but to fuch as faithfully ufe them. 3. Let me humbly miedeyou, that the moreuncertainty you are at, touching your eaates,when you have examined them by the C'hara 7ers, the more diligence youareconcerned to ufe in the pra6lice of the Di- re lions. And let me add this, That where you cannot undeniably, and demonfiratively conclude, the rncerity of your love, (which I think few in comparifon, on this fide of Heaven can)there you mull never lay by the advice about the !all cafe; no not although your probabilities fhould be great, it being at the wort} but an eafae andTweet trouble to be full doing this great work over again, whereas it's irrecoverably dan- gerous anddefperate upon prefumption, that wehave done it already, to leave it wholly neglected : And I befeechyou , remember this ùfeful Rule, That in all trials, which Chrif+ians make about Grace, It isfafer to want credulity, than to beover hasy therein. `The cafes are two, and very fit to follow eachother in the order, that
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