DirdJ. 22· i)ircU. 23. Dire{/. 24· Dirctf. 25· Dirett. 27· DireBions for doing good. And hj: that will do nothing but pray and meditate, it's like will ( by ficknefs or Melancholy ) be difabkd c::'re long either to pray or meditate: Unlefs he have a body extraordinary fhong. 9· 26. Dir,ct. 22· Be very WiJtchfitl redeemers of your 1ime, and mok._econfcience of every hour.J.nd minute, 1hat )'Ott t~{t it not, but JPend it in the bcjt and mojf jel'viceable manmr tbat )'Otrt can. Of this. 1 intend to ipeak more particularly anon; and therefore lhall here add no more. §. 27· Dired. 23. fY..ttchfully and re[olzaely avoid the entanglements and diverting occafiom, hy whitb the tempm· JViU be jfiU endeavwring to wajfe your time ~tnd binder you from yo·~tr wurk,; Know wha~ is the principal fervice that you are called to, and avoid avocations: efpecially Magiftrates and Miniifers, and thofe that have great and puhlick.. work, mutt here take heed. For if you he not very wife and w;~tchful, the T empter will draw you before you arc aware, into fuch a multi· tude of diverting CJres or bufindfes, that 01a1l feem to be your d11tiu, as (hall make }'OU almolt unprofitable in the world. You {hall have this or that little thing that mufi be done, and this or that friend that muft b~ vifitcd or fpoke to, and this or that civility that muft: be performed; fo that trifles (hall detain you from all conGderable works. I confdS friends mull not be neglrded nor civilities be denied; but our Gre.tt~{l duties having the Grcattjt Htccj]ity, all things mutt give'p!ace to them in thtir proper feafon. And thererore that you may avoid the offence of friends, avoid the place or occ.Jfiom of fuch impediments : And where that cannot be done, whatever they judge of you, neglect not your moH nectffary work. £lfc it will be at the will of mCn and Satan, wht· ther you thall be feniceable eo God, or not·. §. 28. Direct. 24· A1k_your filvn firiwflj lww yort wo~tld wijb at death and j•dgement that you had ufed all your r)Jt, and wm, and wealth ; aud rcfolve accordmgly to ufe them now. This is an excellent Direl1ion and Nlo1ive to you, for doing good and preventing .the condemnation which will pa(s upon unprojitable fervanu. Ask your (elves, will it comfort me more at death or judgemenr to think or hear, that I fpent this hour in plays or idlcm:fs, or in doing good to my kif or others? How (hall I wifl1 then I had laid out my efiate, and <.very part of it? Reafon it fdf condemneth him that will not 11ow choofe the courfe which tben he iliall wifh that he had chofen, when we fore. fee the confcquctKC of that day. §. 29. Direct. 2 5· VnderjlanJ bow much you are beholden to God (and not he te you) in th3t he will imploy you in doing any good: and how it i4 the way of your own receiving ; and k,.now the excel– lency of your wm·Jt and md, that you may do it aU with Love and Plta[urr. ~nacquaintcdnefs with our Mafier, and with the nature and tendency of our work) ,js it that maketh it !Cem tedivus– and unpleafant to us: And we Chall never do it well, when we do ic with an ill will, as meerly forced. God loveth a chcerrul fervant ; that Lovetb his Mafter and his work_: le is the main po– licie of the Devil to make our duty feem grievous, unprofitable, undtfirable and wearifiJm to us : For a little thing will ftop him that gocth unwillingly and in continual pain. . 9· 30. DireCt. 26. Expel! your Reward from God alone , and look_ for untb.nk,.fitlmfi mtd abuft friJm mtlf, or wonder mt i[ u befaU you: H you are not _rhe fer~ant~ of Mm) bur of God, expect your rccompwce from bim you lt:rve. You ferve n~t God ~ndud, 1f Jus Rewa:d a!out will not con· tent you, unlefs you have alfo m.zm reward. Vazly ) Ote b.Jve )'Ottr .rt.ward, 1f wuh the HypoCrite you work for mans approbation. M.~t. 6- 2, 5· Expect (fpec1ally 1f Y?u are Minifiers or others that labour directly tor the good of foul;, that many prov~ yo~u tnem_u; for your ttUing them the trulb, and that if you wer~ as good as Paul and as unwcaned m feekmg mens falvarion, yet tbt moJre you love, tl~e le(i you wz~ ( by mat!Y ) be loved: and .thofc: r~a.t he could have wifl1t himfdf ac– curG:d from Chnlt to iave, d1d hate hun and perfecute lum, as Jt he had been. the mofi accu&d ' wretch: A peflilent fellow, and a mover of fedition among the people, and one that turneth rh~ world upiide dow~, were the na~1es they gave. ~hem; and w.he~e ever he came, bond; andimprifm– nzent did attend IJJm, and flandenng, and rcvtlmg, and wh1ppmg, and Hocks, and vowing his death, arc the thanks and requital which he hath from thole, for whofe falv!tion he· fpared no pains, but did jpend and WIH jpcnt. If you cannot do good upon fuch terms as thefe, and for rhoft.: that will thus requite,you, and be contented to expect a reward in Heaven, you are not tit 10 follow Chrifl, who was worfe ufed than all this, by rhofe to whom he !hewed more love, than any of his fervants have to Chew. Take up your crof:i , and do good to the mahankful, and blc(l them that curfi you, and love them tbat hate you, and pray for them ·that drjpigbtfuUy· ufe you and pcrficute you, if you will be the childrel! of God. Mat. 5· §. 3 J. Direct. 27· MA{! not yrJUr own judgcmenti or Confciencu your Law or the ma~tr Qf J'W' dl!ty ; ·wbicb is but the Di[cerntr of the Law ofGod, and of the d:tty which.he malzytb yozt, aRd of )'our own obedience or difobedimce to him. There is a dangerous error grown too common in rhe world, that a man is bound to do every thing which his Confcience [(\leth hin) is the will of God; and that tvery man muft obey his Confcience, as if it were the Law·giver of the world: whereas indeed ir is not our felva but God that is our Law·giver. And Confdence is not appoin– ted or authorifed, to make us any duty, which God bath not made us; but only to difcern the Law of God, and call upon us to obferve it : And an erring Confcience is not to be o~eyed, but to be better informed, and brought to a righter performance of its office. · §. 32· In profecution of rhis Direllion, 1 !hall here anfwer feveral cafes about dmilbting. E:zyell. I· What if I doubt whtthcr 4 thing be a duty and good worJ;. or not .' Muj! I do it while I doubt l Nay what if I am uncertain whttfur it be duty or fin f ' Anfw. i. In all rhefe cafes about an erringor a doubting Confcience, forget not to difiinguifh be tweelf the Beingof a duty, and the K11ow/rd(,e of a duty: and remember that the tirH ~efiioa is whc– zber
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