'DireE/:ioiiS for a lvell grounded Faith. CHAP. IlL ':the qeneral qrand 'Dir_etlions for T!'".alkjng ~ith (_jod, in a Life of Faith and Holmefs: Concammg the Ejjentzals ojqod– linefs and Chrifiianity. I Am next to Direct you irnh:lt Excr;ife of Grace, which is common to aO ChriftianJ.. HJbitJ are ·for Vft: Grace is given you, not only _chat you may !Jave it, but alfo that you mayVfe _it. And it is ttt that we Diretr you how toVfe tt, before we d1red: you how to k,_n9rv tb.:~t yott have ~t ; becaufe it is Grace mexercife that you muH difcern; and Habit.f are not perceived in themfelves, but by th(:ir .A[l; : And the more lively and p{)wcrful the exttcift is, the more tt~jily is Grace perceiv– ed: So that this is the near"efi and furetl way to a Ce_rtainty of our ownfincrrity: He that V{etb Grace moft and btft,bath moft Grace: And he that bath m'.fl, and ufttb it moft,may mot\ eafily be A§ured that he bath it in fincerity and truth. In thefe Direllions, I tl1all begin with thofe great internal tlutitr," in which the very Life of all · Religion doth confitt ; and the General Prallice of thefe Principles arid Graces : and all thtfe Gent– raii !hall be briefly fct together for the ca!inefs of VHderftanding and Remembring them. And then I {hall give you fuch Particular DircWons, as are needful in fubordination to thofc: Generals. DIREeT. l. Labour to tmderftand well the 'Nature, Grounds, 1\!a{on and Order 1 E1it/, and Gr. Vir. 1 ; Godlinefs: and to1lelielJe 11pon jllcb grounds, jo well underflood, as lVillnotJujfer For, wdlc you to ftagger, or entert-ai1l a co1rtrary belief ?;i,~~dcd §. z. IGnorance and Hngrormdcd or iU-gi'oundttl ptr{w,;fiom in tnltt~ts of Religion, are the caufe that abundance of people delude themfelves, with the empty name and dead profeffion of a Faith and Religion which they never were indeed poffdfors of. I know there are low degrees of k._nowledge comparatively in many that are uue believers : and that there may be much Lcve andHa– linefi) where k,.m.wledge is very[mall or narrow, as to the obj&llive extent of it : And that there is a k,.~towledgethat pujfeth wp, whileCIJ.lrity edifieth : And that in many that have the n.1rrower k,Howlcdge, there may be the: fajlett f,;ith and adherence to the truth, which will conquer in the time of tryal. But y'et 1 mufi teH you, that the Religion which you profefi, is not i:1decd your own R.t!Ji,ion, if you know not rvhat it U, and know not in fome mea(~re the tmt Groumh and Rea[ons why"'"you fhould be ~f that Religion. If you have only learnt to fay your Creed, or repeat the words of Chriflian Dofrrine, while you do not truly underfiand the fenfe, or if you have no better Reafons why you profefs theChrill:ian faith, than the cull:om of the Coumrey, or the commaud of Princes or Gover– nours, or the Opinion of your Teachers, or the cxal!lplc of your Parents, friends ot neighbours, ydu are not Chriltians indeed. You have a bumane belief or opinion, which cbjc[livcly is trite; but fi 1 ba jt{li_vcly .in your fclves you have no loudivinc belief. I confc[s there may be fome infu.fficient, yea,: and erronwtt R~afons, which a true Believer may mifiakingly make ufe of, for the proof of certain fund.muntal tmthJ: But thcn.that fame man hath fome other Rca[nn for his reception of that truth, which is more ~ound ; and Jus f:tith is found becaufe of thofe {vund infallible principles; though there be a mixture ot [ome other Rcafons that arc unfound. The true Believer bui!detb on tlie Rock._, and givcth -deep rooting to the holy feed, Matth. 7· 24. & 13' 5,.8. Thot1gh fomc deluded mm may tell you, that Faith and Reafm arc luch cnem1es, thar they exclude each other as to the fat:nc objeCt, and that the J.{I Rea{on you hiivt: to prove th!; truth of the things believed, the ttron!!er and more laudab!e is your faith; yer.when it comcch_ to rl~e tryll, you will tind, that ~-airh is 11oo.J u,rrea[on.Jble thing:, and that God rcqum:th you to behevc ne more, than you have fuffi.,Jent reJ[on for> to warrant you~ ;mcl
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