DireElions to truft ill God. -------- ~---~ I complain of fmJrt ; ' but God will Cb.y till it have done the cure. But fure God is more to be truih.d for my real final good, thon~h my friend be forwarder to give me eafe. All friends may faii; but God never failt.th. · Virc{]. 10 , §. 17· Direct. 10· J\l.zk,_e tt{t of the n:~tural Love of quietmfi, and tby natztr.1l wearintfi oftorment... ing co~ru, aud fiar!, {mdjOrrow~, to move thee to cajl thy Jelf on God,. and q!tiet thy fol_!l in trujling on bim. tor God hath purpofdy made thy felf and all thmgs clfe mfufficte11t, unfausfactory and vexatious to thee, that thou mighdl: be driven to refi on him alone, when nothing elfe affords thee rcft. CJrct, and frau, and rmquiwtefi of mind are tuch Thorns and Bryars as nature can. not love or be content with: An.d you may be fure that you can no way be delivered from them bL~t b}: t~:u.Jfing upon God. And will you choo{e care and torment, w~en fo fure an~ cheap a wa; of L'afe, 1s tet bdorc you ? Who cm endure to have fears torment hun, and cares feed daily upon his hc::11 t, that may C1fely be delivered from it ? An ulcerated, fdlered, pained mind, is a greater calamity, than any boddy <llfircfs alone. And if you be call upon your own care, or committed to the truH of at1y creature, Y0\1 can nevt:r rationally have peace. for your own eafe and corn. fort then b<take your [elves ro God, and cafi all your care and burden on him, who carerh for you, and lmowcth perfectly what you want, ·1 Pet. 5· 7· Matth 6. 32. Read often Matth. 6.from -v. 24· How fwect an rafe and quietndS is it, to the mind that can confidently truft in God? How quier is he from the florms of trouble, and the ficknefs of mind which others are dillrdfed with? lfJ, 26. 3, 4· 1hott rrilt kp:p him in perfe{i peace, whu{e mind is ftaJ'ed on thee, becau{e ·be trujinb i 1t thee; T'ruft J't in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlafiingftrengtb, Pfal. l 12. 7, 8. Hejhall 1tot be afruid (If l1il t)diug.s: hU heart is fixed, trufling in the Lord: IIH heart if efta· blijhed; be JhaU >101 be "frad---Pfal. 3 I· 19, 20· 0 how great ii tby goodnrf which thou haj! laid up for tHem that fear thee? which thou ha{l wrought for them that trtlji in thee, before the Sons of men? 1houj1J,zlt bide them in tbt ficra (Ifthy pre{tnce fr!Jm the pride of mJtt: thoujhalt lzeepthem ficrrtly i1t tb)' pavilitJ1t from tbe ftrife of tongues. 24· Be of good courage, and he }hall Jfrmgthen JIOUT heart, afl J'e that hope in the Lord, Pfal. 56. 3) 4· What time I am afraid, I wiU trtifl in thee: In God I wiU pr~ijC hl1 word: I1t Gud have 1 put my trujl: : I will no~ fear rvh.zt flejh can do unto mt. How caiie and {wcct a lifC ·is this? Direll. II• §· zS. Direct. n. Remember tiJat Diftruft it a pregnant mnitiplying fin, andn--iU carry thee to aUini· quity and mifery, if tbnu fufftr it to prevail. Dijfrttjfing God iS but our entrance upon a life of er· ror, fin and wo : It prefently fcts us on idolatrous confidence on fle{h, and finful fhifts, and firetch· ing confciencc ; It dcluderh our judgemenrs, and maketh every thing feem lawful, which {temt ne~ cejJ.Jry to our fafety and welfare; and every thing fecm necrffary, without which man c:annoc ac· compli(h it. All finful cornplyances, and tcmporizings, and rnan-pleafing, and believing finfulmcans to be no fin, proceed from this DiOruO of God. Virtli• 12 • §· I 9· Direct. 12· Suffer not dijlruftful thought! and 'reafoningJ in thy mind, hut caft them out, a;td command them to be gune. Cogitatio11t arc the intlrumenrs of good and evil in the mind ofman; Th<y cannot be zthd but by Thought!: i\nd the wiU hath more "mmand. of the 'iboughu, than it bath immediately of the paffions themfdves. If you c~nnot Trull God fo quietly as. you would, nor keep under every fearful appreh(nfion, yet keep our, or cafi our the 1'houghu which exercife your fin; and nun your thoughts toforncthing clfe. If thoughtJ do not actuate h, your difirufiflll ~ears and cares will vanifh. \Vhat -ac your curn, but the turmoiling of your thoughttl continually feeding upon difficulties and trouble, and tiring themftlves with hunting about for help? Cafi away the tboztgbu, and the cares arc: gone. You may do much in this, if you will, though it be difficulr. Matth. 6. 2 5· 1{1k..e no tlh'ught fi)r your life, 1vh:1t )'C }hall eat, orwb<lt ye}hall drink._~ noryet for your budiu, wbat ye J~aUput on--27, 28. Which ofyou by takjng thought ca1t add one cHbit to hit jlature! A11dwhy tak_e ye thought for raimem?--- · Vire[/. 13 . 9· 2b· Dir~d. '}· .When command! wiU not prevail, rebuks and ~hide thy ~nbelieving heart, and re~· flm it out of 111 tltjim 1 [Nl careJ, andfe.;rJ, and forrotv!. Say to 1t as :Vavrdoft, Pfal. 42· & 43· JY;ry art tbuu c.Jft down, 0 nry [out l andwby art tholl fo di[quieted within me ? 1wjf in God, for I jh.1U )'U give bim th.JHk.f, n.·bo if the bealtfJ of my countrnauce, m1d my God. 0 foolifb foul! Hdi thouyet learned no better to know rhy God ? Doth he fuppOrt the Heavens and the Earth and the whole Creation ? andyet canfinot tbott rely upon him ? Is he not wife enol1gh to be trtdfeiWith theconduct and difpofal of thee.? ls he not good and graduus enough to be trnjled, with thy life, dl:atc, and name, and wc:lfare ? Is hi:: not great and powerful enough to be trujftd, againH the great(ft danger, or difficul· tics, or oppofition that ever can btfall thee ? Js he not ~rue and faithful enough to be trujlcd, whatever improbabilities may arife before thee? \'Vhcredwelt the man, and what was his name, thatevutrujlrd. hirri in vain, or waS tver failed or deceived by him? Are not his Son, and Spirit, and Covenant, and Oath, fufficient plcdgci of his lovefor thy lecurity? How oft hath he performed his promifes to thee? and heard thy cryes > a"d helpt and faved thee in thy diOrcfs? How oft hath he con{uted thine unbe– lief? and flumecl thy difirullful fears and cares? And then thou couldll rdolveto trufi him better in the ne;xt dillrcfs. And O~all all his wonders of Il)ercy be forgotten> and all thy contdlions, thanks· givings and promifes be now repenr~d ,of, contradiCted or recanted, by thy renewed dilhuH and un· belie!? Is he not the fame God~ that harh fa frequent!)' and abundantly had mercy on thee? Is he n?t the fJ.me God, thlt hath favcd all that trufted in him, ahd wrought fuch wonders for his fervants m the earth, and brought fo many fafe to Heaven? Our Fat/m! trujled in him: tbey truftcd aiid he deli– Vfrtd them : tbey cryed tfJ him, a11d were d~livered : they truji:ed in him, and were not crmfou_nd.e~, Pfal. 22. 4, 5• And is he not fulficient for tlm, that is fufficient for all the woeid l Who ever fped Ill - • that
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