DireUions for yow~ C!Jriftiaus. ~· 2 , when once Manharh too much of yourrc~ard~n~l ob{ervation, that you fct too much by his favour and eHeem, or e~·c him too much i11 )'t)Uf profcfi10n and practice; when ma111 approhlt:on roo much comrorreth you, and mans difj:tlcafure or difpraife doth too moch trouble. you; when your fear, and love, and cue, and obedit:ncc are too much taken up for !Yian; You G.> far withdraw your felvcs from God, and are becoming the {ervantf of men, and friend! of the zvorld, and mrning back to bondage, and fmfaking your Rock and Portion and your excdlency : The foul ofl~digion is dtpatting from yon, and ic is dying and returoing to the dull. And if once h1.m get rhe prehnninencc ofGod, and be preferred and ft:t above him in your hearts or lives, and feared, truH:ed, and obey(d btfore,: him, you ar~ then dead to God, and alive to the world, and as Men are taken for your GrJd!, you mull take up with [uch a falvation as they can give you: Jf your Alms and PrJyers arc done to be fecn of men, and to procure their good thoughts and words:, if you get them, make your beH: of them; For v;ri!y, your Judge hath fit id unto you, lott have;:oztr reward, Manh. 6. r, 2, 3· Not that malt is abiOlutc\y to be s;ontemncd or dttregarded : No; under God your Supcriom! mull A' · .a~ be obeyed:, you mufi do wrong to none, a~d do"good to all, as far as in you lyeth: you mull a·void fi ~:~~~~:1r.gr; offence, and give good example, and under God havt fa much regard to men, as to become aU tbings h:mc fcclt·m, to all men for their fulv:Jtion. But if once you fet them abovt: their rank, and turn your felvcs ro an & :rurnam jnordinate depend.mce on .them, a~d.mak.e_too g.reat a"nl!lttcr o.f th~ir ~pinion or rvord1 concern in~ you, ~~~~;r1i, ne:!; you are lofin,t, your g1dlmcji or dJV\IlC dJlpofioon; and turnmg. It mto manMpletJfinf!. anJ hypocrilie. Srrmonibus When man fiands in competition with God, for your firfi and ch1ef regard, or in uppojition to him, or ,·u1gi dedcris as a fharer in co-ordinati1mwith him, and not purely in fubotdi.nation to him, he is w be numbred with re, t1~c in things to be forfaken. Evengood mw, whom you m~lllov~ and ho?our, and whofe communion and ~~~:~~15f~~~l:t· help you mull highly value, yet may be made the obJect ot your tm, and may b{come your fnare. poiuerisre– Your honouring of them, or love to them rnufi not cnrice you to defire inordinately to be honoured rum tuJrum: by them, nor caufe you to fLt too much by their approbation. If you do, you will find that while fuis ~e i!Je .. you are too much eying m.m, you arC lojing God, and corrupting your Religion at the very heart. And ~etrJS.· o~rtet you may fall among thofe, that how Holy focver, may have great miHakes in matrersofReligion; ;~a~J~~~~sv~tending to much fin, and may be fomewhat cenforious aga.inll thofe that are not of their mind ; and fo rum deem. the retaining of their ef'teem, and the avoiding of their cenfures, may become one of the greatell: Ci~:r6 [omit. temptations of y?ur lives. And y~u will find .that man-pleafing, is a very difficult and yet unprofitable ~~~Ilia Gm– task. Love Chnfr as heappearcth m any of h1s [crvants; .and be followers of them, as they arc fol- per fp Ctato: lowers of Chrijt, and regard their approbation as it agrceth with Chrijfs: Bur 0 fee that you are able ilb b~ma:m to Live upon the favour of God alont, and to be quietted in his accepunce, though man defpift:: you ; conr.crymito. and to bt Pleafcd fo far as God is pleafld, though man be difpleafcd with you:, and to rejoyce in Id Jbid. hi-1 Juftification, though men condemn you with the odioufcll flanders , and the greatefi infamy and ·can our your names as evil doers : See that God be tak!n as Enottgb for you, or elfe ym; take him nor as your God : Even as Enough without man, and E11ougb againft ma11 ; Thlt you may be able to fay, If God be for us, who can be a_$ainjf us? 1¥ho is he that condemneth? it i< Go4 that juftifiCih? Rom. 8. 3r, 33, 34· Do ,I Jeeil_ to pleafe mw? For if I yet pleafed men l.fhould not be a fervant ofChrijl, Gal. r. 1o. Jer. '7• 5· Th~~< faith the Lord: c;.rfed be the ma; that trujleth in ma11, and mak,.ctb jltjh hi1 arm , and whofe heart depa;·teth froin the Lord: FOT he JhaU be lik! the Heath in the Deftrt, and JhaU 11ot fee when good cormth---Bleffed is the mt~n that mtfteth in the Lord, and whofe hope the Lo.-d ii: For he jhaU be ai a 'lm planted by the waters, a,uJ. that fpreadeth out her roots by the Rivers, and foaU not fie when heat cometb, but her leaf ]hall be green , and jhaU not be carefu~ i? tl>e yea;· of dro~tght,neit~tr. ]hall ceafi from yielding fru•t· J [ Ceafe ye from man n>hofo breath u m Jm nojlr<II : for n-lmnn u he to be accowzted ,f? !fa. 2. 22· J Having ,-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=