1Jire8ions againft Unbelief 9· 30 , Dir<&. 27. Marlzwbetbcr it he not~ reJPef.IIO things temporalt!JJI afJ~ultetb thy Bdief, and Diref.l, 27 , come not with a bya.Jfed fenfual mind 10 fearcb Jnto fo great a myfterze•. ·Worldhnefs, and pnde, and ~ fenfuality are deadly enemies to faith; and where they prevail they Will 01ew their enmity, and blind the mind: If the foul be funk into mud and filth, it cannot fee the things of God. ~· 31• Direct. 28. c.,me with humility and a fenfe of yottr ignorance, and not with arrogance and D. {1 8 felfconceit as if all mufi needs be wrong that your empty foolith minds cannot prefently perceive zre • 2 • robe right. The famonfeft Apoflates that ever I knew, were all men of notorious Pride and felf~ conceirednefs. 9· 32· Direct. 29· Provolze not God by wiUful finning agai•tft the Light which thou haft aUready received, Diref.l. 29 , to forfoks thee, a11d give thee over to infidelzty, . ~- The[. 2· zo, t I, r2. Becaufe men receive nol the Love of the trttth tb.lt they might b'~faved, for thll1caufe God fi~tdl them jfl'ong dtlufionJ to bdiEve a lie; that tbey all might be damned w_ho believed not the_trr~tb,but b.z~pleafurc i1t mJrigbteoufitefi. Obey ChriH.s doctrine fo far as you know 1!, and you fhall fulher know 1! to be of God, J ohn 7· '7· & 10. 4· 9. 33· Dire&. 30. 1cmpt "" yo~~r filvu to brfidelity by pretended Humility, in abafing your Natu· Dircf.l. 30 ral Jacultitl, when you jhou/J be humbled for your mora~ pravity :_Vilifying t~c foul, and its Re~:jim • and Nawral Freewill, doth tend to Infidelity, by makmg us thmk that we are but as other infe~ riour animals, uncapable of a life above with God: When as felfa~afing bccau[e of the corruption of Reafon and Free-wiU, doth tend to fhew us che 11ecd of a Phyfitton, and fo affifl our faith in Chrifl. · 9· 34· Direct. 3,, Judge not of fo great a thi•g, b! fi.ddm apftehenfiom, or the furprize of a tem· Diref.l. 3 1 • ptation, when yowh•ve notleifure to look._ up aU the ev1dencu of ja1th, a~ti lt~j them together, and "t~tke a full deliberate tftw of aJl the ce~ufo. It 1s-a mytlery fo great.as r~quucl~ clear and vacant mind, delivered from prejudice, abfiracted from diveuing and deceiving. things; which upon the befi af~ fillance, and with the greatefi diligence, rrtuO: lay all together to difcern the truth. And if upon the bell a{fifiance and confideration you have been convinced of the t:ruth~ and then will let every fudden thought, or temptation, or difficulty fee~enough to quefiion all again, this is unfaithfnlnefs to the truth, and the way to refill: the clearefi ev1dences, and never to have done. It is like as if you {hould anfwnyour adverfary in the Court, when your witneffes are all difinifi, or out of the way, and all your evidences arc abfent, and perhaps your Counfellor and AdvocJte too. It is like the cafiing up of a long and intricate ac«Zounr, whicli a•man hath1 tlnifhed by fiudy and time, and· when he hath done all, one quefiioneth this particular, and another that,when his accounts are abfmt: It is not fit for him to an[w~r all particulars, nor qudHon his own accounts till he have as full opportunity and help to cafi up all again. ~· 35· Dire&. 3>· If the worlzfeem, t~oha:d for you,go and eonfult wit I! the wi[cjl moft experienced Chri- DirelJ, 32 • jliant, who can eafily anfwer the dtfliculues whtch mofl perplex and tempt you. ModeHy will .tell you that the advanrage of fiudy and experience may make every one witcfi in his own profeffioo, ' and fet others above you while you havt Iefs of thefe. 9- 36. Direct. 33• Remember that Chrjftianity being the forefl way to '[ecure your. eternal hope!, and . thematters of this life which caufe men to forbke ir, being fUch tranfitory tritlus, you can be no Jofrrs DJrd1. 33• by it, and therefore if you tkubt<d, yet you might be fure that its thefafcj! "'"Y.· 9· 37· Direct. 34· Judge not of fo great a C/Jtt{t in a time of Nlel:.~;rchoty, JVhen fe::zts and (01'1/Hfions D" a mak,.e yvuunfit; But in fuch a cafe_as that, as a~fo ~hen ever Sat'.ln 1 Would di_!l:urb you!' fetled faith, or Jre • 34• tempt you at his plcafure, to be fhll new qudhonmg refolved cafeS, and dtfcemed truths,· abhor his filggefilons, and give them no entertainment in your thoughts, but cafi them-back into the T'ernpr'ers face. There is not one Mdancholy perfon of a multitude but is violl:ntly alf.tulttd \¥-ith temptadons tO blalphemy an:d unbelief, when they have but half the ufe of Reafon and no compofednels of mind to debate fuch controvcrfies with the Devil : It is not fit for them in this incaplcity to hearken to any of thofe fuggcftions, which draw them to difpute the foundations of thl.:ir fiirh, but to' tall them away with refolute abhorrence : Nor 010uld any Chrifiian that is foundly fetled on tlie true founi:lation, gratifie the Devil fo much as to difpute with himwhen ever he provokt.th us to it,blit on.!. ly 'endeavour to firengthen our Faith, and deflroy the remHants of unbtlief. 1 9· 38. Dire&. 35· Remember that Chrift duth propagate his Religion conjH~tf.lly by his[pirit and hil Diref.l. 35 ; word, and tjfef.leth him[elf the faith .which he commandetb : For though there be fuflicient eVidence of credibility in his word, yet the blinded Mind and corrupt perverted hearts of.men, do need ~t:he cure of his medicinal Grace, before they will ejfeftttal/y aud favingly believe a doctrine which is fo holy, high and heavenly, and doth fo much contwl their lufrs, See therefore thar you dijlruft your cor· r~pttd heartJ, and earneftly' beg the Spirit of Cbrifl. 9· ~9· Dire&. 36: Labo~tr carmjlly for the'Love ofevery 1rutb which you believe, and to. feel t#e . cf.l. 6 • renewmg powtr cf tt upon your htartl ; ·and lhe re[tmmng power on _your llveJ ; ejptczally that Dlr 3 yo" may be advanced' to the Love of God and ·to If'. Htavtnly mind aftd life : A-nd this w:u be .a ·moll excellent help againfi all temptations to 1/nUe/itf. For 1 the Hca,t holdeth the Gofpel much fafier than the Htad alone. The feed that is c1fi into. the earth if ic quick.fn and take roor, is belt prj:[erved ; and the dapcr rootrd, the.- furer it abideth: but if it di~, it pt~ifhcth and is gone. When the feed of the holy word hath pmdute:d the new creature, iris {ure and lafC: But when it is retained only in the brain as a dead Opinion, r:vety temptation can ovtrturtl i~· le is an- e-xcellent advantage thaf the feriom pralJical Chrifiian halh! above all hypocrites and uofundifiod men : Lrlt!e will hold fafler than dead bclitj: Love is the Grace that abidcrh for ever; and that is the euauring faith which works by Love. The experienced Chriflian hath felt fo much of the power and Goodnefr • Dd2 • of
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